Spec me a Headset (Gaming/music)

It's a bit more complex than a driver issue. The EAX 3-5 on Xonar is really a reverse-engineered hack of a workaround. Even when it works some effects are missing that are available on X-Fi.

In some ways Asus have done a great job. They released cards that were designed for EAX2 and managed to shoe-horn something akin to EAX up to 5 in via a driver update.

I'm not convinced they can ever quite be on par with an X-Fi for gaming but most of the time it's pretty close.

I used a Xonar D2 for a long time. Still have it and I love the card. Currently undecided whether I'm going to sell it or save it for a rainy day. In many ways it's more user friendly than my prelude. I must admit I got tired of hanging around for driver updates when I had issues but the same applies to Creative. Compared to ATI and NVIDIA Creative and Asus / C-Media are both shocking for driver support.
 
Uriel said:
Sorry - you gave the impression you'd decided on the soundcard. I'm a big believer in matching X-Fis or Xonars with particular headphones that suit them - as stated in other thread. I usually make recommendations based on what people already have or have decided to buy.

Don't know much about the Steelseries Siberia V2.

The Xtreme Gamer is OK. It's a full spec X-Fi but a low end one. As usual with X-Fis I'd ether recommend something with angled drivers (like HD555 HD595, ATH AD700 etc) or optical out to a Dolby Headphone processor to headphones with straight drivers (like Goldring DR series). The Xtreme Gamer does do Optical out but you have to pay an extra US$5 to creative so that it will do 5.1 over optical rather than stereo. The X-Fi Titanium isn't much more expensive and has 5.1 over optical included in the price (it's a licensing issue).

The Xonar D1 or DX are a cheaper route to Dolby Headphone but you miss out on some effects that are X-Fi only in some games.
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Ok, i sort of get that. You say a lot about x-fi with angled drivers, and xonar wit normal straight drivers.

What about x-fi with straight drivers. Because, and if im wrong please say, it seems to me that x-fi would work well with mostly all types of headset, and xonar works well with non-angled drivers. Therefore, im better off getting the X-Fi as it is best with either.

Also, i would be using stereo headphones, not 5.1/7.1 as all i hear is that they are a gimmick and a waste of money. If i want to connect via the front of my Antec 300, is that possible on the X-Fi, because you say something about liscencing.

I have looked at the headphones you suggested for the X-Fi, and they are a bit too expensive, maybe the 555's are in range. I looked, before you said, at Audio Technica's and liked the ATH-AD500.

It is hard choosing what i want, but i have pleanty time to make my mind up.
 
X-Fi with straight drivers sounds like headphones with rear channels to me. Nothing is convincingly 'rendered' in front of me. Dolby Headphone on Xonar with straight drivers sounds like the sound actually surrounds me - in front as well as behind.

May be different for you. CMSS-3d headphone on X-Fi is based on a Head Related Transfer Function (HTRF) model. If your own unique HTRF is similar to the model one it may work very well with straight drivers.

Before I heard CMSS-3D headphone with angled drivers, I just thought it wasn't very good - not much better than the effect given by a 5.1 headset (multiple driver). Angled drivers are a way for headphone manufacturers to make sound seems like it's coming front of you. Most people with angled driver headphones seem to think Dolby Headphone sounds rather artificial on them.

Dolby Headphone is not HTRF based (according to Dolby) and tends to give a more consistent result between different users. It uses psychoacoustic cues to simulate distance and direction as well as environmental reflections.
 
i currently have a cheap set of headphones, i think i will get the x-fi titanium soundcard, then in time upgrade to the Sennheiser 555's.

I might even email them and ask if i can have a pair for demo, i know, a long shot, but i will offer to reccomend them to my cod4 clan, and stuff like that. Thanks for your help, i think x-fi will be right for me, because when i get new headset it will 80% be the 555's ive read nothing but good reviews
 
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