If you're not opposed to getting things separately, then I have some recommendations and suggestions. There's also some info you should know if you want to get better value for your money. I've explained in the least technical way I can. Just ask if you have questions.

🎧 Headphones

---

Open-back:

• AKG K612 Pro
  
• AKG K701
  
• AKG K702
  
• Audio-Technica ATH-AD700x
  
• Audio-Technica ATH-AD900x
  
• Beyerdynamic DT880
  
• Beyerdynamic DT990
  
• Philips Fidelio X2
  
• Sennheiser Game One (headset)
  
• Sennheiser HD558/HD579
  
• Sennheiser HD598/HD599
  
  Closed-back:
  
  
• AKG K550
  
• Audio Technica ATH-MSR7
  
• Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus
  
• Beyerdynamic DT770
  
• Sennheiser Game Zero (headset)
  
• V-MODA Crossfade M-100
  
   
  
  The first thing you should determine is whether you need sound isolation or not.
  
  
• Open-back: the earcups have perforations/openings that allow sound to freely pass through. This often provides a larger soundstage and better imaging.
  
  
• Closed-back: the earcups have solid shells that isolate sound from passing through to various extent.
  
   
  
  Next, you should figure out which sound signature you prefer.
  
  
• Balanced/flat/neutral: doesn't over- or under-emphasize the bass or treble.
  
• Warm: emphasizes the bass.
  
• Dark: recesses the treble. A headphone can be warm and dark.
  
• Bright: emphasizes the treble. Bass may be recessed.
  
• U-shape: emphasizes the bass and treble a little.
  
• V-shape: emphasizes the bass and treble more than U-shaped.
  
• Mid-forward: the mids are louder than the bass and treble. The mids may be emphasized or the bass and treble may be recessed.
  
  Sub-bass is where rumble lies. This is easier to find in closed-back headphones. Mid-bass is where impact lies.
  
   
  
  Lastly, you should know what sound characteristics constitute positional audio and pertain to immersion.
  
  
• Soundstage: is produced by the headphone, not the game. It's perceived space and environment of sound. It's the size of the sound field. A small soundstage makes the environment around you sound confined or boxed in. With a large soundstage, the environment sounds much more spatial, open and natural. You can't comprehend it without experiencing it.
  
  
• Imaging: is inherent to the audio content. It's how accurately the locations of sounds/objects are reproduced.
  
  
• Separation: is how you discern individual sounds from a range of overlapping sounds. This is only important for competitive shooters.
  
   
  
  Of the listed headphones, I have Audio-Technica ATH-AD700x, Beyerdynamic DT990 (600 ohms), Philips Fidelio X2 and Sennheiser HD598.
  
  
• AD700x: is bright with recessed sub-bass. It has clean bass and a little harsh treble. It has a huge soundstage, excellent imaging, separation and clarity, and great detail retrieval.
  
  It has a lightweight and durable build without flimsy and squeaky parts. The earpads are made of smooth, non-itchy velour and are very soft. They have a good size and depth for average sized adult ears and have very good quality. The clamping force isn't too tight or too loose for an average sized adult head. The wing design is a gimmick to me; the headphone slides down and rests on my ears, but using a headband cover like this prevents it from happening and makes the headphone extremely comfortable to wear.
  
  
• DT990: has emphasized mid-bass, recessed sub-bass, and very emphasized treble. The bass is clean. The treble is slightly splashy and somewhat sharp. It has a huge soundstage and excellent imaging, separation, clarity and detail retrieval. The 600-ohm version requires an external/dedicated headphone amplifier or a sound card.
  
  It has a lightweight and sturdy build without flimsy and squeaky parts. The earpads are made of silky smooth velour and are very soft. They have a good size and depth and have great quality. The clamping force is just right. It's extremely comfortable to wear.
  
  
• Fidelio X2: has emphasized sub-and mid-bass and treble. It has clean bass and smooth treble, meaning the treble isn't harsh, scratchy, splashy, piercing or anything else that's offensive to the ears. The soundstage is very wide, like the others I've mentioned, but it lacks some depth. It's probably only noticeable if you play competitively or compare it head-to-head with other headphones that are deeper. This affects the imaging from front to back somewhat. The imaging from left to right is excellent. Separation and clarity are excellent. Detail retrieval is great. The bass overpowers sound cues a lot.
  
  It's a little heavy and has a sturdy build without flimsy and squeaky parts. The earpads have great quality and are soft, very roomy, and made of smooth velour. The clamping force is more on the tighter side. The comfort is very good.
  
  
• HD598: is mid-forward with recessed sub-bass. It has clean bass and smooth treble. I haven't used it much, so my impressions of its competitive performance are that it has a large soundstage and good imaging, separation and detail retrieval. Clarity is excellent.
  
  It has a lightweight and sturdy build without flimsy and squeaky parts. The earpads are soft and made of smooth velour. They have a good size and depth and have very good quality. The clamping force is tight, especially when the headphone is new. It's comfortable to wear.
  
  

  
  

  
  I also compare to AKG K52, AKG Q701, HiFiMan HE400i (the revision), HiFiMan HE500, HyperX Cloud, Philips SHP9500, Monoprice Monolith M1060, Sennheiser HD700, Sennheiser HD800, Superlux HD662 EVO, Superlux HD668B, Superlux HD669, Superlux HD681 EVO, Tritton Pro+ and Turtle Beach Ear Force XP Seven MLG Pro.
  
  My evaluations are based on games -- not music. I test headphones mostly in BF:BC2, BF3, BF4 and R6S.
  
   
  
  

  🔊 Microphones
  

  
  ---
  
  

  
  

  
  

• Antlion ModMic 4: it attaches magnetically to a base that sticks to either earcup. It's easy to attach and detach and doesn't fall off unless you accidentally hit it or violently move your head around. The mic has a flexible neck and can be tilted up and out of sight. It has a very good build quality and great sound quality for voice chat. It's compatible with all headphones.
  
  
• V-MODA BoomPro: it inserts directly into the headphone, replacing the original headphone cable. It's compatible with Philips Fidelio X2 and V-MODA Crossfade M-100. It has a great build quality with an aluminum gooseneck and a tangle-free and braided cable. It has volume and mic mute controls. It has great sound quality for voice chat.
  
  

  
  

  
  Alternatives:
  
  

• Antlion ModMic 5
  
• Audio-Technica AT2020USB
  
• Blue Snowball
  
• Blue Yeti
  
• Massdrop Minimic (currently unavailable)
  
• Neewer Clip on Mini Lapel Microphone
  
• Samson Go
  
• Sony ECMCS3
  
• Zalman ZM-Mic1
  
   
  
  

  Additional gear and accessories
  

  
  ---
  
  

  
  

  
  Volume and mic mute control for use with DS4:
  
  

• adjustR
  
• Fosmon
  
• Insignia
  
• Lucid Sound AdjustR
  
  

  
  

  
  USB adapters:
  
  

• BENGOO
  
• Ugreen, single jack
  
• Ugreen, dual jacks
  
  

  
  

  
  Amplifier and DAC combos:
  
  

• Audioengine D1
  
• FX Audio DAC-X6
  
• Micca OriGen G2
  
• Schiit Magni 3 + FiiO D3
  
• SMSL SD793-II
  
  To use an amp, you need a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) because USB and optical are digital signals and PS4 has no analog outputs. USB DACs may reverse the left and right channels or not work at all, so I have only included DACs that use optical, which is completely reliable. You can use an HDMI-to-optical converter if you have Slim.
  
   
  
  Sound cards:
  
  
• Astro MixAmp Pro TR
  
• Creative Sound BlasterX G1
  
• Creative Sound BlasterX G5
  
• Turtle Beach Elite Pro TAC
  
   
  
  

  Setup
  

  
  ---
  
  

  
  

  
  To connect the headphone and ModMic, Minimic, Neewer clip-on mic, ECMCS3 or ZM-Mic1 to the controller, you need a Y-splitter with three black rings on the connector, which is called a TRRS or 4-pole Y-splitter.
  
  If you want to use an amp and a DAC, then the mic must connect to the controller with a Y-splitter. The headphone connects directly to the amp. To avoid this clutter, you can use a sound card / USB adapter instead. You may have to use a Y-splitter if it has just one jack.
  
  The BoomPro doesn't require a Y-splitter and works only with the controller, sound cards, and other devices that have a TRRS jack, meaning they are designed for headsets. The BoomPro doesn't work with amps and DACs.
  
  

[Problem Solved][Still need to try Fiio D3]

First of all thanks so much for those detailed yet easy to understand explanations.

Today I spent the day in search for a place where I could get a FiiO locally or something similar to it.

At first the closest thing I found to it was at Guitar Center and Sam Ash. From what I was told at one of the stores they only had Audio Digital Interfaces and not a simple Digital to Analog Audio Converter like the Fiio D3. I'm not even sure any of them there had Optical inputs which are a must for this problem.

I then decided to try a different brick and mortar store that is very popular all across the US. There I found a Sound Blaster G5 https://www.amazon.com/Creative-BlasterX-Headphone-Amplifier-SB1700/dp/B018JUPY3A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473987063&sr=8-1&keywords=sound+blaster+g5. This seemed to have exactly what I was looking for as far as inputs outputs but also came along with an AMP and access its own Sound Blaster software (Different Software than the SB Zx). I haven't tried installing the software since I don't plan on keeping it so I can't tell u if its as good as the Zx as far as that goes.

I get home with the mind set that I want to power it not using my PC and for the audio signal I only want to use the optical cables that come with it.

To power the G5 not using the USB from the computer u need a plug similar to what comes with cell phones now a days (plugs into wall outlet and then connect the USB cable that came with it to that and run it to the G5. I then connected the Optical cable out from my Sound Blaster Zx to the G5. This cable is a little weird, it s standard optical on one side and on the other it looks like a 3.5mm but with an optical light.

Finally, crystal clear sound with no HUMS, CRACKCLES and POPS!!!

I can't compare to how it sounded before because previously I wouldn't turn the knobs on the back of the LSR305 very high and I feel like this has a definite effect on the sound quality (Friend thinks it has to do with the amp inside the 305 not being utilized efficiently when the knobs are at low settings).

With that being said they speakers sound great now and I feel like they will only continue to grow on me. When I tried them at the store I thought they would give me no bass at all in my room but I'm actually impressed with how much of a nice tight clean bass these put out.

I have to add that I later tested plugging the power cable on the G5 to my PC and the noise was instantly back. Same with using a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable instead of the optical cable.

I have ordered a FiiO D3 off of Amazon to use in the place of my G5 due to the huge price difference. Even though I was able to get the G5 on sale for $100 the FiiO is only $20. I will wait until I'm able to verify the FiiO works as I intend it to before returning the G5.

Lastly I have been able to verify that once I use the optical out of my Sound Blaster I completely lost the ability to use the Sound Blaster software for my Zx. At first I couldn't open it but once I enabled the Zx and then set the SPDIF as my primary it at least let me access the software. It doesn't matter though because no matter what you do in there it doesn't get applied to what you're hearing on the SPDIF line (JBL 305s).

Makes me wonder if it somehow has to do with both Sound Blaster devices conflicting and therefor would only work if I ran the G5 software instead of the Zx. The reason this is important is because I'd like for the Sound Blaster software to work with my FiiO but at the moment it's looking like a very long shot.

If this is the case does anyone have any recommendations on the best free software I could use for EQ and just overall basic sound adjustments?

I could not find any ground loop isolators, HUM destroyers etc locally so I don't know if they would've worked but I have a feeling it probably would've. With the risk of possibly effecting sound quality I didn't want to make this my first option.

Thanks again!

EDIT 1: Found out how to preserve my Sound Blaster Software using the optical. I just had to check the box in the Sound Blaster advanced features "Play stereo mix to digital output". At this point I can even disable the SPDIF-Out in the windows sounds settings if I wanted to and still get the optical to play to the "Speakers Sound Blaster Z" playback option which allows the Sound Blaster software to work.

Because the PS4 is your primary usage with the HD800S, I recommend trying the Creative Sound BlasterX G5. This is entry level as a DAC/AMP combo unit but should work very well in your use case. This device is designed for consoles and PC usage and can produce very good audio from your PS4 (and PC) over a USB connection and it has separate 3.5 mm connections for the headphones and a mic (HD800S does not have a mic, but if you play online games with friends you will want to get something like the Antlion Audio ModMic to turn the headphones into a headset when you want to. If you get the G5, do not use the virtual surround sound SB-Axx1 and Scout Mode options, they are likely not as good as the standard audio output. An alternative to the Creative G5 would be a Schiit Audio Modi 2 DAC (connect to PS4 over optical instead of USB) paired with a Schiit Audio Magni 3 AMP. This "Schiit stack" as it is often called is less gamer focussed (no mic input, etc) but would still be fantastic for gaming and listening to music and is highly recommended in the audio community. You would need both the Magni 3 AMP and the Modi 2 DAC linked together to get sound - whereas you could alternatively use the all in on Creative G5. These options are audiophile entry level, but should impress you since you are so happy with the headphones on the PS4 controller already. I would try and recommend something more expensive, but honestly don't think you need that and I would have difficulty recommending more expensive devices since I dont have proper experience with that level of DACs and AMPs. TLDR; Get the Creative Sound BlasterX G5 if you want to use a mic on your PS4 with the headphones, and get the Antlion Audio ModMic to turn the headphones into a headset when you want to talk in games with friends and online gamers. If you dont need to use a mic on your PS4 and price is no matter to you (G5 is cheaper), then get the Schiit Audio Modi 2 DAC and the Schiit Audio Magni 3 AMP. Also, regardless of which DAC and AMP you get, get some nice cables off Amazon for USB or optical for your setup to connect from the PS4 to your couch/coffee table where you probably game.

This unit scored 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon. Please note that this model is discontinued and there are many refurbished units available. This looks like a refurbished unit. I would check warranty. Pass if 180 days or less. You can get a 1 year warranty on a refurbished unit if bought from the Dell Outlet. I paid $360 new from Amazon in December right as these were being discounted/discontinued. You will also need a keyboard & a mouse ($25-50), a headset with mic ($10-100+) and possibly a monitor ($100-150).

You are not going to get an unbiased opinion on a pre-built PC in a sub-reddit called buildapc. These are a great buy at ~$360 for new(er) units. These can be use for low to middle desktop gaming but are designed as an affordable set-top PC console. For the listed games, this unit will do okay to very good (not great to mind blowing fabulous) graphics.


Things to know:

• These are made to hook up to a HDTV and only have a single HDMI port for graphics. There is no VGA port. Thus, you will need a monitor (or TV) that takes HDMI or DVI (DVI requires a HDMI to DVI cable or adapter).
  
  
• The default interface is called HiveMind and built on top of XBMC/Kodi and will launch Steam in Big Picture Mode. This computer interface is designed to be controlled with a controller. Many PC games support a controller. However, 3 of 4 games you listed are best played with a mouse and keyboard.
  
  
• For audio output, these only have HDMI and S/PDIF ports. Because your son wants to play online with friends, he will need a headset with mic. You can use a [Xbox 360 headset ] (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_11?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=xbox+360+headset&sprefix=xbox+360+headset%2Caps%2C169) that plugs into the game controller ($10-25). - OR - Get a USB audio adapter ($6) and use a standard wired headset ($10-100). I recommend the USB audio adapter if desktop gaming. My unit had a problem that when the game controller shut off the PC audio would have problems. If you hook to a TV, look into getting a wireless headset ($50-100+) or again a headset that hooks into the controller.
  
  
• The game controller for this unit is wireless and requires 2 AA batteries. I recommend getting rechargeable batteries and a charge base ($25) because the controllers eat batteries and need a place to live when not in use.
  
  
• Plan to get an extra wireless xbox 360 controller for when his friends come over or he needs a quick controller swap.
  
  
• Plan to upgrade to Windows 10.
  
  
• For this unit a SSD swap down the road is recommended and an extra 4GB of memory while you are at it.
  
  
• There are 5 USB ports. 2 in the front, 2 in the back, and 1 hidden on the bottom. I found it's actually pretty easy to run out of USB ports. My configuration: one for the wireless game controller dongle, two for the keyboard & mouse, one for the USB audio adapter.
  

I wouldn't recommend getting USB or surround sound headphones. They come in two types and both are mediocre as well as limiting. You have your headphones with multiple drivers, which reviews will time and time again say are off. Multiple smaller drivers in a circumaural headset next to year ear? Diminished sound quality as well as limited directional accuracy. The other option is to get a set that use virtual surround, but these are going to be USB only. My experienec with USB headphones tells me this is not worth it. Needing to install drivers, potential voltage dropouts from USB charge not being stable, popping (that shit HURTS and is what caused me to throw out my last USB headset), as well as not being able to plug it into more devices. The 3.5 millimeter standard is MUCH better to have here for its versatility and simplicity. If you would like USB, as another user suggested a functional reason for it (though the same could be achieved by using the front audio ports because most computers will still distinguish between headphones and speakers if you use the front ports), they do sell cheap USB adapters that often have their own virtual surround drivers. I'd recommend this over a dedicated USB headset. The lack of versatility and problems associated are worth keeping your setup modular. If you would like to have virtual surround but your soundcard/motherboard doesn't have driver support for it, then I really suggest grabbing the Razer Surround drivers for free.

Okay, wall of text is over! What SHOULD you buy? That's a crazy question. If you're looking for a headset (headphone+microphone), I'm personally a fan of the Logitech G230 which is one of the better price/performance options out there. They are not the highest quality headphones but they are sturdy (important!) and comfortable (double important!). The sound quality coming through them is more than passable. Sometimes I forget I'm not listening to speakers, even though I've been using them exclusively for months. The mic quality is mediocre and requires some boosting, so that should be known.

If you're just looking for headphones without a microphone, this is NOT the place to be asking that question. Audiophiles know headphone gear much better than gamers do, but generally don't know anything about headsets because the low-quality mics headsets use aren't of much use to audiophiles.

If you got through all that, congratulations and I hope it helps you! Just make sure to check reviews on various sites (or just Amazon, if you're lazy like me) and don't pick up anything with less than a 4/5 rating. Good luck!

Budget:$100-$150
Desired:Logitech Z-5500( i wish) Looking for a good surround sound or a good 2.1 system
Use:Movies, anime, netflix, etc. I watch alot on my pc
What i own now: I have an onkyo stereo with polk surround, sadly its been cutting and i cant find the problem. its pretty old so its expected to finally be going
Source of audio: I run from my pc, But i have an external soundcard this
Why: Mostly watching things like streams of most of the things i watch and live sports etc
Buy used?:No


I would go with soundbar but i dont have the room on my desk for the long unit. i have 2 polk audio on the desk now. about 2 feet tall so i have the room for those but a sound bar would stretch across and it would interfere with my monitors and some other stuffs. Im looking For good sound.. so it doesnt need to be surround sound but i would like a powered set. so with a powered sup and speakers is preffered.. Im very interested in these although i dont know if that is what im want..

I realize also that with my sound card im unsure if i can connect whatever i want via RCA to the speakers or whatever it is im going to use. Two volume knobs is also my concern, will they be assigned to one volume or one controls pc voluime and one for the speakers themselves since its on the powered speakers.

Im pretty knowledgeable when it comes to computers but in audio... well i can put it all together with my eyes closed but if you were to ask me what specs mean i would probably drool. Just looking for general knowledge of what i could go for i have looked at the Logitech Z506 and just wasnt impressed.. Seem very flimsy and cheaply made.. Although i hear many people tell me that logitech sound is great. Im used to having a serious set up.. since i was a kid i would just put my own stereo together but unfortunatly i dont have the room for 3 foot speakers any more.. or 600 bucks to spend.. if i can go with monitors like the HiVi's i linked that would be idealy the size im interested in. I hope this is enough info that you guys need to answer what im looking for and appreciate anyone who gives some advice! Thanks audiophiles!

It really isn't that hard to attempt, depending on your laptop of course.

You would just remove a few screws, take the case off, and then hold a heat gun to it for a bit, till the solder melts (trying to keep the hot air away from everything else of course).

However, if you have never done anything of the sort before, I would just buy a usb sound card / headphones.

Here is a REALLY cheap one, with free shipping. Not the best, and the "7.1" is virtual, but it will do stereo fine. This is quite a bit better, with real surround sound 5.1 support, for pretty cheap still (if you get a usb sound card, I would get this one).

You can also get this as a cheap usb headset. Logitech is a good brand, so they could be pretty good headphones. For a bit more, you can get this one which has 5.1 surround sound, force feedback (awesome for games), ect. Also Arctic is a good brand, though with coolers stuff. However, if you have the money, I would get this. It is 7.1 surround sound, and Logitech. But ALOT of money.


I don't known what OS you use, but all of them should work with Windows. I also know that the second usb sound card works on linux, and the rest should work too, as ever random usb sound stuff I hooked up just worked (and Linux just rules with stuff like this). However, if you use OSX, that I don't know. Might be best to get one that specifically supports OSX.

Alright guys here goes!


First of all I'm using a Intel Movidius neural compute stick to accelerate the raspberry pi's ability to read the graph of a pre-trained MobilenetSSD. I'll move on to training with my own data shortly - https://software.intel.com/en-us/movidius-ncs


This is a great tutorial regarding getting started with the Movidius . I made a few modifications so the presence of an object would halt or trigger a function or method - https://www.pyimagesearch.com/2018/02/19/real-time-object-detection-on-the-raspberry-pi-with-the-movidius-ncs/


This all requires a raspberry pi camera board v2 and an extra long ribbon to allow for head movement -
https://www.robotshop.com/ca/en/raspberry-pi-camera-module-v2.html
https://www.robotshop.com/ca/en/300mm-flex-cable-raspberry-pi-camera.html


As for the head it's a Lynxmotion pan and tilt kit, I bought the servos separately -https://www.robotshop.com/ca/en/lynxmotion-pan-and-tilt-kit-aluminium2.html?gclid=Cj0K


I use the Pigpio library for the servos. Which works with a surprisingly low amount of jitter considering - https://github.com/joan2937/pigpio


I also created my own custom functions in conjunction with the pigpio library in order to add delays to the servo rotation whenever I need, giving me the ability to animate his movement further.


I'm struggling to reliably stabilise his ultrasonic range sensor so I'm thinking of moving on to lidar once I get back to the UK but you can grab a cheap HC-SR04 sensor for ~$5 easily -https://www.robotshop.com/ca/en/hc-sr04-ultra01-ultrasonic-range-finder.html


I use the Adafruit motor hat, specifically designed for the Raspberry pi - https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-Motor-HAT-Python-Library.
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-dc-and-stepper-motor-hat-for-raspberry-pi/overview


The hat works in conjunction with some pretty hefty 12v DC geared motor, although I don't remember their RPM. Either way they allow for some pretty granular movement that gives the anthropomorphic vibe I was looking for!


As i mentioned below too the treads are Lynxmotion and the chassis is Lynxmotion and part debris form the prototype build. the lynxmotion chassis is great because it has a bunch of space to house two battery packs and excess wire. One pack for the track motors and one pack for the servos -
https://www.robotshop.com/ca/en/lynxmotion-tri-track-chassis-kit.html


Throw in a bunch of 1/2 size perma-proto boards from Adafruit, some custom circuitry, a max98306 stereo amplifier, a powerboost 1000c, a 5v lipo, a Ugreen USB sound card, 2 8 ohm 0.5w speakers, some hacked up acrylic housing from an old Arduino Uno, and you have a surprisingly powerful sound system -
https://www.adafruit.com/product/987
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-powerboost-1000c-load-share-usb-charge-boost/overview
https://www.amazon.ca/UGREEN-Universal-3-Position-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B01N905VOY/ref=pd_bxgy_147_img_2/131-4509517-7844215?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01N905VOY&pd_rd_r=14e1a4dc-62b7-11e9-af2b-df456cd2a423&pd_rd_w=rTNLv&pd_rd_wg=z1Y3n&pf_rd_p=a62e2918-d998-4bbb-8337-35aac776e851&pf_rd_r=KJNTZV474QCZ8NXNA09X&psc=1&refRID=KJNTZV474QCZ8NXNA09X
https://www.adafruit.com/product/571


To play sound within the program itself I just use the os library and aplay.


For speech synthesis I use a Marytts local text to speech server - https://github.com/marytts/marytts.


Add to that some simple use of the Python format method, a library of random phrases I'm slowly building and you have a talking robot.


Oh hey and it's worth mentioning that the raspberry pi itself is powered by a simple portable charging bank and that power to the tracks, head, raspberry pi and sound are all on separate circuits with switches for the sake of debugging.


In terms of how the recognition affects movement. I have a detection method running in one thread. If an object is present according to the pre-trained model it assigns the object class to a global attribute. In the main thread I have his movement methods running - that can literally do anything so long as the object/objects isn't present - otherwise the method triggers a return statement and he moves on to the next function in the main program etc.


Now I have all of this up and running I'm hoping to have him follow the object he's been assigned to find! Hopefully I'll have a video of that up soon :D

should probably check our /r/headphones

It depends what your onboard is and how terrible it is. I use this creative usb as the input for my modmic 4. I use a yulong u100 as my output dac/amp to my Senn HD598s for gaming, but use a Bifrost Uber and Lyr 2 to drive my hifiman HE500s.

I just tested my mod mic with onboard, my portable xonar U3, and the creative usb. Onboard without mic boost was inaudible, with mic boost it's ok, but not great. The U3 has no mic boost and fell half way between onboard without boost and with, but sounded much better. The creative USB with boost off was about the same as the U3, but with boost I have to turn the gain down to about 70% or it is overbearingly loud. I position the mic about 1" from the side of my mouth as it's supposed to be placed.

output impedance is pretty high on the STX, the usual 10Ω found in soundcards. The DAC in it is decent, but the output stage is pretty blah. You're better off with a real headphone amp.



If you're getting ready to piss $200 on an STX, skip it and buy a Magni 2/Modi 2 stack or O2+ODAC for the headphones, then a something like an X-fi go for mic input.

I'm still a kid at heart!

I play video games all the time and have a lot of amazing memories. One of the best I have is from only two years ago. I moved out of my parents and took my 360 with me. A week after that my parents split and my younger brother was still living at home and didn't know what to do. Sadly, he chose to stay with my dad. I love my dad but he isn't a good influence.
Christmas rolled around and I found out my brother didn't have internet, cable, and was watching the same DVDs over and over everyday. As a gift to him I convinced my mother to help pitch in to get internet. The main reason I wanted them to have internet was because I had bought him and xbox 360, a year of gold, 3 games, and 1600 MS points.

Fast forward to now and I'm even more glad I got the console for him because he has been going through some tough times getting off of drugs and has moved into my mother's place. It seems like he is doing really well now and we play games with each other and I know it helps keep his mind off of other things.

This item is cool and would help me from having to get behind my tower when i switch from Xbox to PC (which i do constantly).

The built-in audio is awful and not really an option, but there are some very good audio cards for RPi now that work well with simple music-oriented distros like Volumio, Rune, Moode. You can also get some now with great amps built in too, so you just need a couple nice speakers.

If you want to go cheaper, I've actually had great luck with Sabrent USB audio devices for building DLNA receivers. They're only $8 but sound way better than the integrated RPi audio.

I'm using a Mamboberry LS DAC+ and I've been very happy with it.

You can do everything with a laptop, I do it all the time and the crowd doesn't seem to care. I typically play for college parties sized at 50-200 people. I have gone through 3 mixtracks in the last 4 years thanks to drunk people spilling drinks on them. After last time, enough was enough so I stick with a good USB mouse and a USB soundcard. Fancy shit does not make up for a shitty DJ; a truly good DJ will be just as good regardless. You think big name DJ's use equipment live? HELL NO! Even Deadmau5 says "we all hit play":

http://deadmau5.tumblr.com/post/25690507284/we-all-hit-play

Ultimately, you are limited by the software, so I recommend getting any DJ software that supports two sound cards. If you do that, then you can copy my setup.

CDJs/Controllers are essentially expensive KEYBOARDS! Besides, using a mouse and keyboard, you can find music on your computer and online TREMENDOUSLY more efficiently. Use your favorite piracy method to answer requests when people ask for their favorite song. Moderate to some degree, but people love when you play their song. You'd be surprised how many songs that you hate and everyone else loves. Having access to WIFI or ideally ethernet internet is best to access whatever song you could think of. Set it up so your downloads go straight to your DJ music folder.

I recommend vk.com to get your music in conjunction with this chrome extension that allows you to download from the site:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/vkontakte-music-downloade/eifflpnfppfheimpmmagplbanbceajjn?hl=en

All you would need physically is a 2nd sound card for headphones, just get this one for under $7:

http://www.amazon.com/Syba-SD-CM-UAUD-Adapter-C-Media-Chipset/dp/B001MSS6CS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370938166&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+soundcard

Connect your headphones to your laptop, connect the speakers to the usb thingy, get familiar with your DJ program's shortcuts (or set your own), download some tunes, and ENJOY! Get used to alt-tabbing between chrome and your DJ program to answer requests.

So I decided to buy a sound card (G5) to try to combine it with the Mobius, because I thought it might help, but unfortunately it didn't work. So I was returning the sound card the next day, I was really set on returning the DT 1990 Pro too. However, during the night before returning the sound card tomorrow, I decided to give the DT 1990 one last try, since it seemed to be more compatible with the sound card. OMG, the DT 1990 just jumped by a couple levels of improvements, most probably because of the amp that's also in the sound card, because the DT 1990's volume is really low, even at 100%, I could only go up to 26% with the sound card. So at that last minute, the DT 1990 made a massive comeback and won the competition for me, of which headphone is better. In the end, I decided to stick with the DT 1990 because it was just on a whole new level of sound clarity, I'm not even hardcore when it comes to audio stuff, but even I could tell the difference, DT 1990 was just that good. After I returned the G5, I decided to upgrade to the G6, latest model, and now that's the setup I have now. Using my DT 1990, connecting it to the external sound card G6, then to my PC, its a really easy setup. I wanted an external sound card because I wanted a physical volume knob I can control with, instead of using some command on the keyboard or alt tab out to change the volume. A bit after that, I needed a new mic, since the Dt 1990 is just standalone headphone, I went with the Antlion wireless Modmic, and it is a really good mic too, I love it, I even wrote a review on it on Amazon if you wish to read it, got pictures included, it is under the same name as my Reddit name. I hope this has helped you to decide, let me know if you need to know anything else!

These are powered speakers with USB inputs - $350/Pr Retail -

https://www.klipsch.com/products/r-15pm-powered-monitors

How important is USB to you? That's a nice feature, but only if you need it.

I think these might be the latest version (R-51PM - $500/pr) -

https://www.klipsch.com/products/r-51pm-powered-speakers

If there is a replacement model that means there are probably very good deals on the Older Version.

These are 5" speaker, and to make a determination, you have to consider what else you can get for a similar price.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR305MK2--jbl-305p-mkii-5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MR524--mackie-mr524-5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

Edifier S2000-Pro, DAC, Remote Control, Bluetooth 4.0, etc... - £399/pr -

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-S2000pro-Bluetooth-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B0725GZQFZ/

https://www.edifier.com/us/en/speakers/s2000pro-bookshelf-speakers-studio-monitors

There is nothing wrong with the Edifier, assuming they do what you need done.

The one advantage the Klipsch do have is that they have a USB input for direct connect to a computer. That is probably the feature that is the deciding factor. However, if you computer has an Optical or Coaxial Output, then something like the Edifiers 2000 might be a good choice.

Or, if you are not connecting to a computer, then USB becomes less valuable. In the case, the Edifier with Optical/Coaxial/AUX and Bluetooth is a better choice, simply because it has a Remote Control.

The various Mackie and JBL in 5", 6.5", and 8" could be a good choice as they are highly rated and are less money, but they would require you to buy a USB DAC. Though these can be had in the range of $100.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_703DGNFLYB/AudioQuest-DragonFly-Black-v1-5.html

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_772D3DAC/Audioengine-D3.html?tp=59309

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

https://www.amazon.com/Q1-Mark-II-Native-Amplifier/dp/B0757MH46M/

https://www.amazon.com/CREATIVE-LABS-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/

https://www.amazon.com/FX-Audio-Optical-Coaxial-Amplifier/dp/B01HERNVQQ/

Some of these are USB DACs and Headphone Amps.

The JBL 306 and the Mackie MR624 are both 6.5" speakers, which are TWICE as big as a 5" bass driver. They are about $200 each, which with a DAC would run in the neighborhood of $500/set.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR306MK2--jbl-306p-mkii-6.5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MR624--mackie-mr624-6.5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

You can check reviews on line and you will find nothing but positive for both the JBL and the Mackie MR Series.

All that said, nothing wrong with the Klipsch, just make sure they do what you want, suit your application, and fit your budget.

Just a range of possibilities

You should be able schedule the initial interview as soon as 12-24 hours after signing up. I think from my sign up date to hire date I completed the entire process in 4-5 days! Which was awesome because I desperately needed work at the time! You choose when to do the interview based on the available time slots. However, there are trying something new where you can do a completely self-recorded initial interview, which has some advantages I'm sure. You will have more control over exactly what you are sending them and hopefully show something professional enough to get above $18/hour and closer to $20 or $22!

I would not invest a lot into props unless you are hired by VIPKID. In every stage of this hiring process, you will have access to the power point of what class you will be pretending to teach, so you can find those props ahead of time around your house, or make a few simple drawings. So while in practice you will need a variety of versatile props, the interview is all about getting a very specific case correct. All I purchased was a large white poster board to hang behind me, some post-it note letters to create an alphabet on the sheet, and use markers to draw some colorful shapes/animals/people/etc. on it as well. I would recommend, however, buying a small handheld dry erase board! They are so versatile and it is a small investment cost to apply for this job and look way more professional. I also purchased a nice attachable microphone which I will link below. Don't get too obsessed with finding tons of awesome props, though. Many applicants often focus too much on props and not enough on their communication skills!

If you are hired, I also have a whole list of what props and setups to get then. I'm all about keeping it simple and not having my supplies take up a whole room in my house! :D

This microphone is awesome if you want to turn your good headphones into an amazing headSET!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R98JVVU?ref=emc_b_5_t

Just get an attachment like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00IRVQ0F8&pd_rd_r=DEJHY7WRFT67AY404A9J&pd_rd_w=5fpY3&pd_rd_wg=jPQH8&psc=1&refRID=DEJHY7WRFT67AY404A9J

or

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-headsets-separate-headphone-microphone/dp/B004SP0WAQ/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004SP0WAQ&pd_rd_r=FBN4YFJYQDXP8FHBXX06&pd_rd_w=VZKVa&pd_rd_wg=y9wMc&psc=1&refRID=FBN4YFJYQDXP8FHBXX06

I bought everything in B&H so that I didn't even have to wait for shipping!

My list for mobile/portable operating would look something like this...

For a man portable setup I could carry in a pack, the highest capacity LiFePO4 battery I could afford.

Otherwise, if I'm driving out to a fixed operating site, then the biggest AGM deep cycle battery I would care to lug from the car a short distance to the operating site.

A lightweight computer with good battery life so I don't have to worry about external power for it out in the field. I'm not really a Mac guy, but I'd probably bring my Macbook Pro for this task.

The TS-480 doesn't require a Signalink/Rigblaster type interface for digital operation, but you will need the following items to interface to your computer...

• USB to serial converter. Don't buy the Prolific chipset garbage, save yourself the frustration and spend the few bucks for something with an FTDI chipset.
  
  
• Kenwood PG-5H data cable set. You can also make this if you want, Your TS-480 should have shipped with a plastic baggie with the connectors in it to make this (pinouts are detailed towards the back of the manual). Or, you can get them on ebay. I bought mine mainly because hate soldering stuff to DIN connector pins.
  
  
• Serial cable, straight through, female ends. Cheap and readily avaialble.
  
  
• If the laptop you're using doesn't have separate speaker out/mic in jacks, then a cheap USB audio adapter.
  
  The filters aren't truly necessary and the unit is pretty frequency stable without the TCXO, but they sure are nice to have. If you were going to put a filter in it, I would recommend the 500Hz CW filter. It comes in handy when you're trying to zero in on a particular signal or block adjacent strong signals. The DSP filtering is generally adequate, but a strong enough signal is going to swamp the AGC and that's when the crystal filters come in handy to notch that out.
  
  If you do get the TCXO, don't waste $110 on the Kenwood SO-3. The cheap Chinese TCXO's work just as well and can be had for much cheaper. I got mine from ebay for 20 bucks or so, but now you can even get them on Amazon with Prime shipping and everything.
  
  Antenna choice is highly variable. Out here in the deserts of New Mexico, you don't find much in the way of trees, so a wire antenna deployed up into a tree is out and a self supporting vertical is in. I generally pack an MFJ 1979 telescoping vertical whip with a clamping antenna mount or a collapsable fiberglass pole that I can hoist up a length of wire with. Your own situation, available terrain, bands you want to work are going to be the determining factors here.
  
  This page has some useful notice on power draw of the TS-480 with some operating scenarios and battery sizing options. A lightweight, power sipping QRP rig the TS-480 is not, but it's still very usable for portable operations.
  
  

I do not see any reason why not, in resolving your situation to purchase a decent USB sound card/adaptor. I'm partial to Creative Lab's stuff, but as I've haven't given a damn about high-end gaming for the past 8 years, I can't say Creative Labs is the best anymore.

Be forewarned, if you go cheap on the USB sound card, you wont ever use the quality of those $300 headphones. Yes it is mostly emulation sound from those headphones, but the maker did put effort.

Here is a Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Creative-BlasterX-Headphone-Amplifier-SB1700/dp/B018JUPY3A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1483031059&sr=8-4&keywords=USB+7.1+sound+card+creative+labs) search for "USB 7.1 sound card" This Creative Labs one is about $120. Worth spending that much for an external USB sound hub, with all the connections you'll ever need. I have a old model that is USB2.0 ages old, that I used for DJing, with the RCA phono plugs, larger "fat" headphone plug, input & output SPDIFs., old but was only $50 at the time. (Creative Labs USB Sound Blaster Audigy2 External Sound Card Sound System)

With that said, your motherboard has a "base" model sound card. Because now-a-days we like to streamline our equipment. You have a HDMI port, which can carry audio to external devices. I used my older (8yr old) gaming rig as a HTPC in the entertainment room. The motherboard had every connection possible. So the back panel of that tower is packed.

Your board is designed to lessen the options you get. If you want better sound, you'll be replacing that motherboard or the whole computer.

However back to your immediate issue, USB sound cards are pretty decent, and you'll find the name/brand/model you want. Just don't go cheap on it.

TLDR: Need better audio to record from PC to high-end tape deck, and from high-end tape deck to PC. Would be nice to use as headphone amp, but not required. C-Media based external sound "card", Fulla 2, or Modi 2 - and why?

​

Long version:

I was using my internal sound card to record to a high end tape deck and I could hear the electrical noise from the video card and CPU (audible buzz when CPU and GPU utilization is 50% or higher). So now I'm looking for an external DAC or sound card.

Seeing how a cheap USB "Sound Card" such as the $10 uGreen (https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-External-Headphone-Microphone-Desktops/dp/B01N905VOY) is just an external DAC, makes me wonder would that serve it's purpose? Or is the C-Media HS-100B not all that good?

A huge step in the audio spectrum is the Fulla 2 vs the Modi 2. Lets say the C-Media is crap, so I'm looking between these two Shiit products. For my purpose, I can probably go for either, right? Both at $99, using the PC as the source (and sometimes the recording destination), either would work, right?

I was thinking Fulla 2 would fit my needs better because at the same price, it has a built-in amp for the times I want to use it as a portable external DAC/Amp, which I can't do with the Modi 2. The Modi 2 would just be a dedicated DAC with a line-level out, where the Fulla 2 can serve as a line-level out, line-level in, AND will serve as a decent headphone amp for those occasional listening sessions.

I plan on gaming on my Logitech G930, so the DAC will only be for audio recording (both line out and line in, to and from a tape deck).

The tape deck, if you're curious, is a JVC TD-V661 3-head dual capstan deck from 1993.

​

EDIT: I just realized the Fulla 2 line-in is just to use it as a dedicated analog amp and NOT as a line-in for PC recording. Oh well. Still seems like a better value compared to the Modi 2. Again, would like to know if I'm missing anything (why go for the Modi 2 over the Fulla 2?)

I posted this on buildapc, but didn't get any results. Hope it's okay for me to post this here too. It's a question that involves the use of a steam link.

I've got a pretty silly setup for couch gaming right now which is a result from my lack of proper research (no wireless support) before buying certain accessories. When I'm couch gaming on my TV, I'm hooked up through something like this:

Couch->XBox One Elite Controller (Wired)->Roccat Sova (Wired)->Steam Link (Wired)->PC

I'm looking to get my couch set up to be microphone friendly. My current plan is to get a USB microphone adapter to plug into the Sova, and then have my microphone/headset plugged into the adapter. (https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=pd_cp_23_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00IRVQ0F8&pd_rd_r=MM9NND2RJ7HJBB9CBDRY&pd_rd_w=LGle5&pd_rd_wg=DI0MR&psc=1&refRID=MM9NND2RJ7HJBB9CBDRY)

Would this work, or is this not enough? Do I need an external soundcard or something to have audio come through the usb in the Sova?

The other option is to hope for Steam Link to support wireless connection for the XBox One Elite Controller, and see if I can insert a microphone directly into the XBox One Elite Controller. If anyone can help out with this, I'd really appreciate it. My couch gaming setup doesn't feel very efficient, but thats also due to Steam Link not supporting the controller I have over wireless.

This isn't easy or simple, but it is possible. You will need a separate microphone of some kind.

Get one of these:

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/pcv-05

This separates the audio from an Xbox One controller into separate microphone and headphone plugs.

If your controller is an Elite, you can plug this directly into the controller.

If not, you'll need an adapter like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Afterglow-LVL-Headset-Adapter/dp/B017VLXJ7G/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_63_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VKQJ85AC83ZD52576QFZ

Now run 1/8" stereo cables from the headphone and microphone leads of the Sennheiser adapter and either plug them into the inputs on your PC, if they are available. If not, you can add more inputs by adding a USB audio adapter like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/external-Adapter-Windows-Microphone-SD-CM-UAUD/dp/B001MSS6CS

In the Xbox, enable your headset and send party and game chat to the headset only. (You can also use speakers, but then you'll only be able to control the chat audio levels in the Xbox, not in OBS.)

If you're not already using it, get VoiceMeeter Banana and set it up according to its manual:

http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/Voicemeeter/banana.htm

Voicemeeter provides for three hardware inputs, three hardware outputs, and three audio buses. It creates a virtual device to be used as the default Windows audio output. Check the quick start section of the manual.

Then what you want is to set your Let's Play microphone as hardware input 1, and your Xbox headset as hardware input 2 (either the mic input of your PC or your USB adapter).

Hardware output 1 should be the headphones you use while playing (not the Xbox headset, we're not even going to use it!) and hardware output 2 should be either your PC's headphone port or the USB audio adapter, depending on which you are using.

Now what you want to do is enable the appropriate busses for hardware inputs so they get output to the proper places. That's what the buttons labeled A1, A2, A3, B1 and B2 are for.

You want to make sure that the hardware input for your microphone and the hardware output for your xbox adapter are on the same bus, and that this is a separate bus from the one where the hardware input from your Xbox adapter is on the same bus as the hardware OUTput for your headphones.

This means that you can hear your buddies on Xbox chat, and they can hear you through the microphone you are using to record in OBS.

When you are done, you should ideally have 3 audio inputs in your OBS setup: your microphone, your xbox headset input, and your game audio (from whatever your usual capture method is). You should be able to control volume levels on all three separately, as well as enable or disable them as you wish.

For a more complete guide on the portion of this where you set up OBS and VoiceMeeter Banana, look here:

https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/voicemeeter-banana-audio-management-for-1-and-2-pc-streaming-setups.397/

Well... To be honest you did get a audio interface designed to work with guitars and singer style microphones... When what you needed was an external soundcard.

There are major audio interfaces by the music industry. And your cool USB soundcard has some of the more popular ones... Yay! But it does not have what you want. Booo!

Your soundcard/interface is not designed for 3.5mm jacks. so you will need adapters to make it work.

On the front you have two XLR inputs or you can use them as TRS inputs. Pre sonus calls them "2 combo XLR/¼” mic/instrument inputs"

TRS inputs are big headphone jacks... 1/4 inch type. They would go in the middle of the inputs on the front. You would feed your mic in there. How? You can get an adapter that will allow your 3.5mm headphone jack to fit 1/4 headphones to fit the front area. Something like this... Can get them at Radio Shack pretty cheap. Make sure they are stereo and not mono though.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/400307-REG/Sony_PC234S_PC_234S_Mini_Stereo_3_5mm.html

You would need two of them, one for the headphones (labeled "phones") port in the back of the interface, and one for the mic part in the front of the interface.

If you are going to make music you got the right interface. If you are only using it as a really good soundcard, there are others that would fit you better. Like this...

http://www.amazon.com/Syba-SD-CM-UAUD-Adapter-C-Media-Chipset/dp/B001MSS6CS/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1410104831&sr=8-15&keywords=audio+interface

Or if you got monies... this

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-External-SB1560/dp/B00EZT7RE4/ref=dp_ob_title_ce


At the beginning I called one an audio interface and the other a sound card. Audio interfaces are a card that focus on the interface part, meaning the recording/band aspect of music and their connectors.. Sound cards are just making sound like the audio interfaces, but they don't include the band interfaces/ports/jacks and usually go to 3.5mm jacks like your headphones want.

Hope this helps.

Budget - <$400ish

Source - PC, Phone

Isolation - don't care too much about isolation, just want some new closed cans that would offer a bit more intimacy than open ones

Preferred Type of Headphone - Full sized closed headphones

Preferred tonal balance - Warm, bit of bass. Neutral also acceptable

Past headphones - Sennheiser HD280s and Fidelio X2. HD280s were my first and only closed headphones and they were great but the highs were too sharp for my taste. I much prefer the sound of my X2s but the open design lets too much sound in a lot of the time unless im in a totally quiet room.

Preferred Music- Punk, Pop punk, electronic, rock, alternative.

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - I want a pair of high level closed headphones. I love my X2s to death but want something with a similar sound but more intimacy if that makes sense. I want to feel closer and feel like im in a different world where as the fidelios keep me in the present room but still provide great sound.

Suggest any additional equipment to power these things (if necessary). the only thing I have currently is my soundblaster omni external soundcard. It supposedly has a built in 600ohm amp. If necessary kindly suggest an amp that will meet the suggested headphones needs.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor | $159.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI - B450-A PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard | $59.99 @ Newegg
Memory | Team - Vulcan 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $69.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $39.49 @ Amazon
Storage | Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $58.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card | MSI - Radeon RX 580 8 GB ARMOR OC Video Card | $204.89 @ OutletPC
Case | Cougar - MX330 ATX Mid Tower Case | $46.98 @ B&H
Power Supply | Corsair - CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $59.89 @ OutletPC
Wireless Network Adapter | Asus - PCE-AC51 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter | $29.89 @ OutletPC
Keyboard | Razer - Blackwidow Tournament Edition Wired Gaming Keyboard | $58.90 @ OutletPC
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $848.90
| Mail-in rebates | -$60.00
| Total | $788.90
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-21 00:15 EST-0500 |

Here is the monitor I recommend:

https://www.microcenter.com/product/508128/ha230-23-full-hd-75hz-vga-hdmi-freesync-led-monitor

Here is the mousepad I recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/VicTsing-Extended-31-5×15-75×0-12-Computer-Water-Resistant/dp/B0794WBPHK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1542777401&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=gaming+mousepad

So this should all be plenty for his intentions.

AMD’s Ryzen lineup has more cores than intel and tends to be a much better “bang for the buck”

8GB of high speed ram

Instead of a GTX 1060 or 1070, I went with an RX580 to save money. It has very equivalent performance as the 1060, and even better in some areas.

I added a WiFi card to allow for wireless connectivity, which isn’t necessary if you plan to wire your connection.

A nice CherryMX Switch keyboard.

A 2TB Hard Drive for games and a 240GB SSD for Windows. (Allows for faster boot times and a smoother experience overall.)

A good looking case that has a glass side panel on one end.

And a 75hz monitor that is a steal at the moment. I actually have one of these myself and it is amazing for its price, I’m very satisfied. Only downside is it doesn’t ship with an HDMI cable, only VGA so make sure you have a spare.

And of course a large mousepad, not necessary but helps.

If your son plans on using a mic, he needs a USB splitter which is super cheap and you can get off of Amazon for ~$10.

https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-External-Headphone-Microphone-Desktops/dp/B01N905VOY/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1542777817&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=3.5mm+usb+splitter&dpPl=1&dpID=41zp99SXYrL&ref=plSrch

This build should get the job done for your son;)
I know it’s a little out of budget, but the extra money is worth it.

Edit: I also recommend purchasing another case fan for $5-10 as this only comes with 1 preinstalled.

Hi Xensky! Welcome to LinuxHardware. \^_^

According to online sources, support for the ALC1220 codec was added in kernel 4.11. Do you happen to know what kernel version you're currently using?

If it is not convenient to upgrade to a newer kernel or use a distro that comes with an updated kernel (Solus, Fedora, Antergos), the easiest solution would likely be to use an external USB soundcard like this, which would be plug'n'play.

Otherwise, you could instead get a PCI or PCI-e internal soundcard, like the ASUS Xonar series. However people have reported issues with these on Linux in the past, and I myself encountered issues with mine, eventually replacing it with an external DAC.

Also, if the audio being played from the ALC1220 is clear, and you're only experiencing issues with the microphone input, another option could be to purchase a USB microphone instead, bypassing the onboard sound entirely.

Hope that helps! :)

I would highly suggest getting an Antlion ModMic.

I love my Antlion ModMic (4 if you're wondering) I use it on a pair of Audio‑Technica ATH‑AD500X's for the "ultimate gaming headset" \^(I love my ATH‑AD500X's! Got them on sale for $69, never looking back again.)

Now for the mic.. It's a standard boom mic that attaches to the headphones with a little magnetic clip that has some 3M adhesive on the backside. You absolutely want to get a 5w USB audio adapter to supply enough power for the mic, if you don't supply enough power(ie motherboard or laptop audio ports) the mic sounds terrible(hence the bad reviews), but once you supply it with enough power it clears right up and sound *amazing*. Something like this would work perfectly: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_sMBcBbJYT12KP

The Modmic can be found for approx $50 and is an excellent choice for VoIP services like discord. It isolates my voice extremely well from my very noisy Cherry MX Blue keyboard not 2 feet away and includes a handy in line mute switch.

EDIT: Welp. You use speakers so I guess a headphone-mounted boom mic wouldn't work so well... Get headphones while you're at it! XD

It's not a PCI card but I got a Sound Blaster OMNI External USB 5.1Ch Surround Sound Card Link. It uses only a single microUSB cable for power/connection. Used in excellent condition with all original accessories in OG box for only $45 shipped. Has a great amplifier as well as dual beam-forming microphones and of course the dedicated volume knob which is surprisingly handy. Time stamp Link. Lemme know!

I would prefer if I could make them louder with my cell phone. I currently have a Nexus 6P but I'll be getting a different phone within the next few months.

They sound great with my home PC (motherboard).

They could be much better with my work PC, and the sound significantly improved once I started using this adapter.

I guess I'm looking for something to improve sound quality/volume for my cell phone and to make sure I'm not missing anything with my work setup.

I see when it comes to headsets you're worried about faultiness after awhile. Most companies will leave you with this problem, Logitech, Turtle Beaches, Plantronics.. Some other companies will just pure rip you off. I know quite a bit after the audio world being a head-fier. I can assure you that nothing can beat the quality of a Audio-Technica or Sennheiser gaming headset..

They usually are 3.5mm, but you can get a converter to USB http://www.amazon.com/Syba-SD-CM-UAUD-Adapter-C-Media-Chipset/dp/B001MSS6CS/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b

Audio-Technica is known for being cheap and sturdy, and for its price none of the competitors like Logitech or Turtle beaches will stand a chance, the quality that comes out of them for their price is just amazing.. They might not look as stylish or what not but if you don't care about that, go for it. You can easily just google Sennheiser or Audio-Technica and enjoy :)

If I could really recommend something, buy headphones, get yourself a good sound card and you won't need an actual gaming headset, the 3D sound will work in games amazingly. Then all you need is a stand up mic or something.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-151-Noise-Canceling-Microphone/dp/B000NOR89Y/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1311707536&sr=1-5

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826402091

Ohh okay. A lot of the USB soundcards you see on Amazon are just for computers and might not work with the vr headset, but they are all only a few dollars and it would be pretty cheap to test. This one looks like the best, and some people report it working with the ps4, which is a good sign that it may work with the vr headset.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001MSS6CS/

A mixamp or DAC will easily convert any USB source to stereo for your headphones, but they are usually bigger than the usb soundcards.

Can you get audio from the same source as the vr, or do you need it to come from the vr headset?

A DIY solution would obviously be the cheapest. All you'd need to make one yourself is some suitable, male and female connectors, and resistors suitable values.

But wait, now on reading your opening post again and checked - your soundcard only has a combo audio out + mic TRRS socket, correct? I'd say hold on with DIY adapter idea for now! I don't know if that schematic on the diyaudioheaven site could be directly applied into making an adapter for mic-equipped headphones. At least AFAIK, in-line mic controls work via the button presses causing impedance changes in the mic section of the wiring, that are then interpreted as various commands, so I'd figure the mic would continue working fine as long as that was just included in the DIY adapter (naturally outside the resistors), but perhaps a 'better safe than sorry' approach would be best here. Hopefully someone with more knowledge could chime in.

While not quite 150% what the soundcard costs, there's the iFi iEMatch - around 100% of the Soundblaster's price. And in-line mics reportedly don't unfortunately work with it.

Seems like a tricky situation here... :|

>I also had an idea to put a 300 ohm resistor in line with the usb 2.0 Vcc wire (using usb 2.0 male to female extension cable) but I'm not sure if that would give me what I need

You mean between the computer and the dongle soundcard? That won't work.

My current microphone is a Neewer NW-800 with a pop filter, stand, power supply, & shock mount. In total, around 100 dollars (excluding shipping and the wire/adapter)
Microphone,
Boom Arm,
Pop Filter,
Power Supply,
I got mine for around 65 because the mic was on sale, so I would wait until it goes on sale again to be a bit more affordable.

PS: If you want to connect this mic to the PS4, I recommend these two:
Wire, Adapter

Yes, your specs are good enough for an LP series. I agree with Pyroraptor (Audacity, OBS Studio/Standard OBS, Gimp, I use Lightworks, but you could use HitFilm. The webcam seems pretty nice. Just remember that the Neweer is a condenser mic, meaning it will pick up almost anything, so it would be a good idea to either remove any potential background noise in Audacity or use a noise removal program. I would focus on the mic and software first, webcam later. Hope this helps! -Alduin

Okay, just making sure there wasn't some technical reason that you needed a discrete card.

If you're just used to them from building PC's years ago, it's different now. The only discrete sound cards I know of are the SoundBlaster AE-7 / AE-9 and the Nu Audio from EVGA. Supposedly they're both really good, but if you have a GPU they'll probably get in the way of airflow. (Unless it's water cooled)

If you just want a better option than your on-board sound, look into some DAC/Amp combos as well.

Mayflower Arc

Topping MX3

SoundblasterX G6

and a cheap but very effective option. I used this one to drive my 6xx's for a while. Was surprised how good it was compared to the price. Would reccommend.

> AMP/DAC that I can use with them that also has a mic input.

A DAC/Amp never has mic input, it only outputs sound but doesn't accept any audio input. What you are looking for is an external sound card or an audio interface.

the MMX300 has an impedance of 32 Ohm and a sensitivity of 96dB/mW....why don't you plug both connectors to your motherboard? This headset is very easy to drive and should work perfectly fine if you just plug it into the computer.

__


Once you connect the MMX300 to the mainboard outputs.

• Follow this guide to disable all enhancements
  
  
• Setup the Realtek Driver with noise supression enabled and apply the correct gain settings.
  
  
• if you want an external solution because of EMI, get rid of the 2i4 and buy a Soundblaster G5; or Soundblaster E1 if you don't want to spend that much.
  
  

My wife and I just did this our self a few months ago. We spend hours gaming each day and found a great combo using Sennheiser HD 598, Antlion Modmic, and a simple USB audio adapter.

• The headset has great comfort for long gaming sessions, it also has an open ear design so we can easily communicate with each other (Not perfect for everyone if you have a lot of background noise).
  
• The mic was a simple solution for us because we like having it attached to our headset and didn't want to have a mic setup on the desk.
  
  We spent a while doing our research across multiple subs and obviously everyone's situation is different.

Those are some really shitty items. I thought there'd be a gem in there, but it's all junk.

The Raspberry Pi Zero is $5 (if you can find stock) and works as a great emulation system.

A USB sound device like this Sabrent one for $6 works great so solve a variety of audio issues like low mic volume or static/broken audio ports.

So many people in online games don't have mics. You can get one on eBay for $1. Please buy one if you play online games. www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=clip+on+microphone

Okay then you should get some form of soundcard, there are a few options available to you.




First of all at the risk of insulting your intelligence, it's not really possible to replace the motherboard audio chip, so that's not really an option.




Secondly if you are looking for an internal solution, you could get a PCI or PCIe soundcard, you can get good second hand PCI soundcards off Ebay for cheap. The downside to this however is that they usually don't have connectors to plug the front audio IO on your case into, so you would likely need to use the audio ports from the back, and perhaps an audio jack extension cable to help you reach your headphones.






Thirdly you can get cheap USB soundcards such as this one which you can just plug into your computer anywhere and are really handy. I personnally recommend the one I just linked as I have been using it for a couple of years now and it has good audio quality with no noticeable background noise. For the price and convenience this is the best option.





Finally you can get other types of USB sound cards and DACs which sit on your desk and connect to your computer by a cable. These can be £25+, and have the advantage of have a volume knob right infront of you, with the £100+ DACs being Audiophile type hardware which to be honest you probably don't need.





I recommend the Trond USB soundcard.

I'm not actually sure which z390/B365 board has the best audio from all the brands. Alternatively You can just spend like $7 and get an external USB sound card like this one. Was far better than the sound card that was in my $130 motherboard. But the biggest difference is the microphone quality improvement. I actually have this one. If you feel the difference depends on the headset. I have a $90 pair of Sennheisers, which are more made for music. Most gaming headsets on the on the other hand have pretty bad audio in comparison and you might not be able to tell.

As for memory, you can still use 3200mhz, but I think it will just run at 2666mhz anyways if you get a b365 motherboard. If you care about the RGB then TEAM has some good ones too. They might be better performance wise too (maybe lower timings), but it's hard to know without knowing what memory timings yours would go to if you stuck them into a b365. That's another topic altogether. There is memory speed, and memory timings linked to it.

Everyone: Thanks for the help. I assumed it was some electrical issue on her computer's end, but good to know a USB sound card works as a workaround and I don't have to go to her office and crack her computer open :) I decided to spend a few bucks to get the best-reviewed one on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A29Y8OP2GPR7PE

Thanks again for the help!

Yea that's why, I always suggest staying away from turtle beach/gaming headphones but if you enjoy them then there's no reason to not get them. I always suggest a headphone +modmic combo. I always suggest Ath M50x plus the modmic, and if you do end up getting them it's always good to get this Sabrent if you don't have a sound card, it's needed for the mod mic to reduce the interference from your mobo, and has a chance to make headphones sound even better. In the end it's up to you, but I have a feeling you will enjoy this combo. And if you ever do end up playing on console, you can pick up an Astro mix amp and listen to console and PC at the same time.

If you can fix it easily, nice job, but don't spend too much time trying to get it to work. user badchromosome referred me to this : Just another USB dongle!

Just to add to your options :)
It really is worth it. I couldn't get my audio to work again after 10.11.4, and it was really frustrating. Having this work equally well was really fantastic and worth every penny, especially knowing if something happens to my setup, I won't ever need to try and get audio to work. It'll just work :)

This would exceed your intended budget by a little bit, so if that's not doable for you I understand and you can stop reading now.

Fostex T60rp + VModa BoomPro + Creative G6 would be about what I think of as the peak for an excellent quality headphone setup around that price range with excellent positional imaging for competitive shooters without feeling like the sound is being drilled into your brain, very enjoyable for music listening (if that's even a consideration for you), and works into a streamlined setup that's easy to use with an inexpensive but good sounding mic and a soundcard that has some nice specs, versatility, and features you can play with.

The headphones are a semi-open so you'll get some passive noise isolation from whatever is going on around you, and have an easily replaceable cord and pads. Your can pull mic monitoring from either the G6 or straight from within windows if you're using a windows pc.

I'm thinking if I were to go with anything it would be the sub $200 Creative options. For now, I purchased this cheap thing just to see if my audio quality got better, and boy oh boy did it get better! I'm actually really satisfied with just this. It powers my Sennheiser Urbanite XL just fine and the mic sounds great, and my Senn HD 598 sound even better.

Audacity's noise removal tool is excellent at getting rid of consistent background noise, like computer hum, etc. if that's what you mean. If you mean your soundcard picks up a lot of electrical noise when you try to record with a mic, that's harder to fix. Impossible, really. Easier to get a $20 USB soundcard or headset adapter. I use this little guy from Turtlebeach for my headset and it's very clear. The headset mic, on the other hand, likes to pick up every creak, crack, and twitch the headset gear makes. It even picks up the sound of my mouse wheel scrolling! But it gets temperamental about my voice if the boom is an inch or two off. Go figure. ;)

EDIT: Actually, unless you need a headset adaptor, probably more cost-effective to just buy a USB mic...

A good beginner setup for EDM/Metal listeners who play a good amount of video games? I'd readily suggest the closed-back Cooler Master MH751 for the low price of $60 (it's essentially a rebranded Takstar Pro 82v2 w/o bass ports and w/a detachable mic) --

Coolermaster MH751 on Amazon

​

The MH751 doesn't really require amping, but a nice starter dac/amp (for both gaming/music) would be the Sound BlasterX G6 for $158 --

Creative Sound Blasterx G6 on Amazon

​

Total cost: $60+$158 = $218.

If you can spend a bit more, replace the G6 DAC/AMP with the Topping DX3 Pro (if music is a strong top priority) for $220: $62 over the price of the G6, for a total of $60 + $220 = $280.

Topping DX3 Pro on Amazon

​

Hope this helps!

Hey, 1500+ hours in-game. I've played a thousand hours with a cheap $30 headset from Amazon, both with surround sound on and off. I've also played with Audio Technica M50x's and several other mid-range headphones. Currently I play with a set of semi-open back headphones.

Some tips:

1. Whether or not you should use surround sound depends on the specific option you're using. My headphone's built-in "surround sound" sucked. Razer Surround software was OK but I didn't like it. I now play with semi-open back headphones with no surround sound.
   
   
2. I've tried all the game's audio settings for long periods of time each, and I honestly don't notice a big difference between them. I personally use Hi-Fi but I've been good with all of them.
   
   
3. You won't be able to soundwhore without having it at high volume. Perceived volume is different for everyone, but in general I have the volume just a little under where I feel it's "too loud". If I had it any higher then a lot of gunfire might hurt my ears. When I watch videos of people playing, I watch with the volume lower and I can't hear the footsteps and sounds they can hear. Loud volume is more important than any setting.
   
   
4. KingGeorge plays with a simple pair of earbuds. It really doesn't matter what you use. It's all preference.
   
   Those are my soundwhoring tips. My current setup is a pair of AKG M220 semi-open back headphones and the Creative SoundBlaster Omni amp. I always play with Windows volume at 50 and in-game master volume at 80. Pretty loud, but it gets the job done and I don't find it uncomfortable unless it's for very long periods of time (5+ hours).

One of the best things about the monitor outside of its speakers and refresh rate is that there is 2 HDMI ports as well. If you ever need help with hooking up an external capture card to the Alpha or something let me know. And if you want to use a PC headset that has the mic and audio jacks separate you can use This although fiber optic utilizing headsets (Astros are great my opinion), sound the best.

Thank you very much! This is the Yamaha P-45 digital piano and I'm wearing the Audio-Technica ATH-T22 headphones which came with the piano.

To record the audio, it took several components. (Bear with me, I'm gonna be as specific as possible so it might get complicated.) The P-45 has both a USB and Headphone port. To record AUDIO, you MUST use the headphone out port. (The USB is only for MIDI recordings.)

To do so, I got a "1/4 inch TRS to Dual 1/4 inch TRSF Y cable" and plugged it into the headphone port. The Y cable splits a single port into 2 connections so that I can hook one to my Mac and record audio and the other one I use to plug in my headphones (or else I won't be able to hear my playing because that headphone port is the only source of sound outward).

Now it's just a matter of attaching adapters to make a 1/4 inch cable into a 1/8 inch (the only one that'll fit into that headphone port).

I got a 10 foot, "1/4 inch TRS cable" and plugged it into one of the Y ports so that it could reach my Mac. On the end of the 1/4 inch TRS cable, I attached a "1/4 inch Female to 1/8 inch Male adapter".

Next, I attached this sound adapter (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to my Mac, and plugged in the 1/8 inch male end into the sound adapter so that I could get audio information into my computer. Then I just used Garage Band to record the audio!

IN SUMMARY ... Piano -> Y cable -> 10 foot 1/4 inch cable -> 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch adapter -> Sound adapter -> Computer. I don't know if this is the most efficient way, but it's what I learned through trial-and-error and from hours of research over the course of a week. I am more than happy to answer any questions to make it super simple for you.

Like the other comments say, I'm still in the "not liking my own voice phase" i like to think i have a good voice but I still never like what i record. But other than that, I highly recommend getting a decent mic. Aim for XLR, if you can, over USB microphones. They are a bit more expensive but totally worth it for quality. the NW-700 is a really good beginner Microphone. As of now its only $27 which is awesomely cheap for an XLR, although you will have to buy a phantom power, little box that powers the microphone since the computer itself cant generate it, but thats only an extra $17. And a small adapter to actually go into your PC. This is by no means professional but any XLR is better than a USB microphone, in my opinion.

Microphone: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XOXRTX6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Phantom Power: https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-1-Channel-Microphone-Condenser-Recording/dp/B014H8AWGC/ref=pd_bxgy_267_img_2/132-8551522-3088534?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B014H8AWGC&pd_rd_r=ee89c156-a0db-4f07-b5fd-08246cdd8db3&pd_rd_w=oJwwl&pd_rd_wg=2W4Tj&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=GZSZ5G9AGGFHYCWXQWJM&psc=1&refRID=GZSZ5G9AGGFHYCWXQWJM

​

Adapter: https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=pd_bxgy_267_img_3/132-8551522-3088534?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00IRVQ0F8&pd_rd_r=ee89c156-a0db-4f07-b5fd-08246cdd8db3&pd_rd_w=oJwwl&pd_rd_wg=2W4Tj&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=GZSZ5G9AGGFHYCWXQWJM&psc=1&refRID=GZSZ5G9AGGFHYCWXQWJM

​

I myself am no professional but have been into this for a while and had this very microphone for like 2 years. I've since upgraded to an AT-2020

I've been using an onboard sound driver (Realtek HD Audio Manager) for the past couple of years I've had my computer. I own Sennheiser HD598c's and I feel like they are pretty good in gaming (PUBG) but I want to get the most out of them.

Would buying an external usb sound device like this: https://www.amazon.ca/TROND-Headphone-Microphone-Plug-N-Play-Compatible/dp/B014ANW4VU/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1505929401&sr=1-2&keywords=sound+card+usb

Be better than the onboard sound drivers or should I save up for a sound card instead?

Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H. It's 1150 from everything I've read. I tried a completely fresh install and applying this fix before even applying the initial multibeast.

Even on a fresh install I extracted the default kext from the installer I used to build my media and also made sure there were no extra kexts in any of the relevant folders (I wanted to be super sure everything was clean). In other words, I had a fresh install but also made extra sure everything was clean by going through the typical steps to clean everything out.

Anyway, at the end of the day I decided it wasn't a battle worth fighting because my local computer shop had a USB > 3.5 adapter (this one) for under $10. For the price it seemed like it made more sense to just grab that and avoid hours of messing around with my system. It also gives me piece of mind because my system is running at the bare minimum in terms of injecting and patching kexts, so I don't have that house of cards feeling that you sometimes get when you've spent days getting certain functions to work and are afraid that everything is going to break the next time you look at your computer the wrong way.

I have one of these and while it doesn't sound bad, especially considering the price, but I would suggest these lav mics (this listing is for three which is a good deal but they don't last very long). The clip on the Zalman mic just doesn't work with my headphones, the cable is too thin. Everyone might not have this issue, but the lav mics have actual clips that will actually clip to anything.

This lav mic is much more expensive but also very high quality.

Also as a word of warning to those out there looking at these microphones: most motherboards don't put out enough voltage for these microphones to perform well enough. You'll want something like this USB sound card for best results. Of course this isn't anything to worry about if you have a PCIe sound card already.

Good luck. You're gonna need a mess of adapters to accomplish that.

What you're going to need to ultimately do is get PS4 audio sent as an input into your PC and connect your headphones directly to your PC so you can hear both at the same time.

So firstly you're gonna need to make sure you have an Audio IN port on your PC. Next is transferring the Audio over to your PC. The easiest way to do this is pick yourself up a sound card with optical input. Something like this could work.

https://www.amazon.com/Blaster-Performance-Headphone-Forming-Microphone/dp/B009ISU33E/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1511642837&sr=1-1&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A4091980011%2C2889460011

Then you could run the optical cable from the PS4 to the Optical IN on the card and have it do live playback.

The second cheaper option would be to get one of these devices.

https://www.amazon.com/PROZOR-Digital-Converter-Toslink-Adapter/dp/B00KNNSKV0/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1511642983&sr=1-3&keywords=optical+to+3.5mm

Then run a 3.5mm into your PC. It likely won't sound as good but in theory it should work.

You would of course need to make sure you 3.5mm MIC/AUX Input on your PC.

https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-External-Converter-Adapter-Desktops/dp/B06XP5R449/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1511643145&sr=1-3&keywords=usb+3.5mm+aux+input

Something like this could work on your PC if you didn't have a 3.5mm aux input.

Obviously you'd need the 3.5mm cable like this.

https://www.amazon.com/FosPower-Stereo-Auxiliary-iPhone-Samsung/dp/B00LBJ77ZK/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1511643286&sr=1-3&keywords=3.5mm+audio+cable+25ft

And you'd need an optical cable that would plug into the adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Digital-Optical-Audio-Toslink/dp/B00NH11H38/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1511643360&sr=1-3&keywords=Optical+cable

Hi hi hi friends,

I bought my Sennheiser HD 598 CS's during black friday and I cant help but feel like I'm not getting the most out of them. Right now I have them connected, along with a ModMic, to my mobo with this.

I had my eyes set on these;

FiiO E10K

Optomo NuForce

So, my question is, should I get either of these DACs or is it not really worth the price I'm intending to pay? If I should buy a DAC which one of these should I get? Or is there a better one around this price point?

Budget: $150cad

Location: Canada

Thanks for any help!

You need this:

https://www.amazon.com/external-Adapter-Windows-Microphone-SD-CM-UAUD/dp/B001MSS6CS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479836527&sr=8-1&keywords=syba

I use that one and it works great. Then just use the inputs on that for the sound and mic. You might need a mixer or should have one even a cheap one for mixing volumes etc... or conversely you could set up some kind of mixing software on the PC.

I was under the impression the one with the HC2 the USB sound card is not compatible with the PS4. Not for sure though. Might want to give it a try since you have it.

If your hooking the Elgato directly to the PS4 with HDMI audio make sure that the settings in OBS have use device audio checked or on in the software.

Bottom line make your life easier with a cheap mixer to control, mix and make your stream sound better.

I use a PS4 everyday with this setup and it allows ultimate control and sound through my DSS USB device also plugged into the PS4 come by and discuss it TonyLemont on Twitch.

Peace.

I see what you're saying about the G430, he almost sounds like he's a jet pilot with it.

The ZM1 in the youtube clip you sent me sounds fantastic, so much more clear than when I use mine. He mentions using a usb audio adapter is why his is so clear. Would something cheaper like this give me the boost I would possibly need to get rid of the static, or would I need to spend more. Would love to get away with only spending $20-$30 max if possible.

Well damn. Sorry you have to deal with that stuff! That is really frustrating!

My last suggestion, if you are willing, is to get a cheap USB Sound Card and completely bypass your internal jack. As that could be the issue as well.

It is a really cheap test and it would let you know if it is the headset or the jack or the adapter.

Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-Aluminum-External-Adapter-AU-EMAC/dp/B00OJ5AV8I/

Or this:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/

Anyway, good luck on solving that issue man. And if they USB Sound Card works you could try some different headsets/headphones. Just remember that those USB Sound Cards are very basic and offer little to no amping. So you wont be getting the best sound quality. But it would definitely be equivalent to the onboard sound of laptops. And let you test your situation.

If you want to do a serious upgrade in sound quality, get the Sound Blaster Omni 5.1.

I have it and it amps all my headphones perfectly and has so many features and options and is rock solid. It does have an integrated mic into the unit and does noise cancel quite well but I wouldn't recommend it if you can use one on a headset as that would probably be clearer.

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Performance-Headphone-Integrated-Microphone/dp/B00EZT7RE4/

Just letting you know of the options, and sorry about all the info.

The reason I thought it could be the adapter or port is because I have the Game One and the SHP 9500's which are VERY open and leak sound substantially and I never get the mic picking up the audio from the headphones when using voice activated on PC or even on PS4 which is only voice activated.

Also, I just noticed something from your wording and just want to clarify something.

You are saying that when you are on a voice chat program with someone, they hear coming through your mic what is playing on your headphones right? It's not that you are hearing your mic in your headphones right? Just being sure. Because if you hear your mic in your headphones that is a completely different issue and can be disabled by going into your speaker settings and muting the mic playback which plays back to your headphones for closed headphones so you can hear yourself without having to yell it's called sidetone. Anyway, this is probably definitely not the issue but I just want to clarify so we can rule out everything else.

I'm pretty sure you can get a crappy little USB device with a 1/8" mic input and use that. The sound isn't going to be great but it might hold you over in the meantime. Something like this or this (along with cable adapter(s)) i think would work.

Otherwise, I'd probably be spending all my time learning the blofeld and making patches for it. That synth is basically limitless with its possibilities. Try to make some patches that sound like the gear you want (e piano, etc.).

And get some VSTs! There are plenty of solid-sounding free ones - you can compose your ass off with just free software.

I knew this sounded familiar...

After 6 years in my posession, my MSI GT70 0nc has NOT aged well at all

1. BSODs and slow startup- You were informed that the HDD is likely dying and were recommended an SSD swap. If you cannot afford a high capacity SSD, the Seagate Firecuda is an excellent replacement.
   
2. Monitor cable loose - Remove the bezel on your LCD and reattach the loose cable. It's more likely that the ribbon is pinched/damaged and drops the connection. YouTube video to help you take apart the LCD and find the ribbon.
   
3. USB 3.0 not working - Check to make sure that the wire you are using on your external SSD is good. Pins 5-9 on the male end connector may be bent/damaged and force a USB 2.0 connection instead.
   
4. Headphone jack - Use a toothpick to clean out the headphone port. If you are willing to take it apart, make sure your headphones are making good contact. Otherwise, just buy a USB sound card.
   
   Keep us posted.

Everyone runs the Behringer DAC with these Nexus 7 setups, but to be honest, it seems like overkill, and it ain't small. Is there a reason you chose it over a small option like [this](http://www.SYBA.com/ external USB Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows, Mac, Linux Extra Audio Source with Microphone SD-CM-UAUD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001MSS6CS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_sbD2xb9F64ZHN)? I can buy that the audio quality on the Behringer is likely higher. It just seems like an ungainly device when size does matter.

Just came in the mail. I tried it on my Macbook Pro to confirm it's native. Works like a charm! Pop it in and it shows up in the sound options. Sound quality is also decent. I don't detect any excessive noise or anything like that. Definitely worth $10 to not fuck with drivers haha.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MSS6CS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dear Pi-people,

I want to make wall mounted phones and hang them throughout the city. You can leave voicemails or talk 1-0-1 if someone is on the other line. It will be a closed network of about 10 units.

Your advice on mic/telephone: i think the shoulder mics are really cool for this project. But i have no clue how to connect it to the pi. Will an usb soundcard be ok? I don’t know if these 2 pin connectors on the shoulder mics fit the standard usb cards.

Furthermore I don’t know if the PTT (push to talk) will still function or how to make that interact with the pi; recognising when mic is on or off (maybe sound levels?).

Second option would be to attach a “retro” phone. Anyone have any experience/ suggestions? Regarding software as well (Is Asterisk a solution or Mumble + voicerecord for voicemail?)

https://www.amazon.com/BTECH-QHM22-Platinum-Rainproof-Shoulder/dp/B00Z4X3MM6/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1518681063&sr=1-3&keywords=shoulder+mic

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=zg_bs_3015427011_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TEF3DD19MRMX3V5B2PSN

Thanks in advance!

I use the micromix, it works great! The only thing to be aware of is that all the ins and outs are 1/4, and the output is mono so you'll need A mono to stereo converter like this if you want to listen on headphones.

As you noted, the micromix only has one output so you can't do multitrack recordings with it, but it is good for jamming or even small live performances. If you want to do multitrack recording on the cheap, and you have a mac, look into aggregate devices. Basically, you can get a bunch of these, plug them into a single USB hub, and tell your mac it's one device with multiple inputs. If you're not using a mac I don't know what to do but I'm sure there's a solution out there!

I built a simpit that has two USB sound cards in it running seven channels: chassis, pedals, seat bottom, and seat back. USB sound cards are not recommended, but I wanted my simpit to be somewhat separated from my computer, and it's working for me.

It took some fiddling/tuning to get it right, but it really makes a huge difference in the immersion. I especially love being able to feel the gears shifting, and being able to tell from that how smoothly the gears changed. Without it turned on the car just feels dead now.

I do wish I had used larger transducers for the chassis corners, as they are on the underside of 5/8" MDF base. Seat and pedals are great. I used the following:

• 7 x Dayton Audio TT25-8
  
• 2 x Pyle PLMRA400 4x400W
  
• 2 x StarTech.com 7.1 USB Audio Adapter
  
  It's these StarTech USB sound cards that needed to be in 5.1 mode. In Quadraphonic I don't believe I was getting any channel separation in the SimVibe output.

I have used both Volumio and Rune Audio and they both offer web based control over a headless pi audio server. You can stream internet radio, play audio from archive.org, and play music from an attached storage device with music loaded onto it (or a network music share device).

They are both based on the same open source project and are pretty similar functionally and aesthetically, they might be perfect for what you want because anybody on the network can access the web control panel and play/que music.

You will also probably want to look into a USB DAC or a add-on board like hi-fi berry because the Pis audio out is pretty underwelming in terms of sound quality. I used this USB audio card because it was plug and play and cheap but sounds good through an amplified stereo.

I'm rocking either a ModMic/Headset combo or the ADG1X:

Antlion Audio ModMic 4.0 LINK

Note: If you have your favorite pair of headphones that you would love to have a mic on and convert it into a Headset, get the ModMic and apply it on!

Audio Technica ATH-AD900X Open-Back LINK

Note: Audio Technica ATH-AD700X Open-Back is a favored 2nd choice by me.

Creative Sound BlasterX G5 HD Audio External Sound Card LINK

Note: If you don't have a Sound Card and need something to drive your headset.

Audio-Technica ATH-ADG1X Open Air LINK

Note: This headset is Big Head Summit1G approved Kappa (Current headset he is using)

Need a bit of tech support.

I have Sennheiser HD 598s, which sound amazing and I love them. But they are WAY WAY too loud.
I have my pc volume mixer set to 1%, and then still watch videos and play games at like 10% internal volume.

As far as the rest of my setup goes, I'm using this USB sound card
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001MSS6CS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

with no DAC or anything.

Is it possible I have a really warped idea of how loud hearing damage occurs at, and I should just crank everything up? I don't really want anything to be louder though.

I've spoken to some friends who have already really pushed me to buy a DAC but I'd love your opinions first. And if I get a DAC, would I have to return to using my on board sound card instead of the USB card?

Yep but you're probably cheaper off buying a cheap usb sound card for like 5-10€

Edit: the purpose of the sound card is to just sort out the interference coming from the PC and send a clean signal to the device. This doesn't require a 400€ AMP or a DAC.
Sort of just smoothing out the "bumps".

Something like this can do the job.

Audio processing inside a power hungry computer is like holding a concert on an F1 track while a race is happening next to you.

I definitely will! You do the same. The way I did this one was I just ran the tracks playing into a small mixer I have, then a really simple USB interface i got off of amazon that looks like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1511477524&sr=8-9&keywords=usb+audio+interface

this track is really simple so it didn't take much, but if you ran like 6 different channels into some simple interface like that it might muddy it.

I record most of my tracks into either logic or I use the recording feature on my op-1.

I'd really like to get more into abelton, becuase I think it would really help with workflow, but I have such a mental block on learning it. I'm used to the garageband/logic interface setup.

Any USB audio dongle should work, but this is the one I have.

I had run one of the audio patching scripts, but it gave me only partial audio function. There were none of the system sounds in OS X, but I could get audio out if playing a video stream in a browser window. After doing a fresh install of El Cap I decided to grab the dongle just to see what would happen--works perfectly. It's a solution for a desktop with plenty of ports and where it doesn't matter if the dongle is sticking out the back. Would be a little clunky on a laptop.

off the top of my head around 120-150 but thats assuming you buy everything online with free shipping and assuming you have access to alot of tools.

Pi Zero https://www.adafruit.com/product/2885 $5.00
LCD https://www.amazon.com/BW-3-5-Inch-Monitor-Automobile/dp/B0045IIZKU/ $15.50
USB Sound Card https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ $6
USB HUB https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Converter-Android-Samsung-Transformer/dp/B00OZDUTMM $6
Volume Potentiometer https://www.amazon.com/16x2mm-Double-Taper-Duplex-Potentiometer/dp/B00O9Y6Z70 $6
Mono 2.5w amp https://www.adafruit.com/products/2130 $3
ABXY PCB http://store.kitsch-bent.com/product/common-ground-dmg-button-pcb-a-b-x-y-version $11.75
Power Boost 1000C https://www.adafruit.com/products/2465 $20

Female micro usb https://www.adafruit.com/products/1829 $1
female usb socket https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Female-Degree-Socket-Connector/dp/B00FH85SGG Free or $6
Stereo Jack https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Plastic-Stereo-Socket-Connector/dp/B00GLQAF7A $6
Slide switch https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-SS12F32-G7-Position-Switch-Solder/dp/B007QAJWYW $6
Membrane set http://store.kitsch-bent.com/product/silicone-buttons $2.75
Extra button set http://store.kitsch-bent.com/product/custom-buttons $2
28mm Speaker https://www.amazon.com/Metal-Inside-Magnet-Player-Speaker/dp/B00O9YG9GM $6.50
two single button pcb http://store.kitsch-bent.com/product/easy_buttons $4.30
2300mah Battery http://www.microcenter.com/product/458057/2,300_mAh_Li-Po_Battery_and_Charger $15.00

I used an antlion modmic. The product actually doesn't interact with the 598's cable at all. It's a separate cable and the mic is attached with a magnet.

I plug it (only the mic, not the headphones) into a Sabrent USB Soundcard (otherwise the mic hisses and is quiet). With this cheap ($7) soundcard it sounds great and is crystal clear.

The Modmic works with all headphones due to the fact that you just attach it and it's ready to use. However, the cables can get tangled EXTREMELY easily so I recommend taking advantage of the included cable clips and maybe getting a cable sleeve should you go the Antlion modmic route.

I've had a pack of 10 generic electret mics resembling this (that I got for like $1 each) lying around since 2010, and tonight I used them along with the $18 Soundblaster Play 3 (which supplies the mics with 2.7VDC by default so I didn't need to deal with bias supplies) and a Pi Zero to test the Solo acoustic datalogger project by James Christie and Robbie Whytock which worked awesome and just saved my ass.



Last Friday I needed to build a stable platform to autonomously acquire a month of hydrophone data from a remote field site, on 3 days notice, and purely because of those guys' work on Solo I just pulled that shit off like a boss...


So check out Solo and dig into their repo if you haven't already, that $18 SB3 interface they spec along with my dirt-cheap condensers are evidently capable of scientific-grade audio capture with pretty much zero dicking around.



For affordable reference mics on a slightly more serious level I highly recommend these bad boys from Dayton. Those are also just generic condensers worth no more than a few bucks each, except the lab calibration data included with each mic would cost me a hell of a lot more than the $70 they ask. But for what you're doing I bet a standard cheap lavalier mic powered off the SB3 bias supply will work surprisingly well.

​


Good luck and have fun!

It really sounds like RFI but you said you tried different microphones, so I doubt it since most of them have grounding.

What I suggest you to try is an USB microphone or even an USB sound card (they're actually pretty fucking good, audio quality can increase a lot using them), I've used this one for a long time and it's still good but some reviews are saying that the new models are slightly worse (I would just buy it and test if you can fix your problems)

That sounds more like a driver or hardware issue IMO. If you're still having the issue, I'd recommend consulting this thread, and if that doesn't work buying one of these. Pretty cheap and pretty useful, was a big help when my soundcard starting shitting itself.

i can recommend a raspberry pi running Volumio, for a super friendly interface for music.

you can plug in any external USB HD you want, as long as the external has a PSU.

for your budget, i'd suggest getting a Pi 4, which will perform much faster than the Zero i'm using, plus has usb3.1 bus speed for super fast interface w/your external HD of music.

you can save some money by getting the model w/2gb memory VS 4gb.

probably add a nice aluminum case, but i'd skip one with a fan, they're noisy apparently.

you'll also need a microSD card and a USB charger for power.

splurge on a decent USB sound card, https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/

Volumio is free. http://www.volumio.com, you can interface w/Volumio from your phone or pointing any other computer on your network at the Pi, or plug the HDMI out from the Pi into a TV.

so, you're talking $120 for the whole rig?

more spendy than a used laptop from ebay, but the whole thing is the size of a pack of cards and you can basically drop it behind your amp and forget about it. i'm fairly sure that Volumio has a decent interface for uploading new music onto any drive plugged into the system.

Yes, give it a go on the Pi. I have been enjoying it for years.

One thing I forgot to mention. The audio output of the Pi sucks. It has a dynamic range of 11 bits. Even these $6 USB sound cards do better. I use the Behringer UFO202 because I have a turntable, but the Behringer UCA202 is great if you have a Digital Input on your HiFi.
There are a ton of USB and I2C DACs that will work well.

I just got the SMSL SD793-II and it works well! No complaints so far. However, if you want to use a mic I would recommend this . I use that as well and mic is clear. Good vid from Zeos on the SMSL here

Hope that helps!!

Try putting your mic into one of those cheap usb dongles

This is what I posted in another thread discussing this:


Just verified this with a FX-audio X6 plugged into PC with optical cable, and the mic plugged into a USB dongle into a USB hub right next to the DAC/amp.

Planning on writing something up to document these findings, but the key is using a DAC that uses optical input and dedicated AC adapter, while plugging the mic into one of those $5 amazon USB dongles.

You also cannot have the USB cable plugged into the DAC at all, even if it's not connected to anything. The moment you plug it in, the ground loop buzzing comes out loud and clear.

Hope this helps

(These are possible fixes, not steps of one instruction)

1. Make sure the jacks are in the right port (blue to blue, green to green, pink to pink).
   
   
2. Right click the speaker icon in the task bar, click 'playback devices', then make sure that the audio device is enables.
   
   
3. Make sure it's not a problem with your headset
   
   
4. Punch your PC (this legit worked for me once, lol)
   
   
5. Buy 3.5mm Jack to USB adapter (I used this one for several years and it has been great - [https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502269354&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=3.5mm+to+usb&dpPl=1&dpID=51FLiQuh7EL&ref=plSrch](Sabrent USB Adapter)
   
   
6. Check your I/O panel is connected properly to your Motherboard (this can be tricky, but keep trying and you'll get it)
   
   Good luck
   

> I honestly don't mind playing them on the LCD

Yeah, a lot of people here do seem to mind (though getting "raged and flamed to hell" isn't usually something that happens in this sub), but I'm right there with ya. I've actually got 8 different systems (both old and new) hooked up to a nice LCD computer monitor I was given for Christmas (specifically a Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW, along with the optional soundbar), and it does a wonderful job IMHO, despite being over a decade old (these things came out around 2005 or so, I think). I just wish my Sega Genesis still worked (video output died somehow, so I'm using one of those crappy FireCore things for now), and I need to get a composite cable for my SNES... :/

Anyways, this UltraSharp is a 16:10 monitor (1920x1200), so it's decent for both widescreen and standard systems; the 16:9 systems have about an inch of letterboxing on top and bottom while the 4:3 systems similarly only have about an inch of pillarboxing on the left and right. It also can pivot into a portrait view, which is interesting. Haven't used that yet, but it might be cool for certain arcade SHMUPs (my Wii is hacked, so I can run some of those in an emulator)...

It also has a ton of different inputs, though it's missing HDMI. Luckily, HDMI and DVI use the same digital video format, so I just use a straight HDMI-to-DVI cable for my PS4 (and a USB audio adapter for plugging in the soundbar, so I don't have to worry about splitting out and converting the HDMI's digital audio to analog). Unfortunately, though, this particular monitor does not have HDCP support, so the media apps (YouTube, CrunchyRoll, etc) and the BluRay playback won't work on the PS4. I may get one of these things to bypass HDCP eventually...

All that said, my setup isn't nearly as organized as yours (shown here using the monitor's "picture-beside-picture" mode, playing PSO in my Wii on the right while studying this chart in the PS4's internet browser on the left. Apologies for potato-quality camera, lol). Part of that is due to space constraints, though -- I live with my sister, and keep my game systems in my bedroom so she can watch TV in the living room while I'm gaming... :P

I'd try using a small audio mixer (something like this, for reference), so you could send multiple inputs to one output (headphones/AMP), along with the ability to tune the volumes for each individual input. You'd have to make sure your mixer model supports the features of your headphones (stereo vs surround sound, frequency range, etc.), but I imagine you could find something decent for >$100.

For connecting to the PC, I'm assuming you'd either be using a dedicated sound card with a cable from it to the mixer, or use a USB adapter cable from it to the mixer. For connecting your PS4 to the mixer, you have a few options; optical cable, GameDac, USB Audio adapter, or HDMI Audio Extractor. It's up to you.

It sounds like a bit of a janky solution, but if you're already using an external AMP and you're only looking for stereo audio, the only extra piece you'd be getting at is the mixer itself. All of the other wires/boxes involved are what it take to connect your devices to your headphones either way.

I'm not totally sure I follow what you're doing, but it sounds like you might need something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004SP0WAQ

Maybe combined with a female-female TRRRS a coupler, depending on what you're going for in the end. It sounds like the Vive headset doesn't have the third Ring for microphone input, so you'll need to split it off and send it separately somehow. You might actually want to get one of those tiny USB sound cards (with separate headset and Mic ports) and plug it into the Vive, then plug the Mic cord from this adapter into it with a male-male coupler.
Like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LH1NQ9W

Amazon makes some pretty good USB mics for not too much and USB extenders are cheap. I think they even make USB to aux adapters. I'd say that's the cheaper more cost effective method honestly

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NZ3M9SK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IIkXCbWC1YDH0

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NH13UFQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IJkXCbRQX4KJ1

And if you're really married to the idea of the turtle beaches
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_lKkXCbFVXBHPP

Condenser Microphones need power to function. The audio port on your motherboard does not give nearly enough. The microphone will work much better and be less noisy with more power. You can either use a USB sound card to give the mic 5V of power or get a 48V phantom power supply to maximize your performance.
I got this USB Soundcard and this Power Supply. I use both together and It sounds great. The microphone also works alright with just the USB card. hope it helps. p.s. I have the same mic.

Personally, I would stretch for the Dell. If the headphone jack does become an issue ChromeOS supports most USB audio devices so you could get an inexpensive USB solution like this one, or one of many other similar ones down the road.

You could also consider a refurb 2013 Pixel. They can be had somewhat cheaply but support may be lacking.

Otherwise you're probably best off with the Acer 14 even if it has a lackluster keyboard.

i used to want to upgrade my pc audio and get a DAC/AMP setup. i tried this with my Vmoda Crossfade M100s with boom mic pro and it sounds great. just plugs into one of my front USB ports and use my standard 3.5mm jack from my boom mic pro cable. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XP5R449/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i believe the Q702 have 62ohm impedance with 105db sensitivity, so they should be easily driven by your onboard sound.

as far as problems reported on your setup, i can not comment on that. nor have i owned a stack like the schiit you're looking at. but i can attest that my headphones sound great for gaming and music i can hear footsteps coming from different directions easily.

I'm always quick here to suggest the Kingston HyperX Cloud Gaming headset. I've gone through quite a few headsets and I came across these a year ago and they work beautifully. They are supper sturdy, super comfortable, and are noise canceling, and of course have excellent sound quality. They run right at $70 on Amazon and that's a great deal for this headset. I paid $100 for a set of plastic turtle beaches that broke in 6 months.

Also, I honestly can't remember if they are usb, I know they have stereo and mic connectors for sure but if you give me a few minutes I'll go check my pair that's plugged in. However, you should invest in a USB adapter for audio and mic. I'll link both items below from Amazon.

Syba SD-CM-UAUD USB Stereo Audio Adapter, C-Media Chipset, RoHS https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001MSS6CS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_HSYEwbN6J6C2C

HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset - Black (KHX-H3CL/WR) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JJNQG98/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_3QYEwbBZX6WTM

Got the headphones. Love them! I just bought https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EZT7RE4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 so that it's even better hopefully. Thanks for the advice.

ditch the origen, you can get a G5 for $112.50 and free shipping. Good dac, good amp, good mic input. You need to use the coupon code LABOR25 at checkout

http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blasterx-g5


EDIT: nevermind you can get it on amazon for $96 ! https://www.amazon.com/Creative-BlasterX-Headphone-Amplifier-SB1700/dp/B018JUPY3A

Thanks for the reply!

Ummm so from about 7 to 10 theres a tv playing in the room where i game. But from 10 to 3 its pretty quite. I'm usually on the computer from 7pm to 3am. So idk that i NEED anc headphones. But if theres not a big sound quality difference its def the way i wanna go.

The source is a sound blaster g6: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FY45F2S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Its hooked up to my computer.

Wired or wireless? Don't care which ever sounds better.

Music i listen to? Its mostly for gaming and the music in that is pretty random.

Sound signature? Loveeee heavy bass.

Apart from forgetting that I don't want it to auto focus after every restart (which is a pretty big problem) it is great, the microphone on the other hand is not so great and I would recommend getting the Samson Go Mic (in the image) or getting a cheap USB sound card with Microphone input and this Lav Mic

Plugging the Helix in via USB is telling the iPad to use it as an audio interface for both ins and outs. If you only want to use the Helix for input, why don't you try a cheap USB sound card with a mic level input along with a headphone jack like this. Then you can use the headphone output on the USB card.

I wish Apple would implement mac-level audio routing. It really is super easy to pick your system level input/output device, even when the two are completely different.

links?

anyway the headphones I want and probably gonna buy:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-Momentum-Over-Ear-Wireless-Headphones-Black/dp/B00SUZVLAA/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=audiophile+headphones&qid=1562080935&s=electronics&sr=1-12

or similar to them....

I am thinking of saving money for an external soundcard like this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FY45F2S/ref=twister_B07KXLS6MV?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

but I am not sure if it's worth it... if it is better to upgrade other parts of my PC so that's why I want all of you your help...

Thanks

So i just purchased the sennheiser hd 598 cs headphones and i think they're absolutely magnificent, but i'm hearing a static interference noise coming through constantly from either 3.5mm port that gets worse/unbearable when i enter an online game like league or overwatch. I did research on this and tried everything from moving around all the wires on my set up, moving the location of the modem, fiddling with all the USBs and other connections to my PC, and messing with some of the sound settings. I can tell a big portion of the interference is coming from my new g602 logitech wireless mouse and i noticed a slight reduction in noise after i moved my modem but it's still too much.

Im considering buying something cheap like https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1518104019&sr=8-3&keywords=external+sound+card for a small possible external soundcard that could bypass or eliminate the noise coming from my MOBO but I cant find much info on whether that'll actually work or not. Can anyone recommend me a small external soundcard like this that'll eliminate the noise or just an overall fix to my problem? I also use a speaker that plugs into my second 3.5mm jack and i notice the same static noise coming out of that too so i'm certain its a noise issue.

Thanks!

HiFiBerry or PhatDac are a great high quality audio solution, if your soldering skills are up to the task...

https://www.hifiberry.com

https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/phat-dac

If you just need “decent” audio to TV, a cheap under $8USA Sabrent USB may suffice...

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1510057666&sr=1-3&keywords=usb+audio+adapter&dpID=51QY728wxCL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

There are also external USB Dacs, etc.
Hopefully this points you in the right direction.
Enjoy your Pi journey!

The 4.8 pound Acer V7-582PG-6479 has some decent gaming capabilities, but nowhere near as good as the Y510p. It has a 1920x1080 IPS 15.6" touchscreen, i5 4200U processor, 8GB ram, 500GB HDD, GT 750M GPU and around 5 hours of battery life. You'd be able to play LoL and TF2 on max settings, but Skyrim will probably need to be turned down to medium settings in order to play on 1920x1080 resolution.

It also has the backlit keyboard, HDMI port, 3 total USB ports (1 3.0) but just a headphone jack without a mic. You could remedy that problem by getting a USB Audio interface, but it would take up a USB port.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Yeah man, I'm shopping around for a new DAC / Amp combo right now. A dude is offering me this (used) for $60, but I've never heard of the brand so I'm a bit wary... and it's from 2014

And I'll look further into the XL pads. Seem like a nice improvement for $20

Most likely its an issue with the mic itself, but if you want to try anything before you return it id get a little usb sound adapter, they are like 5-10 bucks and often work better than onboard soundcards. This guy is personally my favorite, and its what I use for my modmic.

Your headset uses a 3.5mm 4-pole jack. 1 wire each for the left, the right, the microphone, and the ground.

Does your laptop have 2 3.5mm holes? If so, they're probably 3-pole jacks. The headphone jack has a left, right, and ground; and the microphone jack has an input and a separate ground. You'll need a splitter to split the headphones and microphone, like this.

https://www.amazon.com/aceyoon-Splitter-Headphones-Auxiliary-Computers/dp/B07KSYL2L6/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=3.5+4-pole+splitter&qid=1570374533&s=electronics&sr=1-9

If your laptop only has 1 hole, then it probably doesn't have microphone input, or it isn't working. You can still get a USB adapter that accepts 4-pole like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3QYAEMWJHTJM9&keywords=sound+blaster+play+3&qid=1570374888&s=electronics&sprefix=sound+blaster+pl%2Celectronics%2C138&sr=1-3

And just to make sure, plug your headset into a phone with a 3.5mm jack to see if it recognizes as a headset and the mic works. Hope this helps.

I've had this same issue.

Sabrent USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and play No drivers Needed. (AU-MMSA) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_gz1jyb3KVE372



^This will solve your issue. It turns your USB port into a mic/audio jack. One for each, so no matter your programming, it will recognize whatever you plug into the mic jack as a audio input instead of output.


It's a bit of a challenge setting levels so they won't clip since it basically uses the mic port like a pair of headphones, but if you are like me (low budget, not recording digital for money) then this is the best cheap option.

Yeah, your best bet is to get a decent DAC if you want to spend a bit more for your good music headphones. The cheap option is something like this which fixes 99% of audio interference issues.

I'm a gamer and know nothing of sound but the guys over at /r/buildapc gave me some suggestions to come to the pros here at r/headphones

I currently have the HyperX Cloud Pro Gaming Headset which for the price I have no complains about. The only reason I'm looking to get new headphones is that this headphones kinda suck at helping me hear footsteps and don't get very loud.

Can you guys help me find the best headphones for around 400$. I have no problem going higher as long as I get the best set up possible.

My requirements so far are

• No mic is needed
  
• Closed back preferred unless open provide better sound quality
  
• Used primary for gaming (hearing footsteps lol)
  
• Durable if possible (Kids at my house might drop them once or twice but this is low priority over quality)
  
  I don't know to much about all the components I need to buy so if you can list them all in one post with the name to find on Amazon that would be really helpful.
  
  What I kinda put together but I was told I need an amp.
  
  Headphones
  
  Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z Art Monitor Closed-Back Dynamic Headphones
  
  DAC & AMP
  Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1 Headphone Surround HD Audio External Sound Card with Headphone Amplifier for Windows PC/Mac/PS4/and Other Consoles

I have the Creative G6 amplifier and i really love it it such a wonderful amp Specially for gaming If you just want a amp for gaming then get this https://www.amazon.com/BlasterX-External-Headphone-Surround-Sidetone/dp/B07FY45F2S

I just did some searching and it seems like yes you can, there are ways to do it without buying anything new but it really depends on what kind of computer you have. This video goes through how to do it on a Mac ( https://youtu.be/U51JVcAV1Gw ), and this thing on Amazon seems like it does what you'd want but as you can see from the reviews it's not the best so shopping around might be good. You can also get a USB thing like this which I used for awhile.

​

This article explains how to listen to the feedback from input-devices on your laptop, if you're using Windows. If you do this and set the playback device to be your car speakers via bluetooth, it SHOULD work. Lemme know how that works.

Agreed that the metronome could be better.

You could always just put a click track on a channel that is routed in such a way which will bypass your recording and go straight to speakers.

You could control the volume, divisions, whatever. You could put something different on the 1,5,9,13 so you always know exactly where you are.

I should probably send this idea over to Scott, haha. Now I want to see it incorporated.

Additionally, if you were to route this track to an independent sound card, say, a cheap USB Sound Card , you could then plug in a dedicated pair of speakers and have a physical metronome that you could fade in and out whenever.

I had a similar issue and bought a usb instead it made a huge improvement in the mic quality. It reduces interference apparently and powers the mic also giving it a boost. That's what I was told anyway , all I know is for a few pounds it was a big boost.

​

sorry forgot teh link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001MSS6CS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can of course go with a JustBoom Amp Hat to produce stereo output up to about 55w. Using this output you can connect to a factory amplifier using a car stereo wiring harness (this is how I am powering my 11 speakers in my 2004 Dodge Durango with Infinity Sound).

​

Alternately you could go with a simple DAC Hat such as the Hi-Fi Berry (linked above) or the JustBoom DAC Hat to provide output to a sound processor or multi-channel amplifier. As I upgrade my speakers, I will be adding a sound processor and multiple amplifiers to drive all the speakers and some larger subwoofers.

​

A third option is to use a 3.5mm to RCA connector for our sound output from the Pi or secondary DAC (USB or Hat) with 3.5mm output. The Soundblaster Play! 3 is plug and play and works great for this application. From the RCA output you can connect sound processors and/or amplifiers to power your system.

​

To answer your question, your phone does the largest portion of the processing and provides the "source" for audio/video output which is transmitted via the USB cable to the Pi where Android Auto utilizes the Pi hardware to output the display and sound through your configured paths.

Hope this helps...

I'm using exactly this.

Thanks for the explanation!

I will probably invest in phantom power very soon, hopefully with better luck in Skype.

Most laptops only have a headphone output jack, so you'll need an input jack, and you can buy external USB soundcard with an input on it.

Then you need to find out if that input jack can be set to line level or mic level. Sometimes you can switch between the two.

The mixer will be sending line level out. If you can set the laptop to line level in, then you are all good, all you need is a cable that has an XLR on one end, and a mini 3.5mm jack on the other end. You might have to use an XLR to 1/4" jack cable and then use an adapter to change the 1/4" jack down to a 3.5mm mini. (Or XLR to XLR cable with an adapter on the end to change it to 3.5mm mini)

If the laptop will only accept Mic level, then you need the same sort of setup, but you'll run it through a Direct Box which is a transformer that can switch line level signals to mic level signals.

Hopefully you can go down and take a look at everything before the day of the event. Take good notes and pictures of what is down there. Then make yourself a checklist so you don't forget anything on the day of the event.

I'm in the same boat as you, but unfortunately I can't connect my headset to the PC directly. The only potential work around I have is using a USB headset adapter like this to see if that helps with the echo. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XP5R449/

​

But that's a little steep for something that should work as is with the equipment you have. I really hope they fix this audio issue soon as I can't play with friends on PC otherwise.

I would make sure you don't have the Stereo Mix under recording devices enabled, as that could be causing an echo as well.

Sure! The G5 is just in the same price range as the FiiO, and is also a DAC/AMP like the FiiO, but there are definitely some other options. Also, Something like this might work, although it's not a DAC, so it will still use your onboard sound system, but for that price it might be worth a shot.

Windows upgrades can often cause driver issues, I'd try doing a clean install to see if that fixes it, but it's pretty inconvenient.

Have you checked the headset on another machine to make sure it's not just a coincidence?

If you're just using it for game voip, a cheapo USB sound card like this would be fine, just keep using your mobo audio for the speakers http://www.amazon.com/external-Adapter-Windows-Microphone-SD-CM-UAUD/dp/B001MSS6CS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458987901&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+microphone+card

Funnily enough, I had that same setup. Yes, you will need a splitter, however, the Boompro comes with a splitter IIRC so you should be fine in that department. All you have to do is plug the headphone jack into the DAC and the mic jack into your onboard sound.

HOWEVER. You might get a faint hissing/interference in your headphones if you do this, It happened to me, and I'm pretty sure it'll happen to anyone who uses the mic on their onboard sound. Apparently, the way to solve this is to get a USB to 3.5mm converter, and plug the mic into there. Here's the guy that suggested it further down this thread.

And here's the adapter he linked that fixed his problem

I have yet to try it out though. I just bought another mic and stopped using the Boompro.

Beautiful. Any specific splitter you recommend? Something like this?

https://www.amazon.ca/TROND-Headphone-Microphone-Plug-N-Play-Compatible/dp/B014ANW4VU/ref=pd_aw_fbt_23_img_3/143-1078025-3675209?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B014ANW4VU&pd_rd_r=719edea4-c2fd-4b73-9554-c9f417df2b31&pd_rd_w=YWqHM&pd_rd_wg=tT89z&pf_rd_p=318fc841-c654-436b-9e98-a4e2694ba626&pf_rd_r=BPCZVC37XF7H87X7JAF5&psc=1&refRID=BPCZVC37XF7H87X7JAF5

Also Modmic 4, or 5. Is it worth pulling the trigger on an extra almost $40?

You could use a splitter but that does not account for the internals of your headsets being quite different to the amplifier built in to your speakers. Usually this causes volume imbalance, which you could probably fix a bit with the volume knob on your speakers but it's not the best. Speakers with a headphone connector would be the best for that part but that won't fix the microphone part.

The StarTech splitter that was linked only works for devices with a TRRS socket (normally you only have TRS, so one Ring in the middle, RR has double rings).

If you want to be sure that won't break shit you'd need to post the motherboard/audiodevice/case -model depending on where this singular output is on your PC. That way we could try to see if it has a TRRS connector instead of just TRS.

You could also get a DAC (Digital Audio Converter) which would take up an USB port. Most have both audio out and microphone in. Unfortunately this installs as a separate 'sound card' and different audio device so you'd need to set up preferences for 'playback' and 'communications'.

Also some programs (even Skype goddammit) ignore the OS settings for which audio device is active/preferred so it would require some tinkering from time to time when you get a DAC.

Edit: example of a DAC this one was linked from the StarTech splitter as a related product. I can't vouch for this particular product etc. or that is even a good price. Just so you can see what it would look like.

(seriously though) is this what you mean? https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Adapter-External-Sound-Digital/dp/B002LM0U2S

are you just trying to run more speakers, or did your laptops sound card go out? cause if it's that, most of the time it's just a driver issue, it's rare that the sound card dies on a laptop because it's integrated with the mobo. I've only seen sound card failures on older HPs and Compaqs, ans usually that was related to the notorious GPU BGA failures on those, overheating the integrated sound card/modem module. the later revisions where they addressed the GPU creep I never saw sound card issues.

If you're looking for higher quality sound than your laptop currently produces, Don't even bother with these cheap external cards, get an actual DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) and run that toa high quality stereo system.

If you want to run to a nice stereo (instead of computer speakers) but don't really need the DAC, then the external card will work for that. Use the digital output (orange RCA jack) to get true 5.1, 7.1, whatever without having to use all those different colored phone jacks. That's a pretty big jump in sound quality from the headphone jacks and may satisfy your audiophilia.

Definitely some interference then. Best bet/easiest fix would be pickup a USB sound card. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492475156&sr=1-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=sound+card
I have that one and it works perfect.

I have the 598 and purchased this amp from Creative:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018JUPY3A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Boosts the sound tons, but keep in mind, it only supports surround on a PC, though trust me, with the Sennheiser 598 open ears, you won't miss it. It comes with an optical cable, so you can link the amp through the PS4's optical port on back, without taking up a USB port (or you can plug it into USB). I have it hooked up with my PC and PS4 and through the software, I can turn either on/off.

Does the background noise sound like static noise? I had this same issue and I believe it was due to some electrical feedback (not entirely sure about the cause of it) from my motherboard when my mic was plugged in directly.

I looked around for solutions and some people recommended a sound card. But there is one cheap solution I found which has helped me. I bought this device, which is sort of USB sound adapter.

Plugging my mic into that helped get rid of the static noise. Let me know if you have any other questions, I will try to help.

I am looking to buy a DAC (budget around $30) for my laptop as the sound quality is inferior to my iPhone. I am mainly going to use my RHA ma750i for listening.

I've looked at several of them on Amazon and most are too expensive for me. I just want to have the same music quality experience as my iPhone.

Here's the Link for both of them:
Sound Blaster PLAY!
, Sound Blaster X-Fi Go!

They seem convenient, portable and quite easy to carry.

If you guys know of better DACs in the same price range, please let me know. Thanks.

That's what I've been reading. Thanks!

Is this good? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MSS6CS/
I saw it recommended on the few places other people were having this issue. I also don't mind spending a bit more if its something nicer.

Or would you recommend anything different (I have Amazon Prime so that is preferred)?

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1483415525&sr=1-3&keywords=USB+sound+card

something like this would work beautifully, honestly, most of them will work, but if you want to be 100 percent sure, make sure they say that they're compatible with Mac OS X.

Looks good, thanks! (A few reviews complain about comfort, others say they’re all day comfortable.)

Looks like it uses a 3.5mm TRRS connector? Is there a USB audio device that uses that connector, vs. separate headphone/microphone connectors?

Edit: Looks like there are at least two USB/TRRS adapters. (Would have thought it’d be more common.)

UGREEN USB Sound Card External Converter USB Audio Adapter with 3.5mm Aux Stereo for Headset, PC, Laptops, Desktops, PS4, Windows, Mac, and Linux White

NRG Tech TRRS CTIA / AHJ/ 4 Pole USB Audio Adapter- Designed for Apple Earpods or other compatible VOIP/ Skype headsets

Edit 2: I suppose I could use a splitter and just about any USB audio adapter...

It was indeed :) The white noice dissappeared and it no longer sounds as if I am 10 feet away from the mic. I did some research and found one with a good "chipset" from a reputable seller that actually shipped to my location. Thank you for helping :)

The one I bought

Easiest solution for me was to pass through a PCIe USB hub. This is the one I got, I found it recommended in an old post. Also picked up one of these. Plugged an aux cable from that into the microphone jack in the onboard audio. Then just use pavucontrol to set it up as a loopback device to whatever your physical device is.

Also did M+KB with the USB hub and a hardware KVM switch. There are other means to do it, with the Software KVM Switch and Evdev passthrough but I found the hardware solution to be the easiest and fastest.

Were you sending audio through the 3.5 mm headphone jack (green) from your motherboard to your soundbar?

If so, to replace that, as Lori2806 pointed out, a USB audio interface is your best option. If you only care about audio playback and not recording, I'd get something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=usb+sound+card&qid=1571673836&sr=8-3

​

The quality will vary depending on the onboard DAC, the Creative Labs one at $20 seems good bang for buck. From looking at the reviews, sounds like you could end up with some hiss but you can fix that by disabling unused sound channels in the Creative Labs software.

Note, USB audio interfaces act funny with Windows 8+ when the computer goes to sleep and if you had any browsers still running that had audio playback paused. You sometimes have to go into the Sound Playback window and disable/re-enable the USB device in that list for everything to work again. Minor annoyance, but bears being mentioned.

You can use USB headphone dongles on the ps4 like this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484355674&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=usb+audio&dpPl=1&dpID=510hmUWxucL&ref=plSrch

I use one on mine to connect it to better speakers causee my tv sounds like crap

So maybe get like a USB extension cable to reach you or a headphone extension cable :)

You're probably not going to find a cheap decent speaker setup with optical, it's either going to be a nice expensive one, or a crap speaker with an included external optical converter.

I'd suggest either getting an optical converter like /u/casualweaponry suggested, or getting a USB sound card for a similar price and plugging that directly to the speakers, like so: http://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/

Finally, you could also use a bluetooth speaker, won't get you quite the same sound quality but for cheap speakers that's not gonna make a huge difference and you can get some pretty good deals on BT speakers, plus you can use that for more than just the Alpha.