My name is Earl......

[EarlKeim]

Hello everyone:

My name is Earl Keim and I wrote the [H]ardOCP article for the Creative World of Warcraft headset. I wanted to tell you guys a bit about myself and also ask a few things of you.

I currently live in Waco, Texas and it is my goal to discover or revisit good audio solutions for the PC. PCs have been my love for 16 years and I have built over 800 of them from the ground up. I worked for Compaq Computers Houston as an intern in college for two years. In that time, I came up with a lot of unorthodox solutions to fix PC games and most notably, their audio. I spent five years working in a movie theater as a projectionist and I have been to a number of professional classes for understanding and enforcing Dolby and THX certification standards. If there is one thing I have learned it is that what "everybody likes" is very subjective.Some people love bass, others hate it. How long each day do you wear headphones for? How much would you pay for your dream headphones? By the way, I despise onboard audio cards. Despise............

What do you love or hate about my article?
What Current cans would you like me to compare future headsets to?
What do you look for most in a sound card now that hardware acceleration,EAX, etc have dropped in Windows 7 and Vista? Let me know. I can always learn, and your opinions help. If you think something I have written sucks, please tell me why, but explain yourself beyond, "Your ears must be full of mud!" Links in this thread are certainly welcome.

 

[tisb0b]

I would like to see all future headsets compared to the Audio Technica AD700's because they are cheap and are excellent for gaming. I also think this thread on head-fi is an interested and informative read concerning gaming headsets: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/quest-holy-grail-gaming-sound-483802/

How long each day do you wear headphones for? Depends if I'm in the mood for listening to music or not

How much would you pay for your dream headphones? Upwards of 1k

What do you love or hate about my article? It was quite informative but I would like a bit more information on how they are actually for music

What Current cans would you like me to compare future headsets to? AD700's and also the Beyerdynamic DT880's + STX combo.

 

[Kett]

The Head-Fi post linked above is an excellent read. Post #53 in that thread details some things i've thought were true for quite a while. I see the same scenario play out over and over; Trying the AD700 tends to "convert" gamers.

For your survey questions:
How long wearing a day?:
Playing by myself in pubs when I dont really care, I use speakers.
Playing in a match or playing seriously, headphones the entire time. Can be up to 5-8 hours.


How much $$ for dream headphones?:
If "dream" means everything I could ever want for gaming, I would pay a large sum.
Reasonably, I look to spend $100-250 on a headphone/headset.


What do you love or hate about my article?:
As I laid out in the other thread, I liked the article but wish it had more depth regarding the main function of the headphone: Sound. The main problem with most gaming sites on these types of reviews is that they don't get into it, at all. Yours did better than most.

Would like to see something similar to, or at least in the same ballpark, as the following:

-Describe the sound profile of the headset. This includes your impressions of Lows, Mids, Highs, and any particularly noticeable qualities to the sound. Don't describe it from a "I liked it" or "I didnt like it" point of view; at least not until you objectively lay out your interpretation of the sound signature. For instance on a headphone with a lot of bass (and lets say you hate exaggerated bass) instead of just coming straight out and saying "The low end left something to be desired" or "I hated the bass on this headset", instead try to objectively describe it's bass response in the "Lows" section. "This headphone has an exaggerated low end, with a lot bass in the mid-low region" or something like that. This is how you attempt to get past the "headphones are subjective" thing. Instead of telling us if you like them, analyze them first as objectively as you can, despite what sound profile you like the most. Provide your opinions later in the review under a section labeled as such.

-Use reference materials which are constant across multiple reviews. Do "Footstep tests" in modern shooters. Do Ambience tests in whatever games you think have areas with particularly prevalent ambient effects. Use the same 15 minute clip of an action movie. Use decent quality MP3s from various genres including Jazz, Rock, Electronica, Rap, etc, starting at 320kb/s. Etc. Etc. Etc. Create a gauntlet of tests, and then submit every headphone you review to it. Do this instead of throwing on whatever music you feel like listening to that day, or whatever game you felt like playing.

-The "standard" source you use should be a common gamer soundcard; more than likely a higher end X-Fi based card.

-"Budget gamer" tests. Try the gaming portion of the test using onboard sound for any headphones at the $150 or less mark, in addition to the normal tests.

-Some audiophile cans you may end up reviewing require an amplified source to run properly. A amplified jack on a set of not-crap pc speakers (Like Klipsch Promedias) connected to your source would suffice, or you can pick up a simple headphone amp for $30-70.

-Obtain reference cans/headsets. Without being experienced in what's available, it's hard to paint an accurate review picture. Obviously, it looks like you're already working on this.

-After reviews have been going for a bit, I would like to see a comparison of virtual surround effect solutions from different soundcards. (Dolby vs CMSS-3D, etc.)


What Current cans would you like me to compare future headsets to?:
Heres a list of popular ones that people use/suggest frequently:

-Audiotechnica ATH-AD700 Open-backed version of the A700. This is probably one you want to make sure to get, due to price and overall satisfaction of a lot of people (read: almost everone who tries them) with it.
-Audiotechnica ATH-A700 Despite everyone always mentioning the AD, these are very good too especially if you prefer or NEED a sound isolating headphone.
-Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro-80. I guess there is a 32ohm version out now too; haven't heard it or read about it. If it performs closely to the 80 it may be worth looking at because it wouldn't need an amp at all. the 80 is sort of on the edge of "requiring" an amp to work well; may come down to the strength of your source. I would never buy one if I was plugging it into onboard on the back of my PC.
-Sennheiser HD555
-Sennheiser HD595
-Sennheiser PC350 - Closed-back headset. Shares the same drivers as the HD595. Forgot this existed till I read about it again recently.
-Logitech G35 Headset - I'm interested in products from Logitech again; I'm hoping they get some cross-engineering going with their new purchase of the Ultimate Ears company.


What do you look for most in a sound card?:
-Gaming advantages. (IE accurate positional effects, virtual surround functions.)
-Sound quality. (Clarity, detail, no static/pops/crap that isn't supposed to be there.)
-Doesn't hurt game performance.

 

[EarlKeim]

Now Kett:

That is a keeper and I appreciate the detailed lengths you have went to.

I am doing the Psyko 5.1 headset and I think some of you will be very surprised. :0

Earl

 

[Kett]

Bump.

C'mon people, no one else is going to help the man out? Take the survey!
Here, I made you a template. Now you don't have an excuse:




How long do you wear headphones per day?:
-

How much would you spend on your "Dream" headphones?:
-

What do you love or hate about my first article?:
-

What Current headphones would you like me to compare future headsets to?:
-

What do you look for most in a Soundcard, especially considering the driver changes in Win 7/Vista?:
-

 

[ROCKETR]

Just now saw this thread.

How long do you wear headphones per day?:
- Whenever I use them (which is mainly just for gaming or movie-watching late at night to not disturb the housemates), I wear them for a probably 3-4 hours on average with other times being much longer.

How much would you spend on your "Dream" headphones?:
- I'm a very selective buyer and will pay a decently high price for a pair of headphones but I honestly try to stay within $100-$250 just like Kett said.

What do you love or hate about my first article?:
- Again as Kett said, maybe do some sound profiling. Possibly rank their bass quality, how they handle Hi's and Lo's, do they have detail and clarity, what is their range, etc.

- Standardize some sort of tests that will allow you to have a baseline of what to test everything on and allow for a better comparison.

What Current headphones would you like me to compare future headsets to?:
- Kett hit the nail on it's head here. I would suggest the Audio Technica ATH-AD700, Beyerdynamic DT770, Sennheiser HD555, Sennheiser HD595, Sennheiser PC350, as well as possibly the Astro A40s, Turtle Beach HPXs, and even the Tritton AX Pro.

What do you look for most in a Soundcard, especially considering the driver changes in Win 7/Vista?:
- Quality without a doubt. I want something that produces clear audio that sounds "natural". Also like Kett said, no static or pops.

In my opinion, Kett touched base on just about everything that I can think of. I'm glad to see some Computer Audio articles here on [H]ard. Keep up the great work! You're off with a darn good start.

 

[450]

How long do you wear headphones per day?:
I generally wear my headphones 10-12 hours if I’m at home. I’m not always listening to something while I have them on, its just ever since I moved into an apartment I don’t run my speakers as much.

How much would you spend on your "Dream" headphones?:
I’d be willing to spend $1000-1500 on my dream headphones. I don’t think I’d own anything like the Sennheiser Orpheus, but if I had the money right now, I wouldn’t mind owning a setup based around the HD800. At the moment however, I think the maximum I’d spend is about $300-500 because I don’t have the DACs and amps to back up those expensive headphones.

What do you love or hate about my first article?:
Article is pretty much on-par with other hardware review sites reviews on headphones/audio gear. More testing needs to be done on the sound of the headphones with different types of music and quality levels (128kbps MP3, 192kbps MP3, 320kbps MP3, lossless 16/44.1.

The writing could be more fluid/refined in some sections but I think that will improve as time passes.

Also I think you should compare each headphone with different soundcards/devices if possible. (onboard, X-fi, DAC, portable audio player)

I do think it’s a good start though, and I’m looking forward to reading more reviews from you.

What Current headphones would you like me to compare future headsets to?:
($0-50)
Grado iGrado
Koss PortaPro/SportaPro/KSC35
Koss KSC75/KTX1
Sennheiser HD201
Sennheiser PX100 and PX100 II

($50-100)
Alessandro MS-1/i
Audio Technica ATH-AD700
Audio Technica ATH-A700
Grado SR60/i, SR80/i
Sennhesier HD280
Sennheiser HD555
Sony MDR-V6 (not V600, but same as MDR-7506)

($100-150)
Beyerdynamic DT250-80 and DT250-250
Beyerdynamic DT770-80 Pro
Bose Triports (just because many people might have them)
Denon D1001
Grado SR125/I
Sennheiser HD25-1 mkII (not HD25-sp)
Sony MDR-F1

($150+)
Alessandro MS2/i
AKG K601
AKG K701/702
Beyerdynamic DT880
Beyerdynamic DT990 (250ohm consumer model)
Denon D2000
Etymotic ER4P/ER4S
Grado SR225/i
Grado RS-2 and RS-1
Sennheier HD595
Sennheiser HD580/600/650

Also when comparing wireless headphones, I’d be nice if you were able to acquire Sennheiser’s RS line of wireless headphones. I think Mr. Bennett has a set himself so maybe he can do the comparison?

What do you look for most in a Soundcard, especially considering the driver changes in Win 7/Vista?:
1. DAC quality: I want to know what kind of DAC in is in the sound card
2. Analog output quality: If I’m using a sound card, I’m probably using the analog output to some extent, so I want to make sure its clean and noise free
3. Headphone output: Because I don’t use speakers as often anymore, I want to know if I need a dedicated headphone amp if I have this sound card
4. Input/Output: It’d be useful to know how many outputs it has, and what sort of inputs it has (ex: if it features digital inputs, what resolution can it take)
5. Driver support: Even though I have Windows 7 on my main machine, I do have other machines in use that use Windows XP SP3. I’d be nice to know if it works on both operating systems with ease.

Other: I hope that you’ll be able to review speaker/headphone amps and speakers as well.

Amps that would be nice to see reviewed: Fiio E-series: E1/E3/E5. Little Dot amps, cmoy amps, Dayton DT100, Headroom amps.

EDIT: FWIW: I'm using the DT770-80 Pro and HD600 at the moment. Koss KSC35 gets some use too.

 

[drifterx37]

-After reviews have been going for a bit, I would like to see a comparison of virtual surround effect solutions from different soundcards. (Dolby vs CMSS-3D, etc.)

+1

I worked in car audio for a while and I know what I like for listening to music in the car or in the home in stereo, but I don't know a damn thing about surround sound via headsets or multi-channel systems.

I've got a cheap-ass Dolby virtual 7.1 USB headset and I've played with the Dolby Headphone effect and the DH 1/2/3 settings, turning it on and off while watching the THX demos. It does sound "better" with Dolby enabled, but it doesn't help me with the positioning of sounds at all, I can't close my eyes and picture where a sound is coming from. I'd like to know if that's really just a product of me using a cheap Dolby headset (most likely) or if maybe one of the other virtual surround effects works better. Or maybe virtual surround sound just isn't for me, I don't know.

I'd like to upgrade to something nicer, but I've only been PC gaming for the past few years and I've never owned a sound card, so I don't even know where to start. More importantly, I'm cheap as hell and I'm not going to blindly start buying headphones and sound cards without knowing what I'm getting myself into. I want to do it right the first time for as cheap as possible and forget about it. I could never see myself spending more than $300 on both a headset and sound card regardless, but then I don't game for more than an hour or two on any given day and I haven't "seen the light" with headsets and sound cards, yet.

I'm reading through the Head-fi link above. Apparently I need to find a place where I can try the ATH-AD700 and ATH-A700 side by side; maybe next to the JVC HA-RX700 that everyone on here raves about, because when it comes to my wallet, I definitely like the number 27($) a lot more than the number 90. So I'm definitely interested in hearing more about those three.

 

[Leman]

What Current cans would you like me to compare future headsets to?

Similarly priced headphones, or headphones in the $150 or less category. Most people won't even bother dropping more than $150 on a pair. Of particular mention are the AD700, A700, and HD555s. They're probably some of the most often recommended headphones at that price tier. It may not even be necessary to compare future reviews to anything else other than those 3 headphones, depending on what direction you want to take your articles in.

But if you've got a pair of K1000s, by all means...

What do you look for most in a sound card now that hardware acceleration,EAX, etc have dropped in Windows 7 and Vista?

Sound cards are for chumps. I use an external DAC/amp and hope to be moving to a DAC+amplifier setup soon.

Oh. Gaming?
...

I use onboard. ;__; (TF2 doesn't really lend itself to finding people by footsteps)

How long do you wear headphones per day?:

Depends. Usually no more than a few hours at a time.

How much would you spend on your "Dream" headphones?:

I've got a big huge list of cans I want to buy. The most expensive? Something like the L3000 ($3000+). Not really affordable. In the near future, however, I shall be getting my hands on a pair of W1000X ($500), and it shall be glorious.

 

[wadec22]

How long do you wear headphones per day?:
- i only wear them for gaming, period. so as long as my gaming session. 1-8hrs.

How much would you spend on your "Dream" headphones?:
- before this review and the [H]'ers respones, probably 50-100.00. now, probably in the 200-250.00 range.

What do you love or hate about my first article?:
- i thought it was great. the only thing missing for me was a point of reference, like many have said. what do i get with these as opposed to the ad700's that are so well liked for gaming. how do they compare to a basic 5.1 speaker setup?

What Current headphones would you like me to compare future headsets to?:
- ad700's and what has become my dream headphones, the beyerdynamic 880's.

What do you look for most in a Soundcard, especially considering the driver changes in Win 7/Vista?: i want my soundcard to sound substantially better than onboard audio. i like ease of connections, like a 5.25 bay drive that has mic/headphone connections right on it. can it properly amp the pair of dream headphones i'd like? i'll even put up with pia drivers if the above is there for me.