The NEW Gaming Headset/Headphone Topic! (REQUEST STICKY PLZ) - Page 51

For easy communication it's worth it. Still priced high for what it is but that probably because you get every cable you need and alot of ones you don't. The Xbox controller is included.

Just get the headset if using on a PC. I have headsets than work really well on my PC. But the mixamp can't drive them well. Especially in the mic area. If you aren't satisfied you can always get a mixamp later. The pc should do everything= control sound mic ect.

The only other thing you will need is an optical cable to connect your xbox 360 to the mixamp. If you don't already have one on hand, you can get one cheap on monoprice.com.

Yeah, I should have a few laying around, since I switched to HDMI for most things. I had to order the damn Xbox HD cables for the optical out though. That annoyed me, since I had the dongle until I used my PRP at Gamestop last year. Wish I'd held onto that. I noticed Monoprice has those dongles to, but they're backordered. Hopefully the official component cable thing will give me the optical while still outputting video on the HDMI.

You may have problems using the component dongle as it obstructs the HDMI port. I think the HDMI dongle is skinnier and leaves room to plug the HDMI cable underneath.

I've seen some lightly used 2010 Mixamp 5.8 units showing up on CL, EBAY, etc...at good prices.
So what's the issue with buying a 2010 model again?

I think the opt port doesn't fit tight?

****! Of all the stupid goddamn things! Now I'm out money for that cable and I still have to find the goddamn dongle. Can anyone confirm if monoprice's component cable fits with the HDMI, since they're still out of the dongles?

As I understand it, it has to do with the Tx unit powering off and cutting off the optical out passthrough, which is a problem if you want to run it into your receiver. Having said that, you might be able to trade it in with Astro if this were a problem.

thanks. I'm going to send them an email and see if that's possible or if 3rd party sales somehow violate any warranty.

Does your TV have an optical out? If so, you might try using it to connect to the mixamp, which would obviate a need for a dongle at all. However, you should first confirm that your TV will output a dolby digital signal and not a stereo PCM signal. The mixamp will not be able to do its dolby headphone magic on a stereo PCM signal, only dolby digital 5.1. My year old Sony LCD TV outputs DD over the optical out, but I've read plenty of examples of TVs that only output stereo. The mixamp will not tell you, so you might need to run some tests using your receiver etc.

So you go straight to the tv and no receiver?

Is anyone using a PC sound card as a "switcher" as well for other sources? As in, using an optical INPUT on the sound card to take audio from a 360, PS3, cable box, etc..? Just wondering if you can home-brew mixamp functionality if you don't mind leaving your PC on and using something like an X-Fi PCIe card?

I run HDMI to a Denon 2310CI. The thing has an optical out, but it apparently only passes through from 1 goddamn optical input, so it's useless to me.

I have the same receiver and use the component cable from my xbox to my tv and run the optical from the dongle to the receiver, then optical from the receiver to the mixamp. Do you need more than one optical input source to go out from the receiver?? Otherwise I fail to see the problem.

Thats what I thought unless he's using the opt for something else?

he's running HDMI to the receiver, and needs optical for the mixamp.

Would the HDMI going from his receiver to the TV still have the DD audio? If so, the option of running optical from TV to Mixamp would still be a valid option (assuming the TV doesn't mix it down to stereo PCM as mentioned in my previous post).

Yeah. So unless he's using the opt for something else? He can use the opt from xbox to mixamp or receiver then to mixamp? Maybe I'm just missing something? The Xbox has an opt and the receiver has? Should be able to hook the mix amp? But if the hdmi to the receiver makes it hard. Hook up componet and see if you notice video quality is not use componet and optical instead of hdmi.

If you got it on amazon, its likely not a third party sale as amazon often functions only as a marketing hub for other companies to sell their products. I found this out when I bought an item that ended up not matching the description that was posted on amazon and left negative seller feedback. The seller emailed me asking me to remove my negative feedback because he stated that amazon created the product description and was responsible for the error and that his company was merely distributing the item identified by the part number on the site.

If you google mixamp under google shopper you'll only see two sellers for the mixamp, being astro and amazon. In all likelihood you bought it from astro through amazon as an agent.

Whatever you do, remember your situation. Astro doesn't seem like a big enough company that they'd be likely to happily give you a replacement (unless you threaten to raise hell) so you might try emailing amazon first. If they blow you off, then go to astro. Use the. "Its defective, I'm outraged line" and you should have a new one on the way soon after. Good luck

only the xbox slim has a dedicated optical port.

Why not just get one off ebay?

Just mod the 360 component cable to use HDMI and Optical at the same time. This is what I did.

Maybe this isn't the answer he wants to hear, but is there any benefit to running HDMI to the receiver vs running component and optical? I've always heard there is no resolution gain from HDMI.

The 2310 has component input so you can run the component video and optical audio to the receiver and then optical out to the mix amp. Problem solved unless there is some mysterious need to use HDMI only...

I know all that, re-read my original post.
I'm trolling CL & Ebay for a deal on a used 2010 model.
Just wanted to see if Astro covered recall/repair their product beyond the original owner.

Edit: nevermind.

Sorry, I read the copied version of someone else's response...most likely, unless there's a way to register after purchase, they wont know if you're the original purchaser, or say...a christmas gift recipient...both are covered under a warranty after all

i notice a difference between component and vga or hdmi, but not much difference between vga and hdmi.


best case for no dongle would be VGA, but even running component isn't a big deal..... when i cap HD video, i have to run it in component mode.

Stepping away from Viper's issue, do you notice a significant issue between component and HDMI for vid quality? I'm on a 50" 720p so I wonder if it wouldn't matter much to me anyway...

I did not notice a difference between HDMI and component on my 50" 720p (9uk plasma.)

Out of the three, VGA looks the best to me.