Headsets

[Doris]

Originally posted by Norm@Oct 21 2005, 10:07 AM
,The silk lined box and red ribbon add a nice touch.....dont you think. :lmfao:

[post=99498]Quoted post[/post]

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Thats quality for ya, it was like christmas when i opened mine      :dribble:

[Swiss]

I have a set of Medusas 5.1 and there are great a little heavy but they do keep your ears warm which sucks when its a hot day.

P.S. Doris still sounds very gay with them lol  :no2:

[Doorman]

Originally posted by Swiss@Oct 22 2005, 07:14 AM


P.S. Doris still sounds very gay with them lol :no2:

[post=99551]Quoted post[/post]

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I'm not sure you can say that!  :devil:

[Doris]

:roflmao:

[Ranger]

Steel Sound 5H Mini-Review - By Ranger



Steel Pad Gaming Accessories

Well - had enough games now to finally make a conclusion about the Steel Sound 5Hs.

As you know my first impressions were really good - the build quality, comfort and sound quality was excellent...BUT...

I did reserve a final conclusion on two areas - the microphone and the supplied software control panel.

I've now had a few games where I have used the microphone a lot, so have been able to draw a better conclusion about it's quality.

MICROPHONE

What made me a little anxious is the actual length of the mic 'stalk' - as it does not come all the way round to put the mic in front of your mouth. Instead the mic somes to just the left side of your mouth - at the side of your face...

I was a bit concerned about this...However, I need not have been.

The mic works very well indeed, with (I am told) better voice clarity than my older Logitech mic (which did reach all the way round to the front of my mouth).

I do still occassionally try to tug the mic a bit closer - by sheer habit - but the pick-up is just fine from where it is.

5H SOFTWARE

Secondly, there is the software supplied with the headphones - and here I cannot lie, I did have a bit of a problem with this.

Quite simply, the software - which loads into teh sysytem tray at start-up - occassionally does not recognize that the headphones are plugged in via USB. SO you end up having to unplug the phones and re-plug them in for teh software to register that the phones are actually plugged in...If it does not, there is no sound!

There are two solutions to this - one is to use the supplied mini-jacks instead of the USB (BIG-Dewey does this and they work fine). The other way is to buy a little gadget I found online which plugs USB device directly into a spare usb socket on the actual motehrboard (this forces the item to be recognized on every start up).

HOWEVER - you do have to remember that the USB connection is specifically so you can make use of the supplied built-in mini-soundcard that the 5H has. IF you do not want to use this soundcard but the one you have built into your computer - then you should use the mini-jacks anyway, and NOT the USB connector!

So this may not be an issue anyway.

CONCLUSION:

USB niggles aside, the headphones themselves - headphones, microphone and mini-jacks - are superb. They have improved my gaming experience 200%.

The rich bass sounds really make a more immersive experience in BF2. And I am also now picking up a lot more ambient sounds because of the quality of the speakers...

I actually hear crickets, a fountain and I now hear footsteps much more clearly behind me!

The ability to fold away the mic into the headphones is a nice touch - as is the way the headphones can be broken down into three components for easy packinging. Nice touches.

So are they worth the £60?

Well, put it this way - I like music and two years ago bought a highly recommended set of Philips Hi-Fi headphones for £49. 'What Hi-Fi' said that these were 'very good value'...

The Steel Sound 5H are BETTER than these Philips! SO, compensationg for price rises in two years, I would have to say that they are worth the £60. I would be chose the Steels over the Philips to listen to my music they are that good.

SCORE: 8/10

[all ramboed out]

Hi all,

I also ordered a medusa 5.1 headset after reading posts on here, bod and other websites, most of them had great reviews. What really sold me though was doris was playing on bod, i was on the same team and behind him, but he was able to tell were other players were, when i couldnt even hear them. I thought, i gotta get me apair of them as i know its was what he was using.

Before i got them i was using a pair of philips sbc hp250's (£12 Argos), so i thought these would be a great improvement on them, surround sound etc...
But tbh the sound on my old hs sounds better, they also have a better sense of directional sound too, ive mucked about with settings and dont really see any improvements, half the time the enemy has rushed me and i didnt know where they were coming from  <_< , this was not a problem on my old hs.

Anyways i must be doing something wrong, i have no buzzing or such or other known complaints so it must be my setup, is there any chance any of you guys can post a pic of your setup within the medusa control panel so i can test settings that peeps here are happy with, and maybe i too, can have top notch surround sound  


My medusa are the usb ones, i know they arent as good as when used with a card but surely the usb ones must be better than this, any help greatly appreciated  

[Carr0t]

Originally posted by BIG-Dewey+Dec 8 2005, 01:28 PM-->

QUOTE(BIG-Dewey @ Dec 8 2005, 01:28 PM)

[imga=right]http://77.108.129.49/fahtags/ms10.jpg[/imga]Wash: This is going to get pretty interesting.
Mal: Define interesting...
Wash: Oh god, oh god, we\'re all going to die?

[Whitey]

The only thing I don't like about the Medusa 5.1's is the background hiss. I've tried moving the amp all over the place and some locations are better than others but the noise is still there.  Not a problem once the game/movie/song starts, but anoying when nothings playing.  :eyebrow:

[Dewey]

That'll be the 5H Steelsounds thens  

[post=104437]Quoted post[/post]

Can someone tell me how big the ear 'cups' on these headphones are? I just (as in 3 days ago) shelled out for the Sennheiser PC160s, but they're going straight back to Overclockers without even trying them in game. Headphones that actually rest on my ear, rather than the padding resting on my head *around* my ear, make my ears ache really badly after about an hour or so of gaming (i'm just a wuss really   ). The Sennheisers were advertised as having 'XXL' cups, by both Overclockers and the Sennehiser website, so I thought i'd be fine. When they turned up the hole in the centre of the cup was only about 1" diameter, and the cup itself was only 3" or so, so my ears stuck out a tiny bit past the padding even...

EDIT: Mods, if this counts as 'banter' please shift it elsewhere    It was in response to the Saitek Eclipse thread.

[post=104446]Quoted post[/post]

[/quote]

They fit perfectly over Rangers head, if they fit there they can fit anywhere...  :narnar: Seriously they are very comfortable, totally enlcose my ears - I'd be surprised if you  had any problems unless you have freakishly large lobs  :huh:

[Hippy]

The only thing I don't like about the Medusa 5.1's is the background hiss

Really? i dont get any hissing.

[GhostMjr]

I am torn between the pc160, pc160sk and the medusa range. Any ideas as i currently have a pc150 so what differences would each make?

[Carr0t]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents to Ranger's review. I sent the Sennheiser PC160s back for a set of Steelsound 5Hs. The 5H's are both cheaper and better in my opinion. For gaming headphones they have good sound reproduction, the mic is good (though as with Ranger I keep wanting to tug it round closer to the front of my mouth. Works fine where it is though), and combined with the X-Fi they seem to produce pretty good directional sound (given that they're only stereo 'phones). Certainly noticeable over my old headset (a £15 jobby from ElectronicsBoutique a good 5 years back now).

I can't comment on how good the PC160s actually are for sound reporduction, directional sound, or mic, as I sent them back without actually trying them out for the reasons mentioned earlier in this thread.

[Ranger]

Originally posted by Dewey@Dec 8 2005, 04:14 PM
They fit perfectly over Rangers head, if they fit there they can fit anywhere... :narnar: Seriously they are very comfortable, totally enlcose my ears - I'd be surprised if you had any problems unless you have freakishly large lobs :huh:

[post=104454]Quoted post[/post]

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Dewey is accusing ME of having a big head ~ er, kettle and pot mate, kettle and pot!

[Gone_Away]

Originally posted by Hippy@Dec 8 2005, 05:14 PM
Really? i dont get any hissing.

[post=104468]Quoted post[/post]

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I've had this for what seems like ages now.. Also, one of the speakers (front right) is starting to fail. I've had to adjust the calibration on them way over to the right to compensate.

I find that the base reproduction is extremely poor and these are not good for listening to music on. Actually I was looking at this thread for an alternative set of 5.1 headphones as I will get rid of these in the next few months..

I'll save them for Sheepy and give them to him.. He's always skint and in need...  

[Dingo]

Get yourself some Plantronics 400's.......No hissy fits, foldy-uppable and all round superb quality of sound and build....you know it makes sense!