What gaming headphones to buy? - Page 259

That should work fine. Califone also makes a throat mic that you could try. I'm curious if the Califone throat mic is more comfortable than the MW2 throat mic.

if money isn't a problem i would recommend the astros http://www.astrogaming.com/products/...4/A40-Headset/

well everyone has a mixamp, and the astro headset is junk, but i'm not even sure who you were talking to.

Bah. Nonsense.

I was going to say... except for 1 hold out... Astro headset lost it's love around page 3.

I want to set the record straight again. The A40 headset isn't junk, it's just wildly overpriced. There are better options under $200. And even under the $120 it costs if you're getting it with the mixamp there are better options (HPX, AD700 if you want to glue/velcro a mic to it). If you have the money, and you want a no hassle solution that will sound good out of the box, just buy the A40 system. If you are on a budget and you want a still very good solution right out of the box, get the tritton AX720.

Change my count to 2... j/k.

I should actually sell my astro headset as I can't see myself ever using it again, but I just can't really bash it because I liked it while I was using it, and it's really not bad at all for gaming. For music it's not great, but IMO neither is the AD700 :shrug: The A40 is just way overpriced and way overhyped. The thing we have to try to remember though, is that most people would think it sounds amazing, and further, they wouldn't think the other options sound better enough to warrant extra cost or hassle. But we are not most people

Ahh ok. I thought that was a neutrik body, and I didn't think that neutrik made one. Now I know what's going on here Does the metal body screw right on the kvconnection connector (same threads), or did you glue it or something?

Nope, threaded perfectly... like if they were made for each other. I'm going to try some of the Newark ones, as they are less expensive. I'll gladly sacrifice a $1.20 Neutrik to mate with a $3 4 pole and have a nice connector than a $6 ugly KV one.

I recently placed an order for the astro mixamp and the AD700's. I have a xbox 360 elite & PS3 both connected to Panasonic TH-PX75u by HDMI (supports 1080p over HDMI), and do not have a A/V reciever. I purchased the HDMI audio dongle ($30) from BB in preperation for the mixamp, but now feel like I should just return it and do one of these options to keep cost down (wife is not completely happy with this purchase because we are building a new home and trying to save money)
1. Use my component cables with digital out instead of HDMI. (prefer not to but would - I hate all the cable clutter)
2. Mod the component cables and still use the HDMI.
3. Or go with xbox 360 hmdi> Panny> Digital Audio out>astro mixamp.
I don't have a problem with doing 1 or 2 if I had to, but my real question is whether or not I will still recieve optimal sound if I go with option 3. I have read different places that this tv will not do DD 5.1 but will do Dolby Surround I am new to this DD as I have never owned any other piece of audio equipment other than Bose Lifestyle 5 system from 2001.

By the way, I have had the TB X31's for about 3 months now and thought they were ok...nothing special but good for gaming at night and wireless was a plus. So I decided to purchased the TB X41's last week from BB and cannot return them quickly enough. Like I said before I do not have alot of experience with what good sound is but I do know what sounds aweful and they are aweful.

I'm really looking forward to my new setup and really appreciate all the great information I have gotten here over the past three years. Now I just need to make sure my wife is happy after spending $220 on headphones/amp instead buying a ceiling fan for our new porch

Tell your wife it will keep her sanity, as now you won't be bothering her so much... and get her one of these..


She'd be so happy, that she'd probably run out and get you a case of beer!

Ha! Your not kidding, I really drove her crazy the past 4 days constantly looking at Headphones/Headsets. One minute I'm saying "the A40's seem to be a good deal with an attached mic" the next minute I'm telling her "but the AD700's have a better sound stage" and she could honestly care less and thinks it all the same. I know i owe her something with her having to put up with my gaming and fantasy football/baseball interests.

I'm sure many of us here have been there (and still are). My wife thought everything was fine when I had the Turtle Beach X1s. Then I decided I wanted better... Ooops, mistake. Now I'm closing in on having spent over $600-$700 on misc. stuff, and have started selling cables and modified headphones to help pay for my new addiction.

Agreed. With the exception of custom mods to hifi Phones it is the best available solution for online voicechat gaming with surround sound in a headset.


The headset is far from junk. It does everything as advertised by Astro. If you want more, be prepared to pay more either thru time/money/effort spent to come up with a better solution.


The headset is overpriced only when bought seperately. When bought with the Mixamp combo it is a very hard to beat deal in terms of function, features and quality. The HPX has been recommended by some for better audio quality, but it still does not compete with the A40 in terms of function, features or build quality.

I do completely agree however that the $130 AX720 is absolutely the best bang for the buck, all-in-1 solution for for online voicechat gaming with surround sound in a headset. It isnt a better solution than the $250 A40/mixamp combo because it also has less features and functions.. It is up to the buyer to decide if he/she wants or needs those extra features to quanitify the $120 difference in price.

This thread is fun when reading your opinions on various Xbox gaming: headphones; headsets; cables; amps; projects that add a microphone to a headphone; do it yourself cables and projects that improve the AD700 looks.

New readers should remember that many people have purchased the A40 system and are happy with it. Most of these people may be so happy with it that they no longer follow this thread daily and instead use their free time to play Xbox games.

Here is my own opinion. The only time to buy a new A40 headset is with a mixamp. You get the headset for around $120 and you pay $130 for the mixamp. When you buy the system add the Y-adapter for $10 so that you can test out other headphones and microphones.

Use the A40 system and enjoy your games. Invite your friends over and have them try your new A40 system.

Now you might be done or you might want to try other options.

If you want to try other options, purchase a clip on mic. There are many microphones recommended in this thread. I purchased a zalman clip-on mic. Have your friends bring over various headsets and headphones. Test them with the A40 mixamp and Y-adapter cable.

If you find a headphone you like better that the A40 headset, sell your used A40 headset. That is right, keep your astro mixamp and sell the used A40 headset on ebay. The following completed ebay listings show A40 headsets sold in the past few days:

Item number 130384360648 sold for $154.00 on April 23rd.
Item number 120556100653 sold for $100.00 on April 19th.
Item number 320518947384 sold for $110.00 on April 20th.
Item number 260585840715 sold for $150.00 on April 16th.

All of these items sold without the mixamp. So please realize that the used A40 headset market is strong. There are many people out there who will purchase your used A40 headset and some will pay more than your purchase price.

I have tried various headphones and headsets with the A40 mixamp. I still have my A40 headset and use it. After trying a friend’s Sennheiser HD555, I also bought a pair and also use them.

I agree that the Astro's hold their value much better than other solutions and that resale value is important to people who dont intend to keep them forever.

Just found a scary post from a year ago!!

I'd like clarification on this... How does the A40 headset have better function, feature or build quality? My HPXs are tough as nails, sound hella good, have a ton of features... I mean really, if you get them as the HPA... they come with a 5.1 amp. If you get them as the HPX, they have a ton of cables to change them into just about any type of headphone you want. So, I don't get that statement. ... I will not argue though, that people will pay for them (even used)... and happily I gather.

In regards to post #7751

From my panasonic TH-PX75u manual:
You can enjoy your home theater by connecting a Dolby Digital (5.1 channel) decoder and Multi Channel amplifier to the DIGITAL AUDIO OUT terminals.
Caution Depending on your DVD player and DVD-Audio software the copyright protection function may operate and disable optical output. External speakers cannot be connected directly to PROG OUT terminals. When an ATSC channel is selected, the output from the DIGITAL AUDIO OUT jack will be Dolby Digital. When an NTSC
channel is selected, the output will be PCM.

Specifications
Digital Audio Out - PCM/ Dolby Digital/ Fiber Optic


Does this mean I can use option 3 above without having to mod a xbox component cable/buy the HDMI dongle? Is this the best way to get the best sound?

xbox 360 hmdi> Panny> Digital Audio out>astro mixamp

Thanks!

I wrote out the below comments without even seeing your post. So eventhough it should clearly your questions, dont take anything said personal. Its simply general information.




A while back I listed out the additional features you get with the A40 headset and why they are best available solution as a GAMING HEADSET. When bought as a combo with Mixamp, they provide even more value. Here you go in order of importance to me.

1. Durable build quality. The headset frame itself is made from hollowed out metal. The speakers themselves freefloat in the frame and can even detach from the frame if necessary. I ordered black A40s, and game in a black executive office chair. Too many times I've taken the headset off, ran to the bathroom or grabbed a drink and came back and sat on these headphones. I've done it atleast 10x, definitely more. Im 6-3, 230lbs and I have never bent, cracked or broke the headset in anyway. With cheaper built headsets.. something would have broke by now.

2. Best Mic in the business. This mic picks up my voice better than any mic I've used. Great sound is only half of the equation. Great voice communication is the other. My teammates always hear me loud and clear, if I tell them theres a guy hiding in the window.. they understood me 100%. Trust me other mics do not work this well, I've tried them. Its a boom mic which means it doesnt rub against me when I move around. I can switch it from left to right side or remove it completely. If damaged or lost, its easily replaceable.

3. Mute switch. Nothing bothers me more than when someone is gaming and doesnt mute their mic when talking on the phone, arguing with the signficant other, or screaming at their kids. You can do that with the A40's.. you cant with alot of other headsets and almost none of the custom solutions guys are building.

4. Fold-flat speakers. I hate when I temporarily rest regular headphones around my neck and the big speaker cups are dig into my chest, neck and chin. Its so uncomfortable that I have to take them off. The A40 doesnt have this problem because the speakers are fold flat against your chest and rest comfortably.

5. Resale value. As someone just pointed out you can sell the A40 headset on Ebay for almost all of its original price. Especially if you bought it with the mixamp combo, you can easily recoup your $120 investment into the A40 headset. How much can you sell your used headset for? I doubt if you even get back half of the money you paid for them.

6. 2 terminations: 4 pole single or Y plug dual. Both cables are included. I can use the headset with the Mixamp (4pole), my iPhone (4pole) or my laptop (dual plug, seperate headphone and mic). All the necessary cables are included in the box. How much did you have to pay for that extra cable or adapter at Radio Shack you needed?

7. Quick disconnect adapter. Dont use it much but it again speaks of quality. I can disconnect just the headset from the above mentioned cable easily. I can also connect additional custom cables. If you ever needed to replace just the cable for some reason.

8. Customizable speaker plates. Yep its cheesy, but you know what else it is? Cool. Your gaming headphones are not this cool and you know it. I rock the fake-azz-wanna-be-pro MLG plates and get compliments on them all the time. And yep, I've had friends ask if I was a pro gamer because of the MLG symbo. It doesnt matter if you like them or not, because you didnt buy them for me. Even better when you buy your own speaker plates, you can put whatever design you want on them. For guys at a LAN party or bigger gaming event you can bet your azz they come in handy. Its easy to tell which A40's are yours. They even include a 3rd plate without a cutout for the (detachable) mic if you want to make the A40 headset into A40 headphones..

Its Astro going the extra step.. again.

Another point I'd like to make is, even considering their popularity, you dont see much discussion about Astros. Why do you think that is? Because people buy them, use them and are satisified with them. In my opinion they are the Lexus of the headset gaming community.

I understand a few people here have bought the Astro's and still found a need for the higher quality, but look around. These people are never really satisfied with any solution and always trying the latest and greatest. To include customizing hifi headphones into hifi headsets, purchasing additional amps or audio gear.. or just continuing to buy more expensive solutions.

And Im not knocking those guys, to each their own, Im the same way with other things in life (just not headphones). But A40's really do the job as promised. Especially for $250 bucks including the mixamp.

FWIW.. I admit I'm heavily interested in the k702's (for music and movies, not gaming). But they still cost $20 more than the A40s with mixamp. If I want to use the k702's for gaming, I still need spend much more in money/time/effort to make them a gaming headset.

You had me at "Hello"! ...but I'd still gladly take the HPX.

So me and my girl 'splurged'. She bought a Vizio soundbar from Wally-world ( ) for $122, and I went the same morning to BB and bought a Sony subwoofer for $99 (same as Amazon).

DAMN THIS THING KICKS! The Vizio soundbar sounded WAAAAY better than my crappy internal TV speakers (weak ass Samsung back-firing speakers). I honestly didn't even NEED a sub, but I figured it'd add that BAAAASSS that I so love. Oh boy, the damn thing is TOO powerful for the bar, lolz. I had to dial down the settings on the sub to get it to sound like it belongs with the soundbar. For $223 for the whole thing, we couldn't be happier. There's no mess of cables like my old HTIB, as everything is connected to the TV, and then one optical goes to the soundbar (as well as the sub to the bar), and that's it.

I wouldn't GAME with this setup (I'm all about headphones baby!), but it does a fine job for movies and TV, and MAYBE the occasional stereo only gaming (like most DLC games).

Now to dial it in a little more as to not bother the neighbors. o_O

Hope none of that came off too personal, I promise I wrote the entire thing and posted it before I ever saw your post. I went back to edit that post and included your quoted question. I absolutely appreciate all of nerdy engineering you and the other guys are doing, or else I wouldnt still be here. I look forward to what new things you guys come up with almost everyday. And most of all I cant wait for the day when I tell you.. WTC.. I need a custom cable for my k702's?

I'll even be as honest as honest gets.. half of the features are 'just talk'. The disconnecting cables and speaker plates are features I can live without. Sure they are great extras, but if you could buy a $50 cheaper A35 headset without those features.. I would have bought that instead.

The rest of the stuff.. mic, durability & resale value are things I have really came to appreciate. I cannot believe I have NOT broken these headphones as many times as I've sat on them or dropped them. The mic is so fockin awesome, I have to shutup or speak more quietly because it feels like I have a megaphone when Im gaming online. And resale value.. lets just say if the custom k702s work as well as advertised by others.. my A40's are sold and Im putting atleast a $100 bucks back into my pocket. I have enough headphones as-is.

NP, I don't really take anything personal... 'cept when I don't get game invites... that hurts! Then I realize I'd bring the team down... so I know why I don't get them. Anyway... I can agree on all the points. I've personally have sat on my HPXs and worst... have dropped them from 2.5ft onto a metal rail (the bottom of my desk legs have metal feet that stick out). The ONLY thing that has been messed up so far... is the silly clear plastic ring that surrounds the "turtle beach" logo on the side of the 'phones... that cracked. No worries though.

It may depend on the brand of display, but I doubt this will work for you, sorry. I have both a Samsung and Mitsubishi display- both output toslink but both ONLY output this in 5.1 for the built-in TV tuner source, not external sources. The set does not take HDMI audio and extract it to toslink or coax SPDIF digital. I tried and it doesn't generally work.

I believe w/ the 360 you can mod the standard component/SPDIF dongle to fit above the HDMI connector and be used only for audio. I think I saw a vid about that somewhere, so search if you like.

Dude I've been looking at soundbars for 2 years now. I have a 9 year old Sony HTiB unit that I bought when I first joined this forum (and bought my first HDTV). It does DTS/DD 5.1 surround and guess where its been since June of last year.. sitting in storage lol.

I simply dont have the room or time to run all of those messy cables around my small azz 590 sq/ft apt.

A sound bar would be a much better fit in a tiny space. You know Vizio makes a sound bar w/ remote subwoofer. Not sure what the price is, but just an FYI you wanted an all Vizio solution. I personally want the Vizio solution but still have 3 gripes about it. 1) I need a soundbar that will accept and output HDMI sound & video on atleast 4 sources (cable box, PS3, 360, HP laptop). 2) I need a soundbar that will have wirelessly connected rear speakers for real 5.1 surround sound. Non of that simulated stuff please. 3) It has to have a dock for my iPhone, which charges the phone and a remote that controls said iPhone. 95% of the music I listen too.. is off my iPhone.

I cant be the only person in the world who wants a soundbar that has all of those features. If it doesnt have those features.. then Im sticking my tv's rather above average audio (its a 5 year old Plasma and has very strong sound.. including bass) or using my old azz Sony HTiB.

I guess it wouldnt hurt if the soundbar also had optical out (for use with my Mixamp). I know its a dream.. but if anybody locates a soundbar with all those features.. please let me know, I'm looking to buy immediately!

I know Vizio is coming out with a soundbar that has the wireless rear speakers (which I was totally planning on getting), but then I remembered, I DON'T want ANYTHING more than just the bar and a sub. I want it to be REALLY clean, and two rear speakers is just something I don't want. This is for the bedroom, mind you. I had that damn Pioneer HTIB, and I was tired of the wires. Even if they were out of sight, they still irked me. The Vizio soundbar is an effortless solution. I didn't get the Vizio bar with the sub because it was nearly $300, when I realized I could get the same bar with a BETTER sub for less than that, which I did.

I didn't want to connect ANYTHING but one optical cable to it, from the TV to the bar, that's it. Everything else stays connected to the TV.

Whenever I get a TV for the living room, then I MIGHT go back to an actual 5.1+ setup. For now, it's completely unnecessary. I wouldn't touch it for gaming anyways. Headphone gaming is so much better for me. The only time I really want surround is when I'm gaming anyway. Other than that, I'm happy with the virtual surround this bar has. I'm really not an audiophile when it comes to actual speakers. As long as it has some semblance of clarity and kicking bass, I'm pleased.

Main thing I hate about it? The ****ing remote. IT BLOWS SERIOUS DONKEY KONG. No matter how much I try, I get it to actually work 5% of the time. It's that bad. It's easier to just get up and adjust the volume on the damn bar itself.

Im a big guy and it doesnt help that Im clumsy. I break any and everything thats portable & electronic. I go through about 2-3 broken cell phones a year (broke my BB early last year, bought an iPhone and lost it, Bought a brand new iPhone and sat on it in my back pocket and cracked the screen.. just replaced the screen, case and power button with Ebay chinese parts.. used compressed air & alcohol cotton Qtips to clean all the 5 month old sand out the internals when it was been submerged in the Atlantic ocean for 10+ minutes.. but so far its been working perfect lol). As you can imagine durability is VERY high on my list.. something I look for in anything I have to handle on a daily basis.

Even the laptop I use, was chosen because it has a metal frame. The laptop before that had with a plastic frame.. I broke not one, but BOTH hinges. It still functions fine, but the screen no longer stands up on its own. I have to put it in the gangsta lean up against the wall lol.

If you want to put headphones thru an abuse test.. just hand them to me for a week.

I'm not going to comment on the build quality of every possible set that could replace the A40 and blanketly state that they are as good or better built than the A40, but I will agree that I find my A40 to be well built and sturdy, and can stand some banging around. I can't say the same for my modded AD700 as they feel a little breakable in comparison, but the K702 is just as sturdy, if not more so, IMO. It's fair to say that the A40 is a durable quality, but to state that the HPX, for example, is not, without having felt them in person or using them is a little misleading.


I disagree. The A40 mic is very good, but both the labtec mic I have on my AD700s and the hyundai mic that I got for $3 shipped from dealextreme that I use with my K702 are better IMO. They pick up my voice just as loudly and clearly, but do not pick up as much breathing or background noise.


The mic switch that I have mounted on the controller is better than the in line mute switch on the A40s. Even when/if I use my A40s I will use this same mute switch and ignore the astro one. With this mute switch, I can easily toggle mute without taking my hands off the controller, and I frequently do just that. Just as easy as reloading or changing weapons I can mute, and I don't need to fumble around for the switch during a game. In fact, I recommend you get one even with your astro setup as I feel it is extremely worth while.


Can't fault you here. The A40s are small and can easily be hung around your neck or something whereas I can't do this with the K702s and definitely not the AD700s. I could with the DT880s, though.


Again, I can't fault you. The resale value here is not bad. It's especially good if you get them in the A40 system with the mixamp. You get as much or more than your money back. If you bought them at $199 without the mixamp though, you are getting the same, if not worse, return as you would on other sets like the HPX, K702, AD700, etc.


The adapter is only $10 from astro, or $15 on ebay. Not a terribly large investment when alternatives to the A40 headset cost less than half of retail anyway.


Totally not needed as even you say, but I guess if you see some utility in it, why not.


I actually do agree with you here. I think it's a cool feature, particularly for gaming headphones, but not really a "must have" or a dealbreaker.

I notice that overall you haven't mentioned any aspects of sound quality either. But SQ is where most of us here put our focus. We are willing to sacrifice a (stock) detachable cable and speaker plates that we will never use for much better sound quality.

Again, I'm not trying to bash the A40, because it's just fine, and as you say, most people will be completely satisfied with it forever. It works straight out the box to give you a no hassle solution that will last a lifetime. And for most people it's good enough.

I just think that's misleading when you tout it as if it has many core features that other headphones and headsets don't have. Overall, even considering the important and extra features, I still feel that there are better values out there (HPX).

It seems that the HPX headset has almost all of the features you listed, costs less than the A40 headset does even used or in the A40 system, and actually sounds better too. It seems like a no brainer, yet you fight it