Getting a Soundblaster a good idea?

[ChungKingCanSuckIt]

I've not used a Soundblaster in a computer build in a long time. Seems onboard audio got better, and well I've been using USB headsets lately that are 7.1. My current headset is a JBL Quantum One. It was $300 when I bought it.

JBL Quantum ONE | Professional USB Gaming Headset

Make your game epic with the JBL Quantum ONE custom gaming headset. This professional USB gaming headset is crafted for the more seasoned, serious gamer.

www.jbl.com

While I'm happy with the JBL (for the most part), it's going to need to be replaced soon. It has one of those USB cables that has a dial on it to control sound. Something happened to the cable and it was disconnecting frequently. You'd have to jiggle to get it working or unplug and replug it in. I took that cable out of the equation and just use a straight USB or USB-C to USB cable.. the same thing started happening. For some reason every few months I need a new USB-C cable. The unit will work perfect for some time and then it seems it's ruining the cable or something.

I'm thinking of getting the latest and greatist Sound Blaster with some sort of headphones and a desktop microphone.

I game, so 7.1 sound would be nice. I also watch tv/movies/youtube on my computer.

Is this a good way for me to go? Not really sure what headsets I should be looking at. Do I look at a music store such as Guitar Center or something? Will they be compatible to get the 7.1 sound?

I do know for the microphone I do NOT want a "Blue" brand. I had one once and it was a piece of garbage. I thought it was maybe my computer at the time so I gave it to a friend and they told me it was the same way on their computer. Had static/sound issues.

 

[Marine-RX179]

You could give the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless a try (watch some YouTube videos first). If you get it off from the "rainforest place", you'd have 30 days for returning it if you are not happy with it.

 

[ChungKingCanSuckIt]

You could give the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless a try (watch some YouTube videos first). If you get it off from the "rainforest place", you'd have 30 days for returning it if you are not happy with it.

I may give them a try I have not tried steelseries products before. Hyperx was garbage I had their top of the line headset same thing with Astro also garbage. The hyperx had issues shortly after I bought it and the Astro unit a little plastic piece broke off out of nowhere I think almost exactly one year after I bought it.

 

[EsaT]

Really weird if there's recurring problem with device stopping working solved by changing cable.
Connector might work its way loose, but replugging should fix that.


ModMic could turn any headphone into headset.
And there's the selection of normal headphones with their different designs etc to choose from.

Also Beyerdynamics would be easy to DIY mod, if finding loose mic:

beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro mic mod

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Standard stereo headphones are all what's needed, just like how we have only two ears:
Shape of the head/outer ear causes direction dependant changes to signal received by both ears from sound source.
These signal changes/differences can be modeled mathemathically by algorithms known as HRTF.
If accurate enough for listener's head shape, sound could be all the way to nearly indistuishable from real sounds.

Of course typical HRTF is made for some average head shape and hence its accyracy can vary significantly for different people.
Creative's heads shape customizable "Super X-Fi" could give good advantage in that.
SoundBlaster X3 and X4 have that in additiona to standard fixed HRTF.
In Europe Creative also has B-stock available at very good price, but not sure about US.

 

[Steveocee]

I can't remember who it was on here, possibly @Cookeh ? I was using a Roccat 5.1 and looking to go to 7.1 and the advice was to pick up a Fiio E10K and Creative Auvana (sp) Live stereo headphones.

Mindblowing and far far better than any gimmicy 5.1 or 7.1 I was testing and trying at the time.

That was over 8 or 9 years ago and I am still eternally grateful to this day.

 

[ChungKingCanSuckIt]

I was looking at Beyer Dynamics but if you can't swap out the cable if it breaks why the hell would I buy that. Someone says the parts are easily replaceable for the most part and obtainable. Except for the cable which needs to be soldered in.

Does anyone know if I get the latest and greatest Sound Blaster which ohm headset it can work with? 250ohm, 80ohm, lower? I noticed Beyer Dynamics offers 3.. I'm not getting Beyer Dynamics busy asking. If I can't replace the cable then no dice.

 

[ChungKingCanSuckIt]

I can't remember who it was on here, possibly @Cookeh ? I was using a Roccat 5.1 and looking to go to 7.1 and the advice was to pick up a Fiio E10K and Creative Auvana (sp) Live stereo headphones.

Mindblowing and far far better than any gimmicy 5.1 or 7.1 I was testing and trying at the time.

That was over 8 or 9 years ago and I am still eternally grateful to this day.

So how do you game on that setup? For example hearing stuff that come from a certain direction in game such as an enemy coming up on you and gunfire.

 

[Steveocee]

So how do you game on that setup? For example hearing stuff that come from a certain direction in game such as an enemy coming up on you and gunfire.

Incredibly well. A decent stereo headset will provide the surround effect. Getting your head around 2.0 providing 7.1 is a stretch but I cna only reccommend to test some if you can.

 

[Quartz]

Something happened to the cable and it was disconnecting frequently. You'd have to jiggle to get it working or unplug and replug it in.

Replacing a USB port isn't too difficult if you can handle a soldering iron.

I switched away from a headset to a Soundblaster Katana v2 sound bar and it's great. Of course, I live alone.

 

[EsaT]

I was looking at Beyer Dynamics but if you can't swap out the cable if it breaks why the hell would I buy that. Someone says the parts are easily replaceable for the most part and obtainable. Except for the cable which needs to be soldered in.

Does anyone know if I get the latest and greatest Sound Blaster which ohm headset it can work with? 250ohm, 80ohm, lower? I noticed Beyer Dynamics offers 3.. I'm not getting Beyer Dynamics busy asking. If I can't replace the cable then no dice.

DT770/880/990 are like three to four decades old models and I guess at that time non-soldered cables weren't in fashion.
That long continued production tells something about how well considered they are.
But then again it shouldn't be suprise when company invented dynamic driver headphones...

Though there's new DT900 Pro X model, which has detachable cable with mini-XLR plug similar to AKGs.

beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X Review by Ken Rockwell

beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X Review by Ken Rockwell

www.kenrockwell.com

DT700 Pro X would be closed version of you need insulation of sounds from environment.

beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X Review by Ken Rockwell

beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X Review by Ken Rockwell

www.kenrockwell.com

SoundBlasterX G6 should drive even 600 ohm version easily, unless you want premature retirement of hearing level SPL.
For SoundBlaster X3/X4 would stay in 250 ohms/below.

 

[ChungKingCanSuckIt]

Incredibly well. A decent stereo headset will provide the surround effect. Getting your head around 2.0 providing 7.1 is a stretch but I cna only reccommend to test some if you can.

Thanks I'm gonna give something a try soon.

 

[ChungKingCanSuckIt]

DT770/880/990 are like three to four decades old models and I guess at that time non-soldered cables weren't in fashion.
That long continued production tells something about how well considered they are.
But then again it shouldn't be suprise when company invented dynamic driver headphones...

Though there's new DT900 Pro X model, which has detachable cable with mini-XLR plug similar to AKGs.

beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X Review by Ken Rockwell

beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X Review by Ken Rockwell

www.kenrockwell.com

DT700 Pro X would be closed version of you need insulation of sounds from environment.

beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X Review by Ken Rockwell

beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X Review by Ken Rockwell

www.kenrockwell.com

SoundBlasterX G6 should drive even 600 ohm version easily, unless you want premature retirement of hearing level SPL.
For SoundBlaster X3/X4 would stay in 250 ohms/below.

Awesome! Thanks! I'm going to try them soon. Someone said they bought a 700 X and it was their gateway drug to wanting more. They never thought the music could sound so good.

I'll end up getting them for about $200, because I have to buy car tires right now.. so in the mean time I do surveys online and get paid in Amazon gift cards. I make about $30 a month doing that.

 

[ChungKingCanSuckIt]

I can't remember who it was on here, possibly @Cookeh ? I was using a Roccat 5.1 and looking to go to 7.1 and the advice was to pick up a Fiio E10K and Creative Auvana (sp) Live stereo headphones.

Mindblowing and far far better than any gimmicy 5.1 or 7.1 I was testing and trying at the time.

That was over 8 or 9 years ago and I am still eternally grateful to this day.

I am going to try the K5.. it's double the price.

 

[Haggisman]

You could give the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless a try (watch some YouTube videos first). If you get it off from the "rainforest place", you'd have 30 days for returning it if you are not happy with it.

If you want decent sound quality for music, then avoid any kind of "gaming" headset. I used to have a Steelseries Arctis Pro (basically the previous version of this), and it sounded OK, but when it broke after 18 months and they refused to repair/replace it, I got a set of Philips Fidelio X2HR + modmic, and the improvement is very noticeable!

I use a Soundblaster GC7, which lets you balance the audio level of chat (e.g. Discord) vs everything else, and it will definitely drive higher ohm headphones (I have it set to 16% and it's easily loud enough!). It's definitely got a "gamer" aesthetic to it though, which doesn't bother me, but if that's not your thing then one of the others suggested above (X3/X4 or G6) might be more appropriate.

 

[Marine-RX179]

If you want decent sound quality for music, then avoid any kind of "gaming" headset. I used to have a Steelseries Arctis Pro (basically the previous version of this), and it sounded OK, but when it broke after 18 months and they refused to repair/replace it, I got a set of Philips Fidelio X2HR + modmic, and the improvement is very noticeable!

I use a Soundblaster GC7, which lets you balance the audio level of chat (e.g. Discord) vs everything else, and it will definitely drive higher ohm headphones (I have it set to 16% and it's easily loud enough!). It's definitely got a "gamer" aesthetic to it though, which doesn't bother me, but if that's not your thing then one of the others suggested above (X3/X4 or G6) might be more appropriate.

I understand where you are coming from as I myself also got headphones like B&W H95, Sennheiser HD700, Beyer Dynamics DT770 and DT900 250ohms, Philips Fidelio X1 with V-Moda Boompro Mic.

There's no doubt that if we are looking at things from audiophile POV gaming headsets would seem to be no good, but for gaming and general media consumption (not for listening to music specifically), I am perfectly fine with using my SteelSeries Arctic 9 with DTS Headphone:X, with "decent enough" performance with surround sound, and the convenience of cable free.

I find myself at the end of my workday when I do a bit of gaming, I tend to just reach for my Arctic 9 than my headphones to use for the evening, as it is comfortable and flexible to use and I don't have to take off/on my headphone every time I need to get out of my sit.

Looking at OP's mentioned use cases, I don't think he mentioned about listening to music specifically, and it seems to be more for casual use for general purpose and with bigger emphasis on surround sound and mic, so a good gaming headset with with "good enough" audio quality and decent enough mic could be more suitable for his need- something simple without having to fiddle around with buying and connecting multiple things.

 

[CHRISG81983]

Audeze makes one the best headset one can buy, and recently started venturing into the gaming area. If they can not be obtained then go with beyerdynamic dt 770. These headsets will last much longer than your off the shelf steelseries or astros, and are on a whole new level of quality and sound.

The Audeze Maxwell , Penrose and Mobius are around 300 and for a stand-alone gaming headset I haven’t heard better. The Maxwell has like a 50 plus hr battery life and all the bells and whistles. It has spatial audio and is very comfortable. The penrose is wireless and has the option of being wired. It also has an awesome battery life and can pair to phone with Bluetooth so it can be Used for listening to music and so on. The mobius is a wired headset that has head tracking and all the goodie’s to come with it. As far as sound quality they are nearly Identical. Then there is the LCD-GX which is an awesome wired headset, but will cost around 900 dollars.

 

[ChungKingCanSuckIt]

I will be listening to music also but yes the emphasis is on gaming.

I understand where you are coming from as I myself also got headphones like B&W H95, Sennheiser HD700, Beyer Dynamics DT770 and DT900 250ohms, Philips Fidelio X1 with V-Moda Boompro Mic.

There's no doubt that if we are looking at things from audiophile POV gaming headsets would seem to be no good, but for gaming and general media consumption (not for listening to music specifically), I am perfectly fine with using my SteelSeries Arctic 9 with DTS Headphone:X, with "decent enough" performance with surround sound, and the convenience of cable free.

I find myself at the end of my workday when I do a bit of gaming, I tend to just reach for my Arctic 9 than my headphones to use for the evening, as it is comfortable and flexible to use and I don't have to take off/on my headphone every time I need to get out of my sit.

Looking at OP's mentioned use cases, I don't think he mentioned about listening to music specifically, and it seems to be more for casual use for general purpose and with bigger emphasis on surround sound and mic, so a good gaming headset with with "good enough" audio quality and decent enough mic could be more suitable for his need- something simple without having to fiddle around with buying and connecting multiple things.

I will be listening to music also but I don't have any audiophile quality music. I own about 170 albums on the website bandcamp.com. My goal for 2023 is to get my collection up to 300 albums on that website. I also don't consider myself an audiophile. I used to work at an electronic store and this one guy used to tell me don't you hear the difference in this one versus that one and I said not really. I mean obviously I could tell when something is crap versus good but when something is about the same I don't hear the subtle differences.

Someone here mentioned a DAC I'm going to get the better version than the one they recommended in the dt770 pro x headset.

 

[ChungKingCanSuckIt]

Audeze makes one the best headset one can buy, and recently started venturing into the gaming area. If they can not be obtained then go with beyerdynamic dt 770. These headsets will last much longer than your off the shelf steelseries or astros, and are on a whole new level of quality and sound.

The Audeze Maxwell , Penrose and Mobius are around 300 and for a stand-alone gaming headset I haven’t heard better. The Maxwell has like a 50 plus hr battery life and all the bells and whistles. It has spatial audio and is very comfortable. The penrose is wireless and has the option of being wired. It also has an awesome battery life and can pair to phone with Bluetooth so it can be Used for listening to music and so on. The mobius is a wired headset that has head tracking and all the goodie’s to come with it. As far as sound quality they are nearly Identical. Then there is the LCD-GX which is an awesome wired headset, but will cost around 900 dollars.

I understand Audeze is a separate company from HyperX. But I don't know who manufactures the Cloud Orbit S headset from HyperX. It has technology of Audeze in it, but at a lower price. That was one of the worst headsets I ever bought. Sounded great at the beginning.. I had bought it around Feb 15, 2020.. by the middle of March I was having issues with it. I sent it to HyperX and they sent me another one. It worked fine for 3 days then had issues! The issues were random static and volume control issues. Firmware update didn't fix it. The static would be there even though I could hear say game sounds or youtube. But the static made things unplayable. Throwing a grenade in Counter Strike produced 100% static. The volume turned on it's own.. like let's say I set my volume 26 or 28 out of 100.. for some reason it increased itself and I could only turn it to 10 or 12.. it was too loud. Both units were experiencing same issues.

Anyway, I just purchased a DT 700 Pro X. I can't afford to buy the DAC yet. Maybe in a few weeks. I'm going to try my onboard audio for right now just to see how the headset is.

 

[j4ska]

Ehh good old SB... Still have my old Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro Series which is irreplaceable till this day.

 

[ebilcake]

Ehh good old SB... Still have my old Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro Series which is irreplaceable till this day.

Same, still have mine and it still works fine.. Not exactly needed anymore, but it does come in handy for diagnosing issues sometimes, currently in my HTPC.