# An In-Depth Headset Round-up Review(Turtle Beach HPX | Astro A40 | Sennhieser PC 350)



## Steggy

[size=medium] An In-Depth Headset Round-up Review(Turtle Beach HPX | Astro A40 | Sennhieser PC 350 | Tritton AX720)[/size]









 The following is my review of 7 headphones and headsets based on my experience with them. For the review, we used the Astro Mixamp with an optical connection to provide Dolby Headphone virtual 5.1 surround sound for the game Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. We also did a smaller comparison for music as well, though the main purpose of this review is targeted towards gaming. 

 *Note: This review is* 100% independent* by myself and will be published through public sites' forums, eg: MLGPro, Halo3Forum, Head-fi.org, avsforums, and Overclock.net. These sites are not involved with this review in any way besides us posting the reviews in their forums, and these reviews do not reflect the opinion of the sites hosting them. This is just a review from an audiophile who wants to help people make a well informed purchase. Also note that because of the review's independence, there will be absolutely *no* bias toward any brand or product.*



*Grado Sr80*($95)






*Intro-*
 The sr80’s have a native 3.5mm jack (comes with 1/8” to 1/4th” adapter that branches off into 2 cords, each going into the ear cups. The cups themselves are able to spin independently, so you can rest them flat on your desk. With the 2 cabled V design and these free spinning ear cups, I find a lot of times this twists the cables up a lot making them bunch weird, requiring me to unfurl them before I can listen to them. 

 The comfort is also pretty minimal. These headphones are super aural, which means they rest on your ears instead of over them like circumaural. The pads on these headphones are pretty stiff, and can become pretty uncomfortable after a long listening session. The headband is made out of leather, it is pretty minimalistic, I don’t really find any discomfort there, it’s really just the ear pads that can cause problems, but there are many DIY modifications s that people have come up with that can remedy this. 

 These headphones are also open, so this allows sound to leak in and out, so if you are thinking of not disturbing someone else in the room by using headphones, these wouldn’t be the wisest choice. But overall the design is effective but minimalistic, the build quality is good overall, and the comfort is well…eh.


*Sound-*
 Well, these headphones were more or less just brought into the review to listen to some music on them. These were brought in with no intentions of being a real competitor for the gaming roundup. These headphones have no real open sound to them, the soundstage is very small. It does not bode well for a gaming headphone, and throwing in the DD on with these headphones made for a weird listening experience, I wasn't a fan.

 We didn’t test these headphones as much as the others for gaming, though we did have some fun bringing out their sound with the Audio-GD compass. To sum up my thoughts on the Grados, I think for music they are a fantastic set of headphones, though the comfort factor can be a turn off to some people, but they really shine when it comes to rock music, which was the reason I bought them in the first place. They have a punchy sound with clarity to boot. Good in the mid to lower registries in my eyes (or ears, you know what I mean), so you’ll have fun rocking to guitar and bass. Most people describe the highs of these headphones as bright, which can go one of 2 ways for a listener. 

 When the highs are bright, some people find it to the point of shrillness, and it is a turnoff for them. I kind of love that kind of sound. I love it when highs are bright with headphones, and these Grados don’t disappoint. So you can chalk that one up as a pro or a con, I personally consider it a pro, but everyone’s got their own unique sound signature affection.

 For gaming, I mean, they would be able to outdo the clarity of stock speakers of your television, but they won’t really provide a competitive edge as far as directional positioning would go. And knowing the gamers of this site and the long gaming sessions they love, you’ll become acquainted to ear massaging. 



*Turtle Beach HPX*($80)






*Intro-*

 After hearing the praise over the past few months on the HPX from Pat, I was eager to give them a go right away. When I picked it up, I noticed a few things about the design/build. One is the head adjustment. It is sort of like a spring loaded band that basically conforms when you put them on. No clicking or setting the headphones required. It just conforms to your head. The only problem here is. I have a big head. I didn’t really find this method too comfortable, it just felt like there was constant pressure. I guess it’s something that’s able to get used to, it’s just something I noticed right off the bat.

 I also wanted to pay attention to the mic to get a gauge of its build quality. It was surprising to me that it was detachable, because it seemed like it was pretty well secured to the headphone. And the flexibility was very good, yet very durable. If you’ve ever had one of the metal flexible desk lamps, you can basically picture this as a mini version of that, it is very nice.

 This headset is an open backed headset, and is circumaural, though I found my ears touching the sides of the pad, something I don’t experience with my 595’s or the pc 350’s. All in all the build is quality, though it’d be nice to have a more comfortable fit on the head/ears.

*Sound-*

 So popping on some team death match with Call of Duty 4, I could finally experience the benefits of the Astro Mixamp, and what I’ve been hearing about the HPX. When I popped on the HPX’s, I at first thought the TV we were using became un-muted and I was hearing sounds from the TV’s speakers. Everything seemed so open with the HPX and the Astro Mixamp. When in the game, I was presented with a pretty full sound. I didn’t find anything really too overpowering or too light. The lows, the mids, the highs, they were all present and accounted for. If you were to compare the HPX's to the 595's or 650's, the HPX's do have slightly more bass, though i don't think it's to the point of drowning the other sounds out.

 I had no problem with directional positioning. Usually I’m still stuck in Halo 2 mode where I can run around do what I want and still kick butt and take names. So when I’m in a game where you can easily be picked off, there are no shields and what not, it appears that I run around like a chicken with its head cut off. But when I took the time and paid attention to my ears, I could hear the grenades and gunfire and position them to where I could pick up some good combo kills.

 For gaming, I was happy with the package you get for 80 some odd dollars. The clarity and the range of sound make for a great headset for less than 100 dollars. This was pretty surprising given the normal nature of Turtle Beach products(This is the only headset I would recommend from Turtle Beach to date) and multi driver headsets in general. This headset has 4 drivers in each ear cup, but it depends on the type of dongle you use that determines which speakers actually function. With the Astro Mixamp, the HPX uses 2 40mm drivers in each ear cup, these 4 drivers in total employing the Dolby Headphone virtual surround from the Astro Mixamp. So it seems like a weird internal setup, but it seems to work, so I’m not complaining. 

 For music, I’m a bit torn. While it does have the full sound compared to the PC 350 and Astro A40, and it does have the detachable mic, the problem with this headset is that it is stubbornly driven. The devices that it will work with seem completely random. Some TV’s can work fine with it, some you’ll need to really crank up the volume. The Astro Mixamp can drive them properly, but Pat’s Audio –GD compass can’t. It’s hard to tell what hardware this headset would work with and what it wouldn’t work with, so I am personally torn when deciding the victor in the headset music department. If you can get the proper drive, like hooking an mp3 player to the Astro Mixamp (which is funny because the Astro Mixamp doesn’t really do much to drive headphones more than other straight up devices, so it’s just very, very odd.) then the HPX will outperform the other headsets.



*Astro A40 *($200)






*
 Intro-*


 You’ve all seen the advertisements on MLG and have seen players and kiosks displaying them at MLG events; the Astro A40 audio system. I have wanted to give this headset a go for a while. My inbox (as well as Pat’s) is full of questions regarding this headset. These are truly a premium priced headset when compared to the more affordable headsets players have been used to like the Turtle Beach X1’s and headsets of that nature.

 Picking up the Astros, I noticed a few things about them. The design was pretty cool looking, though I wasn’t a fan of the white and black, the all black one seems like a more serious headset(kind of like when you see a high end camera in color ways like this like the pentax K-x, which strays away from the all black professional looking high end cameras).


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## Steggy

[Anyways, putting these on, again, I noticed these were not as friendly to big headed people, and the ear pads seemed small like the HPX’s. They kind of follow the grado design where you can lie this headset on a desk by rotating ear pads, but they only rotate one way. And the expanding headband seems very poorly thought of to me. There is an exposed wire that stretches and coils when you adjust the headband, like a pig's tail. I’ve also been told by Tommyboy, a member of the MLG forums who is no stranger to dissecting headphones and headsets, that the wiring on the insides of the Astros is very “ghetto”.


 However, putting even the internals aside, if you’ve ever had a screwed up cable from constant twisting or unplugging/plugging, you’d agree with me that the design Astro has gone for here is not the smartest, and either that, or the internals, could be the cause of all the problems Astro owners have had with this product. It is good that Astro has good customer service; however, I wonder why the inherent problem that is causing the malfunctions with the headsets just isn’t fixed instead of just continuing to repair the ones that are reported. 


*
 *Update 1/1/10: After reading a review from Tom's Hardware on Astro Gaming's website, it is noted that the wiring inside the Astro's have improved. While not seeing this firsthand myself, I thought I should mention it. I do not know if this has helped the amount of RMA's/problems experienced by Astro owners, it is a fairly recent change, I believe it will be that way for all 2010 A40s/Mixamps**


 Another thing to note about the Astros is that they are not really that closed. I compared the sound of the headset with the Astro tags on and off. There actually wasn’t much of a difference at all, and the noise cancellation was…well there really wasn’t any. To the naked ear it doesn’t really make a difference if you leave the tags on or keep them off. Finally, we’re on to the mic. The mic seems to be poorly connected to the headphone. It plugs in fine and everything, but when you rotate it, it seems to go to easy. It makes me worried that it could constantly fall if I owned them for a long time. The way it also is flexible seems like it won’t last very long. It’s like 1 thin rod of metal in the rubber mic stem. I remember when I was a little kid I had some bendy toys with that same flexible metal rod, and they didn’t last long before that metal snapped. It's good that Astro sells replacement microphones in case yours breaks or you lose it, but I'm just not sure how long the mics last with the headset, and how long the mic jack of the headset would last.


*Sound-*

 Going from the HPX’s to the A40’s, the difference was pretty noticeable off the bat. The a40’s are kind of hollow sounding. I found myself turning up the volume to get anywhere near the same impact as I did with the HPX’s. It still performs ok for directional positioning, but the clarity just isn’t fully there. To put it in perspective, for the spectrum of headphones, the headsets we’ve tested place between HD515’s and HD555’s, for clarity anyways. While the HPX and PC350 lean towards the 555 end, the Astros lean towards the 515’s. 

 All of these headphones and headsets will offer you an advantage over your TV’s speakers, but we just want to bring the thought of price per quality to you guys. Now, with the A40’s with the quality they produce, II’d see them being more worthwhile is if they were a lower price. When they do not perform as well as 100 dollar headphones and have their build problems, a 200 dollar price tag seems out of the question. I could see this headset being worth it for 100 dollars alone, and 200 with the amp. It would then be the decision between the boost in sound quality with the 555, or the convenience of the microphone for the a40 for the same price. Then the incentive to buy the set would be greater because it would have brought the price of the a40’s down to 70 dollars, the same price as 515’s, where these have the same sound quality as the 515’s, with the mic, and not to mention the Dolby headphone technology provided with the mixamp. 

 Music is pretty much the same story as gaming; kind of hollow. It has light bass and ok clarity. You won’t feel any oomph compared to the HPX or the headphones tested in this review, and you won't experience as crisp and clear a sound. 

 So in short, these headphones perform...ok, and when released, they were going in the right direction for headsets where companies like Turtle Beach and Sennheiser improved upon, but the price per quality just isn’t there for me with the other choices of headsets we have out there. 

 However, I will say that I really like the Astro Mixamp though. I haven’t heard any problems regarding that, and the idea of virtual surround so you have the benefit of clarity from audiophile headphones paired with the directional positioning from the Dolby Headphone technology, it seems like a winner. If you are really into gaming, this is a handy little gadget to put on the Christmas list; I’m considering picking one up as well. 


*Sennheiser PC-350*($130)






*Intro-
*
 This was also an eagerly anticipated headset to try out. The question of Sennheiser vs. Astro has been going on for a while among gaming forums, and now we have our answer. The idea of a headset with the same drivers as HD595’s sounded like a dream come true.

 On the forums of Head-Fi, I have had experience interacting with a man named Eric who goes by the name of TheDeliveryMan. He is a representative from Sennheiser who has been answering community questions regarding Sennheiser products, and has been really hands on with helping where needed on Head-Fi. I knew if anyone from Sennheiser would be interested in a roundup like this, he would. So he generously sent us a review unit to test out. 

 When taking the headset out of its packaging, I’ve noticed that it retains the sennheiser build quality. Though in some instances, it sort of fools you into thinking it’s a bit weaker than it actually is. The headset is actually collapsible, though it still seems sort of bulky when folded up so I didn’t really see the point of that feature. But at the folding points, it makes you think the headset is a bit weaker than it actually is. After testing its durability, I can assure you this headset is quality. This headset is completely closed. This by far provides the most noise cancelling of any headset we tested. 

 However, one thing I’ve kind of noticed is that a closed headset has one problem in my eyes. So when you have closed headphones, you listen to the music. With a headset, its purpose is communication, so you are talking a lot with this on. When you talk with a completely closed headset on, you still hear yourself, but it’s sort of pressurized. I’ve described it as like I’m underwater while Pat describes it as being on an airplane. You get the picture. I’ve actually been able to get past this little gripe after a while; it’s just something I noticed off the bat. 

 As far as the mic, it’s pretty solidly built; it’s neither the flexible desk lamp nor the child’s toy metal rod. It seems to hold up strong, but isn’t as flexible as the HPX, and it doesn’t detach. And finally, good news! Sennheisers cater to bigheads like me. The headset is easily the most comfortable out of all of them. The headband doesn’t clamp and it is completely circumaural.

*Sound – *

 After hearing that the drivers of the 350’s and the 595’s were one in the same, I closely compared the 2. It is amazing how the casing can change the sound so much. With the closed back, the sound stage is slightly narrower than the 595’s. For music, it has just a slight tinny sound to it in music. Finally, the bass is very light. Those are the 3 things I’ve found when comparing the headset to the headphone.

 For gaming, the 350's basically beats the A40's in each category. It is better than the a40 for clarity thanks to the 595's drivers, but it’s only slightly better in the hollow sound and light bass department. As for directional positioning, it matches the HPX's and A40's.

 In music you might be able to hear a slight tinny sound due to the closed back of the headset. I haven't noticed it in gaming however. Then the music of course has the light bass too, but obviously Sennheiser has designed these for just gaming since the microphone doesn’t detach. 

 This headphone would be good for those who don’t want to be distracted at all at an event since it blocks out noise so well. Also, people have different tastes for sound. For example, Madrok has posted the quote from a guy from AVS, who feels that bass present headphones are a lot of the times too much. None of the headphones I have reviewed in this thread would be in that category for me, but for some, they could possibly want littler bass to pay attention to gunshots and footsteps. I think the HPX’s and headphones are a good balance, with the headphones having a little more balance than the HPX's, but like I said, sometimes sound is just darn right subjective. 

 To wrap up, one thing I would be interested in seeing are potential modifications on this headset. The hardware and everything is obviously there. I think a simpler grill mod could possibly do wonders for this headset; but for now, it stands at #2 for headsets in Patrick’s and my eyes. So when they are priced somewhat near the HPX's, and have the features it has going for it, it's pretty much a matter of taste.


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## Steggy

*Sennheiser HD595* ($170)






*Intro-*

 Now we are into my familiar territory. Sennheiser HD595’s have been my go to headphones for music listening and gaming for a few years by now. There is a good reason they have been a favorite of the MLG Pro circuit for years now. 

 Design wise, you will see a pretty standard open circumaural headphone, with a leather headband pad, velour ear pads, clicking headband adjustments, and one very long cable coming from the left ear. It is simplistic and stylish. It is natively a 1/4” jack with a 1/8” adapter, though this adapter is huge. Pat brought out his HD650 adapter while we used the HD595s so it wouldn’t wreck the headphone port from its weight. If you get this headphone I would suggest shelling 10 bucks for the HD650 1/4” to 1/8” adapter. 

 But these headphones are super comfortable. They do not clamp at all, the velour isn’t hard, but isn’t too soft (they will start to get soft after years of hard use, in this case you can buy replacement pads).

*Sound-
*
 As I’ve said above, there is a reason why 595’s are a favorite among MLG circuit players. Basically when you talk about the pro’s of the headsets, when you have the 595’s, you take those pros, and just take them to the next level. We went into this review fully expecting the headphones to outperform the headsets. The headphones were a good way of determining the quality of the headsets, since if you just compare headsets to headsets; you merely get a gauge of the biggest fish in the little pond. 

 So like I was saying, the 595’s just excels at the qualities you want in a gaming headphone; a nicely balanced sound, a huge soundstage for directional positioning, very good clarity. These will have more of an even sound than the HPX in terms of bass. While AD700’s are the top price to quality gaming headphones for the humungous soundstage, the 595’s closely rival that, and aren’t bass light, which makes them good for the grenade blasts, and also for music. 

 They are very versatile. I can listen to a variety of genres with these headphones, though they really excel with acoustic guitar/piano/vocals. Rock I now leave to my Grados, but The 595’s perform well enough, they could probably use some EQ adjusting, though I will always defer from that myself. 

 The one problem you guys will notice immediately since you are gamers is that they have no mic. It’s been discussed in this thread even arguing the convenience of a mic would somehow outweigh sound quality, and that’s something that Pat and I just won’t agree with. Especially when using the Astro Mixamp, you have a lot of options for a mic. A Zalman mic is good for home use, though can pick up a lot of background noise if you were at a LAN. There is also a collar mic produced by Califone that is more noise cancelling, but takes effort to attach it to your headphones. For those without the Mixamp, you can use the stock 360 mic, or you can use the Modern Warfare 2 throat communicator. By far the best technique I’ve seen for converting a headphone into a headset is the modification by Tommyboy, linked below, where he installs a detachable boom mic. Or if you are not competent in soldering which not a lot of people are, you can do the method Fragtality uses. There are always options when using straight up headphones, but if you guys still want to go with headsets you at least know how they stack up.


*Sennheiser HD650* (~400)






*Intro-*

 The HD650’s are world renowned as some of the best stereo headphones out there. These are no joke. This is the point where you need to worry about the rest of your setup in order to make these headphones really worth it. I had the pleasure of listening to these using the Audio-GD Compass for music and used the Astro Mixamp for gaming.

 With these headphones, you get the similar style that the other higher-end Sennheisers have. You get the nice velour ear pads and a very comfortable fit. When you first get HD650’s, you might experience the sensation known around audiophile forums known as the 650 clamp. Pat mentions it in his write-up on them, but just to add further input, if you guys get these new and are worried, they do get better. I popped them on and even with my big head I could listen to these for hours on end. I prefer the leather headband of the HD595’s over the cloth headband of the 650’s, but they were still very comfortable. 

 With the 650’s, you’ll have a very long cord which terminated with a ?” jack, and included is a very nice adapter to make it 1/8”. I am going to have to pick one up now since it’s so much better for your headphone ports than the 595 adapter.

*Sound-*

 The sound of the 650’s was great to say the least. I was worried about the Mixamp not being able to drive these headphones, but it did a fine job of doing so. Pretty much what I was saying about the HD595’s is that these headphones just take the pros of the headsets and just exemplify them. This is no different. The clarity you get with these headphones paired with the 5.1 is phenomenal for directional positioning, and these headphones handle bass very well (one of the reasons audiophiles love them for music, bass is a hard thing to get right with headphones since there’s so little air to travel through between the drivers and your ear), so you do get the Turtle Beach HPX kind of feel with the grenade blasts and that oomph for a truly immersive experience. They have a very deep and a very full sound. 

 And in music I didn’t want to stop listening. I’m glad Pat has a lot of FLAC, because if you have lower encoded mp3’s playing through these, you will really be able to tell the flaws. But with all of the qualities this headphone has, it comes at a steep price; probably way too steep for anyone who is interested in these solely for gaming. Even if you were to get these for gaming, you would need the Astro Mixamp because I’m guessing most TV’s won’t be able to drive them.

 And then if you were interested in them for music, you would want to get an amp. I mean, these things aren’t die-hard necessary, sound will still come out of the headphones regardless, but why buy a Ferrari and only drive it in 1st gear? If you are serious into music, and want a great headphone for gaming to boot, these are a great choice, but it’s a tough price to swallow. Most people start off with semi pricey headphones, (IE HD555’s, 515’s, AD700’s, etc.) then graduate to the 650. I totally invite anyone with a passion for music and gaming to take the plunge, but as the greeting from Head-fi says, 
 “Welcome to Head-fi! Sorry about your wallet...”


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## Steggy

*Tritton AX720*($130)





*
 Intro-*

 The Tritton AX720’s are a brand new release from Tritton. In this model and the AX900, Tritton has ditched the multiple driver 5.1 setup in the headphones like the AX Pros, but rather switched to stereo and use a Dolby Digital decoder box to bring Dolby Headphone virtual surround sound to the headset. The thing about 5.1 headsets is that when you have 4 drivers to cram into each side of a headphone, the way companies achieve this is by using smaller drivers. The problem with those drivers is they lose sound quality when they are smaller, so it kind of defeats the purpose when you think about it. 

 The Tritton Ax720’s look very similar to other models in the Tritton lineup, the headphones are a hard plastic with a glossy white finish while the decoder box is matte white with some orange thrown in. It’s fairly similar to what the Macbook has, though I don’t know if the headphones dirty up like a Macbook does. White is nice until it isn’t white anymore, but so far so good. 

 On the comfort side of things, I found the Trittons to clamp my head. The shell design doesn’t make for too much give for the bigger heads, and I found the cloth like ear pads harder than normal, though I imagine they can break in. I’m sure the headphones would be more comfortable to people who don’t have 7 3/4 sized heads like me, but then the HPX and Astros would in turn be more comfortable in that case as well, but right now, things look bleak for my big noggin. They are circumaural headphones, but like the HPX and A40, my ears do touch the rims. 

 As far as the decoder box goes, setup and concept is fairly simple. The box gets fed by an optical cable, and then has 2 6 pin ports for Tritton headsets. If you want to PC game, there’s a USB cable that goes from the back of the decoder box and into the computer, and if you want to game on Xbox Live, you just take a 3.5mm to 2.5mm cord and connect your Xbox controller to the volume handle located on the cord of the headset (Think of Turtle Beach X1). 

 The mic is more like the Astros than the HPX or PC 350. It secures well, the only problem I face is that the mic is pretty close to the cheek/touching it, due to its placement. As far as MLG players go, the decoder box does require being plugged into a wall socket, which makes the decoder box non MLG event legal. However with the PC adapter, if you use a 4-pole 3.5mm splitter, you can use this headset with the Astro mixamp. If you do not want to use the splitter, I believe iti would be as simple as plugging in the green plug of the adapter into the mixamp, then just take the cord from the cord dial to the xbox 360 controller, though in that case, you wouldn’t be able to use the closed daisy chain network.

*Sound-*

 On the music side of things, the Trittons reminded me of the PC 350’s and A40s. It has very light bass in music. It doesn’t have as much clarity as the A40’s or PC350’s. With the lack of bass, it seems like a pretty thin sound, and I’ve noticed some notes in the middle registries of a song will be very faint as well. But while these don’t perform as well in music as the other headsets for music, they aren't terrible like Skullcandies from your local Walmart. Still, I would choose my headphones over the headset for music in a second. 

 For gaming, I started playing Call of Duty: WAW for Xbox. When I had everything set up and started playing, the DH 5.1 was decently immersive. Again the lack of bass in gaming isn't as big a problem like it is for music, the same for the other headsets. It definitely reminds me of the Astros sound. I would say as far as rankings go that it would be around that of Astros in terms of in game sound clarity and directional positioning, I would say the Astros pull slightly ahead, however, the fact that it's close says something when the difference in price is over 100 dollars. 130 is a lot more attractive a price than 250, and you still get the 5.1 Dolby Headphone which I think is a really neat thing to have for gaming.

 However with the cheaper price you don’t have some of the features of the Astros such as: Cross brand capability (Astro Mixamp can be used with almost every headphone/headset, the Tritton decoder box cannot), The option of analog inputs (Astros will give you the option of the normal red and white input as well as optical while the Tritton only has optical),the mp3 player, and then the speaker tags, which I can’t say I’m shook up about it. 

 So while the Ax720 doesn’t have the clarity to match the other headsets used in the review, it is a good budget 5.1 headset. It is an easier purchase to swallow than 100 + 130 for an headphone + Astro Mixamp, or 250 for the Astro A40 audio system. The Trittons do have balance for game and voice, but it’s takes a little longer to find the balance than it does with the Mixamp since you’re dealing with 2 different dials. It’s hard to get the right game volume and then choose the right voice volume if you’re mid game. 

 One problem I had with the mic was it constantly appeared on. I recorded a message of mine and hit playback on Xbox live and got constant feedback that sounded like if you have a double ended 3.5mm cable plugged into an Aux in of a speaker, the jack in your hand, and when you put your thumb on the jack you get a humming sound coming out of the speaker. My teammates said it wasn’t noticeable to them unless they cranked their volume, but it makes things difficult when your voice is either constantly going off, or isn’t working at all(like if I rotate the jack that goes into the controller it can cut out). I believe I just got a dud cable, but it’s something you guys should watch out for. When you get any product, make sure it comes with everything and that everything works, so if it doesn’t work you can contact the manufacturer right away. I had no problems with the mic when using the PC adapter or the PC USB. 

 Also, as far as noise cancellation goes, these don’t do as much as the PC 350’s. The cloth ear pads don’t provide the seal that the leather from the 350’s does, so noise isn’t really cancelled. It’s kind of like the Astros where it’s like these are closed…but not really. At least with absence of a seal you don’t get the airplane feeling though. 

 So to sum up, while the headset may not sound as well as the others in terms of clarity, the 5.1 and the price sort of picks up the slack for that in gaming, so these are something to consider when shopping since you get the 5.1 decoder box with the headset for the price of 130$. In my opinion, these are a contender when the choice is between these and A40s since the quality of the A40’s and the mixamp wouldn’t be worth it, but with other headsets and headphones, I would say the quality increase would be worth kicking in the extra money.
*
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 Ok guys, so that will do it on my end for the review, hope you guys learned something about these headsets and headphones, and hope you guys enjoy whatever purchase you decide to make. So while we may be pretty analytical and some might say harsh in our reviews, i want to kind of repeat that these headsets aren't terrible or anything. Some are just better than others. Some are much better, and some are more bang for your buck. But the idea here is just to show you what you get for your money, so you can get the most out of your money. Each one of these headsets might suit certain people. Everyone has their own requirements, so now they have everything laid out for them.

 Thanks again!


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## Steggy

reserve


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## Steggy

can't delete


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## Steggy

again i can't delete :/


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## Steggy

probably shouldn't have posted this at 3am. Bumping so people can see it


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## gunman_csz

Wow 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I have to make myself something to eat while I read the whole thing.
 Thank you.


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## Steggy

i was hoping more guys from here would be a LITTLE interested in the read


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## ourfpshero

nice write up!


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## Kerry

Nice job Steggy. Thank you.


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## checkzy

Good stuff.

 Gonna do the Fragtality mod when my mic arrives.


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## thammuz

So just spending $120 on the Astro MixAmp would be worth it, if I already have the HD555 or AD700s?


----------



## Steggy

I like how when someone known does a modification that people have done in the past, the credit goes to the person because he is known >_<. but yea, if you have the ad700, just get a mixamp and enjoy DH technology.


----------



## louisnomad

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Steggy* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I totally invite anyone with a passion for music and gaming to take the plunge, but as the greeting from Head-fi says, 
 “Welcome to Head-fi! Sorry about your wallet..”_

 

That makes me lol! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Thanks for the reviews, man! I'm looking for an over the ear headphone to enjoy my music at home. I'm new to this world but already got a pair of jewels for me: RE0 and Triple Fi 10. Now I'm looking to buy a big boy for me, and the 650 is catching my attention for sure...

 Keep on the good work!


----------



## RedSky0

No wonder Astro aren't too keen on sending out demo units. Anyway cheers for the review.


----------



## Steggy

Well I don't care if it's not the best headphone or headset, but whether a company has faith enough in it to back it up would say something about the company to me. Technically speaking and price aside, the trittons tested last place, but tritton still backs it up 100% and realistically prices it, and I can respect that.


----------



## UnderTheBridge

Steggy, you said you had the hd555 before moving up to the 595?? I just ordered the hd555 off of amazon, and i was just wondering how you thought it would compare to the other headphones in this review as far as music and gaming. i recently bought the a40 audio system, and although its not horrible as far as sound quality, its not near as good as it should be for the price. the directional positioning isnt too bad, as i seem to have an easy enough time pinpointing where people are coming from. but honestly, i have a $60 pair of sonys that seem to do just as good as far as music listening.

 As you can tell from my number of posts, im pretty much brand new to the high quality headphones thing. the hd555 will be my first good set of headphones. so i was wondering how you thought it would stack up in the review compared to the other headphones mentioned. and i already have the a40 mixamp which i will use with the hd555 for gaming, but would it help the senns at all for music listening? i apologize for all the questions, but like i said, im new lol. thanks.


----------



## Steggy

I have not had the chance of trying the HD555's. When talking to Pat about it, who has tried the 555's as well, he placed them above all the headsets but below ad700's and 595's. In the price range, you might want to get ad700's. They are better than 595's if you are planning on just gaming alone, though the 595's would be better if you wanted to listen to a lot of music too since the ad700's bass is very light.


----------



## Steggy

bump


----------



## ninjikiran

Yea the A40's were made mainly for voice communication and position isolation. Since they are formulated for competition gaming. Sort of how you wouldn't use Aviation headphones for music. Everything from there is subjective obviously, but I wouldn't recommend the headset. The mixamp on the other hand to me is a god send.

 I use the mixamp though and I love it, it seems to have enough power for my DT770, at first I was worried but not anymore. I wouldn't go near the a40 headset for obvious reasons 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




. Even on AVS forums one of the astro heads recommended picking up a pair of headphones with the mixamp(or so I have heard).

 Especially for the price of the mixamp alone, if you have any gaming interest at that price point alone it is more than worth it. I use it via Toslink from my PC, PS3 and 360. I generally don't use DH mode unless I am gaming or receiving a 5.1 stream. If there is a particularly harsh(or strange single channel online video stream. Enabling DH saves my ears and sanity. You can get decent 5.1 emulation from stereo music with DH enabled and a few foobar tweaks(Channel Mixer, + Asio to make a virtual 5.1 device to properly route channel mixer's setting). Not really a fan of emulated 5.1 in my music though.

 I am an astro fanboy but I generally don't recommend the head set. People do complain about it, primarily because they failed to do ANY research or ask questions. Just based on reviews I knew they were not for me.

 I have only used the mixamp with closed Headphones
 DT770 Pro/250ohm
 MDR-7506

 Both work well with it though, I never find myself lacking in depth and positional audio. Everything stays up close and personal while still accurately giving me the perception of distance and position. Now I understand what people complain about the a40 headset itself, most of this time I thought it was mainly the effect of loosing sharp lefts and sharp rights. Besides the loss in bass which I found funny as every review stated this.


----------



## Steggy

*UPDATE:*

 So I got a response to an email i sent a while back, I'm going to be getting my hands on AD700's to add to the roundup. But there are also a few mystery headsets i will be handling in the near future, so you guys can expect a new roundup review


----------



## AaronBroad

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Steggy* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_*UPDATE:*

 So I got a response to an email i sent a while back, I'm going to be getting my hands on AD700's to add to the roundup. But there are also a few mystery headsets i will be handling in the near future, so you guys can expect a new roundup review 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

Great thanks, I'll look forward to it. Would also appreciate a review using the DT880s, as those seem to get a lot of praise as well. Also, you mentioned you used to have the K601s. Based on your memory of their sound, how would you rank them?


----------



## pseudohippy

Hopefully you will get your hands on the ATH M50's. For around $90 that is a price that is hard to beat if they review really well. I have some on the way and Ill try it out with my mix amp right away. Im still not sure what mic to order though. Is the zalman still considered the way to go without having something around your neck?

 Anyone ever order from Xoxide? They seem to have a good price on the Zalman mic.

 On a side note I hope there isn't anything wrong with my astro mix amp because I felt that they were woefully under powering my HD650's when I had them. My Raptor transformed them greatly unlike the astro that barely made them audible. That might be stretching it a bit but that is how I felt.


----------



## alkraw

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *pseudohippy* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Anyone ever order from Xoxide? They seem to have a good price on the Zalman mic._

 

I've never shopped from Xoxide, but resellerratings.com has them with a lifetime rating over 9, so I imgaine that they're trustworthy. However, BestByte.net has the Zalman mic for $7.78 shipped (see link). Unless there's a better alternative to the Zalman mic, I think I'll be buying one for the AD700 cans that I'm about to buy.


----------



## eneloquent

Steggy, thanks for a great review - I thought it was really well put together. A shame that the PC350s were demo and you couldn't mod them;
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/mod...eadset-406187/
 As it does make a world of difference on the admittedly anemic bass of the stock cans.

 I'm looking forward to a comparison with maybe more mixer options - like the JVC SU-DH1 and Razer's new offering in the gaming/DH space.


----------



## jdawg

I'm pretty much in love with my AD-700s right now. Just got them two days ago and holy !@#$ing batman, when they say they're really comfortable they mean it. They're so big yet it feels as if nothings on your head.

 In an FFA game on MW2 this morning I was locating enemies all over the place (I feel like FFA really makes headphones shine because you don't need to decipher a footstep as an enemy or a friendly). One guy kept dieing to me before he could blink around the corner (I can pinpoint his footsteps and prefire, killing him before he can even get a shot off) and he's like, "WHAT THE !@#$!?? Oh... he's got UAV", which I definitely didn't. I thought it was pretty hilarious.

 I get my mixamp tommorow, pretty stoked I'm glad I spent a whole week researching and found these forums. Otherwise I would be stuck with "gaming" headphones that are utter trash. Right now I'm just trying to find a mic solution because i dont want velcro on my headphones, I use them for work and my ipod (seriously these are the best $100 bucks I've ever spent). 

 I would've gone with dt880 or akg601s if not for the fact that they are poorly run through an Ipod and need an amp. Plus add the purchase of the astro mixamp into the mix and things get really expensive. But who knows maybe i'll upgrade in the future.


----------



## Trapper31

Excellent round-up Steggy, and just when I'm beginning to shop for a gaming headset/headphone. I'm definitely looking forward to your impressions of the AD700's.

 When you get your hands on those, do you think you could give your opinion without the Astro Mixamp? I've done enough reading here to understand that a proper headphone amp makes a world of difference, but I'm trying to keep my budget around $100 and am very interested in the AD700's. (That $100 is flexible; as soon as I discovered Head-fi I knew I'd never be able to stick to it.) For now the headphones would be connected through my home theater receiver with a PS3 as the source. FWIW, my receiver is a Pioneer VSX-919AH-K and I have not been able to find any information on its performance with headphones or any sort of simulated surround similar to DH or the Yamaha Silent Cinema.

 Also, if anyone could help me with this issue: the PS3 does not have a 3.5mm microphone jack, so I would have to go the USB route. However, my setup is in the living room and I don't have a desk or table to set a boom or stand mic on. Is there some sort of 3.5mm-to-USB adapter that would work for the Zalman clip-on mic? Or is there another option I should consider?

 Thanks so much for your help!


----------



## pseudohippy

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *alkraw* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I've never shopped from Xoxide, but resellerratings.com has them with a lifetime rating over 9, so I imgaine that they're trustworthy. However, BestByte.net has the Zalman mic for $7.78 shipped (see link). Unless there's a better alternative to the Zalman mic, I think I'll be buying one for the AD700 cans that I'm about to buy._

 

Thanks for that bro. I actually did buy it from bestbyte and they shipped it out to me already. So they did that very quickly. So both my ATH M50's and my Zalman mic are on the way and for a grand total of $97.78. Im impressed with myself lol. I think this is about the best deal for the money I could come up with. Cant wait to try it all with the mixamp.


----------



## Palpatine

Wow...great effort. Interesting read. Looking forward to the next set.


----------



## kool bubba ice

Nice little piece.. The 650 balanced is great for gaming.. The Dragnov in R63 never sounded so convincing.. With a good balanced amp, the 650's are right up there.. But if you use a sound card or a poor source you would be better off with the HD595 or 700..


----------



## kool bubba ice

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Steggy* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_*UPDATE:*

 So I got a response to an email i sent a while back, I'm going to be getting my hands on AD700's to add to the roundup. But there are also a few mystery headsets i will be handling in the near future, so you guys can expect a new roundup review 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			



_

 

You will be impressed by their vertical depth, & pin point audio positioning for such a large sound stage is un canny.


----------



## nonsupremous

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Steggy* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_*UPDATE:*

 So I got a response to an email i sent a while back, I'm going to be getting my hands on AD700's to add to the roundup. But there are also a few mystery headsets i will be handling in the near future, so you guys can expect a new roundup review 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

Where were you able to find them? I have checked everywhere and they have been sold out. I saw some on Ebay but couldn't verify that the sellers were authorized dealers. Too many fake headphones being sold on Ebay so I typically won't buy unless they are a confirmed dealer.


----------



## jdawg

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *nonsupremous* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Where were you able to find them? I have checked everywhere and they have been sold out. I saw some on Ebay but couldn't verify that the sellers were authorized dealers. Too many fake headphones being sold on Ebay so I typically won't buy unless they are a confirmed dealer._

 

I bought some ath-ad700s off ebay from yogi-comp. the headphones definitely seem legit to me. how would you know if you got fake headphones anyway? how good are these people at making fake headphones?


----------



## Steggy

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *eneloquent* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Steggy, thanks for a great review - I thought it was really well put together. A shame that the PC350s were demo and you couldn't mod them;
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/mod...eadset-406187/
 As it does make a world of difference on the admittedly anemic bass of the stock cans.

 I'm looking forward to a comparison with maybe more mixer options - like the JVC SU-DH1 and Razer's new offering in the gaming/DH space._

 

Yea, it would have been nice to try that out and report on it across a few sites, but I'm glad we were able to borrow the PC 350's from Sennheiser at all, you know?

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Trapper31* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Excellent round-up Steggy, and just when I'm beginning to shop for a gaming headset/headphone. I'm definitely looking forward to your impressions of the AD700's.

 When you get your hands on those, do you think you could give your opinion without the Astro Mixamp? I've done enough reading here to understand that a proper headphone amp makes a world of difference, but I'm trying to keep my budget around $100 and am very interested in the AD700's. (That $100 is flexible; as soon as I discovered Head-fi I knew I'd never be able to stick to it.) For now the headphones would be connected through my home theater receiver with a PS3 as the source. FWIW, my receiver is a Pioneer VSX-919AH-K and I have not been able to find any information on its performance with headphones or any sort of simulated surround similar to DH or the Yamaha Silent Cinema.

 Also, if anyone could help me with this issue: the PS3 does not have a 3.5mm microphone jack, so I would have to go the USB route. However, my setup is in the living room and I don't have a desk or table to set a boom or stand mic on. Is there some sort of 3.5mm-to-USB adapter that would work for the Zalman clip-on mic? Or is there another option I should consider?

 Thanks so much for your help!_

 

The astro mixamp will not be a part of the new roundup review. Pat and I borrowed his roommates a40's+mixamp for the review, and his roommate has since then sold them.

 I believe astro has a PC to USB adapter on their website. or they did at one point. they have a new 2010 mixamp that works with the PS3 right away, but i think they still have the adapter on the site.

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *kool bubba ice* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Nice little piece.. The 650 balanced is great for gaming.. The Dragnov in R63 never sounded so convincing.. With a good balanced amp, the 650's are right up there.. But if you use a sound card or a poor source you would be better off with the HD595 or 700.._

 

Pat got more into the amping of the 650 to get the most out of it in his writeup. We had to split our reviews separately though, and he has to make a few edits to his before it's back on MLG, once it is I'll shoot you over a PM or something so you can read his 

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *nonsupremous* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Where were you able to find them? I have checked everywhere and they have been sold out. I saw some on Ebay but couldn't verify that the sellers were authorized dealers. Too many fake headphones being sold on Ebay so I typically won't buy unless they are a confirmed dealer._

 

From audio technica lol. I just did a search on amazon though, they have them in stock. Amazon.com: Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones with 53mm Drivers with Neodymium Magnet Systems: Electronics


----------



## Steggy

Ad700's arrived yesterday. mmmm













 Gotta throw together a little unboxing video, even though with headphones, there isn't much to unbox lol.


----------



## Steggy

unboxing video of the ad700
YouTube - Audio Technica Ad700 Unboxing Video


----------



## kool bubba ice

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Steggy* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Yea, it would have been nice to try that out and report on it across a few sites, but I'm glad we were able to borrow the PC 350's from Sennheiser at all, you know?


 The astro mixamp will not be a part of the new roundup review. Pat and I borrowed his roommates a40's+mixamp for the review, and his roommate has since then sold them.

 I believe astro has a PC to USB adapter on their website. or they did at one point. they have a new 2010 mixamp that works with the PS3 right away, but i think they still have the adapter on the site.



 Pat got more into the amping of the 650 to get the most out of it in his writeup. We had to split our reviews separately though, and he has to make a few edits to his before it's back on MLG, once it is I'll shoot you over a PM or something so you can read his 


 From audio technica lol. I just did a search on amazon though, they have them in stock. Amazon.com: Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones with 53mm Drivers with Neodymium Magnet Systems: Electronics_

 

TY.. I too love the 650 balanced..


----------



## FraGTaLiTy

Sweet review. I'm glad the Astro's overpriced nature is finally coming afloat. A total rip off.


----------



## project86

Thanks for taking the time to do the nice write up, very well done.


----------



## Steggy

thank you!


----------



## d1ce

You know, I always see these reviews on gaming headphones but for some reason I just don't agree that there are superior headphones for directional audio. I've been gaming for years now (competitively on/off) and I've used everything from $10 Sony earbuds to the HD555s and I honestly could not tell the difference in there ability to reproduce sounds directionally. Was there a difference in sound? Absolutely, but our primary concern is the ability to decipher the direction of sound in this case. Now, I've never done a standardized test nor have I ever seen one comparing these touted gaming headphones/headsets but I have a feeling the results would be similar to my conclusion. This would be the only way to draw a plausible, genuine conclusion. Setup a point in game and test the varying headphones.


----------



## Steggy

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *d1ce* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_You know, I always see these reviews on gaming headphones but for some reason I just don't agree that there are superior headphones for directional audio. I've been gaming for years now (competitively on/off) and I've used everything from $10 Sony earbuds to the HD555s and I honestly could not tell the difference in there ability to reproduce sounds directionally. Was there a difference in sound? Absolutely, but our primary concern is the ability to decipher the direction of sound in this case. Now, I've never done a standardized test nor have I ever seen one comparing these touted gaming headphones/headsets but I have a feeling the results would be similar to my conclusion. This would be the only way to draw a plausible, genuine conclusion. Setup a point in game and test the varying headphones._

 

While some of what you say makes sense, there are differences in performance n that respect between different headphones. Playing with the headsets tested, I felt positioning sound was adequate enough with all of them. But the thing is, with the better headset or headphone, you can pick up MORE sound to allow you to decipher it. Different objects in a given game have different...sound registries I guess you'd say. And some of these are very important, so you need clarity and full tonal range in your headset or headphone to be able to get all of the sound. If you have a headphone that's pure thumping bass, well, i'm sure that'll be great to put you in the game with the grenade blasts, but what will you do when there are 4 people coming to flank you from the right side gravity lift, but your headphones don't have any strength in higher registries, so they totally catch you off guard? You want the good range and the clarity so sound doesn't sink in with the rest of it so you can pin point it. So yea, if someone fires a gun, you can hear it and turn in the direction it came from. But when a weapon spawns half way across the map? when someones going grav lift? You want to hear that. the key is having as balanced and full a sound as possible. It's why I would prefer normal stereo or virtual 5.1 over true 5.1, because with the true 5.1 you will have those smaller drivers that in most cases won't have that clear full sound.

 in other news, video review of the ax720 is up. I changed my youtube channel and reuploaded the other videos, so please comment/rate/subscribe 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




YouTube - MLGSteggy's Channel


----------



## Steggy

More news: 3 headsets from steelseries will now be in the next review


----------



## Palpatine

Also, if anyone could help me with this issue: the PS3 does not have a 3.5mm microphone jack, so I would have to go the USB route. However, my setup is in the living room and I don't have a desk or table to set a boom or stand mic on. Is there some sort of 3.5mm-to-USB adapter that would work for the Zalman clip-on mic? Or is there another option I should consider?

 Thanks so much for your help![/QUOTE]

 If you do get the mixamp, you plug it into the USB of your Ps3. Then you plug the optical cable into the mixamp. Then you can plug any headphone with a 3.5 mm plug into a Y adapter ( two 3.5 mm jacks to one 3.5 mm plug ) with a clip on mic into the other 3.5 mm jack. This Y adapter then plugs into the headphone jack of the mixamp.


----------



## Trapper31

^^ Thank you Palpatine. The Mixamp may be in the cards for me at some point in my future, but for now it was just a little more than I wanted to spend. I ended up getting a 3.5 to USB adapter and that is doing the job for now (along with Fragtality's AD700 boom mic mod).


----------



## High Fidelity

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *ninjikiran* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I use the mixamp though and I love it, it seems to have enough power for my DT770, at first I was worried but not anymore. I wouldn't go near the a40 headset for obvious reasons 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





. Even on AVS forums one of the astro heads recommended picking up a pair of headphones with the mixamp(or so I have heard).

 I have only used the mixamp with closed Headphones
 DT770 Pro/250ohm
 MDR-7506
_

 

With the DT770 Pro/250ohm are you able to get incremental increases in the volume until the master volume control is turned all the way to the right? Does the game/voice feature fully work? A member of AVS forum used the mixamp with the DT880 250ohm version and volume maxed out at the 2 o'clock position (and game/voice mix at 12 o'clock).

 I wonder if there are variances in power from mixamp to mixamp and if the new version's power - which came out in Fall '09 - is any different than the older model. I purchased mine in Feb '10 and playing COD4 with the AD700s or HD595s anything above 1/8 volume hurts my ears.


----------



## Steggy

New unboxing video released

 Sennheiser PC 300:


----------



## pseudohippy

I didnt notice if you said but is there a mute for the mic. That is my main problem with the zalman currently is that I cant live without a mute.


----------



## idreaminhd

I currently have the astro mix amp.

 Does anyone else make a mix amp for gaming that is better?

 Thanks


----------



## Steggy

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *pseudohippy* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I didnt notice if you said but is there a mute for the mic. That is my main problem with the zalman currently is that I cant live without a mute._

 

No, the PC300 does not have a mute switch for the microphone. Though if you are connected to your laptop, you could simply unplug the mic jack when you want to mute, and if you are playing xbox 360 with the steelseries adapter you could unplug the mic from the controller.


----------



## ass0xxx

Can the ax720 amp and the hpx from turle beach be used together. This would be possible with the stereo/mic adapter with the hpx, attached to the breakaway part of the ax720 cord.
 I just didnt know if the ohms would be right or not.

 I didnt want to spend $80 on the hpx until I know they will work.

 ps-this is my xblive id too, the 0 is the number zero, if ur on there hit me up if have any questions about this.


----------



## AaronBroad

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *ass0xxx* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Can the ax720 amp and the hpx from turle beach be used together. This would be possible with the stereo/mic adapter with the hpx, attached to the breakaway part of the ax720 cord.
 I just didnt know if the ohms would be right or not.

 I didnt want to spend $80 on the hpx until I know they will work.

 ps-this is my xblive id too, the 0 is the number zero, if ur on there hit me up if have any questions about this._

 

Aren't the jacks on the AX720 audio controller different sizes, one 3.5mm and the other 2.5mm? If so you will need a adapter, which you pick up at radio shack. Also, I think those jacks are pretty close together so I'm not sure how easily the plugs will fit in there side by side.


----------



## Mad Lust Envy

How's the Steelseries Siberia compare to the others? I just got a headphone variant of them, and they sound very relaxed and pleasing on the ears though I don't yet know how well they fare for gaming. This is the OLD Siberia, not the V2. I needed a smaller cup, since the first version is 40mm, while the new one uses 50mm drivers.


----------



## ass0xxx

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *AaronBroad* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Aren't the jacks on the AX720 audio controller different sizes, one 3.5mm and the other 2.5mm? If so you will need a adapter, which you pick up at radio shack. Also, I think those jacks are pretty close together so I'm not sure how easily the plugs will fit in there side by side._

 

The jacks are both 3.5mm for audio/mic, the controller jack(for xbox) is 2.5mm but its of no concern because its on the side of the inline audio controller. The picture is crappy but you can see the jacks have enough room. 




 I know the hpx is multi speaker and the ax720 isnt, but the astro mixamp powers the the hpx, when the astro mixamp+astro40s are a 2 speaker setup just like the ax720. My only concern is really if the ohms from the hpx and the ax720 amp are some crazy different ohm specs that wont work with each other.

HPX-2 Headset & Cable for Stereo PC Sound Cards is the one I would buy.


----------



## ass0xxx

anyone /\/\ ?


----------



## Steggy

I've never personally handled the HPX-2 attachment, so I don't know if it would fit or not. And I haven't tested the HPX with the AX720 decoder box so I don't know if it will be driven properly.

 And Mad Lust Envy, my review of the Siberia V2 is in another thread I made on this site, just search for posts by me.


----------



## JayXombie

I've been really tempted with the Astros, as my friend keeps telling me they are the best. (I don't really take his word for it). So I came here.
   
  If I get what you're saying, the sound quality of the A40's aren't BAD, but they're bad for the price. As in a cheaper would be worth it.
   
  I was also looking at the A30's. I was curious if the sound quality matched the A40's. Because that way it's cheaper for the same quality of sound.
   
  Also, if I got the A30 bundle with the mix amp, I could always sell my A30's and just buy better headphones for an upgrade later on, and keep the mix amp. I know this seems pointless, and some might say "why not just buy a mixamp and get a different headset off the bat". But with the bundle, that means the headphones are only about $80, and I think $80 for the A30's would be a lot better.
   
  Astro recently released a wireless mix amp, and I'm curious as to if that is as praised if not more praised as the old wired Astro mix amp.
   
  Thanks in advance :]


----------



## Steggy

Hi Jayxombie,
   
  I actually have reviews on all products you are considering. To make it easy you can either go to my youtube channel: http://youtube.com/mlgsteggy and i just recently threw all of my written reviews on a blogspot site, http://techwhatever.com
   
  But yes, your post is correct. I don't find the A40's sound to be offending or anything, I just think that the sound doesn't reflect the 200 dollar price tag. I have reviewed the A30's though like I said, and I'm actually a much bigger fan of this headset. Cheaper, better sound signature, similar sound clarity, and much more versatile. I wouldn't hesitate for a second recommending the A30, it's a great all around headset.
   
  And if you watch my mixamp 5.8 review, there isn't a real noticeable sound degradation going from the wired mixamp to the wireless, though a slight change of sound signature. But what it basically boils down to is what kind of setup you're trying to implement the mixamp into. I explain it better in the video.


----------



## olor1n

I sold my A40 headset but kept the MixAmp. I don't game much anymore but I gave BlackOps a brief run with the MixAmp going into my Audio-GD Fun's line in. I'd normally look down on double amping but considering I was using my HD650 I felt it would help.
   
  The sound was pretty good. There's great impact in the bass and a reasonable soundstage but as much as I love these cans for music, I think you really need a headphone with exaggerated treble to compliment the Dolby Headphone decoder. I was rusty but with the positional queues giving me an unfair advantage I still managed to get a Gunship and dominated a game without dying. Good times.


----------



## Account

- i want to buy the pc350 for xbox
-I have a rocket fish 3.5 female to 2.5 male for my controller and the turtle beach red and white audio cable
- Do i need a mixamp instead.. If i do witch one should i get


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## Suopermanni

...I wish I knew of this review BEFORE I bought the Astro A40s. Big disappointment. I have no idea what kind of EQ or sound processing magic they used in the Mixamp but I feel that the normal stereo headphones sound better. I've used an Audio Technica AD900 on the Mixamp and it's better than the Astro headset. I even tried using the Astro headset on my ASUS STX on PC and trying to get it to work with a 6.3mm connector. Mixed results, I had.


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## steffanan

ugh I have always hated the sound of all of these headsets. I'm glad I don't play games, I wouldn't have anything to make me happy!


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