wireless headset: astro a50 vs creative 3d omega

[helios321]

hello,

i want to buy a wireless headset primarily for gaming. I'd like a pretty good one. There's not many so i've mainly come down to astro a50 or the creative 3d omega but feel free to make other suggestions. what do you guys recommend? i am mainly concerned about sound quality, mic clarity, and of course stable wireless connection - can anybody tell me which would be the better option? and also do i need a sound card for either headset?

 

[cats_Paw]

Helios,
Astro is over all considered a better brand by audiophiles than creative (thou im sure you will find supportes of both headsets).
In terms of soundcards, if a headset is wireless, it wont help much (if at all).
I personally dont use a headset but an independent mic and headphones with far more cash invested into it, including a 300 dollar headphone and a headphone amp, but as far as I see it, Ill never buy a headset again.

 

[avidity]

I have the creative 3d omega and the USB sound card it came with no longer comes on. Also, I had to unplug the sound card multiple times for the headset to actually playback sound even when it says it's connected. I purchased this headset in December 2014. I read the review on http/www.pcgamer.com/the-best-gaming-headsets/#page-3 and that's why I bought it. Might just be my bad luck. Update: after clicking the buttons on the sound card it magically turned on.

 

[BlueFireZ]

Both are great headsets and it's hard to choose between the two, but if your willing to spend more the Steelseries H Wireless is the best headset. I recommend you to get headphones + a modmic + soundcard for the best experience.

 

[helios321]

Both are great headsets and it's hard to choose between the two, but if your willing to spend more the Steelseries H Wireless is the best headset. I recommend you to get headphones + a modmic + soundcard for the best experience.

hey i never got a soundcard before, but would it make much of a difference? and what do you mean by a 'modmic'?

thanks

 

[BlueFireZ]

With a sound card you're going to be able to get higher quality audio and also 7.1 or 5.1 depending on the card. Usually most motherboards have decent sound cards with stereo, if you're looking for 7.1/5.1 and better audio a good sound card is a good option, something like the Xonar DSX. A modmic is basically a mic which you can attach to your headphones to make it a headset, I recommend the Ant Lion modmic 4.0. In a setup like this you will get a more better experience.

Ant Lion Modmic 4.0 (theres also another slightly cheaper option without the ability to mute):

http/www.modmic.com/collections/frontpage/products/modmic-4-0

Xonar DG (a relatively cheap option):

http/www.amazon.com/ASUS-XONAR-Headphone-Audio-Card/dp/B0045JHJSS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424146140&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+xonar+dg

Xonar DSX (a bit more higher end):

http/www.amazon.com/Xonar-DSX-Engine-Playback-Support/dp/B007TMZ1MY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424146273&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+xonar+dsx

If you're using a PC get one of these, if you are using a laptop there is no point in getting a sound card. Some good headphones:

Sennheiser HD 558 - http/www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1424146322&sr=8-10&keywords=sennheiser

Audio Technica ATH-M40x (I own it and its great) - http/www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M40x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR54/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1424146478&sr=8-6&keywords=audio+technica

Audio Technica AD700X (light bass and good for gaming) - http/www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-AD700X-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B009S332TQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424146528&sr=8-1&keywords=audio+technica+ad

With those items you will have a great experience, and the products are also more flexible for example some of the headsets are Usb whereas these have a 3.5 mm meaning you can use it with a larger variety of devices. Sorry if I sound jumbled, Hope this helps!

 

[helios321]

thanks for your help again,

but i need a wireless headphone/headset, as i play racing sim and the wire kinda gets in the way. to confirm would the Steelseries H Wireless be fine without a soundcard or should i still invest in one? and how do u compare the steel series with H with the astro a50?

thanks

 

[meringo]

Ok this will be the last post you read... I'm a gamer, and audiophile. I play primarily on PC, and also have a PS4. I have true 5.1 surround sound in my living room, a set of Grado SR-225E headphones I use for reference, and Sennheiser IE80 I used for when I commute on the NYC subway every day. I have owned/sold a dozen other $200+ headphones including the Audio Technicas mentioned above in a previous post.

About a year ago I started searching for a headset to replace my shitty logitech speakers attached to my PC in my bedroom. At first I thought a pair of studio headphones, clip on mic, and soundcard would be good enough... I was wrong. Although everything sounded wonderful, I was constantly re-adjusting due to the cables, and couldn't bring my mic with me when I got up to get a drink or leave the room for whatever reason. I ultimately decided to go wireless.

I ordered nearly all of the headsets... The Astro A50, Logitech g930, Corsair 2100, Creative 3D Omega, and compared all of them to my audiophile grade setup mentioned above. Although non of them topped my Grados for music, the Astros had the best positional audio, range, and admirable sound quality in general.

People who always say "use some good studio headphones instead" always fail to recognize that audio is only 1 component to video games, as you are also focused on the ever-changing action on the screen, chatting with friends, and using your mouse and keyboard all at the same time. You are not doing critical listening, which is why I opted for the A50. They were the best gaming oriented headset out of the bunch, and performed real well for the purpose they were built for. The right tool for the right job.

I left out the Steel Series Wireless strictly because of their price. I have used these previously, and they are very similar to the A50s in almost every way (besides comfort, A50 still wins) but the price is crazy. I can't find them for less than $300. You can get a refurbished A50 for $175 on Amazon at the time of writing this, or get the gen 1 version on Astros website for $200 new (Gen 2 was just released, no difference other than color amd claimed ruggedness... but they were already fine.)

For $200 the Astro can't be beat.

 

[meringo]

o... and yes. You will need a soundcard (or onboard soundcard) that has an optical port and supports Dolby Digital Live to use the optical version of the A50.

With that being said, you can get the Gen 1 A50 (what most people have) and new Astro USB TX on their website for $200 right now shipped. Since it works off of USB, no sound card is required. It also still utilizes the 5.8 frequency and Klear.

 

[helios321]

o... and yes. You will need a soundcard (or onboard soundcard) that has an optical port and supports Dolby Digital Live to use the optical version of the A50.

With that being said, you can get the Gen 1 A50 (what most people have) and new Astro USB TX on their website for $200 right now shipped. Since it works off of USB, no sound card is required. It also still utilizes the 5.8 frequency and Klear.

I live in Australia and it seems the Astro A50 Gen 2 are about $50 more expensive than the Steel Series H Wireless. I like the idea of the swappable battery so im leaning towards the Steel Series as the reviews suggest that the sound is on par with A50 if not better. I have the asrock z77 extrem4 motherboard which has an optical part so im assuming i wont need a sound card. thanks for your input.

 

[pongbanji]

They were the best gaming oriented headset out of the bunch, and performed real well for the purpose they were built for. The right tool for the right job.

 

[helios321]

Does anyone know about the Sennheiser RS 170 Kleer Wireless Stereo Headphones? they seem pretty good but with no mic, but I don't mind purchasing a separate mic.