5.1 Headsets (alternatives to medusa's) - Page 2

**jmaker** · 03-13-2007, 09:11 PM

See how much are those? I don't need a microphone attached. I kinda prefer my desktop mic which doesn't get in the way. I wish you had the Medusas to compare the sound quality on both. I'd hate to drop down in sound quality. But if the price is right and the sound is comparable then I might buy them. How is the directional sound on the Zalmans? I'd hate to give that up. Even though I might actually hear someone coming from behind me.

Acreo Aeneas · 03-13-2007, 09:27 PM

Hey Wiskey, for music, you really need to get a pair of Bose headphones, it's their $180 pair that I personally love. It has extremely good response in both highs and low lows. Plus they block out ambient background noise quite well.

=Sarc= · 03-14-2007, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmaker

See how much are those? I don't need a microphone attached. I kinda prefer my desktop mic which doesn't get in the way. I wish you had the Medusas to compare the sound quality on both. I'd hate to drop down in sound quality. But if the price is right and the sound is comparable then I might buy them. How is the directional sound on the Zalmans? I'd hate to give that up. Even though I might actually hear someone coming from behind me.

They're about $50. Much cheaper than any other 5.1 headphones. I do wonder why that is because I've never been able to compare the Zalmans to anything else.

aeroripper · 03-14-2007, 02:36 PM

http://www.ltbaudio.com/ltb-mg51-usb.html

I have a pair of phones pretty similar to these (older, the magnum is the updated version). I've really liked having them these past 2 years although I have fixed them numerous times because I kept accidentally yanking on the cord, hurting the connections (and later having to re-soder them). I finally took the speakers out of the relatively cheap frame and custom fit them into a "protective earmuff frame" so I get lots of noise cancellation, awesome!

I'd never go back to using normal headphones again, I can't play Natural Selection without these anymore :P.

**WhiskeySix** · 03-16-2007, 04:20 PM

got the trittons in today - haven't plugged them in yet, but had a few questions for those that do...

1) Apparently the external amplifier-box adds noise when the analog-inputs are used - have you experienced this? Have you tried cranking the PC volume and lowering the amplifier volume?

2) Have you used them w/ any external sources like a DVD player?

3) Anyone tried using them digital input from the PC? My ASUS motherboard has SPDIF out... might give that a whirl.

edit: I'll post back when I get a chance to try these out myself

**Dick Blonov** · 03-16-2007, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiskeySix

got the trittons in today - haven't plugged them in yet, but had a few questions for those that do...

1) Apparently the external amplifier-box adds noise when the analog-inputs are used - have you experienced this? Have you tried cranking the PC volume and lowering the amplifier volume?

2) Have you used them w/ any external sources like a DVD player?

3) Anyone tried using them digital input from the PC? My ASUS motherboard has SPDIF out... might give that a whirl.

edit: I'll post back when I get a chance to try these out myself

1) Yes. Plenty of hiss.

2) Negative.

3) Yes. But then you need the amplifier, back to point 1: hiss.

DB

**WhiskeySix** · 03-16-2007, 05:33 PM

really? it hisses even w/ digital input? o_0

**Dick Blonov** · 03-16-2007, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiskeySix

really? it hisses even w/ digital input? o_0

Give it a whirl. I guess the output stage is noisy (after the DAC). Make sure your volume is turned waaaayyy down. When I tried it, the 5.1 decoder freaked out; I thought blood was going to come out of my nose. I might try it again (if I can remember where I put that thing

)

DB

flux · 03-16-2007, 05:52 PM

Yep, same here on the hissing. Digital out on the asus board did not make this go away.

I did use them with my PSP but don't recall anything special. PSP sound is crap anyway.

Oh and as Acreo said about the Bose heaphones, they are amazing. Even the slightly cheaper version sounds incredible. Great response and excellent isolation.

**WhiskeySix** · 03-16-2007, 06:23 PM

ok - well i'll try it and see... that's pretty awful if they his no matter what input is used!! how could anyone give them a positive review??

(heh, I've got a set of Bose Triports - best I've ever heard)

**Sir_Brass** · 03-16-2007, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flux

Ditto on what Dick said. Too much hissing with the amplifier. A shame cause I really liked the bass rumble feature which is only available through the amp. Overall I'm pleased with them. A bit pricey and poor bass response, but it sounds like the Medusa's are similar in that respect. I'm running the Audigy 2 Plat.

I had that hissing as well with my Turtle Beach 5.1 headset, then I went into my speaker settings and muted my Line2-In, and the hissing stopped

.

My turtle beach EarForce HPA 5.1 surround headset works pretty nice. Mic boom port on the headset physically failed (came loose and is now lost inside the cup) just a while ago, but as for the rest of the headset, it still works great with good rumble and directionality, and all.

Boot · 03-17-2007, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiskeySix

My ASUS motherboard has SPDIF out... might give that a whirl.

If you do this you're bypassing your expensive X-Fi card then, which for BF2 kinda defeats the point of buying the expensive 5.1 headphones, no?

**Dick Blonov** · 03-17-2007, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir_Brass

I had that hissing as well with my Turtle Beach 5.1 headset, then I went into my speaker settings and muted my Line2-In, and the hissing stopped

.

What I'm talking about is different; plug in the amp, plug in the headphones, turn the amp volume way down low, crank up the headphone volume controls >> hiss.

DB

Acreo Aeneas · 03-17-2007, 04:56 PM

I think I told FKD about the hiss and EM interference when you use the outbox on the Tritons. I highly doubt those cables are shielded, which is the only way I can explain any "hiss" when using the outbox.

**WhiskeySix** · 03-17-2007, 05:38 PM

ok... had a chance to try the Trittons... Basically, there are two ways you can connect the headset.

First is using an external amplifier box. You can either feed the box with 6 analog signals or a single digital signal (either coax or optical). I didn't have the digital out on my soundcard, so I just used the analog for my testing purposes:

Alternatively, you can plug the phones directly into the soundcard using an adapter which expands the headphone's svideo-style plug into 4 separate 1/8" mini jacks: Front, Rear, Center/Sub, and Mic.

Unfortunately NEITHER option meets my needs/expectations, so I've decided to exchange the Medusas (again) and return the Trittons. Here's why:

1) The external amplifier box is required because my Audigy4 soundcard (like most) only has line-level outputs - the amplifiers arent strong enough to drive the speakers cleanly. You can turn up Windows and wav volume enough to hear the sound, but it comes out distorted... (think cheap car stereo turned up to full blast).

2) When using the external amplifier box, the microphone doesn't work. There's a detachable mic that plugs into the base of the left earpiece... unfortunatley, this signal is only available using the 4-plug adapter! (Notice in the pictures, lack of a mic input/output on the amp-box).

3) Poor sound quality... I didn't try the digital input into the box, but when using the analog inputs on the amp-box (ignoring the mic problem for the moment), I just couldn't get it to sound clean... there was always some distortion. If I turned-down the volume in Windows and turned-up the headset volume, I got really noticeable hiss. If I turned-up windows and turned-down the headphones, the sound got clipped - almost like really really high compression/low-bitrate MP3.

I'm a little disappointed because I like the closed-design of the Trittons. One problem w/ the Medusas is their open-air design... Basically, there's a mesh/grille behind the drivers, so even when I'm wearing them, the game sound leaks out and can be heard by people watching TV/trying to sleep...

oh well... hopefully my next set of medusa's will last a little longer

03-13-2007, 09:11 PM	#16 (permalink)
jmaker Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Warren, OH Age: 28 Posts: 2,641	Re: 5.1 Headsets (alternatives to medusa's) See how much are those? I don't need a microphone attached. I kinda prefer my desktop mic which doesn't get in the way. I wish you had the Medusas to compare the sound quality on both. I'd hate to drop down in sound quality. But if the price is right and the sound is comparable then I might buy them. How is the directional sound on the Zalmans? I'd hate to give that up. Even though I might actually hear someone coming from behind me. __________________

03-13-2007, 09:27 PM	#17 (permalink)
Acreo Aeneas Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DePaul University (Chicago) Age: 22 Posts: 4,528	Re: 5.1 Headsets (alternatives to medusa's) Hey Wiskey, for music, you really need to get a pair of Bose headphones, it's their $180 pair that I personally love. It has extremely good response in both highs and low lows. Plus they block out ambient background noise quite well. __________________ Acreo_Aeneas Former 9th MID Member Current Obsessions: Netbooks and other low-cost, small, and portable PCs.

03-14-2007, 02:36 PM	#19 (permalink)
aeroripper Join Date: Dec 2005 Age: 25 Posts: 2,288	Re: 5.1 Headsets (alternatives to medusa's) http://www.ltbaudio.com/ltb-mg51-usb.html I have a pair of phones pretty similar to these (older, the magnum is the updated version). I've really liked having them these past 2 years although I have fixed them numerous times because I kept accidentally yanking on the cord, hurting the connections (and later having to re-soder them). I finally took the speakers out of the relatively cheap frame and custom fit them into a "protective earmuff frame" so I get lots of noise cancellation, awesome! I'd never go back to using normal headphones again, I can't play Natural Selection without these anymore :P.

03-16-2007, 04:20 PM	#20 (permalink)
WhiskeySix Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gillette Stadium, Section 309, Row 12, Seat 24 Age: 33 Posts: 8,468	Re: 5.1 Headsets (alternatives to medusa's) got the trittons in today - haven't plugged them in yet, but had a few questions for those that do... 1) Apparently the external amplifier-box adds noise when the analog-inputs are used - have you experienced this? Have you tried cranking the PC volume and lowering the amplifier volume? 2) Have you used them w/ any external sources like a DVD player? 3) Anyone tried using them digital input from the PC? My ASUS motherboard has SPDIF out... might give that a whirl. edit: I'll post back when I get a chance to try these out myself __________________ *PoE2 Version 2.5 Overview \| Get started with PoE2 (for free!)*

03-16-2007, 05:33 PM	#22 (permalink)
WhiskeySix Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gillette Stadium, Section 309, Row 12, Seat 24 Age: 33 Posts: 8,468	Re: 5.1 Headsets (alternatives to medusa's) really? it hisses even w/ digital input? o_0 __________________ *PoE2 Version 2.5 Overview \| Get started with PoE2 (for free!)*

03-16-2007, 05:52 PM	#24 (permalink)
flux Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Charlotte, NC US Age: 36 Posts: 495	Re: 5.1 Headsets (alternatives to medusa's) Yep, same here on the hissing. Digital out on the asus board did not make this go away. I did use them with my PSP but don't recall anything special. PSP sound is crap anyway. Oh and as Acreo said about the Bose heaphones, they are amazing. Even the slightly cheaper version sounds incredible. Great response and excellent isolation. __________________ flux [tg-c1]

03-16-2007, 06:23 PM	#25 (permalink)
WhiskeySix Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gillette Stadium, Section 309, Row 12, Seat 24 Age: 33 Posts: 8,468	Re: 5.1 Headsets (alternatives to medusa's) ok - well i'll try it and see... that's pretty awful if they his no matter what input is used!! how could anyone give them a positive review?? (heh, I've got a set of Bose Triports - best I've ever heard) __________________ *PoE2 Version 2.5 Overview \| Get started with PoE2 (for free!)*

03-17-2007, 04:56 PM	#29 (permalink)
Acreo Aeneas Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DePaul University (Chicago) Age: 22 Posts: 4,528	Re: 5.1 Headsets (alternatives to medusa's) I think I told FKD about the hiss and EM interference when you use the outbox on the Tritons. I highly doubt those cables are shielded, which is the only way I can explain any "hiss" when using the outbox. __________________ Acreo_Aeneas Former 9th MID Member Current Obsessions: Netbooks and other low-cost, small, and portable PCs.

03-17-2007, 05:38 PM	#30 (permalink)
WhiskeySix Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gillette Stadium, Section 309, Row 12, Seat 24 Age: 33 Posts: 8,468	Re: 5.1 Headsets (alternatives to medusa's) ok... had a chance to try the Trittons... Basically, there are two ways you can connect the headset. First is using an external amplifier box. You can either feed the box with 6 analog signals or a single digital signal (either coax or optical). I didn't have the digital out on my soundcard, so I just used the analog for my testing purposes: Alternatively, you can plug the phones directly into the soundcard using an adapter which expands the headphone's svideo-style plug into 4 separate 1/8" mini jacks: Front, Rear, Center/Sub, and Mic. Unfortunately NEITHER option meets my needs/expectations, so I've decided to exchange the Medusas (again) and return the Trittons. Here's why: 1) The external amplifier box is required because my Audigy4 soundcard (like most) only has line-level outputs - the amplifiers arent strong enough to drive the speakers cleanly. You can turn up Windows and wav volume enough to hear the sound, but it comes out distorted... (think cheap car stereo turned up to full blast). 2) When using the external amplifier box, the microphone doesn't work. There's a detachable mic that plugs into the base of the left earpiece... unfortunatley, this signal is only available using the 4-plug adapter! (Notice in the pictures, lack of a mic input/output on the amp-box). 3) Poor sound quality... I didn't try the digital input into the box, but when using the analog inputs on the amp-box (ignoring the mic problem for the moment), I just couldn't get it to sound clean... there was always some distortion. If I turned-down the volume in Windows and turned-up the headset volume, I got really noticeable hiss. If I turned-up windows and turned-down the headphones, the sound got clipped - almost like really really high compression/low-bitrate MP3. I'm a little disappointed because I like the closed-design of the Trittons. One problem w/ the Medusas is their open-air design... Basically, there's a mesh/grille behind the drivers, so even when I'm wearing them, the game sound leaks out and can be heard by people watching TV/trying to sleep... oh well... hopefully my next set of medusa's will last a little longer __________________ *PoE2 Version 2.5 Overview \| Get started with PoE2 (for free!)*

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