What's your headset? [Archive]

Rob Williams

09-17-2005, 11:57 PM

What headset is everyone using out there?

I've been using my Logitech Premium USB Headset 350 since March, but I recently found that non-USB headsets, don't sound as good as straight audio jacked ones. Using a pair of Altecs that I will be reviewing, and I'm impressed so far.

Speak up peeps, what gear do you have on your head?

Jen McPherson

09-18-2005, 12:05 AM

Lightweight Computer Headset from Radioshack.

They work, thats all I really need :) hehe

Word.

09-19-2005, 06:21 PM

I have been using Radio shack crap, but ever since i met Spawner, i have been trusting Logitech. So now i use the Logitech Guild wars Bundle. Great sound also.

Rob Williams

09-22-2005, 10:16 PM

Logitech for the win!

Bobbythecat

09-23-2005, 05:51 PM

I have an eDimensional Audio FX Force Feedback Gaming Headset. This thing cost me about $50 incl. shipping and tax, from Newegg. I can flip a switch and a USB powered bass/SW(?) inside the earpiece vibrates like mad listening to trance or going on a shottie rampage in CS:S! The quality of the sound is great, and helps me distinguish wether someone is running behind me or ahead of me. It feels really nice, but I'm getting a bit worried that all that vibration will kill off whatever braincells I have left! :D

Rob Williams

09-23-2005, 06:19 PM

Welcome to the forums Bobby!

Haha, I have a headset I am reviewing at the moment that's similar to those. However, that "booster" doesn't vibrate anything. Maybe somethings loose? I listen to Trance music all the time and have never had that problem, haha.

Regeneration

09-24-2005, 05:19 PM

I have Icemat Audio headset around but I'm only using my leet 5.1 speakers :P

Bobbythecat

09-25-2005, 10:30 PM

My headset is definately vibrating...hmm, it'll be hillarious if it is something that's loose, since it's doing a great job at creating the impression of build-in SubWoofers!

So when I turn on the vibration by flipping a switch, I do feel the vibration that i would feel from standing in front of those gigantic SWs at clubs. It is weird that now the vibration is confined to my ears, and not the entire body :p
When I turn it off, it's just the ordinary sound of bass, playing gentle with my eardrums!

Rob Williams

09-25-2005, 11:59 PM

Haha, that's wierd.. seriously. I have not heard of that happening before, lol.

madstork91

09-26-2005, 12:28 AM

What is this head set you guys always speak of?

I use a mic and LOUD SPEAKERS!

Bobbythecat

09-26-2005, 01:25 AM

Do you mean, you have a separate mic, sitting in front of you, like in a studio??? Wow, now that's hardcore man. You must be the general in BF2 or something, issuing orders 24/7!! :D

Unregistered

09-26-2005, 10:20 AM

Rob -

I don't normally post here, so I'm not sure where to post corrections.
In your review of the Altec Lansing AHS602i Gaming Headset, you mentioned Gone in 60 Seconds. Although you probably don't care and it's not really related to the headset, I think you labled the Mustang wrong. It was a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500 - not a '69 Shelby

Rob Williams

09-26-2005, 11:35 AM

Doh! I would've sworn is was a '69.

What is it with me and that number! Thanks a lot for the correction, it's been fixed! You know your stuff :)

skulleh

09-26-2005, 12:42 PM

Hey Rob,

I bought the Altec Lansing AHS602i Gaming Headset about a month ago. I find the sound quality is spectacular; games, music and movies have never sounded better. There are a two issues I have with the headset though.

1) After about 45 minutes of use, my ears start to get really hot and sore, this is annoying because I actually prefer to play games with my headphones on, rather than with my 5.1 speakers.

2) Also, the mic doesn't work well with my Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZX Platinum Pro soundcard. My mic volume is extremely low. Even when I turn all the volume and mic settings in windows and in games up high, and select mic as my recording device, gamers over the net still struggle to hear me over my mic. I saw in your review that you had no troubles with the mic, so I'm thinking it's probably an issue to do with my soundcard drivers or soundcard settings. The headphones and mic are both connected to the front of the I/O drive via two 6.5mm connections I placed on the end of the two 3.5mm connections. Sound input volume is loud and clear, it's just mic output volume that is low and sometimes a bit scratchy. I've been looking all over the Creative forums for a fix for my problem but have yet to find one. Anyway, these are just my experiences with this headset.

Unregistered

09-26-2005, 05:10 PM

Just a note:

I got the lower end version of the Altec Lansings you reviewed without SRS (the 502s I think?). They also work great for games which is what I bought them for. Also, my high/low/mute switch for the microphone on the controller works fine. I have a Soundblaster X-Fi card so I use the CMSS 3D it provides for surround sound. Would be interesting to be able to compare that with the 602's SRS. I thought about the 602 but figured I already had 3D output from the soundcard and didn't think I'd like the extra weight and size of the SRS module. The fact that the mic boom swings up and out of the way so you can have a drink/eat and then swings smoothly back to position is nice as well and something not all headsets do well.

I get the typical 2 or so hours of use before I need to take off the headset to give my ears a rest but so far I'm impressed with the sound and the mic when using Ventrilo during online game sessions.

Todd

skulleh

09-26-2005, 09:30 PM

Hi Todd,

I personally find the SRS feature on the 602i headset unnecessary. It doesn't simulate surround sound as well as I thought it would, my audigy 2 zs platinum pro does that for me though, so your not missing out on anything special Todd considering you've got an x-fi soundcard. By the way, my high/low/mute switch controller for my mic works fine as well.

Rob Williams

09-26-2005, 11:27 PM

It's odd why my High/Mute don't work :/

skulleh, I'm surprised you don't care for the SRS that much. It's definitely not pure surround, but it definitely made everything sound much better imo.

That sucks that your ears actually get sore.. is the headset too tight on your head? Mine definitely get warm after a while, but I don't noticed it until a few hours have passed. s

That's also odd about your mic. If others can hear you at all, and your mic is all the way up.. that's strange. Did you happen to contact Altec Lansing's tech support and see if they have an idea? I wonder if it has anything to do with the specific sound card..

Oh, and welcome to the forums!

skulleh

09-27-2005, 03:20 AM

Thanks for the welcome. Yeah, I'm not into the SRS feature too much. I prefer it off, but I keep a battery in there just in case I want to test it out every now and then.

About the headset on my head, I wouldn't say it's too tight. It's more because I have quite a long head and ears, and the headphones hurt the back part of my ears that curve in. I usually put the headset on further to the front of my head to fix this, but my ears still get really hot quite quickly. I've put a layer of cotton over the ear cups, but they haven't really helped keep my ears cool. I'm pretty sure my ears would get hot with any other headset anyway, so I guess I'll have to get used to it.

I'm still trying to find a solution to my mic issue. I just found out last night that when I play any steam games, such as sven coop and the new DOD: Source, my recording device automatically sets itself to Wave. I have to alt tab out of the game and set it back to Line-In 1/Mic to use my mic in the games. I've read up about this issue, and a lot of people have this issue with audigy 2 soundcards, so I'd say any issues with my mic are soundcard related. Hopefully Creative will release some new drivers that will fix these issues I'm having with my mic. I'll try contacting Altec Lansing and Creative tech support to see if either can give me a solution.

By the way, what do u do with the headset controller? I place mine on my lap whenver I'm using the headset, but it is quite annoying when it falls off.

Rob Williams

09-27-2005, 06:12 PM

I'm with you about the headset.. I have just come to the conclusion that all headsets are uncomfortable, hehe. I should crack open the IceMat Siberia I have on my shelf to see how that feels.. if it's any better or not.

As for the control, I usually leave it up on the desk, near the monitor. It does suck if I move too far and it falls off, but that's not usually too often. It usually stays out of the way. If it was smaller, I wouldn't mind keeping it attached to my shirt.

Ben

09-27-2005, 08:20 PM

I use the DSP-500 for when I need to chat, and I use a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-A500's for listening to music.

Rob Williams

10-06-2005, 02:30 PM

The IceMat Siberias look a lot like the ATH-A500's. I love the design, it's extremely comfortable.

Tech-Daddy

10-10-2005, 01:43 AM

I currently use a set of Sony MDR-D600 DJ phones... isolation foam around them, bass response is phenominal! I'm interested in getting a pair of the surround sound headsets... but I want to get one with a boom mike and a USB connection.

I've heard that these work better for in game communique... anyone confirm or deny this?
:confused:

Rob Williams

10-10-2005, 02:57 PM

I have personally not noticed a difference between using USB or Audio jacks affecting the communication in any game.

*Maybe* if your USB port was working as a 1.1, then it could be a potential problem, but I've never noticed any real issues.

Blumen

10-11-2005, 10:20 PM

I use a set of Sony MDR-XD200 headphones, running out of an Onkyo 6.1 reciever. They have a nice fat sound to them, lots of mids and lows, without the highs being tinny.

Alternatively, when i don't feel like lugging those things around on my head, i use a pair of SONY MDREX71SL earbuds through the same reciever.

But yeah, i'll agree with whoever said it... screw headphones normally... I'll take my surround sound loudspeakers any day.

DarkSynergy

10-11-2005, 10:34 PM

Welcome Ciento, I love you ;)

Blumen

10-11-2005, 10:38 PM

And I, you.

Now get my stupid SATA drive figured out for me. :p

Rob Williams

10-11-2005, 10:48 PM

Welcome to the forums Ciento!

What SATA problem?

madmat

10-13-2005, 06:05 PM

Personally I don't use a headset, I do have a set of Koss UR.40 headphones I wear for quiet gaming or music listening/movie watching but I can slap a boom mic I custom bent to work as a headset type mic on them with a wad of sticky tack for gaming.

Blumen

10-13-2005, 07:09 PM

Welcome to the forums Ciento!

What SATA problem?

Just getting a Caviar to work on my NF7-S. I think it was a stability issue with the 2600-M in retrospect though. :(

Rob Williams

10-15-2005, 02:51 PM

An HDD problem related to the CPU? Don't know how that would be.

Blumen

10-15-2005, 03:48 PM

Well, there's a story behind the whole thing. I'll put it in here, and if it's too off-topic, then just delete it.

I was running a 2200+/9600xt on an MSI KM2M board, scoring maybe 32k on best overclock, nothing special. (Aquamark). Decided to upgrade the vid card to a 5900se, and a month after that, decided to go after the socket A/5900 record. Picked up a Mobile Barton 2600 and an MSI K7N2 Delta ILSR. Unfortunately, the mobile wouldn't play nice with the Delta, so i threw he 2200 back on that for a little bit while i did some more research on motherboards. Ended up with an AN7, got the 5900 up to about 49k, which wasn't doing it, the ram and now i realize the board was crapping out on me.

A friend from the Aquamark forums just up and gave me his old Asus V9999, which is technically a 6800nu. So i went for that record, got it, destroyed it at 63k, the previous was 61k. The mobo died on me about 2 weeks ago, so i had to shop around again. Ended up getting the NF7-S, and for some reason, it wasn't stable at first with the 2600. I don't think the cpu was the cause of the HDD problems, but rather the whole system wasn't stable enough to make it through the reformat and install the sata drivers. I gave up on it, ran the 2200+ for a while again, got windows up, updated chipsets, and then swapped the 2600 back in, and now everything seems to be ok. I'm up to 54k still at the "stock" 2.0ghz and stock clocks on the v9999, and this time, with a better board and ram, new bios, i'm shooting for 70k.

But i'm sure the sata drive would work now.

Rob Williams

10-15-2005, 03:53 PM

Gotcha. Have to love that string of nuisances :|

70K is a great goal.. is that even possible with a 6800NU though? Gotta get your overclocking butt in gear.

Blumen

10-15-2005, 03:58 PM

Well... that's where the cheating is...

The 2600-M is capable of 10k+ cpu score, so to call it a socket A is kindof not fair sometimes, depending on stepping.

The Asus v9999 is technically a 6800nu because it has the nu gpu, but it's on the Ultra PCB, and requires the dual molex connectors as well, and has the ultra memory. Mine unlocked to 16/6 with no problems, and no hits on the clocks, which are stock at 350/1.0ghz. I've personally seen mine up to 390/1150, and that wasn't really pushing it.

I got the 63k score with the cpu at 12x200, cpu score of only 8.4k. If this BIOS works, i'll be able to run 10x250, which should get me a solid 9.2k, i think, and the card will go up to 13k with the right cpu i think, so it's all dependent on cpu right now. 70k will happen i'm almost positive.

BATTLE

10-19-2005, 03:52 PM

Hi Rob and great site,was reading your reviews of the Altec and Icemat headsets and theres one question,do you have to have an independant sound card ie Audigy because I have onboard sounds was just wondering because looking to buy a new set but dont wont to buy a new sound card aswell.Hope this makes some sense.

:)

Blumen

10-19-2005, 09:36 PM

I don't believe that you have to, but with a good headset, it'll always help, you'll notice a large difference, unless you happen to have SoundStorm on your motherboard as onboard.

I just use the onboard now that i have SoundStorm.

Rob Williams

10-19-2005, 10:43 PM

Welcome to the forums BATTLE. How's things in Scotland?

On-board would be fine! Of course, stand alone sound cards are usually better, but not that much for headphones. After the review, I actually started using the onboard sound, because I didn't want to keep my speakers unplugged.

Having no problems here :D

Blumen

10-19-2005, 11:48 PM

Or if you can find this....
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556016410.html

That's not bad by any means, either, and you can take it with you from computer to computer. I know Creative has an equivalent out as well. Both are good buys.

BATTLE

10-20-2005, 06:11 AM

Thx for the replies Rob ,ciento.The onboard sound on mine is--Xear3D--C Media 3D Audio,things in Scotland are very cold and wet Rob its like this most times.

:)

Blumen

10-20-2005, 06:11 PM

I don't think that's too bad as far as onboard goes, but if you really like your music or games, it'll be worth getting a new sound card, either internal or external. First though, decide if you're happy or not with the sound. I'm sure that my setup would sound better with an Audigy 2zs or Platinum, but i'm happy with the soundstorm for now. It all depends on personal preference.

Rob Williams

10-23-2005, 04:34 PM

BATTLE, I hear you there.. kind of. Here in Atlantic Canada, it rains often and is foggy even more often :/

If you do want to get away from on-board sound, I do recommend the Chaintech AV-710 (http://techgage.com/review.php?id=2300). It's half the price of an Audigy 2 ZS (Maybe even cheaper than that).

I love mine, but I have a few buggy issues with a few games, such as Serious Sam 2. When I do have stupid problems like that though, I just use the onboard for those games.