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Denver, 8:09 AM
Fri Dec 11
55 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/24/09
Don't buy the mix amp, I got two and they both suck. When you put the volume past half theres a whine. I also get feedback from the mic when plugged in the mix amp. Not only that but it adds static to my mic. You can do some really cool things with the mixamp in terms of connecting devices, but with the problems it has its not worth it for me. If you game on the 360 go for something else. I use the headset only on PC and I love them, music sounds great, I can wear it all day comfortably. One thing to note about the speaker tags is that they don't really cancel noise. However they do sound a bit different when they are on. The inline mic mute doesn't really work since I have to use mic boost and people can hear me. on the PC inline connector theres a volume thing too and it pretty much sucks.
11/27/09
Maybe for the consoles you do, but not for PC?
11/24/09
I wish I had the opportunity to try out the Astro A40 & Tritton AX Pro to see the differences to the X4.
Does anyone here have experience with these three?
11/24/09
Read my post a few posts down. It is very in depth review of the A40s and my experience having bought the AxPros previously and why I don't use the Turtle Beaches.
11/24/09
They also have some really nice custom designs.
11/24/09
Open headphones like the Sennheiser 595s are great, but if you spend the summer months next a loud air conditioner (or even louder neighbors), you really need to look into closed headphones or IEMs.
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/23/09
However, I'm looking at getting the Audio Technica ATH-AD700 to go with the A40 Mixamp in place of the Sennheiser's based on a first hand recommendation from someone who has used both.
If you're looking for an all-in-one or a true 5.1 package I'd suggest the Tritton AX Pro. This by far is the best factory setup, not to be confused with their previous model the AX360. I had the AX360 and the difference is very noticeable not to mention how flimsy the AX360 was. The ear cups were held together by a screw threaded into plastic and they often sheared at the screw not to mention the sound wasn't nearly as impressive. The problem with most 5.1 headsets is they use cheap speakers in the cans which completely kills the 5.1 experience and the AX Pro is the first headset where they seemed to use higher quality speakers in the cans.
Bottomline, A40 Mixamp + alternate phones +ZM Mic 1 or the Tritton AX Pro is what I recommend, I don't recommend the factory headset by Astro they aren't as good as what you can get for the extra $120 and they are WAY overpriced at $199.99 by themselves, the Mixamp is the important part and if you're going to spend $200 on the Astro headset you might as well get the Mixamp for the extra $50, seriously it's stupid that they even sell the headset separately. It's a decent package, I'm just saying you can give your self a much better setup for around the same amount of money.
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/23/09
I researched 5.1 surround headphones for several months and feel like I know a great deal about this. First off, straight up ignore anybody who says 5.1 surround in headphones doesn't matter. IT DOES.
Second, please realize that there is no unit in the 5.1 Surround headphones market that is "Cheaper and Better." If you are looking for the best all around experience, you are going to pay the good money. Fortunately, I saved the money and finally dove into the Astro Gaming A40s + Mixamp.
[www.astrogaming.com]
I will run down the things that were most important to me:
I have a wife and usually, the only time I get to play is at night when her and my son are asleep. This means that all that beautiful surround sound and awesome audio built into movies and video games would be lost to me because I had to have the speakers down so low. I needed 5.1 surround headphones that I could crank up for Movies, PS3, Xbox, and Wii.
I needed headphones that were wireless or as close to wireless as possible.
I needed headphones that would take TOSLink Optical.
I needed headphones that either had a built in microphone or could "add on" a microphone easily. This was very important because playing multiplayer on XBOX or PS3 requires a headset with friends.
I needed headphones that sounded retardedly bad ass.
It came down to these 3:
Turtle Beach EarForce X##
Tritton AxPro
Astro Gaming A40 + Mixamp
The Turtle Beach EarForce were immediate ruleouts for me because they were not compatible with the PS3 and TurtleBeach does not offer a surround sound PS3 and X360 solution.
This left the Tritton AxPros and the Astro Gaming A40s. Initially, I was put off SLIGHTLY by the fact that the Astro Gaming A40s were a little more expensive than the Tritton AxPros, so I invested in the AxPros and ended up quickly returning them for the following reason:
Very noticeable hissing sound when there should be silence
There were "gaps" in the surround sound. For example, if somebody was shooting back and to the left of you, you wouldn't hear it until you turned slightly more left or slightly more right. If there is a sound happening behind you and you spin in a circle, the sound should travel around the headphones depending on how you are oriented based on the sound. As you would turn around, the sound of whatever you are trying to isolate would face in and out because of these gaps.
Finally, there are two humongous freaking AC adapters that you have to plug in in order for the damn things to work AND the headset has TWO cables running from it. One to power the damn things and another to connect to the base station. I found this to be REALLY ridiculous and unnecessary.
I returned the Tritton Ax Pros and purchased the Astro Gaming A40s and have never regretted a single penny spent on these beauties. You save some money if you buy the MixAmp and Headphones together, which I did. I purchased the MLG Edition because the earcaps are not only replaceable and modular, but you can now actually make your own custom earcaps. The standard setup comes with 3 earcaps. 2 that are just flat and have whatever design you ordered, and 1 that has a hole in it so that you can plug in the microphone if you are gaming with the microphone. This is great because if you are not gaming, you can remove the microphone and use one of the flat caps and they just look like regular headphones.
The microphone is 1 single piece of flexible silicon and it plugs right in to either the left or right can.
Another great thing about these is that there is NO AC ADAPTER REQUIRED. This is awesome! The MixAmp runs off of USB, so you can plug it into any USB port that supplies power and there are no batteries or AC Adapters required. There is a battery compartment, though, so if you are gaming on the go and don't have a USB port available, you can use batteries, which is awesome.
Also, there is only a single wire running from the headphones to the MixAmp and it is a VERY thin wire. It is like the size and weight of a pair of earbud headphones. If you are using them for the 360, there is also a wire that runs into the controller, but this is also a very thin wire. The only downside about wiring that I found was that I had to buy an adapter to get it to plug into the PS3. However, the adapter was cheap and they provide you with instructions on setup.
The sound is perfection and the surround sound works fantastic!
The headphones themselves are surprisingly light and are VERY well designed. The headphone piece itself has a wire that hangs from the ear that you connect to the wire that runs to the MixAmp. This means that you can disconnect the headphones from the wire that runs to the MixAmp so you can go to the bathroom or get a drink or get up and do something without having to take the headphones off. This is made even better by the fact that the headphones fold inward and lie flat against your chest so that you can take them off your head, disconnect from the "dongle" and let them rest around your neck and on your chest. It is amazingly convenient and well thought out.
The headphones come with a heavy duty carrying case that will carry wires and spare headphone caps. When I say heavy duty, I mean it. The damn thing is probably bullet proof. If you own a pair of Oakleys, you know the cases they sell at the store that are really hard? This is like that, except even more badass and heavy duty. That's not to say it is heavy, because it isn't, its just very durable. Your headphones definitely feel safe in there.
List, man. You will pay good money for the A40s + Mixamp, but it is WELL worth it. I wouldn't have typed out this entire thing if I didn't truly believe in them. I'm not freaking rich and I'm not spoiled, but I saved the money for these and do not regret it whatsoever. They are the best pair of heaphones I own now and even when I am gaming during the day, I decide to put these babies on instead of playing through my speakers because they are just THAT DAMN GOOD.
Don't deal with the TurtleBeach incompatability issues and don't hassle with the Tritton AxPros ridiculous amount of wiring.
Buy the A40s and be happy.
PS: To demonstrate the AstroGaming awesome customer service:
When I bought the MLG Edition set, they were out of the MLG Edition Earcaps. Instead of canceling my order and asking m to just get the regular ones, and instead of going "Out of Stock" on them, they just sent me the original version of the headphones with a letter that promise they would send me the MLG Earcaps at no extra charge as soon as they were available. 1 week later, I recieved a package that had a brand new set of MLG Earcaps for absolutely no extra cost. I got $20 bucks worth of Earcaps (the standard ones) for free and it took no effort on my part. Secondly, I sent them a thank you note and telling them I would be investing in their BlackBird case hanger and instead of saying thanks, they sent me the hanger ($20 value) for free also. I invested in Astro Gaming and they invested in me. As soon as the next version of these headphones comes out, I will be purchasing them without hesitation.
GET THE A40S!!!
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
So again, many thanks! :)
11/23/09
11/23/09
The microphone picks up sound very well. My wife sleeps in the next room over and I do a medium whisper and everyone can hear me pretty well. If I talk with a soft voice, but still slightly below normal, people hear me just fine also. On occasion, if it is during a really loud sequence of shooting or action, I have to talk a little bit louder, but I do that more instinctively than as a requirement. I feel like because all this sound is going on, I have to talk a little louder, but that is because the others are probably hearing that same loud noise and I want to make sure they can hear me over it.
Basically, I can talk with a soft voice and people hear me fine. I doubt you will have a problem with having to talk loud. I know how loud the 360 headset requires you to talk and I can tell you that I don't have to talk anywhere near that level with the A40s. On the PS3, it is probably much better than talking into a bluetooth headset because the mic sits right next to your mouth pretty much.
Like I said, I doubt you will have a problem with people hearing you even if you talk a little lower than normal. You definitely do not have to raise your voice.
11/23/09
11/23/09
Add in the fact that the Megalodon's are not nearly as flexible in the areas of how modular the cans are on the A40s and being able to move the mic to either side or remove it completely on the A40s.
I can't vouch for the sound of the Megalodon's, but it doesn't have the feature set of the A40s.
11/23/09
seriously dude im like you, i too have wife and kid, and cant be blasting ps3 after hours. thank you so much fo ryour in depth review!
/salutes/
11/23/09
11/23/09
No seriously. Excellent review.
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
I was having difficulty finding some good headphones that I could use with both the ps3 and pc I was looking at the Turtle Beach set as well, but not having it ps3 compatible made that a no goer.
Cheers.
11/24/09
11/24/09
The only issue with using proper audiophile headphones is that you need to get a separate mic. I just use the normal 360 one around my neck, but it isn't the most ideal solution.
11/24/09
Off course, I'm aware that it doesn't have a Microphone, so it's not an option for you. But for people who doesn't care for online multiplayer (or to talk in a online match, for that matter) like myself, it's a very good option.
11/24/09
Yeah, the Pioneers are a great consideration if you don't need a mic. A microphone was one of my requirements, but you are right, if you do not use a mic, they are probably perfect for you. I would also consider the Sennheiser HD650s, but the 5.1 surround on the Pioneers is a great feature to have.
The AxPros are good enough for some people. I just couldn't deal with how bulky the setup was. Two wires running across my living room just wasn't my thing, especially when on the other end was an AC adapter. It just wasn't for me. Combine that with the hissing sounds and gaps in the 5.1 and it just made for a terrible experience.
I would rather save a few extra months (In fact, I did) and get the superior experience than settle for the lower cost solution and regret it.
Take my advice and save up for a few months. You will not regret it.
11/24/09
Having said that, I own a pair of HD595s and the sound coming from the 595s and the sound coming from the A40s are pretty much the same. The difference is that the 595s leak sound like a motherf**ker and the A40s do not. Additionally, the A40s have a microphone option.
It is useful to have both pairs though, because the MixAmp will push simulated 5.1 to the 595s and it sounds amazing as well.
I use them both at one time on the MixAmp when my wife and I are watching a movie and want to crank it up but our son is asleep.
Since the MixAmp also supports voice communication between them, if I hook up another headset to the mixamp, we can talk to eachother and hear eachother through the headphones and also hear the movie as well.
It's very awesome.
PS: I've never used the Shure SE530s or the AKG K701s. I have used a pair of HD650s, they are my brothers. I would like to replace my 595s with the 650s one day in the future.
PPS: I am not rich, I am just an average joe gamer. I save to buy all my equiptment and I only put my hard earned and hard saved dollars into products I truly believe in. I truly believe in these A40s and they rock my ass off.
11/24/09
i have a ps3 placed about 6-8 feet from where i play. do i need any extension cables? or will i be good with the headset and amp bundle?
11/24/09
I own a pair of 595s and I own the A40s and the sound quality of them is the same. The biggest difference is that the 595s leak much much more sound than the A40s. This isn't too big of a deal, but like you said, the A40s have a mic option and the 595s do not, which is why I tend to use the A40s all the time. When my wife and I need to watch a movie though, the MixAmp allows me to use both the 595s and the A40s at one time so we can both watch the movie using the headphones while my son sleeps.
You are right that it does sound sex with the 595s, but it also sounds sex with the A40s, which are more comparable to the 595s than the 555s (Which I owned previously to the 595s but sold to buy the 595s)
11/24/09
[www.astrogaming.com]
Oh also, for the PS3, you will need the PS3 mic adapter. It is what allows you to use the mic with the PS3. With this adapter, it makes the setup even easier than the included X360 cabling:
[www.astrogaming.com]
Finally, use your own TOSLink Optical cable. I hear the ones that you buy from Astro Gaming can be bad quality. I would buy one from monoprice.com or if you already own one, use that one. I've never used an Astro Gaming TOSLink cable myself, but I trust the people who told me that they had issues with them. So buy your own TOSLink cable. Fortunately, thats the only product that I have heard even a small number of bad things about from Astro Gaming. Everything else they sell is beauty in a box.
11/24/09
a million internets to you for providing us with this great info.
+1 for you homie
#speakup
11/24/09
[www.monoprice.com]
sorry to be a pain, last question i swear :)
#speakup
11/24/09
Those will probably work alright. I personally use these:
[www.monoprice.com]
they have a mesh jacket that prevents damage to the cable and the end connectors are very sturdy. The ones you listed have a normal cable jacket. It's only a 4 buck difference. I would get the one I listed, but you will very likely be fine either way.
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
Yes, it plugs in fine to just an iPod or whatever else you want.
11/24/09
11/24/09
#speakup
11/24/09
Yeah, it is now standard with all Headset + MixAmp configurations and is now the only MixAmp they sell. So, no need to buy the little PS3 dongle adapter thing now. Just buy the extra long cord and you are good! Nice!
11/24/09
great so all i need to do is order the toslink cable from monoprice and im ready to rock and roll.
MERRY XMAS TO ME!!! MUAHAHAHA!!!!
btw im on psn, my psn id is aero7 send me an invite! thanks for all your help!
#speakup
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
Now, when I had run into the buzzing problem that was encountered with the very first run of MixAmps (incessant buzzing noise over XBL chat), they immediately overnighted me another pair of revised headphones, as well as a new MixAmp, free of charge.
Ever since that wonderfully pleasant incident, Astro has been extremely accomodating concerning the various revisions of their product. With every change (first MixAmps, plastic changes, then mike booms and speaker tag plastic changes) they have sent me replacement parts for whatever I needed. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been happier with investing in the first wave of a product.
The sound quality may not be on par with some high - quality Sennheisers, but believe me, the 250$ investment is most definitely worth it.
11/24/09
Not to mention the new colored headsets. Makes me wanna spring another 200$, but my headphones are already red on the inside (LE) ;)
#review
11/24/09
11/29/09
I'm not really worried about the price, having already spent $150 on a pair of Sony MDR-V700DJs a long time ago, and $300 on my Bose QC2 cans that I use to this day every time I go flying. I just didn't feel like I needed another set of headphones when the bose ones served so well for what I used them for - Music, PSP, DS, and PC gaming with my laptop.
However, in recent months the lack of a mic has been becoming more and more of a nuisance, and with my friends and I playing L4D2 in full swing, my only solution was to use an old logitech headset (the one that came with a lot of PS2 games) for my outgoing voice, and the laptop speakers for sound. And while the Macbook Pro has decent speakers, they are no match for a quality set of headphones or speakers. It was then that I started going back to the Internet and looking around for products to fit the bill, and just then Kotaku had to put up this reveiw of the A40s, which was just as glowing as any other that I'd read previously.
The added information in your writeup, and the stories in this thread about their great customer service, have both pushed me over the edge. I ordered my headphones (BXR edition, in red) and Mixamp bundle on Thursday, and axiously await their arrival this week.
I need to go out and get a TOSLINK to 3.5mm optical adapter to use them with my MacBook Pro, though. I used to have one but I can't for the life of me remember where I put it, since it was from back in the days when MD was a viable format for digital recording from an optical source.
Can't. Freakin. Wait.
11/29/09
11/23/09
I'm getting really tired of having to explain to her that I'm doing the lords work and that I am just anti-trolling the trolls.
11/23/09
Anti-troll? Not so much.
11/23/09
I have been to the other side and it is magical.
11/23/09
11/23/09
Goddamn, this is why I don't play online on consoles.
11/23/09
Total BS, kids always pull the "I'm just a kid card" when they're beat.
11/23/09
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11/23/09
Absolutely highly recommended. Definitely outperforms my more expensive 5.1 speaker system.
11/23/09
I have roommates who decidedly do not want to hear me shoot people in surround sound and I was getting tired of earphones not letting me enjoy the high fidelity mixes that a lot of games are supporting these days.
Dolby Digital on Uncharted 2 with my friends voice chat mixed in for Co-Op is decidedly excellent. I have no issue with any cord length personally and man did the system come with a lot of options in terms of cabling.
The system uses USB mini-B for power so I can use the exact same cable that would power my ps3 controller. In fact I just swap it out when one or the other gets low on battery. Yes, even voice chat works awesome on my ps3 using a little usb adapter to get the audio mix.
For audio nuts who can't go for full surround speaker systems I really can't think of a system that performs better.
11/24/09
the USB connection is only for charging the mixamp? or also for voice chat?
the ps3's optical out is used for the dolby 5.1 sound?
can I plug any stereo headset into the mixamp to get 5.1 surround sound?
11/24/09
For the PS3 specifically the setup I use is an optical (TOS link) cable straight from the ps3 to the MixAmp. This provides the in-game audio in the Dolby Digital.
Then a usb adapter (like the one they sell on their website which works quite well) that goes digital to analog, plus some of the nifty cables they provide when you buy the sucker, feeds the audio through to the device. If you route it through the daisy chaining ports you still get the full balance knob control. Honestly they explain what to jack what into what on the website and it isn't worth typing out here in detail.
This is pretty much the only way to do it unless you don't want both sets of audio on the mixamp (which you do) or someone invents a magical bluetooth dongle to do this... which you don't want either as one of the benefits of this setup is less audiolag.
The mixamp without the headset wouldn't work because they use a proprietary plug for the final leg of the audio going from mixamp to headset. Sure you could make it work somehow, but I am sure you would futz the audio quality in the process.
11/24/09
another question to the connection between mixamp and headset: are you sure the proprietary plug isn't used for the mic functionality rather than surround sound?
#speakup
11/24/09
11/23/09
They aren't targetted towards "pro-gamers" but I've found that any product that is tends to be priced a lot higher than equivalent products not targetted at gamers.
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
@(Starman) Starman: I take a fence to that.. You'll hear from my ace attorney.. who is ace btw
#speakup
11/23/09
11/23/09
man...
#speakup
11/24/09
life gives you lemons, you make a damn pun thread.
keep them coming, no pun intended
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
ok that sucked but you people aren't helping! Must i bestow italics on every pun i make! RAAAAAGRH
Come on! McWerthor himself slipped in 2 puns, then i did 1,5..
you people are crushing my soul...
11/23/09
#speakup
P.S. My white A40 really is pretty.