5.1 Headphones [hmm]

DonkeyStyle \o/

I've been looking around at decent 5.1 headphones for gaming/dvd-watching.
The only problem is that a lot of them have built-in USB sound card/devices, and I'm not sure whether they're up to scratch or cheap little bits of crap.
Then there's the question of CPU usage... I'd assume they use some crappy software codec or other.
I'm very much in love with my Creative X-Fi and would prefer to use that... but a lot of the 5.1 sets look like they're USB-only and wouldn't connect to my soundcard jacks.

This one has the jacks, but it doesn't have a mounted mic or a 'subwoofer' as this one claims to... but then we're back to the questionable USB sound device.

I'm a bit befuddled at this stage and would like to call on anyone who's tried 5.1 headsets to share their experiences/input/whatever.

Spanks.

challengemaster

I've heard that Medusa headsets are quite good. a quick google might show some results

DemonOfTheFall

If you have an X-Fi the the CMSS 3d or whatever they call it that they do with generic 2 speaker headphones is easily as good as whatever excuse for sound that "5.1 headphones" will make.

Just spend the money on a sweet set of Grado or Sennheiser or some such make. That way they won't weigh half a ton and suck ass.

EDIT: My experience was my mate's Zalman 5.1s and some other company's 5.1s. Both sounded absolutely atrocious. Stick to the good stuff

PogMoThoin

That cmss3d on x-fi is mad, in the test you hear a helicopter move around your head in a circle on stereo speakers. My mates wouldn't believe me until i showed them.

DonkeyStyle \o/

Yeah that's an interesting idea alright... I remember being super-impressed by the kind of positional audio A3D could do.
I can't say I've tried to use CMSS for anything other than having my mp3s play through all 5 speakers though, so I'm not sure what else it does for games and the like.
It's interesting that these 5.1 headphones make heavy pimpage of the fact that they use 8 speakers or whatever, yet things like frequency response, SNR, etc aren't boasted about.

The thing is, I'm very very picky about my speakers... tin-canny high ranges and muddy bass utterly get on my tits (like my old Logitech Z640's, pure crap)... I definitely noticed a big improvement moving to an X-Fi aswell, which is why I wouldn't be without it.

I've got a lend of a pair of Sennheisers here at the moment... might try them with CMSS later on.

PogMoThoin

Go into gaming mode, speaker settings with the headphone setting & do the test. It'll change your mind. Close your eyes & guess where the helicopter is.
Cmss is great for games, I have 5.1 & cmss is nearly as good, I use headphones when others are in the room

DonkeyStyle \o/

Meh, it's a bit shít compared to my 5.1 speakers tbh.

DonkeyStyle \o/

Guh, actually... after playing CS for a few hours with these, I'm reminded how much I hate wearing earphones.
Have a headache now... I'm off to lie down.

Static M.e.

I just got the Sennheiser 165 USB headphones, a tab expensive but man they are sweet!!

Built in sound card and they have a mic for Skyping and what not but honestly I think they are class, sound quality is excellent.

You can disconnect the USB sound card piece if you want aswell and just connect straight to your sound card.

Mic can bo rotated back behind your ear and is on a flexible plastic piece it also has a volume control built in.

Khannie

Static M.e. wrote:

I just got the Sennheiser 165 USB headphones, a tab expensive but man they are sweet!!

These aren't 5.1 though, are they?

I had the medusa's before and they're pretty decent. They're broken (from use and abuse) though. I heard that the zalmans were pretty decent. Seriously considered a pair myself (posted about them in here also, but got no replies). Currently using a nice pair of normal muffy panasonic ones.

silvine

What's wrong with a decent pair of stereo headphones? Cheaper too.

Orion

My vote for the Medusa's. I love 'em. And unlike Khannie I take care of mine so they're still going strong

Linky

PogMoThoin

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

Guh, actually... after playing CS for a few hours with these, I'm reminded how much I hate wearing earphones.
Have a headache now... I'm off to lie down.

So are you gonna give up on the idea or what?

DonkeyStyle \o/

PogMoThoin wrote:

So are you gonna give up on the idea or what?

lol it's a bit daft isn't it?
"Oh never mind mister car salesman, I just remembered I can't drive!"
I was reminded last night of how uncomfortable I find things pressing against the side of my head... maybe I was just having a flashback to my tech support days. :eek:

I've definitely given up on the headphones CMSS 3D thing, I didn't think the positional sound was anywhere near as well defined on stereo headphones as it is on my 5.1 speakers.
And if 5.1 surround headphones are supposedly the same or worse than this, then there's not much benefit to begin with.
Though I still hold out hope that a real multi-channel headphone would provide more realistic surround.

The thing I like about actually having seperate speakers/channels is that the rear left speaker can be playing an exploding sound, without drowning out the distant gunshots in the front left speaker.
With stereo headphones, it all sounds so mashed together... all the sounds are competing for the same speaker.

Nietzschean

on my second pair of medusa's now, (new ones are the new pro lan type ones whatever they are called, much lighter than the original version).

....Anyway compared to 'any' 2 speaker setup they are far superior, heck i find them better than using my 7.1 speakers alot due to the dampening of any ambient noise and pure clarity as a result. Built in mike is of a nice high quality too, must say great buy if you play fps games, or anyones that need positional sound.(if you play hidden is nearly close on cheating )

DemonOfTheFall

These Medusas you all speak of are starting to sound very good....

How similar are they to the Zalmans ? Because the Zalmans sounded like 2 euro shop headphones x 6 to me.

DonkeyStyle \o/

DemonOfTheFall wrote:

Because the Zalmans sounded like 2 euro shop headphones x 6 to me.

lol now theres an idea....
A few rolls of tape, and voilà

DonkeyRhubarb

Cheap headphones can sound terrible, be sore on your head for prolonged periods of listening and a bunch of other stuff that makes me cringe.

Seeing as you have a decent sound card, Id invest in some proper audiophile headphones. Grados and Sennheisers are generally very good. (the top of the line ones).

I have a set of Sennheiser 595's. When I say I cant listen to any other headphones again, Im serious. After about 100 hours of constant use, they came into their own. As for comfort, I could wear them for the rest of my life and wouldnt know they were there:D

In shops, itll set you back €250 rrp, however, a good look on ebay and youll get them for about €130 inc postage.

Your x-fi has enough fancy effects to put them to good use:p