What gaming headphones to buy? - Page 9

Again all your questions and more can be answered by this link, which I've also posted previously. Read the comments.http://www.instructables.com/id/Run-...ugh-AC-power./

I have the second Radioshack adapter it mentioned and I am currently performing this procedure. Scalpel!


EDIT: Oh yeah. The JVC adapter needs 3V DC. 2AA batteries = 1.5V x 2 = 3v

EDIT 2: Success! The mod as described works! I will have pics up for everyone later tonight, and hopefully more good things to say.

KBI -

The surround effect is great for the money I'd say. It doesn't come close to a real 5.1 setup, but I wasn't really expecting it to. It does it's job admirably, considering that the space between the "Front" and "Back" channels is about an inch.

I fired up some Call of Duty 4 Beta to test them, and I could tell where the helicopter was in relation to me, without taking my eyes off of the action to look at the radar. In the couple of hours I played, noone ever came up behind me (so I couldn't really see if I'd hear footsteps coming or not) but I could tell where bullets were being fired from, without seeing the muzzle flash (which I couldn't do with stereo headphones). Either Call of Duty 4 is 5.1 enabled and the surround effect is great, or the placebo effect is in full swing. Either way, for 100 bucks, I couldn't be happier with my purchase. To be fair though, these headphones (and I should say, probably all the 5.1 headphones under 200 bucks) aren't even nearly as proficient with music as my Beyerdynamic cans. So I wouldn't recommend these to anyone looking for an all in one gaming/music listening headset.

I'd say it's probably a toss between the Turtle Beach, Razor, Tritton and other (100-150 dollar) 5.1 headphones. With the Turtle Beach, I could have had wireless (but infrared wireless I believe. I didn't even think that would be a good idea as far as interference goes). With the Razor's I could have had a set of headphones that look good, and that I wouldn't be embarrassed wearing with people over =P. I ultimately went with the Trittons because I had heard somewhat bad things about the audio quality of the Microphone on the Razor's, and good things about the mic quality of the Trittons. So any set you guys decide to go with (as far as 5.1 goes) will probably be fine.

W00TER!!! I got Halo 3 tonight! My local chain store is apparently clueless, and there I was to take advantage of what is sure to be fixed buy the morning. So.....impressions will most definitely be delayed but you can all be happy I got Senn 555 + Jvc Adapter all set up just in time for my to be the luckiest bastard ever.

EDIT: Gamertag: HaD3k

For proofs.

haha. nice work

Sweet. 100.00 is a good deal if you only intend to use them for gaming in 5.1.. Yeah, nothing can beat a speaker based 5.1 system..

Do tell.. I read that the 555 use a surround reflector so they excel at movies, & I'm sure the same applies with games as well.. So the JVC should match nicely. I really hope you like them.. Can you compare the DD 5.1 headphone SS to a 5.1 headset with 8 drivers?

Unfortunately I have no way to do that comparison KBI.

actually, for wireless audio IR is the best way to go, great reception due to the way the receiver is on the headphone, reflection properties of the IR signal, etc, you just cant leave the room, but you wont get any static or interference from other objects like RF. so being infrared isn't a CON, though before i knew any better the thought idea of IR was silly and that there was no way it would work... i was wrong.

Cool.. When you break away from H3 I'd love to hear impressions on both the JVC adapter & the Senn 555 SQ while gaming..

KBI

How would the 555 or 595 compair to the pioneer 800c as supposed to movies? Im looking for something along the lines of 50% gaming and 50% movies. The price is about the same when you figure in the jvc 5.1 and the 595 compared to the 800c but are they as good or better for movies?

For SS I'd give the edge to the pioneers even though the JVC's also support DD 5.1.. But for SQ I'd bet the 555 & 595 would best the Pioneer, although no slouch in that department.. For an all in one, plus being wireless, I'm sure you'd be most pleased with the Pioneer for movies & gaming. Every site I been too, they are always highly recommended. Theres a long thread about the pioneers on this site. I forgot the forum. I have yet to hear of anyone that were unsatisfied with the Pioneers.

http://www.audiocubes.com/category/H...eadphones.html

You get a free voltage converter.. This becomes a moot point if you can find one in the states..

Features

Enjoy music, movie, and game through high quality bass & treble sound from 24bit digital signal processing playback in three-dimensional surround sound field just like the theater
Pioneer's 2003 Dolby Surround Headphones with DTS technology
Supports Dolby DTS, Dolby Pro-logic II, Dolby digital EX, DTS-ES
Automatic Movie/Music selection according to signal inputted
Soft fitting new development "dual stabilized hanger" adoption
Comfortable jersey ear pad
Accepts both digital (Toslink) and analog inputs (RCA)

I doubt the JVC supports this function.. But for the price you should get more.. & analog inputs is a plus too..

Cnets review. 8.3.

http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones-h...tag=prod.txt.7

"it's far more speaker like than stereo. In fact, once we were engrossed in the movie, we forgot the sound was coming over headphones"

"They even bested the sound we were getting from our Grado SR125 corded headphones in that the DIR800Cs were more open, with their sound less stuck inside your head."

"Three inputs cover every connectivity contingency: RCA stereo analog inputs, plus optical and coaxial digital inputs to connect with your DVD player and A/V receiver. We're not sure why it's there, but the base has a headphone output jack that you can use with corded headphones."

"these Pioneers certainly rate near the top of the current crop of wireless surround headphones."

Yea I've done alot of reading in regards to the pioneer and your right..theres really not a bad review of them. I've also seen that review on Cnet, thanks for the links though, and had really been set on buying the pioneers but I just wanted to get your perspective of it since you were considered the Headphone Czar and all. lol. Just wanted to keep my options open and I know that Senns are highly respected for their quality. Thanks for the response.

Yes.. I'd recommend them.. I owned the Sen 595's.. & Own the Sen 212 pro & Sen 650's.. All 3 are great!! Can't compare the SQ of the Sen 555/595 to the pioneers cause I never heard the Pioneer 800C before..

Guys...I have a question abut the JVC adapter.

Lets say I feed my 360 optical( or PS3 optical) directly into the adapter. Is there a volume control on the JVC?? How do you adjust the volume if you bypass a reciever??

I have an optical in on my receiver but I don't see what good that would do with the JVC.

By turning the volume very low on your receiver & increasing the volume on your adapter. Since the JVC has a line out you would need to get a stereo mini cable, connect it to the line out in the JVC, then put the other end of the cable in your receivers headphone jack. Then plug your headphones into the JVC. This will allow the JVC's amp to bypass your receivers. Yes, it has a volume control.. Just connect the optical cable to the adapter & to your console. Then plug your headphones into the JVC phone jack.. It supports 1/8 jacks.. Portable phones.. But you can get a 1/8-1/4 adapter for home headphones.

Hmmm..so without using the reciever...I can adjust the volume using the JVC.

I understand that part.....the other part you posted is confusing. If I hook the "line out" in the JVC to the headphone jack of my reciever...how is that going to work??? The "line out is just that...an output...so is the headphone jack in the receiver...it is an output...you seem to be saying hook two outputs together to use the receiver?? WHat am I missing?

When I had my portable amp, thats what I did, & worked fine.. To be more specific I used a 1/8 to 1/8 mini cable..Connected one end to the line out (My portable amp) & one end to the receivers headphone jack using a 1/4 adapter.. Then plugged my headphones into my portable amp to bypass the receivers internal amp. I done the same thing with the phone jack on my PC & Portable CD player..

I'm not talking about using your receiver expect to lower the volume. You really don't need to go this route since the JVC has a volume control. Of course you could hook up a good portable amp to the JVC & bypass the JVC's internal amp for even more hi fidelity SQ & better SS experience.. Sorry if I'm speaking French to you. Maybe someone can explain it better then I.

If anyone is interested There are some Mcoys that sell for 40.00, but have the quality of a portable amp that cost twice as much.. & most certainly better then the JVC's amp.. The JVCs amp is more then capable, just throwing that out there if you'd like a bump in SQ.. Sorry, you already spent a lot on my recommendations already.

KBI can you help me understand the difference between the Pioneer SE-DIR800C, SE-DIR800C-2, and SE-DIR2000C?

I understand that a couple of these are in the Japan market, which is fine to me. I've imported game consoles for years. If the latter 2 are superior I don't really mind forking over the $$, I just can't find much to guide me.

I will use these for my gaming hiding spot, with a PS3/360.

Just a quick note for anyone interested in the JVC su-dh1 but hung up on the US version only working on batteries. I ordered mine from Audiocubes and it just arrived in the mail. I was surprised to find that it is the Japanese version and has the DC input.

So I might be in the market for some DC power. Does anybody know what I need?

I will try to post impressions of the JVC and the Audio Technica ATH A500's maybe tonight.

Power brick (with correct V/A) + correct fitting (RadioShack)

Wow really great information in this thread! Thanks to everyone who answered my questions.

I think I still have some thinking to do in regards to my situation with all my equipment being tucked nicely away. I would like to have the jvc in my rack, but I really will need volume control with using multiple sources with headphones in the theatre.

Maybe someone with the pioneers can answer this question. Can you adust the volume with an ir remote and if the transmitter was located behind the person or off in a corner of the room, would the signal still reach the headphones or does it need to be directly infront?

I'll see what I can do..

From what I gather the 800-2 is just a newer version of the 800c with a different headphone design. The specs & features look identical to me. The DIR2000C is Pioneers new 05 SS pioneer headphones. The previous models are from 03. The 2000C uses larger drivers.. 50MM compared to 40mm. I would expect a noticeable improvement in SQ over the others. Better comfort, & found this not found on the others.

Transmission system: Incompressible digital infrared ray transmission
Infrared distance: 10m

Bus assist function: 3 stage (Not sure what this means)

Yeah.. The 555's have a surround reflector not the 595's..But I wouldn't call the 55 SS headphones.. But I had no problems hearing where footsteps were coming from. Behind me, to the R/L or in the front. & bullets seem to fly by from every direction. Of course this will improve considerably when using the 5.1 DD headphone. It would be cheaper to use the AVR 635 with the DD 5.1 headphone. Tell us how they sound when using the DD 5.1 headphones.. Sorry if you are a bit displeased with the 595's. Hope I didn't take you of course with my recommendations. I personally loved the 595's for gaming. If worst comes to worst you could always sell them & buy a 5.1 headset instead.

I'm inching my way back into getting some headphones since my credit card wounds are healing after buying two iPhones. I bought the Senn RS130 at Circuit City to see how RF would behave in my house and I have to say those headphones are crap. They feel fine, but you are limited to analog inputs via RCA (with optional headphone jack converter). So much background noise! I think I did notice RF interference as well. I just wanted to check some out and they were the most expensive ones at the store, which they will be going back to shortly.

Now I have to decide on my plan. I have an HK 635 with Dolby Headphone and was interested in the Senn 555/595 or Audio-Tech AD900. However, I'm second guessing running the wire to my seating position. The Pioneer IR wireless are now moving up to the top of my list. I like the fact that they use AA rechargeable which I have plenty of laying around the house and IR instead of RF since I'll be in direct line-of-sight (the opposite of my remote control issue). I can just connect a digital out and keep the headphones near my chair.

Are the Senn/Audio-Techs worth the wiring trouble compared to the Pioneer sound quality wise?

How could you possibly expect to experience SS effects with only analog RCA inputs? The 360's "digital stereo" is either a ridiculous marketing misrepresentation... or a legit DD2.0 bitstream via optical. Either way you aren't getting "digital" anything over RCA.

Maybe some cans present such a beautiful sound stage that a listener can think they hear SS... which would be awesome but I can't imagine expecting as much. The only/best way I know to get SS out of 2 speakers is via post-processing. And if you direct connect RCA to the 555's... I don't see where that can take place. Sound reflectors or no.

But that's just $0.02 from a guy who uses stock iPod ear-buds... for now

Hey all. I finally tore myself away from Halo 3 to write this for you guys. Thanks to KBI and electr0n for all the help and guidance. On to the impressions!

I'll start with the JVC Surround Sound adapter since many of you are looking for a AC adapter solution.

The adapter:


Amazing little guy. Was way smaller than I expected. Fits in my hand. But
WOW! what sound. It delivers a really convincing 5.1 surround sound experience. There are 3 Dolby headphone settings. To me the main difference between them is that each new level adds more reverb/echo/delay as if your space is getting larger and larger. Setting 2 sounds like a moderately sized living room 5.1 system and Setting 3 sounds like toward the middle of a movie theater. I think if you are a gamer, you'll find Setting 1 most beneficial, because the sound is a bit flatter and its easier to distinguish the direction of incoming sound. I perfer Setting 2 for my movies. I watched V for Vendetta while testing. The Bailey Building explosion scene and the conference scene directly after was were I tested the different sound settings. Nucking futs! And don't get me started about Halo 3. No spoilers I promise, but the sound is incredible and you owe yourself a similar setup. I did briefly run into so popping and silence issue on my unit, but that disappeared when a reconnected the optical wire to my 360. The cable I used doesn't give a great secure connection. Anything else I say about the sound per say I think will be more a reflection on my headphones (more on those later), and the optical output than the adapter itself. So I move on to the AC adapter mod.

First, use these links.
Most of what I did I found on that page. So I'm really just going to post pics, and talk about parts specific to the JVC adapter. Feel free to ask questions.

One quick note. I found this mod an absolute necessity. I do not have an unlimited battery supply, and this thing sucks them dry in no time. I did not go two hours before draining the set that came with my JVC. Not awesome for all night gaming sessions.To the pics!

The Radioshack adapter:

You won't get a spark crossing the AC adapter wires at only 3V, so use a volt meter.

The mod completed:


Clips to JVC:


Clips to AC:


After this I had to do some extra work to get the wires out of the adapter while keeping the cover on. (Fire risk? Dunno but definitely not worth finding out.) So basically after I secured the clips to the JVC I cut some groves out on the battery cover. Sorry for the blurry pic.

Battery Cover Grooves:


Cover on, Wires out:


Last note, connecting the positive alligator clip to the JVC was a pain since I was trying to pull the flat coil out then clip it directly to it. No dice. I suggest find a twisty tie, stripping the paper, and cut off a third of it. Then slip it through the coil vertically with a very small flathead screw driver. Then just bend the remainder out toward the battery bay and use your clip. Finito.

Good to go:


Whew. That took longer than expected, so I will put up my impressions on the Senn HD555 up later. Short Version: Tremendous sound, awesome with the JVC, and go get some now. But if you can wait, I will also put up some pics of the entire setup, HDTV and all. Take it easy, gents.

Damn. An A/V Mcgyver.. Great job! Appreciate the lengthy breakdown. Hopefully people who don't want to use batteries will follow your example.