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[Vieo]

How is DS's sound in comparison to GBA's? I've never played any DS games before, but I did play a lot of GBA games and it sounded on par with SNES (and better in some areas).

 

[Date of Lies]

DS > GBA


for sound anyways

 

[Fuzzy]

Isn't the DS natively stereo while the GBA is mono (unless you use headphones)?

 

[GaimeGuy]

How is DS's sound in comparison to GBA's? I've never played any DS games before, but I did play a lot of GBA games and it sounded on par with SNES (and better in some areas).

DS sound is great. The stereo speakers are the best on any handheld console (including the PSP), and the sound card easily can put out N64 level-music, probably somewhere between N64 and DC level, in the end. (I especially love the virtual surround sound which has been supported in some games, including Kirby and Mario 64 DS)

 

[ProgramFighter]

One of the things that impresses me the most about the DS is the sound. It has excellent speakers. I still remember the first time I booted up Mario 64 DS and heard it. First thing I noticed was the great sound and wasn't expecting it to be so good. F'n beautiful for a portable and definitely better than the GBA's.

 

[cvxfreak]

DS sound is great. The stereo speakers are the best on any handheld console (including the PSP), and the sound card easily can put out N64 level-music, probably somewhere between N64 and DC level, in the end. (I especially love the virtual surround sound which has been supported in some games, including Kirby and Mario 64 DS)

My words exactly.

 

[CO_Andy]

...a lot of GBA games and it sounded on par with SNES (and better in some areas).

Argh! Most GBA games sound like something between NES to SNES.

Good thing Sony iz around, otherwise we'd probably would hav gotten crap sound on the DS as well.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Argh! Most GBA games sound like something between NES to SNES.

Good thing Sony iz around, otherwise we'd probably would hav gotten crap sound on the DS as well.

uh huh, keep telling yourself that. :lol

IF PSP 2 comes around with quality speakers, I'll say "GOOD THING NINTENDO IS AROUND OTHERWISE WE'D HAVE GOTTEN SHITTY SPEAKERS FROM SONY AGAIN!"

 

[Mejilan]

Yep. The DS can output sound somewhere between high end N64 and DC, possibly even better once the devs get to really pushing. And the speakers are freakin' amazing. The PSP, thanks to its optical disc media, will have better music instrumentation, but there's no doubt that the DS has the superior set of speakers. I recommend a great set of headphones for both, however.

Edit - as for DS vs GBA... no comparison.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Even listening to the Super Mario 64 port, it's easy to see that the DS blows the N64 out of the water with sound. the virtual surround sound makes the experience great, and the music just sounds richer than it did on the N64.

 

[Date of Lies]

Argh! Most GBA games sound like something between NES to SNES.

Good thing Sony iz around, otherwise we'd probably would hav gotten crap sound on the DS as well.

gewd ting da english gramar waz ineveneted, otherwize weed hav peaople speakking like diz.

 

[CO_Andy]

uh huh, keep telling yourself that. :lol

IF PSP 2 comes around with quality speakers, I'll say "GOOD THING NINTENDO IS AROUND OTHERWISE WE'D HAVE GOTTEN SHITTY SPEAKERS FROM SONY AGAIN!"

I don't see what's so funny.

The GBA doesn't hav a sound chip, which means developers for years now hav had to dedicate some CPU processing to musik and sound.

 

[GaimeGuy]

I don't see what's so funny.

The GBA doesn't hav a sound chip, which means developers for years now hav had to dedicate some CPU processing to musik and sound.

So? That doesn't automatically mean everything Nintendo does is reactionary to Sony. :lol

 

[Virgin Wii]

So? That doesn't automatically mean everything Nintendo does is reactionary to Sony. :lol

Like the DS?

 

[Date of Lies]

So? That doesn't automatically mean everything Nintendo does is reactionary to Sony. :lol

but wasn't it clear that the DS was practically strickly reactionary to sony's PSP?

 

[CO_Andy]

So? That doesn't automatically mean everything Nintendo does is reactionary to Sony. :lol

Hav you looked at the DS proto-type? Nintendo slightly redesigned the system shortly after the PSP's unveiling.

So i guess the GB Micro has nothing to do with Sorny's audience either, huh?

 

[GaimeGuy]

but wasn't it clear that the DS was practically strickly reactionary to sony's PSP?

Lets see, sony first unveiled the PSP at E3 2003, didn't they?

After E3 2004, we found out that many japanese developers had DS development kits by August 2003.

I don't think 2-3 months is long enough for Nintendo to get a system and development kits out to devs. (granted, we don't know the extent of the development kits. They could have been overclocked GBA dev kits for all we know, like they're doing for the rev kits atm)

 

[Date of Lies]

Hav you looked at the DS proto-type? Nintendo redesigned the system shortly after the PSP's unveiling.

So i guess the GB Micro has nothing to do with Sorny's audience either, huh?

You misspelled "haz"

 

[Polari]

Hav you looked at the DS proto-type? Nintendo redesigned the system shortly after the PSP's unveiling.

And the operative word here is proto-type.

The PSP proto-type also looked different from the final version. OMG reaction!

 

[PanopticBlue]

Has anyone else had this problem? My DS speakers sound all scratchy if I have the volume low, it sounds like they are blown or something...if I turn the volume up though the problem goes away. It doesn't matter if its a gba or ds game either. It's really freakin annoying.

 

[Deku]

From my understanding, the DS benefits from good sound because of good speakers and its dual chip design. Both were in place before PSP.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Has anyone else had this problem? My DS speakers sound all scratchy if I have the volume low, it sounds like they are blown or something...if I turn the volume up though the problem goes away. It doesn't matter if its a gba or ds game either. It's really freakin annoying.

yeah, I notice that. I dunno what it is, though.

 

[CO_Andy]

Lets see, sony first unveiled the PSP at E3 2003, didn't they?

After E3 2004, we found out that many japanese developers had DS development kits by August 2003.

I don't think 2-3 months is long enough for Nintendo to get a system and development kits out to devs. (granted, we don't know the extent of the development kits. They could have been overclocked GBA dev kits for all we know, like they're doing for the rev kits atm)

I'm speaking of cosmetic changes, but i'm sure Nintendo tinkered a bit mor with the hardware after some criticism in 2004's E3 (the PSP received honors, not DS that year).

Just remember there iz no "third pillar."

 

[GaimeGuy]

From my understanding, the DS benefits from good sound because of good speakers and its dual chip design. Both were in place before PSP.

That's true as well. the Arm 7's primary use in DS games is the sound, isn't it?

 

[CO_Andy]

From my understanding, the DS benefits from good sound because of good speakers and its dual chip design. Both were in place before PSP.

The proto-type had mono sound.

 

[GaimeGuy]

The proto-type had mono sound.

It still had the same sound chip, though. Aside from making the speakers stereo, was there any change?

 

[Christberg]

The DS speakers are considerably better quality than the PSP ones, even (although with a good pair of headphones the PSP sounds way better). Definitely would say is high end N64/low end DC type sound quality. Not bad at all, really. The startup "popping" is a little bothersome, but other than that, Nintendo really nailed this.

 

[callous]

Has anyone else had this problem? My DS speakers sound all scratchy if I have the volume low, it sounds like they are blown or something...if I turn the volume up though the problem goes away. It doesn't matter if its a gba or ds game either. It's really freakin annoying.

Mine does that, and it's annoying. It only happens in GBA games for me though. SMB 3 is scratch city on my DS.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Nanostray's music is a testament to the DS's sound, I'd say. Reminds me of ikaruga.

 

[impirius]

Stereo separation is great on the DS!

 

[BreakyBoy]

Just remember there iz no "third pillar."

US GBA SP sales numbers disagree with you.

Edit: Hell, just wait for your jaw to drop to the floor when you see how well the Micro will be received this holiday season in the US.

 

[mosaic]

DS trashes GBA when devs take the time to make a high quality music and sound set... but when they don't, oh nelly.... it hurts my ears. Nintendo does an excellent job of utilizing the hardware. Third parties don't seem to be doing that... especially on the quickie GBA-to-DS ports (Sims, Star Wars Ep 3, etc).

Haven't noticed any popping or static problems with GBA games played on DS...

 

[Mejilan]

Ditto, GBA games sound just fine on my unit, and I have to keep my volume set to low, as my headphones are pretty freakin' great at driving the sound.

 

[ProgramFighter]

Ditto, GBA games sound just fine on my unit, and I have to keep my volume set to low, as my headphones are pretty freakin' great at driving the sound.

What headphones do you use? I've been looking for a good pair, hopefully not too expensive.

 

[CO_Andy]

US GBA SP sales numbers disagree with you.

Edit: Hell, just wait for your jaw to drop to the floor when you see how well the Micro will be received this holiday season in the US.

System sales are one thing, but this year's game line-up

 

[fallout]

Mine does that, and it's annoying. It only happens in GBA games for me though. SMB 3 is scratch city on my DS.

I get this too, drives me nuts. Although, I find that if I turn the volume up and let my ears adjust, I'm okay with it.

 

[Mejilan]

What headphones do you use? I've been looking for a good pair, hopefully not too expensive.

Sennheiser PX-200s. They used to retail for $65-70 US, but now can be found on Amazon for anywhere from $35-$45, IIRC. I swear, they are some of the most amazing portable headphones I've ever used, truly an amazing value. I've listened to headphones over 5x the price and wasn't as impressed. I've already turned a good 8 people onto these headphones, just by letting them listen to some of their favorite songs on their iPods or whatever, comparing the quality of their own phones (or worse yet, Apple's atrocious, white iPod pack-ins), and then listening to the song again on mine...

iPod, PSP games, DS games, GBA games... I use 'em for everything.

I chose these over other models because they have AMAZING isolation. I can actually hear my music and games even when on the loudest of subways... Hell, even when sitting near an engine of an airplane!

Edit - Amazon URL
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...d_csp_1/104-2181303-4858349?v=glance&n=507846

 

[MarkRyan]

System sales are one thing, but this year's game line-up

Zelda: Minis Cap, Gunstar Super Heroes, WarioWare Twisted, Fire Emblem 8, Pokemon Emerald...decent one-year line-up for the system, probably better than 2004's.

 

[Virgin Wii]

Sennheiser PX-200s. They used to retail for $65-70 US, but now can be found on Amazon for anywhere from $35-$45, IIRC. I swear, they are some of the most amazing portable headphones I've ever used, truly an amazing value. I've listened to headphones over 5x the price and wasn't as impressed. I've already turned a good 8 people onto these headphones, just by letting them listen to some of their favorite songs on their iPods or whatever, comparing the quality of their own phones (or worse yet, Apple's atrocious, white iPod pack-ins), and then listening to the song again on mine...

iPod, PSP games, DS games, GBA games... I use 'em for everything.

I chose these over other models because they have AMAZING isolation. I can actually hear my music and games even when on the loudest of subways... Hell, even when sitting near an engine of an airplane!

Edit - Amazon URL
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...d_csp_1/104-2181303-4858349?v=glance&n=507846

What do you think of these complaints?

"In what really matter--sound quality--these headphones perform very poorly. Overall response is very dull. There is no punch. Technically, although the specs claim that they cover the full 20-20000hz range, the response in the low frequencies is really lacking and the highs are also very recessed. This leaves the midrange sounding unnaturally accentuated. Because of this, although mostly guitars, cellos, mid violins and violas, clarinets, flutes, horns, and instruments that emit sounds in the mid-frequency range sound pretty good, instruments that can go really low like bass drum, piano, different basses, tenor and baritones are extremely faint and even non-audible at times with these headphones. Instruments that can go really high (high violins, piano, cymbals, etc.) are also deemphasized. So if you are biased to listening in the mid-range, you may like these. Someone who likes to listen in the whole range as was intended by the artist/composer would be very bitterly disappointed at these headphones!"



"I waited patiently like a saint for the bass to present itself after the "burn-in period." Well, the bass never really gets to where it needs to be for actual listening enjoyment. I didn't even have a moderately good time with these. Bass which isn't there to begin with will not miraculously appear all of a sudden...there is no bass, ABSOLUTELY NO BASS with the Senn px200 period. I'm no basshead by any means, but come on. Where the heck is the bass?

Alongside its basslessness, the Senn px200 is also a bright little performer. Ouch...that's two strikes...no bass and shrill on top of that. Hmnn... needless to say, I sent these back to Amazon."

I listen to classical and rap, so these are pretty valid concerns for me. Do you agree with these guys?

 

[jett]

GBA's sound is trash. Outputs in 8bit, for fruck's sake.

 

[Mejilan]

Those complaints? Hell no! I will admit that they DID produce a fuller sound after a few days of rather heavy use (and I particularly noted this when I bought my 2nd pair, which also took a few days to get properly broken in.)

I researched this purchase very heavily (particularly since I was, at the time, consider a pair that ran for about $130.) The folks over at the Headfi.org forums (I think that was the website) were very helpful, and they also had nothing but positive comments to say regarding my model.

I believe some of them did prefer the PX-100's sound (that's the earlier model), but I think that one also features much less isolation, which would cause subway noise to drown out the audio, hence I went with the PX-200s instead.

Edit - Yep. Headfi.org... http://www.headfi.org/

Edit 2 - I think this review from Amazon sums up my experience pretty damn well:

Just got these from Amazon.com today in time to test out with my brand new 30 GB iPod. I'm not particularly thrilled with Apple's earbud style headphones since they become uncomfortable after only 10 minutes in the ear and the bass, though surprisingly strong, overwhelms the middle ranges and creates an overall "muddiness" to the audio quality.

The sound of the PX 200, on the other hand, is strong, vibrant, crystal clear, and encompasses a more full tonal range. To put them to the test I first listened to Van Halen's "Atomic Punk" -- the sonic power of Eddie's guitar was fully displayed but the bass was diminished. But I don't miss the heavy bass on these portable headphones...the sound actually seems more clear and authentic without it.

Previously I was using the Koss KTX-PRO but despite the good sound relative to their cheap price, they're cheaply made and the wires have come loose a more than one pair -- rendering them useless. The Sennheisers, on the other hand, are of superior quality. They obviously put some design effort into these and it clearly shows: the head band is metal, not cheap plastic so it has a good "grip," the padding is not cheapo foam but instead a thin padded vinyl material, and they fold up small and come with a handy plastic storage case.

Very comfortable to wear continuously for, well, hours (lots of tunes on my iPod!). Highly recommended headphones.

5/08/2003 - Update: I mentioned above about the weak bass of these headphones. I read somewhere that Sennheinsers may need time to "break in," whatever that means. Well, to my surprise the bass has since become more apparent...much stronger now than when fresh out of the box. Either that or I'm blowing a hole in my eardrum from iPod overuse. These are absolutely the most comfortable portable headphones I've ever owned. The PX-200's have it all...what a great buy!

And yes, I did use a pair of Koss headphones before the Senns as well, not sure which one, exactly.

 

[Stinkles]

Nobody on this forum has more illogical loathing for the DS than me, but the DS speakers OWN all other handheld speakers, including of course the PSP.

 

[Virgin Wii]

Those complaints? Hell no! I will admit that they DID produce a fuller sound after a few days of rather heavy use (and I particularly noted this when I bought my 2nd pair, which also took a few days to get properly broken in.)

I researched this purchase very heavily (particularly since I was, at the time, consider a pair that ran for about $130.) The folks over at the Headfi.org forums (I think that was the website) were very helpful, and they also had nothing but positive comments to say regarding my model.

I believe some of them did prefer the PX-100's sound (that's the earlier model), but I think that one also features much less isolation, which would cause subway noise to drown out the audio, hence I went with the PX-200s instead.

Edit - Yep. Headfi.org... http://www.headfi.org/

Edit 2 - I think this review from Amazon sums up my experience pretty damn well:


And yes, I did use a pair of Koss headphones before the Senns as well, not sure which one, exactly.

Thanks! I'm looking for some headphones, so that was really helpful.

 

[Mejilan]

Happy to help. But also, keep in mind that I was in the market for isolating PORTABLE headphones. Not a monstrous, $300 pair of studio cans.

It really can't hurt to lurk at the headfi.org forums, and search around for comparison and review threads. Those guys there take audio quality to extremes that I cannot comprehend, but they WERE very useful in pinpointing what I wanted.

 

[Virgin Wii]

Happy to help. But also, keep in mind that I was in the market for isolating PORTABLE headphones. Not a monstrous, $300 pair of studio cans.

My needs sound very similar to yours. And the model is cheap.

 

[snaildog]

I don't see what's so funny.

The GBA doesn't hav a sound chip, which means developers for years now hav had to dedicate some CPU processing to musik and sound.

Why the hell do you type like this? You're almost as annoying as efralope who can't finish a sentence without three dots...

 

[Mejilan]

My needs sound very similar to yours. And the model is cheap.

I hope they do well by you. If not, I do believe that Amazon has a reasonable return policy... Do give them a few days. They come to their own after a dozen or two hours worth of usage, IMHO.