The best sound card / headset

C

Curve

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
244
I'm looking to purchase a new headset and sound card. I want the best possible setup I can get (for under 300).. hearing every little footstep in the FPS I play is very important to me. With that said.. I've done a little research and it looks like the Asus Xonar Xense is a good option. Can anyone recommend this or something else that's better?
 
There is a lot of hate for Creative (rightfully so), but for gaming, I just can't do without the CMSS3D. Snag a Titanium (I love my HD) and the Sennheiser PC350's, if you MUST have a headset.
I have owned both and it was so crystal clear (ahem...when the static wasn't present), people swear I was cheating time and time again.
 
I used to hate the x-fi but I have to admit that once you get it setup properly, it is as good as it gets for headphone gaming. Unless you want to go way up the ladder and get a high end Smyth Research Realiser A8. The 3D Cmss works. The crystalizer is not a good option though.
 
There's nothing better than the Smyth Realiser a8. Besides the missing sub, once it's calibrated to your ears, the sound direction accuracy is almost indistinguishable from satellite speakers. Unfortunately, do you have $3,000 to toss around on one?
 
Falkentyne said:
There's nothing better than the Smyth Realiser a8. Besides the missing sub, once it's calibrated to your ears, the sound direction accuracy is almost indistinguishable from satellite speakers. Unfortunately, do you have $3,000 to toss around on one?
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Yes I don't!
 
I've got the X-Fi Xtreme Gamer and a pair of HD-555s that work great in BFBC2. Being an open headphone, the sound envelops your ear and definitely gives you good spatial perspective in the game. You could probably pick up both for around $200 I would think.
 
I honestly never understood the obsession with headphones, is it people who live with their parents who are constantly telling them to "turn that racket down!"? Why one would pay $3K to "emulate" speakers instead of spending that much on actual speakers eludes me... I await your flaming ;)

As for sound cards, HT Omega always gets my vote for pure audio quality.
 
OldSchool said:
I honestly never understood the obsession with headphones, is it people who live with their parents who are constantly telling them to "turn that racket down!"? Why one would pay $3K to "emulate" speakers instead of spending that much on actual speakers eludes me... I await your flaming ;)
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Two words - wife, kids. Oh, and speaker placement limitations.
 
Thanks for the replies. I decided to go ahead and get the Xonar Xense and I am glad I did. This has to be one of my best purchases. I almost feel like I'm cheating in COD4 cause I can hear everything.
 
OldSchool said:
I honestly never understood the obsession with headphones, is it people who live with their parents who are constantly telling them to "turn that racket down!"? Why one would pay $3K to "emulate" speakers instead of spending that much on actual speakers eludes me... I await your flaming ;)

As for sound cards, HT Omega always gets my vote for pure audio quality.
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I'm not sure if you live in the real world or if you're some rich kid (or adult) or something, but have you ever heard of something called an Apartment?

Yes, not all hardOCP readers are rich, and some of us have to get by in apartments. I'm sure alot of college students that don't live at home, have to have an apartment or dorm, too. And sometimes, neighbors above, below, or next to you, don't want to hear gunshots coming from your apartment, from your $400+ speaker system.

And you can't hear footsteps at all if you turn the speakers down to low levels....
 
OldSchool said:
Why one would pay $3K to "emulate" speakers instead of spending that much on actual speakers eludes me... I await your flaming ;)
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The type of people who pay that much also tend to be the type of people who believe that the detail and fidelity you can get out of a pair of headphones is just plain superior to speakers, which in many regards, is true. (Much smaller volume of area to work with being one of the primary advantages)

One of the primary disadvantages of course, is you do lose the directionality a multi-free-standing-speaker setup would provide. So I imagine that when you have an enthusiast engineer who believes that headphones are superior tackle that problem, you end up with a product like the Realizer.
 
I use the Sennheiser PC 360 headset combined with a HT Omega Claro Plus (soon to be HT Omega eClaro) sound card. It sounds awesome, and Dolby Headphone rocks.

After dealing with Creative's crappy 64-bit drivers for years, I threw in the towel and haven't regretted that decision.
 
The Asus Xonar Essence STX is very good coupled with some good cans. It makes for a very good aural odyssey.......it's like an eargasm.
 
darklight_tr said:
I use the Sennheiser PC 360 headset combined with a HT Omega Claro Plus (soon to be HT Omega eClaro) sound card. It sounds awesome, and Dolby Headphone rocks.

After dealing with Creative's crappy 64-bit drivers for years, I threw in the towel and haven't regretted that decision.
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I should be getting Sennheiser PC 360 today... I'm also getting HT Omega Claro Halo in 2 weeks...
 
If you want the best sound, just go with a USB or S/PDIF DAC and a dedicated Amplifier.

They are far better than any PCI/e sound card you will find.

There just isn't enough room or clean power available in the form factor for a PCI/e slot inside a computer for excellent sound.
 
I want to pick up a pair of the PC350s. That'll probably be my next purchase.
 
lostroc888 said:
I can't believe no one said Lan Parties, ever lugged a 5.1 set out for a little lan action? Me either...
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I didn't even know lan parties were still around :confused:

I use to have a blast when me and my friends would do that back in high school, but that was ~10ish years ago.
 
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