zNikito

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Jun 26, 2015
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Hello guys,
Some days ago I bought Corsair H2100 headsets, and the surround and audio quality was really good but the downside of the headset was that it has a really bad microphone, my friends could barely hear me on Skype etc. I decided to change it to a Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma. So the Kraken's audio doesn't compare to the H2100, but the microphone is 600% better. The surround is bad as well compared to the other one. It is closed though, which makes it good and the LED are okay. It also uses Razer Synapse which gives a good boost the bass.

It doesn't have to have all of this, at least some is good. My budget is 250€. So I am looking for a gaming headset, which could give me a good 7.1 with Dolby technology(The Corsair had it, hence why it was good, oh and also I don't care if true or fake 7.1 as long as it's as good as the Corsair one), at least 40-60mm drivers. I prefer USB over analog. I also want it to be closed and have as big earpads as the Corsair one, don't mind if it's wireless or not. I want the mic to be good quality and loud enough for others to hear me with some kind of noise-cancelling at least, don't really care if it detachable or retractable as long.

TL;DR
Looking for a 7.1 Dolby approved headsets with min 40mm drivers and big closer earpads and a noise-cancelling microphone with good quality.

EDIT; What do you guys think of the "Sennheiser PC 363D"?
It's supposed to be Dolby 7.1 and have a good microphone. Does the audio bleed out of it? Can others hear what I listen to? Is the Surround good or bad?

What about "SteelSeries Siberia Elite Prism"?
It has 7.1 Dolby as well, with two Dolby technologies. I heard on reviews that the surround is bad though.

Thoughts on these two? headsets?

Regards, Nikito
 
Solution
the video i linked only showcases the different types of virtual surround and how they compare with one another - what the actual headphones will sound like will vary a bit than whatever you are using now. use it ONLY for comparing the different types of virtual surround processing technologies.

i think thxtrustudio is a paid add-on software for some motherboards running creative onboard sound so i believe your choice is between either dolby headphone or cmss3d/sbx (cmss3d became sbx). basically between asus and creative cards if you want virtual. creative drivers are a bit better however asus has some nice cheaper cards like the dg/dx which are a bit better than creatives offerings at the same price point.

i'll say it again: actual...
the pc363d is a good headset, but it is both very expensive for what you get and very light on bass which you seem to like.

if i were you i would consider thinking outside the box and looking outside of headsets completely.

consider getting a soundcard which has virtual surround capability (if your onboard audio on the pc doesnt already support virtual) paired up with decent headphones and a boom mic.

on a budget.... something like the xonar dg with a hd518 with a modmic clip on mic(or other clip on mic of similar quality) would work. sound will be fairly neutral with a slight tip towards bass. open design.

if you are a bass-head and absolutely want deep bass... perhaps the dt770pro-80 instead. sound will be v-shaped with more bass and treble with recessed mids. closed design.

of course there are other choices... you can use a better soundcard, or other headphones if you expect a different sound signature. there are other choices for mic as well such as using a clip on they use for industry vocal recording applications. audiotechnica makes some as well as other brands (you might need a plug adapter though).

i'd ignore "dolby approved" as it is meaningless.

listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04yEtZJVpyY comparision between different types of virtual. pick which one you like the sound of and get a card capable of outputting it. any asus uses dolby headphone. any creative uses sbx/cmss3d. razer doesnt require any soundcard (software based). the xonar dg i suggested uses dolby headphone. generally people prefer either cmss3d/sbx or dolby headphone.

any open design headphones leak noise. unless you're playing sound at very high volumes it generally is not an issue and normally the mic is not going to pick this up unless it is too loud. closed designs eliminate any leak however also have smaller soundstage (positional audio) ability which means they arent as suggested for gaming (although still useable)
 

zNikito

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Jun 26, 2015
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4,510


Thanks for the reply,
That video you linked is an eye-opener. The Razer one is really bad! Out of the three other ones, which one do you recommend? I myself liked the THX TruStudio.
Also, I don't really like bass that much, I prefer quality over the bass. If I wanted bass, I would just stick with the Chroma headset. So is the Sennheiser worth it? I won't listen to anything on max volume ever, because I rarely need to. I play FPS games and Skype a lot, so I will want good clear quality surround headsets with a good microphone. Is the 3D G4ME1 USB Soundcard anywhere near the ones in the video(excluding the Razer one)? The surround on the video are actually good, is the Sennheiser anywhere near it?

Here are a list of headsets I got my eyes on, can you pick the one with a good microphone and audio quality, and the best surround? (Don't care about bass, or leak, as long as it is somewhere near the quality of the surround on the video you linked.)

Sennheiser PC 363D (Comes with a USB Soundcard, Virtual Surround Dolby Pro Logic IIx)
SteelSeries Siberia Elite Prism (Has two Dolby technologies, the Dolby Headphone and the Dolby Pro Logic IIx)
Tritton 720+ 7.1 Surround Headset (Comes only with the Dolby Headphone, but has 50mm drivers and is cheap)
Asus Strix 7.1 (Apparently "true" 7.1, although I think having two big driver is better than ten small ones. I could be wrong though.)

If you think I could get better sound, with a Soundcard, headphones and a seperate mic, can you recommend a cheap 80€ Soundcard with good Virtual, and good headphones with clear audio, and a good microphone that sounds clear and has noise-cancelling?

Thanks in advance!
Regards, Nikito
 
the video i linked only showcases the different types of virtual surround and how they compare with one another - what the actual headphones will sound like will vary a bit than whatever you are using now. use it ONLY for comparing the different types of virtual surround processing technologies.

i think thxtrustudio is a paid add-on software for some motherboards running creative onboard sound so i believe your choice is between either dolby headphone or cmss3d/sbx (cmss3d became sbx). basically between asus and creative cards if you want virtual. creative drivers are a bit better however asus has some nice cheaper cards like the dg/dx which are a bit better than creatives offerings at the same price point.

i'll say it again: actual sound "quality" out of headphones depends on the headphones themselves. as far as the video is concerned, that is the virtual sound processing. if you get headphones and then use that type of virtual surround processing on them then it will sound similar to the video but not exact since the headphones are different than the ones you're using now.

now, with that explained/clarified....are the hd518 good quality audio? sure. they use the same drivers as the $150 hd598 but due to earcup design do not quite have the soundstage and pure neutral sound and instead lean just a bit towards the bass from pure neutral. without spending a huge deal of money they are certainly a good choice for all-rounders. they still are a bit bass light compared to things like the chroma but not as weak as the pc363d. they will leak a little sound like all open cans do. not a bad choice.

as for mics, i think i covered a few of your options if you went with headphones only though i could clarify again if you end up going with headphones instead of the headset route you seem to be pushing for.

is the g4me1 soundcard good? not as good as an internal option like the xonar dg but it works. it uses dolby headphone for virtual.

generally bigger, nicer drivers is better than more smaller cheaper drivers. also generally headsets are also tuned more for gaming so often do not have the sound quality you will likely find in headphones (other than the 363d which is based on actual headphones). of all the ones you listed the pc363d is the nicest although also expensive.

i'm thinking a hd518 paired with a xonar dg paired with an antlion modmic. usa prices total around $150, you'd have to let me know about euro prices.

modmic audio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CEbb14VTRY

alternatives to a modmic? the lower quality moovmic is similar in design. other than that you could get a lapel mic like the audiotechnica ATR3350IS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5A86Bk5x20 or perhaps the olympus ME52W https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Ssniihnfo which while meant as lapel mics can clip on to your headphone wire and be used that way.

just my suggestion anyways.
 
Solution

NikitoX

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Jun 16, 2015
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4,510
I think, I will go test out the Sennheiser PC 363D and give my review on it. I will have a right to return if I don't like it, so I will let you know if I need help with the headphone+separate microphone and internal soundcard way.