Gaming Headphones?

i have figured out why i cannot get dolby through this headset on my pc while playing BF

it is because you need an encoder for example dolby digital live as the games send uncompressed audio which over spdif (optical) it cannot decode as 5.1

just tested a movie/dvd with already encoded 5.1 and that works fine

so in a nutshell i need to be a suitable sound card to play games with 5.1 audio *SIGH*

on the plus side i know the TB x41 are not faulty..
 
I've been thinking about getting some of the x41s but am a little worried by lots of reviews saying that having them plus wireless Internet in the house will cause popping and hissing etc. Has anyone with these found this to be true?

Do the headphones come with any kind of lead to plug them in and not use wireless? I took a look at the photos a few pages back but wasn't sure what I'm looking at.
 
I ended up selling mine but want some again :LOL:

Anyone know of any cheap ones the produce 5.1?
 
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Thanks guys, I went for the DPX21 instead, for £85. I don't really like wireless that much as I can't be arsed with the whole battery thing, so wired was ideal. Surround 7.1 with a long wire was perfect :)

Can't wait to try Skyrim with these!
 
I'm on a 360

I think i'm gonna check avforums and ebay see if i can get any bargains
 
Mine have just been shipped, but I'm curious about connecting it up. My 360 doesn't have the digital audio output connection on the back. I know you can get a converter cable for it, but if I were to plug it into my TV then connect the surround sound box that comes with the headphones to the digital audio socket on the back of my TV, would that work just as well?
 
LTFC said:
I've been thinking about getting some of the x41s but am a little worried by lots of reviews saying that having them plus wireless Internet in the house will cause popping and hissing etc. Has anyone with these found this to be true?

Do the headphones come with any kind of lead to plug them in and not use wireless? I took a look at the photos a few pages back but wasn't sure what I'm looking at.
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The X41's are superb but I know what you mean about the popping. If I've got my laptop on downloading something, the interference is certainly evident because the X41 control stand is very near my router. The pops etc are off putting and quite loud unless you either stop the downloading or move something away.

If you're just gaming though, they are excellent. Skyrim is a whole new atmosphere with headphones.
 
LTFC said:
Mine have just been shipped, but I'm curious about connecting it up. My 360 doesn't have the digital audio output connection on the back. I know you can get a converter cable for it, but if I were to plug it into my TV then connect the surround sound box that comes with the headphones to the digital audio socket on the back of my TV, would that work just as well?
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If your 360 is connected to the TV via HDMI then yes, you'll be fine to hook it up to the TV's optical port:

http://www.turtlebeach.com/support/index.php?View=entry&EntryID=609220155

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks mate, that is very helpful. I'm glad I don't need to bother sorting out a cable for my 360 now! :))
 
Bought some Sony MDR-XB700's in the end for £40 and if i ever want to delve back into the 5.1 experience i can buy a DSS 2 Processing Unit and have some amazing surround sound headphones that are extremely comfortable :)
 
Well my DPX21's arrived today and I was really impressed by the difference in sound quality over regular headphones. Really chuffed with them.

I think I'll have to buy an xbox adapter though, I tried plugging in the digital optical cable to my TV and having the hdmi cable run the sound & video from my xbox, but somewhere along the line it loses the ability for the DSS box to run Dolby Digital, instead opting to allow the fake surround PLIIX instead, which isn't good. I have no idea why the DSS box won't play Dolby this way.

On my PS3 though, it's a breeze to set up. Once I get into a game itself, it auto switches to Dolby Digital.

Two things I did notice, which hopefully someone else with these headphones could confirm, is that they do 'hiss' when there is no sound at all. Not a big deal because it is totally drowned out once the audio starts, but it is there.

Secondly, when I try the headphones in standard stereo via the Dolby bypass button on the DSS box, you get full, deeper sound I presume because it's focusing all the sounds into two channels. Switch to Dolby 5.1 or 7.1 (I presume most games are in 5.1), and while the surrounding environment feels more realistic, voices tend to be quite 'tinny' sounding. Has anyone else noticed this? I tried playing FIFA with them on and the tinny sound to the commentators was a bit offputting.

All in all though I love them, Battlefield 3 sounds astonishing. While the headphones in stereo produce perhaps more pronounced sounds coming from left or right, and feel like the sound is literally on top of you, the Dolby 5/7.1 makes everything sound like it's more spaced out, like you're really there. And I did manage to close my eyes and turn to an enemy player in single player every time I tried, so the directional sound really does work.

I presume then that the tinny voices is a result of the extra channels or something in 5/7.1. I could fix it by increasing the bass to an extent, but does anyone else find this?
 
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Sorry to state the obvious but is your 360 set to output Dolby Digital Audio in the menus?

Also, are you saying that you get surround sound from your PS3 but not your 360 when your DSS is hooked up to the TV's optical out? Or have you plugged your DSS straight into the back of the PS3? If it's that latter I guess the TV can't repeat the 5.1 signal from the HDMI input to the the optical out. It's not a feature of all TV's unfortunately, but worth a try before you buy the adapter. In my set-up I run all the audio from source to the amp/headphones, so it's not something I've tried.

Regarding the hiss - I've only really experienced it when I've got the chat cable plugged in, otherwise no, nothing noticeable. I tend to use mine for night gaming so I don't really use the chat cable anyway and I always keep the chat volume turned down. Like you said, it's not really that noticeable over the game's audio.

There's a section on the TB website about it: http://www.turtlebeach.com/support/index.php?View=entry&EntryID=830516906

Regarding the tinny voices - just have a play with all the volume settings. You've got volume controls and bass settings on the DSS as well as the headset, plus the expander switch. I can't say I've found the voices to be tinny but the bass can be quite boomy so I keep the bass settings quite low.
 
Yep, I set my 360 to Dolby 5.1, plugged the digital optical into the TV rather than xbox, but it doesn't get the Dolby surround. Must be my TV, which would be odd because it says it supports Dolby Digital and is a one year old 3DTV, so that's baffling.

As for the PS3, the optical lead is plugged into the back of the console, yes, and it seems to work fine.

I've played around with the settings to reduce the hiss but with no luck. I've googled the problem and it seems like it's quite a common issue with TB headphones unfortunately, but it's no massive deal because once the sound starts then you can't hear it.

I do love the headphones but I'm not sure about their surround capabilities to be honest. The sense of sound around me is great in general, but with very specific sounds like footsteps or gunfire etc, if it's coming from either in front or behind, I can't really tell if it's one or the other. The sound just seems kind of centralised rather than distinctly in front or behind. Any other angle the sound comes from, and it's great, but directly in front or behind and it's hard to tell.
 
I've only tried my mate's copy of Battlefield 3 and there isn't an option to switch to surround sound within the game itself, so I presume it just kind of 'auto' switches to Dolby surround as and when it's available. The sound is great, apart from telling the difference between immediately central in front or back.

Sigh. Despite the sound being great, I'm considering returning these headphones. I can't put up with the constant hissing any more. I've tried the fixes suggested on the TB website but turning every single thing possible on the DSS or headphones themselves does absolutely nothing. It's fine for a lot of games that are loud, but I gave it a go on Skyrim tonight and it can be quite an ambient, quiet game at times, and all I got was that constant hissing coming through. Also, though I haven't tried the 360 yet on proper surround, I did use the PLIIX setting to simulate it and the game sounds like you're listening to it through a sea shell or something. Really, really tinny and almost echoey.

But I'm not sure I'm putting up with having a constant hissing sound in my ear for £85, not when my cheap £20 ones didn't do anything of the sort. Really not happy about that. For this kind of money there shouldn't be any background noise at all.

I'm kind of thinking about returning them and getting the Tritton AX720's instead, but it's a bloody minefield. Every review seems to read like a polar opposite of the last. The TB DPX21's seem to have a widespread reputation for hissing though, whereas the Tritton ones don't.
 
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LTFC said:
I've only tried my mate's copy of Battlefield 3 and there isn't an option to switch to surround sound within the game itself, so I presume it just kind of 'auto' switches to Dolby surround as and when it's available. The sound is great, apart from telling the difference between immediately central in front or back.

Sigh. Despite the sound being great, I'm considering returning these headphones. I can't put up with the constant hissing any more. I've tried the fixes suggested on the TB website but turning every single thing possible on the DSS or headphones themselves does absolutely nothing. It's fine for a lot of games that are loud, but I gave it a go on Skyrim tonight and it can be quite an ambient, quiet game at times, and all I got was that constant hissing coming through. Also, though I haven't tried the 360 yet on proper surround, I did use the PLIIX setting to simulate it and the game sounds like you're listening to it through a sea shell or something. Really, really tinny and almost echoey.

But I'm not sure I'm putting up with having a constant hissing sound in my ear for £85, not when my cheap £20 ones didn't do anything of the sort. Really not happy about that. For this kind of money there shouldn't be any background noise at all.

I'm kind of thinking about returning them and getting the Tritton AX720's instead, but it's a bloody minefield. Every review seems to read like a polar opposite of the last. The TB DPX21's seem to have a widespread reputation for hissing though, whereas the Tritton ones don't.
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You might wanna go down the route im going with eventually with one of these or a Astro Mixamp Pro if you want chat as well

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Turtle-Beac...EDTI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331839597&sr=8-1

SurroundExplanation._V137596588_.jpg


and then buy yourself some good standalone headphones.

Its just like turtle beaches package actually but you will have a hell of alot better headphones
 
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Thanks for the advice :))

I'm stuck with the DPX41's for the moment, the Amazon seller I bought them from is refusing to accept them back in exchange for a refund because they're technically not faulty (I think) and because of "hygene reasons" apparently. Not sure I have a leg to stand on, so I'll argue it but I may need to sell them instead.

It's a shame because they're nice headphones otherwise, but the hissing sound in the right ear in particular can be heard in quiet moments in games. I think it's to do with the connection between the USB cable from the headphones and the DSS box, as the hissing stops at that point. Or, maybe it's the DSS box itself causing it.

That's the last time I impulse buy anything I think...

Jamezinho, do you not find any hissing sounds from yours at all? Mine are really, really noticeable. I googled it and saw pages and pages of video reviews, user reviews etc all complaining that these headphones tend to hiss quite badly.
 
I can't say I notice any hissing. The only time I have is when the mic cable is plugged in, which I don't use a great deal as I bought these for night time surround gaming. Certainly nothing that has stopped me enjoying these headphones.
 
Jamezinho said:
I can't say I notice any hissing. The only time I have is when the mic cable is plugged in, which I don't use a great deal as I bought these for night time surround gaming. Certainly nothing that has stopped me enjoying these headphones.
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Hmm, you must be lucky! There seem to be a number of people in reviews etc who seem to have experienced what I have. Like I say, I don't mind it unless it interferes with a game itself, and in Skyrim it most certainly does.

I've managed to argue my way into getting a refund on the DPX21's and have now ordered some Tritton AX720's. Lets see what they're like!
 
My new headphones turned up today, Tritton AX720’s. I must say I’m really impressed, at high volume there is a slight hissing but probably only 10% of the volume that my TB pair had before I returned them. The Dolby box does make a slight, low level buzz sound at high volumes but it’s far more bearable than my previous pair. I think I’ve come to realise that with surround sound headphones at this price point, with a plug in Dolby box, you ain’t gonna get total silence but these are not too shabby at all.

There is no bass adjustment which is a shame, but I was impressed that the headphones come with the xbox360 digital optical audio adapter that was discussed a few pages back. But the surround sound is very noticeable. Playing Skyrim, I heard someone in the distance and instantly knew they were both ahead and round the corner to the right, pinpointing exactly where they were to take them by surprise. Awesome. The sound immediately in front or behind isn’t as strong as to the sides or angles in front or behind, but you can still tell pretty well.

All in all I’m very impressed by these. Would recommend them for sure. You get the headphones, the Dolby receiver, all cables needed for use with PC, 360 (including the 360 adapter) and PS3, 360 chat cable, replacement leather ear cups so all in all they provide a good package.
 
I get hissing sounds in certain games on my x41's, usually when I play Indiana jones and the Temple of doom and snakes on plane? doesn't really bother me though.
 
As I said, it's genuinely not a problem with my DPX21's. I had read about a faint hissing sound with the headphones prior to purchasing them, and I have heard it when the mic is plugged in, but even then it's not a problem.
 
The Turtle Beach ones I had werent very comfortable and felt like a great weight was being put on me ears like.
 
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