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What do you use for your gaming audio?

John Marston

GAF's very own treasure goblin
I'm not a huge audiophile but how do you guys with fancy TVs and no external sound manage with just the crappy TV speakers? Seems a bit strange to me to invest so much in the picture quality but completely disregard the audio. Since we moved away from CRTs there just isn't enough airspace inside the flat panel TV case to get anything other than thin and tinny sound.
I get what you mean but for me my TV's speakers are fine during the day.

I get my headphones on when I want a more immersive experience or when I don't want to disturb my neighbors at night.
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
3 in the front (2 main + 1 center), 2 on the rears, 1 behind.
7.1 would be 2 loudspeakers from behind, but it did not work because of the windows in my room.

Most sources on Bluray or Streaming are only 5.1 I think (at least they were a few years ago), but the receivers have upscalers to 7.1 or 6.1...
There are also upscaler for 5.1 -> Atmos 5.1.2 but I do not know if it works "good enough" to be useful

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, that I don't think there's a lot of 6.1 content if any? But I guess the receiver would then downmix either the side channels in 5.1 content or the rear channels in 7.1 content into a single mono rear channel?
 

lachesis

Member
Used to have 7.1 (living room) and 5.1 (bedroom) speaker setup... but I got tired of the wires.

Now I just use Sony ht st5000 7.1.2 Atmos sound bar. TV's old LG 65" B7 OLED.
I like the sound from this specific sound bar, but surround effect is almost nil compared to true surround speakers. (unless I am doing something wrong.. :()

My soundbar also acts as hdmi switcher for my consoles. It's only hdmi 2.0 spec, so when I upgrade my TV with hdmi 2.1 - I would probably find some other solution (using ARC most likely) and find a dedicated 2.1 switch for my consoles.

I do live alone (mostly) so I have no real reason to use a headphone, but if I was living in an apartment with walls sharing with neighbors - I would have went with a good headphone.
 

spawn

Member
Sony soundbar with Dolby Atmos. For night time when everyone is sleeping I use Sony-licensed headset
 
The best audio experience money can buy...

Game-Headset-With-Microphone-Mono-Chat-Earbud-Headset-for-Sony-PS4-PlayStation-4-Controller-Earphone-Gaming.jpg
 
Most of the time just some cheap earbuds attached to my monitor, though I use the Xbox Wireless headset for games that feature spatial audio.
 

GrayDock

Member
A 5.1.2 Atmos setup or a JBL Quantum 600 headphones with my PS5.
For the PC a pair of good old Logitech speakers or the same JBL Q600 headphones.
 

Haint

Member
Yeah, that's what I was thinking, that I don't think there's a lot of 6.1 content if any? But I guess the receiver would then downmix either the side channels in 5.1 content or the rear channels in 7.1 content into a single mono rear channel?
6.1 is the same thing as 7.1, just uses a phantom center instead of a physical one. AVR mixes the center into the L/R mains.
 
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RoadHazard

Gold Member
6.1 is the same thing as 7.1, just uses a phantom center instead of a physical one. AVR mixes the center into the L/R mains.

Hmm, that's not what I get when googling (or from the guy in this thread). Seems like the common definition of 6.1 is 2 fronts + 1 center + 2 sides + 1 rear.

7.1 would have 2 rears.
 
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angrod14

Member
Just my TV speakers (CX) at a low volume, because I don't like loud noises nor the clutter a sound system adds to my setup. Headphones don't appeal much to me because they isolate you from your surrounding and I find them uncomfortable by design.
 
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Putonahappyface

Gold Member
Just a bog standard stereo soundbar and subwoofer for me connected to the TV, my gaming laptop just the crappy on-board speakers. The rest of the family are always moaning at me to turn it down as it is so no point getting anything more fancier. Headphones for late night or when playing something where you want to pinpoint the direction of the sound.





I'm not a huge audiophile but how do you guys with fancy TVs and no external sound manage with just the crappy TV speakers? Seems a bit strange to me to invest so much in the picture quality but completely disregard the audio. Since we moved away from CRTs there just isn't enough airspace inside the flat panel TV case to get anything other than thin and tinny sound.
I lived with just my tv speakers for awhile, but they're so lacking on LG televisions so I cracked and bought a soundbar, the difference is night and day!
 
Just my TV speakers (CX) at a low volume, because I don't like loud noises nor the clutter a sound system adds to my setup. Headphones don't appeal much to me because they isolate you from your surrounding and I find them uncomfortable by design.
I've always found this as a plus when gaming, especially when playing story-driven games. Helps with immersion as I don't want to hear cars honking, people talking, doors slamming, etc. Now if you have children or other commitments ongoing at the same time and need to be aware at all times, I understand the issue.
 

CeeJay

Member
Just my TV speakers (CX) at a low volume, because I don't like loud noises nor the clutter a sound system adds to my setup. Headphones don't appeal much to me because they isolate you from your surrounding and I find them uncomfortable by design.
Open back headphones don't isolate you. You can still hear absolutely everything going on around you.
 

Xellos

Member
I have a 2.1 setup with some old stand mount (bookshelf) speakers, a subwoofer and a Sony receiver. Used to be a 5.1 setup but I split it into two stereo setups with a Yamaha receiver running the second pair of bookshelf speakers. I don't miss surround sound at all.

Suggest some good sounding mid range price sound options :messenger_smirking: headphones, surround sound, soundbars all welcome

Soundbar + subwoofer is the most economical option and will be a big improvement over the TV's audio without getting too expensive. I'm not well informed on the various brands/models of soundbars but maybe this link can help. Speakers + receiver/integrated amp is more expensive (possibly much more) and takes up more space, but also can sound better depending on what you get. Headphones can sound great but depends on whether you want to wear headphones; personally I would prefer to have speakers/soundbar when using a TV.

If you go with soundbar or speakers, be sure to get a decent subwoofer too. It will make a big difference.
 
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Housh

Member
Computer using 2xHS8 and 1xHS8S (yeah I know but I also use it for work)
Yamaha 2.1 soundbar for PS5
 

flying_sq

Member
For my TV, 3.0 out of my 5.1, but my fronts are floor standing with 3 woofers and a center. PC a Razer Leviathan sound bar and sub, Razer Kraken Ultimate or a Fiio btr5 with either HD600 or MDR-XB1000.
 

danklord

Gold Member
I recently got the Stealthtech couch and the sound is jaw-droppingly incredible for gaming. The bass is so powerful with the subwoofer being right beneath you, shooters are pretty intense.

For my computer, it's fluance ai60 bookshelf + sub for desktop and iems + dac for headphones.
 

skneogaf

Member
Denon avr with a 7.2.4 Q acoustics speakers

Gives me 7.1 + dolby surround on ps5

Dolby atmos or dts-X on pc and xbox
 
5.1 setup with a Sony STRDH590 receiver, 5 bookshelf size speakers and a 150 watt subwoofer. I used to have a Yamaha RXV971 receiver, was a beast but finally lost the center channel after 15 years of use :(

I enjoy this kind of surround sound for movies and it also works great for games. If you have the luxury of not needing headphones and you have the space, then I highly recommend this type of setup for the best sound quality.
 
My car legitimately has a better sound system than my house :messenger_unamused:

I run a 5.1 setup on my PC and a 5.1 setup in the living room. The PC system is a boxed BR/home entertainment situation, the other is a 5.1 Pioneer receiver hooked up to speakers that are way too good for it with no sub. I have a Lambda Acoustics PB15 subwoofer in a box in the closet where it's sat since around 2004 :messenger_anguished:. I need to build a transmission line enclosure for the sub to make proper use of it, but I suck shit at carpentry.
 

Sophist

Member
Used a KOSS ESP950 plugged into its amplifier plugged into the monitor's jack. Monitor plugged with display port ( digital audio). Now I am using Sennheiser IE 900 directly plug into the monitor.
 

Fbh

Gold Member
Just a bog standard stereo soundbar and subwoofer for me connected to the TV, my gaming laptop just the crappy on-board speakers. The rest of the family are always moaning at me to turn it down as it is so no point getting anything more fancier. Headphones for late night or when playing something where you want to pinpoint the direction of the sound.





I'm not a huge audiophile but how do you guys with fancy TVs and no external sound manage with just the crappy TV speakers? Seems a bit strange to me to invest so much in the picture quality but completely disregard the audio. Since we moved away from CRTs there just isn't enough airspace inside the flat panel TV case to get anything other than thin and tinny sound.

I don't know, guess I'm not that much into audio since I think the TV speakers sound ok enough.
I might invest in better audio at some point but my first priority was the TV as it's not just the image quality, it's also things like 120hz and VRR which combined with the nice image make a bigger impact than audio for me
 
Depends where I play. Sound bar downstairs and got some nice stereo speakers connected to my TV upstairs. I love the sound quality from these speakers. It's so clear and crisp. I also have a pulse 3d headset but I don't use it that often.
 

Ev1L AuRoN

Member
On a PC with KB and MOUSE I use a par of headphones, to be exact the HyperX Pro. Not too fancy but very comfortable and sounds great.
On the TV I use a soundbar, sometimes when I don't want to make a lot of noise I just use a pair of TWS earphones.
 

Haint

Member
.
Hmm, that's not what I get when googling (or from the guy in this thread). Seems like the common definition of 6.1 is 2 fronts + 1 center + 2 sides + 1 rear.

7.1 would have 2 rears.

Must have been a super niche format that was immediately supplanted by 7.1, or perhaps marketed concurrently with 7.1, cause I've never even heard of it. Certainly no modern AVRs offer 6.1 configurations, nor any modern media. I don't recall ever seeing it in my late 'aught AVRs either, so I'd guess you're talking about 15+ year old gear. I would cetainly assume anyone referring to 6.1 today is talking about a 7.1 system with a phantom center.
 
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RoadHazard

Gold Member
.


Must have been a super niche format that was immediately supplanted by 7.1, or perhaps marketed concurrently with 7.1, cause I've never even heard of it. Certainly no modern AVRs offer 6.1 configurations, nor any modern media. I don't recall ever seeing it in my late 'aught AVRs either, so I'd guess you're talking about 15+ year old gear. I would cetainly assume anyone referring to 6.1 today is talking about a 7.1 system with a phantom center.

I just checked the setup instructions for my receiver (a Sony from 2017), and it definitely references 6.1 with a single rear channel.


"When you use a 6.1-channel connection, place a surround back speaker directly behind the listening position."
 

Haint

Member
I just checked the setup instructions for my receiver (a Sony from 2017), and it definitely references 6.1 with a single rear channel.


"When you use a 6.1-channel connection, place a surround back speaker directly behind the listening position."
Bizarre, it must have been a poorly supported secondary feature of 7.1 no one ever talked about or used. The oldest AVR I still have, a 2014 Denon X2100, offers no amp configuration option for 6.1. PS3 (2006) supported 7.1, but no options for 6.1 configurations
 
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Khasha

Neo Member
Just as having a great TV enhances the gaming experience, having great sound is equally important.

What do you use currently? Do you like it?

Surround sound set up? 5.1? 7.1?

Headphones?

Sound bar?

TV Speakers? :messenger_expressionless:

I’m looking to upgrade my sound quality but im not trying to break the bank.

Suggest some good sounding mid range price sound options :messenger_smirking: headphones, surround sound, soundbars all welcome
I HIGHLY recommend virtually any headset from HyperX.
 

CeeJay

Member
I don't know, guess I'm not that much into audio since I think the TV speakers sound ok enough.
I might invest in better audio at some point but my first priority was the TV as it's not just the image quality, it's also things like 120hz and VRR which combined with the nice image make a bigger impact than audio for me
Fair enough for the higher refresh rate and VRR. I'm still rocking an old 1080p 60Hz Sony and not really getting the full benefit of my SeriesX. If you have a nice TV though even a fairly cheap soundbar with a sub will sound way better. Well worth it for the cost of a couple of games imo. Decent(ish) audio is way cheaper than decent visuals.
 
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Topher

Identifies as young
I have a Yamaha receiver I bought years ago with 5.1. But mostly I use headsets cuz the whole house doesn't need to hear.

Headsets: Razer Blackshark Pro v2 are great for both PC and PS5 because PS5 allows USB audio.

Unfortunately, Xbox does not allow USB audio because they want the licensing fees so I had to buy HyperX headsets just for Xbox. No reason Microsoft couldn't allow this to work with Xbox, but it is what it is.
 
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primary setup = anthem avm70 processor (coming soon) + monolith 5x amp + martin logan motion 40 w/ center and rears + some old crappy sony sub

g973AVM70-o_other5.jpg


images

Motion40.jpg



headphones = grado rs2 and grado gs3000x (coming soon)
grado-rs-2-2-preview.png
grado-gs3000x-main-01__06535.1660591275.jpg


not sure why people are complaining about wires... you set it up (annoying, time-consuming) then basically dont touch them for decades.
 
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