Create your own Hi-Res "MixAmp" - XBox One, XBox Series X/S
Items:
A. Turtle Beach Headset Audio Controller Plus.
B. Y Male 3.5 mm to female Microphone and Headphone Splitter.
C. Y cable adapter 3.5mm Male to L/R Male RCA or 3.5mm male to male extension.
D. Hi-Res Audio device, with analog inputs, can be: Headphone Amp or DAC/Amp device or a DAC + Amp Stack.
E. Xbox One controller.
F. ModMic Uni or ATGM2 mic.
Prep: Setup XIM to 500Hz or lower, enable audio support.
Setup:
1. Install Turtle Beach Headset Audio controller to the Xbox One controller which is already plug in the XIM Hub.
2. Connect Y Headphone/Mic Splitter to Turtle Beach Headset.
On the Headphone In, connect the Y cable adapter 3.5mm to RCA(C) or 3.5mm extension
On the Mic connect the boom mic(F)
3. Connect the RCA(C) plugs to RCA L/R/3.5mm to the analog input of your Hi-Res Audio device.
Results:
+ Be able to use high impedance studio headphones.
+ You can mix Chat/Game on the Headset adapter.
+ Hi-Res DAC/Amp gets feed it by an analog signal, without amplification avoiding distortion.
For Extra Functionality:
+ EQ add a Schiit Loki, between headphone output and DAC or Amp Input.
+ More inputs add Little Bear MC5, allows to hear on your headphones a mix of: game audio, chat audio, mic monitoring, music from your phone/tablet you can control each volume independently.
Alan, I'm going to try this method so I can eliminate my Astro mixamp and get the full potential of my equipment. I will need a DAC or DAC/AMP combo, and was hoping you could recommend one. Below is what I'll be using if it'll help in making recommendations. The Amp can be swapped out if need be. I'm a Soundstage/imaging and positional cue whore, so that's extremely important to me. I would also like something that will give me 3d or surround sound effects (I know and I can't help it). I'm not concerned with the price.
Xbox Series X
Sennheiser HD800s
Drop AAA THX 789 amp
Schiit Loki
Turtle Beach Headset Audio Controller Plus
I'd also like to know more about this " Little Bear MC5". Does it replace the
Turtle Beach Headset adapter?
I did get the HD800s on sale for $300 off. I love them and thanks for the recommendation Alan.
Hears my short review:
SENNHEISER HD800S REVIEW:
Pros:
Amazing clarity to the point that it can even be too good at times (see cons).
Best and largest soundstage I have ever experienced in a headphone. Very airy and immersive.
Paints a very clear and atmospheric picture of the game. Even better when outdoors in games.
Positional cues are outstanding, and the ability to determine the distance of sounds is superior to my previous headsets.
Precise audio, fast response, and great separation of the sounds. They never feel muddled together or hard to indistinguish.
Very comfortable and cooler than my Sennheiser Hd660s.
Deeeeep earcups, and I can wear them all day.
Cons:
Headband adjustments could be stiffer or lock in place better. Any little touch seems to make the adjustments change/loosen. I have to resize/adjust them everytime I put them on....everytime.....even if I just lift one earcup to hear someone in the room with me better.
The Soundstage is so huge and airy, I do feel like I have to increase the volume quite a bit to hear the details that used to sound closer and easier to hear because of the smaller soundstages of my previous headphones (HD660S, AKG K702 Pro). This in turn can make loud or high pitched sounds be too loud sometimes. But on a side note, because of the increased clarity of the HD800S, I am hearing very small details that I have never heard before. This effect tho is also why I feel I can determine the position and distance of sounds much better than before, I guess it's a trade off and is my guess as to whether it could possibly be remedied with a different Dac or Amp.
I feel like I'm always trying to find the perfect balance between chat and game volume. This could also potentially be due to the incredibly huge soundstage and possibly remedied with a different setup.
You can hear the imperfections/limitations of the game audio and/or your equipment. I do think my Astro Mixamp is a major contributor of this.
Some sounds like brass/shell casings hitting the floor, glass breaking ect. can be a little sharp at times. I feel it is another a trade off tho, because I also can hear footsteps better than with any other headset I have had because of this increased clarity of those types of sounds. Also feeling like I have to use them at an increased volume most certainly contributes.
Final thoughts:
My endgame FPS headphones. I was skeptical that they could be "that much better" and i was worried I would have serious buyer's remorse, but I was quickly relieved after playing several rounds of Pubg (Xbox Series X), and confident I had made a great purchase. It's almost a feeling of relief knowing I wont be consumed spending countless time looking, reading, researching, and watching reviews on what my next attempt at finding "The ones" would be. Im hearing details in games I haven't before. My games feel more immersive and the HD800S have helped me be somewhat more competitive. My Pubg stats have improved some since I started using them, and I enjoy playing pubg even more now. Here is my rough attempt to describe the difference I have noticed between the HD800S and other headphones I've used. On Pubg, if I used to be able to tell an enemy was at my 6 o'clock to 7o'clock and roughly 50ft to 80ft away. I can now tell he is at my 6:20ish and 70-80ft away. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I do feel the clarity, soundstage, and positioning is that good. This has been a fun advantage cause I can more precisely tell where and how far the enemy is from a blind corner or over a hill. I've also been able to more accurately "pre-aim" and track a yet to be seen enemy before engaging, which in turn, seems to have decreased my reaction time if ever so slightly. I also hear people trying to sneak easier than before, and can more precisely tell where in buildings they are. It's also easier to tell which cover someone is hiding behind in the more cluttered areas. Shots and explosions in the distance seem more natural and in turn easier to determine how far away they are. The HD800S's imaging is the one area I feel is significantly better than all others. It creates such an impressive atmosphere and clear detailed image in my head of the map, what's going on, and where it is as the round progresses. It constantly impresses me how much of a mental picture they paint.
Due to the cost, I can't personally recommend these to anyone other than serious gamers who mainly play competitive first person shooters. If you play first person shooters as much as I do, and willing to pay that much for headphones, then they are worth the cost . I know everyone's situation is different and I agree with Alan that there're plenty of phenomenal sounding headphones out there that are a far better value than these and that are much friendlier on the wallet. These are well into the "cost vs diminishing returns" category. Please take my descriptions with a grain of salt, and although the performance gains of the HD800S over all of my previous headsets are obvious. Most of these gains are not significantly better than some of the best headphones out there that are half the price or cheaper. The HD800S seems to take what many of the headphones out there each do great, and combine that into one package. The price tag for these which is most of the time 3 to 4 times the price than other highly rated headphones, does not return 3 to 4 times the performance increase. We are talking small percentages, but noticeably enough that it has made me enjoy gaming even more, and that is worth every penny. Oh, and im better than average on Pubg......on a good day 🤣
