Headset volume :/

Got myself a steelseries 5H something headphones (for free lolz), everything was fine when i used to green and red connections, but i decided to switch to usb so i wouldnt miss out on anything but now i cant seem to get my mic up. Any ideas?
Comments
44
so i wouldnt miss out on anything

Miss out what ?
i dno, i got a cd with it saying : " steelseries USB Soundcard", so i figured i needed to plug in the usb to get my headset to work correctly
Parent
nope :D, just plug in your USB etc it will find it automatic, but if you install the drivers.. GL with playing.. ( guess if you shoot once you will get ear cancer :XD)
Parent
whats wrong with the drivers :(
Parent
if im right Steelsound 5hv2 = 5.1 ;D imagine having a 5.1 set in your headset..
Parent
ow, it sounds different than my 5euro headset, but doesnnt hurt my ears or anything :D
Parent
hm lucky you, i kinda got crazy with the drivers installed ;D
Parent
its 7.1 btw
Parent
was not sure :)
Parent
installed the headset's drivers? box comes with that 'mini' CD in it
btw steelseries' 5H software is different from windows' sound software, so you gotta change that one
i installed the drivers. What do u mean with change that one? Where should i change what :p
Parent
sounds nice but isn't it too expensive?
ah then it's only 50% or so but enough for you i think ;>
i also dont hear nadeticks :/
use other cheats
You rang?
HALP POEPEL CANT HEAR MEH
can't get my mic to work either but I haven't really tried tbh :D

Erm did you use the test hardware in sounds, try that and fiddle with the settings, that should eventually work.
Parent
i tried, volume is at max and still i only get a very low sound if i talk really loud
Parent
mic boost on?
Parent
i hear myself talk if i put that on :(
Parent
had similar problems, never bothered to fix them tho, quit playing wars anyways :/
Parent
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP! :p
Parent
Ya wtf

"I dunno lol" :P

tried disabling that stereo mix? Also maybe uninstall the drivers and get the newest ones from the homepage if you haven't already done that .. :o
Parent
ye ill try that :)
going to bed now, im beat. Nn!
Parent
so i wouldnt miss out on anything

roffled. USB < Sound Card connection :/
Silly statement which is wrong for many reasons.
Parent
so which is better then?
Parent
I'd use the USB card if you've a fairly decent computer. Using the on-board sound means your processor has extra work to do, and you're likely to get a few more features and better software with the Steelsound driver.

Your issue doesn't sound too serious to be honest. Unplug the USB card, then re-plug and go through the sounds and audio devices properties. Click voice and then test hardware. Or, if you spot that the recording device isn't the Steelseries USB device, switch to it and then apply.

Remember, you've to switch your sound settings in ventrilo as well.
Parent
That might be it... Where should i change my settings in vent exactly? I didnt really do that :/
Parent
Setup > output/input device (make sure both are your USB Steelsound). Ignore the hardware mixer bit and disconnect from the server. Reconnect, then adjust your settings. It's always good if you've someone to help you while you're doing this.

That should sort any 'easy' issues.

edit: I can't believe I was that accurate lol. I don't even have Ventrilo installed at the moment.
Parent
ye i did everything and its working just fine now. Installed newest drivers, unplugged and replugged and did the vent thingie. thanks alot :)
Parent
pls negro..
1) 3.5mm jack headphones can be used in any audio appliance (ipod etc)
2) headphones plugged into the sound card will benefit from the sound card hardware and driver i.e. better sound quality
3) USB headphones/sets have shitty basic built in audio cards and use default XP sound driver = FAGGOT SHIT NIGGA
4) Since they have to have SHITTY GAY "IM A HOMO" sound cards in the connection wire you loose sound quality at the connection cause of the homo-boy quality of the cable and connection, and this area always breaks (hence "omg i can only play ET when i cellotape my volume control to my anuz"
Parent
according to the steelseries website the usb soundcard is better than an onboard soundcard (which im using atm)
Parent
I'm sure they are right, onboard sound tends to be pretty terrible. I was thinking of a proper sound card when saying that.

If you really want very high quality sound you really need to get a seperate sound card (external USB or internal PCI), personally I bought a soundblaster (M-Audio is beter but woteva) I bought audigy 2 ZS model from ebay for practically nothing because soundblaster released a new series (X-FI) so every1 is selling old (perfectly good) models for nothing now (infact the cheap X-FI range is hardly different to the old ZS 2).

I'm sure whatever you buy will sound just fine. I'm very picky about sound, I have very expensive headphones and used to listening to music on my hifi friends 4000+eu headphones or 12,000+eu modified speakers so im a picky fucker ;P
Parent
You sound like you're bullshitting to be honest.

"In fact the cheap X-Fi range is hardly different to the old ZS 2".

If you think the X-Fi range is "hardly different" from the old Audigy's I'd advise you to get a pair of ears. They improved everything. Even USB 'equipped' X-Fi's trounce dedicated Audigy platinums for sound quality.

You sound like a show-off with too much money and no clue. Please do show me these 4000+ euro headphones, though!
Parent
ye they say on the website that an external soundcard is prolly better quality than the usb one but onboard > usb soundcard
Parent
1. The USB card is external from the actual headset.

image: 2
2. Meaningless point as proven by the above. But, you're wrong. I could list a number of decent USB headsets - I've used a number of Beyerdynamic headsets which are very good. You've to remember that USB is just an information transport bus. Just like PCI or PCI-e (which 99.99% of dedicated sound cards will use). Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

3. Again, you base every argument on a failed assumption. Yes, most USB sound cards use the same driver; it's called a standard and it has its advantages. The USB card in question provides its own driver, though. (It's still shit but that's besides the point).

4. I doubt you've ever used a piece of decent sound equipment so discussing the quality of cable on gaming headsets is a waste of time for me.
Parent
I have never used proper audio equipment but have £160 headphones.. ok. And a modified, re-wired stereo about £450 (pretty average but better than most ppl). And the expensive range of headphones you don't believe exist are called electro static headphones, go and have a look at Sennheiser Orpheus ($17,000). The electro statics my friend has are 2 pairs of STAX phones with purpose built headphone amp. The stax amp costs around £1000 and the more expensive pair of stax he has about £3000-4000. He also has a custom built stereo system that has been modded over many many years, including modded speakers that cost £11,000 in the 1970's (sound hasnt improved since then incase your wondering.. analog is still better).

he has this pair: http://www.carltonaudiovisual.com.au/?q=node/view/115
and this pair: http://www.audiojunkies.com/blog/778/stax-sr007-omega-ii-mkii-headphones

And neither he nor I are rich, he is a sound engineer and sony studio gave him those headphones. His stereo stuff is also from studios etc. Often gets broken expensive stuff given to him and fixes it.

As for the X-FI stuff you said, to quote:

QuoteThe entry-level model of the X-Fi series, the Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio, does not actually have the EMU20K1 chip but is a re-branded Audigy SE, using the same family of chips (CA0106-WBTLF), and even the same drivers.[14] Thus, not only is all of the X-Fi–related processing performed in software, but it also lacks basic hardware acceleration just like the SB Live! 24-bit, the Audigy SE and other budget Soundblaster models. The X-Fi Xtreme Audio does not use the same drivers as the rest of the X-Fi family, some games do not recognize it as being "X-Fi capable hardware", and the device's hardware profile resembles that of older Live! and Audigy cards.

Furthermore, users have reported that it slows down some applications and games, and that rear sound in games (all) is muffled and of profoundly low quality.[15][16][17] Thus, even if the card is marketed as part of the X-Fi line, it does not belong to it technically, just like the Audigy SE doesn't technically belong to the Sound Blaster Audigy series. The card is not marketed as supporting the "X-Fi Gaming Mode" (but is still marketed as "X-Fi"), and there are no official implicit or explicit statements regarding its having hardware acceleration or not.


So in other words, like I said the budget XFI is actually WORSE than the ZS 2 and about the same as the audigy SE. The other X-FI are defiantely better than the old ones, but I wasn't talking about those.
Parent
Don't put words in my mouth. I never once said “the expensive range of headphones [...] don't [...] exist”. The Orpheus is essentially an entire audio set-up – a limited one at that. There's no way you can fair make comparisons between them (or any similar 'set-up'), and a standalone pair of headphones.

I won't disagree and say the Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio is good. Its not. But, your comparison is ridiculous: why not compare the top-end X-Fi card to the lowest Audigy (which also does most of the work 'in software')? Creative have done the same on all their ranges; every technology company does.

You still missed my point (and the context of the actual journal – USB vs. dedicated sound-cards). “The other X-FI are defiantely better than the old ones, but I wasn't talking about those.” No one was. I said “even USB 'equipped' X-Fi's trounce dedicated Audigy platinums for sound quality.” You actually concede this point but never mind.

It's nice how you ignore what I actually said, and go off on a tangent to legitimatize your quotation. How the sound-card processes information is irrelevant theoretically. As long as it doesn't influence system performance – which it obviously does at the moment.

“Sound hasnt improved since then incase your wondering.. analog is still better”. All sound is “digitized” when it comes into contact with humans. Our body process sound like that, and any reproduction – including vinyl – digitizes the source at some point. Even if the format itself is “analog”. It's unavoidable.

We haven't got a mass media-format with a large enough capacity to adequately contain the full sound spectrum at the moment. Digital systems represent the only feasible solution at the moment, and also the future. Analog and digital will co-exist for a long time, though – trust me. Neither is better than the other; both have their advantages and problems.
Parent
Vol 10/10 np
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