BF2S Forums Headset for VOIP

I use a Plantronics DSP500.  It works great!  It uses USB and shows up as a separate Sound Card in Windows.  Basically, you select it as the input and output device instead of your regular soundcard.  It has spatial sound, so you can tell what direction a sound comes from.  No extra setup is required in BF2 other than setting volume and threshold levels.  It also has hardware support for EAX.  You can get one for ~$50. 
http://www.plantronics.com/north_americ … prod440044 (ignore the price, you can get it cheaper at newegg, etc.)
If you have a good soundcard, another option is to buy a headset that plugs into your soundcard.  There would be two plugs, one to plug into the headphone(or speaker) jack, and another to plug into the microphone jack.  I have no experience with this type of headset.  I have heard, though, that, if you have one of the new Creative sound cards, they have excellent spatial sound as well.

Last edited by atlvolunteer (2005-12-14 13:40:57)

No, there is no real difference between them, atleast none that you need to worry about.

Basically a headset is a set of headphones, like you get on a CD player, with a long cord, and a microphone attached to a bendytube that can be positioned as you see fit.  It has two connectors, one for the mic and one for the phones, and they are labled.  They hook into your SoundOut and Mic ports respectively.

The only set up is to check to see if it works, volume is set correctly, and bind a key to it ingame.

Sennheiser quality has been decling over the past few years IMO.  Besides, I would never pay that for a headset that didn't sound any better than those.  That being said, sound quality is subjective, and NO ONE here can tell you what is good for you, just what they like.  Would you buy speakers without hearing them first?  What works for me is just to compare specs (frequency response, Impedance etc) and do a little research.  Listen to any pair you can and see what sounds good to YOUR ears.

I just picked up a new set a couple weeks ago, so I'll describe my personal search for a new headset.  I previously had the plantronics set that comes with that MS voice commander or whatever it was called (bought for Tribes, but never used the puck much).  I did some reading to see what was considered 'hot' right now, and most of it was simply too expensive.  70+ is too much for a headset IMO.  If I'm going to spend that much, I'll get a proper set of studio monitors and gooseneck mic to tie to the headphones. 

Anyway, lots of fanciness reviewed on the web.  You can get an idea of things like shape, specs, features etc, but still not enough to base a purchase on.  So....I go shopping and end up at the most hated of stores....BestBuy.  They stock a selection of Altec Lansing, Logitech, and low-end headsets.  The specs for the logitechs are all the same b/t themselves, save a few wizbang features like simulated surround sound etc.  The AL sets were all pretty much equal specs-wise. 

I decided the Logitechs were all too large to wear for hours on end, as full headphones make my ears sweat and ache.  That, and the one set of Logitechs I was considering are those back of the head setups, and I have long hair that I keep in a ponytail, which messes with the fit of that style.  If you wear glasses, the full headphones can put too much pressure on the bit around the ear.  I hear studio folks complain about that. 

The only difference in the Altec Lansing sets were USB vs 1/8th inch stereo, and whizbang stuff.  All I wanted was a decent sound, a quiet mic, and a low price.  I settled on the Altec Lansing AHS2021 set b/c it was 20 bucks, didn't need a battery, and were 1/8th inch stereo plugs.  USB is fine I guess, but I use a Hercules Game Theater and I like that it shuts off the speakers if I plug in the headset, so I don't have to touch any buttons to switch b/t the two outputs (phones or speakers).  They sound fine to me.  Good range, comfortable, the mic is crystal clear and doesn't pick up my breathing to much b/c it has a foamy bit over the mic.  Oh yeah, they were also cheap at 20 bucks, so for me, it was a win, win, win, win situation.

A long read I know, but hopefully it'll get you thinking.  Good luck!

This is what I used to use!
Surround sound:


VoIP dual Mic setup:

Last edited by Leatherface-TCM (2005-12-14 14:55:50)

LOL, great post Leatherface.  That first setup is impressive, although cant really imagine what that would be used for.

Looks like I'll be browsing between Plantronics and Sennheiser.

Thanks for the great feedback everyone.

Edit:  I have a question about the key that is originally used to activate the mic.  When you press 'b', and speak does your entire team hear it?  What about when you join a squad and then press 'b', then does only your squad mates hear it?
And, do the keys 'J', 'K', 'L' work with the mic or do those only work for typing?
I try asking in a game, but I dont know whether its because they dont hear me at all, or they dont bother to respond.

Last edited by Tcx_1 (2005-12-17 15:27:24)