Currently on the market for new audio hardware, headset and mic. Gaming hardware manufacturers often come with their own software that doesn’t run well on Linux.
How do you decide what hardware to buy and you can be sure it will work with your OS?
I am currently looking to get Bluetooth headphones but still am unsure about the mic solution, a fixed mic on the desk seems so uncomfortable and a clip-on mic often also comes with it’s own software or Android app.
What audio setup does Lemmy use with their Linux setup?
First, get a condenser microphone with an XLR plug and one of those adjustable arm stands:
Second, get an XLR->USB audio interface (or just a converter cable) to go with it.
I own the gear pictured, but I can’t recommend those specific things because I bought them 8 years ago and they’ve been discontinued since. I started out with the box-shaped interface, but eventually realized I didn’t need its features and swapped it for the XLR->USB cable to save space/complexity. If I were using wired headphones (studio monitors) instead of speakers I might have kept using the box.
Also (and perhaps most importantly): the mic itself is analog and the USB converter is just doing generic analog->digital conversion. There is zero reason for it to need any software other than the kernel’s built-in USB audio driver.
If you’re playing games where directional audio matters, I would strongly recommend monitor headphones. It makes it much easier to figure out exactly where sound is coming from. I have Sony MDRs and I love them.
For a mic, there are some great options out there that are reasonably inexpensive. I have a Blue Snowball that’s lasted the better part of a decade and still works great, and I know that there are others at a similar price point that might even be better by now. Check out reviews from humans, whether text or video. Boom arms go a long way toward minimizing background noise from desk vibration, and also make it easier to adjust the placement of the mic.
Sony MDRs and I love them.
Designed to be repairable, great build quality, and the satisfaction of seeing how often professionals are wearing them in podcasts, music studios, ect. All for 1/3 of the price of bluetooth sets that can rival the sound quality.
If a piece of hardware is marketed for “gaming” and isn’t a mouse or a GPU, I’m taking my money elsewhere. Works for chairs, mics, headphones, earplugs, keyboards, monitors, everything. Gaming brands are such a scam.
I’m just here to echo that for audio equipment, look for whatever the audiophiles recommend, especially the non-gatekeeping ones and those that can respect a budget.
Headset (as is, headphones and mic in one device) that is decent is really hard to find, if possible. You will most likely have to pay more, but it’s much easier to have both the output and input be good this way.
If the stuff I’ve used has an app on windows, I don’t know about it. All my audio gear has been plug and play in Linux without issues. I’m going to guess that if you have Bluetooth working in general on your device, the headphones won’t be a problem themselves.
Based on what you are looking for, the only thing I can recommend specifically is ModMics from Antlion Audio - they specialize in good1 mics as an addon for a good set of headphones, I believe using an adhesive pad to attach it where you want it. Basically, instead of paying extra for lower quality stuff “for gamers”, find a good pair of headphones from a reputable audio brand, and then slap a mic on the side.
For reference - I gave up on “gaming” options a while ago. I have a Scarlet Solo audio interface with an AudioTechnica XLR mic, AudioTechnica ATH-AD700X headphones, and then Edifier studio monitors for speakers with a Mackie Subwoofer. It all runs off the Scarlet box though, so that is the only thing plugged directed to the PC. I do still have a Steel Series headset that I take with me travelling, since the rest of it would be a lot to drag along and it has served me quite well without any need of software either. I run Garuda Linux (an arch derivative) with KDE, if that matters - I would hope that wouldn’t make a difference but included it for complete info (not just because “I use Arch, BTW (sort of)”.
1 - I have not used these personally, but they were recommended to me several years ago by someone whose judgement I trust. I hope they have not gotten shitting since then.
I have a really simple setup since I don’t really do content creation or music or anything really needing a quality microphone. I use the Drop/EPOS pc38x with the velour ear pads. As far as gaming headsets or just headsets in general, the sound quality is really good. Actually pretty decent mic for a headset, comfortable, braided cable, volume knob. Can’t complain.
If I had more money I’d look at proper headphones and a standalone mic, but for 200 (160 when I bought them) it’s solid. I personally don’t like Bluetooth peripherals, wired gives the lowest latency and don’t have to bother charging or having the batteries eventually needing replaced if they’re even user replaceable. And not to mention not needing any bloatware to use. Just plug n play
I’m using a setup that i already had when i was still on windows, but it’s pretty much a driverless setup so it worked on linux just fine.
I use a JDS Labs dac and amp that i bought years ago and they still work great, the dac is plug and play. I paired it with a sennheiser HD660S that i’m still very happy with. Unless wireless is really important to you i’d recommend wired because they offer the best quality in terms of bitrate. With my sennheisers the nice thing is that the cable is easily replacable because they’re just plugs that you can pull out of the earcups.
For discord i’m using an old usb mic that i bought years ago that seems to work fine.
Basically what i’m saying is don’t bother with the gaming headsets. The one thing i miss on linux is dolby atmos tbh. On windows i used it for virtual surround sound as a replacement for the gaming headset software, but last time i checked you can’t use it on linux. Some games have virtual surround sound baked into their settings, which works without OS-level software, but for the games that don’t i miss it. I’ll probably keep using this audio setup until something dies cause i’m just really happy with it.
Edit: you could also pair good wired headphones with something like a Fiio BTR15, which also supports bluetooth. That way you can still walk around with the dac/amp in your pocket. There’s still going to be wire between the headphones and the amp of course, so it depends on how allergic you are to wires. I bought a Fiio mainly as a more portable wired setup for my phone/laptop.
A FiiO E10 and your choice of decent analog headphones should work fine. As for the mic situation, a decent lapel mic going to the analog mic input on your PC should also work fine.
I prefer an aux cable headset. No charging, no connection issues, and the quality is always 100%. You will also never have compatibility issues.
Might not be for you, but just a thought.
It’s wild how much people hate wired headphones…
I hate them on the go because they will strangle me if I’m wearing a acarf. Or the cable gets stuck somewhere on my backpack or bag.
But at the desk I don’t wear a scarf or backpack so I prefer wired.
sitting at a desk is mostly fine, as soon as you start moving it’s annoying as hell
Indeed. I don’t get it.
It’s probably a generational thing.
Growing up with wired or nothing, and wired was a blessing. But iphones lost the 3.5 milly a decade ago, and wireless had obviously been around for longer.
So there’s full on adults out there now, who just never had to put up with the cord.
If I got cans on and something happens around me, I instinctively take them off and put them down first. Someone who just never uses wired headphones in any other scenario, is just gonna stand up and walk away.
I feel like it’s something people would quickly get used to, but maybe they’ve tried and can’t?
When I moved 100% to Linux, I could still use all my hardware. There are plenty of vendor-agnostic projects for major brands, like Logitech and Razer. But for me, it was all plug and use.
Most software are just gimmick for lights and equalizers. I have a DAC from soundblaster like that. You can get vendor-agnostic on Linux, like EasyEffects, that offers the same equalizing features, and I can get profiles from other people.
As others said, don’t buy “gamming” branded garbage, you can often find the same product cheaper from an audio company, like those Razer microphones (they were good, I have 2 I got from goodwill and both are plug and play).
If you insist on getting gamming junk, some you just need to configure once with their app, and then you can plug it anywere. You might find vendor-agnostic for those.
Audio is very important for gaming, but not all game is made equal. While you can get low latency for visuals, a lot of games use codecs that adds a huge delay in audio. Bluetooth will just make it worse.
A bluetooth headphone, is just a headphone with some extra electronics jammed in there, adding weight and making it harder to fix, and usually more expensive than buying those components apart.
My checklist depends on the hardware and use (gaming, relaxing, production), I am more worried about internal components, how often they break and how easy to fix, but in general:
Headphones:
- Light, for gaming I like extra light. I also prefer open. Both helps with heat/fatigue, and the last to pinpoint things happening in the game.
- Detachable cables, easier to fix. Preferable not proprietary, just because they are cheaper to find extra.
Some people decide on the sound signature based on the games they play most.
I like audio-technica and hifiman entry level headphones, I read some people complaining about recent hifiman. Also, notable IEM : Sennheiser IE 200 (maybe with tape mod).
Mic:
Really depends on what you are recording.
If it is just for gaming, while you are playing and talking with people, do not use a mic on top of your table.
You will just annoy people while typing.Either use an arm, a headphone mod, or a lavelier.
DAC:
Most motherboards nowadays come with chipset better than entry level DACs. Just make sure they are not branded as “USB interface” as those have huge problems.
Issues like electronic interference are a thing from the past. If you find, avoid that motherboard brand.
If you really need a DAC, check their chipset.
For your case:
If after reading everyone’s suggestion, you are still leaning on bluetooth.
Get a wireless DAC with mic, and plug the headphones/IEMs to it.
If the timing is important, do not use bluetooth. If you require bluetooth, do not use other bluetooth equipment nearby, the more devices you add the more latency and loss you have. Also, look into IEM bluetooth, they come with mic, are lighter. Or if you need a headphone, look into wireless DAC.
I’d find stuff I am interested in for the hardware, and then do a search to see if any of those work with what I intend to use it with.
Senny
Same. I bought wireless Sennheiser headphones around 10 years ago and I don’t see myself buying a different set anytime soon. I just replace the pads every couple of years. They are still on their original batteries too.
I use cables, batteries are for ewaste.
There are replaceable battery wireless headphones
A good thing, but also a restriction I imagine, i.e. there are hardly any of them.
We always try to buy corded, or at least replaceable rechargeable battery items, but they are not that common these days.
Any analog headset and microphone will work. Avoid bluetooth, it has terrible latency issues and two way audio sounds like crap.
You don’t want Bluetooth headphones. Get wireless headphones that use an RF dongle instead. Better range, sounds quality etc. Just plug in the dongle and go.
The only annoyance for this approach is that these dongles tend to be proprietary, and you might not even be able to get a replacement if it’s lost or damaged depending on the model.
Just to counter all of the (totally justified) corded propaganda, if you do want gamery Bluetooth headphones, Razer peripherals work very well with openrazer (backend) and polychromatic (front end) which are fairly easy to set up as long as you’re not using secure boot. Just make sure if you go this route you check the openrazer site for the list of supported devices before you buy.
