Heya,
Over the sound city, I made a headphone guide that was mostly geared towards music. As I'm a gamer and have been before I gotten into music, I thought I'd create a guide for you console gamers; who want a more immersive experience.
All my reviews from now on in sound city will be about music only, while gaming will be here. If you don't want to read the index and et straight into the headphones then scroll down.
About me
My names Ryan before I got into audio I was a gamer since a young age. I started off by playing games like Super Mario then as I got older moved onto stuff like Zelda and the Pokemon games. I then started playing Games like Metal Gear Solid as I continued to try new things. I remember trying my first JRPG, Final Fantasy 9. I fell in love with the characters and soundtrack touch my heart and I never knew OST's and a good cast of characters could be this engaging and emotional. I would say this game sparked my audio enthusiasm to a higher level.
I've also used my audio experience to help me in competitive play on games like Cod, Battlefield and even fun games like The Last of us online.
Index
Description of sounds & How they sound in games
Describing sounds can be difficult! so here I am going to link some common terms you will hear in this guide.
Mids - Mids are the mid range frequencies, Most of the music is found in the mids. Mids can be thin, this usually means the headphone is more U shaped. This means the bass and treble is the dominant aspect of the sound and this results mostly in a more spacious and exciting sound. Good mids are lovely, RPG's sound beautiful and voices will sound more life-like and convincing. The Final Fantasy series and Tales series is some of my fav for mid oriented headphones.
Treble - The treble also known as the high frequencies or just highs. Highs can impact how much air a headphone has and it can also effect detail as well as energy. You may hear the term dark which often means that the other frequencies dominate the treble. Brightness is also another term that involves the treble. A bright treble is extended and can be sharp to the ears or screechy. I prefer treble focused headphones for games like COD, Battlefield where I need that detail to locate enemy's in competitive play.
Bass - Also called lows, low end frequencies. A full bass can give more body to a headphone and the opposite effect for a lacking low end. Bass can be boomy, a lot of closed headphones have this type of bass if they have not been dampened properly or a headphone that that forced or housed incorrectly.
Soundstage - Soundstage is simply how wide the virtual space sounds. How far are the instruments or sounds. Open headphones commonly have a larger more open soundstage where closed usually have smaller one due to the closed nature. Many things effect soundstage like angle of the of the ear pads. The housing of the headphone like the angle of the driver. The headphones sound signature will also affect the stage; thin headphones that lack body due to less bass and more treble will have a wider stage than more balanced or bass heavy headphones. For competitive online play, soundstage is very important to help create a holographic, open space. A combination of soundstage and good accuracy is deadly.
Air - Air is a sense of fineness in the virtual space. Usually air is affected by treble as well as the low end. Airy headphones are not congested and just open sounding with not feeling of restriction. Airy headphones give a more natural feeling if done correctly. Closed headphones often lack air but there's a few that render air really well. When playing competitive headphones, you need the space to feel as open and less congested as possible. Games like Skyrim and the Witcher 3 also benefit from this to help create a sense of openness.
Imaging/Accuracy - The headphones ability to pin point where the sounds are in the virtual space. An example is, you are playing Call Of Duty and some plum has dead silence turned off and his footsteps can be heard. Is he where the headphones are telling you? Are the game world sounds accurately pointing out the sounds.
Gear used for this guide
Consoles
Xbox One
Xbox 360
Playstation 4
Playstation 3
Amplifiers
Fiio E12
Astro Mixamp Pro 2011
Who is this guide for
Any one who wants helps in competitive play or to have a more immersive experience in their games.
Dolby headphone & Surround sound
Gaming in stereo is simply put.. restricted. You get a left to right and that's it. With a dolby headphone device you can get rear and front cues instead of just left to right. You can get a dolby headphone device for as little as £30 if you shop around. I picked up my Mixamp for £50 and honestly, I'd pick it any day over a £1000 amp that only outputs stereo.
Stereo Gaming
If you don't have the funds yet for a DH device then just bear in mind you won't get the rear and front cues. You get left to right which can still be absolutely fine. Sometimes I game straight out the Dual Shock 4 controllers or out of my TV but I've been spoilt by my Mixamp.
What aspects of gaming does this guide cover?
Non Competitive - Games that don't involve playing against others online. Games like The Witcher, The Last Of Us offline etc.
Competitive - Online games where you need to compete against others.
Reviews
Headphones
Kingston Hyper X Cloud
Sennheiser HD598
Audio Technica AD700X
Over the sound city, I made a headphone guide that was mostly geared towards music. As I'm a gamer and have been before I gotten into music, I thought I'd create a guide for you console gamers; who want a more immersive experience.
All my reviews from now on in sound city will be about music only, while gaming will be here. If you don't want to read the index and et straight into the headphones then scroll down.
About me
My names Ryan before I got into audio I was a gamer since a young age. I started off by playing games like Super Mario then as I got older moved onto stuff like Zelda and the Pokemon games. I then started playing Games like Metal Gear Solid as I continued to try new things. I remember trying my first JRPG, Final Fantasy 9. I fell in love with the characters and soundtrack touch my heart and I never knew OST's and a good cast of characters could be this engaging and emotional. I would say this game sparked my audio enthusiasm to a higher level.
I've also used my audio experience to help me in competitive play on games like Cod, Battlefield and even fun games like The Last of us online.
Index
Description of sounds & How they sound in games
Describing sounds can be difficult! so here I am going to link some common terms you will hear in this guide.
Mids - Mids are the mid range frequencies, Most of the music is found in the mids. Mids can be thin, this usually means the headphone is more U shaped. This means the bass and treble is the dominant aspect of the sound and this results mostly in a more spacious and exciting sound. Good mids are lovely, RPG's sound beautiful and voices will sound more life-like and convincing. The Final Fantasy series and Tales series is some of my fav for mid oriented headphones.
Treble - The treble also known as the high frequencies or just highs. Highs can impact how much air a headphone has and it can also effect detail as well as energy. You may hear the term dark which often means that the other frequencies dominate the treble. Brightness is also another term that involves the treble. A bright treble is extended and can be sharp to the ears or screechy. I prefer treble focused headphones for games like COD, Battlefield where I need that detail to locate enemy's in competitive play.
Bass - Also called lows, low end frequencies. A full bass can give more body to a headphone and the opposite effect for a lacking low end. Bass can be boomy, a lot of closed headphones have this type of bass if they have not been dampened properly or a headphone that that forced or housed incorrectly.
Soundstage - Soundstage is simply how wide the virtual space sounds. How far are the instruments or sounds. Open headphones commonly have a larger more open soundstage where closed usually have smaller one due to the closed nature. Many things effect soundstage like angle of the of the ear pads. The housing of the headphone like the angle of the driver. The headphones sound signature will also affect the stage; thin headphones that lack body due to less bass and more treble will have a wider stage than more balanced or bass heavy headphones. For competitive online play, soundstage is very important to help create a holographic, open space. A combination of soundstage and good accuracy is deadly.
Air - Air is a sense of fineness in the virtual space. Usually air is affected by treble as well as the low end. Airy headphones are not congested and just open sounding with not feeling of restriction. Airy headphones give a more natural feeling if done correctly. Closed headphones often lack air but there's a few that render air really well. When playing competitive headphones, you need the space to feel as open and less congested as possible. Games like Skyrim and the Witcher 3 also benefit from this to help create a sense of openness.
Imaging/Accuracy - The headphones ability to pin point where the sounds are in the virtual space. An example is, you are playing Call Of Duty and some plum has dead silence turned off and his footsteps can be heard. Is he where the headphones are telling you? Are the game world sounds accurately pointing out the sounds.
Gear used for this guide
Consoles
Xbox One
Xbox 360
Playstation 4
Playstation 3
Amplifiers
Fiio E12
Astro Mixamp Pro 2011
Who is this guide for
Any one who wants helps in competitive play or to have a more immersive experience in their games.
Dolby headphone & Surround sound
Gaming in stereo is simply put.. restricted. You get a left to right and that's it. With a dolby headphone device you can get rear and front cues instead of just left to right. You can get a dolby headphone device for as little as £30 if you shop around. I picked up my Mixamp for £50 and honestly, I'd pick it any day over a £1000 amp that only outputs stereo.
Stereo Gaming
If you don't have the funds yet for a DH device then just bear in mind you won't get the rear and front cues. You get left to right which can still be absolutely fine. Sometimes I game straight out the Dual Shock 4 controllers or out of my TV but I've been spoilt by my Mixamp.
What aspects of gaming does this guide cover?
Non Competitive - Games that don't involve playing against others online. Games like The Witcher, The Last Of Us offline etc.
Competitive - Online games where you need to compete against others.
Reviews
Headphones
Kingston Hyper X Cloud
Hyper X Cloud Review
Product Details
Price: £49.99-£69.99
Technology: Dynamic
Driving Difficulty: I find out of a headphone jack, it sounds good. Add an amp and they sound more impactful
Design: Sealed headphone
Accessories
1 x Mic
1x Airplane Plug
1x Extension Cable
1x Spare Velour Ear Cushion
1x Volume Control Box
Build quality
The Build on the HXC is solid for it's price. The headband padding isn't the most luxurious material but it gets the job done and is fairly comfortable for me. The extenders are metal while the cups are rubberised with metal on the centre of the cups. The overall build is metal, pleather, plastic. I've had my set for a while and they have not really shown any signs of use yet. The cable is sheathed and is terminated in a twin cable; on for mic and other for audio. These come with two sets of pads, one velour and the other pleather.
Sound
Bass
The bass with the stock pads is quite boomy and thick. It dominates the other frequiencies a bit giving them a more chunky sound. This for gaming is not my ideal sound personally and is more suited for Music. With the Velour pads that come with it, the sounds gets leaned out and more detailed. You can hear the bass notes better and this really helps the other sounds breath.
Mids
With the stock pads the mids are recessed making voices sound pushed back. Because of the overly strong bass it sounds too congested. With the Velours they open up more and sound more natural.
Treble
The treble with the stock pads is muted which doesn't help when you need to locate enemies on the map, or simply enjoy a spacious. With the velours it improves and even becomes pretty sharp with good detail. It's the most dramatic change I've ever seen in a headphone.
Soundstage
The sounstage stock is, no surprises congested. It just feels too thick. With the velours they breath and are clearly the correct pads for this headphone when it comes to gaming.
Positional Accuracy
It's accuracy is pretty good both stock and velour pads. The velours allow for a cleaner image but they both image pretty similar but less accurate with the stock pads.
Non Competitive Gaming
For non competitive gaming this headphone does fairly well with the velour pads. It has a good soundstage for an entry level closed headphone as-well as a good bass response. For games with scale like GTA 5 and the Witcher I think they are good for their price point and design. They don't have the space and air of an open phone, but they provide a fairly balanced sound with the velour ear pads. With the pleather pads they sound a bit thick, still Hyper X but with a more syrupy type of sound. In the price range I find it hard to not recommend these headphones.
Competitive Play
These position pretty well. I prefer the Velour pads here so I can get the most immediate and accurate cues. Enemies were fairly easy to track down, although the closed design did affect the density of the soundstage in the virtual space. I think these perform good for the price and again, I recommend these at the price point.
Ratings
Build
8/10
Very Good
The build quality on these is excellent, nice cable, good materials used and a good driver.
Non Competitive
7/10
Good
Can't argue at this price point.
Competitive
7.1/10
Good
With the Velour pads these really can be a useful headset.
Product Details
Price: £49.99-£69.99
Technology: Dynamic
Driving Difficulty: I find out of a headphone jack, it sounds good. Add an amp and they sound more impactful
Design: Sealed headphone
Accessories
1 x Mic
1x Airplane Plug
1x Extension Cable
1x Spare Velour Ear Cushion
1x Volume Control Box
Build quality
The Build on the HXC is solid for it's price. The headband padding isn't the most luxurious material but it gets the job done and is fairly comfortable for me. The extenders are metal while the cups are rubberised with metal on the centre of the cups. The overall build is metal, pleather, plastic. I've had my set for a while and they have not really shown any signs of use yet. The cable is sheathed and is terminated in a twin cable; on for mic and other for audio. These come with two sets of pads, one velour and the other pleather.
Sound
Bass
The bass with the stock pads is quite boomy and thick. It dominates the other frequiencies a bit giving them a more chunky sound. This for gaming is not my ideal sound personally and is more suited for Music. With the Velour pads that come with it, the sounds gets leaned out and more detailed. You can hear the bass notes better and this really helps the other sounds breath.
Mids
With the stock pads the mids are recessed making voices sound pushed back. Because of the overly strong bass it sounds too congested. With the Velours they open up more and sound more natural.
Treble
The treble with the stock pads is muted which doesn't help when you need to locate enemies on the map, or simply enjoy a spacious. With the velours it improves and even becomes pretty sharp with good detail. It's the most dramatic change I've ever seen in a headphone.
Soundstage
The sounstage stock is, no surprises congested. It just feels too thick. With the velours they breath and are clearly the correct pads for this headphone when it comes to gaming.
Positional Accuracy
It's accuracy is pretty good both stock and velour pads. The velours allow for a cleaner image but they both image pretty similar but less accurate with the stock pads.
Non Competitive Gaming
For non competitive gaming this headphone does fairly well with the velour pads. It has a good soundstage for an entry level closed headphone as-well as a good bass response. For games with scale like GTA 5 and the Witcher I think they are good for their price point and design. They don't have the space and air of an open phone, but they provide a fairly balanced sound with the velour ear pads. With the pleather pads they sound a bit thick, still Hyper X but with a more syrupy type of sound. In the price range I find it hard to not recommend these headphones.
Competitive Play
These position pretty well. I prefer the Velour pads here so I can get the most immediate and accurate cues. Enemies were fairly easy to track down, although the closed design did affect the density of the soundstage in the virtual space. I think these perform good for the price and again, I recommend these at the price point.
Ratings
Build
8/10
Very Good
The build quality on these is excellent, nice cable, good materials used and a good driver.
Non Competitive
7/10
Good
Can't argue at this price point.
Competitive
7.1/10
Good
With the Velour pads these really can be a useful headset.
Product Details
Price: £138-£150
Technology: Dynamic
Driving Difficulty: I find out of a headphone jack, it sounds good. Not amp dependant but improves with one.
Design: Open headphone
Accessories
1 x Manual
1 x 6.3 to 3.5mm jack converter
Build Quality - The Build on the HD598 is very good. In the past they suffered from cracking issues but that was ironed out. They are mostly plastic with metal on the grill. They have fake leather on the headband with brown velour pads. There's debates whether these look cool or not, I think they look pretty good. The cable is removable and terminates in a 6.3mm jack
Sound
Bass - The bass on the HD598 is on the lean side. It has a slight mid bass bloom that gives the lower mids a tad bit of warmth. It's a bit loose and also doesn't extend very well in the sub bass.
Mids - The mids are the main highlight. They are slightly warm giving vocals a slight hint of romance to their voices. If it wasn't for the grainy treble I would say these are pretty natural sounding here.
Treble - The treble sounds a bit grainy to me, it has a dry character that does affect the sound. That said, dry headphones always sound more spacious and more airy. It's not overly dry, it's just not what I consider a smooth sounding headphone. The treble has a few peaks and dips but in this price range it's a detailed sounding high.
Soundstage - The HD598 has one of the most natural sounding soundstages in the £200 and below price range. What I mean is, it doesn't sound constricted and it doesn't sound overly defuse. It is not as good or as spacious as the Q701 but it's at least close to the Philips X2. It has good soundstage depth due to the angle on the drivers and the slightly dryier characters allows it to sound airy.
Positional Accuracy - The HD598 has all the tools to image really well and it does. I find that spacious sound and detail to really make ques stand out. Again it's not a king like the higher end AKG's but it is a bloody good headphone!
Competitive Gaming
The HD598 has everything going for it here. Lack of low bass and not overly pronounced mid-bass to stop it getting in the way of cues. Nicely extended treble to pick out any sounds in the virtual space. Good soundstage to create that virtual space. This headphone is a great competitive tool and I think any other headphone is needed unless you really want that last word in detail and soundstage. Playing COD or Battlefield you can hear everything clearly, enemies will be highlighted giving you a huge advantage.
Non Competitive
Playing The Witcher 3 was a great experience. The audio in The Witcher is fantastic. Hearing a crackle of a branch in the woods when a storm is brewing. Hearing the sounds of the world is really an immersive experience. This is one of those cases where bass isn't always needed. Too much bass can get in the way of making open spaces sound real IMO. Music wise, a heavy bass tilt can actually sound better if the mids and treble are done correctly but for gaming, I think treble, mids and a less intrusive bass are very important. I would personally like a little more extension from these to sound great.
Ratings
Competitive Gaming
8.5/10
Very Good
This is a fantastic tool to have. For the price, it's hard to find better.
Non competitive
7/10
Good
For those open world games, these are good headphones. For something like single player FPS, not so much. Explosions don't have that sub bass impact and this can take away from the experience.
Price: £138-£150
Technology: Dynamic
Driving Difficulty: I find out of a headphone jack, it sounds good. Not amp dependant but improves with one.
Design: Open headphone
Accessories
1 x Manual
1 x 6.3 to 3.5mm jack converter
Build Quality - The Build on the HD598 is very good. In the past they suffered from cracking issues but that was ironed out. They are mostly plastic with metal on the grill. They have fake leather on the headband with brown velour pads. There's debates whether these look cool or not, I think they look pretty good. The cable is removable and terminates in a 6.3mm jack
Sound
Bass - The bass on the HD598 is on the lean side. It has a slight mid bass bloom that gives the lower mids a tad bit of warmth. It's a bit loose and also doesn't extend very well in the sub bass.
Mids - The mids are the main highlight. They are slightly warm giving vocals a slight hint of romance to their voices. If it wasn't for the grainy treble I would say these are pretty natural sounding here.
Treble - The treble sounds a bit grainy to me, it has a dry character that does affect the sound. That said, dry headphones always sound more spacious and more airy. It's not overly dry, it's just not what I consider a smooth sounding headphone. The treble has a few peaks and dips but in this price range it's a detailed sounding high.
Soundstage - The HD598 has one of the most natural sounding soundstages in the £200 and below price range. What I mean is, it doesn't sound constricted and it doesn't sound overly defuse. It is not as good or as spacious as the Q701 but it's at least close to the Philips X2. It has good soundstage depth due to the angle on the drivers and the slightly dryier characters allows it to sound airy.
Positional Accuracy - The HD598 has all the tools to image really well and it does. I find that spacious sound and detail to really make ques stand out. Again it's not a king like the higher end AKG's but it is a bloody good headphone!
Competitive Gaming
The HD598 has everything going for it here. Lack of low bass and not overly pronounced mid-bass to stop it getting in the way of cues. Nicely extended treble to pick out any sounds in the virtual space. Good soundstage to create that virtual space. This headphone is a great competitive tool and I think any other headphone is needed unless you really want that last word in detail and soundstage. Playing COD or Battlefield you can hear everything clearly, enemies will be highlighted giving you a huge advantage.
Non Competitive
Playing The Witcher 3 was a great experience. The audio in The Witcher is fantastic. Hearing a crackle of a branch in the woods when a storm is brewing. Hearing the sounds of the world is really an immersive experience. This is one of those cases where bass isn't always needed. Too much bass can get in the way of making open spaces sound real IMO. Music wise, a heavy bass tilt can actually sound better if the mids and treble are done correctly but for gaming, I think treble, mids and a less intrusive bass are very important. I would personally like a little more extension from these to sound great.
Ratings
Competitive Gaming
8.5/10
Very Good
This is a fantastic tool to have. For the price, it's hard to find better.
Non competitive
7/10
Good
For those open world games, these are good headphones. For something like single player FPS, not so much. Explosions don't have that sub bass impact and this can take away from the experience.
Product Details
Price: £140-£175
Technology: Dynamic
Driving Difficulty: Not difficult at all! very efficient.
Design: Open Headphone
Accessories
1 x Manual
1 x 6.3 adapter
Build Quality - The build of the 700X good but they feel so flimsey. It has a metal mesh which is see-through. The housing is plastic and so is everything else. They have this wing support system so it doesn't have a headband digging into your head. They are very light, almost comically light. The cable is quite thick but it's so annoying. It has a lot of memory so will curl and become beyond annoying. The older AD700 had a far better cable than these. They are fairly comfortable but at first they dug into my jaw from the clamp.. this eased up and they are now comfortable for long sessions.
Sound
Bass - What bass? seriously the sub bass is non existent almost. Is this bad? well if you like low end rumble and a sense of deep bass then YES. The mid bass ever so slightly hazes over the lower mids but it's barely audible. This is obviously a con but, because of the lack of bass, this allows this headphone to become a god in other areas.
Mids - The mids are hard to describe. It's like voices come out of thin air, the lack of bass makes these extremely detailed in other areas. Vocals sound quite normal to me and other sounds in the mids are on point. The mids are spaced out and there's gap between everything.
Treble - The treble is well extended and very detailed. It literally has nothing to mask it up so you will hear every detail. It can be a little sharp for people sensitive to this area though. It's not the most refined or controlled sounding though.
Sounstage - Massive. Seriously, it's the widest soundstage I've ever heard in a headphone. Bigger than the £1000 HD800. The angled drivers, lack of bass, extended treble make this headphone a soundstage beast. You can hear everything in the virtual space.
Positional Accuracy - Top notch. Better than the HD598 and on par with the AKG's. Enemies stand out clearly and I've never been stuck up on with these babies on.
Competitive Gaming
I feel as if I'm cheating. I can hear everything so precisely and it's not even funny..for them. I usually finish almost always in the top 3 with these on. Without, I'm close but not as consistent. You will without a doubt have a edge against any one that isn't wearing a pair of these and a set of AKG's. The virtual space is gigantic and the cues are perfect!
Non Compeitive
When I first tried these, I was stunned at the detail and sense of space. It sounded so holographic, so open and that air was so fresh I could smell it! The downside? no bass so those looking for a movie like experience..will be disappointed!
Ratings
Build
7/10
Good
Hate the cable and they feel flimsy. I've never seen a AT break though!
Competitive Gaming
Perfect
10/10
Why perfect? Nothing gets in the way, they sound so clean, so spacious and everything is where it should be.
Non Competitive
6.8/10
Fair
They are amazing for open world games but because of the lack of bass, for FPS they lack the impact needed to so in this area, they are an incomplete or specialised headphone.
Price: £140-£175
Technology: Dynamic
Driving Difficulty: Not difficult at all! very efficient.
Design: Open Headphone
Accessories
1 x Manual
1 x 6.3 adapter
Build Quality - The build of the 700X good but they feel so flimsey. It has a metal mesh which is see-through. The housing is plastic and so is everything else. They have this wing support system so it doesn't have a headband digging into your head. They are very light, almost comically light. The cable is quite thick but it's so annoying. It has a lot of memory so will curl and become beyond annoying. The older AD700 had a far better cable than these. They are fairly comfortable but at first they dug into my jaw from the clamp.. this eased up and they are now comfortable for long sessions.
Sound
Bass - What bass? seriously the sub bass is non existent almost. Is this bad? well if you like low end rumble and a sense of deep bass then YES. The mid bass ever so slightly hazes over the lower mids but it's barely audible. This is obviously a con but, because of the lack of bass, this allows this headphone to become a god in other areas.
Mids - The mids are hard to describe. It's like voices come out of thin air, the lack of bass makes these extremely detailed in other areas. Vocals sound quite normal to me and other sounds in the mids are on point. The mids are spaced out and there's gap between everything.
Treble - The treble is well extended and very detailed. It literally has nothing to mask it up so you will hear every detail. It can be a little sharp for people sensitive to this area though. It's not the most refined or controlled sounding though.
Sounstage - Massive. Seriously, it's the widest soundstage I've ever heard in a headphone. Bigger than the £1000 HD800. The angled drivers, lack of bass, extended treble make this headphone a soundstage beast. You can hear everything in the virtual space.
Positional Accuracy - Top notch. Better than the HD598 and on par with the AKG's. Enemies stand out clearly and I've never been stuck up on with these babies on.
Competitive Gaming
I feel as if I'm cheating. I can hear everything so precisely and it's not even funny..for them. I usually finish almost always in the top 3 with these on. Without, I'm close but not as consistent. You will without a doubt have a edge against any one that isn't wearing a pair of these and a set of AKG's. The virtual space is gigantic and the cues are perfect!
Non Compeitive
When I first tried these, I was stunned at the detail and sense of space. It sounded so holographic, so open and that air was so fresh I could smell it! The downside? no bass so those looking for a movie like experience..will be disappointed!
Ratings
Build
7/10
Good
Hate the cable and they feel flimsy. I've never seen a AT break though!
Competitive Gaming
Perfect
10/10
Why perfect? Nothing gets in the way, they sound so clean, so spacious and everything is where it should be.
Non Competitive
6.8/10
Fair
They are amazing for open world games but because of the lack of bass, for FPS they lack the impact needed to so in this area, they are an incomplete or specialised headphone.
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