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    downside to USB headsets?

    Discussion in 'Accessories' started by Jedi007, Sep 23, 2008.

  1. Jedi007

    Jedi007 Notebook Evangelist

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    I'm always skeptical about USB headphones.. Isn't there some sort of delay or something? What are the advantages/disadvantages over analog?

    Thanks :)
     
  2. bigddybn

    bigddybn Notebook Evangelist

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    Nope no delay. They are their own soundcard so if your onboard sound sucks then they are great, if you have a fancy xfi card or something then you are wasting it using a usb headset. They can be nice if say you have a notebook with noisy onboard audio or a desktop with craptastic headphone jacks that spew noise.
     
  3. shoelace_510

    shoelace_510 8700M GT inside... ^-^;

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    The only disadvantage that I know of is that you can't use it with other devices because it would be usb. :p lol

    Idk... call me old fashioned but I like to have a 1/4" headphone jacked setup which I can use with my mp3 player... ;)
     
  4. JosePerez

    JosePerez Notebook Evangelist

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    Well i have the Steelsound 5H V2 Usb version, and they have no delay whatsoever using the USB card...

    The advantage, like bigddybn said is if you have a sucky onboard sound card, they'll sound alot better...

    Well the Steelsound comes with a SEPARATE usb card, so you can use it if you want, and if you don't you can connect them using the usual 1/4'' jack...
     
  5. ViciousXUSMC

    ViciousXUSMC Master Viking NBR Reviewer

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    My old Plantroinics DSP 500 was usb. It had a great sound & quality to it.

    Like said above it uses its own sound card, so what it came in really handy for was voice applications like ventrillo or team speak. I was able to play the game on my sterio speakers while using only voice in the headphones.

    That is the only way to this day I can hear people well on those programs, when its mixed in with the game sound I cant hear them, the only option is to turn the game music/sound way down or off and even still it did not work as well.