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Just got a new phone (Galaxy A14) and while I'm thrilled it still has a headphone jack, for whatever reason it sounds much worse than my old Galaxy S8. I'm using a pair of Hd58X headphones if it matters. Does this make sense, and any idea if I can make the new phone sound as good/nicer?
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May 2, 2023 04:40
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| # ? May 29, 2024 15:20 |
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Yeah sometimes phones / laptops really sound poo poo. Try going into the phone audio settings and poke around there for different eq's and so on. Also, Wavelet is an app that can help you fine-tune sound pretty well.
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May 2, 2023 09:48
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Budget - Under $200 Source - PC/Bluetooth (preferably >5.0) Isolation Requirements - Enough isolation to be able to block out a person speaking nearby Preferred Type of Headphone - Over-ear Preferred Tonal Balance - Something suitable for metal and rock Past Headphones - Bose QuietComfort 25 (it's been a while!). I liked the ANC and audio quality; did not like the cord length or the cost. They broke years ago and I have been using a cheap Srhythm set ever since that does not have great sound quality. Preferred Music - Metal, rock, pop, funk Hello thread. I'm looking for over-ear headphones that are not only suitable for the type of music I mentioned, but also have a good microphone for conference calls. I'll be using these primarily with my work PC via Bluetooth. I have been using one set of cheap headphones for music and a corded Logitech headset for calls, and frankly I'm tired of having to juggle headsets and deal with the clutter/USB cord (which my cat loves to attack).
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May 4, 2023 14:29
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I have Sony WF-1000XM3 How much better/worse are Google Pixel Buds Pro?
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May 4, 2023 17:47
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Zugzwang posted:Budget - Under $200 People don't generally like this recommendation but get a headset. You could get, for example, a Plantronics Voyager Focus UC on ebay for under a hundred bucks. They're on ear but they sound pretty good, there's no bluetooth latency when using the dongle, the battery lasts forever and when you're done just drop them on the charging stand, you have a visual mute light and dedicated mute button. The ANC isn't anything to write home about but the isolation is decent. There's over ear versions from them and Jabra too but I don't think the dock situation is as good so you'll still be dealing with cables. and I didn't like the 8200s I got as much as the on ear.
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May 4, 2023 18:53
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qirex posted:People don't generally like this recommendation but get a headset. You could get, for example, a Plantronics Voyager Focus UC on ebay for under a hundred bucks. They're on ear but they sound pretty good, there's no bluetooth latency when using the dongle, the battery lasts forever and when you're done just drop them on the charging stand, you have a visual mute light and dedicated mute button. The ANC isn't anything to write home about but the isolation is decent. There's over ear versions from them and Jabra too but I don't think the dock situation is as good so you'll still be dealing with cables. and I didn't like the 8200s I got as much as the on ear. I ran a call center with hundreds of these things and I wasn't a fan. For one thing they're almost all on-ear as opposed to over-ear so the comfort and isolation suffer a bit. I mostly bought them instead of nice over-ear headsets so employees wouldn't be tempted to steal them (most of the Plantronics models I had only plugged into a jack from the desk phones). There's someone on eBay selling heaps of like-new Arctis Pro Wireless for $115 shipped, unlike the Plantronics you'll always have a second charged battery on deck: https://www.ebay.com/itm/334856797573 People on Zoom meetings compliment how good my Arctis mic sounds without me bringing it up, and you can adjust how loud you want the side-tone (hearing yourself in real-time) to be, which is something you'd usually only get in the Plantronics headsets and not a gaming headset. You can use the base-station on your PC for loss/lag-free wireless and still pair your phone over Bluetooth.
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May 4, 2023 20:27
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qirex posted:People don't generally like this recommendation but get a headset. Zero VGS posted:There's someone on eBay selling heaps of like-new Arctis Pro Wireless for $115 shipped, unlike the Plantronics you'll always have a second charged battery on deck: https://www.ebay.com/itm/334856797573  I just ordered one.
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May 5, 2023 00:58
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Zero VGS posted:I don't have any experience with that exact model, but if you look back at my posts you'll see that I consider the 2.4ghz wireless audio from the Arctis Pro Wireless (which I've used for years) to be fantastic, so much that I've taken the guts from broken Arctis headsets and stuffed them into other brands to gain those wireless features. It has a long range and is hard to disrupt, and imperceptibly low latency. That Nova 7X has a dedicated 2.4ghz dongle so I would guess the reception is comparable. I prefer open-ear headphones from a comfort/soundstage standpoint but that's just a matter of preference; if you were already happy with the Turtle Beach, then any Arctis wireless headphones should be a direct upgrade. I've had the Arctis headset for a week now and the sound quality is terrific across the board. Been playing mainly Jedi Survivor and it's so crispy and crunchy. I didn't think my Turtle Beach cans were a slouch but the Steel Series are cracker.
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May 6, 2023 13:01
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WattsvilleBlues posted:I've had the Arctis headset for a week now and the sound quality is terrific across the board. Been playing mainly Jedi Survivor and it's so crispy and crunchy. I didn't think my Turtle Beach cans were a slouch but the Steel Series are cracker. I don't want to be a dick here - audio experience is very subjective and all that, but I'm really curious as compared to what? I personally use HD 600s as a 'ground truth' of reasonable headsets, and the Arctis Novas were uh...bad. Really, really bad. The bass was muddy and loud out of the box, and the highs were so, so sad. My HyperX Cloud IIs deliver a noticeably better experience and those aren't really even trying. An argument could be made that the HD 600s may undershoot on bass a bit, but the top end of the Steelseries is unforgivable, especially at the price point they are asking for.
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May 7, 2023 06:19
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Canine Blues Arooo posted:I don't want to be a dick here - audio experience is very subjective and all that, but I'm really curious as compared to what? In non-audiophile terms, Arctis Pro sounds "pretty good". According to RTings, Arctis Pro are slightly more accurate than HD 600: 8.2 https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/steelseries/arctis-pro-wireless 8.1 https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/sennheiser/hd-600 I have no idea how dependable those RTings reviews are. However, they gave the Nova Pro a 7.7 so I guess that newer model cut some corners compared to the older Arctis Pro Wireless? It is probably still impressive to anyone who is coming from Turtle Beach stuff (which all seem to get poor sound ratings), especially if the Arctis headsets are making a good seal. Zero VGS fucked around with this message at 07:01 on May 7, 2023 |
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May 7, 2023 06:58
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Those scores are easy to misinterpret. I mean, you'd expect a higher number to be better, right? If you mouse over the little i next to the scores you'll see the subscores and how they're weighted. Keep in mind that open-back headphones don't really hit a frequency response that's "consumer friendly" most of the time, and it's because these headphones generally are more music-making tools than they are anything else, so bass emphasis isn't something you typically see with them. Because there's only one target (ie "this is what we think sounds good") used, different headphones for different use cases are often compared/scored against something that doesn't make much sense for the context they're meant for. If you were to discard bass accuracy, you'd see the HD 600 have a much more lopsided victory there Mr. Mercury fucked around with this message at 07:33 on May 7, 2023 |
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May 7, 2023 07:17
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oh, I also was comparing to the Novas, not the Pros. I blame Stealseries' lovely naming conventions. I have not tried the Pros and cannot speak to them.
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May 7, 2023 07:24
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I made an iem called Glamdring https://shortbus.squig.link/?share=Glamdring
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May 7, 2023 16:43
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Zero VGS posted:I have no idea how dependable those RTings reviews are. They're universally made up nonsense. e: sorry i thought they didn't graph but i guess they do. i cannot for the life of me understand what their target FR is or how they're determining scores, but those reviews are, in general, very weird. e2: yknow what i take it back, i looked through their methodology and it's mostly okay. and their "best wired headphones" list is a bit outdated but not completely out of whack except for the 800s but whatever. Dr. Fishopolis fucked around with this message at 17:04 on May 7, 2023 |
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May 7, 2023 16:49
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Iirc it's an attempt at a blend of Harman with high end DF + speaker pref slope. It's worth pointing out that RTINGS also finally joined the rest of the pack in getting the new B&K 5128, which will necessitate a new target curve anyway!
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May 7, 2023 16:55
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redeyes posted:I made an iem called Glamdring How much? Graph looks good!
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May 7, 2023 17:08
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Im working my way up to making an IEM company. I don't have a number in mind yet. Sorry about that.
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May 7, 2023 18:35
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redeyes posted:Im working my way up to making an IEM company. I don't have a number in mind yet. Sorry about that. It's all good! Just shoot me a pm when you're up and running, I'd love to see the progress. Good luck with it all!
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May 7, 2023 18:52
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Mr. Mercury posted:It's worth pointing out that RTINGS also finally joined the rest of the pack Who is the rest of the pack? RTINGS were the only ones who popped out to me as doing frequency response tests with those mannequin heads on affordable headsets. The audiophile sites seemed too snobbish to go near the gaming headsets.
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May 7, 2023 18:52
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frytechnician posted:It's all good! Just shoot me a pm when you're up and running, I'd love to see the progress. Thank you man! I will do that for sure.
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May 7, 2023 19:24
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Mr. Mercury posted:Iirc it's an attempt at a blend of Harman with high end DF + speaker pref slope. yeah i found it! honestly i think the reason i found some of their reviews so weird is that i don't agree with their target curve one bit, but they are consistent and methodical about it. hope the new target is a little better thought out.
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May 8, 2023 05:01
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Zero VGS posted:Who is the rest of the pack? Head-fi, SoundGuys, LinusTechTips, Headphones.com, In-ear fidelity Of those, SoundGuys has the most 5128 measurements/demo recordings, but it's all article-format not database format. The rest have some blend of database/patreon/youtube format going on which may interest you more if that's more your speed. Gaming headset coverage is... incomplete Dr. Fishopolis posted:yeah i found it! honestly i think the reason i found some of their reviews so weird is that i don't agree with their target curve one bit, but they are consistent and methodical about it. hope the new target is a little better thought out. It's tough, because as it's a new fixture there's really not a lot to go on other than DF/FF/SRF fuckery, but it looks like there's some R&D going into it from a bunch of smart people! Mr. Mercury fucked around with this message at 07:09 on May 8, 2023 |
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May 8, 2023 05:54
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Canine Blues Arooo posted:I don't want to be a dick here - audio experience is very subjective and all that, but I'm really curious as compared to what? Compared to the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2. I'm not an audiophile (thanks to 17 year old me blasting everything at max volume), but to me the sound in games is punchy and crunchy and is a really enjoyable experience, they also weigh lighter than the Stealth 700s. Should I have gone with the HyperX Cloud 2s? I can still send the SteelSeries back if there's a general consensus that the former are better.
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May 8, 2023 15:06
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I made the mistake of trying to research some ~100USD TWS buds to replace my lost cheap Tozo T12 buds (which I quite liked save for their bulkiness), and every pair I look into are all simultaneously great sounding, terrible sounding, comfortable and uncomfortable. Seriously melted my brain with headphone review websites and YouTube "Reviews". I think I'm just going to swing by Best Buy on my way to work and grab whatever looks appealing.
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May 9, 2023 19:18
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Audio is subjective and everyone's ears are different so... 
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May 9, 2023 19:54
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Paradoxically reviews seem to be more helpful for cheaper products than more expensive ones because they can provide measurements where they matter the most. But because the form factor of earphones is so user-dependent it's rough on that segment e. actually that's one thing I'm excited about now that the top reviews sites all use the B&K 5128: fewer in-ears that use a perfectly round nozzle. Companies did this because the manufacturing lines used old type 711 fixtures that use a perfectly round ear hole. If the anatomically-correct ears of the 5128 nad HMS systems replace it, these should dwindle in number! Hate that poo poo! Mr. Mercury fucked around with this message at 20:39 on May 9, 2023 |
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May 9, 2023 20:19
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WattsvilleBlues posted:Compared to the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2. I'm not an audiophile (thanks to 17 year old me blasting everything at max volume), but to me the sound in games is punchy and crunchy and is a really enjoyable experience, they also weigh lighter than the Stealth 700s. If the experience is what you want, then you should use those headphones. I'm an rear end in a top hat who will say that the experience is subjective, but a 'good' headset is one with very neutral deliver, with especially clean delivery on the highs. Beyond that, I thought you were originally talking about the Novas, not the Pros, so my take is null.
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May 10, 2023 07:13
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qirex posted:Audio is subjective and everyone's ears are different so... This is actually painfully true. I tried a whole bunch of "amazing" IEMs at CanJam two years ago and was not all that impressed. The U12T - widely considered one of if not the best IEM around - felt extremely clinical and somewhat soulless to me so if you can try before you buy, absolutely do so.
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May 10, 2023 08:16
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My Anker Soundcore Spirit 2's starting spontaneously dying while still high battery after 2.5 years so I figure its time for a replacement. Unfortunatly this model is discontinued and it looks like this type of wrap-around earbud is being phased out in favor of individual buds which I hate. Specifically, I loved this model of Anker because I could invert the silicone wingtips and wrap the buds around the back of my neck and then over-and-around the ear. Once the cord length is set right this has been my best experience. Anyone have any suggestions on a replacement model/brand that can do that type of thing?
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May 11, 2023 01:14
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Maybe the Beats X for $37? I swear my pair came with wingtips.
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May 11, 2023 05:37
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MarcusSA posted:Maybe the Beats X for $37? Looks close but yeah, it doesn't look like the tips are compatible there. The buds are too small. For clarity, this is how I rigged up the Spirit 2s:   It's very janky but is the only thing I've found that works well for jogging / basketball.
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May 11, 2023 17:01
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Salvor_Hardin posted:Looks close but yeah, it doesn't look like the tips are compatible there. The buds are too small. Yeah what I was saying was that my beats X / flex came with those same wingtips. None of the product pictures show them but I found a review that had them on so they should come with a few different ones.
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May 11, 2023 17:10
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MarcusSA posted:Yeah what I was saying was that my beats X / flex came with those same wingtips. Ah ok, thanks.
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May 11, 2023 17:21
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Beats Flex do not come with wingtips. Theres probably some third party ones out there that fit but theyre not in the box.
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May 11, 2023 22:39
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they would be more appropriate in the Lets Talk Bad Sound Quality Headphones megathread but if youre jogging you should at least consider the aftershokz aeropex
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May 12, 2023 01:48
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nrook posted:they would be more appropriate in the Lets Talk Bad Sound Quality Headphones megathread but if youre jogging you should at least consider the aftershokz aeropex I exclusively listen to audiobooks and podcasts so sound quality is not a factor. But I really have gotten used to the wrap around with the curl around the ear plan. Also, the Anker model I have has been incredible with reliable range and general "does what it's supposed to do" so I am wary of switching even though I don't have a choice. I ended up just dropping 30bux on a SoundPEATS Q30 and hoping it functions similarly.
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May 12, 2023 02:03
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nrook posted:they would be more appropriate in the Lets Talk Bad Sound Quality Headphones megathread but if youre jogging you should at least consider the aftershokz aeropex For anyone looking, Aftershokz changed their name to Shokz and renamed all their models. I think the Aeropex is now the OpenRun? I just got a pair of OpenRun Pros on sale (Although still kind of expensive for what they are) and they are indeed nice for situations where I want to hear the outside world and listen to podcasts or even music. Salvor_Hardin posted:I exclusively listen to audiobooks and podcasts so sound quality is not a factor. But I really have gotten used to the wrap around with the curl around the ear plan. If your big issue is secure fit I suspect you'd be better of looking at models with clips that go around your ears. They're designed to solve the problem you're trying to solve and there's a lot more options available. Anker even makes a couple models (Sport X10 and the older Spirit X2). That said, have you given true wireless earbuds a real try? I have to admit I thought they were a dumb gimmick until I ended up with a pair of Galaxy Buds+ bundled with my phone. Now I use them almost exclusively, even over my noise-cancelling over-ears and wired IEMs. I've run literally thousands of miles in them and never had any issues with them coming loose. I could see basketball being a non-starter though, if it's a really physical game with lots of hard fouls, but I wouldn't expect to wear headphones in that situation either.
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May 12, 2023 03:35
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The Audeze Maxwells I ordered a month or two ago finally showed up over the weekend. They sound incredibly good, are super comfortable (definitely not too heavy despite every review mentioning it), and the wireless dongle connection is very solid -- way better than my hyperx cloud flight, which had dead spots in my house. I really love them so far, but might end up sending them back anyway because the controls and software are so goddamn terrible. Clunky software doesn't actually bother me that much, as long as it's at least possible to eventually get everything working, but right now the Bluetooth / USB dongle switching is completely broken. There's no simultaneous bluetooth/dongle input, which is fine, I don't need that. But what I do need is the ability to switch between my PC (dongle) and laptop/phone/console (bluetooth) from time to time. There is no manual control for this, only an internal priority system which is supposed to automatically switch over to bluetooth when audio is present, then fall back to the dongle if there's no bluetooth. That kinda sucks, but even that would maybe be OK if it worked. It doesn't. What happens in practice is when I have my laptop or phone paired with bluetooth and connect, the headphones say "Bluetooth" and play a ping sound to let me know it connected. The audio from the dongle stops, and the bluetooth audio never comes through. Sometimes if I power cycle the headphones it will find the bluetooth first and the audio will play for a while, until eventually it just cuts out and seems to go back to the dongle source (without any notification) even if it's completely silent. Playing any audio out of the dongle will also cause that to happen immediately, again with no notification, and the audio from the PC doesn't actually come through -- just complete silence from both sources. Once this happens, there is no way to get the bluetooth audio to come back (without power cycling). Even completely unpairing and repairing doesn't work. The headphones will connect and say "Bluetooth" again, but only the dongle audio will work. The only way to actually get bluetooth to work for more than a minute or so is to unplug the USB dongle or put my PC to sleep. That's just unacceptable. Maybe they can fix it in firmware, but I don't really want to miss the return window waiting for a fix that may never come, so sadly these will probably go back unless I can find a work around this week. e: I don't want to deter anyone from picking these up if all they are looking for is a gaming headset that sounds great, is comfortable, and has a solid dongle connection. If you don't care about bluetooth, these are pretty much perfect. The mic quality is also excellent for a headset. A real desk mic will of course be way better. The noise cancelling feature on the mic kinda sucks though, it makes everything sound robotic and weird, like some clipping is occurring. (If you have nvidia broadcast, I suggest just using that instead and disable the mic noise cancelling.) Bad Purchase fucked around with this message at 22:52 on May 15, 2023 |
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May 15, 2023 19:54
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I ordered my Maxwell's in Feb and still don't have them. I have no idea what the gently caress is happening in their logistics, but I'm quite annoyed.
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May 15, 2023 22:08
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| # ? May 29, 2024 15:20 |
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I'm a horrible terrorists who torments his mother by doing calls often when doing dishes. Are there any cheap'ish bluetooth headphones, probably with boom microphone *solely* for calls? I'm doing these calls mostly from home so how they look doesn't matter, as long as I can be moving around in my apartment. Getting my mum one would be nice too, because Jesus Christ can I hear the TV from two rooms over with all the headphones she owns. I've even tested all my bluetooth headphones with my PC and Nvidia Broadcast to get rid of the clattering noises but it just silences my voice entirely when the noise happens. Teleconferencing/call center headphones seem kinda expensive too. WH-1000XM4s were one of the worst headphones I tested for the record for call quality. Both of my True Wireless (Jabra Elite 75t and the Samsung Buds Live) and my cheap rear end Chinese bluetooth headphones beat them.
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May 17, 2023 16:46
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