Surround Sound System Vs Surround Sound Headset Query???...

[VitaminX]

Hey, I was just needing some opinions of what you guys regard as being the better choice, eitherimmersing yourself in surround-sound audio from the front, sides, and rear via a great sound system or Surround Sound Headphones???...

I'm trying to make my bedroom as atmospheric as I can possibly make it, blackout curtains, dim Lighting, dark furniture etc before I start playing games such as S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Silent Hill series, Resident Evil series, Everything Survival Horror etc.

I just need some personal opinions, setups & your recommended choices/brands of what to purchase???...

Any comments would be appreciated.

[Gamereviewgod]

Absolutely a full speaker set up. You can't get the power out a pair of headphones. If you could, you'd be spending way more than a home theater system anyway. It's not that headphones don't do well, it's just how much better a full set can do. The rumble of a subwoofer can't be duplicated.

[VitaminX]

Absolutely a full speaker set up. You can't get the power out a pair of headphones. If you could, you'd be spending way more than a home theater system anyway. It's not that headphones don't do well, it's just how much better a full set can do. The rumble of a subwoofer can't be duplicated.

Hi Reviewgod, Thankyou for the response. I'm certainly getting some mixed views on what is best in terms of gaming surround sound. I'm being recommended the headphones in the weblink below. What do you think???.. There saying since there is less "Real life" ambient sound it really helps suck you into the game with a quality pair of headphones.

http://www.trittontechnologies.com/products/TRIGA600.htm

[Gamereviewgod]

I've used that pair before. They're nice, but it's still better with a home theater. A good, deep subwoofer that gives that natural rumble cannot, under any circumstances, be matched. Individual speakers always offer better positionals as well.

[98PaceCar]

One possible solution to the lack of bass in headphones might be to use a bass shaker of some sort, though I do agree that there is NO substitute for a real subwoofer and a good HT system. The level of immersion that you can attain with a good setup is nothing short of amazing.

It could also depend on if you share the house with other people as to which would be best. My girlfriend hates it when I play Bioshock because I knock pictures off the wall whenever I fight the big daddies. But I have a rather obscenly sized sub for the size of room I have and keep it turned way up. If you are living at home, you may want to consider headphones and a bass shaker just to keep the peace!

[Trebuken]

Good headphones aren't a bad choice if you have family or neighbors to contend with but dropping $1,000+ on a home theater is a different monster, particularly with modern consoles.

I think a good pair of head-phones would beat many of the low end theater in a box systems and would be a quick solution until you ready to good for the home theater setup.

[calthaer]

If you don't have your own place, or you are in an apartment, don't go with the full monty.

If you can get the full monty, by all means do so. Surround sound in 5.1 FTW.

[Contrabassoon86]

My third passion (besides video games and classical music) is home audio. I would totally recommend getting a home theater system. I would personally recommend getting the

Onkyo HT-SR800 7.1 Home Theater Entertainment System. (Cheap on Amazon)

For the money (<$400), you can't buy anything better. This system is great for Dolby Prologic IIx, which many last and now gen games support. The receiver also has HDMI video pass through for switching between PS3 and XBOX360.

If you have any more questions, pm me back.

[VitaminX]

I've used that pair before. They're nice, but it's still better with a home theater. A good, deep subwoofer that gives that natural rumble cannot, under any circumstances, be matched. Individual speakers always offer better positionals as well.

Reviewgod, What home theatre system do you currently use???... And is it compatible with PC gaming, all modern consoles e.g PS2/PS3/XBOX/360/Wii???...


My third passion (besides video games and classical music) is home audio. I would totally recommend getting a home theater system. I would personally recommend getting the

Onkyo HT-SR800 7.1 Home Theater Entertainment System. (Cheap on Amazon)

For the money (<$400), you can't buy anything better. This system is great for Dolby Prologic IIx, which many last and now gen games support. The receiver also has HDMI video pass through for switching between PS3 and XBOX360.

If you have any more questions, pm me back.

Hi Contrabassoon, I will look into the Onkyo HT-SR800 7.1 Home Theater Entertainment System. Is it compatible with PC gaming, all modern consoles e.g PS2/PS3/XBOX/360/Wii???...

Comments appreciated...

[Contrabassoon86]

Speaking of the Onkyo:

The receiver is compatable with RGB, S-video, HDMI, and composite imputs. The only downside is that it doesn't process audio through HDMI (in other words you'll have the hook-up a PS3 (or XBOX 360) via the optical cable (which is a lot better than RCA Bed/White)). For your PC, you'll want to connect you PC via a digital output. This may require a new soundcard, but well worth it.

All non-RF systems are compatible with Audio Receivers, and all systems sound so great through a stereo system.

Overall headphone suck in comparison to a real system

[Trebuken]

RF systems can use a demodulator to separate the audio/video into composite connections and thus be hooked to a receiver as well. It would likely still be mono, maybe stereo in some cases but a good receiver might be able to do a good job with it...

[VitaminX]

Speaking of the Onkyo:

The receiver is compatable with RGB, S-video, HDMI, and composite imputs. The only downside is that it doesn't process audio through HDMI (in other words you'll have the hook-up a PS3 (or XBOX 360) via the optical cable (which is a lot better than RCA Bed/White)). For your PC, you'll want to connect you PC via a digital output. This may require a new soundcard, but well worth it.

All non-RF systems are compatible with Audio Receivers, and all systems sound so great through a stereo system.

Overall headphone suck in comparison to a real system

Hi Contra, I'm stuffed. The Onkyo HT-SR800 isn't available within the UK.

Could you please tell me which inputs/connections are vital on a Home Theater Entertainment System to connect my PC & modern consoles???. Are RGB, S-video, HDMI, and composite imputs all vital???, Is there anything else I need to lookout for because to be honest, I will go out & buy something that isn't compatible with gaming devices, leaving me screwed.

Comments appreciated.

[smokehouse]

I think some of you guys have never heard a good set of headphones before...

I will say the only things headphones cannot provide is sound for a group and the body sensation of bass..other than that, they can provide a much better experience than almost any system under $1000. Look at these headphones here, Grado GS 1000's:

http://www.gradolabs.com/frameset_main.htm

With a freq response of 8Hz to 35K Hz...you're not going to get a system that will match their performance for less than $10K...there isn't a production sub on planet that will do a clean 8Hz that costs less than $1K...believe me, I design and sell home theater subs, my largest will do a clean 10Hz and is runs $2K without an amp. on top of that, no sub that comes in a cheap-o $400-1000 HTiB is going to provide anything close to body experience...they burp and fart and little else...the " feeling in your chest" requires quite a bit of power to attain...something no powered 8" driver is going to provide.

I've heard these headphones and can easily tell you, they far outperform my $8K+ HT system. Something else to take in mind, my system is in a fully treated room...something most don't have either. These headphones remove the need for this...that's another chunk of change.


Lastly...a good set of stereo headphones can provide a surround experience... perfectly placed and matched speakers will automatically create a "phantom center" when the listener is seated in the correct position, they can also provide a surround experience without gimmicks...I would not recommend any product endorsed by a gaming company, do some recearch and get a good set of headphones, you'll be very pleased with the results...just my 2 cents worth.

[VitaminX]

I think some of you guys have never heard a good set of headphones before...

I will say the only things headphones cannot provide is sound for a group and the body sensation of bass..other than that, they can provide a much better experience than almost any system under $1000. Look at these headphones here, Grado GS 1000's:

http://www.gradolabs.com/frameset_main.htm


Interesting.

Smokehouse I have been doing alot of research into aquiring the best gaming headphones available, thus far its between: TRI-GA600 :: AX360 Audio Xtreme 360 Headphones, Grado GS 1000's, Speed-Link Medusa 5.1 ProGamer headphones or a pair of Sennheiser's or Audio Technica Headphones, that is from 4 days of research.

I must say they all promise you the world in terms of great sound, but I'm not sure which pair is the best bet???...

[Lerxstnj]

I use a great 5.1 (5.2 really, since I added a 2nd sub) surround setup that will also do pro-logic psudo-surround for the games that don't use it natively. Make sure to play The Suffering! There are some of the most scary sound effects ever in that game! (with or without surround sound!)

[calthaer]

One other note: If you're hooking a PC up to this rig, at this point I would recommend against getting a Creative Labs card. I know they're the biggest name in the business, and at one point (about ten years ago) I would have said that they were the only thing worth having out there on the market. But after my experience with the Audigy and all its bugs and problems, at this point I'd recommend anything but. The SPDIF never worked, the driver that shipped on the CD would cause games to lock up...it was just terrible.

On top of that, the process for upgrading drivers is abjectly terrible - they seem like they've tried to imitate Windows Update...but they've failed horribly. I've just given up on the thing until I build another PC, at which point I won't make the mistake of getting a Creative Labs again.

If you're trying to get surround sound for your PC - and it is VERY sweet when you have it, even on old games from the late '90s - get something besides Creative Labs. I'm not sure what - I haven't even done the research yet to figure out what's out there besides them.

EDIT:

Wow. Just saw this article. My stance on Creative Labs just got a lot more adamant.

http://consumerist.com/373901/creative-sparks-customer-revolt-when-it-tries-to-silence-third+party-programmer

[VitaminX]

Bloody hell, The Grado GS 1000's are a $1000 +...

[kedawa]

Sub woofers are for assholes. Headphones all the way.