Choosing the best headset for my Alienware m17x R4

Hi there!

I've spent a lot of time reading posts and threads here and there regarding headsets and compatibility with the 5.1 surround sound card in my Alienware m17x R4 - but couldn't the answer I was looking for, which is why I'm now posting here ! I'm sure you, lovely/fellow geeks will be able to help me!

I'm looking for :

- A high quality headset
- That includes a microphone
- With True surround sound

Mu budget : around 180£ - What I found :

- The new TRITTON Pro+ 5.1 Surround Headset ( TRITTON Pro+ 5.1 Surround Headset for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 | TRITTON Audio)
- Roccat Kave 5.1 ( ROCCAT STUDIOS V3.0 - PRODUCTS » Gaming Sound » ROCCAT Kave 5.1)

Now, the alienware m17x R4 offers 5.1 surround sound but it only '3' 3.5 jack ports and I don't want to lose the Mic option or even the audio quality !

Should I consider getting an external 5.1 sound card such as the CREATIVE Sound Blaster 5.1 ( Creative Labs 70SB109500002 Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 PRO Sound Card: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories)



- I would then plug the headset directly to the external sound card and get the best audio quality and mic ?
- Would this be a waste, as I already have a 5.1 Surround sound card in the Alienware?
- Can you think of a better headset that would deliver amazing audio quality for gaming/movies ?
- I'd love true 5.1 surround, but If I can get an truly amazing Stereo headset, that'd do too!

Any thoughts ?

Many thanks for reading ! <3

 

hi have you considered these Turtle Beach X42 Headset (Xbox 360): Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games i have them personally and they are great on my alienware and xbox especially playing bf3 just a thought

 

Thanks for your suggestion! So, this is digital surround sound right or does it require several jacks, like any true surround sound headsets ?

 

Sounds card may not be a bad idea. I use the Nuforce u-DAC2 and love it. The sound was so much better then plugging it into the My17x R2 directly. It made more of a differnace then using a quality headset. I use Bose QC3 headphones, and they sounded 5x better using the DAC then the laptop soundboard.

Only issue is the Nuforce u-DAC 2 doesn't have a mic input.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/accessories/523590-nuforce-udac-2-review.html

 

its digital surround sound uses a optical audio cable or a standard 3.5mm jack

 

Thanks for the replies guys! I'd probably need to get an external 5.1 surround sound card which will allow me to plug a true surround sound headset and use the mic !

Or I could also go for a stereo headset..oh well, I'm not sure anymore!

 

i think it really comes down to if you are serious about sound to go with a sound card if your not so much go with a high end headset and use the slit/dif port

 

If you are on a budget I would recommend Logitech g930. 7.1 surround and it sounds awesome.I use it for gaming and movies

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

 

I have a pair of corsair 1500's and they have been working flawlessly so far. They have their own sound card as well so there is no need to get an external sound card.

Corsair Vengeance 1500 USB Connector Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset

 

thanks guys! Yes, I'm ready to invest up to 200pounds for an great audio setup, so yep, just want the very best!

 

I'm using cooler master storm sirus, true surround...only thing... it uses two USB ports

 

this is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks! I'll be researching on this then

EDIT : I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to ports and stuff, I can see that there is an S/P DIF port on my alienware m17X - Is this where you would plug an optical cable? Is this for Toslink (googled it, but it makes little sense to me) ? Does it require a mini Toslink adapter ?

 

Sirius 5.1 uses two USB ports for what they call the tactical mixing console or u can use one but its not amplified. Never used s/pdif so not sure, if on desktop u can use multi channel audio cable direct from sound card instead of usb. I wanted a multiple driver headset that could be used with my laptop, sacrificing a couple usb ports...well, I'm happy

 

Anyone have the razer Tiamat. I've had my eye on it for a bit but haven't pulled the trigger yet

 

i use the split/dif for 3.5mm for my headset and it delivers high quality audio but yes you can plug a optical audio adapter in there but dont use the one you got with your laptop it will break your mobo as its too tight of a fit so you may have to buy one i dont know if this is the case with the r4 though i have a r3