Medusa 5.1 Surround Headset - Page 5

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I too have experienced "no bass in rears" issue that keo refers to and have spent endless hours searching for the solution. This forum has been the most helpful, and after following some of the tips on here, I have managed to improve the bass slightly, but it is still not to a satisfactory level.

From what I can gather, this issue is definitely a combination of the Medusa 5.1 headset (not the USB version) and certain soundcards - mainly (but not restricted to) the Audigy 2 series and the new X-Fi's (of which I have the Xtreme Music version).

So I think some of you guys are missing the point that keo (and others) were trying to make here. There are are bound to be satisfied customers out there who don't have one of these bad combinations (e.g. they have the USB Medusa's or their soundcard is fine with the Medusa's). Therefore those people can't grasp the problem that we are experiencing.

I totally agree what some of you say about the positional sound and the sound quality of these headsets being really good and a massive advantage in games. What you've got to understand though, is that we experience the sound with no bass from the rear speakers. Some of you seem to confuse this with the sound quality or level not being quite as good from the rear. I understand that the sound isnt quite as loud or as good quality from the rear since the rear speakers are smaller than the front ones (even the Medusa website describes this on their FAQ page). But we are not talking about slightly lower sound or slightly less quality, we are talking about NO BASS - which is totally different.

One interesting thing to query with everyone is this: In a standard 5.1 environment, the sub should be pumping out bass regardless of whether a sound is positioned to come from the front or rear speakers. I'm no sound engineer, but from reading literature about my 5.1 Home Cinema kit I have in my lounge, the sub is used to provide bass assistance and can be positioned anywhere in a room, since the human ear cannot locate bass tones. Sure enough, watching a DVD on my home cinema kit thumps out bass even when explosions or bassy sounds are happening behind me. The easiest way to detect this is to turn the sub off and compare the difference. Now I would assume that the Medusa's should be doing the same thing, bassy sounds are happening behind you, so the sub should still be kicking in, but in my set (and I bet keo's and others Medusa's), there is no (or little) sound from the sub.

From reading these posts and the posts on the Creative website I still can't figure out whether this is problem with the Medusa's or a problem with the sound card. All I know is that there is definitely an issue when the Medusa's are used with certain cards. Some people on the Creative forums seem to point the finger at Creative, insisting that the Medusa's worked fine on their old Audigy 1 soundcards but then have the no-bass problem on their Audigy 2ZS. Yet people on these forums tend to argue the other way, describing all kinds of issues with the Medusa's (e.g. wiring problems etc).

The only way forward on this issue is for Speed-link and Creative to get together to resolve this issue. In the meantime, we'll just have to suffer with our no bass from the rear speakers problem.

Pruncr0c, You may be right, maybe it is an issue wiht the sound card. I would hate to think the X-Fi's have the same issue since I want to get one of them...

One thought, maybe you can remove your sound card and try the on board sound chip that is probally on the motherboard? If you have a recent board it most likely has on board 5.1 sound. If you don't know you can post the maker and model number of the motherboard and I can look it up for you.

Puncr0c, just wanted to say that your posts are spot on and I couldn't have said it better myself.

BTW: I have an Audigy 2 Value which probably explains why I’m experiencing these problems.

GunzHost

It appears you are lucky enough to have either a working set of these or a working combination of the Medusa’s and soundcard. Would you mind sharing your setup with us?

Also I’m not denying that these headphones will help you locate your opponents easier because I agree these headphones do provide excellent surround sound and thus would make it easier to locate you opponents etc. The point I’m trying to make is that although they provide surround sound, the sound produced is lacking in bass in some directions (namely from the center and rear).

Could you please do some kind of a test for us (the one I suggested would be great if you have access to UT2004, but if not something similar will do) and report back to us? I think all of us with this problem would just like to know there are users getting the same levels of bass from explosions etc no matter which way the sound is coming from.

Also perhaps to get a better idea of the problems we are facing, try unplugging the center/sub cable to your amp and then have something explode behind you. This is probably very close to the sound we are experiencing. If it is lacking in bass can you see how this would be unacceptable?

Your help is appreciated, cheers.

My setup is Pro-Gamer with Audigy2 ZS.

I am off college at the moment due to a bad leg and have plenty of time on my hands. I have used it today to do quite a bit of research on the Medusa. From the information I have gathered I have estimated that there must be at least 20,000+ sets in use worldwide and yet I was very hard pushed to find more than a handfull of people who complained about the sound performance. Of these about 80% had returned them and 20% either sold them or made do.

The problem with forums like this one is that you tend to find that only people with problems post on them which gives a very negative and one-sided viewpoint of the thing being discussed. It is human nature to strike out when things are not to your liking and what better place to start than a forum dedicated to the topic. My understanding of a User Forum though is that it is there for people to express their own personal experiences NOT to dictate world policy. Just because YOU do not like a particular product is it really fair to offer up comments like. 'dont buy this' 'steer clear' etc etc. Surely over 19,950 satisified customers cannot be wrong can they ? If you dont like the Headset then return it or sell it to someone else.

Like Keo I also purchased my set from Matt. I looked at his and about 6 other eBay sellers and page after page of feedbacks all extolled the virtues of the Medusa which is why I bought one in the first place.
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayIS [...] scomputers
Unlike most review sites, which I am sure must take kick backs, eBay feedback is 100% un-biased. How can you honestly justify telling people to never buy this product when so many others say the exact opposite. If you dont like the Medusas Sound why not just ask your seller to take the set back and refund you, put it down to experience and move on.

Alphamale

Personally I do not believe eBay feedback alone can be taken as a good measure for the performance of these headphones, this is for a few reasons, first and foremost you only get about 80 characters (can’t remember the exact amount, but it’s around 80) to give your point of view and I hardly think this is enough space to give a true perspective. Secondly a lot of feedback is really just to do with the transaction, i.e. ‘Product received’, ‘great seller, very prompt’, etc. Some people leave feedback before they have even really had a chance to test a product fully. I think this would definitely be the case with this product and other sound products. This is because most people would not at first notice the problems we are describing in this thread because most people have not developed the kind of acute ear for sound it would take to instantly notice a problem like this. This comes from direct experience. I have worked in the music industry for years and can tell you before this was able to take place I spent probably close to 5 years at approximately 10 hours a week practicing my trade and training my listening ability before my auditory skills were at the stage where I could manipulate sound at the advanced level required for public performance. So I can assure you that the difference between the average persons and trained professionals auditory ability is vastly different. So if most people don’t notice the problem straight away, is it not fair to say that by the time they do, they have already left feedback on this product? Hence the reason you find this information on forums like this, not in eBay feedback.

Now onto the point you raised about a ‘much more rounded viewpoint’, indicating that you felt my view was not rounded. Okay, I will admit that my post was highlighting the problems with these headphones and not covering any of their good features. This was really because there is more than enough good information about these headphones on the net and I didn’t really feel it was necessary to cover them off again in this post, which is after all to do with problems with these headphones, not how good they are. However just for you I will give a more rounded viewpoint to prove my un-biasness… But before I do, I have to ask. Why would you say that the review covered in you earlier post is ‘a much more rounded viewpoint’ and then in your very next post say that ‘most review sites, which I am sure must take kick backs’? I mean which way is it? Do you believe in this (and other) reviews or not? I’m sure only you can explain this to us.

So just for the record and to help alleviate your fears that I am unjustly giving this product a bad name here is my ‘more rounded’ opinion on these headphones. When you read this, keep in mind that my opinion is totally un-bias as I purchased and paid for these headphones with my own money. Also I have no affiliation with any company which has anything to do with these headphones. I am just your regular user who wants nothing more than to experience the awesome sound produced by the headphones so many others seam to have experienced.
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Structural quality:

Excellent, these headphones are very well made and appear to be made out of quality parts. I can see these headphones providing you with many years of service.

Comfort/fit:

Excellent, these headphones feel great on the head and are adjustable to fit most too all head shapes. The velvet ear piece covers are a great feature which improves comfort and I would imagine help keep the sweat to a minimum during those long gaming sessions. I am unable to comment on how they feal over a long period of time, as due to the problems outlined below and in this post, I am unable to use them for any extended period of time.

Sound:

Mid and high frequencies: These headphones provide excellent surround sound from all directions (center, front and rear), probably better than any other surround sound headphone on the market, definitely better than any I have listened too. You will definitely be able to locate your opponents easier, hopefully improving your frag rate.

Low frequencies: This unfortunately is where these headphones may let you down. As described in this thread some users (including myself) are experiencing problems with even bass distribution. Sounds produced from either side of you are fine, they sound great and are full of bass, however unfortunately any sound produced from either directly in front or behind you, are greatly lacking in bass. This will significantly impact on your immersion in games.

MIC:

The location and flexibility of the microphone is fantastic, you can bend it to nearly any location. This will make sure it’s never in the way and as close to you month as you like it.

Summery:

Over all I would say these headphones have the potential to be the best and if all you’re after is headphones to boost your frag count, then these are probably the headphones for you. However if you want total game immersion (like I do), then until the problems highlighted in this thread are addressed and resolved, I would steer well clear of them. Because every sound produced (containing bass) by the same thing, will sound different depending on where the sound is located in relation to you. This for anyone who, as me, loves their sound, will be nothing less than unacceptable.

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I trust this will satisfy your ‘more rounded viewpoint’ requirements. Are we allowed to move onto finding a resolution to the problem now?

This thread is primarily about the problems with the Medusa’s and how they can be rectified. Not about how good (or not) they are. I will admit that I also used it to highlight to potential buyers the downside to these headphones. However I felt this was necessary because there is so little information available about the downside with regards to these headphones. I don’t really think it’s necessary to continually cover all the good points about these headphones though as there is already enough on this topic out there. So if you’re not prepared to assist with finding a resolution to this problem then perhaps this thread is not for you. Because even though you are welcome to put forward your opinion if your not part of the solution you are part of the problem and this is not what’s needed here at present.

Also onto your point about ‘dictating world policy’, mate, if only I was that powerful. Don’t you think if I was able to dictate world policy, I would just force Speed-link to fix this problem, rather than just highlighting it? Can’t you see I am by no means trying to dictate world policy? All I’m trying to do is highlight this problem (and hopefully help with a fix) and give the other side about these headphones to potential buyers. Because I can assure you I would not have purchased these headphones if I had known about the problems with bass distribution I now know about.

Lastly you have asked ‘is it really fair to offer up comments like. ‘don’t buy this’ ‘steer clear’ etc’. In answer to this I would ask, is it fair for anyone, including review sites, to recommend people buy this product? Because personally I can’t see the difference, I mean really it’s all just information anyone looking to purchase this product should be grateful to have, no matter which side it represents. People are going to make their own decision anyway, at least this way they have information from both sides about the product first and can feel they are making a more informed purchase. Besides, if by me recommending to people not buy these until the problems are corrected, is this not going to help put pressure on Speed-Link to resolve these problems? Thus producing a better product for all to enjoy? Personally I really don’t care if people buy these or not. But by not putting this information out there, I’m really just helping to perpetuate the problem. This is something I’m just not prepared to do.

Excellent posts Keo.

You are right about the eBay positive feedbacks (or any other instant feedback). It wasn't until a couple of days of using the product that I realised that I had a problem with the rear speaker bass. When I first used the headset, I tested it out with MP3s and it sounded fantastic, so I too would have left positive feedback on eBay (if I had purchased them from there).

Since there is no resolution, have you tried some of the proposed workarounds in this forum thread? Although they don't solve the problem, I have found that they do help a bit. The best results I've found so far was trying the settings suggested by this guy...

Now obviously that's using the THX setup that comes with the X-Fi, I'm not sure if the Audigy 2 ZS has the same type of options/tools, but if it has, its definitely worth a try.

The downside is that having the Vib (sub) on 10 means that close bass from the front sound source often ends up vibrating your neck!

Also Keo, is it worth putting pressure on Creative to try and come up with a solution? I still beleive that the problem could be solved with a patch to the soundcard drivers, especially considering that some people have compared the same set of Medusas from Audigy 1 to Audigy 2 and have observed the no-bass in rears on the Audigy 2 but not on the Audigy 1. I have tried posting on the Creative forums to get some support on this but have not received much response...

http://forums.creative.com/creativ [...] e.id=58602

I would like to address the tiny sound from the rear spekers.

I think Speek-Link should increase the size of the rear/center speakers, maybe even to 40mm like the front, that would get rid of the tiny sound. BUT, because these are headphones, maybe they purposedly made them smaller to compensate for the fact that the rear speakers aren't directly behind you, but to the rear-side of your ear. In real life things do sound a little tinnier from behind than the front/sides, but not a huge difference. And in a standard 5.1 system (ex. Klipsch Promedia 5.1) all the speakers are the same, and the rear speakers are directly behind you, thus they will sound tinnier than the fronts even though they're identical speakers.

Maybe they only sound tiny due to the bass issue...or maybe Speed-Link made the center/rear speakers TOO small and tiny sounding. I don't know, just something I thought of.

EDIT: It seems to me that since the Medusa has 1 Sub-woofer speaker in each pad that if an explosion goes off behind or in front of you, you should hear where the explosion is coming from, and the sub-woofer speakers should produce the bass. Is this not the case?

Also the X-Fi may, or may not be at some fault here as some of you mentioned.

No one has mentioned LTB Headphones. Has anyone tried any of these, mainly compared to the Medusa's?

Hi.. I have a problem.. that I am pretty sure you guys can help me with..


I have a A sound blaster Live! Soundcard.. and there are 5 holes in the back... But and there are 3 holes in the back of the medusa amp.

front.. rear and Center/sub..

which holes in the back of my soundcard do i connect to in the back of the amp?

My soundcard has a ... Rear .. a font.. a mic hole... a line in hole.. and a digital out hole..... None say center or anything like that... yeah hahah yeah i am stupid

This I believe is correct, the sub woofer speakers should produce bass no matter which way the sound is coming from. Unfortunately the problem we are experiencing is that no (or little) bass is produced from sounds when they are directly in front or behind you, either side of you is fine however.

Well, I use an Audigy and the ProGamer edition, and tried out the grenade test you did keo in UT 2004, but in Battlefield 2 instead, using OpenAL.dll (ver 6.14.357.11). There are no specific 5.1 settings in the menu though, at least to my knowledge, but I got exactly the same result as you... Great sound to the left and right, but weak and tinny especially from the back. I can accept the sound being weaker from behind, "lower in output" as Matt wrote, but with less bass? No, and especially not from the front as is the case.

Wouldn't the best thing be if someone could record a session, for instance with a grenade test front/left/right/back, post the files here and also send it to Speed-Link/Creative? Preferably with samples compared to another headset, such as the Zalmans, as some say they have proper bass all around, or from people with Medusas that don't behave like this.

This would accomplish several things:
Firstly, Speed-Link could confirm to us if that's the way it's supposed to sound, the way they want the design to work or if something is wrong with the sound picture.
Secondly, everyone on the forum could understand what the problem is, and as it seems that some say they don't experience the lack of bass, they could listen to the samples.
Thirdly, and best of all, we can all can agree on what we're discussing and that would give us a common platform to continue the disussion from: design or incorrect behaviour?

I mean, when you talk about image quality you usually post a picture to show graphical anomalies; the corresponding thing with sound anomalies should be sound samples, shouldn't it? I could do it - if I had the recording equipment, but I don't, so I pass on the task to someone brave enough to boldly go where no man has gone before...

/m

PS Also, I played Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault set to 5.1 and EAX 3, and just out of fun turned 360 with an engine humming nearby - the sound from the engine totally disappeared when it was at the back of me. I would have tried Q4 as well, but unfortunately, at the moment I don't have space enough to install it. But I wasn't bothered by this issue in Q4 as I am in BF2. Maybe it's application dependent?

Hi All,

Just wondering, does the Medusa 5.1 ProGamer Edition [SL-8793] come with an amplifier box etc... like the Medusa 5.1 Original Single User -OEM [SL-8790O] has? I'd like to know as I might buy the ProGamer if it does.

Thanks.

Here's the response I got from Creative Labs:

Thank you for contacting Creative Technical Support.

It is my understanding that you have a Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic
and are unable to hear a definitive bass signal when using your
Speed-Link's Medusa 5.1 ProGamer headphones.

I have taken the liberty of forwarding your feedback to the appropriate
department. I cannot make any promises that your suggestion will be
implemented, but I do recommend periodically monitoring our website for
updates and/or subscribing to our Creative Newsletter, by clicking
below:
http://us.creative.com/contactus/subscription/

This is good news, sort of. I explained the problem to them and asked that they send it to someone that could fix the problem.

I think so...

Convenient Control via the In-line Remote

The volume of the individual speakers and the subwoofer can be adjusted using the in-line remote. Fine-tuning of the microphone volume and audio playback volume should be carried out using the Windows audio controls. In addition, the in-line remote also houses the amplifier.

Look Here

But I wouldn't recommend them because of the bass issue posted here.

Hi Pat,

Thank you for your help, Im impressed that little in-line remote unit houses an amp seeing as the [SL-8790O] uses a box. Ive also been following this thread, going back and forth as to whether I do want these headphones, but the whole bass thing seems to stem from people who own an X-fi or audigy 2, however I own one of those old Soundblaster Live DE 5.1 cards. So I'm hoping I wont get this issue. Or I might be lucky enough to receive a perfect headset as an Australian buyer

So I think I'll go with a ProGamer set, here's hoping everything goes well.

This is for 4.1 speakers, but I think it applies to various situations, such as the no bass with the Medusas. It's alil complex and I don't know how to try it out, but some of you might and you can let us know if it works:

http://kb.kxproject.lugosoft.com/guide/setup-bass.html

ADDED: I just tried it, it's alot easier than it looks. Download their audio drivers from the download page. Good news:

BASS IS WORKING ON ALL SPEAKERS! Yes, thank these guys, they've sorted it! You should play around with sound options (which there are alot of) to perfect it.

Currently, kX-compatible soundcards include all EMU10k1 and EMU10k2-based PC soundcards manufactured by Creative Technology Ltd. and/or E-mu Systems Inc., including:

The E-mu Audio Production Studio (APS) card

The original Live! (CT4620) and Live! Value cards (CT4670)

The Live! X-Gamer, Live! MP3+, Live! Player 1024, Live! Platinum cards (CT4760) and value cards (CT4780)

The Live! X-Gamer 5.1, Live! MP3+ 5.1, Live! Player 5.1, Live! Platinum

5.1, Live! Digital Entertainment 5.1 cards

The generic and custom OEM Live cards

The Audigy series, including the Audigy MP3+, X-Gamer, Platinum and OEM cards

The Audigy 2 series, including Gamer, Platinum, Platinum eX and OEM cards (SB0242, SB0244, SB0320, SB0240, SB0240P, SB0280).

The Audigy 2 ZS series, including Audigy 2 ZS Gamer, Platinum and OEM cards (SB0350).

The Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro is not fully supported yet. There are issues with the line in ADC.

24/96 support for the Audigy 2 and Audigy 2 ZS cards is under development.

Audigy 2 Value (SB0400), Audigy 2 ZS Notebook (SB0350) and Audigy 4 Pro (SB0380) cards are partially supported.

The Dell OEM SB Live! (SB020x) is not yet supported

Support is under way for the newer Soundblaster Live! 5.1 cards (SB022x), since it uses a different DAC scheme to the previous Live! models.

The Soundblaster Live! 24 Bit and Audigy LS are incompatible with kX, since they do not use the 10kX chips.

E-mu 1212m and similar hardware is not yet supported.

That's from the website FAQ. It doesn't mean it won't work, you could try I guess.

I can't get Battlefield 2 working with it, sound options say its incompatible. Any help?

Also, using the headset on a DVD player is great, but I get some hiss static coming from the controls on the headset lead. Anyone know how ot stop it?

I had that problem and found the answer in a web post. If you change the mode, ie game to theatre it causes that problem. Shift it back to the mode you initially used. I did that and it was fine.

I have a Medusa ProGamer Edition and a Soundblaster Audigy 2 Value edition. I have the same problem as you guys with the bass, does anyone have the same combination as me and can post a guide or a quick howto on getting it fixed? Thanks!

I still havent managed to get my headset work.
I'd like to send them back but the UK website www.afterhours.co.uk has been closed for maintainance for weeks. Any ideas what i can do to send them back since their site is down? :?

lol, the first suggestion is credited to me. Can't say I was expecting that.

Anyway, I'm really posting to let folks know that creative has a new beta
driver up for the x-fi cards, dated 5-30-2006. I'm downloading now, will let you know if it makes any difference...

http://us.creative.com/support/dow [...] &x=29&y=13

Im very curious. This thread is 10 pages long and largely about the bass problems with the headset. I have provided a means to fix his problem which does however have some downsides. Beside this, it highlights why the problem is occuring, and after all this debate, a possible solution for Speedlink to work on. So after all this, why are you ignoring it? This could be forwarded to the relevant personnel at Speedlink and allow a fix to be created. I fixed mine using software, so a software solution could be provided and distributed online, saving ALOT of money in terms of refunds and returns.

Im just baffled...

It might not work for all, and I believe the drivers are older than the X-Fi series hence the incompatibility. However as I mentioned, it seems to be the first fix that works, and as such it offers a glimmer of hope to us owners without rear bass. I hope too that these drivers are tried and tested by others and hopefully a software fix can be developed.

I would like to note some observations I have come up with since posting this:

I hooked my center/bass channel up to my right/left channel and was finally able to experience what the Bass should feel like, The VIB knob did respond at this point. I then hooked the headset up the proper way and decided to:
MAX the bass out in the speaker settings
set Bass Redirection ON
Set crossover frequencey to MAX (i.e. 200hz)

Now I am able to get some difference in adjusting the bass setting, I would note however that it doesn't pound nearly as hard as a 10 hooked up this way as say a 3 or 4 when the center/bass was hooked to front left/front right.

So that's my observation, MATT you might want to post this as a faq on your site, at least for an Audigy (previously I was setting the crossover frequency to mid way or below mid way and was getting no bass effect)...And I might ask the community: would my bass redirection improve if I upgraded to a x-fi card, or is it approximately the same?

I am Thrilled with my Medusa 5.1 Gamer headphones, I do admit that having a tinny-er rear speaker helps easily distinguish when something is behind me, and see that this can be considered a feature for gaming.


I didn't noticed weird things like rear speakers being weird.
So I was allready happy, the only thing I noticed was that the vib control didn't made any difference.

Although it was connected correctly, I did what you said about hooking up my center/bass channel up to my right/left channel ( I think I did it right ) and now I have a great bass...I actually feel the vibration from the bass on my ear so I have to turn it down a bit
I did not do the other things you said in your post, I don't know where to find them. What I did do was turning up the first volume in the "Graphic Equalizer" in my SB Audigy 2 ZS settings. ( I have the platinum pro version, no mic plug on this card so I have to remove the one from the headset and use my USB mic ).

My normal sound volumes are somewhere at 50%.






On this picture the black and orange cables are where they belong, so I switched these 2 around and now I have a great bass as mentioned earlier and told by brodyhill.

Do you think it is better to do that other tricks, about turning up the windows volume etc. and plugging the wires back to where they belong?

Btw, it hope that hooking up my center/bass channel up to my right/left channel don't damage anything...???

S~

*edit: Oh and volumes of the headset itself are on 5, vib is on 8.

Hi all.

I've been using the medusa for over a year now on an audigy2. I'm very satisfied with it.

However, yesterday I installed an X-Fi and now I do not have any sound coming from front center. All wires plugged correctly.

I have searched many pages of this thread and most posts seem to deal with rear-speaker "issues".

However, I have NO sound at all from the front center on my xfi. I do have it on my audigy2. I just installed the most recent xfi drivers to no avail.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks!

I seem to be experiencing the same problem as everyone else here. I have Creative X-Fi music, and just receieved my Medusa 5.1 Classic. After reading this forum for over 2 days and tweaking the bass crossover settings I can finally experience bass in games on left and right channel, but front and rear channels seem to be missing bass entirely. (I'm testing this in Battlefield 2). Has anyone with X-Fi card gotten front and rear channels to output bass in games yet?