Gaming headset - suggestions?

[vbuggy]

5.1/7.1 is pointless. Get a quality stereo headset and it will serve you better then any of the gimmicky "surround" headsets. For instance, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826106158 will sound better then anything mentioned so far near your price range.

1. Stereo headsets are fully capable of reproducing a 3D soundfield. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJwUVCXH-gM
2. If your paying for 7.1 drivers (surround headset) at the same price as 2 drivers (stereo headset), which do you think will use higher quality drivers?
3. In my opinion, stick with companies known for quality headphones (sennheiser, audio-technica, denon, grado etc...) and you'll get a quality headset.


4. You'd be better off buying a good pair of headphones and a clip-on mic for the same price, because the headphones will be of even higher quality.

Not necessarily. There's a whole bunch of crap out there, but most of the well-reviewed headsets do actually get the audio basics right. A clip-on is a hassle in many ways and often gives vastly inferior results to a boom, unless you invest time and effort to fix it in an optimal way. Also, compared to futzy DIY HRTF solutions the built-in virtual 7.1 modes of these headsets generally work better and once again with less fuss. Dunno about you but the last thing I want to worry about when plonking a PC headphone on my head is additional settings and cable arrangement / etc.

Put it this way: I'd much rather use a G35 for general-purpose PC duties than e.g. a Beyerdynamic T1 or Denon AH-D7000 with a Zalman clip-on.

 

[coldmeat]

I have a pair of Audio Technica A700s (the closed version of the AD700) and I love them. They sound great and I have no problem locating sounds in game.

When I need a mic, I use a desktop Logitech mic, it works ok, and when I sit back I can just rest it on my stomach haha. I might look into modding my headphones and attach a boom mic to them somehow.

 

[videogames101]

Put it this way: I'd much rather use a G35 for general-purpose PC duties than e.g. a Beyerdynamic T1 or Denon AH-D7000 with a Zalman clip-on.

Then clearly we disagree

 

[vbuggy]

Then clearly we disagree

Indeed. Although I have to say that people who do (disagree) inevitably tend to have a one-sided experience

 

[Aikouka]

I use a Plantronics AUDIO350 headset, and I think it works rather well. It's just some wired thing, but every other headset that I've owned in the past has died within months. My last pair of these Plantronics only went "bad" because I sat on them. They still work, but dealing with a broken off ear piece is too much of a pain.

Unfortunately, Plantronics doesn't make this model anymore, and the one they replaced it with is a piece of junk.

 

[ch33kym0use]

Razor Carcharias, check it out if you like. I like the epic comfort and quality about them so far.

 

[HeXen]

i have the ultrasone hifi780 stereo's, i used them for a long while, all the talk of quality stereo's. nah, i ended up going back to my triton 5.1's. i like them a lot better and their handle deeper bass a lot better as well.

Also, to feel the action without disturbing others using a subwoofer, i got the Clark synthesis tactile tranducer and an amp, hooked it to my gaming chair, decoupled it from the floor and its amazing.
started re playing metro 2033 with it and definitly adds to the immersion.

 

[HybridSquirrel]

Sennheiser HD555

 

[Tristicus]

All I can say is that in some L4D2 games, I've not even noticed my 7.1 isn't on. But if I have it on and am playing competitively, it helps me determine exactly where the infected are (for instance). I really like it.

 

[yhelothar]

I just got this set of headphones from my bro that works at DTS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16879459005

My Etymotic ER4P blows them out of the water, yes and that's for 3D positioning in games. The Turtle Beach headphones come with virtual surround technologies for headphones. However, most games already have these technologies built in. Many sound cards have this technology as well.
I would recommend picking up a set of headphones that's known for its phenomenal sound stage.

Quick search on head-fi turns up the Audio Technica AD700/AD900 to be the most commonly recommended set for gaming.
http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-A.../dp/B000CMS0XU
They're a bit over your budget, but if you go used, it's right on target.

 

[JamesV]

I have a pair of Turtle Beach x31's, a G35, a Bose $300 headset, and numerous cheap headsets.

The TB's are really nice and lightweight, but battery life and having to plug in a mic line on a wireless headset is unacceptable. I originally planned on getting the Z6A headset they have coming out, wanting to go wired, but I decided to try a different brand instead.

So I got the G35 headset. Like others have said, it is heavy and can be uncomfortable after a long time, but I'm extremely happy being wired again, and not having to constantly work a supply of rechargeable batteries. It uses driver-made surround sound which sounds great in movies, but sometimes in games it sounds a little off. Another negative is that you can only switch between stereo and surround sound and change levels on bass/treble. Changing things in your onboard or card audio settings like effects and equalization have no effect on the G35, and these options do not exist in the Logitech software.

The Bose set is just worthless. Tried it for a day and retired them.

I kind of wish I waited for the Z6A's, or went with a Tritton or Astro multi-speaker headset at this point... wish there was somewhere you could try them all out before purchasing.

 

[Tristicus]

Yeah I really want to try the Astro headset with the mixamp.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Yeah I really want to try the Astro headset with the mixamp.

Mixamp is decent. Headset is crap.

AD700's are the only headphones you will ever need for gaming. Anyone who claims they don't have any bass is a sound quality infidel.

I have them powered by my FiiO E9 with the signal coming from my HRT Music Steamer II+ and it's basically like cheating in games. It only costs around $500 for a set up like this so get to saving lol.

 

[HumblePie]

Well, one more thing to point out in favor of the G35 or G930 headset. If you use ventrilo a lot for online gaming then there is no other choice. It is the only headset I know of that lets you use the side buttons on the headset to activate the push to talk function of ventrilo. Having the G930 is great for this. Especially if I am waiting in a lobby with a group of folks for a game and we have a few minutes to wait around for one reason or another. I can get up, go use the restroom, grab a drink, or do something else while still maintaining communication with all the people on ventrilo.

 

[merk]

I just got this set of headphones from my bro that works at DTS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16879459005

My Etymotic ER4P blows them out of the water, yes and that's for 3D positioning in games. The Turtle Beach headphones come with virtual surround technologies for headphones. However, most games already have these technologies built in. Many sound cards have this technology as well.
I would recommend picking up a set of headphones that's known for its phenomenal sound stage.

Quick search on head-fi turns up the Audio Technica AD700/AD900 to be the most commonly recommended set for gaming.
http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-A.../dp/B000CMS0XU
They're a bit over your budget, but if you go used, it's right on target.

I thought unless i had a good sound card that i'd be better off with USB headphones? I don't have a sound card at all - just the onboard audio.

 

[modestninja]

I thought unless i had a good sound card that i'd be better off with USB headphones? I don't have a sound card at all - just the onboard audio.

They'll be better with a nicer sound card (and amp for that matter), but the AD700 are easily driven by onboard sound and you don't lose out on much detail or the ability to place where a sound is coming from without a stand alone sound card and amp.

As for the lack of bass comments, with the AD700, they definitely have less bass than most headphones and aren't ideal for single player gaming or watching a movie since you don't get as much immersion, however in a competitive FPS, less bass lets you hear small details much clearer (foot steps, weapon switching, etc...) which is a huge advantage when combined with their great soundstage (which lets you accurately place the sounds).

 

[yhelothar]

I thought unless i had a good sound card that i'd be better off with USB headphones? I don't have a sound card at all - just the onboard audio.

Not true. Today's onboard audio, with all of the HD audio codecs, is actually good enough that you'll be hard pressed to hear a difference with dedicated soundcards without costing several hundreds. I recently upgraded my onboard to an auzentech prelude 7.1, basically an audiophile x-fi card, and the difference is quite marginal. However, the difference between a $100 set of headphones and a $180 set(soundcard was $80 used) is ENORMOUS.

 

[merk]

hmm, oh well. I think i'll stick with the logitech g35's for now. They sound pretty decent to me. I think the turtle beach with their 7.1 module sounded a little better, but they were also double the price when you added in the 7.1 addon. But the g35's seem pretty good so far, other then them acting like earmuffs and overheating my head

At least I'll know better whenever i decide to replace the g35

thanks