Customer Reviews

Ear Force DSS 7.1 Channel Dolby Surround Sound Processor

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

If you are traveling, and you need something that can handle optical 7.1 channel audio, this is a fine item to bring along. It's a little smaller than a pack of smokes and can be run off of a usb to ac adapter. I live in a small apartment in Japan, so I don't have space for a huge sound system. Also, I suffer from insomnia, and sometimes I want to play a game or watch a movie late at night. This gadget allows me to hook up some good headphones and enjoy my movies and games without being a pain to my roommates or neighbors.

It's also worth noting that the surround sound, even on standard headphones, is remarkably well-done. I have been testing it with Metal Gear Solid 4 on my ps3, which I connected to the unit with an optical cable. I'm hearing things I never noticed before in the game, and I really can sense the location of enemies and other things by sound alone with this device.

I think audiophiles would prefer other DACs for listening to cds or lossless music, but if you want a surround sound system that can fit in your pocket or go with you on a trip, or want to be able to listen to surround sound without disturbing your neighbors or flatmates, this is what you've been waiting for.

My only other suggestion is to use good headphones with this unit. It'll work with whatever you hook into it, but better headphones will reveal the high-quality bass, mid, and treble sound that this unit produces.

Like any self respecting gaming/movie buff college grad, one of my top priorities for survival after graduating was a solid entertainment system. To this end I got myself a PS3, hooked it up to my TV and z-5500 5.1 surround sound speaker set (I know, fancy right?). This set-up was pretty fantastic, especially for the price of entry, and served me well for a couple years.

Then, one stormy night, lightening struck way to close to my apartment complex. Actually, it might have even hit our complex, I don't know as I wasn't actually at home that night. Unfortunately, that managed to fry some of my stuff. I even had one of the Ethernet ports on my PC get zapped, because (and I did a little research on this because I thought it was so weird) the Ethernet cable was so long (coiled up 25' cable) and the lightning struck so close the it acted like an antenna and picked up a ton of EM. FYI, I guess it happens.

Anyway, the z-5500s were also a casualty. I decided that since I had an excuse I should maybe just invest in serious speakers. In the mean time, I definitely needed something to provide sound! TV speakers just don't cut it for gaming. After doing a ton of back and forth on the Astro A-40 mix-amp vs. cans with multiple drivers, I settled on a virtual surround processor with "real" headphones as the answer. Instead of the Astro mix-amp though, I decided to give this new kid a shot. Because this is cheaper. Hah.

The Ear Force DSS itself feels well put together. It doesn't have the heft of a serious gadget, but really it's just a processing chip after all. Actually, it is pretty much feather light. No rough edges on the matte plastic case, and it fits together nice and snug. The volume knob has some nice resistance that gives it a pretty good feel. Overall it still feels like a quality item despite being plastic and light.

Stereo headphones plug in one end, and the optical audio cable in is on the other end. It has a mini-USB port for power on that end as well. I have the power supplied by my PS3 and it works fine, but it does eat up one of my ports (only 2 on those new PS3s). I haven't tried one of those generic AC adapter to mini-usb port plugs, but since usb should have a standard power spec I think this should work if you don't have any other source. As I have it set up, it turns on and off with the PS3. I don't think you can hook a USB mic in through the DSS, but I just use the PS3 Bluetooth so it isn't a big problem.

With AD900s hooked in, the DSS sets up a pretty convincing soundstage. AD's sound pretty open, like the sound is coming from further away than next to your ear (this is a plus, because the point isn't to feel like the sound is in your head) and hooked into 5.1 the effect is pretty phenomenal. Immersive and enveloped in sound. Competitive FPSs like the COD and BFBC series benefit a lot, as general awareness of footsteps and gunshot position gives a huge advantage. Going from a 5.1 speaker set (which worked great for this purpose) to TV speakers back to 5.1 (headphones this time) I could hear a big difference.

I would give a pretty strong recommend to a pair of AD700 headphones (terrific bang for buck there) and this Ear Force DSS for the gamer that:
a) doesn't have room for a full surround sound speaker set
b) needs a night time / quiet time gaming or movie set-up
c) doesn't have the money to buy a full out set ( I would say to get equivalent quality of sound and experience would take significantly more budget.

Actually, I would say that I will probably keep gaming with the headset DSS combo whether I get a full speaker set or not. While I miss having the rumble of a subwoofer, the experience of having the sound stage enveloping my head in this way is probably not something I'll be able to replicate with full speakers for quite a while, given what I'm willing to spend. This isn't even accounting for any weird room acoustics or space issues with setup.

Well, teamed up with my px21s this little box is a dream. It actually does work, and my game play has gone up by loads on Black Ops.


*
Thought I would update now that I have spent some time with the device. I am still loving everything about it. I took a while to find the perfect balance between the px21 settings and the dss setting, but I have found it and the sound is amazing.
All I have played is Black Ops and as we know the sound with the game still has some issues, but even so it works a treat. I can hear enemy footsteps/rc car engine from afar and also what direction it is coming from. I can not count the amount of times I saved myself from a certain death by knowing which way the enemy is coming from.


My kills have also shot up, where as before I was a very below average player, I end up now in the top three much more often than not. My K/D ratio has gone from .45 in MW2 to 1.25 in B Ops. And all of this changed since the day I started using the headphones and the DSS.

So yes I am 100% convinced this little gadget was worth the buy and I would recommend it 100%.

It works very well with turtle bay headphones.

I got one of these things to go with my pair of Turtle Beach Earforce X12s.
I tested them out with Call of Duty: Black Ops, Call of Duty MW2, Dead Island, and Gears of War 2. All on the 360. On PS3, I tested Resistance: Fall of Man, Uncharted 2 and Killzone 2.
It really does give a sense of surround sound in the video games. (Esp. Dead Island) I was very surprised.
But that is the only thing I like about it.
For movies, I tested Entangled, Batman The Dark Knight, Batman Begins and 28 Days Later. Lets just say that I was underwhelmed at the amount of surround sound for those movies. Is there a difference in the sound with the DSS on? Yes, its slightly more crisp, but NOT WORTH the price they charge for it.
For music, I tested a wide variety, from reggaeton, rap, Rock, metal. In my opinion, the music sounds better with the Dolby Bypass. I do not personally like the sound of the music through it. But, to each his own.

Bottom line,
If you like to play video games and want surround sound in them, then this thing is for you. I don't play games without it! However, if you expect to get surround sound during movies, or better music quality, then keep looking.
Try it at a friends house, or find it used.

Hi,

I have just started to use earforce dss and I wanted to share my impression with you.
I never make a review of the products I have purchased however this time I felt that
I need to do it now.Because I have read many reviews og astro,earforce and had hard time
to choose one.

Although I havent tested astro mixamp, earforce is much more beyond from my expectations.
I am using it with sennheiser PC 350 and plugged it to PS3.I can easily say that I can
understand that where the enemies are coming exactly.This gives you very important
advantage against opponents.

For the ones aho are planning to buy such a gadget I can easily say that earforce deserves
it money.

Regards, Korkut

I suppose maybe I was hoping too much from this. The TB X12 Headset was about $65 and this sound processor was about $65.. I was wow'ed by the headset, worth every penny. Then I read the great reviews on this sound processor and thought it would be an improvement over just the headset as much as the headset was an improvement over tv speakers. Well I was wrong. Had I bought the two together I would be blown away by the difference, but I had the headset first, then this. Honestly the sound has a little more depth, but not $65 more. Don't get me wrong things sound good, but it's just not a difference that amazes me and IMHO not necessairly worth the $65.. I would get more out of buying another game title instead of spending the $$ on this.. I do like that it has a bass boost that really helps out my X31s but with the x12s have 50mm speakers vs the X31's 40mm.. I say if you have x31s and want some more bass it's not a bad investment. If you have x12s I probably would spend my money somewhere else.

Overall, the Turtle Beach is great little Dolby Headphone surround sound processor for gaming/movies/etc.

Dolby Headphone surround scales up nicely with nicer headphones. However, know that some headphones work better than others for gaming and surround sound. You want to pair this with headphones that have a large "soundstage" with good positioning within that soundstage. These will give you the best surround sound effect. There's more information on the interwebz about this if you look for it, but 'll list a few solid headphone recommendations below...

Good Headphones for gaming:
- Koss KSC75 - not bad for $15 :)
- Sennheiser HD558/598/PC360 Headset
- Audio Technica AD700
- Beyerdynamic 880/990/MMX300 Headset
- AKG K701/K702

I also own an Astro Mixamp 5.8, and I've compared the two. A lot of people debate which to get so I'll give you some info on them both:

- Sound quality wise they are essentially the same. They both have the same Dolby chip in them, so the surround quality is identical. I will say that the Ear Force DSS has a more powerful bass boost and its adjustable, while the Mixamp 5.8's bass boost is more subtle and simply on/off.

- Functionality wise they are different. You are paying more for the Astro mixamp for better build quality, features, and functionality (and its wireless!). The DSS is a cheaper bare bones processor but it does a fine job for what it was designed to do. It doesn't have good support for microphones and voice chat. Its designed to be paired with Turtle Beach headsets, and third party headsets can't use their mics with it. The Astro mixamp however adds voice/game mixing features and is compatible with third party headsets.

--> If you don't need voice (don't play online/just play single player) the Ear Force DSS will be a good choice.
--> If you do need voice or wireless, an Astro mixamp will be a better choice for you.

I use my DSS when playing single player because I slightly prefer its sound over the Mixamp.
When I play multiplayer w/voice I switch to the Astro Mixamp.

I'm giving the DSS 4 stars. I knocked off a star because it doesn't support non-Turtle Beach headsets.

Others have reviewed the Ear Force DSS very well, so i will go ahead and just say that i had the AX 720 for almost 4 months and thought they were the best around. Now that i got the Ear Force DSS paired with the Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones, those Trittons sound like stereo in comparison.

As for the absence of mic on the AD700, i dont mind because the PS3 can be set up to speak through my Bluetooth and listen through the headphones, so no problem. X360 is another story though, but turtle beach headsets are made for the 360 so the DSS could be a nice accessory for those.
I dont know if it is the headphones or the DSS unit but my BC2 gaming never sounded so good. the DSS delivers on its word, and is fairly priced. It comes with EVERYTHING you need to take full advantage of what it offers. Great surround sound that works with any headphone.

****Updated March 11, 2011****
The beauty of the earforce truly shines with the flexibility of connecting any pair of cans and enjoying surround sound. Recently i bought the Senheiser HD595 and the results are phenomenal. The HD595 has more bass than the AD700 and they fit tighter around the ears, are also for average and big heads alike. Just pick the audiophile cans of your choice, match them with the DSS and have a blast!

*****Mic on PS3 using the HD595

you need to get two things
Zalman Microphone Zm-Mic1 High Sensitivity Headphone Microphone Retail
Syba SD-CM-UAUD USB Stereo Audio Adapter, C-Media Chipset, RoHS

This two thing will allow for chat on the PS3 using the USB pass through found on the DSS. Adjust the mic sensitivity on the game and PS3 settings to max and you are good to go.

Equipment used:
PlayStation® 3
JVC HA-RX700
Bad Company 2

First and foremost - the directional cues are spot on. For instance: If a chopper is flying above me, I can tell which direction it is heading, where it is in relation to my position, and if you have played long enough how close it is to you. Another example is my personal favorite the mortar/arty being called on to your position, you can tell how close the strike is in relation to your position, there have been times I have strikes called on/near me but with the DSS I was able to tell how close without even have to look or run away, same goes for gunfire, sniper fire, footsteps etc etc.

I do have the bass knob turned all the way up, which the JVCs I paired it with handles it very well, there is no distortion in sound the clarity is not drowned out, and the explosions are bass throbbing goodness.

I did watch one movie with this setup but did not get that movie theater experience, to top it off the bass was lacking. But if I did invest in higher end Sennheiser's or Audio-Technica's + a CMOY Amp or another in-line amplifier I am sure I could achieve a better experience.

The only thing I saw a problem with was the optical cable that is supplied with it, I do suggest to find a replacement, I have the PREMIUM Optical Toslink Cable w/ Metal Fancy Connector from monoprice and was able to use that with no clearance problems.

Pros:
In-Line Amp
7.1 Support
Bass Boost
Cues are spot on

Con:
Cheap optical cable

I had been eyeing the DSS for quiet a while. But I just had a nagging feeling that as soon as I brought it, the price would immediately drop. So finally, it did drop in price during a sale and I finally made a move and purchased it for $50! For that price, this item is an absolute steal. If you have been using regular stereo headphones for gaming, you will definitely notice a difference when you plug your headphones through this processor. A lot of people may be skeptical and will be quick to say that surround sound through a regular pair of stereo headphones sounds like a bunch of baloney. But that is not the case and I will try my best to explain the science behind the processor to the skeptics in the audience.

To put it best, the sounds almost "expand" around your ears. When you listen through regular stereo headphones, the sounds feel as though they are emanating from inside your head. But with some digital wizardry known as HRTF (head related transfer function), the DSS will make sounds come from around your head, just like a true sound field. How does this little black box achieve this? I don't know the exact science but here are the bare basics:

You have two ears but you can hear 3D surround sound. Think about it; if you were blindfolded and a bunch of random sounds were played around your head, you could pinpoint the distance and direction of where the sounds came from with incredible accuracy. Well if that is the case then why can't we hear 3D sound with regular stereo headphones. They are just like two ears right? The key is DELAYS in sound with respect to distance from your two ears. With regular stereo headphones, both of your ears hear what is ten feet in front of you and a hundred feet behind you at the same time. It is as if someone who is shouting from a hundred feet away is whispering inside your head!

With HRTF, the DSS essentially breaks up the sounds produced by the game and plays them through the headphones with respect to distance from your ears. So suppose a grenade explodes ten feet to the left of you while simultaneously a gunfight is starting 50 feet to the right of you. Lets look at very small window time now (sound travels a few thousand feet a second!) With the regular headphones, both sounds would be heard at the exact same time; no delays between sounds despite the distance. The DSS will process the sounds and push the grenade explosion sounds through your left earphone a slight moment before it will push the sounds of the gunfight through your right ear. This miniscule time difference is the key trick in making your brain believe the sounds are coming from a discernible distance instead of coming from inside your head. This is the "magic" behind the DSS.

I hope my explanation gave you atleast a rough understanding of how the eearforce DSS works. As for the product itself:

BUILD: The first thing you notice is that the DSS is very light and flimsy. The build quality could have definitely been better, more bulkier. But I guess they made light and small for portability.

PACKAGE: Everything needed to use the DSS with existing headphones is included. You get a USB for power, an optical for the sound, and a few other items. The optical may look flimsy and cheap and you may be inclined to buy another, more expensive optical cable. This is not necessary as optical cables propagate digital signals. We know digital signals are just a series of 1's and 0's so the signal either goes through or does not! So the quality and build of an optical cable doesn't have a very discernible effect on the quality of the sound (unless you are an audiophile I guess).

SOUND QUALITY: We know how the DSS works but does it carry out its job admirably? YES, absolutely! Besides the "expanding" effect the processor provides, it also makes game sounds much more clearer, crisper, and louder. In fact, it makes everything so loud that you don't even need to turn up the volume knob on the DSS to even halfway. This little box packs a lot of power! There is also a bass boost for headphones which have poor bass. It makes sounds have more substance and punchiness. Like the volume knob, you only need to turn the bass dial up a few notches to feel the effect. In all, even if you don't care about the virtual surround sound the DSS provides, you should know that it will greatly improve the sound quality of your headphones.

CONCLUSION: Some people may be apprehensive of biting on a $60-$80 (I got it on sale) that just improves sound. I was hesitant at first too and had it not been for the sale, I would have not purchased the Earforce DSS. But having used the DSS for a few weeks now, I can certainly say with confidence I would have payed full MSRP ($90) for the product. Replaying some of my favorite games like Bioshock, Halo 3, and Dead Space with the DSS was a totally new experience. Playing the games was much more cinematic and visceral. If you were scared playing Dead Space the first time, you will be petrified playing it with the DSS plugged in! You will feel as though a necromorph is crawling around behind you at times. The extra dimension of immersion that the DSS adds to games makes this product a must buy for any avid gamer.