audio noob: gaming headphones (ranty)

[whargoul]

i have an ASUS M4A87TD EVO motherboard. ASUS has this to say about onboard audio:

VT1818 High Definition Audio 8-Channel CODEC
- Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-Streaming, and Front Panel Jack-Retasking
- Optical S/PDIF Out ports at back I/O
- Supports 192kHz/ 24bit BD Lossless Sound
- ASUS Noise Filter

i have been gaming with a Dell 5.1 speaker set and the microphone on my cheap logitech USB webcam for a couple years. tried using a dirt cheap desktop stand mic to get the mic closer to my face so maybe people could hear me better but that was kind of a wash. threw on some dirt cheap head phones and it sounded like someone farting in a tin can. so here i am in the market for gaming headphones. this is quite a daunting task. so many options to choose from. so many things to consider. so many chances to waste money.

not being able to make heads or tales of all the things i've read on directional/positional sound. i don't know whether 5.1 headphones are just a gimmick or if they are the best thing for hearing where things are when playing first person shooters. i'm no audiophile so sound quality isn't my highest concern but i want something that's going to help me locate enemies in BF3 (for example) as good or better than the 5.1 speaker setup i have going right now.

equally as important is comfort. i need headphones i can forget that i have on. my fitted cap size is 7 & 5/8ths if that is of any consequence to anyone

never was a big fan of the headset. dont like the mic attached to my head and constantly in my face. if i'm already wearing headphones there isn't any real reason the mic can be on the desk or monitor somewhere. noticed there are some headsets with detachable mics. if the best gaming headphones for me happen to have a mic attached though. i guess it's not the end of the world.

pretty clueless about the pros and cons to USB headsets to traditional 3.5mm jacks. i guess if the device is USB it's practically it's own sound card and can get extra power for a small amp or something. if that's the case... kind of makes the onboard 7.1 audio that most MOBOs come with seem wasteful.

PS: i've had problems with windows 7 and this motherboard and this case and having multiple mics and outputs installed and using the case front jacks and setting device as default and it staying that way and volumes of things being changed without permission and levels not staying where i manually set them etc. i fear having to deal with this again when i purchase the headphones. "mic not working in skype. skype too loud. game too quiet. mic not working in teamspeak. repeat. repeat." i've found it's best to just use one mic for everything to minimize having to mess with settings all the time. and if any devices have a mic im not using i disable it so hopefully this wont be a pain.

basically im imagining myself in a happy place where i can switch easily from my sweet headphones to my room speakers and i can always hear where the bad guy is and im not always having to restart my game because the wrong microphone is set to default.

 

[ryan27968]

A common myth is that there is something special about 5.1 headphones. In actual fact most of them are just stereo headphones with some software virtualization to give the 5.1 effect. This means that pretty much any headphones will work. You shouldn't need a 5.1 sound card either(unless you want to use 5.1 speakers as well, those will need a 5.1 sound card. I play Assault Cube on my laptop with the on-board sound card and cheap Skullcandy Uprock headphones and can hear the 3D sound perfectly. The headphones I would recommend are these: http/www.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/razer-megalodon they are specially tuned to give a great sound. If you are itching to spend some money and get 100% pure 3D sound, get a Creative SoundBlaster Z and a pair of these: http/www.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/razer-tiamat-71 these have 5 actual speakers in each ear and provide true 3D sound, NO virtualization, just pure 3D sound. These however, will need a dedicated sound card or else they will not work. Both of these headphones I recommended are designed specially for gamers and have built in microphones as well. Note: the Megalodon headphones actually have a built in sound card, so even if you have the worst sound card in the world, they will sound great. The disadvantage to this, is that you can only use it on a PC because it uses a USB plug.

 

[ryan27968]

But generally, just the Megalodons will do when used with this piece of software which can make any stereo headphones sound like 7.1 surround headphones. I can safely say that in my experience, it is not simply a gimmic and really does work. EVEN with my cheap Skullcandy Uprocks.