Looking for peoples thoughts on a good setup for a gaming rig. Is 5.1/7.1 needed? Or is a money better spent on a good 2.1 set of speakers? Also, is there any point in buying a high-end sound card for gaming, other than freeing up cpu cycles and various codec support? I guess the real question is what speaker/sound card combo provides the best experience for gaming (in sound and performance) rather than for music/movies/recording etc? Right now I have a Herc Fort. III and Creative 5100 5.1s. Any good upgrade options, or keep what I have? Sorry in advance if this is a common asked and answered question, the search feature is currently disabled. Thanks for the input.
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Gaming Audio
- Thread starter puphus
- Start date
Well I've gone through many sets of speakers and sound boards and I'll give you one of my opinions.
It is definitely worth it to place 500 bucks down for a set of Klipsch 5.1 Ultras and an Audigy 2 ZS, your ears will thank you. If you live somewhere where you can take your sound system to the limit a good sound system will drive you deeper into the game, give you the edge in gaming and will up the fun factor. The A2 also takes less CPU power to operate compared to onboard.
It is very nice to hear a footstep behind you, spin around and cap the guy before he even turns around the corner. Of course they will call you a h4x0r, but good 3D sound gives you the edge.
My friend has 2 speakers and onboard audio, it sounds so pathetic it actually drives you out of the game, and confuses you as you have no idea where sounds are coming from. I have owned the SB16 ISA, SB16 PCI, SB Live, SB Live Plat, SB Audigy and the SB Audigy 2. I also own the Cambridge F1000 4.1s, DT 2500, DT 3500+, Megaworks 5.1D, and my Klipsch 5.1 PMs.
If you get the Klipsch 5.1 Ultras and an Audigy 2 ZS you will not regret it.
It is definitely worth it to place 500 bucks down for a set of Klipsch 5.1 Ultras and an Audigy 2 ZS, your ears will thank you. If you live somewhere where you can take your sound system to the limit a good sound system will drive you deeper into the game, give you the edge in gaming and will up the fun factor. The A2 also takes less CPU power to operate compared to onboard.
It is very nice to hear a footstep behind you, spin around and cap the guy before he even turns around the corner. Of course they will call you a h4x0r, but good 3D sound gives you the edge.
My friend has 2 speakers and onboard audio, it sounds so pathetic it actually drives you out of the game, and confuses you as you have no idea where sounds are coming from. I have owned the SB16 ISA, SB16 PCI, SB Live, SB Live Plat, SB Audigy and the SB Audigy 2. I also own the Cambridge F1000 4.1s, DT 2500, DT 3500+, Megaworks 5.1D, and my Klipsch 5.1 PMs.
If you get the Klipsch 5.1 Ultras and an Audigy 2 ZS you will not regret it.
I like gaming better with my headphones and think they deliver great positional audio. Don't spend $500 on Klipsch, pick up the best gaming sound card there is, Audigy 2 ZS, and get yourself a good set of headphones w/ an amp. You can easily get all that for $500 and it will sound a lot better then the Klipsch. I used to have a set of Klipsch and sold them once I got my headphone/amp setup because it just sounded so much better.
jamezzz122
Supreme [H]ardness
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- Jun 1, 2003
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- 4,539
You wanna go with the Promedias and an Audigy 2 ZS man...
jamezzz122
Supreme [H]ardness
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- Jun 1, 2003
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That is what I was thinking but people say it isn't true...I haven't used headphones so I dunno...
People only have 2 ears...with headphones, 3D audio can be much more convincing and immersive, being right up against your head and the "ears" of the player. I tend to feel like I am actually there, the headphone algorithms are dead on. Speakers are more distant from your head and thus not as personal, nearby sounds don't sound as near, the gap between each speaker can be a disadvantage compared to more natural headphones, etc.
Now all we need are headsets for the eyes as well...mmm
Now all we need are headsets for the eyes as well...mmm
Impossible...dude, you've probably never even tried headphones. Headphones have way superior positional audio than any speaker set up, be it 4.1, 5.1, 7.1, or even 7.2.
Don't knock shit until you tried it.
Impossible...maybe. But the positional audio is emulated quite well. Now what is shit, is these 5.1 headphones. Those suck. A decent stereo can will emulate it just the same if not better.
And yes, I have a had a 4.1 system in the past. I have a 5.1 system on my pc and 7.2 downstairs. Gaming is still a helluva lot better with my cans.
EDIT: As for suggestions: I would suggest the Beyerdynamic DT 770 headphones and a decent headphone amp(pimeta or higher; I like the PPA amps). For a good headphone setup you'd run about 400 bucks give or take some quid. Sure you can spend that much money on some 5.1+ Klipsch/Logitech/Cambridge Soundworks/fill_in_brand_here speakers, but I guarantee you, the positional audio will never match that of a good headphone set up. I also guarantee that the bass output of these cans is much more punchy and goes much lower than any computer audio system...and even some HT systems. I challenge anyone to find some computer speakers that have a frequency response of 5 - 35,000. Some cans even go to the 40,000s. What's more is that a lot of cans have an SPL over 110 dB...some go past the 140.
If you're one of those people that want to shake the house, piss of your family, and piss of your neighbors than I don't recommend headphones. If you want superior sound quality, positional audio, and bass, I suggest headphones...especially the DT 770s.
Other recommendations? Just ask.
BTW: My speakers are now just gathering dust. They're glorified paper weights. My woofer is an ottoman.
Wow some people seem to get touchy about this subject...
Just because I didn't mention I use headphones doesn't mean I never used them before, try not to jump to conclusions here.
I use them whenever I am at a LAN party, I just find 5.1 speakers to sound better while offering better positioning. Like I said to puphus before, just go to a Best Buy\ friends house and try out both.
Just because I didn't mention I use headphones doesn't mean I never used them before, try not to jump to conclusions here.
I use them whenever I am at a LAN party, I just find 5.1 speakers to sound better while offering better positioning. Like I said to puphus before, just go to a Best Buy\ friends house and try out both.
Yeah, I mean, think about it. You don't have 4 ears - you have 2.
How do YOU know when a sound is 3 feet directly in front of you or 3 feet directly behind you?
Exactly, because your ears have a certain shape that makes a sound 3 feet directly behind you have 'lowering volume and tone' than a sound 3 feet directly in front of you. That same 'lowering volumne and tone' you mock the headphones for having to use.
Now, don't take me wrong, I do like 5.1 speaker systems.
But, at least theoretically, headphones will *always* be able to create a more perfect representation of a 3d environment than any speaker system, regardless of how many speakers it has. (At least, to humans. Obviously, some hypothetical creature with 4 ears would probably disagree, but *we* only have 2.)
How do YOU know when a sound is 3 feet directly in front of you or 3 feet directly behind you?
Exactly, because your ears have a certain shape that makes a sound 3 feet directly behind you have 'lowering volume and tone' than a sound 3 feet directly in front of you. That same 'lowering volumne and tone' you mock the headphones for having to use.
Now, don't take me wrong, I do like 5.1 speaker systems.
But, at least theoretically, headphones will *always* be able to create a more perfect representation of a 3d environment than any speaker system, regardless of how many speakers it has. (At least, to humans. Obviously, some hypothetical creature with 4 ears would probably disagree, but *we* only have 2.)
Take my word for it...after you try out some decent cans you will never turn back.
I think that's another one of the beauties of headphones...you can go as high end as you want with them for computers because the cans aren't generally made for the PC...they are made for SQ. Some cans just happen to be perfect for gaming, though.
EDIT: We scared puphus away and instead got a nice lively debate thing going on.
Others have already voiced similiar opinions and have hopefully convinced you that it's actually no impossible at all and is most of the time much more convincing. For the record, as I mentioned above I used to use some Klipsch 4.1 and sold them when I "Saw the light" of Sennhesier.
Seraphim974
Gawd
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- Nov 7, 2003
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- 928
hmm, ill just stick with my 5.1 DD setup, cuz, i don't like stuff strapped to my head and screaming into my ears close up and also i wouldn't like not being able to impress friends This is the same reason that i bought a MX700 logitech mouse, less annoyances.
This is the same reason that i bought a MX700 logitech mouse, less annoyances.