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I'm so confused about Audio...
- Jun 1, 2012 11:38 pm GMT
Intel i7 3770 3.40Ghz | Asus Sabertooth | 32GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM | 240GB SSD | GTX680 4GB
So I know a bit about IT (I'm a Network Engineer), but when it comes to PC Gaming and Audio, I get really confused and lost.
I am looking to buy headphones cause the GF is starting to nag me when I kill Demons in Diablo3 really LOUD on the speakers, hehe.
A few questions:
1) What's the difference between pluggin them into the Speakers Headphone Jack (3.5mm) or using USB? Which one is better? What pros and cons of each one?
2) I went to EB Games and JB HiFi (I live in Australia), and they have the SteelSeries and Turtle Beach Series. Some of the TBeach even say "Optimized for PC Gaming". Which one is better? Which model, cause there are so many? (They say they have 4 speakers on each earphone, subwoofer, 5.1)
3) In JB, I also went to the music section and tried on these Sony $45 Headphones. They were really comfortable and sounded great (to my ears), but they use 3.5mm so...?
4) I don't want to spend more than $100-$150. I don't want to get a new sound card (I have the ASUS P5N32E-SLI Motherboard which comes with the dedicated ASUS Sound Card). I know to get awesome sound you need to spend, but I'm on a budget and just want good sound.
Thanks for the help.
- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 1:06 am GMT
Difference between 3.5 mm and USB is pretty much analog versus digital. A USB headset will use its own "soundcard" no matter what you have in your computer. Anything plugged into a 3.5mm jack will use your soundcard in your computer. I don't know anything about SS and TB series, other than that they are not appreciated as music headphones. If you only game with them though, I suppose they'd be fine. So do you care about music at all or is it just for gaming?- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 2:05 am GMT
Intel i7 3770 3.40Ghz | Asus Sabertooth | 32GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM | 240GB SSD | GTX680 4GB
Just for gaming. I normally listen to music in my car... What is more powerful? As in volume powerful? USB or 3.5mm?- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 3:09 am GMT
You should go with 3.5mm since you got a dedicated sound card.
- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 3:58 am GMT
Intel i7 3770 3.40Ghz | Asus Sabertooth | 32GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM | 240GB SSD | GTX680 4GB
[QUOTE="spittis"]You should go with 3.5mm since you got a dedicated sound card.
[/QUOTE] Advantage of that? I have some cheap 3.5mm headphones and they don't go as loud as usb ones- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 4:33 am GMT
If you use a USB headset you will "bypass" your soundcard making it useless. And a cheap USB headset usually means a bad sound processor. For your budget you could get the Shure SRH750DJ. I have only read positive things about them. Check the stickied headphone FAQ for more.
- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 8:42 am GMT
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[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]So I know a bit about IT (I'm a Network Engineer), but when it comes to PC Gaming and Audio, I get really confused and lost.
I am looking to buy headphones cause the GF is starting to nag me when I kill Demons in Diablo3 really LOUD on the speakers, hehe.
A few questions:
1) What's the difference between pluggin them into the Speakers Headphone Jack (3.5mm) or using USB? Which one is better? What pros and cons of each one?
2) I went to EB Games and JB HiFi (I live in Australia), and they have the SteelSeries and Turtle Beach Series. Some of the TBeach even say "Optimized for PC Gaming". Which one is better? Which model, cause there are so many? (They say they have 4 speakers on each earphone, subwoofer, 5.1)
3) In JB, I also went to the music section and tried on these Sony $45 Headphones. They were really comfortable and sounded great (to my ears), but they use 3.5mm so...?
4) I don't want to spend more than $100-$150. I don't want to get a new sound card (I have the ASUS P5N32E-SLI Motherboard which comes with the dedicated ASUS Sound Card). I know to get awesome sound you need to spend, but I'm on a budget and just want good sound.
Thanks for the help.
[/QUOTE] How the can you be a Network Engineer and not understand the basics of signals on a various inputs. I realize its not configuring a Cisco router or the complexity of planning a sophisticated network infrastructure and tying these together in Cloud Environment while balancing the network load for the various locations but good gosh lol. $150 is like one hour of OT. I have always liked Turtle Beach. These will not blow your mind with sound but they work pretty good. I would use your PC's on board audio since you are not getting a sound card and if you limit is say $150 In would grab a sound card and then the cans to fit that budget. Check out the higher rated cans in your price range that you like the most and hit Amazon or the Egg for various reviews see if you can find the balance. Good luck and cheers!- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 11:52 am GMT
Steelseries are awful headsets.
Most motherboards have good onboard sound. I see no reason to get an external soundcard.
- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 2:57 pm GMT
Intel i7 3770 3.40Ghz | Asus Sabertooth | 32GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM | 240GB SSD | GTX680 4GB
[QUOTE="Taijiquan"][QUOTE="FelipeInside"]So I know a bit about IT (I'm a Network Engineer), but when it comes to PC Gaming and Audio, I get really confused and lost.
I am looking to buy headphones cause the GF is starting to nag me when I kill Demons in Diablo3 really LOUD on the speakers, hehe.
A few questions:
1) What's the difference between pluggin them into the Speakers Headphone Jack (3.5mm) or using USB? Which one is better? What pros and cons of each one?
2) I went to EB Games and JB HiFi (I live in Australia), and they have the SteelSeries and Turtle Beach Series. Some of the TBeach even say "Optimized for PC Gaming". Which one is better? Which model, cause there are so many? (They say they have 4 speakers on each earphone, subwoofer, 5.1)
3) In JB, I also went to the music section and tried on these Sony $45 Headphones. They were really comfortable and sounded great (to my ears), but they use 3.5mm so...?
4) I don't want to spend more than $100-$150. I don't want to get a new sound card (I have the ASUS P5N32E-SLI Motherboard which comes with the dedicated ASUS Sound Card). I know to get awesome sound you need to spend, but I'm on a budget and just want good sound.
Thanks for the help.
[/QUOTE] How the can you be a Network Engineer and not understand the basics of signals on a various inputs. I realize its not configuring a Cisco router or the complexity of planning a sophisticated network infrastructure and tying these together in Cloud Environment while balancing the network load for the various locations but good gosh lol. $150 is like one hour of OT. I have always liked Turtle Beach. These will not blow your mind with sound but they work pretty good. I would use your PC's on board audio since you are not getting a sound card and if you limit is say $150 In would grab a sound card and then the cans to fit that budget. Check out the higher rated cans in your price range that you like the most and hit Amazon or the Egg for various reviews see if you can find the balance. Good luck and cheers! [/QUOTE] LOL, it's not that I don't know the difference between USB and Analogue.....hahahahhaha, it's just that I wanted to know what pros and cons there were and which one was more convenient. I've always used speakers so never really researched headsets. So basically everyone is saying get a good pair of Headphones 3.5mm and connect them to my speakers??- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 4:38 pm GMT
Connecting with 3.5mm jack will always mean you use whatever sound processor you got in your computer. Doesn't matter if it's through speakers or computer "case". Since you already have a dedicated sound card that would be the most sensible solution IMO. With good headphones you notice the distortions coming from the computer if using onboard sound, as in integrated chip on mobo.- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 5:37 pm GMTFelipeInside wrote:Taijiquan wrote:FelipeInside wrote:
So I know a bit about IT (I'm a Network Engineer), but when it comes to PC Gaming and Audio, I get really confused and lost.
I am looking to buy headphones cause the GF is starting to nag me when I kill Demons in Diablo3 really LOUD on the speakers, hehe.
A few questions:
1) What's the difference between pluggin them into the Speakers Headphone Jack (3.5mm) or using USB? Which one is better? What pros and cons of each one?
2) I went to EB Games and JB HiFi (I live in Australia), and they have the SteelSeries and Turtle Beach Series. Some of the TBeach even say "Optimized for PC Gaming". Which one is better? Which model, cause there are so many? (They say they have 4 speakers on each earphone, subwoofer, 5.1)
3) In JB, I also went to the music section and tried on these Sony $45 Headphones. They were really comfortable and sounded great (to my ears), but they use 3.5mm so...?
4) I don't want to spend more than $100-$150. I don't want to get a new sound card (I have the ASUS P5N32E-SLI Motherboard which comes with the dedicated ASUS Sound Card). I know to get awesome sound you need to spend, but I'm on a budget and just want good sound.
Thanks for the help.
How the can you be a Network Engineer and not understand the basics of signals on a various inputs. I realize its not configuring a Cisco router or the complexity of planning a sophisticated network infrastructure and tying these together in Cloud Environment while balancing the network load for the various locations but good gosh lol. $150 is like one hour of OT.
I have always liked Turtle Beach. These will not blow your mind with sound but they work pretty good. I would use your PC's on board audio since you are not getting a sound card and if you limit is say $150 In would grab a sound card and then the cans to fit that budget. Check out the higher rated cans in your price range that you like the most and hit Amazon or the Egg for various reviews see if you can find the balance.
Good luck and cheers!
LOL, it's not that I don't know the difference between USB and Analogue.....hahahahhaha, it's just that I wanted to know what pros and cons there were and which one was more convenient.
I've always used speakers so never really researched headsets.
So basically everyone is saying get a good pair of Headphones 3.5mm and connect them to my speakers??
Connecting headphones to speakers generally isn't the best option
[QUOTE="FelipeInside"][QUOTE="Taijiquan"][QUOTE="FelipeInside"]So I know a bit about IT (I'm a Network Engineer), but when it comes to PC Gaming and Audio, I get really confused and lost.
I am looking to buy headphones cause the GF is starting to nag me when I kill Demons in Diablo3 really LOUD on the speakers, hehe.
A few questions:
1) What's the difference between pluggin them into the Speakers Headphone Jack (3.5mm) or using USB? Which one is better? What pros and cons of each one?
2) I went to EB Games and JB HiFi (I live in Australia), and they have the SteelSeries and Turtle Beach Series. Some of the TBeach even say "Optimized for PC Gaming". Which one is better? Which model, cause there are so many? (They say they have 4 speakers on each earphone, subwoofer, 5.1)
3) In JB, I also went to the music section and tried on these Sony $45 Headphones. They were really comfortable and sounded great (to my ears), but they use 3.5mm so...?
4) I don't want to spend more than $100-$150. I don't want to get a new sound card (I have the ASUS P5N32E-SLI Motherboard which comes with the dedicated ASUS Sound Card). I know to get awesome sound you need to spend, but I'm on a budget and just want good sound.
Thanks for the help.
[/QUOTE] How the can you be a Network Engineer and not understand the basics of signals on a various inputs. I realize its not configuring a Cisco router or the complexity of planning a sophisticated network infrastructure and tying these together in Cloud Environment while balancing the network load for the various locations but good gosh lol. $150 is like one hour of OT. I have always liked Turtle Beach. These will not blow your mind with sound but they work pretty good. I would use your PC's on board audio since you are not getting a sound card and if you limit is say $150 In would grab a sound card and then the cans to fit that budget. Check out the higher rated cans in your price range that you like the most and hit Amazon or the Egg for various reviews see if you can find the balance. Good luck and cheers! [/QUOTE] LOL, it's not that I don't know the difference between USB and Analogue.....hahahahhaha, it's just that I wanted to know what pros and cons there were and which one was more convenient. I've always used speakers so never really researched headsets. So basically everyone is saying get a good pair of Headphones 3.5mm and connect them to my speakers??[/QUOTE] Connecting headphones to speakers generally isn't the best option :P- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 6:12 pm GMT
Intel i7 3770 3.40Ghz | Asus Sabertooth | 32GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM | 240GB SSD | GTX680 4GB
HAHAHAHHA, u guys are confusing me even more.... HAHAHAHAHA - spittis is saying use the 3.5mm jack (through my speakers) with good headphones so it's using my sound card - Mcspanky37 says don't - The other guy said buy a new sound card.... hahhaha Now you see why I have been confused. Are the sound cards inside those Turtle Beach really bad? My mainboard (therefore my ASUS sound card) is now nearly 4 years old so maybe the sound cards in the TBeach are better?- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 7:37 pm GMT
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[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]HAHAHAHHA, u guys are confusing me even more.... HAHAHAHAHA - spittis is saying use the 3.5mm jack (through my speakers) with good headphones so it's using my sound card - Mcspanky37 says don't - The other guy said buy a new sound card.... hahhaha Now you see why I have been confused. Are the sound cards inside those Turtle Beach really bad? My mainboard (therefore my ASUS sound card) is now nearly 4 years old so maybe the sound cards in the TBeach are better?[/QUOTE] Nobody told you to plug your headphones into the 3.5mm jack through your speakers. They told you to plug it into your sound card.
To elaborate: 3.5mm jacks built into speakers that let you plug headphones into them are always poor in quality. I doubt your ASUS Soundcard is anything worthwhile, so it wouldn't be much of a loss to use USB. Having said that, I don't know any good headphones that use a USB connection. And in my opinion, gaming headsets are crap. If you want good sound, you don't want a gaming headset. They aren't made to produce hi-fidelity sound.
- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 7:43 pm GMT
Intel i7 3770 3.40Ghz | Asus Sabertooth | 32GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM | 240GB SSD | GTX680 4GB
Yeah TRUE. So there's a difference in quality? The speakers are just easier cause they have the jack on the volume tab. If I plug it into the sound card direct, im guessing sound will come out in both headphones and speakers at the same time?- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 7:46 pm GMT
Intel i7 3770 3.40Ghz | Asus Sabertooth | 32GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM | 240GB SSD | GTX680 4GB
Thanks for the clear up KH. Looks like a good option to go with.the Sony 3.5 headphones.- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 7:47 pm GMT
Intel i7 3770 3.40Ghz | Asus Sabertooth | 32GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM | 240GB SSD | GTX680 4GB
One other thing though. If I use 3.5 do I loose 5.1 surround in the headsets? I want surround specially for games like CoD.- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 8:40 pm GMT
no you don't.
USB blows.
- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 9:35 pm GMTjakes456 wrote:
no you don't.
USB blows.
Yeah that seems to be the general consensus.
Ok, I've gone to the shops and I'm looking into this one (sorry about blurry image):
The good thing about the Z6A is that it's POWERED by USB but the audio connectors are 3.5mm
- 3.5mm stereo line input jacks x 3 (Front, Surround, Center/Sub)
It also has quick disconnect for removing the headset from the amplifier, meaning I can just disconnect if I don't want to use them and store them away.
http://www.turtlebeach.com/products/pc-gaming-headsets/ear-force-z6a.aspx
This is my sound card:
So basically the TBeach connects to all the surround ports on the sound card, so what happens to my speakers? (The Green Cable connected already). I want to be able to switch between the two.
Thanks.
Intel i7 3770 3.40Ghz | Asus Sabertooth | 32GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM | 240GB SSD | GTX680 4GB
[QUOTE="jakes456"]
no you don't.
USB blows.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah that seems to be the general consensus.
Ok, I've gone to the shops and I'm looking into this one (sorry about blurry image):
The good thing about the Z6A is that it's POWERED by USB but the audio connectors are 3.5mm
- 3.5mm stereo line input jacks x 3 (Front, Surround, Center/Sub)
It also has quick disconnect for removing the headset from the amplifier, meaning I can just disconnect if I don't want to use them and store them away.
[url]http://www.turtlebeach.com/products/pc-gaming-headsets/ear-force-z6a.aspx[/url]
This is my sound card:
So basically the TBeach connects to all the surround ports on the sound card, so what happens to my speakers? (The Green Cable connected already). I want to be able to switch between the two.
Thanks.
- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 2, 2012 10:38 pm GMT
Let me make things simple here.
Do not buy headphones or headsets that use USB.
Do not buy gaming headphones or headsets, they are overpriced and generally suck.
Things such as 5.1/7.1 in a headphone is a gimmick.
You should purchase a pair of quality stereo headphones from a reputable brand (if a microphone is needed get a clip on microphone).
If you're worried about the quality of sound from your current soundcard, you may consider purchasing something inexpensive such as the Asus Xonar DG (this also has Dolby headphone which can help simulate a surround sound using stereo headphones).
Finally, always plug your headphones directly into the soundcard as to obtain the best audio quality.
- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
- Jun 3, 2012 3:51 pm GMT
Intel i7 3770 3.40Ghz | Asus Sabertooth | 32GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM | 240GB SSD | GTX680 4GB
[QUOTE="NVIDIATI"]Let me make things simple here.
Do not buy headphones or headsets that use USB.
Do not buy gaming headphones or headsets, they are overpriced and generally suck.
Things such as 5.1/7.1 in a headphone is a gimmick.
You should purchase a pair of quality stereo headphones from a reputable brand (if a microphone is needed get a clip on microphone).
If you're worried about the quality of sound from your current soundcard, you may consider purchasing something inexpensive such as the Asus Xonar DG (this also has Dolby headphone which can help simulate a surround sound using stereo headphones).
Finally, always plug your headphones directly into the soundcard as to obtain the best audio quality.
[/QUOTE] Thanks for that. I'm fine with my sound card, the speakers sound really great when playing games, music or movies. As you see in the photo, it has surround ports (different colours). So you reckon the Turtle Beach Z6A is a no-go? I know it's a gaming headset but it comes with 3.5mm plugs and three of them for surround.??- Please wait. Quick reply will be available shortly.
