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Can someone recommend some good headphones for single player pc games (3d audio/surround sound)

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BTK

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I’ve been using Sony XM4 headphones and selecting DTS X/Dolby atmos for headphones in games that support it and the immersion is pretty good. I’m not too educated on this but I want more now and I know I need a wired brand such as sennheiser.

Am I still supposed to select DTS X/Dolby for headphones for games that support it or do I setup the 7.1 in windows now. ( I’m not sure you can do a 7.1 setup for headphones in windows can you?) Sorry again I’m not too educated and just looking for better than my XM4 now.

Budget is around 250 dollars.
 
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Discussion starter · #2 ·
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#3 ·
if you want 7.1 sound it means you will need 7 speakers on each side plus a subwoofer. If there is such a headset then it's a gimmick.
 
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#4 · (Edited)
I have always been of the opinion that a good pair of headphones with a good dac/amp is better than any headset will ever be
I dont know what you prefer closed or open headphones?

Here is a suggestion combo
www.amazon.com

SENNHEISER HD 599 Open Back Headphone, Ivory

Buy SENNHEISER HD 599 Open Back Headphone, Ivory at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase decision!
www.amazon.com
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: FiiO Headphone Amps Portable DAC USB Type-C coaxial 384kHz/32bit (E10K-TC Black) : Electronics

Buy FiiO Headphone Amps Portable DAC USB Type-C coaxial 384kHz/32bit (E10K-TC Black): Amplifiers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com

There are many other options besides those
It might not be better for gaming than a headset but it will be much be for everything else

Note that almost any headphone you can find no matter the brand and price other than the cheapest crap needs a dac/amp to sound good plug them straight into a PC and they sound like muted and bit lifeless


Find a good dac/amp and even cheap headphones will sound much better
 
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#5 ·
There is no such thing as a 7.1 headphones unless like others said a Gimmick or software tricks.
Tritton when they came out actually had multiple 'speakers' in each cup
Mad Catz Tritton AX 720 Gaming Headset review: Mad Catz Tritton AX 720 Gaming Headset - CNET
But that thing was your typical gamer garbage.

Anyways here's a dumb recommendation
DX7 Pro+ DAC&Headphone Amp-TOPPING
HD 800 S | Sennheiser (sennheiser-hearing.com)

More sensible would be any of the gaming DAC/AMP like the Mayflower ARC, Sennheiser GSX1000 etc
Arc Mk2 (mayflowerelectronics.com)
GSX 1000 2nd edition (eposaudio.com)
Paired with
Drop + EPOS PC38X Gaming Headset | Open back Audiophile Headphones For Gaming

What more do you need?
 
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#6 ·
agreed with above,buy a great hifi headphone,way better then surround,gaming gear.

I use an Sennheiser without amp HD600 with my system and its great for all,gaming,movies,music you name it.

If you board has an decent audio chip,this thing will shine:)
And your is an MSI tomahawk b660? that motherboard has a good audio chip
I use an MSI z690 edge ddr4 wifi sound greats really
 
#7 ·
This might sound dumb OP, but I got some Logitech g432’s from Wal-mart (of all places) and honestly, for the price I paid (I believe 40$ US) they are astoundingly impressive. I forgot how great they were and I needed a new headset quickly due to my new PC I just built with my 4090 and 7900x, so I ran to Walmart and grabbed the first pair I saw. They are REALLY good. My head is very big, so they hurt after wearing a while, but if you need a cheap headset that sounds amazing when playing single player games (I only play the same mainly) you should definitely consider the g432’s. Especially if you don’t want to break the bank.
 
#8 ·
You really need an amp for Senn HD 600, 650, or 6xx.

As for Dolby Atmos Headphone or DTS:X headphone, you simple tell it use a stereo output device like an optical out. When those are activated, it presents a virtual 7.1 speaker setup to a game or application. You shouldn't have to change any settings in Windows except to turn on Dolby or DTS. If games use the proper Windows Spatial Sound system for virtual speaker placement, then you'll get that effect. If they don't, the game will render-down the sound to those virtual 7.1 speakers, and Dolby, DTS, or Sonic will do the HRTF for your headphones. If an application doesn't hook into the virtual surround speakers, the mixing effects like dynamic range compression or reverb will still apply, from what I can tell.

In Windows 11, you have to use the Game Bar to get a visual indication that it's working.
 
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#10 ·
I'm saying it sounds even better with an amp.
 
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#11 · (Edited)
I don't have expertise on the matter personally but in a professional context, I know people who work and mix with audio in video game production*. DT 770 250 ohm headphones are the baseline for mixing audio. I know it sounds like the "my uncle works at Nintendo" blah blah blah but that is the bottom line. As a consumer, you don't need this grade but if you're seeking good audio, you should start there.

I assume ATMOS will need to be downmixed to stereo and you may get an impression of the volume of effects (height, positioning etc.) but as others stated, you'll likely have to rely on virtual effects for headphones. Remember that ATMOS is 7.1.4.

Basically a 7.1 surround speaker setup with 4 ceiling speakers aimed at the user. No headphones (or sound bar...) can give you true ATMOS.

Personal computer Output device Font Computer Computer desk


Focus on a good hi-fi setup as others stated. I like Sennhesier and I use the 6XX headphones I got from Massdrop some years ago. Pair that with a good amp and you're good to go.
 
#12 ·
Saying the HD600 sounds good without ever having tried them at their full potential is missing out you think they sound good right until you try them with a good amp then you will never ever go back i have been there myself

You think they sound good because you have gotten used to it
They dont sound bad without an amp but they sure as hell dont sound great
 
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#13 ·
BTK said:
What about these

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X Open-Back Studio Headphones with Stellar.45 Driver for Mixing and Mastering : Musical Instruments

Shop Amazon for beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X Open-Back Studio Headphones with Stellar.45 Driver for Mixing and Mastering and find millions of items, delivered faster than ever.
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...
Hi im using the beyerdynamic DT1770 Pro with the Sennheiser GSX 1000 for gaming and for music or movies i use the fiio Q3 as i take it as well to the work connected to laptop or mobile... And have to say its the best combo ever, as i was disappointed in the past by some Creative 5.1 headphones...
 
#14 ·
DTS:X and Dolby Atmos Heaphone (or what ever it's called in the Dolby Access program) in Windows 11/10 is a HRTF plug-in for Microsoft's Spatial Sound system. The default HRTF solution is Windows Sonic. If a game doesn't use the MS Spatial Sound system (to get "true" virtual sound sources in 3-D space like home theater or real theater Dolby Atmos), then when you turn on Sonic, DTS, or Dolby in the Spatial Sound setting, it tells the game to render sound sources to a 7.1 speaker config and then takes the HRTF from there without any 3-D sound for height or bellow your head sound cues.
 
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Discussion starter · #15 ·
I ended up ordering the Beyerdynamic dt 900 pro x the reviews say it’s excellent for gaming sorry it’s not the thousand dollar stuff you guys suggested. I’m just wondering if I need a DAC most of the reviews say even a phone can drive these and I don’t need a DAC at all. I have an MSI z690 ddr4 tomahawk Wi-Fi board with an ALC4080 chip but thanks for any suggestions
 
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#16 · (Edited)
BTK said:
I ended up ordering the Beyerdynamic dt 900 pro x the reviews say it’s excellent for gaming sorry it’s not the thousand dollar stuff you guys suggested. I’m just wondering if I need a DAC most of the reviews say even a phone can drive these and I don’t need a DAC at all. I have an MSI z690 ddr4 tomahawk Wi-Fi board with an ALC4080 chip but thanks for any suggestions
Click to expand...
You can use them without an amp but they are not going to sound as good as they could
They are going to sound far better with a good amp no matter what any so called review might claim

They are 48 ohms headphones which is very close to the 50 ohms of the HD-599 that i have and the RHA L1 dacamp that i bought made a ton of difference and 48-50 is not even all that high but they WILL sound much better with a good amp
 
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#17 ·
A phone can drive anything, but that doesn't mean it will sound good. I would recommend a headphone for anything over 50 ohms impedence.
 
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Discussion starter · #18 ·
Can someone link me to a decent dac that’s not too expensive
 
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#19 ·
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theborv
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