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[keasy]

Therm, you may be in your element here.

I'm looking for good honest answers regarding 5.1 headphones, everyone.
I primarily want them for gaming but preferably for home cinema, stereo music and Xbox 360 if at all possible, but I would consider a group of decent ranged drivers (as in speakers) over multi function for the reason of gaming alone.

I always thought the functionality of the SpeedLink Medusa Home Edition SL-8796 was a major player. As it is they do appear to offer the multiple functionality and ease of multi format/system switching I want, but the overall drive at lower frequencies is apparently abysmal. It's supposedly not hard to compensate by adjusting the high FRQ drives to lower/mids in the EQ but it also compromises the emulation of natural/ nature sounds and vocal/dialogue on the front drive.
This may not bother some but it certainly would drive me a bit mental, not because I'm an audiophile but because I know I would rather opt for pure gaming brilliance than settle for the multi adaptability and end up with something that's tin pot and basically shit in the secondary multimedia/home entertainment department.
Tricksterdude has a set of Speedlinks and for the short 2 minutes I tried them I liked the 5.1 effect, it did work and it worked to a fairly accurate position, ideal for gaming in particular. But I obviously never had them at home or for long enough to see if they met my arsehole styled standards, which ain't high to be honest, I just like to get the most bang for my buck I can get and not to tarnish my new equipment with nagging doubts that I could have got that bit better for my money(I'm a Scot after all).

I have considered the option of equal valued stereo sets with higher to lower ranged capable drivers such as many Sennheiser sets (apparently) but I have to be honest, the 5.1 element is highly appealing even if it doesn't match external satellites.


So, what's the low down if anyone knows  ? (Therm ?)



I got 50 quid, that my mum is giving me for them when I find the right present, even though she gave me my pressie early to buy WAW, she's a cool wee mum is wee Betty

[Thermalsig]

For the money, I'm guessing it comes out to about 75$USD? I would suggest Zalman's. But, if you can spend more, I'd go with the Tritton AX360's. The Zalman's are good, but lack any real deep bass. The Tritton's a decent compromise but are generally about 50USD cheaper than the Medusa's. The Tritton's also have real bass with rumble packs(can be disabled), but the ultimate kicker is the wide connectivity options. Both will do surround sound well with a good audio source, but again the base on the Zalman's may bother some. It doesn't bother me because I'm more about clarity while gaming and I tend to turn down the bass. Both head sets do well in sound with good range in the lower middle frequencies on up. As far as watching a DVD or movie, I want external speakers. I will spend hours setting up speakers and listening to different music tracks to get correct spatial quality, and you'll never get that with headphones. Plus I like big badass bass while watching a movie.

[keasy]

Thnx for the info.


I prefer satellites myself but it's just not a viable option for me. I spent a lot of money on a real good home cinema system a few years back, the sound is top notch. It's a real show boater when playing THX fx, mind blowing.
But alas it's not an option to have it set up, I don;t have the space for the speakers nor the time to hide to wires away under the flooring. Smattie won't let me have the wires visible, she's going nuts with the PC in the living room as it is.
I may set it up in the log cabin come summer time if and when I get a new job and I bung a semi decent TV in there.
So to get 5.1 in movies my only option is headphones atm.
But primarily for gaming.

[Thermalsig]

I'm assuming that you have on board sound. One thing I learned is that If you don't have a decently beefy processor or a premo add in card(Xfi,Xonar, some Turtle Beach models), EAX and  5.1 will bring your system to it's knees. EAX is the worst culprit.

[keasy]

I could buy an Audigy just to lower the overheads on the CPU I suppose, anything else is out with my reach.

Saw some OEM Xfi for about a tenner more but it's starting to mount up.

[Thermalsig]

I'd have to revise my earlier statement about cpu usage. Having a decent dual core should more than do the trick. You will however have much better audio quality. The Xfi gamer is the lowest card that supports EAX5 and It includes a header for your(if you have any) front case audio and mich ports, which is a must for me. Do not get the Xfi extreme audio because that doesn't even have the full Xfi processor. The Audigy2 is decent enough, but if you move to Vista, expect to pay a tenner USD for the Alchemy drivers. They are free to Xfi users. Get a Xfi gamer OEM and never look back. You get the full software suite and the biggest difference between, but not the only, of that and the Fatality is 64Mb of on board memory. You pay for it though.

[corroded]

The Titanium is also about the same price as the Xtreme Gamer in the UK, and that has the full XFi stuff. I had an Audigy 4, and that was very spinky, but the XFi blows it out of the water.

I'm not really very sure about 5.1 headphones, to be honest i always found the positional stereo in 2.0 headphones was very good anyway. And that means i can sit pretty with the Senny HD595s

That said, all that stuff i bought for my gaming PC has been put into stasis almost... the mobo+psu+case i bought for £150 now is the PC i turn on most lol. Haven't booted up the e8400, sli 8800gts thing in about 2 weeks :|

[Thermalsig]

to be honest i always found the positional stereo in 2.0 headphones was very good anyway. And that means i can sit pretty with the Senny HD595s

I agree very much. If you have an Xfi, it almost makes a set 5.1 not necessary. Their 3D positional audio makes you in the center of it with a decent pair of headphones.

[corroded]

I just wish A3D hadn't disappeared. I remember people playing HL:AG with that, it was insanely good 3D audio via standard headphones.

Even the XFi hasn't caught up to A3D... i've ne'er heard of anyone being EAX whored, but the term A3D whored existed for a very long time!

[Thermalsig]

I just wish A3D hadn't disappeared. I remember people playing HL:AG with that, it was insanely good 3D audio via standard headphones.

Even the XFi hasn't caught up to A3D... i've ne'er heard of anyone being EAX whored, but the term A3D whored existed for a very long time!

Hmm, I remember A3D very well. The costs of being sued and counter suing Creative is what drove A3d into bankruptcy. Creative actually bought the rights to the technology after A3D went belly up, if I remember correctly. Too bad they don't use it. Eax doesn't really stand up as well.