headphones

[Peppered]

Ok I had my Cheap logitec set break on me a few days ago. I too am looking for a new set but even being cheap I got nothing but good coments on the clarity of the mic when talking in a game but it was hard for me to wear them for more than a hour.
I looked at all the recomendations here but it seems that all are misssing a mic.

I am gussing that over the ear sets are more comfortabel but not sure being I only had the cheap ones that broke.
Any recomendations on a headset that has a mic , can wear for many hours and dosnt cost more than $100 less would be better.

 

[0roo0roo]

I know I only have 2 ears. Now if you were to sit in a movie theater with your eyes closed and they played a noise randomly through all the different speakers in that theater you would be able to point to them no matter where they were. I know you can also point to the right or left in stereo, but you don't get the pinpoint accuracy you would with more speakers.

not exactly, home theater works because its sound cues are diffuse, made to be ambient and immerse in sound generally, not pin point. once the sound is out in a room environment it interacts with everything to become less precise. htrf from two good stereo headphone drivers have more precise and pure control leading to better directional cues, 5.1 was never meant to be worn on the head with separate drivers.

 

[Sureshot324]

I know I only have 2 ears. Now if you were to sit in a movie theater with your eyes closed and they played a noise randomly through all the different speakers in that theater you would be able to point to them no matter where they were. I know you can also point to the right or left in stereo, but you don't get the pinpoint accuracy you would with more speakers.

Your two ears can pinpoint the exact source of the sounds by the difference of the sound in each ear and the way it reverbs. This can be simulated with stereo headphones.

If you still doubt it, list to this with headphones (preferably ones close to your ear, like earbuds) and your eyes closed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUDTlvagjJA

 

[skace]

I use Sennheiser HD800s. And when I'm done listening to them, I wrap them around my waist and sleep with them.

 

[mfenn]

I know I only have 2 ears. Now if you were to sit in a movie theater with your eyes closed and they played a noise randomly through all the different speakers in that theater you would be able to point to them no matter where they were. I know you can also point to the right or left in stereo, but you don't get the pinpoint accuracy you would with more speakers.

Was going to tell you to actually read the link on HRTF, but these guys explained it very well!

not exactly, home theater works because its sound cues are diffuse, made to be ambient and immerse in sound generally, not pin point. once the sound is out in a room environment it interacts with everything to become less precise. htrf from two good stereo headphone drivers have more precise and pure control leading to better directional cues, 5.1 was never meant to be worn on the head with separate drivers.

Your two ears can pinpoint the exact source of the sounds by the difference of the sound in each ear and the way it reverbs. This can be simulated with stereo headphones.

If you still doubt it, list to this with headphones (preferably ones close to your ear, like earbuds) and your eyes closed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUDTlvagjJA

 

[VulgarDisplay]

So I watched that video, and yeah there is some directional sound, but it was difficult to differentiate between sound behind you and in front of you. I do no have that issue with my 5.1 headset.

I've played with HD280's, and there is no contest when it comes to directional sound. My barracuda's are better. Now you all need to remember that opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and they all stink.

Mine just happens to be right in this case.

 

[mfenn]

So I watched that video, and yeah there is some directional sound, but it was difficult to differentiate between sound behind you and in front of you. I do no have that issue with my 5.1 headset.

I've played with HD280's, and there is no contest when it comes to directional sound. My barracuda's are better. Now you all need to remember that opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and they all stink.

Mine just happens to be right in this case.

See, you were going to be all nice and civil and screwed it up with that last sentence.

I'm sorry that you refuse to do some basic research and configure your audio output correctly. :awe:

 

[Sureshot324]

So I watched that video, and yeah there is some directional sound, but it was difficult to differentiate between sound behind you and in front of you. I do no have that issue with my 5.1 headset.

I've played with HD280's, and there is no contest when it comes to directional sound. My barracuda's are better. Now you all need to remember that opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and they all stink.

Mine just happens to be right in this case.

Did you listen with earbuds? It doesn't work as well with headphones that are further from your ears. I found it works very well, especially when the barber walks a circle around you. Plus this way you can hear what's above and below you, which isn't possible with 5.1.

Unfortunately game positional audio isn't at this level yet, so 5.1 headsets might still be an advantage at this point if you're into competitive gaming. The video was done just by attaching two microphones where the person's ears are, so no complicated processing was necessary.

 

[Ika]

You give me a pair of headphones, configure sound correctly, then throw me and another guy in CS:S on any standard map. I'll stay still, the other guy can come within 10 feet of me at any position, and jump once - I'll shoot him in the face with my eyes closed, 90% of the time. I've been doing it for years. Just because you can't get correct/good sound positioning with a pair of stereo headphones doesn't mean that it's not possible.

 

[ChickenShwarma]

I'm using Audio Technica ATH-A700, with Zalman Microphone Zm-Mic1 clip on mic for Vent.

The headphone is great. It sounds great for gaming and music, very comfortable, and the braided cable is long enough that it gives me plenty of option to manage it around my desktop.

 

[Kirby]

Senn HD580

 

[Born2bwire]

Your two ears can pinpoint the exact source of the sounds by the difference of the sound in each ear and the way it reverbs. This can be simulated with stereo headphones.

If you still doubt it, list to this with headphones (preferably ones close to your ear, like earbuds) and your eyes closed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUDTlvagjJA

I think this one is a much better one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avv7T8Sk8Oc

I think though that the quality-compromise with Youtube decreases the effect a bit but the height effects are still very good.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

See, you were going to be all nice and civil and screwed it up with that last sentence.

I'm sorry that you refuse to do some basic research and configure your audio output correctly. :awe:

I was being sarcastic, and my audio output is configured correctly for 5.1 sound, so I have no problems.

I've been playing call of duty competitively since cod1, and during the early years I always used regular headphones. I switched to the 5.1 headset in cod2 after my old headphones broke, and there is no going back.

If you go into the creative audio panel and then to speaker configuration you can have the drivers put noise through each driver, and it's easy to hear it going around your head with the 5.1 headset. I guarantee those of you saying that 5.1 headsets are a gimmick have never even had one on your head.

 

[kalrith]

could you guys recommend a $50-$75 headset? budget gamer here

I got my Sennheiser HD 280 Pro for $75 a few years ago. I'm not sure if they go down to that price these days, but if they do, then I wholeheartedly recommend them.

You might also glean some good advice from this recent headphone thread in our av forum.

 

[zerogear]

I'm using Audio Technica ATH-A700, with Zalman Microphone Zm-Mic1 clip on mic for Vent.

The headphone is great. It sounds great for gaming and music, very comfortable, and the braided cable is long enough that it gives me plenty of option to manage it around my desktop.

Nice. I have a ATH-AD900 and I absolutely love it. The wings are so comfortable. I have way too many Audio Technica headphones.. ATH-CK7Ti, ATH-EM9d, ATH-EM9r, ATH-EM700Ti, ATH-AD900, ATH-PRO700, ATH-PRO5MS

And some non-Audio Technica ones, Klipsch Image X5 and UE TripleFi 10 Pro

 

[mfenn]

I was being sarcastic, and my audio output is configured correctly for 5.1 sound, so I have no problems.

I've been playing call of duty competitively since cod1, and during the early years I always used regular headphones. I switched to the 5.1 headset in cod2 after my old headphones broke, and there is no going back.

If you go into the creative audio panel and then to speaker configuration you can have the drivers put noise through each driver, and it's easy to hear it going around your head with the 5.1 headset. I guarantee those of you saying that 5.1 headsets are a gimmick have never even had one on your head.

/facepalm

Well of course stereo headphones aren't going to work when you have the speaker type set to 5.1. You need to set it to "headphone" when you use stereo headphones.

Nobody is saying that 5.1 headphones don't work. We're saying that you can get the same effect with stereo headphones without trying to cram so many drivers into a headset.

 

[gramboh]

/facepalm

Well of course stereo headphones aren't going to work when you have the speaker type set to 5.1. You need to set it to "headphone" when you use stereo headphones.

Nobody is saying that 5.1 headphones don't work. We're saying that you can get the same effect with stereo headphones without trying to cram so many drivers into a headset.

I think stereo phones are superior because the quality of the drivers in the 5.1 gimmick phones are junk, and because of the physical distance of the drivers to your ear, you will get more precise function with stereo phones (set up properly). I just have a cheap pair of Senn HD570 from 2003 or something, and the positional audio is perfect in CS 1.6, all Source games, BF:BC2 etc (I used to play CS 1.6 competitively). Yes, I've tried the 5.1's, and decent quality stereo phones are superior (setup properly, which isn't hard).

 

[coldmeat]

Lol maybe I'm an idiot but can anyone with Soundmax tell me how they set up their headphones. My audio is set to "speakers" but there is no option for headphones.

 

[Sureshot324]

I think this one is a much better one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avv7T8Sk8Oc

I think though that the quality-compromise with Youtube decreases the effect a bit but the height effects are still very good.

Yeah that one is very good. Sounds so real it makes me wanna look behind me to see who'd shaking those matches lol. I wish games had positional audio that good...

 

[Ika]

/facepalm

Well of course stereo headphones aren't going to work when you have the speaker type set to 5.1. You need to set it to "headphone" when you use stereo headphones.

Nobody is saying that 5.1 headphones don't work. We're saying that you can get the same effect with stereo headphones without trying to cram so many drivers into a headset.

Actually... I have my CS:S sound config set to 5.1 surround, but my X-Fi panel has sound set to headphones. It's weird, because I'm very very sensitive to whenever Valve decides to fsck with the sound algorithms. When CS:S first came out, I played using Headphone/Headphone just fine. Then a couple months later, they made an update that really screwed up headphone sound, and I couldn't get proper positioning ever. I switched to 5.1 in CS:S, left my XFi on headphone, and plugged my headphones into my speakers, and they've been fine ever since. I think there was an update a couple months ago that changed the sound ever so slightly again, but I had to get used to it.

 

[AdamK47]

About 5 months ago I upgraded from Senheisser HD280 Pros played through an X-Fi Xtreme Music sound card to Shure SRH840s played through an Asus Xonar Essence sound card. The difference is amazing. A great combo if you like closed headphones.

 

[uhohs]

I'm using my beloved KOSS Porta Pro, they've been discontinued since many years already, but brand new ones can still be found, I bought mine on eBay from a retail store in the U.S. I've had different headphones over the years but so far only the KPP has the clarity and just amount of bass I like, but in the end it's certainly a matter of personal preferences.

porta pros have never been discontinued, there have been some cosmetic/color changes over the years though. bestbuy had them on sale for $30 a few weeks back.

and personally i prefer the brighter ksc75 sound over the ksc35/porta pro sound.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

/facepalm

Well of course stereo headphones aren't going to work when you have the speaker type set to 5.1. You need to set it to "headphone" when you use stereo headphones.

Nobody is saying that 5.1 headphones don't work. We're saying that you can get the same effect with stereo headphones without trying to cram so many drivers into a headset.

When I did the test I set my speakers to headphones. I'm not an idiot.

The other thing is that most of you are probably running your fancy stereo headphones off of onboard sound and my 5.1 headset still sounds better through my xfi prelude.

 

[0roo0roo]

wat.....
lol
the limiting factor is hardly the soundcard in most cases, its your speakers/headphones. a fancy soundcard connected to zalman cr@p is like hooking up a harmon kardon receiver to white van speakers.

 

[MarkBaskam]

Bose headphones all the way for me!