PS3 Gaming Headset

[NickMate]

Basically, i want a new PS3 headset and have a few options. Price isn't much of a factor (i will be buying off Amazon) so i would say no more than $212 (PX5 price). Things i need with this headset:
-it needs to be very comfy and not cause sweating
-sound good, i want the best sound i can get out of these.
-must be good with films, DVD's and Blu-ray
-Must have a mic (obvious)
-Wireless is a big selling point
-The ability to connect to two devices isnt a must but will help

I have a few options so far. The PX5 (obviously), The Tritton AX720 and the official Sony Playstation 7.1 headset. Give me your thoughts on each of these headsets and the pros/cons. Only want opinions from people who own them or have tried them out.
cheers guys (oh and i need an answer or at least some reply by Xmas day

[inlayterms]

I purchased the Sony Wireless headset a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with it. It's comfortable, easy to use, good battery life, can be recharged while being used, has crisp, clear sound and the surround sound is impressive. The only downside I can think of (for which I've heard they may fix via a patch) is that the surround sound only works for video games right now and not blu-ray, dvd or Netflix movies (you'll only get stereo sound). Still, for $100.00, I don't think you can do better.

[NickMate]

Originally Posted by inlayterms

I purchased the Sony Wireless headset a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with it. It's comfortable, easy to use, good battery life, can be recharged while being used, has crisp, clear sound and the surround sound is impressive. The only downside I can think of (for which I've heard they may fix via a patch) is that the surround sound only works for video games right now and not blu-ray, dvd or Netflix movies (you'll only get stereo sound). Still, for $100.00, I don't think you can do better.

What's the connection to the base unit.? Optical, coax..ect?
How's the prolonged use like, say 2hr +?
Is it made of plastic or metal, how sturdy is it. Has it ever cut out and dropped signal.

[NickMate]

cmon guys, need some votes or at least opinions. getting close to order date

[NickMate]

really...know one can vote and help me decide. thought these were forums to help a bro out?

[Tyg3r]

Originally Posted by NickMate

really...know one can vote and help me decide. thought these were forums to help a bro out?

Get this topic moved to PS3 sub-forum and you'll get more replies...btw there's a topic that discusses the Sony headset there also.

I have the Offiicial headset and have no regrets...I don't have any experience with the others on your list.

[NickMate]

Originally Posted by Tyg3r

Get this topic moved to PS3 sub-forum and you'll get more replies...btw there's a topic that discusses the Sony headset there also.

I have the Offiicial headset and have no regrets...I don't have any experience with the others on your list.

Cheers, I'll ask a gaming mod in a minute. With the Sony headset, how good is the surround sound in games such as cod.? Do you hear foot steps and shots behind you and all that?.
Also, if you have any experience with this, how's watching films such as Blu-ray?

[inlayterms]

Originally Posted by NickMate

What's the connection to the base unit.? Optical, coax..ect?
How's the prolonged use like, say 2hr +?
Is it made of plastic or metal, how sturdy is it. Has it ever cut out and dropped signal.

It connects via a USB dongle that wirelessly transmits the signal to the headset. When you charge it, you can still use it, but you'll need a second USB port to charge and use it at the same time. Myself, I dedicate one USB port on the PS3 for the dongle and, to charge it, I attach a USB cable to the headset and use an adaptor to charge it from a wall plug.

I get about 8 hours of use before it needs to be recharged.

It's made of plastic, but is well built. Only the "mic" seems a bit flimsy, but not such that I worry about breaking it. Care for it as you would anything else and it should last.

It's never cut or dropped the signal.

Originally Posted by NickMate

Cheers, I'll ask a gaming mod in a minute. With the Sony headset, how good is the surround sound in games such as cod.? Do you hear foot steps and shots behind you and all that?.
Also, if you have any experience with this, how's watching films such as Blu-ray?

The surround sound is "virtual" 7.1, but you can hear things coming from behind, around you, etc. I am very impressed when playing Uncharted 3 with it.

Unfortunately, blu-ray and other movies are only available in stereo. I have, however, heard that Sony may release a patch so that blu-rays may be played with the "virtual" 7.1., but who knows if and when they will.

As I've said, for $100.00 you can't go wrong with it; I think the sound is almost as good as my AKG 240's, which I paid more than twice as much for 10 years ago.

[silversnake]

I was just looking into this last week. I was sold on the turtlebeach beacuse of the dual blutooth but decided against because of the non rechargeable battery and that it uses the same frequency as routers which casuses interference.

I was also looking at the Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 with 7.1 Surround Sound

Right now, I'm waiting for turtlebeach to release their new headsets (early 2012) and hoping that they fix the issues I have.

Good luck!

[NickMate]

Cheers guys. Do the logitechs work on ps3.? I would probably buy a pair of g35 for pc gaming but if the g35 works on bth that's a mega plus.
Right now, I'm getting the Sony headset but I have a few weeks to decide

[NickMate]

Ok decided not to get the Turtle Beach, seems like an overkill for me. The Sony set it is, since amazon won't do international shipping in these which dosnt make sense, I'll have to buy locally which is $149 which I'm happy to pay.
Is there anyway to connect this set to my ps3 and pc simultaneously .?

[red_5ive]

I just went through this the last 3 weeks. Here were my top 3 contenders, all of which I tried, and in the order that I tried them.

Turtle Beach Ear Force DPX21
Pros: Comfortable and not tight around the head; Dolby Headphone surround technology; BIG HUGE bass; multi-platform support; very good mic sound quality
Cons: Highs are a bit muffled, WIRES

Tritton AX Pro
Pros: 8 individual speakers for supposed "true" surround; multi-platform support
Cons: Mediocre sound quality at best; distorted bass when boosting bass output; surround quality is not much better than stereo headphones with Dolby Headphone surround technology; WIRES

Logitech F540 Wireless Stereo Headset
Pros: Crystal clear and OPEN sound throughout the spectrum, but NEVER bright; WIRELESS; rechargeable (5 hr charge time); multi-platform support; very good if not excellent mic quality; mic slides easily in an up position that automatically mutes the mic
Cons: Stereo headset only (does not come with surround capability); slightly tight fit

I wasn't really looking for a headset and only decided to try out the DPX21 because of the "bass boost" feature. No joke, these things deliver great bass, and while I have Dolby Headphone in my home system the DSS module (Dolby surround processor device) that comes with the DPX21 is a great little unit. It has a standard 3.5 mm microphone jack and will actually work with any stereo headphone, although the addition of the "bass" feature in the control module of the PX21 headset makes for an excellent combination. And just a quick note on the Dolby Headphone feature, it provided a more than sufficient "behind the head" experience that will assist in pinpointing key sounds for online shooter games (footsteps, gunfire, etc.). The Dolby Headphone sound field is convincingly immersive and expansive.

I enjoyed gaming with the DPX21 so much that I decided to check if there was anything better out there. I picked up the Tritton AXPro after having read all the positive reviews. However, I was beyond disappointed with the audio quality of this set, and I did not feel the surround abilities were any better than the DPX21 considering the 8 speaker configuration. The unit has a volume boost option to adjust the levels of the front, center, surround, and bass channels - the problem, however, was boosting the bass even slightly produced distortion. I don't think I used these for more than an hour or two. If break-in was a factor, well the other 2 units sounded GREAT out of the box. I did not test the mic quality of these.

Enter the Logitech F540 Wireless Headset. I grabbed these as they were on sale at Best Buy (U.S. electronics retailer) for $99 U.S.D. last week. I figured I would try them even knowing that they are only a stereo headset. The reviews I read about the crystal clear sound had me curious. After tying them, there's no joke - these were the best sounding phones out of the bunch, however what they were lacking was a deep, punchy bass as compared to the DPX21. Not to say there was no bass, but after having been spoiled with the powerful subwoofer like bass of the DPX21, the F540 left me wanting in the bass department, despite how great they sound on a whole.

I had initially connected the F540 to my home system to utilize the Dolby Headphone capabilities of my preamp, but then it dawned on me that I could just use the DSS module that comes with the DPX21. THIS WAS THE TICKET! The bass had authority using the DSS module, and with the clearer and open sound of the F540 it was a match made in heaven.

Knowing that the Turtle Beach DSS module (model TBS-2100) is available on sale at Amazon, I placed an order and took back the Tritton AXPro and the Turtle Beach DPX21. Coupled with the Turtle Beach Ear Force DSS module, the F540 is the clear winner IMO.

I did try out the F540 + DSS module combo and the DPX21 with movies, and the F540 won hands down. There was just no comparison with the open and clear sound of these phones. There also seems to be some kind of dialog boost with the F540 as dialogue is very clear. They are a bit tight-fitting, however, especially compared to the DPX21. However, I can't yet comment on how they'll be in a warm environment as it's fall/winter season where I live and I've only had the phones for a week. They are also slightly heavier than the other two as they are wireless and contain a battery, but that did not play a factor in fatigue after a 4 hour session with them, though I did take a 10 min break. If you decide to try them and find them fitting, I still highly recommend the DPX21 - there were times when I forgot I was wearing these phones.

I'm happily awaiting the arrival of the Turtle Beach Ear Force DSS Module, which I suspect should be tomorrow. It was shipped via a U.S. courier (USPS) that is notorious for not updating their tracking page until after the package is delivered so I have to guess the delivery date. Nevertheless, the F540 + DSS module combo is worth the wait.

[NickMate]

The f540 seems nice. I was wanting to get the DSS module for my stero headphones so I may still get it. Does it allow surround sound for films. Also, can you show me and/or explain how to connect these two devices together and then to the ps3. Cheers mate.

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by NickMate

The f540 seems nice. I was wanting to get the DSS module for my stero headphones so I may still get it. Does it allow surround sound for films. Also, can you show me and/or explain how to connect these two devices together and then to the ps3. Cheers mate.

The DSS module connects directly to the Optical out port of the PS3 (it comes with a somewhat flimsy optical cable that does the job). It will also require a USB connection for power and headset communication, which I have connected to the PS3. Both the optical and USB power ports are located on the back of the DSS unit.

From there, the DSS unit has a front USB input for headset power and mic connectivity, and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack.

From there, you will need a 3.5mm to RCA adapter - like this. You connect the RCA side to the "PS3" RCA port of the F540 base unit, and then the 3.5mm connector to the DSS module. Then, connect the supplied USB connector from the front USB jack of the F540 base unit to the front USB port of the DSS.

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by NickMate

The f540 seems nice. I was wanting to get the DSS module for my stero headphones so I may still get it. Does it allow surround sound for films. Also, can you show me and/or explain how to connect these two devices together and then to the ps3. Cheers mate.

I forgot to answer you first question . Yes, the unit will utilize the Dolby Headphone surround feature for movies, but I forgot to mention that because this is a Dolby Processor unit, to my knowledge at this point it will only decode a Dolby signal. I initially tested a blu-ray that was DTS-HD MA and there was no sound. Luckily the disc had a lossy Dolby 5.1 track and I was able to use that. Dolby TrueHD won't be a problem as you will automatically get the lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital. I'll do more testing with movies when the unit arrives as I don't know for sure if there's a way to get it play with DTS or PCM encoded material. I'll post back after I get the unit.

Lastly, I did try the DSS module with my Sennheiser HD600 headphones, and the results weren't that great. However, these phones are made for music so I guess I shouldn't expect much. Thus, using your own headphones, YMMV depending on what the headphones were designed to do.

[NickMate]

Ok great. Would the G35 work even though they are wired or wireless variant.

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by NickMate

Ok great. Would the G35 work even though they are wired or wireless variant.

Unfortunately the G35 is designed for PC only, in which case it is purely a USB headset. For that reason it would also not work with the DSS module as the DSS requires a 3.5mm cable connection for sound.

[NickMate]

Originally Posted by red_5ive

Unfortunately the G35 is designed for PC only, in which case it is purely a USB headset. For that reason it would also not work with the DSS module as the DSS requires a 3.5mm cable connection for sound.

oh ok, i guess it would need its own drivers as well. ill look into the F540's. Ill wait until your DSS comes in the mail and here your thoughts about it. I like Logitech so i trust their products. i will look at some reviews and analyse them. i might buy the headset now and wait for the DSS to come down. currently $70 plus shipping !

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by NickMate

oh ok, i guess it would need its own drivers as well. ill look into the F540's. Ill wait until your DSS comes in the mail and here your thoughts about it. I like Logitech so i trust their products. i will look at some reviews and analyse them. i might buy the headset now and wait for the DSS to come down. currently $70 plus shipping !

Yeah, the G35 doesn't have a physical bass unit and apart from the controls that are built onto the headset, everything else is software based.

I saw the price increase on the DSS module! However, the F540 + DSS combo is still $40 cheaper than the PX5. I checked Newegg and the price is also $70 - hopefully it'll go on sale again. Tracking has mine as arriving at my local postal service facility yesterday at Noon, so it should be here today. I'll post more about it tonight.

[NickMate]

Originally Posted by red_5ive

Yeah, the G35 doesn't have a physical bass unit and apart from the controls that are built onto the headset, everything else is software based.

I saw the price increase on the DSS module! However, the F540 + DSS combo is still $40 cheaper than the PX5. I checked Newegg and the price is also $70 - hopefully it'll go on sale again. Tracking has mine as arriving at my local postal service facility yesterday at Noon, so it should be here today. I'll post more about it tonight.

Cheers mate, you have been a great help.! Really appreciate.