New Headset/phones

Serraph said:
Glad to hear it worked. Im not sure what exactly are best, but when I did it I just went down the list, so I tried 'Normal' first, which didnt work, then I tried 'Low Latency', and this fixed it, so I didnt try the others. I might have another play around though.
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I have been trying for an age to get this working correct, googled a lot of things but never came across a fix untill now:)

With the low latency do you still get the normal asus control centre as at the minute I get a different one
 
Yeah I heard if you pick any of the C-media options then you get a different GUI. I still have the exact same interface as before, with the 'Low latency' option.

As far as I can tell this option has cleared it up, and you get the original Asus interface, so all is good.
 
Well it seems the Kaves are back on the list , everytime i come close to making a decision new info turns up , not that it isnt appreciated :P.

I see from your posts on the Nvidia forum seraph that you are quite a big Roccat supporter :) you post very convincing arguments.
 
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PhoenixSP said:
Well it seems the Kaves are back on the list , everytime i come close to making a decision new info turns up , not that it isnt appreciated :P.

I see from your posts on the Nvidia forum seraph that you are quite a big Roccat supporter :) you post very convincing arguments.
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I can now fully recomend the Kaves, now the 5.1 is working as it should (with the above fix for my soundcard) they are mind blowing in BFBC2, get in or have a heli near you and the rumble/vibration is shockingly good,you actually get a real feeling of the heli blades, goes for explosions as well:)
 
well that last message and the convincing argument of serraphs on another forum have got me just about to hit the buy button on Oc, just need to remove the corsair and the Carcharias and i will be a very happy camper :).
 
PhoenixSP said:
well that last message and the convincing argument of serraphs on another forum have got me just about to hit the buy button on Oc, just need to remove the corsair and the Carcharias and i will be a very happy camper :).
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once they are set up correct, the difference is night and day for me personally, I will be keeping these for longer now, just saved my self £60:)

and the build quality cannot be knocked on the Kaves
 
valkia said:
Roccat Kaves are fantastic, very deep bass. They are slightly large but the quality of sound produced is fantastic. Microphone is crystal clear and the build is very strong. Had a pair for about half a year now.

Logitech G35's are also another of my favourites, they sit comfortably on the head and are not as chunky as the Kaves. They have a dolby digital toggle switch which produces fantastic virtual 7.1 s/s. Microphone is also of top quality with red light mute switch. These are also on offer until tomorrow morning at the cheapest price in the UK.

The original HS1's were a huge sucess for Corsair, their new headset really showed great prospect however more people were asking for an analogue version, which the HS1A are and should do well. I will keep everyone updated on information :)

I have not tried the Carcharias to compare with the rest of these but im sure a lot of people have their own opinions to go along.
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Im using the Roccats at the moment and thinking of getting Sennheiser 360pc,do you think this is a worth while upgrade.
 
PhoenixSP said:
I see from your posts on the Nvidia forum seraph that you are quite a big Roccat supporter :) you post very convincing arguments.
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Ha ha, yes I suppose I am. I own a fair few of their products and think they are great, and have become a big fan of their brand.

Global_Inferno said:
You're right about the build quality, they are SOLID. Only issue I have with them is they are heavy.
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I havent really used any others so I cant compare. I suppose they are a bit heavy perhaps, but not uncomfortably heavy. I suppose its down to having 3 speakers in each ear, and using quality material.
Doesnt it usually go, the heavier the more reliable?!

Good luck on your choice though, it can be difficult. I cant comment on the others as I havent used anything else. Try and see if there is a store that will let you try them out before you buy?
 
PhoenixSP said:
Well its narrowed down again to the Kaves , Carcharias or the Sennheiser HD555 with a clip on mic, all experiences are welcome.
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Might sound like a silly question but, do you have a thin face/head? Because the Roccat's are great an all, but I find that they press down quite firmly on the "apex" of my head, to the point at which it's uncomfortable.

Now it's probably my weird head, but might be worth trying some on first, just in case! ;)
 
Serraph said:
I cant comment on the others as I havent used anything else.
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No offense - but this seems like a great reason to disregard the rest of your advice. Several years ago I was recommending Medusas because I hadn't tried anything better.

Since hearing Dolby Headphone I will never go back to 5.1 headphones.

Don't get me wrong - 5.1 headphones work in terms of separating front from rear channels. It's just that affordable virtualisation of 5.1 via stereo headphones can be so much more realistic.

Virtualisation will get better and is pretty good now. 5.1 headphones are always going to be a poor substitute for 5.1 speakers. They died as current tech when X-Fi was launched. Dolby Headphone should have put the final nails in their coffins by now.
 
Uriel said:
No offense - but this seems like a great reason to disregard the rest of your advice. Several years ago I was recommending Medusas because I hadn't tried anything better.

Since hearing Dolby Headphone I will never go back to 5.1 headphones.
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Well, just because I haven't tried anything else, doesnt make this headset any less comfortable or well built, and doesnt make the sound quality worse. Yes I cant compare it to anything, but I can still say that it is a solid headset. True, there may be other headsets out there that are much better than this one, and if I find them I might recommend those over the Kaves, but it doesnt make my review any less valid, it's not like im saying these are the best ever, better than anything else. All im saying is that from what I can tell this is a great headset.

Uriel said:
Don't get me wrong - 5.1 headphones work in terms of separating front from rear channels. It's just that affordable virtualisation of 5.1 via stereo headphones can be so much more realistic.

Virtualisation will get better and is pretty good now. 5.1 headphones are always going to be a poor substitute for 5.1 speakers. They died as current tech when X-Fi was launched. Dolby Headphone should have put the final nails in their coffins by now.
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Well as I said I cant compare, and im sure the virtualisation of surround sound is getting better, but surely virtual surround sound cannot beat REAL surround sound, with multiple speakers pointed at the correct angle?

I am not forcing him to get this headset, just giving my opinion on them. That is all.

Global_Inferno said:
Might sound like a silly question but, do you have a thin face/head? Because the Roccat's are great an all, but I find that they press down quite firmly on the "apex" of my head, to the point at which it's uncomfortable.

Now it's probably my weird head, but might be worth trying some on first, just in case! ;)
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I think I have a somewhat small head, but Ido on occasion find the same sort of slight ache, but to be honest, take a second to just re-sit them on your head, either by moving them forward or back slightly, and your good to go again.
 
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Serraph said:
Well as I said I cant compare, and im sure the virtualisation of surround sound is getting better, but surely virtual surround sound cannot beat REAL surround sound, with multiple speakers pointed at the correct angle?
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'REAL' surround sound involves speakers in a distinct layout in a room. You hear every speaker with both ears. It is possible to simulate this as people have 2 (or less) ears.

Surround sound headphones are not 'REAL' surround sound. One crucial difference is that, apart from the sub and centre channels, you only hear each channel with one ear.

It is possible for virtualisation to produce realistic surround sound. It is not possible for multiple driver headphones to do the same without additional processing. A crucial difference is that a person with one working ear could still use some virtualised systems where as 'real' surround headphones would be next to useless.

There's some terrible virtualisation out there by the way - I'm not saying virtualisation is always better. Virtualisation also suffers in that it usually relies on an individual's Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) being similar to the generic one used.

In some cases 'real' surround sound headphones may be advantageous. Like normal headphones, they produce an exaggerated sense of left and right that could be useful in locating opponents within a game environment. I'll take realism over 'wallhack equivalent' any day thanks.

Custom HRTF systems are available (e.g. SVS Realiser). The best of them are virtually indisinguishable from listening to speakers but they tend to cost a small fortune. Dolby Headphone comes close to this for me but I suspect that I have a pretty good HRTF match with it. It also very much depends on the headphones used.

Edit: for me, the most pronounced differences between 'real' surround sound phones and Dolby Headphone are the sense of space and the centre channel. With Dolby Headphone there is a genuine sense that the sound is coming from the surrounding area and not the headphones themselves. Additionally the centre channel sounds like it is genuinuinely in front of me (can be some distance in front).
 
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Global Inferno: ive never really thought abotu the size and sahpe of my head but i would describe it as big and rather rounded :P

I agree with Serraphs as on other threads he has talked with G35 and razer owners each one suggesting the pros and cons fo their respective headset and the roccat does seem to come out on top.

Only problem im having is so many threads suggest getting normal headphones with a clip on mic and so i cant seem to make a solid decision . The idea is to use these for general use as well as gaming so the quality of the speakers is important but so is the mic.


Uriel: You make a good point about headphones not being able to create 5.1 surround sound and complicates my choice even more :P, not that your input isnt helpful.
(why do i feel like im going in circles )

Anyone own a set of Sennheiser HD555's ? or a Razer Carcharias
 
I'd better clarify - stereo headphones can successfully replicate 5.1 surround sound if fed an appropriate HTRF algorithm (from soundcard or receiver) or binaural recordings. Moreso - if you have the right equipment they can do it pretty much perfectly.

5.1 headphones are only ever a rough working approximation of 5.1 surround sound and are unlikely to ever get much better..
 
PhoenixSP said:
Global Inferno: ive never really thought abotu the size and sahpe of my head but i would describe it as big and rather rounded :P

...

Anyone own a set of Sennheiser HD555's ? or a Razer Carcharias
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Haha, well I thought you'd probably say that! So I guess you wont know until you try some on..

As for owning headsets, I own the Roccat Kaves with a X-Fi Xtreme Music at the moment, but on Monday I have a set of Razer Carcharias' and a Asus Xonar DX 7.1 (with Dolby Headphone) turning up.

I'll let you know the results in terms of going from a set of "hardware 5.1" phones to "virtual 5.1", also comparing the two different virtualization methods (CMSS-3D vs. Dolby Headphone).
 
thanks Global Inferno that would be very much appreciated :P. Its really just down to the razer vs the roccats at the moment , im still not convinced that the sennheisers with a desktop mic will be as good for gaming and general use. Now i just have to count down the hours till monday :) My current fatality headphones are being held together with selotape at the moment in a diy quick fix so i just have to be careful till monday :)
 
Guys, i had a pair of Kaves for 70 days linked to a Xonar DX. They are built very very well and i found them very comfy. I could wear them for hours. Bass is pretty deep.

I found that music sounds not so good through them. The drivers sound as though they are further away from my ear than they really are. I'm not joking, but i spent hours upon hours messing with different settings in the Xonar control panel trying to get the music sounding close to my cheap and tatty Sony MDR XD200's. Needless to say, i failed. They really aren't good at music playback IMO.

Gaming is slightly better sound quality wise, but the positional audio just didn't feel convincing enough. I was never really that happy with the Kaves if i'm being honest. I sold them a few days ago at a £15 loss.

Last week i started looking into the virtual surround option. I remember Uriel saying to others how so called 'real' 5.1 headsets are old tech and a waste of time these days. I chose to ignore what he said simply because i thought "surely 3 drivers in each ear is better than 1 driver, it's gotta be?"

I can now totally honestly say that i wish i would have listened to him when he said it, and he wasn't the only one saying it. What he's saying is spot on, and he's said the same thing a 1000 times on here :D That 'virtual' 5.1 is in, and 'real' 5.1 is out. Why do you think all the latest new headsets are using USB and virtual 5.1 or 7.1. Non of them have the old 6 drivers any more, they use 2 drivers.

I'm now using a pair of quality headphones along with Dolby headphone and it is much better than the Kave system in every way. I was blown away at how it can replicate a 5.1 environment through just 2 speakers. I'm also loving the quality of the drivers now too. Music isn't a treble fest any more. The sound is not as tiring or painful any more. It has depth and a ton load more detail. Positional audio in games is much improved as well.

My advise to you PhoenixSP is to go with some good quality stereo headphones. Goldring DR150's would be a good buy for your first set of cans. If you can stretch another £20, get the NS1000's and FiiO E5 amp. That's what i'm using right now, and for the money and what a lot have said on here, you just can't beat them right now at this price. It's the most common set up on these forums you'll find. There are many happy users of this set up.

Sorry if this sounds like i'm going on a bit, only i was in your shoes back in november and i made the wrong choice.
 
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thankyou for the well experienced reply , makes things lot easier learning from others experience so i dont regret what ive just bought. I am still interested in globals review on monday as the razer vs the kaves was my main problem ,

Ive never heard of Goldring i assume they are a high quality audio company like sennheiser ?

But with a dedicated set of cans i still have the mic problem as im not sure the clip on mics would work as well as a headset mic.
 
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