Do you game with headphones or speakers?

[Volganofe]

Headphones are just better. Speakers can be very good, but you need to be in a properly setup room and be able to turn the volume up without disturbing people. That's very difficult.

Agreed, I game with headphones %95 of the time.. If the house is empty I break out my 5 speaker and subwoofer setup, but that seldom happens.

 

[Anubis]

99% of the time speakers

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Headphones 100% of the time.

Edit: Woooo 5000th post

 

[andylau09]

Headphone most of the time except when I'm playing amnesia LOLLLL

 

[Childs]

I used to use headphones, but on long sessions it would give me a headache. I switched to a pair of bookshelf speakers, and its much better. Headphones do sound better, but I dont care about the details as much as I used to.

 

[Clinkster]

Headphones for FPS or if it's late. Speakers otherwise.

 

[{bad}]

Headphones for 90% games. sometimes speakers for Dota

 

[clamum]

I'd say 75% of the time speakers from my LG Blu-ray HTIB, 25% Sennheiser HD-280 Pro headphones.

 

[TripleThreatTLT]

Headphones exclusively.

 

[Nebor]

M-audio LX4s & subwoofer in 5.1 surround w/ a Soundblaster Z. I crank it up so I can hear the footsteps behind me and the explosions rattle my teeth.

I have some Logitech G35 gaming headphones, and some Sennheiser HD600s, but I want the bass when I'm playing games.

 

[werepossum]

both

Headphones makes it easier to not piss the wife off.

This. Normally headphones, but 5.1 speakers if she's not home.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

exclusively headphones

 

[mmntech]

I do have a proper 5.1 setup but I probably use headphones 50% of the time. I have a pair of Grado SR60s.

 

[Biggu]

Speakers for the longest time, until I bought the ATH-M50s, wow what a difference...

^^ this Headphones only with ATH-M50's.

 

[biostud]

both

game sounds from speakers

vent/teamspeak/mumble through headphones

This

 

[Alamat]

99% speakers. Old Klipsch Promedias hooked up to an old 5.1 Sony receiver. I game in a separate bedroom so I can "boom" as much as I want. I like it that I can still hear my surroundings a bit while gaming...if at all.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

headphones 100% of the time.

 

[nageov3t]

speakers by default.

I have the most comfortable headset I've ever owned, but even that starts to grate on me if I'm playing for an extended period of time.

headset if I'm playing a game where voice chat is used, if I want a particularly immersive experience, or if my headset just happens to be plugged in anyways and I'm feeling lazy (I work from home and use the headset for my corporate VoIP)

 

[AMD64Blondie]

Headphones all the time.
(Sennheiser HD558 for me.)


Not pissing off my neighbours in my apartment building is a good thing.

 

[TheBigEarl]

I run logitech g930 headphones. They run wireless for about 8 hours on a charge, 7.1 sound, built in Mic, and cost about 100 bucks. Great bang for the buck. And going from speakers to headphones is a night and day difference in picking up ambient sounds in games.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

All those experiencing discomfort with headphones I can only assume you are doing it wrong or using crap cans.

 

[Nebor]

speakers by default.

I have the most comfortable headset I've ever owned, but even that starts to grate on me if I'm playing for an extended period of time.

headset if I'm playing a game where voice chat is used, if I want a particularly immersive experience, or if my headset just happens to be plugged in anyways and I'm feeling lazy (I work from home and use the headset for my corporate VoIP)

I agree with everything you said, except for the immersive bit. I think cranked up speakers more accurately simulate natural "hearing" than headphones. My headset is exclusively for voice chat games.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

A good pair of open backed headphones will blow most speakers away in terms of imaging and soundstage. Of course like all things audiophool that's entirely subjective.

 

[Nebor]

A good pair of open backed headphones will blow most speakers away in terms of imaging and soundstage. Of course like all things audiophool that's entirely subjective.

I use studio monitors arranged in surround for speakers, so they're pretty good, an enormously powerful. I won't say they provide better clarity than my Sennheiser headphones, but they're still more enjoyable for just about everything.

 

[HeXen]

Headphones only. Main reason is because I don't live alone but also because it blocks any other background noises.
Currently using the Ultrasone's and FiiO amplifier