*** The Official Playstation 4 (PS4) Thread ***

[Tattooed]

Do you have to pay for cloud? could you use a usb stick?

 

[BuffetSlayer]

Do you have to pay for cloud? could you use a usb stick?

Uhm, I think you get cloud storage as a PS+ subscriber. But yes you could back up your saves to a USB stick I think. I would double check your storage settings and have a look at what your PS4 is set to do with game saves.

 

[K1LLSW1TCH]

I must be the only one who thinks the Vader console looks really tacky.

 

[antijoke]

I must be the only one who thinks the Vader console looks really tacky.

You're not alone.

 

[Cold Fusion]

"Well, would you Wookie here – Sony's gone absolutely Star Wars gaga. In addition to announcing a custom PlayStation 4 at the D23 Expo earlier today, the platform holder's also revealed that four classic Star Wars titles will be coming to its new-gen console – with overhauled graphics and full Trophy support. You'll get these with the Darth Vader-branded device, but presumably they'll be available separately from the PlayStation Store, too.

The games include SNES classic Super Star Wars, which recaps the events of A New Hope in 16-bit glory, in addition to PlayStation 2 racer Star Wars: Racer Revenge, Jango Fett spin-off Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, and air combat title Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter. Additional details are under wraps for the time being, but considering that Sony's caught the Star Wars bug, expect to learn a lot more about these ports in the very near future."

http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2015/08/snes_smash_super_star_wars_heading_to_ps4

 

[Psycho Sonny]

So far I have a couple of things in the mix

As you say - a U3.
Steelseries wireless H headset
Creative labs E1 mini amp.

My concern with the U3 is simply volume - how loud will it be on the PS4's maximum volume? As far as I know the U3 is simply a DAC, not an amp so will I still struggle with volume, or does the PS4 output full fat volume through USB?

At the moment the E1 is looking like a good compromise to use as an in-line amp from the DS4 to my headset (DS4 > 3.5mm TRRS 4 pole male link cable > E1 > Headset).

I have read a couple of people have done that with success. The only concern there is the actual base sound quality that is provided to the pad over bluetooth. It seems to sound OK, jut low volume - but I suppose it could be hiding a multitude of sins that will become plain once it is amplified.

I am struggling to motivate myself to use a mixamp or even the Wireless H to be honest. My TV stand is tidy and due to the PS4 having no USB connections on the back (Seriously WTF were you thinking Sony?) I will be forced to have untidy cables showing because you have to use a USB cable as a voice pass through into whatever mixer/amp box you choose

U3 is a DAC/AMP

you cannot use a DAC before an AMP and you cannot use a DAC without an AMP.

So PS4 sends digital signal (line signal - no volume attached to it) to U3. The U3 then changes it from digital to analogue then after the conversion amplifies it.

The U3 is a really cheap (£20) DAC/AMP and therefore it's not going to sound amazing but better than standard USB from what i've read on head fi.

The 3.5 MM DS4 connection will sound absolutely awful when amplified as it's a really crappy cheap DAC/AMP setup, you will be double amping a really cheap crappy amp and it will sound horrific. It's already horrific as standard. People on here will say otherwise (as they have done so in the past) but a lot of them don't have a clue about decent audio quality or decent headsets/headphones.

The holy grail setup is now using a creative X7 (£350) with a PS4 but that IMO is overkill as a mixamp £100 plus a schiit vali (£100) double amping it is more than enough for any decent power hungry headphone like the AKG Q701 but I imagine it's a much cleaner and tidier setup as well as better sound.

For most people though the best setup they can achieve for very little money is the hyper x cloud II's and connect by USB for £70. This is what 99% of gamers should be buying. Cheap at £70, uses USB (much cleaner than 3.5mm) and offers brilliant sound quality for the money it spanks a lot of gimmicky more expensive headsets.

Yes it's wired, but a decent wireless headset will set you back £250 for something like astro A50's.

The 3 options I personally recommend are:

Hyper X Cloud II - £70 and use USB not 3.5mm

Mixamp + your choice of headphones + mic - £100+

Wireless - A50's - £250

You need to pay a premium if you want decent + no wires. It's always been the case it's why everyone recommends going wired in sound city and head fi.

If you don't like wires then pony up for a decent wireless setup otherwise even a £70 hyper x cloud II will smash a cheap wireless solution to pieces.


If I was you I would just use normal USB and man up about the wires forget the X3. If you want better then get a mixamp.

 

[iv-tecman]

I must be the only one who thinks the Vader console looks really tacky.

I don't much like the controller.. I see where it looks like Darth Vaders chest but I don't like it personally. I think the console itself looks OK. I more want the classics included. Which you will according to psn blog be able to obtain separately.

Super star wars and Jedi starfighter ? Yes please... : -)

 

[oweneades]

Actually I can't be arsed to go over that again.

 

[iv-tecman]

Oh just ignore it. He loves his expensive audio setups. I personally don't mind what I've been given as it sounds OK to me. But he's a proper audiophile and this means the 3.5mm jack on the ds4 to him is utter garbage but to many others it does the job.

Does the job for me to be honest...

 

[BuffetSlayer]

Spoiler

U3 is a DAC/AMP

you cannot use a DAC before an AMP and you cannot use a DAC without an AMP.

So PS4 sends digital signal (line signal - no volume attached to it) to U3. The U3 then changes it from digital to analogue then after the conversion amplifies it.

The U3 is a really cheap (£20) DAC/AMP and therefore it's not going to sound amazing but better than standard USB from what i've read on head fi.

The 3.5 MM DS4 connection will sound absolutely awful when amplified as it's a really crappy cheap DAC/AMP setup, you will be double amping a really cheap crappy amp and it will sound horrific. It's already horrific as standard. People on here will say otherwise (as they have done so in the past) but a lot of them don't have a clue about decent audio quality or decent headsets/headphones.

The holy grail setup is now using a creative X7 (£350) with a PS4 but that IMO is overkill as a mixamp £100 plus a schiit vali (£100) double amping it is more than enough for any decent power hungry headphone like the AKG Q701 but I imagine it's a much cleaner and tidier setup as well as better sound.

For most people though the best setup they can achieve for very little money is the hyper x cloud II's and connect by USB for £70. This is what 99% of gamers should be buying. Cheap at £70, uses USB (much cleaner than 3.5mm) and offers brilliant sound quality for the money it spanks a lot of gimmicky more expensive headsets.

Yes it's wired, but a decent wireless headset will set you back £250 for something like astro A50's.

The 3 options I personally recommend are:

Hyper X Cloud II - £70 and use USB not 3.5mm

Mixamp + your choice of headphones + mic - £100+

Wireless - A50's - £250

You need to pay a premium if you want decent + no wires. It's always been the case it's why everyone recommends going wired in sound city and head fi.

If you don't like wires then pony up for a decent wireless setup otherwise even a £70 hyper x cloud II will smash a cheap wireless solution to pieces.


If I was you I would just use normal USB and man up about the wires forget the X3. If you want better then get a mixamp.

Thanks for the input. I actually have the Qpad branded version of those hyper X cans (QPAD QH-90). Pretty sure they are exactly the same but have different branding. Unfortunately they are twin 3.5mm not USB

Will look into a U3, but I have also read very good things about the Steelseries wireless H system.

I dont really mind wires because my new gaming position is only 3' away from my screen and PS4 so it's no biggie.

However, untidy wiring to a dac/amp is another thing. I dont want it looking untidy when it is not in use. With a headset I can unplug it and stow it in the foot stool, something I would be unable to do with a proper dac/amp connected via optical as it seems from my reading that you have to have them connected to the front USB port for voice signal. So it would be a lot of faffing about tidying it up.

The hyper X cloud II's sound interesting. From pictures it still looks like it is 3.5mm analog that passes through a USB sound card though. Is there a strict USB version available?

EDIT - the Cloud II's I have seen come with a single 3.5mm TRRS 4 pole connector and a standard splitter box by the looks of it. I wonder if I could just buy the USB soundcard cable part from the manufacturer and plug in my current headset using a twin 3.5mm TRS to single 3.5mm TRRS 4 pole?

I will look into it further

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I did state above for 99% of gamers all they need is a £70 USB headset if they want something that is really good. You don't need to spend huge money just spend it wisely and use the right connections.

If they want wireless and really good then you need to pay a premium as wireless + cheap doesn't really work when it comes to decent sound. Ask anyone about wireless setups in sound city or head fi and they will all tell you that you can get as much performance for 1/4 of the money with wired.

So I don't see how anyone can believe a £35 DS4 controller which is wireless, includes a touchpad, speaker as well as everything else (rumbles, anolog buttons, triggers, bluetooth chip) has a decent 3.5mm connection for audio.

I have a cheap crappy xonar DG which cost me £15-£20 in my pc as I use that when i cannot be bothered plugging in my aune t1, schiit vali or mixamp in. Even that £15-£20 dedicated sound card sounds like a 6/10 compared to my aune t1 and it's a £20 dedicated item. I imagine the dac/amp in the controller in comparison costs peanuts.

Next people will be saying the speaker on the DS4 is good quality.

High end smartphones have really good 3.5mm connections because they use wolfson DAC's, etc. Which are great for powering IEM's or easy to drive headphones.

If the DS4 had apt x bluetooth and a wolfson DAC then you could say the 3.5mm connection is good. What it has though is cheap crap in it put together to get the job done.

The fact that the DS4 changes bluetooth class when you plug something into the 3.5mm connector should tell you that it's audio quality is shocking. It uses older 2.1 standard as well. They tried to put too many features into a £35 controller and something had to give (quality).

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Thanks for the input. I actually have the Qpad branded version of those hyper X cans (QPAD QH-90). Pretty sure they are exactly the same but have different branding. Unfortunately they are twin 3.5mm not USB

Will look into a U3, but I have also read very good things about the Steelseries wireless H system.

I dont really mind wires because my new gaming position is only 3' away from my screen and PS4 so it's no biggie.

However, untidy wiring to a dac/amp is another thing. I dont want it looking untidy when it is not in use. With a headset I can unplug it and stow it in the foot stool, something I would be unable to do with a proper dac/amp connected via optical as it seems from my reading that you have to have them connected to the front USB port for voice signal. So it would be a lot of faffing about tidying it up.

The hyper X cloud II's sound interesting. From pictures it still looks like it is 3.5mm analog that passes through a USB sound card though. Is there a strict USB version available?

There are 2 hyper x clouds v1 and v2.

V1 doesn't come with a USB adapter.

V2 comes with a USB adapter, has a 7.1 surround sound mixer built in (only works with pc's) and a better mic.

V2 is the one you want. Ignore what the manual says about connecting to 3.5mm on the ds4 and use the USB. The volume controls on the adapter don't work with ps4 they only work with pc (same as 7.1 surround mixer). But you can control the volume using the normal menu from the playstation button then audio devices.


The next step up would be ditching USB on the ps4 and using a mixamp but I imagine only the really serious gamers or audio nuts would need to take that step.

Or you can buy the hyper x cloud V1 (£50) and buy an xonar U3 (£20). That way your using USB and getting a better input for the same price as the cloud v2's the only compromise would be the mic isn't as clear on the V1 but it's not something you personally would notice only the people listening to you.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

There are 2 hyper x clouds v1 and v2.

V1 doesn't come with a USB adapter.

V2 comes with a USB adapter, has a 7.1 surround sound mixer built in (only works with pc's) and a better mic.

V2 is the one you want. Ignore what the manual says about connecting to 3.5mm on the ds4 and use the USB. The volume controls on the adapter don't work with ps4 they only work with pc (same as 7.1 surround mixer). But you can control the volume using the normal menu from the playstation button then audio devices.


The next step up would be ditching USB on the ps4 and using a mixamp but I imagine only the really serious gamers or audio nuts would need to take that step.

Or you can buy the hyper x cloud V1 (£50) and buy an xonar U3 (£20). That way your using USB and getting a better input for the same price as the cloud v2's the only compromise would be the mic isn't as clear on the V1 but it's not something you personally would notice only the people listening to you.

I think my QPAD QH-90's are the same headset as the Cloud V1 and the mic works well on the PS4. Might just get a U3 as it seems a bit pointless buying effectively the same headset twice.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I think my QPAD QH-90's are the same headset as the Cloud V1 and the mic works well on the PS4. Might just get a U3 as it seems a bit pointless buying effectively the same headset twice.

Yeah I would definitely get a U3 then. I think the QPad, Clouds and DT770 all share similar qualities and maybe even use similar or the same drivers.

The U3 has 2 3.5mm inputs so you just connect the mic lead and audio lead as normal. the U3 is plug and play compatible with the ps4 so you don't need to fiddle with anything either. it's a very clean setup.

Buying the U3 makes perfect sense then as you already have a decent headset.

 

[ThestigGT999]

 

[BuffetSlayer]

So I picked up an Asus Xonar U3 today. It is definitely a bit louder than via pad output but I have to say it still isn't driving my headset to the standard I get with it on my PC.

Additionally I am getting a lot of interference on the mic now too. A low buzzing noise like it is being over amplified or something. Completely disappears if I plug it into the pad rather than the U3 butni can't run game sound to my headset from the U3 and use the 3.5mm pad input for my mic. My PS4 forces me to choose one or the other

It's not a massive issue but I'm a bit disappointed I am getting this interference and it means I have to have my mic volume really low or it is distractingly loud. No such noise on the game audio though.

Any ideas?

 

[Reeve]

My concern with the U3 is simply volume - how loud will it be on the PS4's maximum volume? As far as I know the U3 is simply a DAC, not an amp so will I still struggle with volume, or does the PS4 output full fat volume through USB?

The U3 is actually a hell of a lot louder than my 2011 mixamp(unless I use it with batteries or I turn it to chat only). The sound quality isn't as good and i'm not sure how good the mic quality is but I guess its useable. If you want to test it just send me a message.

EDIT: After reading your post above i'm too late

 

[BuffetSlayer]

The U3 is actually a hell of a lot louder than my 2011 mixamp(unless I use it with batteries or I turn it to chat only). The sound quality isn't as good and i'm not sure how good the mic quality is but I guess its useable. If you want to test it just send me a message.

EDIT: After reading your post above i'm too late

Heh no worries. Depends on the game. I wrote my earlier post after only playing CoD AW. Put BF4 on and it's louder again

Still annoyed at the mic issue and it wasn't something I was expecting when plugging into a digital source but I guess that is just the downside of using analog jacks.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

So I picked up an Asus Xonar U3 today. It is definitely a bit louder than via pad output but I have to say it still isn't driving my headset to the standard I get with it on my PC.

Additionally I am getting a lot of interference on the mic now too. A low buzzing noise like it is being over amplified or something. Completely disappears if I plug it into the pad rather than the U3 butni can't run game sound to my headset from the U3 and use the 3.5mm pad input for my mic. My PS4 forces me to choose one or the other

It's not a massive issue but I'm a bit disappointed I am getting this interference and it means I have to have my mic volume really low or it is distractingly loud. No such noise on the game audio though.

Any ideas?

there is a slider you can use to adjust the mic on a ps4.

i have 2 mics and one of them requires me to lower the slider quite a lot compared to the other.

i think you access it from pressing in the ps button

 

[BuffetSlayer]

there is a slider you can use to adjust the mic on a ps4.

i have 2 mics and one of them requires me to lower the slider quite a lot compared to the other.

i think you access it from pressing in the ps button

Yeah I have already done that. The feedback persists on any setting. To make my voice properly audible the volume has to be turned up to about half way but at that volume the buzzing is very audiable and off putting. To reduce the buzzing to a level where it is of lower volume I have to have the mic volume to less than an eighth on the slider but then my voice is very dim and I have to really raise my voice to be properly heard.

Annoying but nothing I can do about it now.