Atomic Systems

At the moment I use the speakers that are integrated in the monitor, and needless to say, I am not impressed. Really really tinny sound.

I have introduced a set of Sony earphones that came with a walkman I bought some years ago.

I am really impressed with the difference in the quality of sound but more so with the quantities of sound that I am now hearing.

I would welcome any suggestions for increasing my enjoyment even more. Unfortunately I must add that at 67 years of age I do not have 100% hearing , but on the positive side expense wouldn't really be a problem.

keith

Well i use these speakers for my pc and as well as Railworks the sound quality for everything else is very good, Plus all the different volumes can be altered by the control panel supplied with the speakers all from the comfort of your own chair.

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalo ... CEUQ8wIwAw#



But before you go looking for speakers have you checked what sort of sound card you got in your pc and the number of ports on the back it has because the number of ports can vary.

Thank you for that, but I was looking more towards ear or headphones.

keith

Not sure about the type of soundcard, but I know the motherboard is GeForce 8300, and I believe the card is incorporated in this.

keith

For comfort, you may be better off with headphones as opposed to an 'in the ear' solution. Most headphones sold for PCs incorporate a microphone--telephony applications, in-game chatting is their main use. A visit to your local h-fi specialist could be one avenue to explore--they'd be able to advise if a good set of audio 'phones would work.

Personally I'd always look at Sennheiser for starters. Probably just me though...

http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/uk/home_en. ... e=Headband

Cheers

Bob

pendolinobasher wrote:Well i use these speakers for my pc and as well as Railworks the sound quality for everything else is very good, Plus all the different volumes can be altered by the control panel supplied with the speakers all from the comfort of your own chair.

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalo ... CEUQ8wIwAw#



But before you go looking for speakers have you checked what sort of sound card you got in your pc and the number of ports on the back it has because the number of ports can vary.

Ahh sorry about that i retract this completely i would recommend Sennheiser or Bose as they are known for good sound equipment

If you have a decent 5.1 sound card, I strongly recommend a set of 'surround sound' PC headphones. Each side has two speakers in it, one angled in front of your ear and one behind. They give an absolutely unbelievable surround sound experience, my wife got me a set for Christmas to stop the house shaking! The pair I got are http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roccat-Solid-Su ... B00275C2L6 but I'm sure there are others available too.

Paul

jp4712 wrote:If you have a decent 5.1 sound card, I strongly recommend a set of 'surround sound' PC headphones. Each side has two speakers in it, one angled in front of your ear and one behind. They give an absolutely unbelievable surround sound experience, my wife got me a set for Christmas to stop the house shaking! The pair I got are http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roccat-Solid-Su ... B00275C2L6 but I'm sure there are others available too.

Paul

Roccat, Razer, Steelseries and Plantronics are all people to look out for with headsets! they may be designed for gaming - but the quality is brilliant! (oh and Sennheiser, too, but their gaming headsets are a tad expensive )

At home I have a pair of Sennheiser HD595 headphones, which sound terrific! They were a bit of an indulgent purchase at £130, but you quickly forget about the price when you put them on.

I use a pair of Sennheiser studio monitor 'phones, don't remember the number but they were also pretty expensive. Worth it though, they totally block out outside noise too.

I'd also be one to stand up and be counted and attest to the quality of Sennheiser headphones having had two sets of headphones and two sets of "earbuds" over the last 20 years -- really, really well made, excellent sound quality.

I'd also recommend Shure products having been switched on to them when my Sennheiser 'buds were stolen. If anything, the ones I currently have are even better than those they replaced in terms of clarity and performance.

Last, but by no means least on my list would be Plantronics; I have a brilliant folding USB headset (as opposed to just headphones) that I use for gaming/VoIP and it's given sterling service for over 5 years. Additionally, when I needed to replace the foam earpads on them, they sent me a set, FoC, no hassle, no drama. Excellent service.

Full cover/over ear types are definitely the way to go for comfort. You've not said what your budget is, but here's a link to a whole raft of over-ear types. I've used this supplier for the last five or so years and they've been quick, efficient and helpful.

I know headphones are what's being asked about here, but I do have to say that I don't, by default use either my headset or headphones whilst gaming as I much prefer the feel of bass provisioned through my Acoustic Energy Aego speakers. These are simply the best set of small 2.1 speakers I've ever had the joy of listening to and easily surpass so-called "gaming" set-ups by the likes of Creative Labs, Logitech or even Klipsch and JBL, etc.

Hope this helps,

Rgds, Rik,

Thank you all for your very informative replies.

keith

g0fthick wrote:At home I have a pair of Sennheiser HD595 headphones, which sound terrific! They were a bit of an indulgent purchase at £130, but you quickly forget about the price when you put them on.

Good afternoon everyone
There is a very true saying about quality

"Long after price is forgotten, quality is remembered"

I like Sennheiser headphones although I think the set of gaming headphones suggested by Paul look good too
Kind regards Stephen

If you are able to then I would recommend getting a twin speaker set and a sub-woofer. You can pick them up from any PC store for reasonably cheap and they are mostly just plug and play. I bought mine from PC World about 4 years ago for under 30 quid and they're still blasting out the sound perfectly at phenomenal volume!! A sub-woofer speaker really transforms the Railworks audio experience, it adds a real house-shaking base sound and rumble which works perfectly with noisy diesels, best used if you live in a detached house!

Every now and then when I get the house to myself I go to town on the audio and crank up the volume to life-like levels, it's an incredible experience and brings the game to life. I had an opportunity last night to work the speakers on the "6 o'clock choppers" scenario for the Port Road. I had the volume up full and the woofer thumping away as the single Class 20 tackled the climb to Lochanhead, it left me absolutely jaw-dropped! There is a big difference in immersion factor between playing this game at low or high volume.