5.1 Speaker System for VisionRacer VR3?

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daviper

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Hello, this is my first post here, as I just got into Racing Simulators/Cockpits yesterday. I bought a VisionRacer VR3 which I'm using for a tradeshow and for customers at my business. The reason I went with this system is, again, it's for a business and needs to look professional and not like a DIY setup. I have purchased all of the components for the system (PS3, Logitech G27, TV etc), but I still need a 5.1 speaker system.

What do people recommend for speaker systems for this setup? Please note that I want this to be a pretty mobile setup - I will be mounting speakers to it and I don't want to have to be rewiring and repositioning speakers each time it is moved. My initial thought was the 5.1 gaming speaker systems for computers would be a nice, inexpensive option - but I don't think I'd get 5.1 sound hooking it directly up to the PS3 or through the TV (or can I?).

My next thought was a Home-Theatre-In-A-Box system - but my only problem with those are the large amplifier/brain units - which I don't know where I would mount on this setup in a way that would look clean.

Does anyone have any recommendations? The Sony DAV-IS10 Micro System looks like a decent option because of the small brain unit size (which could likely be mounted somewhere); however, it's very expensive and I'd almost rather have larger speakers on it for sound quality and looks (and save some money too).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
You'd want something that has speakers that aren't too big. Amplification needs to be built-in. And it needs to include a Dolby Digital decoder, to handle 5.1 output from a game console.

Logitech's Z-5500 would work:
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/speakers-audio/home-pc-speakers/devices/224

If we're being honest, a system like this is not going to be high-end, but it's going to sound good, especially since the speakers will be so close to the user. Also, the din of a trade show environment is going to drown out a lot of the faults. The amp is built into the subwoofer. It also contains a small outboard module that handles Dolby Digital decoding.
 
You could always use 5.1 headphones for the driver to give total immersion. Check out sharkoons

highly recommended by me. since i got some, 4 friends have tried and bought.
 
Yup, headphones are an option too. Though I personally feel a little iffy about putting on a pair of headphones that have been manhandled by the general public.

That said, if you go that route, I recommend something like the Astro Mixamp, which accepts 5.1 audio in from a game console (or DVD player, etc) and processes the audio so that you get a very convincing surround sound effect from ordinary headphones. There's no need for dedicated gaming headphones.

http://www.astrogaming.com/products/detail/69/MixAmp/

As for headphones, there are lots of great options. I figure something that's closed and blocks outside noises probably makes the most sense. A few I've heard:

Sony MDR-V6/7506, sounds good, and pretty cheap: http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665089914

Sennheiser HD 25-1 II, sounds good, pretty robust, great isolation and fit, pricey: http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheise...ssional_headphones-headsets_headphones_502188

Ultrasone HFI-680, one of my favorites sound-wise, but also pricey: http://www.ultrasone.com/index_en.p...14&PHPSESSID=8231c2f8931fb35d6290cf8be0e3aa30
 
Thank you everyone for the advice!

I ended up going with a Logitech X-530 System, with a Digital 5.1 Decoder:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HD51-AUDIO-DECO...t=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item4154a58829

The reason I went with this setup is because the subwoofer of the X-530 should fit under the VR3's seat, and it has a side firing subwoofer which is more ideal for this setup than a down-firing subwoofer - since I wanted the subwoofer to fire up at the seat for the best driving experience. The Z-5500 setup was definitely better in terms of specs, but I think the x-530 system (with the decoder to give it 5.1 digital sound) will be the best fit for the ZR3. I also like that the volume control is on one of the speakers - so there will be less items to mount.

I'll post some pictures once the speakers arrive and are mounted.

Thanks again!
 

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