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Bozanimal

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#1 Bozanimal
Member since 2003 • 2500 Posts
I'd consider making a dedicated thread, BPoole96, or going to Astro's proprietary forums. They might be able to help with your mic issue, since it sounds like its only choppy when you have the mic plugged into the Mixamp. Not as many folks check the FAQ for these types of issues. The issue with sound only coming from your left ear - but only when plugged into the laptop - would indicate a problem with the jack on the laptop. This can be confirmed by plugging in an alternate pair of headphones to the laptop to see if the problem persists. Good luck, Boz
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#2 Bozanimal
Member since 2003 • 2500 Posts
Wattage is not a very useful measurement in comparing one receiver to another, since you can arrive at varying wattages depending on your measurement and testing methods. many manufacturers artificially inflate their numbers using "peak" power, which is not a true indicator of output. Further, without knowing the make and model of your receiver, as well as the speakers that you plan to power with said equipment, it is impossible to say whether either of your receivers will be decent, good, or great at powering your respective speakers. My statement was more general in nature that 80 watts is sufficient to power most speakers at normal volume levels. In fact, normal volume levels - such as normal talking volumes - require very little power. Happy gaming, Boz
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#3 Bozanimal
Member since 2003 • 2500 Posts
Yes; 80 watts is generally going to be plenty for most budget speakers. The average 2.1 computer speakers are probably only about 15 watts per channel. If you're looking for speakers, just be sure to look for highly-efficient ones. Efficiency is measured in db at 1w/meter, and is a standard measurement if you ask or look. A rating of below 86 is going to be low, 90 or above is going to be highly efficient. Good luck, Boz
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#4 Bozanimal
Member since 2003 • 2500 Posts
Before I go any further, I would strongly suggest that - if you are mostly happy with your stereo - not to make any modifications, particularly if you are leasing as it may impact the terms of your lease. Alright, now that that's out of the way, if you mostly like the sound as it is you might want to consider adding a small subwoofer to fill out the sound, such as a Bazooka tube. Many amplified subwoofers, such as the one I linked, include the wiring necessary to hook into your factory stereo, making them a fairly easy upgrade for neophyte installers, and a great value. Replacing the door speakers is a good idea, as well, and it looks like the Honda City has 5.25" speakers, a common size for Honda sedans. Infinity Kappa and Polk's DXi or db lines of separates are a great option due to their high sensitivity, meaning they'll work better without a dedicated amplifier than many other speakers. If you're doing this, make sure you go for separates. Coaxials are convenient and inexpensive, but separates have major advantages over them, including a separate crossover and the ability to position the tweeter to point directly at the listener, which are both very important as an upgrade over factory speakers. If you want to use your rear speakers, you should replace them at the same time as your front speakers with a brand-matched pair of coaxials, and fade the audio mostly to the front. They'll provide a bit of ambiance, but you want most of the audio to come from the front of your car, not the rear. Nobody goes to a concert and faces away from the band. If those brands are not available in your area consider Alpine (Type R) and Pioneer (TS-A), which are both well-regarded and available worldwide. I've used Alpine in the past and have extensive experience with Pioneer, and can vouch for their products. If you have a web site you will be ordering from, I would be happy to take a look at the catalog of products and make suggestions depending on your local availability. The biggest problem you will face is installation due to lack of available information regarding your vehicle. I would personally use the 2012 Civic as a guide, and use your best judgment if you run into any discrepancies between the two. If you're getting an aftermarket head unit - which I would advise if you're buying nice replacement speakers - consider models from JVC and Pioneer, which tend to be an excellent value and good quality. You can also go Alpine, which are widely regarded as the gold standard in car audio, but you'll pay for it. I hope this is helpful. Happy gaming, Boz
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#5 Bozanimal
Member since 2003 • 2500 Posts

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Since you're using these with both the PS3 and the PC, and given your budget, I'd consider the following:

  • Audio Technica ATH-AD700
  • Astro Mixamp
  • Zalman Clip-on Microphone

The headphones are widely regarded as some of the most outstanding for online FPS, and work well with the Dolby Headphone effect, which helps provide positional information, provided by the Astro Mixamp. The Mixamp will allow you to use the headphones and microphone with both your PC and PS3. All together it will also come in under your budget, and you'll have a great pair of headphones for listening to music, to boot!

Happy gaming,

Boz

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#6 Bozanimal
Member since 2003 • 2500 Posts
Come on back and let us know what you think; more feedback - good or bad - is always appreciated! Happy gaming, Boz
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#7 Bozanimal
Member since 2003 • 2500 Posts

Astros and Tritons are brands that are commonly referred to as the best.Inadoggy

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Happy gaming,

Boz

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#8 Bozanimal
Member since 2003 • 2500 Posts

Greetings:

I am a former MECP-certified car audio instructor. I have since switched careers, but can certainly provide you with some feedback.

Think of your equipment in this way: If you want bells and whistles like DVD, Navigation, Surround Sound, Bluetooth, HD Radio, etc. you are eating into your budget for quality speakers and equipment. You can either have excellent audio or tons of conveniences within that budget, but not both. Some things to consider based on what you've written so far:

Adding Navigation to a Double DIN DVD receiver will pretty much double the price of the receiver by itself, and absolutely kill your budget. Think $600 vs. $300.

If you want to use the factory steering wheel controls with an aftermarket receiver, it will require an adaptor anda compatible receiver, which is generally pretty expensive. Think 10% to 20% of your budget or more.

Adding a separate amplifier(s) will require a wiring kit and significant installation work. If you are doing this yourself, it will take time and education. If you are having someone install everything for you, the labor will, again, impact your budget.

If you're not adding a subwoofer, I'd reconsider even bothering with an amplifier. Yes, an amp will make your speakers sound a lot better, but without a subwoofer you are missing part of your music. It's like assembling a jigsaw puzzle and not putting in the corner pieces. I'd strongly suggest you get a subwoofer, even if it's a small one, especially if you're putting in an amp anyway.

For your budget you can get a very nice head unit, three-channel amplifier (or four channel with one channel bridged), separates for the front, a subwoofer, and all the wiring you'll need. You can throw in a cheap pair of speakers for the rear if you want, but I leave mine turned off: You do not need rear speakers in a car unless you're watching something in surround sound, and even then the surrounds only account for a small percentage of the overall audio experience.

I cannot recommend any equipment without knowing the exact year, make, and model of your vehicle. Every car has not only different sizes, like 5.25" vs. 6.5" diameter speakers, but different speaker depths and head unit depths which will affect your universe of equipment. That your car is an Asian model certainly doesn't help, so if it has a U.S. equivalent that information would be most helpful.

Do you plan on watching movies in surround sound? If you do, you'll need a center channel and a six-channel amplifier. Adding a center channel for most vehicles means doing some cutting and/or fiberglass work on your dash. I usually don't advocate this because it is a lot of work for very little reward, since you aren't watching movies in a car frequently unless you're living in it, and if that's the case you shouldn't be buying car audio equipment you should be making your wife happy so you can move back inside.

Car Audio is a labor of love. It requires a lot of research and diligence, but the rewards are there. Personally I invest my time and energy into creating a great stereo, since the majority of your time is spent listening to music, not watching movies or playing games, but if your priorities vary, let me know and I'll factor it in as I consider recommendations.

Happy to help; provide as much info as you can and I'll see what I can do.

Boz

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#9 Bozanimal
Member since 2003 • 2500 Posts
The HARX700's are my daily headphones. They are an excellent closed-back headphone in their price range. They have great low-end without getting thumpy, and have great mid-range and upper-range without any sibilance. They do an excellent job blocking out ambient noise, and are super-comfy on my giant head (with glasses). The HARX900's use basically the same chassis, is my understanding, so I'd imagine it's pretty comfy, too. That said, if you're using a headphone surround sound effect like CMSS-3D or Dolby Headphone, a closed-back will not work as well as an open-back headphone like a pair of Grados or the Audio Technica ATH-AD700's, which are also sub-$100. It all depends on what you're looking for in a headphone; your mileage may vary. I'm very happy with my HARX700's, though I'll probably take a giant leap up to the Sennheiser HD598's (~$250) later this year. Happy gaming, Boz
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#10 Bozanimal
Member since 2003 • 2500 Posts
There is no "best" cross platform headset. Using an Astro Mixamp (preferably) or a Turtle Beach DSS2 allows you to use whatever headphones and mic you want on all three systems, so you can pop on your Grado, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, or whatever and rock out with your- uh- shock... rifle out. Boz