PC Gaffers, do you play PC games with headphones or 2.1/5.1/7.1 speakers?

M

Mr Swine

Banned
If so what kind of Soundcard, headphones or speakers are you guys using to play you games on?

Myself I have a Sound Blaster Z with Seinheiser HD555 headphones. Sounds fantastic when running in 5.1 mode with headphones on :)
 
I'm not much of an audio snob (mostly for money reasons -- I can certainly hear the difference that a good audio setup makes). I use my motherboard's sound card with 2.1 speakers when I'm at my desk. Or I use my graphics card's HDMI audio out when I'm hooked up to my TV and just run it through my TV speakers.
 
I use 5.1 or stereo headphones (Audio Technica ATH-AD700) depending on the situation. Both on integrated sound, but I've thought about buying a dedicated sound card with a headphone amp.
 
Sound card:
ASUS Xonar Essence STX

Headphones:
Audio Technica Pro700MK2 (very bassy)
Audio Technica AD700 (crisper sound)

The combo really makes details very clear -- you start to notice details that you don't hear when you're using onboard sound. I used to have an X-FI XtremeMusic, but it inexplicably died after about five years, so I was stuck without a real sound card for a couple months.
 
I'm an audiophile when it comes to headphones. I have cans ranging from Grado to Sennheiser to Audeze (LCD-2s).

Honestly, I prefer playing on a proper 5.1 surround system. It's more immersive. I know this is totally subjective though. I have friends that feel headphones put you more in the action.
 
Until recently I've had mine hooked up to an old hifi, but I got a set of Plantronic Gamecom 530s for Christmas, and they're working out pretty great.
 
Is it worth it to make an effort to upgrading or buying a sound card? I was going to get a xonar but was told not to bother.

They're pretty cheap IIRC.
 
I usually listen to other podcasts or music while playing games on my headphone with a separate music player.
 
Papytendo said:
holy balls

that price
Click to expand...

You used to be able to get them for $500-600. Price would go up and down on Amazon and other retailers.

However, I believe Denon actually discontinued that series. So now his model has skyrocketed in price (especially on the second hand market). Personally, I think the 5000 model is pretty much the same quality and at a better price (basically like the difference between a GTX 670 and 680). Although 7000 has swagged out aesthetics.
 
Headphones (Goldring DR150's to be precise) using a Fiio e7 DAC with an ASUS Xonar DG sound card for Dolby Headphone and it knocks the socks of my 7.1 surround setup.
 
using 100watt 5.1 speakers from Dell
and a Creative X-Fi Xtrememusic sound card.

they are the only things i kept from my old Dell XPS pc that i bought around 6 years ago. (built another gaming pc since then).

still sounds good to me, so i never felt the need to upgrade them.
 
I use 5.1 speakers with my PC when playing at my desk, and my considerably better 5.1 speakers when I hook up the PC to my AV Receiver and play on the big screen.
 
Holy Crap said:
Is it worth it to make an effort to upgrading or buying a sound card? I was going to get a xonar but was told not to bother.

They're pretty cheap IIRC.
Click to expand...

Really? I'm surprised. I roll with the Xonar DG and a set of Corsair Dolby Headphone headphones. Together cost me about 100 dollars and was a huge upgrade over various 5.1 and 7.1 headphones I purchased in the past.
 
Always headphones. To me it just fits with the more intimate and immersive experience of PC gaming.

I have a pair of Triton AX Pro's that I've been using for two years and they work very well. I don't even have speakers hooked up to my PC. They are very comfortable and they are loud enough that if I don't want to put them on, I can literally just turn them up and listen while they hang on the rack.
 
I use either my AD700 or Astro A40's depending on what kind of game I'm playing. I used to have a 5.1 set up, but it can be problematic with neighbors.
 
For any first person game headphones are by far the best (assuming the audio in the game is properly designed *cough cs:go* )and by far the most enjoyable.

For everything else I just use 2 of the speakers of my 5.1 system as it doesn't really matter to me.
 
Mrbob said:
Really? I'm surprised. I roll with the Xonar DG and a set of Corsair Dolby Headphone headphones. Together cost me about 100 dollars and was a huge upgrade over various 5.1 and 7.1 headphones I purchased in the past.
Click to expand...

Adding them back to the list then.
 
Headphones: Sennheiser HD-800
Receiver: Marantz SR-9600
Front L/R speakers: Legend Acoustics Kantu 2
Centre: Legend Acoustics Kanga 2
Rears: Legend Acoustics Joey 2
Sub: Ruark Log-Rhythm

I love my system.
 
I like to privatise the audio rather than use speakers, especially since I'm sitting so close to the screen.

AD700.

cheap_ad700_bjlcmu.jpg


+ Asus Zonar DG, set to Dolby Headphone for 5.1 -> headphone.

p_5007gcla.jpg


EDIT: And these sometimes when I console game in the lounge room.

ath5ms_frontw7cy5.jpg
 
I used to. But I'm too afraid of hearing damage after developing some conditions. Headphones make everything way better though. I'll probably use them if some scary games release like Metro 2, etc.

Same ones as Avallon's.
 
I use my Beyerdynamic DT 880's, but I only have a Creative X-Fi external sound card to drive them, so they probably aren't at their full potential.
 
Holy Crap said:
Adding them back to the list then.
Click to expand...

Just get a set of decent headphones and run them in dolby headphone mode. My corsair have a pair of 50mm drivers, and the sound quality is very clean and responsive. Some headphones like the AD700 have even a little better driver on each side. I used to go the 5.1/7.1 route, but those drivers are normally smaller (more, but smaller size). I've come to enjoy having one bigger driver on each side and let dolby headphone do the rest.

I think it works best in 5.1 mode. 7.1 becomes a bit tinny and distant.
 
I have one of these:

rme20ffuc-2lkyac.jpg


running into a pair of these:

dynaudio_bm6a_mainl8zmb.jpg


So, 2.0. But you don't really need a sub in this situation.


edit: and a set of Sennheiser HD25's for late nights.
 
I usually use a headset, currently a pair of Turtle Beach x12s.

I sometimes use my earbuds, some sennheiser ones.

I will get a desk mic at some point as I hate having to use headsets.
 
I'll never go back to desktop again. On my 60" 3D display, I have a HTPC setup with 5.1 speakers rocking the man cave. Position surround audio and booming bass makes the expense worth it.
 
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