Gaming Headsets - thoughts

[scaryjim]

Appreciated. I find it hard to believe though that a set of headphones specifically designed for the PC won't work fully with a SB card. ...

It's all about design expectations. Given they have a high impedance your Sennys are presumably designed to be used with higher tier sound cards or a separate headphone amp. The X-Fi is more of a mid-tier card, so will be designed to work with more common lower-impedance headsets (32 ohms looks to be pretty typical). Put the two together, and you're not going to get optimal performance.

Of course, if the senny is comfortable and you don't want to splash out on a new headset you could buy a headphone amp to sit between the soundcard and the headphones...

[kalniel]

It's all about design expectations. Given they have a high impedance your Sennys are presumably designed to be used with higher tier sound cards or a separate headphone amp. The X-Fi is more of a mid-tier card, so will be designed to work with more common lower-impedance headsets (32 ohms looks to be pretty typical). Put the two together, and you're not going to get optimal performance.

Of course, if the senny is comfortable and you don't want to splash out on a new headset you could buy a headphone amp to sit between the soundcard and the headphones...

Or swap to a Xonar DG/X for £25. The X-Fi Xtreme isn't even a normal X-Fi, it uses the chip from the audigy SE.

[Andy14]

Of course, if the senny is comfortable and you don't want to splash out on a new headset you could buy a headphone amp to sit between the soundcard and the headphones...

Indeed, I've had one of these on the wish list at Amazon for a long time. So if I plug them in the AV Amp and they come alive then it will arrive shortly after.

I'm also looking into a new PC and I'm aware that built in sound has come a long way, so something else to think about for me. I'm just having a hard time persuading myself there's enough changed (in 4 years) to upgrade, that used to be such an easy sell to myself. Think I'm getting old...

[Andy14]

Or swap to a Xonar DG/X for £25. The X-Fi Xtreme isn't even a normal X-Fi, it uses the chip from the audigy SE.

I'm under no illusions about the quality of the Xi-Fi Xtreme, in previous PC's I had purchased much more expensive cards and heard zero appreciable difference, so last time I didn't get carried away again. From the reviews I've seen recently the on-board sound on most Z270 boards is better than my card.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Indeed, I've had one of these on the wish list at Amazon for a long time. So if I plug them in the AV Amp and they come alive then it will arrive shortly after.

I'm also looking into a new PC and I'm aware that built in sound has come a long way, so something else to think about for me. I'm just having a hard time persuading myself there's enough changed (in 4 years) to upgrade, that used to be such an easy sell to myself. Think I'm getting old...

Just mod your current headphones - otherwise you are wasting a load of money on something which technically won't be much better.

Having said that,apparently Sennheiser tweaked the sound for my PC350SE which apparently have a bit more bass than the older PC350 but impedance is still at 150 ohms,but I still have no issue powering it off the onboard sound of my motherboard. Interestingly enough even though my Grado SR125i headphones are only rated at 32 ohms,they seem to do better with amplification for some reason.

[Biscuit]

They're only 18 Ohm impedance, thus much easier to drive from the SB than the 150 Ohm PC350s.

Glad someone spotted all this!

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Glad someone spotted all this!

I have the PC350SE which is the slightly newer version of the PC350. Even when attached to a headphone amp they tend to be not the bassiest headphones out there - my SR125i is better in that regard. Its just the sound profile of the headphones. Its why so many people modify them with a small bass port,which actually does make a difference.

But generally speaking I always tend to prefer open back/semi-open back headphones but the sound leakage is a problem.

OTH,I don't seem to have any real problem driving them off the onboard sound on my motherboard either - any louder and I think it would actually be not good for your ears TBH!

[Andy14]

Thoroughly tested both on the main Amplifier this evening with a few scenes from Clash of Titans.

Exactly the same as on the PC, in fact, if anything, the 350's sound even worse, certainly glad I don't have to watch the whole movie with them on. The Momentum's are far from perfect in this scenario too, but WAY better. This eliminates the PC / sound card as being the issue.

What the 350's are...

• Is supremely comfortable.
• Excellent for voices / multiplayer.
• Superb MIC.
• Well made (going strong after many years)

What they are not...

• Is any good for single player gaming where you don't give a toss about hearing your mates.