Just Spent 160 bucks on Cans: Medusa 5.1

J

jbrukardt

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
May 28, 2005
Messages
1,494
I just took the dive on a pair of 125 dollar Speedlink Medusa 5.1 headphones, (prior to his i had a gainward 5.1 set, which had excellent positioning of sound, but horrible sound quality, no bass whatsoever and the rest of the sound was very muddy).

http://www.medusa-usa.com/details.htm

If anyone has these, lemme know what you think about them. They are near impossible to find in north america, so i had to pay some ridulous shipping charges. Overall from what i have read, these will be worth it though, they seem amazing.

As a side note, here are things i do not want in reply

1) Any whining about how 5.1 is worthless, and i shoulda just got a good set of Senn's
2) Any flaming me for being stupid to pay so much for headphones

Lemme explain my reasoning as the other threads on 5.1 headphones degenerated into useless rant sessions over how 5.1 sucks. I am a heavy gamer I have a pair of 5.1 headphones currently, i have had senn's and even a set of 500 buck pioneers. The sound quality on the Senns and the pioneers were amazing, but they lacked positioning, i could tell left and right very well, but from my experience with the 5.1 gainwards i increased my kill ratios significantly by being able to snap shots off knowing that someone was behind me, and to a degree, what distance they were behind me, and at what angle. In short, im hoping the headphones, which have gotten nothing less than stellar reviews everywhere can fulfull both that positioning that i need (im sure that they will), and a high quality sound from all the speakers (which will be seen).

Also, i couldnt quite tell, does anyone know if these are open or closed cans.
 
I know you made it quite clear that you don't want this thread to turn into a bitchfest about 5.1 headphones, but I can just about guarantee that that is what this will turn in to. :D I'd start off by giving you the physics of why 5.1 headphones are complete bullshit, but I'd like to at least let this thread have a bit of life before it goes all to hell. I'm not quite sure what you are expecting out of this thread. You obviously know what most of the people around here think of such headphones. There might be a few people around here who have 5.1 headphones, but I think they've learned their lesson by now. :D I don't think you'll get flamed for spending that much on headphones. You may very well get flamed for spending that much on 5.1 headphones(hell, you'll probably get flamed for spending anything on 5.1 headphones), but many people here spend hundreds of dollars on headphones, so it's not all that uncommon.

Anyway, good luck on the headphones. I've heard the medusas are some of the best 5.1 headphones out there(which isn't saying much as there aren't many 5.1 headphones out there). They do seem to get good reviews, but I tend to be somewhat weary with regards to reviews on such products. It's not like video cards or processors where you can get hard figures to determine which product is best. There's no benchmarking or anything. It is all quite subjective, and there is most likely a great deal of placebo effect in action. I am especially weary of many of the review sites out there that seem to operate solely to get free stuff, and therefore give favorable reviews to most of the stuff they review, regardless of how well they actually perform. Something like headphones and speakers I like to trial before I buy them. I suppose it is a bit hard to do that when a product is so hard to come by as the medusas, though. I'd love to hear how you like them, though, as well as anyone else here who owns them.
 
One of the things im gonna try to do is directly compare these to a set of Senn 150s. I have some pretty sensative audio measuring equipment im gonna mount inside one of those plastic heads, and ill do some frequency analysis and clarity tests (by the numbers) as well as distortion testing at various DBs. I hope to provide some facts that show that sound quality can be just as high in these medusa's as a midrange Senn.
 
Sound quality is one thing, but actual directional/positional audio(which is the whole point of these headphones) is another thing, and that's kinda what I was referring to when I said that the reviews are pretty subjective.
 
Yeah, its hard to test that, as positionality is all subjective. I personally can sense where people are so much better with my 5.1 gainwards than i can with the senn 150s, even with headphone virtualization from my audigy2

There is no way i can prove it, just seems far better to me
 
no offence, but comparing cans you spend $160 on and $60 on really shouldnt be a fair comparison. If you were to compare something like a set of dt-770pros and the medusas I'd find it a bit more even of a comparison as they both appear to be in the same price range. And as far as imaging goes in fps games I find my 770s to be top notch.
 
that amp it comes with looks exactly like the one that comes with a pair of 40 dollar Kinyo 5.1 phones. If there's a hissing in the backround when no sound is playing, then it's the same amp. Dunno bout the rest of it, but I hope it's worth the cash to you.

 
^^^

how did you find out that info lunchbox? not busting chops at all btw, but if true then it's fairly conclusive.


rant/ Why can't a respected company throw some quality parts into a 5.1 headset and be done with it? Then would could finally lay to rest if 5.1 is a novel idea or just snake oil. I can understand the concept of 5.1 headphones, and i feel the idea can probably work. It just seems they're all built with crap parts, which lends credibility to them being "snake oil".

I should lay some blame on the sound card companies, i don't think they're working to improve 3D positioning at all. Sensaura seems to be trying but they're falling short imho. If 3d postioning worked as well as it should, we wouldn't be having the 5.1 headphone debate. end rant/

Would be interesting if someone swapped the internals of a 5.1 headset with better parts.
 
Creative claims to be improving virtualization with the X-Fi when it comes out. Apparently they are using HRTF data from Aureal and Sensaura.
 
SJetski71 said:
rant/ Why can't a respected company throw some quality parts into a 5.1 headset and be done with it? Then would could finally lay to rest if 5.1 is a novel idea or just snake oil. I can understand the concept of 5.1 headphones, and i feel the idea can probably work. It just seems they're all built with crap parts, which lends credibility to them being "snake oil".
Click to expand...
I think the fact that no respected headphone company makes 5.1 headphones says something. While it is in no way evidence that they suck/are bullshit, if 5.1 headphones actually do work as people seem to think they do then why isn't every headphone maker jumping on it? You can put a nice engine in a pinto, but it's still a pinto and it still sucks. If the idea is flawed to begin with, no amount of high quality parts is going to change the fact that the idea is flawed.
 
jbrukardt said:
Yeah, its hard to test that, as positionality is all subjective. I personally can sense where people are so much better with my 5.1 gainwards than i can with the senn 150s, even with headphone virtualization from my audigy2

There is no way i can prove it, just seems far better to me
Click to expand...

I hope you have CMSS turned on when using the Audigy 2 with your Senns. You won't get any headphone virtualization unless its turned on.
 
jpmkm said:
I think the fact that no respected headphone company makes 5.1 headphones says something. While it is in no way evidence that they suck/are bullshit, if 5.1 headphones actually do work as people seem to think they do then why isn't every headphone maker jumping on it? You can put a nice engine in a pinto, but it's still a pinto and it still sucks. If the idea is flawed to begin with, no amount of high quality parts is going to change the fact that the idea is flawed.
Click to expand...
I hear ya, and i feel/have felt nearly the same way, There are lots of companies willing to sell snake-oil, was just curious as to why a mid-level mfr with mediocre ethics hasn't tried it, somebody like sony, or even a good rep mfr like Sennheiser, that would end the debate real quick. Otherwise we're left floundering with companies like Kinyo :rolleyes: to base the debate upon.

Has any of the high level mfr's weighed in with opinions or findings yet?
 
thomase said:
I hope you have CMSS turned on when using the Audigy 2 with your Senns. You won't get any headphone virtualization unless its turned on.
Click to expand...

That only applies when you are using the headphone setting. ;)
 
The whole idea of multiple-driver headphones has been tried before a long time ago. Check out this article at headwize. The multiple drivers by themselves doesn't solve the in-the-head imaging problems and a spatial expander was necessary to get a good image. Today it makes much more sense to take advantage of increasing CPU and DSP power to implement better virtualization. If you need DSP anyway, there is no need to bother with multiple drivers as it just complicates things.
 
And what a suprise, it appears that everyone that posted here didnt even read the first thread. As you are all bitching about how 5.1 sucks. Leave it be, dont post if you are gonna turn this into a flame thread like every other one has been.

And as to the gentlemen that suggested i compare these headphones to a similiar set, i think i am. The only reason these are priced so high, is that i had to order them out of country, pay a bundle in shipping, and pay a very high price. If i lived in europe i could get them for around 60 dollars US.

Please please stop with the discussion about why multi driver systems are no good. Thats not what i made this thread for
 
For what it's worth...

The Ear Force HPA has terrible bass and poor sound quality.

The positioning for sounds in the front was excellent, the positioning in the rear isn't as good.

The ergonomics is good. The microphone is excellent(incredibly flexible, detachable, with smooth swinging action.)

It's overpriced for what it gives. I recommend you look somewhere else for 5.1 headphones.
 
jbrukardt said:
Lemme explain my reasoning as the other threads on 5.1 headphones degenerated into useless rant sessions over how 5.1 sucks. I am a heavy gamer I have a pair of 5.1 headphones currently, i have had senn's and even a set of 500 buck pioneers. The sound quality on the Senns and the pioneers were amazing, but they lacked positioning, i could tell left and right very well, but from my experience with the 5.1 gainwards i increased my kill ratios significantly by being able to snap shots off knowing that someone was behind me, and to a degree, what distance they were behind me, and at what angle. In short, im hoping the headphones, which have gotten nothing less than stellar reviews everywhere can fulfull both that positioning that i need (im sure that they will), and a high quality sound from all the speakers (which will be seen).

Also, i couldnt quite tell, does anyone know if these are open or closed cans.
Click to expand...

There's no doubt that 5.1 headphones can do very well in games. If they do well for you, good luck opponents =). What kind of soundcard are you using? Source is extremely important.

Just as an example, an old regular Audigy2 + $25 panasonic canalphones gives amazing positioning at a ridiculous pricetag.

Not all regular stereo headphones will have good positioning and/or soundstage, regardless of brand and pricetag. Some less efficient cans will even require amping while gaming.
 
jbrukardt, when do you exptect to get them?

I'de like to hear what you think of them after you have used them for a week or two compared to other headphones.
 
I appreciated a 5.1 speaker system for the having a center channel for more precision in locating enemies through walls in front of me, but due to the difficulties in properly positioning the speakers around the room I eventually discarded them for stereo headphones so that I could at least count on the volume being accurate, and foregoing using direction as an indicator.

Now I'm using the earforce 5.1 headphones and the sound is terrible for the pricetag(I'm guess, but at least I have extra precision to compensate, I can just listen to music using something else. Still, it'd be nice to have sound quality and positional quality in the same set. Least I don't have to deal with sattelite speakers and wires all over my room.

But honestly, I've found games with HRTF to be an impressive attempt at surround sound. I'm hoping how well that X-Fi sound card will be able to improve that to the point where I can be happy with stereo sound. I worry that 5.1 headphones may never properly overcome weakness in the rear sound. The rear speakers in the cans just aren't convincing me that sound is coming from behind me, but HRTF in theory sounds like it's the best possibility for hearing sounds behind you through stereophones.
 
It's never as simple as just the headphones for gaming. It's all about synergy between a good gaming card and a good pair of earphone/headphones.

On AV710 I can only detect general L/R/back with any of my headphones, including HD590-d66-hje50-px100. On an audigy 2, there is a world of difference.

There are lots of people with stereo headphones like AT/Senn that perform well in music and games. They will often pair them with Audigys/Emus and amps (for some for Senns). It's that simple.
 
Wow, i thought this thread got closed ages ago.

Thanks for all the relevant responses guys. Unfortunately i dont have any answers for you, when they arrived they were broken :(. headband was snapped right in half. I refused the shipment and they went back to NCIX. Im still trying to get my refund from them almost 3 months later. Its really aggravating. Im unfortunately not going to get a replacement until i get my money back, so im good for now with my Gainward SoundXplosion 5.1s (excellent positioning, a little lacking in quality). The gainwards have burned in now, and the quality has improved massively from what it was, so i might stick with these for now :)

Thanks for your responses guys, and thanks for reopening it ( i think you must have) Mister X
 
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