5.1 Headset. Am I making the right choice?

bignev72 · 28 May 2014 at 22:16

Hi guys,

I used my friends Speedlink Medusa NX 5.1 headset the other day and I was blown away by how good it was. I was playing BF4 and it made me feel so much more immersed in the game.

Currently I have a Creative Fatal1ty headset (Cookeh would be proud

) which when I bought I knew would be decent enough, but not spectacular. They have been well used and i've always been happy with them up to now. I'm no audiophile though.

However after using the Speedlinks i've started to think about a small upgrade

We did a test in BF4 where I used both headsets in turn and closed my eyes. My friend flew around in a plane and I had to point out where he was in relation to me. The difference was night and day - With the Speedlinks I was able to accurately chart my friends position. With the Fatal1ty I was all over the place!

My question is do I get the Speedlinks which are about £50 (and I know I like) or is there something better out there for my money? There are question marks about the build quality of these in some of the user reviews i've seen.

I know a lot of people rave about the Roccat Kave but then i've also seen a lot of people say they're not that comfortable to wear.

So OCUK lets hear your views. I just have Realtek on board sound at the moment.

Cookeh · 28 May 2014 at 22:49

Thank you for confirming my points with regards to positional accuracy (or rather the lack of) within the Fatal1ty headsets

For £50 the best sound you will get will be from a set of headphones, namely the CAL! at this budget. However, if I leave it at that I will get told off for shooing business away from OcUK - so, here we go (this is painful)...

If you want a headset, for £50 your best options are:
- Sennheiser PC310
- Beyerdynamic MMX 2 (slightly overbudget)
- Roccat Kave 5.1s

You are correct with regards to the comfort factor of the Kaves, but alongside the MMX2s, they offer the best sound quality. The Kaves will also reproduce surround sound a bit better, even more so when paired with 3rd part software such as Razors Synapse 2.0.

From purely audio POV, the CAL! will be best, followed by the MMX2s. From a purely surround sound POV, the Kaves will be the best, followed again by the MMX2s.

Personally, I would choose the CAL! as its comfortable, has excellent build quality and good audio reproduction (positional audio is good too), but if it must be a headset, the Beyers are the way to go imo.

rids57 · 29 May 2014 at 00:06

^^ Can't argue with that

Steveocee · 29 May 2014 at 00:17

Coming from a Kave owner.
They are heavy and I can really "feel" it when wearing them
The surround sound is good but sometimes can feel "wrong"
The microphone isn't amazing
They don't do music much justice

I'd say they are worth it if you are going to run them in 5.1 for gaming/movies.
I run mine from an Asus D2X if that makes any difference

bignev72 · 29 May 2014 at 12:10

Cookeh said:
For £50 the best sound you will get will be from a set of headphones, namely the CAL! at this budget. However, if I leave it at that I will get told off for shooing business away from OcUK - so, here we go (this is painful)...

If you want a headset, for £50 your best options are:
- Sennheiser PC310
- Beyerdynamic MMX 2 (slightly overbudget)
- Roccat Kave 5.1s

Hi Cookeh,

Sorry I should have made it clearer. I was after a 5.1 headset.

I did see that Sennheiser do a 323D headset which is 7.1 but not sure if this is true 7.1 or virtual? I suspect virtual.

I can go over budget if it means I end up with something significantly better

My other option would be to get the Kave and see how they feel. Then DSR them if I don't get on with them I guess?

I take the Medusa's are out of the equation entirely?

Cookeh · 29 May 2014 at 12:28

I would still take the CAL! over a 5.1 headset, personally. 5.1 headsets simply operate by using a piece of software to simulate positions, you cant really get 'true' 5.1 from headphones. Positional accuracy will be better from a stereo headphone with good clarity, a neutral sound signature and a wide soundstage, than from virtual 5.1 or 7.1.

I am unfamiliar with the Medusa's and so cannot discuss them, unfortunately. If you can stretch your budget to ~£60/70 then the AD700s (second hand, I hope this isn't an issue) will be the best bet as their wide soundstage, excellent clarity and mid-emphasis means they are rightfully regarded as the best headphones for gaming with regards to positional accuracy (much better than '5.1' or '7.1' headsets) - the next step up (and its barely a step at that, more like a gentle incline) from these costs £300, as an example

.

If, however, this is not the route you want to go down, and you must have a headset then the Kaves (from my knowledge) will be the best bet and you can indeed DSR them if you don't get along swimmingly. To see any real improvement, you would have to spend £85 on the Razer Kraken, for which the reviews can be decidedly hit and miss at times and will still be inferior to the CAL! and especially the AD700.