Review » Psyko Carbon 5.1 Headset

When Psyko Audio Labs came onto the scene during the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, they touted new technology that made a lot of people drool with anticipation.  True 5.1 sound in a gaming  headset?  Every other headset for gamers used virtual 5.1 (and later 7.1), where there was still only one (or at max two) speaker driver in each ear cup.  A headset promising five actual speakers, plus two bass drivers seemed like a pipe dream.  Two years later now, and while there are a few other headsets that use five speakers (the Vibras for one), they’re generally uncomfortable, and the drivers are too small to deliver good, solid sound.  So it’s a great relief that Psyko has been able to release their Carbon and Krypton line to show the others how it’s done.

It’s pretty crazy how these things work – Psyko Audio Labs uses what they call “PsykoWave Technology”, to describe how their headsets work.  In short, there are five speakers in the bridge (the top) of the headset, and there are channels (called Wave guides) that directs the sound to both the front and back of each ear – much like you would hear from a normal surround system.  They’ve measured the sound wave output to place each of the speakers at an optimal location, so that you feel like you’re sitting in the “sweet spot” of a really nice home theater system.

Now you may think that with the added weight of five speakers on your head, that this headset might be pretty awkward and uncomfortable to wear, however that’s not completely the case.  Yes, after about a ninety minute gaming marathon my neck was a bit sure from the added weight, but the top of my head felt fine.  In fact, I had completely forgotten I had them on while playing, and only realized the weight when I took a break.  

The cushioning they use is extremely comfortable, and put in just the right locations to relieve pressure.  Something else that’s pretty nice is the fact that both ear cups have a clear plastic piece that you can tilt inward, allowing both ventilation (for the heavy sweaters), and the ability to hear someone talking to you without having to adjust the volume.  The Psyko headsets also come with their own little amplifier so that you don’t have to mess with the volume settings on your computer once you get everything set up.

Unfortunately, with all the positives has to come some negatives.  For one, I couldn’t get past the feeling that I was listening to sound through plastic.  I had a friend play a few rounds with them on as well (without telling him anything about the headset), and he said the same thing as well.  There’s almost a hollow property to the sounds you hear with a Psyko headset on – it’s not overbearing, but it’s there.  Another negative is that for now, these are PC only – yes, you can get a surround sound decoder after the fact, but it’s a crap shoot on weather or not you get one that works well with it, and a decent decoder costs around $70.  

Also, if you want to use the Psyko headsets on older games, you have to do a fair amount of registry tweaks based on Creative Labs Alchemy.  The last real issue, is the high price point for these things.  The Psyko Krypton (the “budget” model – it used to be referred to as the Psyko 5.1) will run you $149.99, and the Psyko Carbon (Elite model with better speakers, rubberized finish on the amp, braided cables, and gold plated tips) will run you $199.99.

In relation to other headsets at the same price points, there isn’t much competition.  Listening to true 5.1 audio is a much more gratifying experience than listening to virtual 5.1 (or 7.1), hollow sound be damned.  If you have the money, I would just skip over the Krypton – the upgraded speakers on the Carbon more than justify it’s cost increase, and with the rubberized design on the amp, there’s little chance of it slipping off of a desk.  If you don’t have a surround-capable sound card however, these things will be pretty useless to you unless you upgrade that first (no, one that uses an optical cable won’t work – you need to have actual 3.5mm surround jacks)

Overall, I give the Psyko Carbon 5.1 heasdet by Psyko Audio Labs a 4 out of 5 stars – unless you’re a hardcore PC gamer these will be much more of a luxury item.

You can buy the Psyko Carbon 5.1 headset straight from the Psyko Audio Labs website for $199.99

Full Review » Astro A40 Headset

When someone talks about getting a high-end headset for a console, they are almost always talking about one of the “big three”: Turtle Beach, Tritton, or Astro (I’m not including Vibras as they’re only for the 360).  It’s no secret that Astro makes one of the best headsets out there – after all, it’s not every company that gets to be the official headset for all MLG live tournaments.  So they’re good enough for the “professional” gamers, but what about the average gamer playing at his or her house over Live or the PSN – could they be better suited for the environment of a live tourney?

The first thing that really caught my eye with the Astro A40s, was the packaging.  It’s not often that a company puts their products inside of a box with magnetic seals (in fact, I’ve never seen another one).   It might be superfluous, but it’s definitely a talking point (my kids wouldn’t let me throw away the boxes so they could use them).  The second thing that took me by surprise was just how minimalistic they were.  

The ear cups weren’t huge a la Trittons, and even the bridge was fairly thin.  Not only that, but the MixAmp (the thing that makes it all work) was pretty small as well.  The transmitting unit fit next to my consoles seamlessly, which was great considering I only had three inches left in my entertainment system, and the receiving unit is small enough to fit in my pocket while playing and not be an annoyance.

Hooking them up was just a matter of plugging in the transmitting unit, running an optical cable from the console to it, and then adding the dongle that makes voice chat work.  It’s so simple that switching it between my PS3 and 360 became part of my gaming routine, and not a chore (like some other headsets I could mention).  The cables are also more than long enough for most audio/video configurations.  You can use standard batteries with the receiver, or you can buy the rechargeable battery pack, which I highly recommend.  You can charge it off of any USB connector, and it plays a tone whenever it’s almost out of juice.

As for sound quality, I like it so much that the A40 has become my first choice when deciding on what to use when I’m gearing for some hard core gaming.  The sounds are crisp and clear, the bass is deep and rich, and the voices come through clean.  There is also a nice bass boost on the receiver, but I’ve never needed to use it other than to test it (it works, but the bass was already loud enough for me).  There are two mics you can use – one is the detachable boom mic, and the other is an in-line mic right by the mute toggle.  They both work quite well, although the connector on my boom mic has gotten a bit of a work out, and now it makes a good amount of static in my ear whenever it moves.

One of the biggest problems with the boom mic (besides the durability issue), is the fact that it picks up EVERYTHING.  I know they say it doesn’t pick up much background noise (and for the most part that’s true), but it picks up everything I do.  Things such as breathing, are transmitted to everyone else in the game (much to people’s amusement).  

I’ve adjusted all the sensitivity settings well below where they’re recommended to be at, but unless I breathe out of the side of my mouth, it’s getting transmitted.  I do live in a very noisy household though (two parrots, five dogs, and three children), and it rarely picks up on any of them – the in-line mic doesn’t pick up on my breathing, but it does on everything else.  Six one way, half a dozen the other I suppose.

It is quite pricey, with the Astro A40 Audio System (Headset, cables, and MixAmp) coming in at a whopping $249.95, with the rechargeable battery pack adding an additional $19.95 (but if you’re buying the headset you probably have enough for the battery pack too).  When compared to other headsets in the same price range, it blows them all away – however there are cheaper headsets that are comparable (thought they may not be wireless.

Overall, I give the A40s a solid 4.5/5 because of how well they sound, and their ease of use.

Pros:

• Very easy to use
• The sound is spectacular
• Official gear for MLG

Cons:

• Very high price point for average gamers
• Mics are highly sensitive
• Could be a longevity issue to the boom mic jack

You can purchase the Astro A40 Audio System from their website for $249.95