The Best Gaming Setup For Beginners [Gaming Setup Ideas!]

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Looking to find the best gaming setup as a beginner audio enthusiast? Need some gaming setup ideas? Don’t know quite where to begin?

Well, breathe a sigh of relief because…

I’m here to help!

By the end of this article, you should have a great idea of some fantastic setups that you can get started with right away, and we’ll also compare a couple of popular mic options in case you feel like screaming obscenities at people when you inevitably die and get mad!

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Greetings mate, and Welcome aboard… Stuart Charles here, homestudiobasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions leading to a beautiful audio experience, that will make you fall in love with music, all over again so.. don’t want to read?!

Video Discussion

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Let’s talk about the best gaming setup for beginners, shall we?!

This is quite a loaded topic, but let’s dive in. All of these setups can be used with a console or your PC, so don’t freak out!

Also, check my best headphones for gaming if you need some additional guidance on how to choose.

What you will need:

Set-Up #1

• Philips SHP9500 (roughly $75)
• Creative SoundBlasterX G3 or G6 (roughly $50 – $150)
• V-Moda Boom Pro or Mod Mic (roughly $30-50)

Total: Roughly $255 – $275

Keep in mind: You don’t necessarily need a G6, G3, or a Mic.

I started by simply plugging my 9500 into the PS4 controller and was perfectly satisfied for a while. This also applies to PC gaming.

You don’t need an Amp/DAC with the 9500 because of its high sensitivity and low impedance.

It’s a very efficient headphone on its own, but you will probably want some sort of Amp/DAC in the future because, well, who doesn’t like venturing down the audiophile rabbit hole?

Speaking of, let’s talk about the setup in question.

The 9500 + G6 + Boom Pro is the perfect overall setup long term, for most people.

The 9500 is a well-built, comfortable headphone that provides a crisp, open sound with fantastic width and depth to the image and an excellent Soundstage for such a cheap model.

• Related: What is Soundstage?

Just replace the detachable stock cable with the Boom Pro and you’re ready to go!

The Boom Pro comes with a 3.5mm female to dual male.

Plug one end into the left side of the G6 for your audio, and the other into the mic jack on the right side.

Remember: They are NOT interchangeable, so just make sure they’re in the correct positions or you won’t hear anything.

There are indicators on both jacks informing you which is which, so don’t fret!

After you plug them in, adjust your audio first, then press and hold the volume pot to enter mic mode (which is red), making sure that its volume is also high enough for playback and recording purposes.

This can be a little tricky at first because the G6’s knob turns infinitely.

Still, it’s fairly straight forward and you should only have to tweak it maybe once or twice to get your voice recording loud enough.

With the mod mic, it’s especially important to make sure the volume is turned up.

You can also adjust the settings inside your console’s dashboard as well.

Now you’re ready to slay some baddies!

The Boom Pro sounds amazing for its price and provides astonishing clarity and cleanliness for such a cheap product.

I was simply flabbergasted at how good it sounded. The Mod Mic is also a great option, but I found the quality of the sound to be better than the Boom Pro.

What’s great about the Boom Pro is that it does sound better and is easier to hook up to any headphone with a 3.5mm detachable cable.

The downside is that not every headphone provides this.

What’s great about the Mod Mic is that it can be used with ANY headphones because it doesn’t rely on a 3.5mm jack to function.

It also has a better overall package and there’s more value present.

The downside is that it’s a bit more cumbersome to set up, and doesn’t quite sound as good as a Boom Pro, but I’ll let YOU Be the judge (Skip to 3:21):

Video Discussion

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Set-Up #2 (Upgrade)

• HIFIMAN DEVA
• Creative SoundBlasterX G6
• V-Moda Boom Pro or Mod Mic

If you would like an upgrade, just swap out the 9500 for something like a HIFIMAN DEVA, or anything with a detachable 3.5mm jack suitable for gaming!

I was personally using the DEVA in the above demo and really love the sound.

It’s a Bluetooth headphone that comes with the Bluemini for pairing, which also doubles as the Amp/DAC that can be used with a wire plus it’s perfect for gaming!

What more could you ask for?!

The DEVA, coupled with a Boom Pro and Creative SoundBlasterX G6 is perhaps the most complete overall package in audio!

Why? Glad you asked.

The G6 can be used for Gaming and Film, but it also works phenomenally well on your desktop through Spotify, Tidal, or whatever you use to listen to music.

• Related: Tidal vs. Spotify

What’s more, simply download the SoundBlaster Connect App and you’ve got a highly customizable, built-in EQ profile just in case you want to go all Metal571 with your headphones.

It’s truly one of the most versatile pieces of equipment I’ve ever used.

I game with it, I watch movies with it, I listen to music with it, I can EQ with it, it’s got a gain switch and
an incredible amount of power, it’s easy to transport between my living room and studio, it’s got Scout Mode which really opens up the Soundstage and directional cues for competitive gaming, and it just sounds fantastic!

Out of the 9+ Amp/DACS that I currently have on my desk at the time of this writing, the G6 most certainly gets the most use.

• Related: What is Soundstage?

Check out my Creative SoundBlasterX G6 full review if you’re not convinced of how bad a** this thing is.

Set-Up #3

• AKG K702 or K612
• Creative SoundBlasterX G6
• V-Moda Boom Pro and Adapter, or Ant Lion Mod Mic
• Shootout: AKG K612 vs. K712 vs. K702 vs. K701 vs. Q701

All of the above applies here as well, except you will need an adapter for the Boom Pro should you decide on the K702.

Simply unplug the stock cable, plug the adapter into the K702, then plug the boom mic into the adapter.

With the Ant Lion Mod Mic, again, you will not need an adapter.

With the K612, you must use a Mod Mic as the cable is NOT detachable.

Check the link below for the K702 adapter, as well as all links to these products and articles should you decide to purchase.

I do get a kickback from these links depending on where you live, so your continued support of the blog and channel is much appreciated!

In the meantime, here’s a raw demo of the sound differences between the Mod Mic and Boom Pro. A snippet of the A/B can also be seen in the video at the start of this article. 🙂

Ant Lion Audio Mod Mic Uni vs. V-Moda Boom Pro

More Gaming Setup Ideas

I’ve had quite a bit of experience with gaming dacs that have optical inputs and thought I’d list out some more interesting options that you can try.

Keep in mind these are just for gaming without a mic.

On PC, you can obviously use some sort of USB mic with them as the Blue Yeti, but I mostly just use these when I’m rockin’ single-player.

Idea #3

Audioengine D1

Official Review: Audioengine D1 Review

This is a great little combo Amp/DAC that has RCA outs, optical in, and a USB Type-B jack on the back.

I really enjoyed this DAC paired with a Sennheiser HD650, and I’d describe the sound as having a touch of warmth while still sounding very clear and detailed.

The D1 isn’t really a main recommendation of mine anymore, but it’s still a good option for gaming.

Idea #2

JDS ATOM + ATOM DAC

Official Review: Here

The Objective 2 has since been replaced with ATOM, but as you’ll see below, I used the Objective 2 + DAC Magic 100.

Regardless, the ATOM continues where the O2 left off, and is a great amp that works well for gaming with the ATOM DAC’s optical input.

More of the same applies, incredibly lush-sounding voices and sounds, intimacy, clarity, cleanliness, micro detail, etc.

It kind of tends to immerse you in the gameplay and film more so than other less expensive combos.

Keep in mind that you can mix and match to your heart’s content here.

There’s no “set in stone” way of connecting a DAC to an Amp. A lot of combos will sound fantastic, and that’s the idea.

I guess it would also be helpful to clarify that back when I took the image below, the ATOM hadn’t even come out yet if you can believe it.

I just wanted to show the image as I was really taking a deep dive into comparing the different combos.

You could also purchase a DAC Magic 100, but it will run you about $100 more than the ATOM DAC. For now, just stick with the ATOM combo.

And if you have any questions, contact me or leave a comment below.

Idea #1

FiiO K5 Pro

Official Review: Here

The K5 Pro has long been a recommendation on this site and for good reason.

It’s incredibly versatile, sounds great, and works well for gaming. You can even pair it with a Playstation 3, but it works for all consoles via its optical input.

Be sure to check the review above for all of the different ways you can use it. You also may look to the K7 if you plan to run balanced headphones at any point, and the K11 is also available and cheaper than both the K5 Pro and K7.

The only difference is that it doesn’t have RCA inputs, but if you’re gaming with its optical input that won’t matter.

Anyway, that’s enough talk. It’s time for the final exercise.

My Gaming headphone recommendation:

 

Amp/DAC:

 

Mic:

 

Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this discussion on the Best Gaming Setup For Beginners, and are better equipped to make a purchasing decision!

If you love what I do here and want to support the blog and channel in a more personal way, check me out on Patreon and discover all the value I have to offer you.

Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!

Which of these options sounds best to YOU? I would love to hear your thoughts. Until next time…

All the best and God bless,

 

 

-Stu

[Xtr@Ba$eHitZ]

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