The official PS4 Headset/Headphones Guide/Discussion

[RoboCod]

Yes for convenience
Yes for no wires
No for sound quality (vs a wired set)
Neutral on value

Could you not try them out in a shop to make your own decision?

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Sorry, I only just got round to reading your reply. Cheers for the suggestions - I'm going to do some digging and see which of those options suits best budget wise. I don't have a mixamp btw - but am looking into that too now Ta.

A MIXAMP should last you a lifetime so it's worth the investment.

I'm no audiophile, I'm not fussed on spending hundreds of pounds on the best headphones for ultimate sound quality or bodging together a setup. IMO, any headphones are better than no headphones.

I've had the Turtle Beach PX3's for quite a while and they do a very good job. Wireless, work on PS3, 360, PS4 and PC, very handy. Battery lasts for 10+hours too. You can buy them for less than £50 new.

The PS4 setup is exactly the same as the 360 setup e.g. cable from controller to headset, so still wireless.

The audio from the controller is horrible, it's limited by a crappy bluetooth codec/version as well as stereo, you would be better off connecting to your TV than the controller for Sound Quality, it is that bad. Good enough for voice comms but not for game sound.

Also you don't need to spend hundreds:

2nd Hand MIXAMP = £60-£80
Koss KSC75 = £10
DX Clip on MIC = £1.56

that's £70 for a setup which can be upgraded over time, etc. It will also blow any £70-150 all in one setup out the water. Don't be fooled by the cheap pricing of the mic/headphones, they are really good quality for the money and unbelievable value.


I did this myself, I went from HTF600 to HD 595's and now I have Fidelio X1's in the post, I upgraded the headphones as I saw fit to do so.


Koss KSC75 - £10

Creative Aurvana Live, HD 595(2nd hand), AD700 (2nd hand) - £50 to £75

Beyerdynamic DT770 - £120

Fidelio X1, HD 598 - £150 to £175

AKG Q701 - £200

I don't think you need to go any higher than that and those listed are the best ones for those budgets, in fact the AD700 is arguably the best out of all of them (for gaming only) and is in the 2nd tier, it is crap for music/movies though.

So the best setup in the world can be achieved for as little as £140

The most convenient setup (Fidelio X1 and V Moda Boom Pro) which can also be used for music/movies costs £250

The bang for your buck setup though as I stated above has to be Koss KSC75, Clip On and a MIXAMP (2nd hand) for £70-£80

 

[kmetek]

Yes for convenience
Yes for no wires
No for sound quality (vs a wired set)
Neutral on value

Could you not try them out in a shop to make your own decision?

nope....i have now the old SONY HEADSET 7.1 from a friend and they're pretty decent...PX4 should be better no?

 

[RoboCod]

nope....i have now the old SONY HEADSET 7.1 from a friend and they're pretty decent...PX4 should be better no?

I honestly couldn't say. I think we're comparing Corsa's and Fiesta's.

Whilst they do the job, they are low down in the market for quality and experience. i.e. if we were real petrol enthusiasts we'd be debating over which top range BMW vs Jag to buy next, rather than an A to B job. I think the PX4 will do the job fine for you, I have a pair and I enjoy playing BF4 with them. Having used a better quality headset though, there is a difference in sound, but not so much that it would detract too much from your gaming experience.

That analogy makes sense in my head, I hope it does yours

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I honestly couldn't say. I think we're comparing Corsa's and Fiesta's.

Whilst they do the job, they are low down in the market for quality and experience. i.e. if we were real petrol enthusiasts we'd be debating over which top range BMW vs Jag to buy next, rather than an A to B job. I think the PX4 will do the job fine for you, I have a pair and I enjoy playing BF4 with them. Having used a better quality headset though, there is a difference in sound, but not so much that it would detract too much from your gaming experience.

That analogy makes sense in my head, I hope it does yours

The monoprice was still a "gimmicky" gaming headset, not a proper audio enthusiast headphone.

If you really want to hear real quality then DT770, Fidelio X1's, HD 598, K550 or K551 is a good starting point for mid range stuff.

Proper Audiophile stuff starts at around £200-£300 (just for the headphones) and that is for the bottom of the range audiophile stuff, it goes up to £1000 for the really good stuff, there are more expensive options than that but tbh the differences are minimal at best once you hit say £800 (just for headphones).

I'm currently driving like a BMW 3 series (HD 595's), 5 series on the way (Fidelio X1) and sold my mini cooper (HTF 600). I would love a M6 (HD800) but it's way out of my price range.

 

[kmetek]

sonny: i already told you in email, that i live in country where nobody wants to ship from ebay....

i just want gaming experience hehe....

 

[Psycho Sonny]

sonny: i already told you in email, that i live in country where nobody wants to ship from ebay....

i just want gaming experience hehe....

the controller cannot give you decent sound for in game sounds.

whatever you choose it has to be utilising either the HDMI or optical out on on the console, both of those are high quality digital signals. You then require a competent DAC (digital to analogue converter) which the mixamp is, it's a DAC/AMP built specifically for gaming.

If you aren't bothered about microphone then you can simply buy a normal dac/amp, but tbh they aren't any cheaper than a mixamp. something like the fiio e17 costs £100 on it's own and that is for a cheap decent portable dac/amp. There's guys on here that own a £400 dac/amp for instance.

You won't get real quality, certainly not wireless anyway for cheap.

Also the wireless 5.8 MIXAMP is hard to find in the UK therefore if you did ever see someone on ebay willing to ship to you then you should have just paid the premium to do so. They are getting harder and harder to find because they are sought after.

If I had the spare cash, I would have bought 10 of them off ebay, sat on them for 6 months then sold them all on with £50 tacked onto the price and people would pay it, simply because it's the only real option atm for decent wireless sound quality.

 

[kedge]

when it comes to sound quality.

You mean like the image quality from HDMI cables?, did you know you can buy a 1.5m HDMI cable for £170+ or you can buy a 1.5m HDMI cable for £1.50 (you save), guess what? .. they do the same thing and produce the same image. I suspect a lot of hokum.

 

[RoboCod]

Either I'm confused what you guys are saying, or you're confused about what some of the sets comprise.

Just to clarify, the PX4 comes bundled with a transmitter that plugs into the PS4 with an optical sound cable (included). The only sound being carried by the control pad is the chat (until PS4 release a bluetooth update to enable bluetooth mic connection to the console). This means you get the emulated 7.1 dolby digital surround, but over wireless throught the headsets own wireless transmitter down the optical digital output from the PS4 - not via the sound of the wireless DS4 pad.

I'm sure you probably knew this, but just wanted kmetek to know.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

You mean like the image quality from HDMI cables?, did you know you can buy a 1.5m HDMI cable for £170+ or you can buy a 1.5m HDMI cable for £1.50 (you save), guess what? .. they do the same thing and produce the same image. I suspect a lot of hokum.

LMAO

are comparing a output device to a cable?

If you were comparing 3.5mm interconnect cables to a HDMI cable than I would laugh too.

You do know HDMI is digital? and that audio sent to headphones is analogue?

SQ depends on many things being in balance with each other:

The Quality of the source media (FLAC, Blu Ray, etc)

The Quality of the DAC (Digital to analogue convertor)

The Quality of the Headphones

less important is the interconnects but they are still important (wires) because after all it is a analogue signal. Usually it's best to spend maybe £3-£15 on an interconnect for a £150 pair of headphones.

Some people spend like £150 on a £800 pair of headphones.

Wires in analogue systems do make a difference, but it's not HUGE.

That is why I myself have only bought <£15 wires for my £300 RRP headphones.

All my HDMI cables cost less than £10, I usually spend around £3-£5 for a HDMI cable because the really cheap ones fail after they get bent or after a few months of use. The kabeldirekt stuff off amazon lasts years and costs a few quid more.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Either I'm confused what you guys are saying, or you're confused about what some of the sets comprise.

Just to clarify, the PX4 comes bundled with a transmitter that plugs into the PS4 with an optical sound cable (included). The only sound being carried by the control pad is the chat (until PS4 release a bluetooth update to enable bluetooth mic connection to the console). This means you get the emulated 7.1 dolby digital surround, but over wireless throught the headsets own wireless transmitter down the optical digital output from the PS4 - not via the sound of the wireless DS4 pad.

I'm sure you probably knew this, but just wanted kmetek to know.

The source is good, the headphones most likely aren't.

But for the price you paid you probably weren't expecting them to be sennheiser HD 598's or anything since it's an all in one solution.

If your happy with them then that is great.

If you every get the chance listen to something like DT770's try it and you will see the clarity, detail and soundstage is miles ahead and a completely different game.

A cheap gaming headset which uses the controller for all audio will be like VHS. Your setup is more like DVD. I am on Blu Ray however with the Mixamp and HD 595's / Fidelio X1.

 

[MouseMat2004]

The audio from the controller is horrible, it's limited by a crappy bluetooth codec/version as well as stereo, you would be better off connecting to your TV than the controller for Sound Quality, it is that bad. Good enough for voice comms but not for game sound.

Also you don't need to spend hundreds:

2nd Hand MIXAMP = £60-£80
Koss KSC75 = £10
DX Clip on MIC = £1.56

that's £70 for a setup which can be upgraded over time, etc. It will also blow any £70-150 all in one setup out the water. Don't be fooled by the cheap pricing of the mic/headphones, they are really good quality for the money and unbelievable value.

I meant the voice comms is the same as the 360. The cable from controller > headset is only for voice, not actual in game audio. Thats either phono or in my case, optical through the Turtle Beach DSS.

Do you actually reckon that the Koss KSC75 will have much better sound quality than the PX3's that I have? (Thats an honest question by the way, not a dig) since I already have a mix amp with the DSS, I could always give them a try. They do look pretty cheap quality wise.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I meant the voice comms is the same as the 360. The cable from controller > headset is only for voice, not actual in game audio. Thats either phono or in my case, optical through the Turtle Beach DSS.

Do you actually reckon that the Koss KSC75 will have much better sound quality than the PX3's that I have? (Thats an honest question by the way, not a dig) since I already have a mix amp with the DSS, I could always give them a try. They do look pretty cheap quality wise.

Look at the mad lust envy guide for a review on them.

I'm on my phone ATM so I can't do some proper digging into them but check out the huge thread on head fi.

Specialist equipment is a lot better.

Take a look at sound city part of these forums too.

Personally I would sell everything you have apart from the MIXAMP. Order a DX mic for £1.56 then see what cash you have for some headphones.

Koss, cal, hd595 or ad700 are all under £100.

The ad700 is as good as it gets for gaming but it's crap for music or movies.

You can pick them up second hand for £50-£70.

The koss ksc75 and porta pro are really good as well for those starting out. Probably better than all gaming headsets costing up to £100

 

[Psycho Sonny]

KSC75

It belongs here. Most of you already know what a bang for the buck these are, and I'm more than happy to say that they are pretty good gaming headphones. Directionality is accurate, detail is fantastic for their price, and treble is sparkly and energetic. The bass is also no slouch, assuming you are in a decently quiet atmosphere. The KSC75 is very picky about what is around you, so the quieter the place you're in is, the better they perform. If you want to game on a budget, these should be not be taken lightly. I use them when I wanna relax and lay back, since I don't ever have to worry about them sliding off or out of position. They stay in place no matter what. I love them so much. You couldn't get me to give mine up unless it's for another pair. You get a lot of performance for the price, and everyone should pick some up.

edit (6/2/2012): Just want to add that the way to present sound is considerably different from full-sized headphones. They are like a bridge between IEM and Full-sized cans, in which they don't have a FULL sound that envelopes you the way full-size cans do, but they project farther out than IEMs.

Fun: 7/10 (Good)

Competitive: 7/10 (Good)

Comfort: 9.5/10 (Amazing)


I think they are actually better than the porta pro's or they use the exact same drivers just in a different setup.

Either way get these for what is it £12? Then if you feel the need to upgrade you can get CAL's brand new for £50 or second hand AD700 or HD 595.

After that there is DT770.

After them it's HD 598 or Fidelio X1.

After them it's Q701.

All depends on how far up the ladder you want to climb

 

[dakaiez]

I was wondering what to get and wanted fully wireless while being a cheap alternative and decided on the Sony Wireless Gold 2.0 and received it today.

So far i'm impressed the sound quality is good, not brilliant but then again i never expected it to be. I've had friends say the mic is nice and clear and can hear stuff perfectly in game and they are nice and comfy.

I think i managed to get it for £62 delivered in the end so not to bad a choice.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Every single piece of my setup is easily replaceable

Headphones break - get a new pair although build quality on proper headphones means they usually last decades especially Sony MDR-7506's some people have had theirs for over 20 years and all you do is replace the pads for cheap.

Mic breaks - buy a new one, at £1.56 a pop they don't break the bank either

MIXAMP - shouldn't break as it never moves and should last 5+ years tbh if it does it can be replaced with a newer version or another second hand one.

Most gaming headsets tend to fall apart especially if they are cheap as they are very cheaply made. You will see people posting on here what new headset to buy as theirs just fell apart, that never happens with a quality pair of headphones.

second hand MIXAMP + KSC75 + DX Mic = <£80 so a bit more than your sonys but it's a surround sound setup which is easily upgradeable and should offer you far better sound quality.

 

[dakaiez]

Yeah i get that, already have a decent pair on my PC of HD 555's which i have had for 5-6 years and never skipped a beat.

Didn't want to have a load of different things and just have it all in one so went with the easier and less messy option.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Yeah i get that, already have a decent pair on my PC of HD 555's which i have had for 5-6 years and never skipped a beat.

Didn't want to have a load of different things and just have it all in one so went with the easier and less messy option.

Personally I would have sold the HD 555's got some Fidelio X1's and a V Moda Boom Pro and a mixamp.

That way you have one wire (no mess), much better headphones to boot as well as the best possible gaming experience as well as one of the best mid-fi cans available.

Have you modded the 555's at all? People say the mod turns them into 595's but that isn't true at all it improves their sound but 595's will always be better it does make them closer to 595's though once modded.

 

[dakaiez]

I might look at doing something like that in the future, haven't really got the spare cash with so many games coming out!

Nope haven't modded them at all, but may look into doing that now. I bought them originally as i was fed up of gaming headsets and the crap sound and one ear going or the mic with the crappy wires.

I moved to the 555's and a Desktop mic and never looked back. I'll stick with this setup for now and the Sony Wireless 2.0 for the PS4 until i get the funds do something much better.

 

[thenameDS]

Looking to go with one of these fancy set ups. What mixamp would I have to use? I see Astro ones cost £100 new but theres also 'Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro' for around £45.

I have both an xbox one and ps4 and my tv has a optical in so I could just plug the mix amp into the tv instead of the consoles right?