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Best headphones for gaming?

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Originally posted by: ixelion
I got Zalman 5.1 Surround Sound Headphones, the stereo quality is not great but the surround sound is freakin fantastic, using them to play CS:S or even DVD music and movies with 5.1 surround sound is quite amazing.

Mind you these are not ment to be like real 5.1 speaker setup, but the positional audio is MUCH better than any stereo speaker I have used.
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I have these and it's exactly as you describe. You'll have to make some EQ adjustments for music to sound good, but otherwise the surround capability is quite good and is DEFINITELY helpful in Counterstrike: Source. DVDs sound nice with it too. The frequency response range isn't the best, but you should really only care about that if you use it primarily to listen to music - surround capability is more important for gaming.
 
As I've said before, that whole surround capability is mostly pointless for games. Your brain WILL adjust to anything it hears, so even something with horrible imaging will work as well as 5.1 speakers given enough time (so long as there's ANY sort of definition between one direction and another). Something with adequate or good+ imaging, like the vast majority of decent headphones, will take very little time to adjust to, and you'll get something more versatile overall too.

DyslexicHobo (sorry, I just wanted an excuse to address you by your name), do you plan on using these headphones for much music too? If so, do you plan on using them portably, or just at your computer / around the house? Also, do you want to block out any noise, and if so, how much? Battery of questions, I know, but if I know your exact requirements it's way easier to narrow down the playing field.
 
Originally posted by: svi
hd650 is cream of the crop as far as "consumer grade" goes and doesnt cost a thousand with a very decent amp. realistically, it does cost you a fortune. but what irks me is "those who can would probably rather buy a new high-end computer". if one knows enough about good headphone rig, he would be a damned fool to give it up for some pansy FPS game
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Cream of the crop as far as "consumer grade" goes isn't really cream of the crop.

I'd rather have an HE90/HEV90 (or HE60+somethingelse) than a high-end computer, but do you REALLY think most people on these forums agree with us? If so, run a poll. The results would surprise you.

I'd also rather have a $8k speaker rig than an HE90/HEV90. I'd take a similarly priced used car, too. Most of us DO have better things to spend our money on.
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i am not gonna bother replying with a page long rant even though i got enough to write about that long. one word : do you know what a smiley is supposed to mean? do you really think i am suggesting a gamer to go with hd-650? smiley is there for a reason, welcome to the forums. that reply was different from my initial one, becauze the poster seem to ignore the presence of audiophiles on this board. we may not be as prelevant as on other boards, but we do care about sound. i was just commenting on the blanket statement, if anything. take a chill pill and enjoy the forum.

as for the headphone recommendations, i found px-100 or hd-497 to be a good bargain that you could drive relatively well without amping requirements. unless you really need to have an all-in-one device, you would be much better served getting either one of these two and a usb mic. mine is by logitech and works really well (goes for ~$25 shipped, buy.com seems to have the lowest pricing on it). if you can stretch your budget just a tad bit, grado sr60 or sr80 could work better for music. i would be a little hesitant to recommend them for gaming since they arent exactly very comfortable phones for prolong use even with replacement pads.
 
Originally posted by: DyslexicHobo
Ok ok, so I don't want the "cream of the crop". I want the best I can get for about 60-80 bucks. 😛

I'm leaning towards the PC160s. Mostly because it's got a mic already on the headset so I won't need to spend another 30 bucks for one.
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Yea, as far as headsets go, the PC 15x models are highly regarded. Although the PC16x models are new, I reckon they are as good a value as the PC15x models are.
 
actually, i got my hd-497 from ecost for like $37ish if i remember correctly. thanks to the buy.com coupon, the mic rang up for like $20 shipped. definitely a step above pc 15x models.
 
i am not gonna bother replying with a page long rant even though i got enough to write about that long. one word : do you know what a smiley is supposed to mean? do you really think i am suggesting a gamer to go with hd-650? smiley is there for a reason, welcome to the forums. that reply was different from my initial one, becauze the poster seem to ignore the presence of audiophiles on this board. we may not be as prelevant as on other boards, but we do care about sound. i was just commenting on the blanket statement, if anything. take a chill pill and enjoy the forum.
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"Take a chill pill", says the person who wants to reply with a page-long rant to a three-line post.

Unfortunately, placing a smiley after a paragraph does not automatically indicate that that paragraph and everything above it was said entirely in jest. The tone of your post indicated that you were being at least partly serious, and that you are very sensitive about being lumped with "the rest of the guys". If that's not what you meant to say at all, learn how to write. 😛
 
Originally posted by: Dman877
The seinheisser 150's I have bother my ears and the spot they rest on my head after an hour or so.
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same.

but its hard to find perfectly comfortable earphones unless you find some giant earcup headphones which dont even touch your ears.
 
I have the HD 280 pro headphones and they are awesome. I've almost never ever used my speakers since I've had them.

Edit: The HD 280 pros are closed headphones.
 
Originally posted by: svi
i am not gonna bother replying with a page long rant even though i got enough to write about that long. one word : do you know what a smiley is supposed to mean? do you really think i am suggesting a gamer to go with hd-650? smiley is there for a reason, welcome to the forums. that reply was different from my initial one, becauze the poster seem to ignore the presence of audiophiles on this board. we may not be as prelevant as on other boards, but we do care about sound. i was just commenting on the blanket statement, if anything. take a chill pill and enjoy the forum.
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"Take a chill pill", says the person who wants to reply with a page-long rant to a three-line post.

Unfortunately, placing a smiley after a paragraph does not automatically indicate that that paragraph and everything above it was said entirely in jest. The tone of your post indicated that you were being at least partly serious, and that you are very sensitive about being lumped with "the rest of the guys". If that's not what you meant to say at all, learn how to write. 😛
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that part i was being a bit serious, you got that right. that is explained within my reply. your reply did not warrant any chill pills there, no need to rag on someone for objecting to an overgeneralization.
 
but its hard to find perfectly comfortable earphones unless you find some giant earcup headphones which dont even touch your ears.
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This is true, which is why it's important to limit your search to circumaural headphones if you're very sensitive about comfort. Probably circumaural open headphones, too, because sealed ones tend to have some clamping force.


that part i was being a bit serious, you got that right. that is explained within my reply. your reply did not warrant any chill pills there, no need to rag on someone for objecting to an overgeneralization.
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That's the thing, I wasn't ragging on you. I was putting that smiley after a statement that looks like it isn't a joke to show that ending a sentence with a smiley does not automatically imply that you're just kidding about everything. Do you see my point now?
 
I like, I mean, I LOVE my Sennheiser HD 595. I got mine from headphone.com with a Total AirHead amp. Gaming and music playback is outstanding.
 
Lol, careful, you may be openning big can of worms. If you're really addicted to good sound, and like using headphones, you'll find that there are big differences between the low price cans, vs mid level, vs high end. If you're serious about using headphones, first recommendation would be to save a bit more money and give yourself more room to buy the better sets.

That said, personal preference is huge. For gaming and music, i like full over the ears type, that blocks out other sounds. Yep, warmer during summer, but for me the added sound value is worth it.

Get to several shops and actually listen to the different types. HeadRoom is a favorite place of mine where i have purchased several sets of cans along with a headphone pre-amp. The staff is a very knowledgeable bunch of nerds 😀 that live and breath headphones, so they know what they're talking about. Good luck
 
Originally posted by: svi
but its hard to find perfectly comfortable earphones unless you find some giant earcup headphones which dont even touch your ears.
Click to expand...
This is true, which is why it's important to limit your search to circumaural headphones if you're very sensitive about comfort. Probably circumaural open headphones, too, because sealed ones tend to have some clamping force.


that part i was being a bit serious, you got that right. that is explained within my reply. your reply did not warrant any chill pills there, no need to rag on someone for objecting to an overgeneralization.
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That's the thing, I wasn't ragging on you. I was putting that smiley after a statement that looks like it isn't a joke to show that ending a sentence with a smiley does not automatically imply that you're just kidding about everything. Do you see my point now?
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nope dont see your point at all. i was commenting on your rather rude initial reply. using a smiley at the end to cover it up doesnt count. lets be civil when posting, ok?
 
nope dont see your point at all. i was commenting on your rather rude initial reply. using a smiley at the end to cover it up doesnt count. lets be civil when posting, ok?
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Let's start from the beginning, then. You said: "do you know what a smiley is supposed to mean? do you really think i am suggesting a gamer to go with hd-650? smiley is there for a reason, welcome to the forums."

I objected to that, saying that a smiley doesn't significantly change the meaning of your post or the manner in which it should be taken (this is bolded because it's the point I've been trying to make this whole time), then add an insulting statement with the smiley at the end as evidence for my point. The statement itself was and is throwaway-- it is only there to illustrate my point, that you don't change the basic meaning of a sentence by adding a smiley after it.

You then prove my point by taking the throwaway statement seriously and saying that "using a smiley at the end to cover it up doesnt count".

Executive summary: I'm arguing that a smiley doesn't change anything. That "insult" was only there to show that the addition of a smiley doesn't change the meaning of the thing before it.

If you still don't get what I'm talking about, just say what part you don't get and I'll clarify it.
 
thats your opinion. you dont have to attempt enlightening a golden member to adjust to your newly created rules of posting. the smiley your post is entirely different from mine. my point about my using smiley was about preferring music listening equipment over FPS rig, where i properly had my smiley. your smiley was about suggesting me to learn how to right. if i proved anything, you are taking this too far. if you want to argue about things any further, stop hijacking the thread and create a new one somewhere, or pm me if you will.

now that you want to get sooo techincal -

why settle with R-10, you could always go with orpheus
hd650 is cream of the crop as far as "consumer grade" goes and doesnt cost a thousand with a very decent amp. realistically, it does cost you a fortune. but what irks me is "those who can would probably rather buy a new high-end computer". if one knows enough about good headphone rig, he would be a damned fool to give it up for some pansy FPS game
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this is me quoting muscles, as he suggested R-10 and i took it as a lighthearted joke and said you could do better with orpheus. i also added, on a serious note, hd-650 is not such an unrealistic setup which does sound pretty good. then i went on to clarify why i quoted you in my first reply. i did not agree with your opinion the wealthier demographic would prefer a gaming rig over a music listening setup. the smiley was only added for my teasing comment at the end. in no way i was implying i was joking about everything either. the difference is the tone of voice, not the actual content of the message. to me it seems, my reply was rather a strong disagreement, probably much less infested with that brand of cynicism found in your reply.

so there you have it, i did not argue smiley changes the message, but it does change the attitude that is embodied in your post. mine was placed there so people wouldnt take it personally and feel offended. but your smiley came much after your highly sarcastic post, which warrants my reply saying covering up with a smiley (in reply many posts below) does not count.

as for the original message, let me clarify few things. i never claimed hd-650 is recommended for gaming; my suggestion for gaming headphones was posted later. your initial reply came off as being very authoritative about the sound equipment, and i just happened to disagree. you made it sound like the rich would automatically prefer the gaming rigs which was kind of unclear. at that point, i wasnt arguing about what a gamer would pick, since your post seemed to be directed to all ATOTers combined. if you made it more specific by adding "for gamers" then i would most probably agreed with you wholeheartedly. all i was trying to do was to shed a light that not everyone here is a gamer and there is a very affordable setup at a good compromise. the difference between you and me might be where we draw the line. if they can afford couple hundred extra for the ergonomics of LCD displays, i would think they are quite well off. in case you havnt noticed, we had threads on headphones and there were surprising number of grado and senn users, which made me believe there is some audiophile clique on this board who do care about sound quality.

OP, sorry for the mess but there are some good suggestions in this thread. hope you find a good deal.
 
OP, sorry for the mess but there are some good suggestions in this thread.
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Seconded.




thats your opinion. you dont have to attempt enlightening a golden member to adjust to your newly created rules of posting.
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Calm down, I'm not trying to "enlighten" a member who is obviously better than I am (as evidenced by the fact that they have contributed so many more posts!).


the smiley your post is entirely different from mine. my point about my using smiley was about preferring music listening equipment over FPS rig, where i properly had my smiley. your smiley was about suggesting me to learn how to right. if i proved anything, you are taking this too far. if you want to argue about things any further, stop hijacking the thread and create a new one somewhere, or pm me if you will.
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"Stop hijacking the thread", you say, following that with three paragraphs of argument.


so there you have it, i did not argue smiley changes the message, but it does change the attitude that is embodied in your post. mine was placed there so people wouldnt take it personally and feel offended. but your smiley came much after your highly sarcastic post, which warrants my reply saying covering up with a smiley (in reply many posts below) does not count.
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It does change the tone, but it does not change the basic meaning. You're ignoring the original argument (as well as my secondary argument, since I never said anything about tone, only BASIC MEANING). The original argument is this:


i did not agree with your opinion the wealthier demographic would prefer a gaming rig over a music listening setup
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There we go! The whole smiley mess came from that when I, ah, disagreed with your disagreement. I disagreed with what you were saying (about the wealthier demographic), then you asked me if I knew what a smiley meant while ignoring my disagreement. I attempted to point out that a smiley does not change the basic meaning, then you rambled on for several paragraphs while agreeing with my point. Sheesh.


you made it sound like the rich would automatically prefer the gaming rigs which was kind of unclear. at that point, i wasnt arguing about what a gamer would pick, since your post seemed to be directed to all ATOTers combined. if you made it more specific by adding "for gamers" then i would most probably agreed with you wholeheartedly. all i was trying to do was to shed a light that not everyone here is a gamer and there is a very affordable setup at a good compromise.
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Reread my original statement.

"those who can would probably rather buy a new high-end computer"

I had the probably in there to imply that there ARE those who wouldn't on these forums ('probably' doesn't mean the same thing as 'definitely'), but that most would.
 
Aren't the 5.1 headphones really just a gimmick? You only have two ears, so a pair of standard headphones with a decent gaming soundcard like an Audigy (configured for headphone use, of course) ought to be able to give you perfect surround sound if the software is doing what it is supposed to in terms of sonic imaging. I'd forget the Zalmans and either go with some Senns or some Grado SR-60 headphones. I personally lean towards the Grados just because I like their old school looks. They've got personality.
 
I haven't tested all headphones suggested here, but i guess the Beyerdynamics DT770 is one of the best headphones. Are made for studios (which needs a really flat sound), but it has to much bass so they are excellent for listening to music. I have no idea what is it to play games with them, because i don't play games, but the sound is excellent. But they are expensive though, i bought them for 1500 SEK which is almost $200.

Anyhow, they're probably cheaper in the US. Like everything else. One gallon of gas costs around $5 here.
 
im looking at new ones too. i have pc155s but i feel like i need something better. i've been looking at the icemat siberia, mainly due to the fact of the gaming aspect, but also a friend mentioned the hd555. if someone could compare those, that would be awsome. thanks. and settle down you audiophile nazi's 😛
 
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