Gaming Mic - can you use phone headphones?

thedoc46

thedoc46

thedoc46

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Hi,

I'm at work and i need to settle a quick discussion.

Can you use a regular 'one socket' headphone/mic set of headphones that you get on a cell phone such as the iPhone or Blackberry? You know they have the ear buds AND a mic.. But only one socket.... For a PC to game?

PC's typically have a headphone jack and a separate microphone jack..

Or do you need a separate plug for each of the mic and headphones? In other words do the gaming headsets always come with TWO plugs, or does the headphone plug have the abilty to act as an output for headphones as well as an input for a mic..

Can't test hence this post.
 
Pretty sure you can't and it'll only act as one or the other depending on the socket you put the jack into. Not 100% sure though, but close.
 
Don't every buy head set marketed as "gaming" :p

get a cheap desk mic and a good pair of head phones, will be better in every respect :p
 
Well seeing as most phone headsets come with custom plugs now then that'd be a problem. Assuming it's a 3.5mm plug though then you have to look at how many lines are on it. There are quite a lot of devices that use 3 lines on the standard 3.5mm jack. 2 for stereo out and one for mic-in. You could still use these as headphones but the audio-in wouldn't work. Additionally if you plugged it into the mic socket of your soundcard it probably won't work either as the min-in line is in the wrong place on the plug.

Basically it all depends on what type of plug it is. It's safe to say that you will never be able to have sound out and sound in working with just one plug on a PC soundcard.
 
Best Mic I have used is the Logitech USB one. At £15. I would say that is top end of my budget when it comes to microphones though.

Saying that, Mic volume levels with a USB mic seem to go all over the place in Windows 7.
 
Gimpymoo said:
Best Mic I have used is the Logitech USB one. At £15. I would say that is top end of my budget when it comes to microphones though.

Saying that, Mic volume levels with a USB mic seem to go all over the place in Windows 7.
Click to expand...

My brother has one of them as well and a decent set of headphones. Volume control is not the best through USB but it works well for him and he is constantly gaming and talking to his mates on there.
 
Cheap desk mics are terrible quality though. They tend to have no sound-pop protection (they usually make a lot of noise when air rushes into/past them) which can get very annoying to the receiver. I would say £15 should be a standard, not a max. I've gone through 5 or 6 cheap +/-£3 mics and hated every one.

It's personal preference/pickiness really.
As I do Voice Over work I can't really get away with a cheap mic.
Never used one for gaming, but surely loads of 'breath' sound coming through your phones when your trying to sneak around and also listen to your surroundings would **** anyone off! I'm sure there must be a difference between a cheap mic and the specially made 'gaming' mics, they tend to have boom-like protection for a start...
 
Howitzer said:
Never used one for gaming, but surely loads of 'breath' sound coming through your phones when your trying to sneak around
Click to expand...

That's why every body uses push to talk.


Anyone who uses the volume activated stuff gets shot tbh.


I've got a £3 rip off of a logitech mic, works perfectly in games and in vent, As it's a desk mic It never gets "blown " on because it's off to the side and i don't have a desk fan :p


"gaming" sound stuff is terrible as it's just got massive bass on it, you're best getting a cheap desk mic (on vent/ts/mumble/in game it's fine) and a nice pair of sennheisers as you'll hear much more detail and be able to place people much easier than any "5.1 souround sound epic gaming headphones!!".
 
I'm thinking of getting a desk mic, because I use the ones on my headphones but don't actually listen through my headphones, I listen through my speakers lol.
 
Tefal said:
mics are annoying with speakers as when ever you talk we hear you goddamn speakers :p
Click to expand...

there is a option in the control panel sound if ticked can monitor/hear the mic, unticked you cant monitor/hear the mic.

using windows 7 though. sure thats correct.
 
huh?


It's their mic not mine, and i need to hear what others are saying so can't just turn voice off, it's just the guy who puts his mic next to his speakers so when he pushes to talk all i hear hear is his bloody game sounds :p
 
Tefal said:
huh?


It's their mic not mine, and i need to hear what others are saying so can't just turn voice off, it's just the guy who puts his mic next to his speakers so when he pushes to talk all i hear hear is his bloody game sounds :p
Click to expand...

that was the option I meant , and was referring to though. oh thought it was your opinian regarding what I thought that you had experienced or thought ?
 
Yeah defiantly do not online game with speakers and a mic, you will not make many friends and a lot of rage will be firing your way. Same as those people who have crap on board sound which rips your head off with static once in a while.
 
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