Chat to headset through external DAC

Hello everybody,

need assistance for an old problem which probably concerns a minority of Xbox players but which does not have an "official" Microsoft solution but many do-it-yourself set ups.

My Xbox One X is connect by optical wire to an external DAC. Excellent sound to my headset which is plugged diectly into the DAC but, obviously NO CHAT.
Since the Xbox One does not provide combined game sound and chat audio to headsets using this kind of set up.

Spent hours on the internet trying to find a solution and found this one:

Xbox One Headphone Setup With Working Chat Audio

Haven't tried it yet. Has anybody tried/used this solution with satisfactory results? Are there other alternative methods to get chat to the headset when using an external DAC?

Thank you so much for any suggentions and/or help you might provide

:)

 

Mic chat problem with external DAC + Xbox One X

Hello to everybody, I need help with a (chat wiring) problem.

I have an external DAC connected to my XB1 X by optical wire. Stereo headphones plugged into the DAC. The game sound quality is truly excellent with this set-up but there is a problem.

Previously, on my old Xbox One, I used the kinect as mic for in game chat when using the DAC.

Now, unable to use the kinect, I bought a small external mic.

Plugging the mic's 3.5mm jack directly into the controller - does not work . So I bought a Y-splitter which is connected to the controller and then connected the mic to the mic end of the splitter - still no chat.

Probably need to do some extra wiring but how? Any suggestions?

 

Chat through a HI-FI headphone??

I doubt getting an answer for my hi-fi headphone - attachable mic - microsoft adapter problem as posted above. It probably would not work anyway. Maybe a compromise solution could be: PC headset with two 3.5mm jacks (audio + mic). The audio jack to the DAC,
mic jack to the adapter.

This might be the only way to get chat audio to the headset while maintaining superior game audio from the DAC. Check out the forthcoming Audio Technica ATH ADG1 PC headset.

 

You don't need an external DAC if you only use it connect a headphone to it. The instructable page has outdated information, as it is quite possible to have chat added to the external speakers, as well as having game sound come out the headphone jack of
the controller.

Unless you have a very old Xbox One controller, you should have a 3.5mm headphone jack on the controller. With an update quite some months ago, they even added "Windows Sonic for Headphones" to the audio settings, which will provide you with "Dolby Athmos-like"
spatial 3D surround sound through your headphones for free.

And since the controller uses the CTIA standard, you can plug almost any phone headset into that plug (if you have an OMTP standard headset, you can use a cheap OMTP to CTIA adapter cable), and you will have 3D spatial surround, chat sound, and a working
microphone, all through your controller.

Doesn't that sound sweet?

Also, if you have spectators in the same room, you can still have them listen to the game sound and if necessary the chat through your DAC speakers, while you enjoy the 3D spatial immersion sound, and talk to your chat via your headset microphone.

 

Thank you very much for the prompt reply.

My problem is the following (described in a more detailed way):

I want to use a high end PC headset to game and chat on my Xbox One X. The headset has two jacks; one for game audio and one for the mic.

If I plug the mic jack directly into the controller and the audio jack into the DAC I DON'T get any chat audio. Doing the same thing with a Y splitter connected to the controller (and plugging just the mic jack in also does NOT allow for chat audio).

I want to use my DAC since the audio quality is noticeably better with this set up and it also allows me to enjoy game audio with high impedance stereo headphones without loss of volume (the controller just doesn't have enough power to drive 250/600 ohm
headphones).

All my connections are CTIA compatible.

Hope to have supplied enough information to know if what I want to do is possible.

Thanks again for any information.

 

Okay, one issue is resolvable. Plug your headphone part into your DAC, and set in the Xbox settings, that you want the chat audio coming through the speakers as well. Since the Xbox doesn't know that you actually have a headphone connected to the optical
output with your DAC, it might be a bit misleading to set the setting to have chat coming from "speakers". But usually, the optical out goes to a surround amplifier with speakers.

That setting will get you game audio AND chat sound from your friends to your headphone.

Be aware however, that unless the DAC has a (spatial) surround decoder that also simulates 5.1/7.1 speakers through your stereo headset, you are "only" getting stereo sound from the console.

You might try to put a small analogue amplifier between the controller and headset, if you want volume control, enough power to drive your headphones AND get spatial 3D surround sound.

As for getting your voice to your friends, it is a question of getting the correct adapter.

Since you say you have a PC headset with separate microphone plug, the tip of the plug is the microphone contact, and the rest of the plug up towards the cable is ground. That means, the console is listening to the ground pin (which is silent), and your
headset is trying to "talk" to the stereo left output connector.

You need an adapter, that moves the "tip" of the microphone plug to the small area at the "base" of the plug, just next to the grip of the plug, and then an isolator, and then ground.

Usually, a CTIA to headset adapter should do the trick, where you leave the headphone part unplugged (which is going to your DAC), and the Microphone part has to turn the microphone pin basically "upside down".

Check the
image on this page here for the pin order of the most common 3.5mm audio jacks.

You'll see how the mono and dual mono jacks have the microphone contacts at the tip, and the rest of the plug is ground.

Compare that to the CTIA diagram, where the microphone connector is at the very base of the plug, followed by ground and stereo R/L.

And unless you tell the console settings to also play chat through the speakers, you'll never get chat sound, as you don't connect the headset to the stereo output of the controller.

 

Dear Arminator,

thank you once again for the information.

I'm confident your solution will work and as soon as I have gathered all the necessary adapters and have figured out the wiring I will try it out.

I'm really happy about my Xbox One X (and all the previous ones I have owned), so being able to get top quality sound from it through some high end audio gear is fantastic!

Much appreciate your time and help.

 

Dear Arminator,

one last question.

When you talk about a " CTIA to headset adapter" are you referring to what is also called a "CTIA compatible Y splitter" (which plugs one end into the controller and has
to separate female connectors at the other end for mic and audio)?

Thanks

 

Yes.

 

Hi again Arminator,

unfortunately in spite of following your instructions I haven't been able to get the chat to work on my set up. I'm probably doing something wrong.

To summarize;

• Y splitter connected to the controller (CTIA compatible as far as I know).
• 
  
  
• Mic jack from the PC headset connected to the mic female connection of the Y splitter
• audio jack of the PC headset connected directly to the DAC which is optically wired to the Xbox - Asus Xonar))
  
  
• Audio settings on the Xbox "party chat output" on "headset and speakers"
  
  

Tried to test this set up by sending a voice message to one of my friends.

I was able to record a voice message (during playback the voice level bars where visible), BUT I was NOT able to hear through the headset my own recorded voice.



Hope that you can tell me what I'm missing.

Thanks

 

According to your photos, you set up the settings in the Xbox correctly.

Under "Display & Sound" you set that party chat goes to headset and speakers, which is correct, and SHOULD in theory provide chat voice to be audible.

And since you say your voice message was recorded indicated by the bars of the recording, your CTIA headset adapter is also the correct one.

It MIGHT be, that pre-listening to a voice message will send the voice of your message to the headset irregardless of the party chat setting over speakers and headset. But I have to check that on my console later this week. Currently, private matters keep
me more busy than I'd like.

The only thing I can currently say is, that your setup is correct and your settings are fine.

You SHOULD be able to hear game sound and OTHERS through your headphones, and others should be able to hear you speaking.

 

Dear Arminator,

thanks again for your attention with my chat issue.

I haven't tried to party chat with some of my friends or play an online multiplayer game where in game communication is available. That would have been the best test to verify immediately whether or not the suggested set up actually works and the quality
of the chat/game audio.

Since my few Xbox friends haven't been online for a while, I guess the best option is to give it a try with some online multiplayer title.

Naturally, I shall post my results as soon as I can while awaiting any comments/suggestions you might have on the matter.

I hope that one day Microsoft will address this chat/audio amplification problem with an update, making it much easier to use a DAC/amp and have chat/game audio simultaneously through any type of headset or headphone with an external mic.