questions about audio quality

[omgitskenken]

Hi! First timer here hoping to get some help with my situation. Im a gamer thats found a headphone that I plan to perchase ATH m50x but this thing doesnt have a mic so i plan on buying modmic to attach on to m50x. My laptop only has one port that supports both audio and mic but if get a splitter will it lessen the audio quality that comes out of my headphones? If it does lessen the quality how bad could it get? Should i avoid the spliter for best audio quality? Thanks for your time and assistance in advance =)

 

[chrisbphoenix]

Welcome to the forum!

The addition of a splitter will have a slight adverse affect on audio quality, but nothing too serious.
To be frank, you're laptop's built in audio is likely the "bottle-neck" of your system. (That is, the part of the system with the most negative affect on sound quality.) not the splitter.

I feel obligated to mention that there is a headset that might also suit your needs. the ATHAG1 also by Audio Technica.
It's price is not much different than your proposed ATH n50x + Mod Mic. and it should not require a splitter either.
Just a suggestion, here's a link: ATAHG1

Happy Headphoning!

Cheers,
Chris

 

[omgitskenken]

ThanKs so much for the fast response. Im lovin this forum cause of how willing people love to throw in extra advice because they feel "obligated" haha. I am curently checking on this headphones u suggested but tbh its uggly looking =p. When i planed to get the m50x i was gonna go foe the blue and coffe colored pair. Gotta look good while fragging right!? Thanks again bud! I know where to get answers now when i have em. Btw it doesnt have to be audio technica branded, it can be any headphone mic or not, as long as it has great sound quality.

I forgot to mention i also looked away from ATAHG1 simply because it was labled "gaming". Usually when they say gaming they add more bass. I want it to sound natural, i want highs, mids, and lows. I dont want LOTS OF LOWS, no highs, and mids. I also intened to listen to music with which ever pair i get. Thanks again and soory for long post =p

 

[RazerZ]

The $265 ATHAG1 is the $100 ATH500x with a different color scheme and a mic. Overpriced imo.

 

[chrisbphoenix]

ThanKs so much for the fast response. Im lovin this forum cause of how willing people love to throw in extra advice because they feel "obligated" haha. I am curently checking on this headphones u suggested but tbh its uggly looking =p. When i planed to get the m50x i was gonna go foe the blue and coffe colored pair. Gotta look good while fragging right!? Thanks again bud! I know where to get answers now when i have em. Btw it doesnt have to be audio technica branded, it can be any headphone mic or not, as long as it has great sound quality.

I forgot to mention i also looked away from ATAHG1 simply because it was labled "gaming". Usually when they say gaming they add more bass. I want it to sound natural, i want highs, mids, and lows. I dont want LOTS OF LOWS, no highs, and mids. I also intened to listen to music with which ever pair i get. Thanks again and soory for long post =p

I like your style, I myself have always preferred a more balanced sound over earth-shattering bass.

I'm glad I could be of assistance.

Cheers,
Chris

 

[omgitskenken]

Id like to ask another question. Are 6.35 jack the same as 6.5? I see that ath m50x comes with an attachable 6.3 jack and i was looking at an mayflower amp that has an 6.5 female. I looked online but cant find an adapter, not even an 3.5 male to 6.5 female. Whats going on here? Does 6.3 mean 6.35? Will either fit in an 6.5? Thanks =)

 

[chrisbphoenix]

Id like to ask another question. Are 6.35 jack the same as 6.5? I see that ath m50x comes with an attachable 6.3 jack and i was looking at an mayflower amp that has an 6.5 female. I looked online but cant find an adapter, not even an 3.5 male to 6.5 female. Whats going on here? Does 6.3 mean 6.35? Will either fit in an 6.5? Thanks =)

Interesting question. It looks to me as though 6.3, 6.35, and 6.5 are all basically interchangeable now-adays.
The discrepancy seems to spawn from the early days when there was not much standardization and manufacturing tolerances were not as tight.
At the time, sockets and connectors from different manufacturers were not guaranteed to be compatible.

It stands to reason that these days, socket manufacturers err on the side of caution and make their sockets a bit bigger to increase compatibility.
Remember that the electrical connectors inside the socket are spring loaded, so they should still contact slightly smaller plugs. (We're only talikng about a difference of 0.2mm here, or about 3x the diameter of a human hair.)

The only difference you're likely to notice is a slightly smaller plug won't fit as snugly in the socket. Sound quality should not be affected.

Hope that was helpful.
Cheers,
Chris

P.S. It is beneficial to open a new forum post for a new question. Part of the function of a forum is to help people who have the same/similar question as the original poster by looking at a posting from someone else.
Your question about jack compatibility is a good question, but it will likely not reach or help others who have a similar question, because it is buried in a posting about something else. Just saying...

 

[makkem]

Id like to ask another question. Are 6.35 jack the same as 6.5? I see that ath m50x comes with an attachable 6.3 jack and i was looking at an mayflower amp that has an 6.5 female. I looked online but cant find an adapter, not even an 3.5 male to 6.5 female. Whats going on here? Does 6.3 mean 6.35? Will either fit in an 6.5? Thanks =)

Yes they will both be the same its just the way the manufacturer has converted from imperial to metric as the original jack size was 1/4".

 

[RazerZ]

Yes, it will fit as makkem and Chris said. However the m50x has a low impedance and is easy to drive. It should not need an amp as it can be driven fairly easily across a range of devices. Also the m50x is the same as the m50, but comes with a removable cable and is more expensive. If you don't need the removable cable there are better options in that same price range which you could choose from.

I had the ATH M50s and they were a great pair of headphones, however they weren't the best for gaming since its soundstage was on the smaller side and they are closed back. If you don't mind sound leakage and a lack of bass (at least compared to some of the bassier closed backs like the m50) then you should look into a good pair of open back headphones.

 

[ssddx]

to answer your question, yes you can use a 2x3.5mm headphone+mic to single 3.5mm headphone+mic combo (called 3pole to 4pole adapter) with your laptop if this is the port your laptop has. it will work fine for most easy to drive headphones.

if you are in the usa.. the ath-m50 are far more price efficient than the m50x considering they are almost the same thing. you can get m50s open box for $99 on ebay or new for about $115 while m50x brings $160. they are certainly good for music and movies but not quite as nice for gaming due to the smaller soundstage unless you prefer the closed design and bassier sound. i own a pair myself.

if you want something a bit less bassy and of an open style i'd look into the hd598 or the hd558. the 558 is a not quite as good 598 with smaller soundstage but more bass. both are more ideal for gaming than the m50 (unless you're seeking that deep bass).

all of the above do not need amplifiers.

the modmic works great and you can add it on to any headphone.

 

[omgitskenken]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. I greatly appreciate the help! Chris i didnt consider about opening a another fourm ill be sure to do that next time =) still a newbie trying to get a hang of things, lovin the community here thanks again!