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What are the best 5.1 headphones under $100?

U

UbiSunt

Senior member

I need a pair of headsets for gaming and watching dvd's with some music listening. I am also on a very limited budget. The idea of 5.1 surround headphones sounded interesting so my two questions are: 1. Are 5.1 headphones a gimmick or are they an innovative product? 2. If 5.1 headphones are good, which are the best. I've read a lot of reviews on these three:

ZM-RS6F Real Surround Sound Headphone
http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=36-501-001&depa=0

GAINWARD Hollywood@Home Sound Xplosion 5.1 headset
http://www.newegg.com/app/view...=26-106-450&depa=0

and KINYO KY-100 5.1 Channel Headphone
http://www.newegg.com/app/view...=36-401-016&DEPA=0

The problem with most of these reviews are that they either completely dismiss the idea of 5.1 headphones so they do not really evaluate the product or they think its the greatest thing since sliced bread. Hopefully some forum members can enlighten me.

Also, I do not like the appearance of the Gainwards at all but if they are way better I would consider them. The same applies to the Kinyo's amp that has to be plugged in, if its significantly better I'm all for it. Thanks for any constructive input.
 
I don't have personal experience, but from what I've heard, I'd say that the ZALMAN's are a sure-thing, but the Gainward's are about half the price, so I'd continue my investigation. I'll keep checking back here as well, seeing as I am also looking for a pair of quality 5.1 headphones under $50.
 
One problem is that there plenty of crap stereo headphones even at $100. So knowing that the cost is being split among far more components plus a Dolby license and that none of the companies offering them have any particular related expertise is troubling. My notion is that they would have to be very good at stereo at least with quality primary drivers and a wide frequency response, accurate reproduction, plus be comfortable and have solid construction, etc. before even considering the potential benefit of the add-ons bits. Otherwise it is just a gimmick and may be anyway since games only require stereo and a decent sound card for very immersive directional sound while music and movies can be manipulated for mock surround with various convincing DSP effects such as Dolby Headphone, SRS TruSurroundXT, Creative CMSS 3D, and so on.
 
I rather get a pair of audiophile stereo headphones than some crazy 5.1 gimmic headphone. Good stereo sound stage > fake 5.1.

Audio-Technica A500 from audiocubes.com
 
Originally posted by: Baked
I rather get a pair of audiophile stereo headphones than some crazy 5.1 gimmic headphone. Good stereo sound stage > fake 5.1.

Audio-Technica A500 from audiocubes.com
Click to expand...


I agree, there is no way to get true 5.1 from 2 speakers, and it's alot better to have good 2.0 if you can't afford a 5.1 setup.
 
Originally posted by: gabemcg
Originally posted by: Baked
I rather get a pair of audiophile stereo headphones than some crazy 5.1 gimmic headphone. Good stereo sound stage > fake 5.1.

Audio-Technica A500 from audiocubes.com
Click to expand...


I agree, there is no way to get true 5.1 from 2 speakers, and it's alot better to have good 2.0 if you can't afford a 5.1 setup.
Click to expand...

im gonna second that, if you dont mind earbuds sure puts out a real good set i have the e3s and they are outstanding, they dont give you the bass or umph you get outta a sennheiser but they are compact and i use them for my laptop airplane rides, and my ipod- id go w/ a nice set of sennheiser for a desktop
 
No. Don't waste your money on that. If you can afford $150, might as well add another $60 and get the Audio-Technica A900. Comfort, sound stage, low impedence, all around excellent gaming and music headphone.
 
Yeah thanks, plus I just checked and you need a processing unit, the link was only to an extra set. That would make those headphones $340 in actuality.
 
Those Audio Technica seem nice but they have a major flaw: the ear pads disintegrate quickly. They may be overpriced regardless since they are not distributed in North America and are essentially imported on a per-order basis. Audiocubes similarly marks up the Pioneer SE-MONITOR10R to $109 which I bought elsewhere for $65.

Anyhoo, you may be surprised how quickly you can narrow it down when you make some basic decisions about the type you want: open/closed, on-ear/around, small/mid/full sized, frequency response, impedence, construction, durability, comfort, etc. Then hit google and the enthusiast sites and read everything you can so there are no post-purchase surprises. Of course try to audition 'em in person at ye local monger if you can too but realistically that is not an option for most folks.

I recently got the AKG K271 Studio and my impression is positive knowing the drivers have yet to be broken in. I would not say they are great value-wise, but if they prove to be durable over time that will become less of a concern as they are otherwise perfect for my needs. The aforementioned Pioneer were fantastic but a key part of the suspension failed after two years of use and a few episodes of abuse, most notably the final sitting upon... crack ... "oh shite!"
 
The A500/700/900 do have the earpad thing, but if you're good to your headphones you'll be able to skirt around it for the most part. That's not saying it's not something worth noting, though... most of us have abused our gear occasionally, it's a pain to have something you have to actively take care of.

I pretty much agree with everything Auric said. Isn't that helpful? Seriously, though, it's good advice: narrow it down, go to an enthusiast site to get opinions based on what you want out of a headphone and your music preferences, try the model(s) you've chosen out in person if at all possible. Just a couple things to add on that front: for the most part, audiophiles tend to exaggerate the differences between setups, and they also have a tendency to go over any budget you supply them. Plan accordingly.
 
I own the Zalman 5.1 headphones and I think they're great. Playing Doom 3, I CAN tell if something is behind me. From what I can tell these headphones do not have JUST 2 speakers in them. There are 3 jacks used to plug them in (Front, Center, Rear). There are small speakers offset to the front and rear of each main ear speaker. No one here has even tried them yet they have all said they're bad. Well, they're not!

I've gone as far as creating a box with parts from Mouser Electronics to give me a headphone feature. My speakers plug into 3 jacks on the rear of the box. The computer side is plugged into 3 more jacks on the back. Everything is wired so that when I plug my 5.1 headphones into the 3 jacks on the front, the main speakers are disabled.

I love 'em...so does my wife (she can't hear the games I'm playing).
 
I've tried 'em, actually. I'll say this: if you like them, then keep them. What's good for you is good for you, and that's that. I will also say, however, that there is a good reason that the topic has been steered towards stereo headphones.
 
i just spent hours reading reviews....and in general 50% say the zalmans suck and 50% say the zalmans are ok.
The Kinyos get GOOD reviews all over except the slight hissing noise of the amp when there's no sound.

I would get the kinyos hands down !

also..the kinyos are true 5.1, its *not* 2 speakers....its actually 6...so its not "fake" like some people say.

From what i read people are amazed how good these headphones are for gaming and DVDs.
They're not high-end, but supposed to be the best under $100 5.1 headphones.

Also...the OP asked for 5.1 headphones....and not what the best stereo/normal headphones are. Please stay on topic 🙂

 
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