Reddit mentions: The best computer audio & video accessories
We found 8,930 Reddit comments discussing the best computer audio & video accessories. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 1,028 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. Zalman Zm-Mic1 High Sensitivity Headphone Microphone
- It has attractive & compact design
- Localization - English
- High Sensitivity Headphone Mic
- 3 Mini Clips for Tidy Arrangement
- Product Type - Headphone Microphone
- Localization - English
- System Components - N/A
- System Components - N/A
- System Components - N/A
Features:
Specs:
Color | Connector: 3.5 mm |
Height | 1.5 Inches |
Length | 8 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 10 Feet |
Weight | 0.07 Pounds |
Width | 2 Inches |
2. V-MODA BoomPro Microphone for Gaming & Communication - Black
- Professional-grade mic ideal for communication and gaming featuring enhanced voice clarity and background noise reduction
- Detachable for maximum compatibility and usage; flexible ad adjustable for ideal mic positioning
- Built to last with a durable and reinforced cable, 24k gold plated plug and SteelFlex boom arm
- Convenient control clip features an in-line mute switch and rotary volume controls
- Compatible with all smartphones, tablets, PCs, notebooks and gaming consoles via 3.5mm (1/8") plug and headphones with a 3.5mm (1/8") cable input
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 7.1 Inches |
Length | 1.2 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | February 2013 |
Size | One Size |
Weight | 0.065625 Pounds |
Width | 4 Inches |
3. Blue Yeti USB Mic for Recording & Streaming on PC and Mac, 3 Condenser Capsules, 4 Pickup Patterns, Headphone Output and Volume Control, Mic Gain Control, Adjustable Stand, Plug & Play - Silver
- Custom Three-Capsule Array: Produces clear, powerful, broadcast-quality sound for YouTube, game streaming, podcasting, Zoom calls and music.
- Blue VOICE Software: Craft the perfect broadcast vocal sound and entertain your audience with enhanced effects, advanced modulation and HD audio samples. Advanced Blue VOICE is compatible with Yeti, Yeti Nano and Yeti X. To access Blue VOICE, please download Logitech’s free G HUB software.
- Four Pickup Patterns: Flexible cardioid, omni, bidirectional, and stereo pickup patterns allow you to record in ways that would normally require multiple mics.
- Onboard Audio Controls: Headphone volume, pattern selection, instant mute, and mic gain put you in charge of every level of the recording and streaming process.
- Plug 'n Play on Mac and PC: Instantly start recording and streaming on Mac or PC.
Features:
Specs:
Color | Silver |
Height | 11.6 inches |
Length | 4.9 inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | December 2009 |
Size | Mic Only |
Weight | 3.2 pounds |
Width | 4.7 inches |
4. Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920, Widescreen Video Calling and Recording, 1080p Camera, Desktop or Laptop Webcam
- Full HD 1080p video calling (upto 1920 x 1080 pixels) with the latest version of Skype for Windows; Webcam with 5 foot cable
- 720p HD video calling (upto 1280 x 720 pixels) with supported clients; Full HD video recording (upto 1920 x 1080 pixels). Max Resolution: 1080p/30fps 720p/30fps
- Video compression, Built in dual stereo mics with automatic noise reduction; Automatic low light correction, Tripod ready universal clip fits laptops, LCD or monitors
- Compatible with: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 or later; Works in USB Video Device Class (UVC) mode: Mac OS 10.10 or later (HD 720p on FaceTime for Mac or other supported video calling clients; Full HD 1080p video recording with QuickTime Player) Chrome OS,Android v 5.0 or above (with supported video calling clients),USB port,Internet connection
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 2.8 Inches |
Length | 3.7 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | January 2018 |
Size | webcam |
Weight | 0.24912235606 Pounds |
Width | 1.7 Inches |
5. Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 with 7.1 Surround Sound, Wireless Headphones with Microphone
- Headphone Driver: 1.6-Inch (40 mm), Frequency response: 20Hz-20KHz, Impedance: 32 Ohms, Sensitivity: 90dB SPL/mW
- Microphone Pickup pattern: Cardioid (Unidirectional), Type: Pressure Gradient Electret Condenser, Frequency response: 50-20KHz, Sensitivity: -40dBV/Pa re: 0dB = 1 Pa, 1KHz
- Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound, Seven discrete audio channels, SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8USB port
- Low-frequency effects (LFE) channel, Rapid-burst transmission
- Agile frequency, Noise-cancelling mic
- Rotate-to-mute mic, Battery: Up to 10 hours per charge
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 4.33 Inches |
Length | 9.84 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | !Only Bluetooth 2.0 |
Weight | 0.50485857998 Pounds |
Width | 8.98 Inches |
6. Antlion Audio ModMic Attachable Boom Microphone - Noise Cancelling with Mute Switch
ADD A MIC TO YOUR HEADPHONES - The Antlion Audio ModMic 4 is an attachable microphone which allows you to turn your favorite headphones into a headset. Attach a microphone to your headphones with a magnet, making it easy to remove or attach when you don't need a microphone.ELIMINATES BACKGROUND NOIS...
Specs:
Color | With Mute Switch |
Height | 4.6850393653 Inches |
Length | 1.6141732267 Inches |
Width | 7.5984251891 Inches |
7. Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker System (Black)
- LEGENDARY SOUND EXPERIENCE FROM KLIPSCH AND THX - The Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Speaker System pairs the legendary sound of Klipsch audio with the revolutionary THX experience, filling the room with incredible sound for gaming, movies, or music
- KLIPSCH MICROTRACTRIX HORN TECHNOLOGY makes a major contribution to the ProMedia’s amazing clarity. Their highly efficient design reproduces more sound from every watt of power, controlling the dispersion of that sound and sending it straight to your ears
- POWER & ATTITUDE - The two-way satellites’ 3” midrange drivers blend perfectly with the ProMedia THX Certified solid, 6.5” side-firing, ported subwoofer for full bandwidth bass response you can actually feel
- MAXIMUM OUTPUT: 200 watts of peak power, 110dB (in room) – to put that number into perspective - live rock music (108 - 114 dB) on average
- PERFORMANCE FLEXIBILITY - With its plug and play setup and convenient 3.5 millimeter input, the ProMedia THX Certified 2.1 speaker system offers an easy-to-use control pod with Main Volume and Subwoofer Gain Control
- PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS - compatible with your favorite devices, from your TV and computer to your music player and gaming consoles
- DIMEMSIONS - Satellite: 8.5” (21.59 centimeter) x 4.2” (10.67 centimeter) x 5.67” (14.4 centimeter) Subwoofer: 9.5” 24.13 centimeter) x 9.8” (24.9 centimeter) x 10.2” (25.9 centimeter)
Features:
Specs:
Color | black |
Height | 8.5 Inches |
Length | 5.67 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | December 2020 |
Size | 3-piece |
Weight | 2.1 pounds |
Width | 4.2 Inches |
8. Blue Yeti USB Mic for Recording & Streaming on PC and Mac, 3 Condenser Capsules, 4 Pickup Patterns, Headphone Output and Volume Control, Mic Gain Control, Adjustable Stand, Plug & Play – Blackout
- Custom three-capsule array: This professional USB mic produces clear, powerful, broadcast-quality sound for YouTube videos, Twitch game streaming, podcasting, Zoom meetings, music recording and more
- Blue VOICE software: Elevate your streamings and recordings with clear broadcast vocal sound and entertain your audience with enhanced effects, advanced modulation and HD audio samples
- Four pickup patterns: Flexible cardioid, omni, bidirectional, and stereo pickup patterns allow you to record in ways that would normally require multiple mics, for vocals, instruments and podcasts
- Onboard audio controls: Headphone volume, pattern selection, instant mute, and mic gain put you in charge of every level of the audio recording and streaming process
- Positionable design: Pivot the mic in relation to the sound source to optimize your sound quality thanks to the adjustable desktop stand and track your voice in real time with no-latency monitoring
- Plug 'n Play: Set up the computer microphone in seconds with the included desktop stand or connect directly to a mic stand or boom arm and instantly start recording and streaming on Mac or PC
Features:
Specs:
Color | Blackout |
Height | 11.61 Inches |
Length | 4.92 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | September 2019 |
Size | Mic Only |
Weight | 3.51 Pounds |
Width | 4.72 Inches |
9. Plantronics GameCom 780 Gaming Headset with Surround Sound - USB Compatible with PC
EXCEPTIONAL AUDIO PERFORMANCE: Dolby and Pro Logic LLX technologies transform standard audio into a stunning 7.1 surround sound gaming experience.COMFORTABLE FIT: Lightweight and soft ear cushions extend comfort for all day wear including music, gaming, and phone calls.NOISE CANCELING MICROPHONE: El...
10. Antlion Audio ModMic 5 - Modular Attachable Boom Microphone with Noise Canceling and Omni-Directional Audio
MEET YOUR MODMIC - 3M adhesives make for an easy application to any pair of headphones, while a slim design adds minimal extra weight. Add a magnet to multiple headphones for an instant headset assortment.HIGH-QUALITY AUDIO - A dual mic capsule allows you to toggle between cardioid uni noise-canceli...
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 2.83 Inches |
Length | 7.8 Inches |
Weight | 0.220462262 Pounds |
Width | 0.79 Inches |
11. Neewer 3.5mm Hands Free Computer Clip on Mini Lapel Microphone(3X Lapel Microphone)
- Cable length: approx. 59"/150cm
- Supported Windows XP, 2000, 98, ME, and Vista
- Plugs into a standard 3.5mm jack.
- PLEASE NOTE: Camera and Phone NOT Included
Features:
Specs:
Height | 1.1811 Inches |
Length | 4.7244 Inches |
Size | 3X Lapel Microphone |
Weight | 0.04 Pounds |
Width | 3.1496 Inches |
12. Cyber Acoustics CA-3602a 62W Desktop Computer Speaker with Subwoofer - Perfect 2.1 Gaming and Multimedia PC speakers
62 watts peak / 30 watts RMS power, enough to provide rich enjoyable sound, filling even the largest of rooms in your home.Dual 2” drivers in a flat panel designed satellite brings crisp accurate mids and highs.An acoustically tuned wood cabinet with a 5.25” Power Pro side-firing subwoofer de...
Specs:
Color | CA-3602a |
Height | 11.9 Inches |
Length | 11.3 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 9.0830451944 Pounds |
Width | 9.04 Inches |
13. HyperX (KHX-HSCC-BK) Cloud Core Gaming Headset - Durable Aluminum Frame - 53MM Drivers - Detachable Microphone - Works with PC/PS4 and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Enhanced comfort so you can game for hours
- Superior Audio with the same specs as HyperX cloud
- Compatible with PCs, PS4 console, Xbox one, Wii U and mobile devices
- Detachable Microphone; TeamSpeak and Discord certified so you’ll be heard loud and clear
- Hi Fi capable with 53 millimeter drivers for supreme quality and immersive in game audio
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 4.5 Inches |
Length | 9.3 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | October 2016 |
Size | Wired |
Weight | 0.78 Pounds |
Width | 8.5 Inches |
14. Audioengine A2 Plus 60W Powered Desktop Speakers, Built in 16Bit DAC and Analog Amplifier (Black)
PREMIUM POWERED DESKTOP SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATED DAC. The A2+ Computer Speakers provide CLEAR, FULL AUDIO and can easily connect to any device in seconds. Great for your desktop and smaller rooms.FEATURES: Built-in analog power amplifiers, dual analog audio inputs, USB audio input, hand-finished wood ...
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 5.99999999388 Inches |
Length | 3.99999999592 Inches |
Number of items | 2 |
Release date | January 2015 |
Size | Wired |
Weight | 3.6 Pounds |
Width | 5.25196849858 Inches |
15. USB Microphone,Fifine Plug &Play Home Studio USB Condenser Microphone for Skype, Recordings for YouTube, Google Voice Search, Games(Windows/Mac)-K668
- Plug and Play and Portable - Simply plug it into any available USB port, select it as your input in your software settings and you're ready to create your own audio. Compatible with Windows and Mac, and no software to install. (◆◆Incompatible with Xbox and Phones◆◆)
- Distinctive Omni Pick-up pattern - Noise cancellation and isolates the main sound source. Good for home studio, chatting, Skype, Discord, Yahoo Recording, YouTube Recording, Google Voice Search and Steam.
- Smooth, Flat Frequency Response of 50Hz-16KHz - Extended frequency response is excellent for singing, speech and Voice over. Performed perfectly in reproduces sound, high quality Mic & perfect voice recorder ensure that your exquisite sound reproduces on the internet.
- Record Directly to Your Computer - This desktop microphone is ideal for everything from studio vocals, to speech, gaming, podcast and desktop recording.
- Wide Frequency Response for brilliant and transparent sound. Extremely high signal output lets your voice cut through. Durable 5.9-foot USB cable is included, flexible and long enough for multiple applications.
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black B |
Height | 7.28345 Inches |
Length | 4.88188 Inches |
Weight | 0.661386786 Pounds |
Width | 2.59842 Inches |
16. Cyber Acoustics CA-3602FFP 2.1 Speaker Sound System with Subwoofer and Control Pod - Great for Music, Movies, Multimedia Pcs, Macs, Laptops and Gaming Systems
ROOM FILLING SOUND: Driven by an acoustically optimized internal power supply, this subwoofer speaker system delivers 62 watts peak power and 30 watts RMS. With this kind of power you can expect amazing sound at any volume level, filling any large room in the home or office.EASY TO USE: The convenie...
Specs:
Color | CA-3602FFP |
Height | 9.5 Inches |
Length | 12 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | February 2015 |
Size | One Size |
Width | 11.5 Inches |
17. Pulse Elite Edition Wireless Stereo Headset
- Bassimpact Technology
- Hi-fidelity 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound
- Crystal Clear Voice Chat
- Perfect For Use With Mobile Devices
- Comfortable For Hours Of Gameplay
- Feel the sound with BassImpact technology
- Enjoy hi-fidelity 7.1 virtual surround sound
- Crystal clear voice chat
- Perfect for use with mobile devices
- Comfortable for hours of gameplay
- Preset modes optimized for select gaming genres
- Stay informed with on-screen headset status updates
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 4.6 Inches |
Length | 9.2 Inches |
Release date | October 2012 |
Weight | 1.455 Pounds |
Width | 8.7 Inches |
18. Logitech C270 Desktop or Laptop Webcam, HD 720p Widescreen for Video Calling and Recording
- HD 720p video calling and HD video recording, 2.4 GigaHertz Intel Core2 Duo, 2 GB RAM,200 MB hard drive space
- Video capture: Upto 1280 x 720 pixels, Logitech fluid crystal. Focus type: Fixed focus
- Crisp 3 MP photos technology, Hi speed USB 2.0
- Compatible with: Windows 10 or later, Windows 8, Windows 7, Works in USB video device class (UVC) mode with supported video calling clients: MacOS 10.10 or later, Chrome OS, Android v 5.0 or above
- Built in microphone filters out background noise. System Requirements: Windows 7 Windows 8 or Windows 10 or later mac OS 10.10 or later chrome OSAndroid v 5.0 or above USB port Internet access visit your preferred video calling solution provider's website for exact information on system and performance requirements. Visit your preferred video calling solution provider's website for exact information on system and performance requirements. Works with Skype google hangouts face time for Mac.FoV: 60°
- 2 years limited
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 6.44881889106 inches |
Length | 9.85039369074 inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | June 2010 |
Weight | 0.2899960594348 Pounds |
Width | 4.93700786898 inches |
19. Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset
- High Quality Creative VOLUME CTRL FATALITY
- Portable Design
- Energy Star Certified
- Gaming headset with detachable boom microphone
- Detachable and adjustable noise-canceling boom microphone
- Powerful 40mm Neodymium drivers
- Lightweight, adjustable headband for extended comfort
- Backed by a one-year warranty
Features:
Specs:
Color | other |
Height | 5 Inches |
Length | 7 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 0.8 Pounds |
Width | 3 Inches |
20. Antlion Audio ModMic Attachable Boom Microphone - Noise Cancelling Without Mute Switch
ADD A MIC TO YOUR HEADPHONES - The Antlion Audio ModMic 4 is an attachable microphone which allows you to turn your favorite headphones into a headset. You can attach a microphone to your headphones with a magnet, making it easy to remove or attach when you don't need a microphone.ELIMINATES BACKGRO...
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 1.41732 Inches |
Length | 7.28345 Inches |
Weight | 0.2425084882 Pounds |
Width | 2.71653 Inches |
🎓 Reddit experts on computer audio & video accessories
The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where computer audio & video accessories are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
I allready posted 2 builds. So this post will be focused on the peripherals as you did ask for suggestions as well. Peripherals are all very hard to suggest, if we don't have enough information. But if you got the time to answer the questions, I will have a better idea if my suggestion will work for you.
Monitor:
Keyboards:
Mouse:
Headphones:
Microphones:
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | $179.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard | $109.89 @ OutletPC
Memory | Team - Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $75.88 @ OutletPC
Storage | ADATA - XPG SX6000 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $109.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | MSI - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB DUKE OCV1 Video Card | $449.99 @ Newegg
Case | Cougar - MX330 ATX Mid Tower Case | $49.85 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $59.99 @ B&H
Case Fan | Cooler Master - MasterFan Pro 120 Air Flow 84.5 CFM 120 mm Fan | $9.89 @ OutletPC
Keyboard | Redragon - K582 SURARA Wired Gaming Keyboard | $46.99 @ Amazon
Mouse | Logitech - G203 Prodigy Wired Optical Mouse | $26.60 @ Amazon
Headphones | Superlux - HD668B Headphones | $38.98 @ Amazon
Custom | Zalman Zm-Mic1 High Sensitivity Headphone Microphone | $9.96 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1247.90
| Mail-in rebates | -$80.00
| Total | $1167.90
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-23 13:16 EDT-0400 |
RAM: Same specs, but $15 cheaper. And they'll still look great with the rest of the build.
SSD: It won't do a whole lot for everyday applications, but it's an nVME and actually slightly faster than the MX500, at a lower price. Also it's an M.2 drive, and in my opinion it's just nice having to run two less cables in your case.
Graphics card: Very much a sidegrade here, but I personally really like the great big hulking cooler on the Duke, and I prefer MSi's quality control over Gigabyte who's been more miss than hit lately. Especially on the midrange models. If you feel like trying something else, you can get the best Vega 64, the Sapphire Nitro+ for just $400 right now, and it's a a fantastic card. It's really close to the 2070 in performance, and while it does use more power, it's very easy to undervolt which will have it running cooler and more often than not faster than stock. For $50 less, this is the better deal in my opinion and what I would personally do.
Case: I chose to spend a bit more here, but for $20 more, you can get a really nice case, with great airflow and a nice tempered glass side. This is actually the MX330-G (at least if you buy it on Amazon), which is glass instead of acryllic.
PSU: The G3 is not a bad PSU at all, but it's smaller than the G1 and G2 and have had issues with fan noise and coil whine compared to the older models. A 550 W unit is easily enough for this build, but if you want a bit more oompf an EVGA G1+ 850W or a Cooler Master MWE Gold 750 W can be had for just $70 (if you go for the Vega 64, I'd recommend getting at least a 650 W PSU).
Case fan: The Arctic's aren't bad at all, but I'd recommend going for a PWM fan, to give you more control of fan curves and noise levels. The MasterFan Pro's are great, and you get a whole lot of fan for just $10.
Keyboard: Slightly more expensive, but true mechanical keys and plenty of RGB backlight. Redragon makes some amazing things for really cheap. If you prefer blue-style switches, the K551 is a nice option for around the same price.
Headset: The G230 aren't bad per se, but they are a budget gamer headset, and they sound like that as well. For around $15 more, you can get a great set of headphones and a clip on mic. I guarantee that the headphones will sound better and be more comfortable than the G230's and the mic is probably going to be just as good. The best part is that you can easily upgrade either down the road. Something like a Antlion ModMic will turn a good set of headphones into a great headset. If you want to stick with a more traditional headset, I'd recommend the Kingston HyperX Stinger for around $50.
In total this is ever so slightly cheaper, but with small upgrades to SSD, case, fans, keyboard and headphones. I hope this helps or at least serves as inspiration :)
i5-4690k - If you aren't doing any programming or editing, and mainly gaming, you'll see here that the 4690k trumps every AMD CPU. There is no competition in tier 1 gaming CPU's in the AMD department. AMD uses more, but slower cores, which isn't ideal for gaming. The 4690k definitely has higher base processing speed because of increased IPS performance and faster single cores in general. Also, AMD CPU's are notoriously power hungry and heat up quite a bit more. With some overclocking, you'll be able to hit around 4.5hz on an 8320, which will compensate for a bit, but an OC'd 4690k will still perform considerably better.
CM 212 evo - One of the best CPU coolers in terms of price/performance. You'll be able to hit some nice OC's on your 4690k, even though it probably won't be necessary until later.
Asrock Z97 Extreme 4 - I'm mainly suggesting this mobo because of the great 4690k/z97 bundle going on at microcenter, you can cop them both for around $300. Besides that, you'll be able to hit nice CPU overclocks and SLI. Awarded by tomshardware as one of the best z97 mobos $100-$150
Ripjaws Memory - One of the most popular memory's. Won't be needing more than 8gb, 1600 for gaming, looks pretty nice along with the red msi gtx 970 and $80 is a good price.
840 Evo SSD - one of the best SSD's along with the mx100. Quick quick quick.
1TB WD Blue - It's either this or the seagate 1tb. I personally can vouch for the reliability of WD drives, so I tend to go with them.
MSI GTX 970 - Probably will go down as one of the most iconic cards in pc gaming history along with the 8800gt as a crazy level of price to performance. You'll gobble up any game @ 1080p/60fps, and do more than well in the 1440p resolution. You'd have no problem with 4k resolution with SLI'd 970's. The gtx 970 would eat up 10 GTS 450's for breakfast. Seriously, the performance upgrade you'd be getting with this card will make you get on your knees and praise Gaben.
H236HLbid 23" IPS monitor - If you've never used IPS or 1080p, you'll be amazed by the picture quality and color accuracy of this screen. The best 23" 1080p monitor in the $100-$200 range. The alternative is to get a 1440p QNIX 2710 (MUST BE SINGLE INPUT to overclock to ~96hz) This is a great 1440p PLS monitor for around $350 that can overclock to 96hz, which means you'll be seeing 96 frames/sec instead of the usual 60hz, as long as your system can handle it. Makes a HUGE difference.
Fractal R4 Case - One of the most iconic ATX Mid cases. Can cop for around $80 on sale, lots of HD trays (top rack removable), nice fit, fan speed control, and a slew of over cool features. Other options in the price range - Phanteks Enthroo Pro and the NZXT 440.
EVGA G2 750w PSU - Very high quality Gold standard PSU. I overshot it with this to allow headroom to add another GTX 970 for the build. You can safely SLI the gtx 970's with a high quality 650W PSU, because they take so little power, around 145W TDP. A 650W Gold+ Seasonic or Antec would do just fine.
Find yourself a nice mechanical keyboard with cherry mx switches. I would suggest a cm quickfire or k70. One of the most important upgrades you can make. Once you go cherry mx, you'll have a hard time typing on membrane keyboards. It's an absolute must for me.
Last, but not least try to find a decent headphone and stick on a zalman attachable mic to use as a gaming headset. I personally use an ath-m50, although it's not great for gaming with it's bad soundstage since I listen to music more often anyway. Nice alternatives are the beyerdynamic dt-770 and sennheiser hd 25-1 II.
Speakers - You'll need a pair of speakers for your setup since your monitor won't come with one. I recommend M-Auidio AV40's. They're delicious. If you're looking for a cheaper option, these aren't so bad.
Wow, that was a lot of writing! I know it can be overwhelming picking out parts for a pc, especially if you haven't it in a while. Hopefully you'll find some of this info useful, and good luck!
CPU | Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $219.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $89.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | ASRock Z97 EXTREME4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $132.99 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory | $79.98 @ OutletPC
Storage | Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $124.95 @ OutletPC
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $52.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card | $348.99 @ NCIX US
Case | Corsair Air 540 ATX Mid Tower Case | $129.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $103.49 @ NCIX US
Optical Drive | Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer | $16.98 @ OutletPC
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) | $90.26 @ OutletPC
Monitor | Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $139.99 @ Best Buy
Keyboard | Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $129.95 @ NCIX US
Headphones | Kingston HyperX Cloud Pro Headset | $79.99 @ Newegg
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $1740.53
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-11 14:46 EST-0500 |
Things I changed:
Processor cooler:
Added one as I do recommend one if you want to overclock your system. The H100i does very well on the cooling part!
Motherboard:
I'm not much of a fan of MSI boards because of their software. Their Killer Lan drivers broke my Wi-Fi's card drives and the Sound blaster Cinema drivers said I didn't even own an MSI board :/
So I'd recommend going with the Asrock Z97 Extreme4 as it offers better overclockability because of the higher power phase count and extra ports like the Sata-Express one.
Case:
While this one is a great case, you should check out these:
- Phanteks Enthoo Pro. It's a lot bigger case, but it offers a lot more upgrade options later on. It's just an fantastic case that looks great for a decent price!
- Corsair Obsidian 750D. It's another big case, but just like the Enthoo Pro a great alternative!
- Be Quiet! Silent Base 800. This is Be Quiet!'s first take at a case and I have high hopes for this one. It looks amazing and offers a lot of options. I expect to find the well popular Silent wing fans and sound dampening material in there!
- Fractal Design Node 605. This is an excellent, but quite expensive alternative! It's a small "HTPC" like case that supports ATX motherboards and long graphics cards!
Power supply:
The G1 series of EVGA are not that great. You should go with the G2 series. You could also go with something cheaper from Rosewill, that still is a great quality power supply.
Speakers:
About speaker setups. I'd recommend one with an amplifier with it. As onboard audio is not gonna do very well for a decent setup. Or go with something a little cheaper.
From cheaper to most expensive:
- Creative Labs Gigawork T40 Series II. A great 2.0 setup that doesn't really need a good amplifier to create some nice sounds.
- Creative Labs Inspire T6160 is another great setup that is fine without dedicated amplifier. This setup is fairly cheap and it'll most likely have some sharp high tones, which are certainly annoying.
- Logitech Z506. A great and popular setup. I do highly recommend going with an external (DAC and) amplifier for the best audio quality.
- AudioEngine A2+. these are more professional boxes and thus provide you with excellent clear sounds! It has a DAC integrated for even better audio quality than all above mentioned speaker setups.
Here I have my current setup. The headphones are my Beyerdynamic Custom Studios, the DAC is an Audioengine D3, and the AMP is a Fiio A3 Portable Amp. The entire setup cost me $268, but as of now I believe the Custom Studios are discontinued, so you could replace the headphones with some alternatives in that price range (Audio Technica M40x/M50x or Philips SHP9500.) Anyways, here’s a review for everything.
Beyerdynamic Custom Studio (80 ohm)
Used to be $163, now they are [$250] (https://www.guitarcenter.com/Beyerdynamic/Custom-STUDIO-Headphones-1392652270585.gc)
I bought these headphones around July of 2017 as my first pair of “real” headphones. Initially, I was disappointed, but this was only because I was not used to the sound of these headphones at the time. After about a month of listening to them, I went back to compare them to some old Apple Earbuds and at first, I couldn’t believe the difference. Everything about these headphones was amazing. There’s a great amount of detail in them, the imaging is absolutely amazing, but soundstage is very narrow due to them being closed back headphones. As closed back headphones, they do a fantastic job of not allowing sound to leak about and making sure outside noise stays outside as long as the volume is higher. I use these at the library in my school when I write papers and never get complaints. I’ve tested them before by placing them on my friends’ heads and playing music at a loud volume, but nothing leaks out.
I found the comfort to be alright, but the fault was due to the velour. I really do not like velour as I find it to be very itchy, however, many other people praise the earpads, so it just comes down to preference. I instead replaced the pads with some [Brainwavs HM5 Sheepskin earpads] ( https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Sheepskin-Leather-Memory-Earpad/dp/B01J53KM32) and fell in love with the comfort. The pads increased bass a little and made them incredibly comfortable. I use a [V-Moda Boom Pro] ( https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Communication/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1524357476&sr=8-1&keywords=vmoda+boompro&dpID=41WfbQw%252Bp8L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch) with it when I game and these never become uncomfortable, even after playing for hours on end. The clamp on these is very strong, but I like it that way as it prevents them from falling off my head.
The unique thing about these headphones is that it has bass sliders on each cup, which allows you to adjust the bass from (Low bass, neutral, vibrant bass, and max bass.) I tend to keep it on neutral and the bass there is more than enough for me (and I love bass.) I use these for just about everything, including gaming and I never have any issues. I wear glasses and these are fine for anyone who may wear glasses.
After trying out different headphones at CanJam this year, I now know where these headphones can improve, but these still manage to keep up with everything else above its price range. You can run these off a phone and get some good volume, but I like music loud, so I use them with an amp at all times. Overall, I’m glad these are my first pair and I plan on keeping them as my closed back pair of headphones after I move on to more expensive headphones.
Audioengine D3 DAC+AMP
[$45 Refurbrished] (https://audioengineusa.com/shop/factory-refurbished/d3-24-bit-dacheadphone-amp-2/)
I bought the Audioengine D3 as the last piece of the puzzle in terms of headphones, amps, and dacs. It is a USB DAC that comes with a ¼ inch adapter and a sleeve to carry it. This is actually what motivated me to listen to music on my laptop as I used to listen to music on my phone. I really have no complaints about it. When it released, it was priced at $200 and was one of the few USB DACs that could compete with the Dragonfly DACs, and from what I’ve read online, a lot of reviewers actually prefer the D3. I saw it on Massdrop a month back for $70ish and wanted it, but I wanted to read reviews about it first. That’s where I found that you can get it for $45 straight out of their website with free shipping included. There really is no reason to look for another DAC when this one is available for such a steal. There is no kind of sound when music is not playing and it is driverless, meaning you can just plug it in to your computer and it’s ready to go. One thing to note is that it gets really hot, but it isn’t a problem, so long as you keep your fingers off of it. I felt like I noticed an improvement in songs, but it could just be a placebo (A B test your gear and see if you can notice a difference.) However, I really like having it around and I don’t listen to anything on my laptop without it.
Fiio A3 AMP
[$59.99] (https://www.amazon.com/A3-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00Z9BIODA)
I bought the Fiio A3 when I bought my headphones because I read that an amp was almost required for anything at 80 ohms and higher. Since then, I’ve loved this little beast of an amp. It has a low and high gain switch to control volume (I keep it on high gain when connected to my phone and low gain when connected to the D3.) It also has a bass boost switch which I really like when I feel like being basshead (The bass boost here + max bass setting on the Custom Studios = Madness.) It has a life of about 16 hours before needing to recharge and it has a blue led that blinks when it needs to charge. It makes headphones very loud very fast. It is also built like a tank. I tried carrying it around in my pocket when I walked on campus and it slipped out. It only took a cosmetic hit, but in terms of functionality, it is untouched.
The only reason I still use it is because I like being able to control audio through a knob as opposed to a digital slider. The only annoying thing about it is that it has a hissing noise when the knob is turned up without any music playing, but when music starts to play, the hiss disappears. Overall, I absolutely recommend this amp if you want something to start with as it will do nothing but impress you every time.
This is my setup and being a broke college kid, I could not be happier. In terms of the things that this sub shows off, I find this to be a very budget friendly setup. Even when I upgrade everything, I still plan on keeping it as I do not want to forget where I started in terms of this hobby. For anyone that may be wanting to jump into the world of audio, I absolutely recommend these products as places to start. I’ve provided straight links for anyone that may want to check out the products.
So I woke up and these are the links to the videos and some pointers and what not.
ALL LINKS IN THE BOTTOM
Here is the first video for 150 dollars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dj5G0isn9Y
These are the 50 dollar headphones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fD-M1F6L4g
These are the really high end for 200-1000 dollar sets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgTnJ3JQQ0E
Open vs Closed
Closed
Closed which is what I use right now but am looking to get an open pair for 150 bucks. Now closed is where the sound outside your headphones do not come in, as much. Now some are completely noise cancelling then others and some you can still hear but not too well. It has a less of a sound stage so it is harder to know where somethings is by hearing it.
Open
Open is where the vibrator (forgot the name) is directly exposed with little noise cancelling materiel and sometimes none. The offer a much larger sound stage where you can tell where hostiles are, where the birds are, tanks, etc. They also are much better sounding. However, if you live in a loud place with a lot of things going on, get closed. Open also allows for people to hear what you listen to, from 2 or 3 feet away but not behind a closed door.
Microphones
One of the things that you need to be weary about is desktop mics. They are good sounding, great everything. However if you have a small desk get an attachable arm. If you have a mechanical keyboard or hit your table a lot get an arm. But arms can be expensive 20-40 dollars or even more. The solution is getting a Antlion Modmic 4.0 for 40 bucks, great sound, nice and clear and noise cancelling so it won't pickup outside noise. Desktop mics I'd get is a Blue Yeti, Snowball, Audio Technica 2020 is also great, Snowflake microphone, etc.
Ad-dons for audio
So if you want to get better audio, louder, etc. Get an AMP/DAC mix. They are a DAC/AMP connecting VIA USB plug to the PC and then the headphones connect to the DAC with a quarter inch with some 3.5mm connectors but not recommended. These offer a much better experience but at a cost for 80-200 dollars for good ones. Some pads too add bass or take away from treble, mids or bass or add to. But not that much but it is always great to get better pads then stock ones on some stuff for more comfortable wearing.
Headphones
Probably why you are here reading this. Now if you have 80-100 dollars here are my recommendations
Takstar HI 2050 open back headphones and a modmic 4.0 come in at just 100 dollars, they are great headphones. VERY comfy pads from Bererdynamic, honestly I don't know how they aren't losing money they sound like 200 dollar headphones.
Superlux 668B's they are good headphones, they sound high end, are very tough, etc. However they are semi-open and have a fairly large sound stage. My biggest 2 problems are, they are very treble heavy and uncomfortable for larger heads and ears. If I got these I'd need the velour ear pads Amazons sells for them because the stock are hard plastic. The other problem is they aren't very big either and I have a very large ear and head so they is a minus for me. Which is why I love the Takstar HI2050's.
Now if you want to drop more money then get these AKG Q701's which are VERY open. They offer the largest sound stage in the price bracket and more then almost all 500+ headphones. They are very comfy and big for big ears. Very good sound.
For some alternatives in that price bracket for open are DT 990's pros for 150 dollars, they are a bit treble heavy but still are very great. They are 150 on Amazon for the 250 OHM one which can be used in quarter inch and 3.5mm plugs by unscrewing the quarter inch adapter. They have very deep ear pads and very comfy ones too.
Now if you want closed for 30 bucks and still good audio get these Monoprice 108323. Now these earpads aren't very good IMO so I'd get Brainwavz replacement pads for 20 dollars. They are deep, comfy and overall nice. Sound I don't know too much about but they still beat gaming headsets.
For the last pair of closed backs I can think of are DT 770s, bass heavy, VERY big headphones from Beyerdynamic and overall good but not a good sound stage get these for 170 on Amazon.
Another honourable mention is Audio Technica M50x's, they are ok. Better then gaming headsets but don't offer much compared to 990's or 701's but still good. They are 160 I believe.
Now get a modmic or whatever mic you want with these, I'd get a desktop mic w/ arm personally but modmic is nice.
Links
Make sure to look at reviews.
Feel free to ask any questions too.
Not OP but I can help you out here. Let's break this down by component:
Hope this helps. Higher quality audio equipment can be confusing and daunting, what with all the technical details, wide price ranges, parsing through all the marketing bullshit and the sometimes snobby attitudes of some "audiophiles". I wish you luck and feel free to ask me if you have any questions.
CPU | Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor | $199.99 @ Microcenter
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $154.99 @ NCIX US
Memory | Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $71.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $122.99 @ NCIX US
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $59.98 @ Outlet PC
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card | $409.99 @ NCIX US
Case | Corsair 650D ATX Mid Tower Case | $159.99 @ Microcenter
Power Supply | Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $79.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive | LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer | $15.99 @ Microcenter
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) | $89.73 @ Outlet PC
Monitor | Dell S2340M 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $159.99 @ Adorama
Keyboard | SteelSeries 6Gv2 Wired Standard Keyboard | $98.98 @ Outlet PC
Mouse | SteelSeries Sensei RAW Wired Laser Mouse | $44.99 @ NCIX US
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $1669.59
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-03 01:55 EDT-0400 |
More upgrade-able:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
Type|Item|Price
CPU | Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor | $229.99 @ Microcenter
Motherboard | Asus P9X79 LE ATX LGA2011 Motherboard | $224.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $71.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $122.99 @ NCIX US
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $59.98 @ Outlet PC
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card | $409.99 @ NCIX US
Case | Corsair 650D ATX Mid Tower Case | $159.99 @ Microcenter
Power Supply | Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $79.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive | LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer | $15.99 @ Microcenter
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) | $89.73 @ Outlet PC
Monitor | Dell S2340M 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $159.99 @ Adorama
Keyboard | SteelSeries 6Gv2 Wired Standard Keyboard | $98.98 @ Outlet PC
Mouse | SteelSeries Sensei RAW Wired Laser Mouse | $44.99 @ NCIX US
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $1769.59
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-03 01:58 EDT-0400 |
This is all based on speculation, but I don't think that the LGA 1150 socket (the socket that the i5-4670k uses) is going to be around for a long time in comparison to the socket used in the more upgradeable build (LGA 2011).
The i7 used in the LGA 2011 build is going to help improve performance, but it isn't going to make a big difference in gaming. However, I would say that the LGA 2011 socket is going to have better longevity, if that's what your after.
Other than the CPU and motherboard, the primary components of both builds are pretty much the same. You have your motherboard. In the i5 build, the motherboard is good enough to support overclocking quite well, as long as you aren't too extreme with it. In the more upgradeable build, the motherboard is also good enough to support overclocking, but the CPU will not be overclockable due to it not being an Intel "K" variant.
The SSD I have included is pretty much the best SSD on the market right now, and you have 128GB of it. That's pretty nice for storing your OS and programs that you're going to frequently access. The Hard Drive is for big data and files like Music and Videos.
The GTX 770 is the second best single GPU card out today. It has the best price:performance ratio of any card and will ravage any game.
The Corsair 650D is one of the nicest mid-tower cases out there. It isn't massive, but it isn't small either. It has a nice window so you can see inside. If you want, get some Logisys cathodes to light up your case for a quick mod that makes things look cool.
The monitor is a decent budget IPS display. If you want to focus more on the monitor, I can shift some of the budget to it. It has a pretty nice bezel.
It's finished off with a nice set of steelseries gear. The 6gv2 is the nicest mechanical keyboard I've used, with the exception of possibly the das keyboard. It doesn't light up, have extra buttons, or have any other frills. It's just a really nice mechanical keyboard. The mouse is the sensei [raw], which is a slightly lesser version of the sensei, but it's all you need. It has an ambidextrous design, which some of the right-handed people don't like. Just thought you should know that.
The last part is the gaming headset, and this is the reason why there's a sizable chunk of money at the end of the i5 build. There wasn't enough money to put in a GTX 780, overclocking, AND headphones. I should let you know that I don't believe in gaming headsets. A high-end gaming headset approaching $100 is essentially a $20-30 headphone with a microphone attached to it, sold at a large markup. It's all hype, and most people buy into it. The best solution is a nice pair of cans with a clip-on mic. I'm partial to the V-moda Crossfade M80 with this zalman clip-on mic, but on-ear headphones may not be your thing. The M80 has nice bass that is perfect for video games. Let me know.
www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Crossfade-On-Ear-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B005HSDLCO/
www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/
That said, if you're dead set on a pair of gaming headphones you can't go THAT far wrong with a Logitech G35 or Steelseries Siberia V2. You just aren't getting what you pay for with the sound quality.
i5s tend to perform a bit better than equivalent Ryzen CPUs for gaming, and the motherboards are a bit cheaper. So I'd go with an i5 7500 and a B250 motherboard. If you have your own Skylake CPU to use to update the BIOS in the motherboards, go with a H110 or B150 motherboard to save ~$15-20 per computer, but otherwise, the B250 is the best choice. (You don't want to risk getting an older motherboard that isn't updated to boot with the newer CPUs)
I'd swap out the 2 x 4 GB of RAM for 1 8 GB stick so that you can add more in the future when games start needing more than 8 GB of RAM.
A SSD isn't really necessary at this budget, as they're low on storage and all they do over a cheaper HDD is reduce boot times by 30 seconds and load times by 15-60 seconds in some games. A 1 TB WD Caviar Blue is $50, so you save some money over the SSD and get over 4x the storage space.
I switched the RX 480 model to a very similar one because the one you picked doesn't have a price showing. Just get the cheapest 8 GB RX 480 from a reputable brand and site.
The EVGA PSU went up in price, so I changed it to a very similar model that's $20. You could switch the PSUs with 420W Seasonics if you want better durability and build quality.
For a Wi-Fi adapter, I added a $20 USB TP-Link ac adapter. You're probably better off with an ethernet network switch/splitter if your cousins have a wired connection in their house/apartment, though.
> Personalized cases (doesn't need to be extravagant, something like personalized LEDs for each computer?)
Maybe get these RGB LEDs? They're fairly cheap
This build, which uses my suggestions above, ends up saving you about $100 per PC excluding the RGB LEDs and Wi-Fi adapters which add $40 per PC. So you're at $4200 total for the 5 PCs with RGB and Wi-Fi.
> Mice (4)
This is up to personal preference. I use the Logitech G502 but it's a bit expensive at ~$70-80 USD each if you're buying 5 of them. I'd recommend looking at Logitech's gaming mice in the $40-50 range. The G602 is on sale for $40, and the G502 is on sale for $60, so I'd get one of those two. The G602 is wireless, and the difference doesn't seem to be too big, so I'd go with the G602.
> Mousepad (4)
I'd heard good things about the Steelseries Qck and Qck+, and the Glorious PC Gaming brand of mousepads, which are more affordable. I personally use a Logitech G240 mousepad, which I've had for a few years, though the rubber coating on the bottom had started to fall off, so I'm planning on replacing it with a Glorious PC Gaming Extended mousepad. The advantage of the Steelseries mousepads seems to be that they are from a more reputable brand, but the Glorious mousepads are stitched at the edges to prevent the rubber part from falling off (Which seems to be common with cloth mousepads after a lot of wear), and are a bit cheaper.
> Keyboard (4)
I personally use a Corsair STRAFE. If you want to get a mechanical keyboard, the Corsair Vengeance K65 keyboards seem to be a great budget choice at $60 each.
> Monitor (5)
I'd get 23/24" 1080p monitors with low response times (Preferably 5 ms or lower). At $85 each, this 23.6" Acer seems good.
> Microphone and Headphones/ Or Headset (4)
Headsets tend to be overpriced with poor sound quality. Something from the r/headphones wiki in the below $50 range for headphones should be excellent for the price.
Mic-wise, a cheap clip-on mic such as this one for just under $10 should be fine.
If you want to cut down costs more, you could use onthehub.com to get cheaper Windows keys if your cousins' schools are on there. It's a site partnered with Microsoft to give discounts to students and teachers. I personally used it for Windows 10 and I haven't had any problems with my OS (I've been using the key for about 6 months now.)
After peripherals, if you spend $40 per each pair of headphones, and $87.89 on Windows, you're at $1085 per PC or $5425 total. You save $270-320 or so total if you can get the Windows keys from onthehub for $10-20 each. Here's the parts list excluding the mics, headphones, keyboards, monitors, mice, and mousepads.
I'd go with /u/RatchetRussian's suggestion of using Jet.com. I'm Canadian, so I've never used the site, but it seems to be pretty reputable.
> Should I build the computers myself or ask a professional?
You can build it yourself easily with a good YouTube tutorial. I'd recommend this Newegg tutorial or this PCPer tutorial from the sub's sidebar.
> Should I gift them individually or all at once? Christmas or random summer day?
I'd just give them all at once when you finish all of the PCs so that everyone can start playing at the same time, but do whatever you think is best.
I'd also go with /u/Clintosity's suggestion of making sure that there's enough room for 5 PCs. If there's issues with space, you can switch the cases to mATX cases and build smaller PCs.
Hopefully this helps, and good luck with the PC building!
If you want, I can copy-paste the response I usually give to people asking about gaming headset. Hope it will help you.
Wall of text ahead. Please, read only if you are really interested...
What I usually recommend when someone ask for advice about gaming headsets is: Gaming headset are crap 99% of the time. They provide very poor sound quality, and any good headphone (literally, even 40$ ones) will sound far better than expensive 300$ headsets. The question is not if headphones are better than headset (the answer is “Hell, YEAH”). The question is, are they better for you?
What are you planning to use your headphones for? Just for gaming, or for gaming and music listening?
If the answer is “just for gaming”, then ask yourself if a Hifi headphone is what you need. Usually games don’t really need high quality headphones, since they provide low quality sound, and you will be more concentrated gaming than listening. In that scenario, everything will serve you, and gaming headsets have the advantage of the integrated microphone.
So, if you want something good for gaming, and just for gaming, with integrated microphone, then the only two headsets with good enough quality sound (aka don’t suck) are:
HyperX Cloud (70$)
Sennheiser G4me One (170$)
Both are good choices. Or go with any fancy RGB headset you find (Logitech, Razer, Corsair, Steelseries, etc), you will most probably don’t notice the difference while gaming.
BUT, if you plan to use them for music listening besides gaming, then keep reading.
About the microphone problem
Hifi headphones for gaming have the disadvantage of having to deal with the micro thing. None of them have microphone incorporated, and you must find a workaround to the problem. Options available are:
1- Use a desk microphone like this
2- Some headphones have detachable cable. If the connector is a 3.5mm jack, you can substitute the cable with this V-Moda micro. That way you can have a microphone attached and still use a single cable. Main problem is that you must use this cable, no matter what, and if you end buying an amplifier, you can no longer use this microphone, as amplifiers don’t have micro input. Also, not all headphones are compatible, as not all use 3.5mm jack connections (Audio-technica and Sennheiser headphones are NOT compatible with V-moda Boom micro, cause they use 2.5mm jack)
3- use a modmic like this one or if your budget is tight, something like this.
The first option requires desk space and it’s expensive. The second one is not compatible with every headphone, and forces you to use this cable. The third one are detachable micro, with an extra cable you’ll have to deal with. Any of them are a nuisance. Any solution is annoying. All of them are an extra expense that must be accounted. If micro is a must and you are not willing to bother with this solutions, please, go back to HyperX Cloud or G4me One.
Ok, so, you really want some damn good headphones, that also can be used for gaming! Keep reading, please (are you bored yet?).
You can choose Closed back headphones (the classic ones you have already used. Closed back models offer good isolation and do not leak sound. This is your choice when there are people around you, or you want isolation from noisy a environment.) or Open Back headphones (Open back models offer next to no isolation and will leak sound -and allow you to hear what happens around you-, but they are the best sounding models). Open headphones achieve the best sound, soundstage (feeling that sound is coming from around you) and imaging (ability to locate the source of one sound).
If you are here because you want to get a replacement for a gaming headset, I would recommend you Open back, but since they don’t isolate, you must choose. If isolation is required, get closed back, if that’s not a concern, go open.
Some closed back cans:
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. 100$. Balanced headphones, very good feedback from lots of people. Typical entry level headphones to the rabbit hole.
Sennheiser HD 598Cs. 125$. Balanced, very very detailed, great instrumental separation. Comfortable as hell, very recommended.
Beyerdynamic DT770. 160$. V-shaped signature (lots of bass and lots of treble). Amazing soundstage (for a closed headphone). Great for explosions, movies, and rock. Treble can be harsh if you are sensible. Get the 32 ohm version, as the 80 (may) and 250 (do) need an amplifier to work properly.
Those are some examples of entry-mid level of closed cans. There are lots more, depending of your budget!
As for open cans:
Superlux HD668b. 40$. Those are THE CANS. The best quality for low budget you can get. Hands down. Great soundstage, Bass light. They are not too comfortable, but pads can be changed for a deluxe comfort (extra expense). You are not getting anything better at this price. For gaming in a budget, this are the headphones you were looking for.
Philips SHP9500. 80$. Mid-forward signature. Good soundstage, great comfort. Very detailed. Another amazing quality for the budget headphone. Due its popularity, they’re getting harder and harder to get.
Sennheiser HD 598 SR. 170$. Very similar to the HD 598Cs, but with open back. Wider soundstage, a little less bass. Very balanced headphones. Super-duper comfortable. Great for long gaming sessions.
Philips Fidelio X2. 250$. V-shaped signature. Those are in another league. Build quality is just.. OMG. Extreme soundstage and imaging. More comfortable than the HD 598. Bass is BOOOOOM!!!. A little pricey, and can be somewhat fatiguing to listen if you are treble sensible, due to high treble.
Well, that’s all. I have selected only headphones that don’t need an amplifier. Now is your turn to research, watch some Youtube videos, read some reviews, and give them a try.
All this headphones are GOOD. No trash here, and all them will make you open your eyes when listening your music if you are coming from standard headsets. You will notice sounds, instruments, that you never realized they were there, even if you had listened this song a thousand times before. Try them, and be amazed.
Welcome to the rabbit hole.
Yes it would be, I just asked because it would sense to invest in what you would use more, no sense pouring money into something you won't use all that much. And not necessarily, but some of the prices of my "go-to" gear has increased a little bit, which did make this just a little bit harder.
Okay so, this is what I came up with. Speakers are usually $40 but they are $50 right now for some reason, so that is why it's about $8 dollars over. also if you had any of these cables lying around it would definitely put you under $100.
Speakers - Dayton Audio B652 Amazon | Easily the best ~$50 book shelf speakers out there. Loud, with great sound quality, good imaging, and just all around outstanding for the price. They are kind of big though, so take into account desk space.
Amplifier - Lepai 2020A+ Amazon| You will need these to power the speakers, connected with speaker wire. It's a great little amp. It's buit out of metal, which is great given it's price tag, and the knobs feel great. Has tone controls that has a button that lets you toggle between using them or bypassing them. Provides ample power for speakers in this listening situation. It isn't really made for "party level" volume so just be careful, as you CAN blow speakers if you crank it too high on the AMP/computer. I personally use this and works great. Price is also a little higher than what I've seen them go for ($15).
Cables/Wires Amazon, cable Amazon, wire- A standard 3.5mm male to male cable that will connect the amp to the computer, and 50FT of 16 gauge speaker wire to connect the speakers to the amp. If you have a 3.5mm cable already you won't need to buy another.
Headphones - Sennheiser HD201 Amazon | Sennheiser makes great headphones, from their $1000 HD800 right down to the $20 HD201. Great headphones for music, and okay for gaming. They are closed back, which means the sound stage will not be as broad, but they will isolate outside noise. $10 dollars more will get you these Superlux HD681s which are open backed, which will result in a bigger sound stage, which is helpful for the directional aspect of audio while gaming. they sound pretty good too! Both headphones will perform well for music, and gaming when you use them. Not the best but they're better than most "gaming headsets".
Mic - Zalman Clip on Mic Amazon | A basic mic that clips on to your headphone's cable. what's great about this is you can use them for any pair of headphones, or when you're not even using them! the clip can also hold it to your shirt.
Total cost is about $108. If you are diligent/patient the speakers may drop back down to $40 sometime.
Overall this is great value for a little over $100, and will offer you much more all around than an $100 speaker set. The great thing about this is that everything is modular. If you want to upgrade your speakers you don't have to buy a new amp, and vice-versa. If you want to add a sub down the line, you don't have to ditch everything and get a new set; you just add it into the "chain". Headphones broke? No need to buy a new mic. Want nicer sounding headphones? No problem! Mic broken or lost? Don't need to buy a whole new headset. As you can see it is very flexible, and very easy to upgrade things as you go, which I feel is completely worth the $8 over your budget you gave me.
Sorry this took a while to get to you, lots of writing, linking, and searching! Hope this helps!
I actually don’t see the need for surround sound. That’s more of a marketing gimmick really, as the usb 7.1 dongles suck. If you really need surround sound, get Dobly Atmos on your computer.
But I don’t think you really need either. Most games have really good audio, and some games like rainbow six siege literally say don’t use surround sound because it’s broken. You need a headset with good soundstage.
What’s soundstage? Well it’s being not only able to tell the direction of your enemy, but also the distance. That’s why I recommend open back headsets for gaming, though they do leak sound and your mic may pick that sound up. Don’t worry about it though, because what I recommend is omni directional and will basically only pick up your voice.
I recommend the Philips SHP9500/SHP9500s. They are to same thing but the s has a little bit more bass. You also might have trouble getting the 9500 because it is discontinued and not many are left. I recommend these because:
Great soundstage
Very comfortable
Has a lot of treble which is good for hearing footsteps.
Has a detachable cable Incase the wire breaks and so you can use a mic
It is extremely well priced at 80USD. It’s probably the best for gaming under 150 USD. And most importantly it will definitely fit you.
For mic, I recommend the Vmoda BoomPro. You just unplug the cable from the headphones and replace it with the BoomPro which is just a 3.5 mm cable with a mic attached. This is a super good mic.
I also highly recommend an amp both for gaming and music. The one I recommend has a switch with T D and B. T is treble boost (for gaming), d is flat, meaning it won’t change anything, and B is bass boost. Which you want if you listen to music because the 9500 has little bass.
I recommend the Syba Sonic DAC/AMP. Link at the bottom. This will definitely help sound quality as it bypasses your pc soundcard.
IMPORTANT: DON’T use the included usb cord in it as it will cause a short in your computer. You’ll need a different mini usb cable as the provide a really bad one.
To use the amp: This is a usb amp, so plug the usb into your computer and the mini USB port into the DAC/amp. The will power it so it will drain laptop battery with a laptop. Then all you do is is plug your headphone jack into the big 3.5mm headphone jack. Don’t use the one for a split cable because your headset isn’t a split cable.
That’s it! The total is about 150 bucks and will surpass anything for the price.
Don’t get a gaming headset. They just use cheap divers and RGB and day gaming to trick you, as they are way overpriced.
Z Reviews on YT (total audiophile geek) recommends this as well. I invite you to spend more time researching on his channel and other places to understand the mic and amp better. He has a best gaming gaming headsets video from a year ago. This setup is at the very front and one of the first things he talks about. Also goes very in depth on the whole subject of sound for gaming at the beginning. Here are the links:
9500s-https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW
Vmoda BoomPro Mic - https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Communication/dp/B00BJ17WKK
Syba Soni DAC/amp - https://www.amazon.com/Syba-Digital-Headphone-Amplifier-Coaxial/dp/B009WN7QT4
Remember you need a different mini usb cable. I’d throw the one it came with away because it’s garbage and possibly a fire hazard.
Please watch Z Reviews Gaming Headphone guise from a year ago. The first 25 minutes are all you really need to hear. They explain audio in-depth and talk about the headphones and this combo. Good luck!
Feel free to reach out to me as I can help with the setup or usage, but r/ZReviews is probably a better option. You’ll get help ASAP from a whole hutch of audiophiles who know their stuff.
I'd say for me, if I were making my own home office and wanted to trick it out:
At minimum a dual monitor setup, but it would be nice to have 3 (I have dual monitors and also the laptop screen running them so it works out to 3.) A nice monitor arm that will hold both (or all 3) monitors to keep the desk clutter free. Something nice that makes both monitors adjustable for you (maybe even a 90 degree rotation so you can code on a vertical screen when you feel like it.)
A nice condenser mic with an arm for it as well. I figure if I were working from home I would probably be doing conference calls more regularly than if I were in the office, so a good condenser mic will make my life easier and make sure I can communicate well. Maybe a blue yeti or blue yeti snowball with a nice boom arm for it like so so I can use it when I want it and then push it away when I don't.
In the same vein, a decent webcam that can clip on to my monitor (or buy one of the above boom arms and attach the camera to it, probably smart for only $15 so you can move it around.)
Definitely a great office chair since you can justify the expense and you're going to be sitting all day.
This one is great regardless of working for home or working from the office, but a nice mouse. I just got a Logitech G502 the other day for gaming as well as work purposes and MAN. I never knew what I was missing out on. I have thumb buttons/extra buttons programmed to copy, paste, delete, winkey + e to open an explorer window, ctrl + t for new tab, and also a key combination to switch my active window to my other monitor so I can quickly move stuff between them without having to click and drag.
Since you're working from home and don't have to worry about bothering other people, I'd definitely buy a nice mechanical keyboard. They're a dream to type on. I used to have an office to myself so I bought one and I miss it dearly now that I'm in a cubicle. In my opinion, well worth the expense.
Again since you're not in an office you could get a nice speaker. Bluetooth to keep the cord clutter down but really anything works. You can go budget or big here.
If you're a whiteboard person, a whiteboard to hang on the wall.
Definitely yes to the dock. I have one here at my office and it's so flipping nice being able to plug in one thunderbolt cable and keep the clutter contained to the back of my desk behind my monitors with the dock.
I'd probably buy a nice standing or desk light that still uses filament bulbs to make it warm/easy on the eyes. Ample lighting. And probably a plant or two just to make it look nice and feel good being there.
That's all I can think of. Can you tell I'm living vicariously through you? I know you said must haves, so if I were going to buy the above in order, it would be monitors > dock > mouse > blue yeti snowball > mic stand > camera > camera stand
Weird the link worked for me. I just copy and pasted the post below, hope it's useful!
This is a guide that recommends headphones with an added mic and does not recommend gaming headsets (I'll explain what that means). I'm posting this because I found lots of info on headphones for gaming but not a proper setup for a console like the PS4.
If you're looking for a great quality headset for gaming, you might run into some trouble like I did. I define quality as being made with solid materials and having awesome audio while having a decent mic to chat with other players.
Options within the quality gaming headset category are both limited and expensive. Take a stroll over to r/headphones to get their two cents on how and why gaming headsets are often overpriced and actually underperform their ticket price. This post in particular was very thorough and linked out to other really useful resources like Z Reviews
When my old headphones broke I started exploring options for a new pair of cans. I wanted to get something great and didn't mind spending a buck on it. As I researched I began to learn more about different types of headphones and what they offered in gaming. The problem I ran into is that the best pair of speakers you can put on your head are almost all headphones, not headsets (meaning headphones do not have a mic equipped). But I'm playing on a PS4 so that changes the game some, PC might have some different avenues. The PS4 dualshock controller (as of 2016, possibly earlier) has proprietary restrictions as to what headsets can plug-in and work with it so creating a DIY headset (independent headphones and mic) was tricky. I tried a workaround with getting an aux plug-in adapter that had "4 poles " to use with the DS4 controller but it didn't trick the controller nor did unplugging and re-plugging in headphones with a mic. Others have had success with it but not me.
I ended up getting a USB to headphone and mic input adapter. This way you can buy whatever headphones you want and whatever mic you want and pair them together by plugging them into your PS4 USB port. You are tethered by a wire but I have read that there is lag with basically any wireless setup so I wouldn't recommended them, especially if you're into online FPS.
My setup is:
---Open air headphones: Audio Technical 900x ($130)
There are other versions of these headphones like the 500x for around $75 as well as the 2000x for $600+
-I would also explore the Superlux HD668B Semi-Open Headphones ($40) as they are relatively inexpensive have replaceable ear pads and have glowing reviews.
---Attachable mic I haven't gotten comments on how I sound which can only be a good thing. I have asked how it sounds and "fine to me" is usually the answer I get.
---USB adapter w/ headphones + mic auxiliary inputs
-Also you might want to get a USB cable extender if the phones and/or mic you go with don't have long cables.
I would venture a guess that most any version of the above 3 components would work together. I am really enjoying my setup and have been using it for about 2 months now. The “soundstage" on open headphones is a really different experience, instead of being closed off by noise cancelling headphones it now feels like everything is happening around me. I had a pair of beats Studios (gen 2) that were pretty good but I would definitely recommend giving “open” style headphones a try. The beats seem puny in comparison, not just in physical size but also in output quality.
I hope this is of benefit to you. I spent a lot of time researching, reading and watching reviews, figuring out what would work on a PS4 and deliberating on what pieces to buy. I am by no means an audiophile so this is just the research of a lay person that wanted great sound and is enjoying what they found.
TL;DR Don't buy a gaming headset if you want awesome sound. You can get a great, probably better, setup on your own and likely save a bit of money in the process by DIY.
I might be able to help you here. I had the G933 Artemis Spectrum headphones. They were alright — I didn’t realize at the time that I had to have them hooked to a PC in order to take advantage of the virtual surround sound, so I never got to experience that with the PS4.
I decided I would invest some money into getting a really good pair of headphones after that, but I wanted to get a unicorn... something that was good for music, movies, and games. I settled on an open back pair that had incredible reviews for the price tier. And, I spent over $300 on it just over a year ago... but you can get the same model (it’s the Philips Fidelio X2/HR) for only $122 on sale on Amazon Prime right now. I think that’s a killer deal for these, and they’re HiRes also in case you like to listen to premium, high bit rate formate stuff.
They’re incredibly comfortable and have a ski goggle style design, so you could have a head the size of a watermelon and they’d cradle on it gently. Open back, big sound stage. Great quality cable, too. They’re wired though, but I really like that they’re the kind where the jack is on the headphones themselves so if the cable ever fails you can replace it and not have to replace the whole headset. So what I did is I bought a V-Moda Boom Pro Mic that plugs directly into the headset and has a flexible boom mic and a volume dial w/ mute switch on the cable, and then you plug that into the PS4 dualshock or computer. You don’t need to buy a headphone amp/DAC to power them either, which is nice.
I wasted money buying one of the Astro A40 MixAmp Pro TR boxes so I could get the virtual Dolby surround, but I wouldn’t bother. Instead, I prefer to just run a long cable from my home theater amp/receiver’s headphone out, since that’s basically one huge amp/DAC anyway, and you can drive these things up to some serious volume. You also get a much better quality sound with them and the mic combo, versus buying a gaming headset (where they jack up the price quite a bit).
If you’re looking for a wireless option, you could check out the Steel Series Arctic Pro — that link is for the one with the game DAC with DTS Headphone X and you can use it on the PC and PS4 (for $199), or the wireless version for $315. I’ve heard a lot of people say these are pretty good but I’ve not heard them myself. If you’re looking for something cheaper, maybe the HyperX Cloud for $100ish.
I recently picked up a pair of in ear buds also — the 1MORE E1010 Quad Driver for $170 that come with a little Fiio A1 headphone amp. They’re pretty nice so far, I’ve been playing “Death Stranding” with them.
I’d check out /r/headphones and you could also read the sidebar over at /r/headphoneadvice and make a post detailing the exact setup and price range and what you’re looking for and have people make recommendations. Also in the sidebar there are some popular model headphones, amps, and mics. I think most people will tell you that buying a good pair of headphones and adding the mic is better (either the VModa BoomPro or there’s another that sticks to the side of the cup like a magnet for the same-ish price). You’ll get better sound than a gaming headset, and more for the money. And you can use those savings to buy a headphone amp/DAC if you want also, which will boost the volume and bass and maybe even give you virtual surround if that’s something you feel like you really need.
I know this is long, but I figured since I was familiar with what you’d used previously (the G933s) and was on a similar hunt not so long ago, I’d share my findings with you. If you find a great set and you happen to remember, hit me up and let me know what you grabbed so I can maybe try to demo them somewhere for myself. And if you do buy the Phillips Fidelio X2/HRs from Amazon, you could always listen to them a bit and send them back if they’re not for you. But I think you’ll be pretty impressed. I definitely was, at twice the price they’re going for now. Good luck!
Sonically, there's nothing about headsets marketed and advertised for gaming that makes them more suitable for gaming than regular headphones. The vast majority of them are widely perceived as bad or worse in the audio enthusiast community. After owning a HyperX Cloud II, Tritton Pro+, and Turtle Beach Ear Force XP Seven, I understand why. They have terrible price-performance ratio, build quality and comfort, except the Cloud; it has great build quality and good comfort.
There are three important sonic properties for gaming:
Of regular headphones, I've used AKG K52, K1000, Q701; Audeze LCD-2 Classic, Mobius; Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X, AD2000X; Beyerdynamic DT990 Edition (600 ohms); Creative Aurvana Live!; Denon AH-D7200; Focal Clear; HiFiMan HE400i rev. 1, HE-500, HE-560 V2; Koss Porta Pro; Monoprice Modern Retro, Monolith M1060; Philips Fidelio X2, SHP9500; Sennheiser HD580, HD598, HD700, HD800; Sivga SV007; Sony MDR-HW700DS; Stax SR-L300; Superlux HD662 EVO, HD668B, HD669, HD672, HD681 EVO.
I mainly use DT990 (600-ohm) and HD800, depending on whether I play competitively or casually. But even a cheap headphone like Superlux HD668B or HD669 get you, like, 80% of the same performance. Diminishing returns top out very early in games.
As for microphones, you can attach an Antlion ModMic or a Massdrop Minimic to any headphone, which is very easy to do. These have much clearer, cleaner, crispier and more natural reproduction of voices than most "gaming" headsets and they have good/great build quality. When or if they break, you can replace the mic instead of the whole headset. If you get a new headphone, you can reuse the mic. The ModMic 5 and Minimic are modular, so they're very easy to temporarily remove. The cons with these mics are the additional cable and no in-line volume controls.
Alternatively, you can use a V-MODA BoomPro mic, which is on par with the sound and build quality of the ModMic and Minimic. It plugs straight into the headphone, which replaces the original headphone cable, so there's only one cable running down from the headset. It has a volume control and doesn't require a Y-splitter. But the mic is only compatible with headphones that have a 3.5mm jack with a detachable cable and no proprietary mechanism or design that prevents the mic from inserting and staying in place.
---
My go-to recommendations is Sivga SV007 with V-MODA BoomPro.
SV007 has a well-balanced sound profile. The mid-bass, which is where boom and punch come from, is a little bit boosted. The sub-bass, which is how deep the bass goes and is where rumble comes from, is a little bit subdued. The treble is close to neutral with a slight boost.
The bass doesn't sound muddy or distorted and is clean. The treble is clean, smooth and sparkly. By clean, I mean it's not washy or hazy. By smooth, I mean it's not sharp, harsh or splashy, but if effects, soundtracks or voices are recorded or mastered that way, then SV007 isn't going to take the edge off. And, by sparkly, I mean the treble isn't dull. The midrange is clear, not tinny or muffled. It's a very clean and clear sounding headphone.
It has a large (but not huge) soundstage, very good imaging and separation, and great detail retrieval. I can hear microdetails like the rustle of a foe's uniform when he merely changes his direction; the flick of a switch when a foe changes his gun to alternative fire; the arm movement and "uhh" sound when a foe throws a motion sensor, and the impact of the sensor hitting the ground, a wall or other objects. All extremely helpful sound cues when you're about to pass by a foe that is hiding, or about to move as a foe employs a motion sensor. But if you were to play competitive shooters, I'd recommend a headphone that accentuates details somewhat more and makes them louder in the midst of gunshots, explosions and other very loud sounds.
SV007 is open-back and over-ear. The build is sturdy and lightweight with wooden cups and metal yokes, hinges and headband. It has no flimsy or squeaky parts. The cups tilt and swivel and can lie flat. The pads fit around my ears without pressing them against the inside of the cups. They are plush and have a relatively high-quality coating. The headband has great weight distribution and doesn't cause hotspots on top of my head. The clamping force isn't loose or too tight. I have an average sized head and average sized ears. The build quality is excellent for the price and very good in general with even stitching, no sharp or rough edges, and has a near immaculate finish all around.
CUSTOM VIDEOS
REMINDERS:
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$6/minute | Videos will be filmed with this webcam.
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Fetish Content | Priced on a case-by-case basis.
B/G Content | $10/minute to film with this webcam. $12/minute to film with this camera.
Add-Ons | Cost | Description
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Including Your Name | $50 |Include your name in the video. If you'd like to include your name, you must pay the "Keep It Private" Fee.
Keep It Private | $75| I still own the content (you may not share with others or post elsewhere) but I won't resell your video.
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I may be of some help. I was in the same position as you a couple months ago.
First you have to decide, wired or wireless.
Wireless: A lot people suggest the ps gold headset ($100). As a gaming headset, they're decent but from what I've read, the sound quality is not great. If all you do is plan to play games with it and you don't care all that much about sound quality then this may be your best wireless option. A better wireless option would be the Astro A50. Reviews seem to say that the sound quality on the A50 is pretty good but this comes at a much higher price ($300 new, $200 refurbished). SteelSeries also makes a good wireless option at the same price point of the Astro.
Wired: If you go on head-fi, everyone will say the best option would be to buy a decent dedicated full-size headphones(price here depends on budget), a separate mic, and something like this to connect to your controller. This is true but I didn't like this option. Having two cables going my controller to my head seemed like a bit of a hassle and I wanted as few wires as possible. I wanted a quality wireless setup, but I couldn't justify spending $300 for a setup I'd only use to game.
I did find the V-Moda boom pro which would replace the cord on their headphone's with an in-line boom mic thus eliminating one more wire. Paired it up with the V-Moda M80(You should be able to use it with anything form the vmoda line, but don't hold me to that, you should be able to find out yourself easily), which to my surprise got great reviews on head-fi. I bought them for around 80 on an amazon lightning deal. They're pretty good, especially considering the whole setup cost ~$100. Build quality is very high, sound quality is good, a little bass heavy IMO but that is perfect for gaming. I also wouldn't mind taking these out with me on the colder months as they're not too bulky. They also come with a pretty cool carrying case.
I'm very happy with this setup now and I think the next step up from here would be to get a wireless setup.
Hope this helps.
Source: I do have quite an extensive headphone collection so I do appreciate a good set of cans.
Hello hopefuls, lurkers, and alumni! Rather than give each video a critique I'm just going to list some tips that will help everyone in the long run. These tips do not apply to any single person in particular and every one of them can be used to improve a performance in some way shape or form, those who have a mastery in all of them tend to go far.
Overall these tips can and WILL help you in the long run, I wish you all the best and good luck!
Now with all that said I'm now going to reveal the 6 people I voted for in no particular order.
/u/BitchEva /u/mtd1988 /u/Kamui_Gr /u/itsbrohan and I don't know Sheba Maneater or Lady T's reddit names.
Now good luck, and don't fuck it up
Edit: SECRET TIP NUMBER 10! Carrion Threads - If you don't get in or didn't audition but want to still participate, make a video and post it in the Carrion Threads! These threads are named after April Carrion from Season 6 of RuPaul's Drag Race, after she was eliminated she would post the runway looks for each theme that she brought to the show on her social media. In the spirit of that you guys can follow along in them and they're great practice to really hone your skills for next year! Stick around and lip sync with us!
It's really, really easy to get started. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely a high level of production value that you can achieve (later on if you want to, or maybe never), but starting off is quite a simple thing.
All you really need is a laptop, a webcam, and decent internet... and maybe a soft lamp. It's best to have an ethernet cable running to your router if you can, for faster speeds than wifi. You can get a pretty cheap webcam that does a decent job, or shell out a little more and get something a little better. The best (or at least most popular) webcam for camgirls I have found is this one. Inbuilt laptop webcams might do the trick, but use your judgement on whether it looks good enough or not. Would you watch something of the quality you're producing?
There is sooo much information on ambercutie forums, but a trap that I fell into early on is feeling like you need expensive lighting, the best webcam, an amazing mic and so on when you really dont.
On the subject of lighting, it really makes a difference to be well lit, but you don't need photography-standard umbrella lights. I have two soft lamps a little bit behind my laptop so I'm lit from two angles, and it works really well. You just want to make sure they're soft and you're not casting yourself into shadow on one side, and MOST IMPORTANTLY not solely lit from above, like from a ceiling light. That is some unflattering shit.
I really like Myfreecams.com because it's easy to use, high traffic, the token conversion is easy to understand, the payment methods are easy and reliable, and probably least importantly is that there seems to be fewer rules regarding what you can and can't do (which makes it a little less stressful). Have a look at the aforementioned forum for advice regarding choosing a site. Verification can sometimes be a pain but if you have a driver's licence and a scanner you'll probably have a really easy time.
This is a loooot of information to take in all at once, I know. Even though I could go on and on for ages, like I said before, keep it simple to start with and don't stress yourself out with the nitty gritty - you might get so stressed you don't want to even begin. Bear in mind, this is all about the SOLID parts of camming, the technical aspects. The mental game is a whole other topic entirely, and I would be happy to answer more questions if you're asking.
Good luck! xx
This is quite a long post but you probably should read it all. I also searched for the best possible sound on the PS4 for the cheapest price and tried almost everything.
Astro Headsets are NOT top notch. They are just OK. They have extremely elevated bass that drowns out the footsteps and clarity.
Razer again are completely overpriced and sound worse than 30 dollar headsets.
Sony Gold Wireless is decent and wireless which is also nice. But they sound a little bit muddy compared to the HyperX Cloud II. But sound better than the Astro's.
I have every headset listed except the Razer Kraken 7.1 but I do have the Razer Megalodon which was absolutely horrible and I had so many issues with it and the firmware updates fixed nothing and the sound from the headphones transmitted over the mic even when isolated so it was a wiring issue. I just would shy away from Razer at this point. I hear too many bad things about them all the time with build quality issues. Although I do think they look really cool.
For PS4 in my experience all USB sound cards sound terrible. I have tried the Syba, the Sony Silver USB Adapter, and the Logitech G430 USB sound card.
If you don't want to think about anything, buy these.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Astro-A40-Gaming-MixAmp-Pro-With-All-Cables-for-Ps3-Ps4-Xbox-Window-and-Mac-/142172429854
https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-GSP-Gaming-Headset-507079/dp/B01KV3BB0S/
This right here will probably be the best setup available for the cheapest price. The HyperX Cloud II could be substituted for the GSP 300 but HyperX Cloud II's do sound slightly less clear than Sennheiser. These GSP 300's look like a refresh of the PC 350 SE but with reduced ohms but I currently do not have the GSP 300 so can't tell you if it sounds different than the PC 350 SE but if it sounds like it, it will be great for gaming in every way.
Here are further explanations for why you should get those two.
The new MixAmp Pro TR has horrible metallic surround sound.
Example here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtNF1i2eSwg
It really does sound horrible so I returned it and got the MixAmp Pro 2013 edition from eBay and can tell you that it sounds absolutely fantastic. And much better than any of the USB stuff. Because of the Digital Optical connection. It is very important that if you go this route that you set up the MixAmp Pro 2013 correctly. You have to make sure that in the PS4 settings that the output to headphones setting is set to CHAT ONLY or you will not get the surround sound features through optical. You will get the standard stereo USB sound card of the MixAmp Pro 2013 instead of the optical which sounds much better than the other options.
The MixAmp also really is an amp. It pushes my PC 350 SE 150 ohms perfectly. The other USB adapters do NOT amp and I can not get my PC 350 SE's loud enough through controller or any USB adapter. So the MixAmp pro does definitely amp. But I should mention any headset above 150 ohms or lower sensitivity would probably not work with the MixAmp that well or it would be really low volume.
Also Sennheiser is extremely well respected for their sound and I own the PC 350 SE (And the G4ME One) and can tell you that it has the best sound of any gaming headset out there except maybe the ATH-ADG1X but those are 300 dollars.
Also, I can confirm that the USB adapter that comes with the HyperX Cloud II does not support surround sound on PS4. No USB devices support surround sound on PS4 unless you buy it straight from Sony. The Sony Golds and Sony Silver USB adapter are the only two devices that support USB surround sound that I know of. And it is not that great compared to what the MixAmp Pro 2013 offers.
Now for the part where I will tell you that if you want the audiophile solution, read further.
Most gaming headsets really do suck compared to a pair of audiophile headphones and an add on mic.
So in this area I will recommend this solution.
For audiophile experience you are going to want to get these SHP 9500's:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826138190
And this add on mic (Uni Directional with Mute):
https://www.amazon.com/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone/dp/B00R98JVVU?th=1
I don't recommend that V-Moda BoomPro even though it works perfectly with the SHP 9500's. It picks up everything in the room and since PS4 does not offer a push to talk feature I would stay away from it. It would be perfect for PC gaming though with a Push-to-Talk button.
If you get this with the MixAmp you are going to have the absolute best sound quality with the best mic quality for that price. No doubts whatsoever.
If money is really not an issue. I recommend the Sennheiser HD 598's with the ModMic and the SoundBlaster X7 with the Bluetooth USB adapter for chat. It does not work with Xbox One for chat only optical.
And if money is not an issue AT ALL then I recommend the Sennheiser HD 600 with the ModMic and the SoundBlaster X7 and the MixAmp Pro 2013 so you can put that into the X7 and use the line in and it's audio mixing capabilities so you can switch between SBX and Dolby Headphone with the MixAmp and choose the one you like the best.
I hope this helps you make a decision. I own most of the stuff mentioned and this is all from personal experience. But you should also note that sound is highly subjective so you may just have to purchase this stuff from Amazon so you can test all of it and send it back if it doesn't meet your needs or expectations.
Looks alright. I wouldn't reccomend Ryzen chips. I would probably get something more like an i7 6700k or the 6700 (which is around $20 cheaper if you can't justify the price) for gaming. If you end up choosing an Intel CPU you'll have to choose a different Mobo as well but there are lots of good ones.
I'd reccomend getting an entry level 144Hz Screen. If you can stretch to something like this I would seriously reccomend it, though it's not going to hurt you if you don't. I think it was Jake from LG Evil that made T500 early in the game on a Mac Book running OW in wine.
I personally don't like any gaming Headsets other than the HyperX Clouds. There is a huge quality difference between them and any other "gaming" headsets I have used.
As far as mice and keyboards, I would probably just buy a nice cheap Keyboard to begin with because there are no benefits really to having a good keyboard if you're on a budget. A mouse is kinda personal, I use a Steel Series Rival 100 but am a palm style user and am completely arm aim. It's a good cheap mouse but you may want something else if your grip style is different. My brother plays claw and doesn't mind it though.
Parts and gear you should prioritise for Overwatch are: Good GPU. 6GB 1060s are plenty for overwatch unless you want to be running the game at consistently over 240FPS (here's Taimou's settings btw. These will help with you configuring your settings for Overwatch). A fast CPU (Overwatch can be very CPU dependant). SSDs are kinda nice and fairly cheap. If you have a SSD btw you're at a direct benefit to most other players because you load in matches faster and can therefore instalock first, if that's your thing. :P Monitors are the most important peripheral by far in my opinion, followed closely by mice. If you're not getting a 144Hz screen now, you'll want one eventually (you won't need one but you'll want one). The only other peripheral that is important for Overwatch specifically is a mouse. This is one of those what suits your style things and there's no real correct answer but for First Person Shooters you usually want a nice light fast mouse. Ideally with 2 buttons on the side of the mouse for binding melee and voice. Just don't get a Razer and you'll be fine.
I'd probably ask on /r/buildapc as well because they'll probably give you better advice than this sub will. Best of luck dude with your transition to PC. Hope this helps.
Edit: oh and Mousepad! In the beginning I'd reccomend a nice control style mouse pad for getting used to using a mouse for aiming. I can't reccomend you any though because I have always used the mats that come in WoW TCG boxes since a family member has heaps of them and I've never used any other control style mats. The bigger the better.
I'm not the guy you asked, but I ALSO have the G930s. They're nice, but I won't be buying them again. I find the wireless to be flaky when my wife uses HER wireless headset (another Logitec, but not G930s), and the battery is nearly worthless after 2 years of ownership (though I do a fair bit of gaming, so YMMV). Next headset I buy is gonna be a pair of these bad-boys, and I'm gonna slap some of these on 'em. If I need a mic, I'll grab something like this. Won't be wireless, but I've got a cheap bluetooth headset if I need to move around the house. Since my HMD is tethered ANYWAY, I don't mind the headphones being so as well. :)
Hope that was somewhat helpful! :)
EDIT: OK, so here I am, nearly a month later. My G930s finally gave up the ghost, and I went ahead and bought about what I describe above (haven't picked up a mic yet (doesn't make sense at this point, with the Vive so close), but I've got the Superlux cans and 3rd party earcovers), and I'm LOVING them. Nice sound, though quieter than expected - I've not dealt with anything but USB headsets for a while, so I'm pretty sure I need an amp, which I can't fault them for, I knew it was a possibility going in. In any event, though a bit quiet at this point, it's not to the point of unhearability or anything. I just can't make it annoyingly loud if I want to. I'm also irked at the tiny male jack hardwired into them - I'd rather have a flush female jack, but what 'cha gonna do?
Beyond those two TINY issues (the first is only an issue due to my not realizing they'd need a bit more juice, and the second is annoying, but not at all a dealbreaker), I'm LOVING them for the price. Reproduction sounds pretty good (good enough for mixing with, anyway), and comfort is GREAT (they feel VERY light). YMMV, but I'm a happy camper with my Superlux HD668B semi-open cans (just don't forget the (<$10!) 3rd party covers - they REALLY improve on the default comfort).
EDIT #2: I'm a jackass. I had them plugged into line-in. When I found a second line-in (this one actually labeled and recognized by the OS as a headphone jack), the softer sound issue went away.
Gaming headphones are a pretty weird market. None of them are actually that good for anything but games, and other headphones can usually do games better. Instead of buying a gaming headset, It's better to buy a less expensive pair of headphones that preform better and add a mic. Gaming headsets may have all sorts of cool features, but you'll find that you don't really need them once you don't have them. The most important thing for gaming headphones isn't preset EQs or bass response, it's all about having a positively massive soundstage. That's how you can get your system sounding something like a surround sound setup (although headphones just can't do the same things that speakers can at any price range). Depening on your price range, you could get the Sennheiser HD558, the Audio Techinca AD700X, the AKG Q701, or the Philips Fildelio X1. As for mics, you can get the Zalman ZM1 clip on mic, or the Antlion Modmic, if you're a fan of boom mics and quality. On top of being able to play games with them, you'll also be able to listen to your music collection rather comfortably, which is the main place where gaming headsets fall short, as they're equalized and tuned specifically for games.
I'm sorry to do a huge info dump on you, but getting a nice sounding pair of headphones doesn't just improve your games and music, it improves your life :) Eventually, you'll be more comfortable wearing them than not.
Whichever way you go, though, I hope you enjoy whatever you buy to the fullest, and most importantly, enjoy Destiny's phenominal sound design with your headphones! And if you need more suggestions, I'd be happy to help!
Reading about your grandfather made me think about my own. Yours sounds very much like the man that married my grandmother almost 30 years ago. He's actually not my blood grandfather but he's absolutely wonderful. Incredibly smart and witty, honest and interesting. One of the most fun people to talk to you could hope to meet. As your grandfather was, he's a lover of words. Just being around him everyone's vocabulary gets better! He's a know-it-all but in the way that you WANT him to tell you about things. History is a passion of his and he could tell you the most amazing stories about the past. I love him dearly.
Here's the link you asked for. One of those would be great. Thank you very much for holding the contest! You've actually inspired me to make sure I call my grandparents today and talk to them for a bit. I miss them a lot and I think they're back home from their vacation.
Alright, I can work with that.
To preface this, I recommend pairing one of the following headphones with a clip-on microphone - either a cheaper model like a [Zalman ZM-Mic1] (http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ) or a more expensive model like [Antlion's Modmic] (http://www.modmic.com/collections/frontpage) - rather than getting a headset with an integrated mic. From a price/performance standpoint, headsets almost never stack up. The headsets made by the real headphone brands are exceedingly expensive, and with a very small body of exceptions the cheaper headsets sound terrible.
Now, onward to the headphones. When I hear "isolation", "comfort", and "neutral/warm sound signature", the first thing that comes to my mind is [NVX's] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/624729/review-nvx-xpt100-a-direct-brainwavz-hm5-competitor) [XPT100] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2G9qk7IOEA) ([$99 via Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/NVX-Over-Ear-Headphones-ComfortMax-Cushions/dp/B0093PVTPS)). I actually own a pair of these myself for use as moderate isolation movie/podcast headphones for when my house is too loud for me to use my open headphones, and they're among the most comfortable headphones I've had. While they don't take the top spot - no headphones without an AKG-style suspension strap will ever do that - they're definitely in the top five or so. Their sound isn't the most detailed out there, but they're fairly neutral, solidly built, and very comfortable, particularly given their price.
A more expensive step up would be [Shure's] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/shure-srh840/reviews/5056) SRH[840] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/shure-srh840/reviews/3768) ([$199 via Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH840-Professional-Monitoring-Headphones/dp/B002DP8IEK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1426324378&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=shure+srh84)). While I sadly haven't had a chance to try these out myself, I've heard little but good things about them. Formerly on Innerfidelity's wall of fame, and with consistently good reviews for their sound, comfort, and overall quality, they're definitely a solid choice if you're looking for a neutralish sound with some bass.
A third option would be the [Focal Spirit One] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/focal-spirit-one-page-3) ([$175] (http://www.amazon.com/Focal-529102-SPOH-Spirit-One-Headphones/dp/B007AH7YFU) or [$179] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008R9QRIU/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687702&amp;pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&amp;pf_rd_t=201&amp;pf_rd_i=B007AH7YFU&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_r=0HS51KQ3XCE0J5B14R27) via Amazon for the black and white models, respectively). Focal has a quite a solid reputation in audio, but the Spirit One had some serious issues on its release due to manufacturing defects, and it suffered a rather bad reception as a result. These issues are said to have been since resolved, however, and the Spirit One is a very solid headphone at that price. The sound is a bit on the bassy side, but not extremely so, and is quite good for this price. Comfort may be an issue, however, as the One was quite clearly designed more for portability than comfort. While no review characterizes it as uncomfortable, it's a safe bet that it doesn't measure up to the other two in this regard.
Another rather unique option, albeit one with some inherent drawbacks, would be [Fostex's] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/570138/review-fostex-t50rp-my-intro-to-the-world-of-orthos) [T50RP] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/559233/review-fostex-t50rp-its-been-needing-a-review) ([$127 via Amazon] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/559233/review-fostex-t50rp-its-been-needing-a-review)). Now, the T50RP is, at stock, not the best-liked headphone. Though it is one of the (if not the) cheapest orthodynamic headphones in the world, its very poor comfort and [rolled-off sound] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexT50RP2011B.pdf) have attracted a lot of criticism. Having a pair myself, I wholeheartedly agree with criticism of its comfort, but think its stock sound is better than people give it credit for. What the T50RP has going for it, however, is an [exceptionally dedicated modding community] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/618659/fostex-t50rp-incremental-mods-and-measurements), and some very high-profile modified variants. Modded T50RPs under the branding of MrSpeakers and ZMF can sell for $300, $600, or even $1,000, and experienced reviewers and audiophiles alike have claimed that they measure up to headphones in those price ranges. If you happen to feel a DIYish inclination, a T50RP can be quite a solid project to work on, and, in theory, it can get you $300-600 sound quality for a little sound of $200 accounting for the various materials it takes to mod them.
Now, there are, as said, quite a few drawbacks to the T50RP: the stock sound isn't for everyone, it requires more power to drive than the other mentioned headphones (not enough to cause issues at stock, in my opinion, but when modded it can be quite intensive to drive, almost assuredly moreso than your integrated audio can support), and it's absolutely terrible in comfort (if you do go for them, [a headband cover like this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00862522A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1) and a pair of [Shure] (http://www.amazon.com/Shure-HPAEC840-Replacement-Cushions-Headphones/dp/B002Z9JWZS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1426325351&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=shure+pads) or [Brainwavz] (http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1426325358&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=brainwavz+pads) pads were what I used to take them from "terrible" to "pretty darn solid" comfort), and modding isn't for the faint of heart. After quite a while of tinkering, I've yet to get my own T50RP mod working properly. It's amazing value if you can make it work for you, but it's quite a significant amount of effort to achieve that.
Others have already asked some pretty useful questions, but if you're looking for more specifics here's what I know.
Recording & Editing Software
While I can't speak to resources for non-Apple tools. If you have a Mac you can start out with simply a good microphone and the GarageBand application.
Microphones and Pop Filters
If you're looking for a mic recommendation I've had a lot of success with the Yeti USB microphone. It's pretty versatile and the sound quality has been quite good. A cheaper reliable option is the Snowball. You can find mics for less than that but I can't vouch for the quality. No extra set up is really needed, just plug it in and record. Some people recommend a pop filter, they're pretty cheap and I've had a good experience with the Dragonpad ones. If you need an example of sound quality PM me, I'm happy to link you an episode I created using the Yeti mic.
Uploading and Hosting
Once you've recorded and edited your Podcast you'll need somewhere to host it so others can listen to what you've created. I usually upload the file to SoundCloud and then share the link or embed the player in my blog and website. There are a lot of other podcast-specific hosting sites out there but I've found SoundCloud to be free and easy.
Helpful Guide
When I first started out I came across a great blog article by Mike Cernovich that I followed to create my first episodes. You can read it here if you're interested (it's specific to using GarageBand though).
I hope this helps, a D&D podcast sounds great. Can't wait to hear what you create.
You have a couple of options, but the webcam and mic just... aren't going to cut it. You'll never get the sound mixed right. Best bet is going to be capture the audio and video separately, then re-combine. The problem is I've never met a camera that really captures good sound. You can get decent sound by using a video-capable DSLR with external mic connections... but you'll spend $3k - $5k to get that sort of a setup working right.
I'm assuming the primary focus here is the audio, so you can probably get away with the webcam for the video, or any digital camera that's video capable. The key to making it look good will be lighting, more than the camera. If you have a couple of halogen worklights around you can use those as cheap stage lighting. Failing that, position yourself in the sunlight from a window. Make sure the background behind you is free of distracting stuff like old clothes, random papers, etc. Even a cheap, crappy camera can usually take decent images and video if you give it enough light to work with.
Software: You'll need something like Audacity - which is free and pretty easy to use. Does everything you need.
On to hardware: Two options. I'll give you the expensive one first, then the hackier way.
If you're going for absolute audio quality, you'll need a large diaphragm condenser mic. You'll want a mic for each channel you want to capture - so one for the vocal, one for the instrument. Expect to spend ~$100 per mic give or take. Monoprice has a decent one a little cheaper. Craigslist is a good source. When you get into mics, it's as fidgety a question as "which guitar is the best" - but that's your starting place. You'll need to run the mics into a mixer board (and condenser mics usually use phantom power, so your mixer needs to support that). Again, Monoprice has some decent sub-$100 options, or you can chase Craigslist. Figure this will cost you $300 to $350 after mics, cables, stands, and mixer. You can easily spend $$$$$$ as you get better stuff, but that's the basic setup.
The cheaper way - something like a Zoom H2N. Since these will do stereo recording, I tend to hang one off a mic stand horizontally halfway between my guitar and face. That lets me catch (mostly) the voice on the right channel and (mostly) the guitar on the left. After that I can do corrections and relative volume on each at least mostly separately.
The third alternative would be a USB mic like the Blue Yeti on the desk, use the computer's webcam to record video and the audio from the mic at the same time. I have a friend who's an operatic tenor, and he records his video auditions this way. I don't have the details on the software he's using, though. The H2N I linked above can be used the same way - put it in USB mic mode, record audio and video at the same time.
Given what you're trying to accomplish, I'd recommend the H2N, and depending on just how lazy you want to be either record separately and recombine, or use it as a stereo USB mic. But you really do want a way to separate the vocals and the instrument at least a little to fix specific things on each side and match the volumes a bit.
I didn't do a stunning job with it, but about 30 minutes ago I did a quick demo of a song on the H2n. I love mine, anyway...
Edit
You can also get a better USB webcam. Many Point-n-Shoot digital cameras also can be used as a USB recording device.
So I bought a new wireless headset from Amazon that had the promo tag on it, (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VANOFY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1) however I never got the code. Amazon chat told me a few minutes ago that the item wasn't fulfilled by Amazon so it doesn't count, so I'm hoping senpai notices me :P
My MMO life hasn't been too long, roughly 8 years or so. I'm a huge fan of FF, and played just about every game in the franchise except for XI...so I picked it up and it was so much fun, but really really quiet. I started the game maybe 5-6 years after launch, so there really wasn't anyone to play with, not even considering that I joined right when Abyssea came out, which coincidentally was when much of the population left the game.
When rumors of XIV came out, I was so excited. The biggest thing for me was that I could finally play a FF MMO on the same playing level field as other players, and I could actually do and play content while it was new. I always hated that I was "left behind" in XI, so this was a big deal for me.
I partook in the beta test for 1.0 and was there the day the game launched and continued to stay, even while others I met and played with in the game left. While others griped about the game and how bad it was, I was looking around looking at everyone like they were crazy - because I really loved the game and it was MUCH MUCH better than XI IMO. I also really really liked the changes Yoshi and his team brought to 1.0 even though I understood the game I grew to love was going to come to an end one day.
Yoshi and his team had done a really good job to pull those who really paid attention to the world and lore together (not including all of the special "hidden" surprises as time continued to tick away) so The Calamity felt immersive, and it was pretty special. You could feel the tension in the air while we were all waiting in Mor Dhona for the Empire on that last day....then the servers went down and we were greeted with "the end of an era" trailer - perfect ending. Tears were shed. I was devastated. NO game could ever come close to this experience.
Fast forward a few years and I still play every day, slowly making more progress. I recently got my 240 relic (BRD) on Friday, and my static recently cleared AM6 (for the FIRST TIME after 11 weeks) last Monday, and again on Tuesday, so even though I am a "legacy" player, I'm still celebrating milestones... even almost 5 1/2 years in.
I love this game very much and I have lot of hope for the future. Yoshi P and his team really do seem to listen to what the players want (contradictory to what most would believe) and I believe it shows. I think our best days are ahead of us in this game and I can't wait to see what the expansion has to offer.
I'm looking to purchase a good set of headphones and a USB DAC to augment my gaming desktop and ModMic. Basically my years old headset mic crapped out and everywhere I read I see the suggestion: get a ModMic and a good pair of headphones. So here I am, looking for what those, and the DAC, should be.
DAC: I'm leaning towards the Creative Sound BlasterX G5 after reviews and this sub's purchase assistant as the USB DAC, though I'm open to suggestions there as well. Honestly with that I'm just looking for: any reason not to? I should also state that I hope to run my speakers through it as well as sometimes I prefer to not wear headphones (sorry if that's blasphemy here!), so any other suggestions would also need to have a line out beyond the single headphone option.
Headphones: I would love good sound quality (obviously), surround sound ideally, but beyond that I would also really appreciate input on two major things: comfortability and size/durability. I will sometimes wear these for a long period of time, so I'd like them to be comfortable. Also, I have a large head, so I need something that can manage that through its size and durability.
Requested details:
Budget - Prefer to spend $300 (US) or less between the two, but will spend more if there's a good reason.
Source - Desktop computer, specifically the Asus Crosshair VI Hero ATX AM4.
Requirements for Isolation - Minimal. Used in my home and my PC is relatively quiet.
Will you be using these Headphones in Public? - I'm sure I'll use them elsewhere, yes. But primarily they are for gaming and movies in my home.
Preferred Type of Headphone - Full-sized
Preferred tonal balance - Don't know enough to answer so I'll say an overall balance is ideal.
Past headphones - Nothing special, this will be my first good pair.
Preferred Music - Very eclectic, from opera to hip hop.
What would you like to improve on from your set-up - Upgrading to a good pair of headphones for a more enjoyable sound and surround sound in games and movies. I'm currently limited to my onboard sound.
Thank you for your help!
Ps. I have tentatively ordered the Antlion Audio ModMic. If anyone has suggestions for a better one, I'm open to that, too.
CPU | AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor | $179.99 @ Microcenter
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $19.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard | $89.99 @ Microcenter
Memory | Kingston Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $58.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Sandisk Extreme 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $84.99 @ NCIX US
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $63.99 @ Geeks.com
Video Card | PowerColor Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card | $309.99 @ NCIX US
Wireless Network Adapter | TP-Link TL-WN822N 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter | $19.98 @ Outlet PC
Case | Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case | $44.99 @ Microcenter
Power Supply | Cooler Master Silent Pro M2 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply | $46.00 @ Newegg
Optical Drive | Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer | $16.00 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) | $89.73 @ Outlet PC
Mouse | Cobra 9897005984104 Wired Optical Mouse | Purchased For $4.97
Other| XStar 1440p Monitor| $279.99
Other| Saitek Eclipse II Keyboard Warehouse Deal| $39.99
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $1345.57
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-02 18:11 EDT-0400 |
EDIT: These headphones and this mic will outperform $100+ headsets.
TL;DR I ended up using this lavalier microphone, with the TASCAM DR-05 recorder, putting my equipment total cost at $110.
I conducted some sociolinguistic fieldwork over the summer and I researched fairly extensively to find something within my budget but with the technical specifications I required. I took extensive notes on my thought process, so here's a summary.
So, getting a bit techy here, you're going to need a microphone and a recorder. Those are two separate pieces of equipment. The microphone is what captures the sound and turns it into an electronic current, and the recorder is what turns that current into something the computer understands. Some recorders have a built-in microphone, but you don't want to use that for phonetic studies, so you'll have to get separate pieces. Also, if you have any technical requirements (Hz requirements, for example), both the recorder and the microphone will need to be able to handle that. So you'll need a good one of each.
Even though I already have a decent microphone (the popular Blue Yeti), I felt like I needed something different for several reasons. The Yeti requires a power source: it's meant to be plugged into a computer. But I didn't like that setup. Not only would it be a bit intimidating (not to mention the microphone itself is intimidating), but it's bad acoustically since the noise from my computer would surely get captured. The Yeti ideally also should be about a foot from the speaker's mouth, which, again, makes people a bit nervous. If I move it further, I could turn the sensitivity up, but it would capture ambient noise (fans, AC, fridge, etc.). I considered a setup that didn't involve my computer, but that requires a different power source and special equipment, and that's a pain (and it's expensive).
I also considered just using my iPhone as a recorder, and buying a microphone specifically designed to work with it (they exist). The quality is decent enough for most people, but not for phoneticians. Also, they are not compatible with any other piece of equipment. Either they plug into the lightning connector or the headphone jack, but the 3.5mm headphone thingie has 3 stripes instead of 2, making it incompatible as a microphone with any other recorder (that's all I know on that topic).
I decided the TASCAM DR-05 was the best recorder for my purposes. They have bigger and better ones (like the DR-22WL or the DR-40), but they were too much for me: I didn't need to record multiple tracks simultaneously, or a huge memory, or a separate iPhone app, or a guitar tuner or anything. A very similar family of recorders is the Zoom family, and the Zoom H1 is comparable to the TASCAM DR-05 and is also a very popular. I ended up turning to youtube and found this video as well as this comparison chart. It's a bit long-winded and technical, but it did help me decide on the one I wanted.
The next task was to find a microphone. I decided a lavalier would be the most unobtrusive. There are tons of cheap microphones on Amazon, but you need to look carefully at the technical specs to make sure they aren't garbage. Tip: if they don't list the technical specs, it's probably not what you want. The best video I found for comparing the lavalier mics was this one.
I'm pretty satisfied with the recording quality. I found that the microphone caught the speech pretty well while blocking out background noise. I recorded a mono track at 48kHz and 20-bits instead of the standard 44.1kHz and 16-bit. Turned out to be about a gigabyte per hour of speech. As I'm going through these though, I realize they're a bit quiet, probably because I turned the sensitivity down in an attempt to filter out background noise. Also, I noticed people would fiddle with the wire while talking, though I haven't noticed this affecting the recorder yet. It did pick up noises if people scratched their shirt near the microphone or if they had a long beard.
I will say that I brought my Yeti as a backup, and ended up using it twice. Luckily it was a very quiet room we were in, and the quality was superior than my other setup. But, the speech was a bit stilted and people were a bit more formal with me as we sat at a table with a giant microphone sitting between us. So if you're interested in a conversational speaking style, a big set up wouldn't work.
My project mostly dealt with generally-lower-middle class white folks in the US, and I'm not particularly interested in super fine-tuned phonetic information. So the setup I had was sufficient for my project, though laboratory phonologists would probably want something better quality.
I would say to do some research on technical specifications of this equipment and decide on what you absolutely need. This will depend on your research question and the field site. If you're going to be in the middle of the jungle, you'll need something to really block out background noise. If you're sitting middle-class homes, you don't need that as much. If you want discourse and conversational data, you'll want a recorder that can handle multiple tracks simultaneously so you'll need either one fancy recorders or two separate ones. Then look at the equipment available on the market, set a budget, and find out what you can get. Just don't skimp on anything because you'll regret it later.
The end. Hope that helps.
Power Supply | SeaSonic 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | €146.84 @ Mindfactory
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | €146.84
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-16 23:00 CET+0100 |
Use that for the psu. Top quality and oodles of power. Next get a new hdd. You'll want to store a lot of your streams if you're serious about streaming heavily. Set up your streaming program to record the stream so that you can upload it elsewhere when the VOD gets taken down.
Monitor is really up to you. You have the gpu power to play at decent setting on 1440, but as you're streaming I'd keep it at 1080p if i were you. My advice there is get 2. Play on one, watch chat and manage stream with the other. Something like this should work:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
Type|Item|Price
Monitor | Asus VC239H 23.0" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor | €162.99 @ Amazon France
Monitor | Asus VC239H 23.0" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor | €162.99 @ Amazon France
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | €325.98
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-16 23:06 CET+0100 |
Mic. Mics can cost anywhere from $10 to $10000. Something like the <Blue Yeti> is great quality sound yet simple enough to be used by a (excuse the use of the word) amateur. On the cheaper side there's the <Blue Snowball>. It's a plug and play design that delivers good quality sound without needing to fuss over settings.
Headset. Whatever you like. Your audiance isn't listening through them, you are. I personally use a <HyperX Cloud> headset that while it doesn't have pro level audio delivers a good sound for gaming and is the most comfortable set of cans I've ever used. This is 100% up to you though.
I have no experience with webcams. If someone else would like to chime in about webcams please do. I know nothing.
Video editing. Step 1 get a new hhd. The software you edit with doesn't matter so much. Some people can do great things with shitty programs. I personally use Adobe premier. Its not very good but its very simple and has everything I need. Some people get away with using windows movie maker even. My advice is take a look around video editing forums/subreddits and download a free trial of a few programs. See which one you like the most and stick with it. The reason I tell you to get a new hdd is because depending on the quality you'll fill space fast. A raw uncompressed 1080p recording fills 20gb in 5 minutes. That said uncompressed is a stupid amount and data. However compressing eats cpu power and will fill space anyway. When i record I usually save as 720p30hz and that usually fills a several gb an hour. So in a month of streaming/recording you may fill that hdd and either need to get another or you'll need to edit and upload everything to make space for more footage. The only other option here is to make a large storage system. If you want to keep ALL you're footage I suggest you look into getting a small/med storage server, though I assume for your purposes just editing and uploading should be enough.
Best of luck streaming and have fun.
generally the best sounding setup will not be a "gaming headset", but just a pair of good headphones with a separate mic.
what is your budget? that is a big factor as there is a huge variety of headphones out there all across the price spectrum.
i currently use Phillips Fidelio X2's with an Antlion ModMic running through a beyerdynamic usb dac/amp (soundcard basically, not even necessary but i had it already and its convenient) and love the setup. ive gone through several other headphones but found this setup to be the most comfortable with best sound. the X2's barely feel like youre wearing anything, have great soundstage and just sound really good in general. i previously used beyerdynamic mmx300's which are an actual headset (mic attached) but moved away from them as they just were not quite as comfy as i wanted for longer usage. also the mic didnt detach so it got annoying at times. other headphones i tried are my akg 553 pros, ath m50x, oppo pm3 and fostex th x00 but none quite had the "full package" of great sound and comfort of the x2's though. not the cheapest setup, but it works great and im happy with it so worth it to me.
https://www.amazon.com/Philips-X2-27-Fidelio-Headphones/dp/B00O2Y2MZG
https://www.amazon.com/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone/dp/B00R98JVVU/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_23_lp_t_4
http://north-america.beyerdynamic.com/shop/usb-sound-card-for-headsets.html
in general the idea is to just get headphones from an actual headphone manufacturer, not a does it all like logitech. they make so many different things, headphones just arent a priority. others have mentioned the sennheiser game ones, which is at least a headset from an actual headphone company. the hyperx clouds are also supposed to be very good for the price despite not being from a headphone company, but that is probably because they are based off of the beyerdynamic mmx300, which is just the beyer dt990s with a mic. meaning the clouds are just a much more affordable clone basically.
at the minimum just try to avoid buzzwords like "7.1 surround". the headphones dont have 8 speakers in them (there are a few that tried doing such, but so few it doesnt matter), theyre not actually doing any surround sound so dont fall for it.
I personally own a pair of V-MODA Crossfade M-100's with a BoomPro mic and the XL Ear cushions.
Put simply, they are absolutely amazing and would not go with anything else for gaming or music listening. Now, I'm not going to lie, it's very expensive for just a headset, but I'm an audiophile and want the very best out of my sound. If you want something that is amazing but won't kill your wallet, go for the Crossfade M-80's. Biggest bang for your buck.
As for audio quality, my old turtle beach headset couldn't even compare to these. Everything about them is just amazing. They are better than a pair of Beats and most "gaming" headsets. The 3D soundstage makes playing this game (or any game for that matter) an absolute joy with unparalleled audio quality. Wouldn't go for anything else for the price. I cannot stress how good these things are.
As for comfort level, they're pretty good, but you will definitely want the XL cushions. I can play up to 6 hours on end with only two adjustments on my head before my eyes are like "we're done here." Needless to say, they stay very comfortable for extended periods of time.
The BoomPro mic is nice, but not entirely necessary, because the in-line mic that comes with the cable works just fine.
TLDR: If you have the money, BUY THESE HEADPHONES!! And if you're broke go with the M-80's.
Edit: Spelling
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor | £185.99 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard | ASRock - AB350M Pro4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | £75.90 @ Eclipse Computers
Memory | Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | £130.44 @ Aria PC
Video Card | EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Founder Edition Video Card | £582.50 @ Amazon UK
Case | CiT - VANQUISH RED ATX Mid Tower Case | £37.23 @ Amazon UK
Power Supply | Corsair - RMx 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | £79.97 @ Amazon UK
Monitor | Acer - Predator XB271HUA 27.0" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor | £529.99 @ Amazon UK
Mouse | Logitech - G300S Wired Optical Mouse | £80.07 @ Amazon UK
Microphone| ModMic| £44.99
Keyboard| Molong KB26-BK(Switch-MX-Brown)| £53.74
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £1800.82
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-08 02:36 BST+0100 |
___
Ryzen 1600
- As you may notice, there is no additional cooler. This is because the 1600 comes with a quiet cooler that can hold up low to medium overclocking like a champ. Saves money, too.
Motherboard
- LEDs for fancy inner setup, able to support 4 sticks of fast DDR4 ram, and a BIOS that makes overclocking easy, this mobo will suit your gaming needs.
RAM
- The Vengeance 16GB will give you plenty of RAM in any current or future title. Clocked at 3200, the Ryzen CPU on board will be able to utilize your memory faster and more easily than lower speeds.
Case
- The VANQUISH from CiT is great looking, LED enabled, has built-in fans, and windowed sides. Good cable management too.
Video Card
- The 1080 Ti will take care of all of your needs. It can process the game you are playing while encoding for the stream without issue. This monster is the star of the build.
PSU
- Fully modular for ultimate cable management to get the most airflow and beauty out of your computer, and for ease of assembly. 550W is plenty to feed large overclocks, many HDDs and SSDs and anything you throw at it. The Gold standard indicates the quality of the PSU, and results in a more steady voltage and less heat generated (both great for overclocking), less noisy and easier on the electric bill as well.
Monitors
- This monitor is a beast. Plays in 4K, good color fidelity, tiny response time, G-Sync (WOW!) and 27" make this monitor a dreamboat.
Keyboard
- This keyboard is great. Fits the color scheme of the build, RGB lights, NKR, spill-resistant, and real Cherry MX Brown switches for gaming and typing pleasure.
NOTE: The keyboard comes in two different colors. The pictures are switched between the two. Make sure to order the one labeled Black, Cherry MX Brown
G300S
- Many pro CS:GO players swear their careers by and often win with this mouse.
Microphone
- Here's the oddball. This ModMic is a sound-cancelling, good-quality and small microphone that can attach to any pair of headphones. If you have a nice pair of headphones that you like to listen to music with, or find a pair that is more comfortable for long periods of time, attach this mic to it. Watch this or this as to why.
Sorry for the long post but I hope it is helpful.
If your not opposed to an open back set of headphones then I'd suggest looking at the Philips SHP9500s along with a vmoda boompro microphone. I recently upgraded from those myself and I really loved them, I do have to admit that you lose a bit of audio quality using the vmoda boompro microphone compared to just using a straight audio cable to them. However I felt they were still far superior to conventional "gaming" headsets.
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I just upgraded from the shp9500s to the Philips fidelio x2s myself which you can find used sometimes for around $150. They are really bass but definitely better sounding than the shp9500s.
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The SHP9500s tend to go on sale quite often for around $45-50 which is a great price for what you get I think.
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https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-drivers-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B01N3LM3J5/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1511900182&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=philips+shp9500
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https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Communication/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=CQDEX3BN148T7JZG5CV9
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My thoughts on my current 3 headsets
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Sennheiser GameOne Gaming Headsets: Smallest sound stage of the three. Midrange to me is clearer but when going back and forth between the shp9500s the Sennheisers sound "muddy" in a way. Also seem to have the least amount of bass. They aren't bad but I prefer a little more bass.
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Philips shp9500s with vmoda boompro: Good sound stage with what seems like a very neutral sound. Bass is better than the Sennheisers.
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Philips Fidelio x2s: Largest sound stage of the three. VERY BASSY. Overall audio quality (without vmoda boompro since this DRASTICALLY cripples the x2s) is superior to the shp9500s and the GameOnes in my mind.
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Again this is all subjective in my mind as I prefer open back headsets as the sound stage is better and I feel like my ears dont get as hot. Some people don't like it though (my wife for example) because everyone around you can hear it also.
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If it was me I would look for the shp9500s on sale for $45-50 on either amazon or newegg (pops up on the /r/buildapcsales) every now and then. If I had to do it again knowing what I know now I would have gone with a modmic over the vmoda boompro just because of the audio degradation that happens with the vmoda boompro. This was way longer than I wanted but again I hope you find it helpful, if you have Amazon Prime I'd pick up the shp9500s and try them out, if you don't like them then return them.
Hi! I'm by no means an expert on the subject but I did learn a few things while pursuing a quality audio experience and its kind of turned into a new hobby.
Simulating surround sound was something I wanted to achieve as well when shopping for headphones a while back. Something I learned is that the headphones themselves can't really do this. The right kind of headphones (and sometimes software) can help this effect but you can't magically turn 2 channels (I.E. right and left) into 4 or more to get multi-directional sound. In gamery types of headphones, the marketing makes all kinds of claims that its the total fault of the headphones but it's simply not true.
The only real way to get a simulated surround effect in your headphones is if the source had this in mind from the get go. And after that good quality headphones can help a bit further. This can be easily demonstrated with this video. Plug in ANY pair of headphones in your house and for added effect? Close your eyes. Seriously even 3 dollar earbuds from the dollar store will work. And what you'll notice is a full high-quality multi-directional, surround sound experience from just youtube and whatever headphones you happened to try. Neat! But how?
Games and movies ect need to have an audio engineer design the sound with this concept in mind known as binaural. In games, this is usually the "headphone" mode in options settings. Or it'll just be on by default. There are times where a game simply won't have it and no amount of software can change that going into your headphones. Software can't magically know that the bullet was supposed to be behind you instead of in front of you.
What does this mean? That you can get virtual/simulated surround sound from pretty much any pair of headphones? Yes! Learning this concept to me was the beginning of something new. I started looking at simple high-quality headphones that could help make the effect even more dramatic.
I learned about open vs closed back headphones. Closed back headphones make you feel like the sound is sort of coming from inside your own head. This is fine especially if you want to block out other sounds from your room or house ect. Open back headphones let sound in your headphones from the outside, allowing for a more natural 3D effect in most cases. I did a lot of research on open back headphones. I ended up getting the AD900x's. I know this might be expensive-ish but there's a good option for optimal sound on a budget.
I got this combo deal for my fiance. You'll get an open back experience to help further the 3d effect you're after and ontop of that these headphones sound fucking GREAT for the money. Seriously makes me mad that I was buying gaming headphones for all these years leading up to what I learned. Check it out.
Now, this is just a suggestion. Just use whatever you thought sounded better when it came to your logitech's or Beats after making sure headphone mode was on in the game you're playing. Hopefully, I've given you enough to do your own research on the subject. But. For the money? I found this combo to be amazing for gaming and surround sound. Just make sure you always turn on "headphone mode" in games and you'll get the 3D experience you're after. Learn more at https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/
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TLDR; Some audio nerd info. I'd personally just use whatever you thought sounded better when it came to your logitech's or Beats after making sure headphone mode was on in the game you're playing. Seeing as the surround sound effect is mostly due to the source. If you ever want to try and make the 3D effect more dramatic I linked a suggestion on a budget.
CPU | Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor | $328.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler | Scythe SCMG-2100 74.2 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $42.98 @ Newegg
Motherboard | MSI P67A-G45 (B3) ATX LGA1155 Motherboard | $147.86 @ Newegg
Memory | G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $99.99 @ Newegg
Hard Drive | Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $54.99 @ Newegg
Hard Drive | Western Digital RE4 250GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $66.99 @ Super Warehouse
Hard Drive | Western Digital RE4 250GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $66.99 @ Super Warehouse
Video Card | XFX Radeon HD 6970 2GB Video Card | $339.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply | Corsair 850W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $149.99 @ Newegg
|| Total
| (Prices include shipping and discounts when available.) | $1298.76
Additional Items | -- Items not available in System Builder -- | --
Case | Fractal Design Define R3 Black ATX Mid | $109.99 @ Newegg
Optical | Random Lite on DVD burner | $22.99 @ Newegg
Monitor | ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" 2ms | $218.98 @ Newegg
Mouse | Razer Lachesis 5600dpi | $68.61 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Razer BlackWidow Mechanical | $77.48 @ Amazon
Surface | RAZER Goliathus Fragged | $17.98 @ Newegg
Headset | Audio-Technica Import ATH-AD700 | $93.90 @ buy.com
Mic | Zalman Microphone Zm-Mic1 | $12.21 @ Amazon
|| Grand Total
| (Prices include shipping and discounts when available.) | $1920.90
brief:
Not all games make use of the hyper threading in the 2600K but some do and many more will follow. Your budget allows for it so do it. Additionally, it's still the faster CPU per core so all games will benefit and this is your most powerful option.
You have a budget that can allow for the luxury of silence. Fractal Case and Scythe heatsink will keep everything cool, quiet and classy.
Motherboard is Crossfire ready and so is the power supply. Why skimp on our upgrade powers when there's some flex space in the budget?
8gb of ram so you can stream or record your games so while your kicking ass with this new rig everyone else can know about it. I made sure they had low heat spreaders as well so they'd fit under the massive scythe heat-sink.
High quality, fast response, 24" monitor.
Dual RE4 250gb hard drives with 64mb cache for a 500gb RAID0 to boot from. The fastest and most stable platter drives you'll find. SSD if you want but this will let you store all your games and provide better stability. 1tb Spinpoint for other storage because it's cheap and fast. We're spending big but we don't need to waste on a storage drive.
The new Lachesis (not the one with problems) and a mechanical keyboard for the smoothest play you've ever had. Round it off with a Goliathus mouse surface for the ultimate experience.
Audio Technica AD-700 headphones: if you take everything out of my build you better keep these. These are, hands down, the best headphones for gaming I've ever used. Huge sound stage and great for games where you want to hear your enemies coming.
* Zalman ZM-Mic1: don't let the price fool you, this is a pretty awesome mic with exceptional clarity for a fair price.
Hey Crimson! I have a pretty good amount of experience with camera work for my gaming videos!
I'm not sure what your budget looks like, so I'll start with the cheapest solutions first.
I would suggest the most easily obtainable camera for live action stuff would be just to simply use your smart phone! For example, the iPhone camera shoots with a Sony CMOS sensor in full HD! Just make sure you stabilize it on a tripod or flat surface because the auto image stabilizer is pretty terrible at times. Secondly, if you do choose this option, I would highly recommend using a different audio source. Smart phones traditionally don't always have the best audio recorders on board.
A web cam is probably your second best solution! Full HD cams can run about 50-100 bucks, but they usually get the job done. Though again, with all these recommendations, I'd suggest you use an alternative microphone for audio.
If your not willing to use cheaper alternatives like a smart phone or a webcam, then I think your best bet would be the GoPro. These products are massively popular for a reason; they can provide BEAUTIFUL footage if used correctly. You can probably find one of these bad boys USED for under 200 on craigslist. For the relatively small price tag, this is one of the best all purpose cameras on the market.
Finally, if you have a decent budget at your disposal, I'd suggest the T3i. If you only plan on using this camera for rare occasions, then I'd advise against purchasing it. However, if your hoping your channel would rely heavily on live action content, then this is it. This is your solution! It might end up running you a little over 500 bucks, but this is the camera a majority of youtube creators have been using. There is a slight learning curve, but when you get the hang of it, your videos will look fantastic.
Like I said though, never use the on board audio recorders these solutions provide for you. Buy a separate microphone if quality is a big concern for you in your videos!
Sorry this will be a lot of information, but when you're buying something that sits on your ears for hours at a time, you want something that feels good.
Newegg has the Gamecom 780 on sale right now for 28 bucks. They usually float around 50-60 bucks so it's a really good deal. The only problem with them is they're not very drop friendly as they're plastic. The audio and mic quality are amazing for the price though.
If wireless is more his speed a Corsair H2100 is in your price range or a Logitech G930. I just recently bought a Corsair VOID on sale for 95 bucks and it was the best decision I've made in a long time, best wireless headset I've used. (but normal price is about 120)
Links:
Gamecom 780 priced 27.99
Corsair H2100 priced 99.99
Logitech G930 priced 84.36
Corsair VOID wireless priced 129.99
Pro's and Cons:
Gamecom 780
Corsair H2100
Logitech G930
Corsair VOID RGB
Here's a few options. Depending on where you are in the world some might be more feasible than others. I'm talking from a UK perspective, YMMV.
So that's what I recommend. Any option you pick here will theoretically last you a great many years, if not a lifetime, and will outperform any gaming headset. This is because manufacturers of these headsets will spend a tiny amount of cash on the components and a large amount of cash on marketing them, meaning when you buy a gaming headset you're really paying for them to sell it to you. Stuff like I've listed above is all word of mouth; passes the savings onto the consumer who gets a quality product at a good price.
They're all open backed, meaning they leak sound out and allow outside sound in; the benefit of this is that you get a wider soundstage, which in regard to gaming essentially means better 3D positioning. You can pick out things like footsteps and locate where they're coming from with a great degree of ease.
HD598: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD-598SR-Over-Ear-Headphone-Black/dp/B06WLGRYSF/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1521973971&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=HD+598
Fidelio X2: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-X2-Headphones-Over-Ear-Cushions-Black/dp/B00MRUPSHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1521974003&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Fidelio+x2
Phillips SHP9500/00: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-SHP9500-00-Headphone/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1521974021&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=shp9500
Audio Technica AD700X: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audio-Technica-ATH-AD700X-backed-Hi-Fi-headphones/dp/B009S332TQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1521974053&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ad700x
Audio Technica ADG1X: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audio-Technica-ATH-ADG1X-High-Fidelity-Open-Air-Headset/dp/B01AYZZP5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1521973470&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=audio+technica+headset
V-Moda Boompro: https://www.amazon.co.uk/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Communication/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1521974126&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=v-moda+boompro
Antlion ModMic: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone-Uni-Directional-Muteless/dp/B00R98O6R4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1521974091&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=antlion+modmic
these:
https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M40x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR54
https://www.amazon.com/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone/dp/B00R98JVVU/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1491575296&amp;sr=1-1-spons&amp;keywords=modmic&amp;psc=1
and you will be considered the best Girlfriend ever.......there are a million choices out there on the market today, but, in my experiance there are a very few full on pre-made Gaming headsets that are truly super good, sure some sound ok but very few have the sound quality of a decent studio monitor headphone, and for me, that's important. Good luck, and, you're awesome for soliciting info like this, well done!!
whoops, missed the wireless part, sorry!!!!
logtiech artemis is a nice headset, I loved mine till I moved to the set up I have above, decent sound, lots of extras, good range, good mike:
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Artemis-Spectrum-Wireless-Surround/dp/B0148NPJ78/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1491575575&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=logitech+artemis
and, if he already has some logitech gear, it works in conjunction with the software he already has.
You're going to be doing your ears and the ears of the people you're talking a disservice to by getting a "Gaming Headset." I've owned a Steelseries Siberia v2 for a couple years now and I regret it every time I use them.
Average is the greatest compliment I can give them. Average soundstage, average bass, average highs and average mic quality. And if you're going to be spending ~$90 on a head set you want something that will be more than average.
This is what I wish I went with years ago and what I still wish I could justify buying while my Siberia is functioning:
By going with a pair of headphones that are high quality and feature an exceptional soundstage, which basically means how far around you you can hear (good for picking up footsteps and locating bullet shots), and top of the line sound reproduction you're setting yourself up to have the best of both worlds, gaming and music.
This is all coming from someone who wishes they had more money to spend on audiophile gear. Make sure to check out /r/audiophile as well, they have a lot of good information there as well.
[http://www.head-fi.org/a/buying-guide-headphones-by-price-range]
Depends on some things.
Do you want virtual 7.1 simulation/EAX support? If yes, a standard Xonar DS soundcard for around 30-40USD will suffice. That will help with some of the more expensive headphones too, which will need a bit of extra power to drive.
Pretty much every gaming headset uses rather cheap mics and so can we. All voip comm will get heavily compressed, be it with TS, skype or ingame voice, so you really don't need a high quality mic for gaming. Many gamers are using a Zalman mic for around 10USD, but any cheap, sturdy clip on mic will do.
This left us with around ~150USD for a good headphone. There are plenty of alternatives in the <150USD range, I can give you a couple of often recommended options.
The favorite right now in hi-fi circles is the ATH-m50 at around 130USD.
A very comfortable pair are the AKG K271MKII at the same price level.
To complete the our maxing out the budget trio we have the Ultrasone HFI-780.
All three have superior drivers with very good sound characteristics, very decent isolation and are fun enough to listen to for gaming, music and movies.
But we don't really have to max out the budget to get superior sound quality. There are some very decent headphones under 100USD too, which can more than compete with any high budget gaming headset.
Some examples: Sony MDRZX700
Creative Aurvana Live, especially for Europeans where the price is better
similar famous like the ATH-M50 are the ATH-AD700. It's a open headphone though, so gone is any decent isolation in exchange for a better soundstage.
I could go on for a bit, but those mentioned above are pretty well known and tested with the hi-fi community. You should find plenty of reviews and user experience for them. While some of them are a bit more analytical than most users are used to, they are all pretty fun and warm and not so boring like traditional studio monitors.
Even if we look at the lower budget gaming headsets <100USD, many without any 7.1 simulation, we can find plenty of better sound headphones, especially if we don't need a soundcard.
First of all, hats off to trying to get in on the action early.
I guess it sorta depends on your definition of a gaming setup. I'd recommend building your own desktop to get the most bang for your buck. /r/buildapc is a great subreddit for getting opinions on builds and computer components.
As far as peripherals, you'll want a decent mouse and keyboard. I love my mechanical keyboard, and have not once looked back after getting my first one. There's also a pretty good community at /r/mechanicalkeyboards who rock at giving advice and suggestions. Brands are really important, and I've come to trust Corsair, Logitech, and Steel Series. People will preach about 4K monitors...if you're streaming I'd say skip out on it, especially at your age when you don't have hundreds of dollars to dish out on a monitor alone.
As far as streaming goes, you'll definitely want to pick up a microphone. Most streamers will spread the gospel on Blue Yeti, which is an amazing microphone, but you can easily get something much cheaper for starting out. Another thing you might want to consider is a capture card, which will help alleviate the stress that streaming puts on your computer. It will help improve the quality, and will help with your framerate while gaming.
Other than that, make sure you have persistence. You won't get popular right off, you need to keep at it even when it may seem like no one views your content. If you keep at it, you'll learn. When you learn, you'll get better. That's what will start bringing people in.
Good luck! Feel free to reach out to the community again. We all love helping out!
A huge thing to take care of ASAP: get rid of the echo! A better microphone (I got a $20 USB microphone not unlike this one with a stand that I already had, but something more like this would be a good idea) is a boon. In the room you're in, consider having items that don't bounce sound. There's wall tapestries that can really help cut down on that. And plenty of noise cancelling padding that you can stick on your walls too that are cheap.
Past that you clear your throat a lot and apologize. It gets a bit distracting. Drink water ahead of time and consider sipping as you go. It's nice you maintain regular commentary. Not much downtime. As far as specific commentary, you can probably spend more time talking about what you're immediately doing and putting more energy into the discussion. That's an issue I have too is I'm pretty flat when I do commentary and admittedly most people want more energy. Personally I hate the ADHD bouncing off the walls people, but then again if you have a better audio recording it'll likely come through better. I personally also don't like the vulgar language you use, but that's my personal taste.
One last thing, you're recording at 720. That's not bad itself, but later on you might want to consider sticking with 1080p. You're going to spend hours uploading a 10 minute video, but the video is dramatically more clear. Especially with a video that has text and smaller details, it really makes a difference.
Long story short, getting into putting serious effort and making solid quality early on is going to be a great boon in the long run. First off because you'll get a good reputation for quality content across all your videos and because you'll get into a habit that will make editing and production faster and streamlined. That said, don't batter yourself if what you offer early isn't up to par. You're going to get more comfortable and better with practice.
Also, if there is anything similar to the V-MODA BoomPro mic I listed, I'd be super interested in that as well.
And lastly, just because my budget is $250 doesn't mean I need to spend that much. Pros use $100 headphones and they're the best in the world, I'm 100% looking for something that's nice and will help me in game, but getting the best bang for my buck. I've seen a few people mention the HyperX Cloud's as they're a rebranded headphone and say they're decent. How would those hold up against other options?
Awesome man, it's a lot of fun!
I'd say most important thing equipment-wise when starting out is getting a decent mic. Easiest mic setup (if it's just you or maybe two people) is a USB condenser mic, then you can skip a mixer and/or interface altogether.
Most people are keen on the Blue yeti, but in Australia they're not too widely available, so I got a MXL Tempo instead, which does a good enough job. We still need to build it a little foam booth to remove a lot of the echo and room noise.
For PC recordings, we just use Open Broadcasting Software, aka OBS. I've played around with DxTory, fraps, and raptr in the past; OBS trumps them all because of how much control is possible, plus the ability to record in a constant frame-rate, very important when it comes to editing. OBS is a little fiddly to set-up but has given the best results so far, and there's plenty of information out there on it. It is designed as a streaming software but also produces awesome local recordings.
We just bought an Elgato HD game capture for console recordings, which we chose over the Elgato HD60 because the ability to record older consoles was more desirable to us than 60fps recordings. The Elgatos are pretty much accepted online as the best all-rounder out there. No doubt there's better units out there, but hard to beat for the price and ease-of-use.
Finally, an Adobe creative cloud subscription gives you access to Premiere (for editing), Photoshop (for images/thumbnails), and Audition (for voice recording/compression etc), plus Flash, After effects etc. I'm a student so it was a half-price I think.
We haven't tried any streaming yet because of our woeful <1mbp upload haha. Go Australia!
I've had my HD598s for a couple years now and while they've been a huge upgrade from my previous headsets (things like the logitech gaming headsets) I've been looking at getting a semi-significant upgrade. I've been mostly looking at the HD650s, 700s and the AKG k712s, trying to find a good balance of looks cool (I really like the k712 design) and sounds good (only heard good things about the 650s and mostly positive about the 700s, but I'm not a huge fan of the latter's looks).
Disclaimer: I'm very new to general headphones shopping so forgive my inexperience here.
----
Budget - $400-500USD, fairly flexible
Source - My desktop, through a to-be-determined DAC/amp (currently have an e10k but I've been eyeing The Element for quite some time, if anyone has any input on that that'd be great too)
Requirements for Isolation - None
Will you be using these Headphones in Public? - No
Preferred Type of Headphone - Full-sized/over-ear
Preferred tonal balance - Haven't experienced a huge variety of headphones to say for sure or really develop a strong preference, but I do like some good bass. Hopefully looking for something that will pack a bit more of a punch than my 598s.
Past headphones - The aforementioned 598s. As I said the bass isn't super great on them, but I understand that that's just kind of how it is with open-back cans, and I don't particularly hate that about them, just something I'd like to improve. That's pretty much my only complaint though, I do enjoy these headphones, just looking to upgrade to something more mid-upper range.
Preferred Music - My listening habits seem to change every few weeks. Plenty of classical for when I'm working, but I've been on a big lofi indie folk punk binge lately. In general I keep coming back to classic rock and some electronic music though. I also do some movie watching and a lot of gaming on the same computer, if that affects anything (I know plenty of big-name streamers use 650s but not sure if there's a specific reason for that).
What would you like to improve on from your set-up - Since I don't have any real hard complaints with my current phones I'm not sure if I can pinpoint specific areas I'm looking to improve. Coming from these things to the 598s was so night-and-day that I haven't considered specifically what points I'd prioritize.
Edit: I'm also not solely trying to chose between the three headphones I mentioned above, but those would probably be my top three choices at the moment, I'm definitely open to other suggestions!
From experience, the AD700 is a pretty safe choice, and they're good for the price range in general. Some people may consider the lows/bass pretty weak (and I can see why), but it seems to make the lows play a much more background role. Overall, I'd call them pretty mid-centric.
I haven't heard the AKG K240, but I've been very curious about their sound overall. From what I can gather, they have more bass than the AD700, but some nice extras to consideer on the K240 are the velour AND pleather pads they come with and that their cable is detachable. Usually replacement pads are around $20 or even more, but to have velour pads as well? Using different material earpads actually makes the headphones sound different (not too drastically though).
So to be different, to satisfy curiosity, and for the nice little extras, I'd get the AKG K240. If you like a lot of bass, I'd stay away from the AD700, but if it doesn't matter that much, the AD700 is pretty safe.
Regarding mics, the Zalman mic linked below is sufficient in most cases at $9, but at times it can pick up background noise. One of my friends uses a very, very old Plantronics mono-speaker headset, and even though it's quite literally from either the 1990s or very early 2000s, it hardly picks up background noise (an attempt at mic spamming through an electric piano completely failed and was reduced to a whisper until he set it on the piano speakers) and is the clearest mic I've EVER heard by quite a bit (infinitely better than the Zalman mic). If you'd consider using it, perhaps you can modify it by twistie tying it to the headphone wire or even using Velcro to attach it to your headphone or your wire. To reduce weight, cut out the Plantronic mono headset's headband and/or sound parts and you'll do great. I have no idea what model it is however.
Zalman:
http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1333784834&amp;sr=8-1
Regarding the Plantronics headset, I tried my best searching for what it could be, but no actual luck. He said it looks much cheaper than the following link though. He found the mic just randomly in his garage. I can't guarantee that this mic is as good as the random garage Plantronics mic though, but it might be a safer risk.
http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-Cordless-Phone-Headset-M210C/dp/B000ANJVKW/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1333785004&amp;sr=8-11
Hi there!
Because the PS4 is your primary usage with the HD800S, I recommend trying the Creative Sound BlasterX G5. This is entry level as a DAC/AMP combo unit but should work very well in your use case. This device is designed for consoles and PC usage and can produce very good audio from your PS4 (and PC) over a USB connection and it has separate 3.5 mm connections for the headphones and a mic (HD800S does not have a mic, but if you play online games with friends you will want to get something like the Antlion Audio ModMic to turn the headphones into a headset when you want to. If you get the G5, do not use the virtual surround sound SB-Axx1 and Scout Mode options, they are likely not as good as the standard audio output. An alternative to the Creative G5 would be a Schiit Audio Modi 2 DAC (connect to PS4 over optical instead of USB) paired with a Schiit Audio Magni 3 AMP. This "Schiit stack" as it is often called is less gamer focussed (no mic input, etc) but would still be fantastic for gaming and listening to music and is highly recommended in the audio community. You would need both the Magni 3 AMP and the Modi 2 DAC linked together to get sound - whereas you could alternatively use the all in on Creative G5. These options are audiophile entry level, but should impress you since you are so happy with the headphones on the PS4 controller already. I would try and recommend something more expensive, but honestly don't think you need that and I would have difficulty recommending more expensive devices since I dont have proper experience with that level of DACs and AMPs. TLDR; Get the Creative Sound BlasterX G5 if you want to use a mic on your PS4 with the headphones, and get the Antlion Audio ModMic to turn the headphones into a headset when you want to talk in games with friends and online gamers. If you dont need to use a mic on your PS4 and price is no matter to you (G5 is cheaper), then get the Schiit Audio Modi 2 DAC and the Schiit Audio Magni 3 AMP. Also, regardless of which DAC and AMP you get, get some nice cables off Amazon for USB or optical for your setup to connect from the PS4 to your couch/coffee table where you probably game.
Solution you can try for free if you are dirt broke: might sound a bit weird but if you have 0 budget you make a blanket fort and put your mic inside, making sure the blanket doesn't touch the mic, and stick your head in there to record vocals. Acoustics will improve as the blanket will absorb all the sound. It's a super guerilla-style recording booth. Won't be great, but it'll be an improvement for no money.
Still quite cheap solution: a lapel microphone - those clip-on jobbies you see on people's shirts during talk shows. As you likely know from watching TV, those mics do perfectly well with some mastering and they cost around 10 GBP on Amazon. You can plug them into your phone with some free apps, and use it like a mic pack. You can do really well for very little.
Low-end full-on computer mic: The Blue Snowball is a quite good mic for the price for vocals, though it certainly is more expensive than what you've probably got built-in to your laptop.
Standard recommendation if you've got money is the Blue Yeti. Not much to say here - it's a better desktop mic and you pay more for the quality.
You may also want to consider some homemade solutions like setting up a stand that is disconnected from your computer desk - say for instance drag a bedside-table over beside you and place the mic on it, or invest in a cheap mic arm stand to isolate ambient sound from the microphone.
You can also make your own pop-filter with a coat hanger (bent into a loop) and some pantyhose wrapped around it. If you can find a C-clamp you could just attach it straight to the boom stand.
Well you have a choice of capture cards out there, here are links to internal capture cards (goes inside a desktop) and external cards my personal recomendation would be an ElGato Game Capture. It is a versitile card and served me well thus far, but please do you own research and find which one you think will suit you the best.
As for editing software there are many routes that you can take, if you have a mac there is imovie which is good for starters, if you have are a PC guy then there a few more options (that I know of). You can go one of two ways 1) Adobe (on sale right now) or 2) Sony. Either is a great choice, I would personally use the adobe choice because eventually it opens up the door to photoshop, premiere, and after affects which are excellent editing softwares.
For microphones I would recomend either the Blue Yeti or the At2020, again both are excellent it is a personal choice and I would say the Blue Yeti because it is more customizable.
All in all please read reviews of all of this stuff and make your own pro/con list for each choice because I cannot tell you a perfect cookie cutter thing to buy, because we all have different needs. I hope this helps, if you need any more help feel free to keep asking away!
EDIT:1: formatting was made nicer
the best decision i made was in getting the Hyper X Cloud Core headset. It is identical in every way to the Hyper X Cloud 2, same sound drivers, same everything EXCEPT it doesn't come with virtual surround (which is trash) or the control box which isn't needed and trust me it would get annoying.
but anyways I come thru clearly to my friends, it sounds awesome, detachable mic if you want to use it to listen to music on your phone, super durable feeling cord and super comfortable (I have a huge head.) And my favorite little bonus is that it came with an extra cord that makes using it as a computer headset seamless. It's awesome.
i'd look for it on sale, i got it for much cheaper at Gamestop...ur basically getting the quality of a Cloud II at a much cheaper price.
I wouldn't recommend any traditional gaming headsets, you would do better to get a good pair of headphones and a separate mic. Gaming headsets have good mics, but the speakers are almost always lacking compared to similarly priced headphones.
I've used many headsets from Logitech, Steelseries, Razer, Turtle Beach, and a few other companies, and anything from Sennheiser, Audio Technica, Beyerdynamic, Denon, AKG, or the multitude of quality audiophile manufacturers, will give you far better audio.
Sennheiser makes the only really good headsets in my opinion, the PC350 and PC360, but they are expensive at around $200, and don't sound as good as the HD598's for about the same price.
Steelseries makes okay headsets, but are over priced for the audio quality. The 5Hv2 and 7H are incredibly comfortable, and the Siberia v2 are quite comfy as well (not if you have a large head though, I have 7 7/8 hat size and was fatigued in an hour). Also their build quality is very good. They produce very accurate locational noise, but be warned as Steelseries headsets have no bass at all at the cost of having very clear footstep identification.
I wouldn't even consider Razer products as their build quality is sub-optimal.
Check out: reddit.com/r/audiophile and reddit.com/r/headphones for all the info you want on good headphones.
Also www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide is a good place to start.
For gaming I use Audio Technica ATH-AD700 and Zalman Zm-Mic1. The AD700's don't have a large bass presence, so bass thumps don't interfere with footsteps and important locational noise (which they produce very accurately). These are by far the most comfortable headphones I have ever had on. The ModMic is also a very good mic option for any headphone.
Do a little research on the audio sub-reddits and you will find the perfect solution for your needs.
CPU | Intel Core i7-7700K | $323.59 @ superbiiz
Motherboard | ASRock Z270 Extreme4 | $139.99 @ newegg
Memory | Team Group T-Force Dark grey, DDR4-3000, CL16 - 16 GB Kit (16 GB) | $128.99 @ newegg
SSD | SanDisk Plus 960GB TLC (960 GB) | $259.99 @ Amazon.com
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Aorus 11G | $708.99 @ superbiiz
Case | PHANTEKS Enthoo Pro Midi-Tower - white Window | $109.99 @ Amazon.com
Power Supply | Seasonic X-Series (650 W) | $99.9 @ Amazon.com
CPU Cooler | be quiet! Dark Rock 3 | $64.99 @ superbiiz
Operating System | Windows 10 Home (32/64-bit, USB Flash Drive) | $102.99 @ superbiiz
| Total | $1939.42
| Generated by pc-kombo 04.08.2017 |
I normally don't do color schemes, but I made an exception here ;) Best gaming cpu with best gpu, you can play VR and everything else on this. 16 GB of fast ram (absolutely enough) and a 1TB SSD, a solid board and case as well as a high quality psu. The build is overclockable.
For the rest, there are many options, but I selected good ones:
Display: Dell S2716DG, https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260333, 144Hz 1440p and Gsync.
Keyboard: Plugable mechanical, https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Mechanical-Enthusiasts-Backlighting-Double-shot/dp/B01MA6O13L
Mouse: Razer Deathadder, https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4RE4638718 - but there are so many alternatives you could get instead, browse a bit through the selection
Chair: I suggest a visit to Ikea, Markus is a great chair.
* Headset: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA7NT5JA1563 + https://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ - that's a very cheap solution, but it is also a very good one. Dedicated Headphones are way better than a gaming headset.
Overall people overthink these products. If you look at what pro gamers use, the answer is almost always whatever their sponsor provides. Ultimately peripherals aren't that different and you will get used to whatever have.
Mice are subjective. Some prefer a larger, palm-filling mouse like a deathadder or a g403, but plenty of people with large hands use smaller mice as well, like the logitech g-pro. Personally, I use a g303 with claw grip. As long as you have appropriate side buttons and an optical sensor you're fine. I suggest going to a store that has mice on display and seeing what feels right in your hand. You should be able to find something suitable for $30-40, perhaps less.
For mouse pad get a very large generic pad from Amazon for ~$10. I like the ~3 ft wide mouse mat style that goes all the way under the keyboard. I got the Corsair one at Best Buy on sale for $15.
On headset you should consider getting a decent set of headphones and using a separate mic. They make mics that clip on, like this. The mic just needs to be functional, unless you really care about other people's sound quality. Headphones are one area where you might want to get something a little nicer, since comfort and sound quality are noticeable. I have the Philips SHP9500s, at ~$50 street price, which sound great and are very comfortable.
Okay, get a better mic and pop filter. I would recommend the Blue Yeti (it's super well-priced for the quality), and you can really use any old pop filter. Look around a bit for tutorials on cleaning up and processing vocal tracks.
Now on the actual subject. Personally, I tend to prefer dense hiphop production, à la El-P, but I can definitely recognize when it's well put together. The mixing is pretty decent actually; levels are pretty good and nothing is glaringly out-of-place. I would try to increase the stereo width a bit, but that's just me. Otherwise, the song itself is pretty good and you obviously have the technical talent. Just keep writing making music. Here's a link to a really long, but really good mixing tutorial. I highly recommend it, if you're interested.
Starting a channel is pretty difficult, trust me I know what it’s like! My feedback would be to maybe instead of having the entire 40 minute video, you should break it up into smaller pieces pertaining to whatever topic you were on. That way people will less likely click away from a 40 minute video, especially if they don’t know you yet. After you cut up the video into smaller segments, then go ahead and release the full video Incase anyone wants to listen/watch the entire thing. Also, I know you’re just starting out, so somewhere down the road, you might want to consider upgrading your audio quality. One mic that I highly recommend that’s not terribly expensive is the Blue Yeti Microphone. It sounds amazing! I would recommend upgrading your camera quality too, but I know it’s your first one so I’m not too concerned on that. But eventually you will need to upgrade if you’re serious about it.
Another thing is to try to sound more excited. one thing that I like to do when I’m on camera, is to be an exaggerated version of yourself. Turn everything up a notch when you’re making a video, you don’t have to turn it all the way up to 11, but just try to make things sound more exciting when your on.
Last and the most important thing is to keep going! The more content you make, the better you will become at it! I’m no big youtuber, not even close, but I would say I’ve gotten better since I first started making videos. Since you’re brand new, don’t worry about viewers. Don’t be discouraged when you see not many or sometimes no one watches. Me personally, I Enjoy making videos for myself and if anyone watches cool, if not, so what I’m still doing something I enjoy.
These are a couple of things that I’ve learned along the way, I wish you the best of luck on your journey and whatever you do, make sure you enjoy it.
Hey /u/QuestionSleep - Nice work on the sounds for your video! It looks like everyone is giving you a bit of a hard time about the video quality though. So I'm here to help! :)
Here's a couple of super basic things to help you:
That webcam will film at a good frame rate automatically in 1080p. Problem solved!
Other than that, keep it up! Us ASMRtists have to keep working. Let me know if I can help you any more. And awesome Power Rangers top! :D
I too am new to 3D printing with the MP Select Mini v2 being my entry into the process. I have yet to make the bed reroute changes that everyone seems to keep suggesting, but that is next on my list now. I have done 2 things I think have made easy and "relatively" cheap improvements.
Personally I got a 3D printer to get into some of these more one off type projects, so it was well worth it IMO.
I'm really liking the video quality, although we'll have to see what your on-the-table shots look like. One thing I'd recommend that a lot of people sadly forget about is audio quality - It's almost as important as video quality! Yours seems to be alright - It's not noticeably bad by any means, just a slight echo that doesn't really get in the way of anything. What are you using as your camera setup?
Here's a few things I've learned from video editing for the past few years:
Sorry about the wall of text! If you have any questions, shoot! I might not have all the answers you want, but I have edited and shot my fair share of videos. It's a bit slow at first, but you become used to it when you learn to use the editing software, which is usually a lot simpler than it looks at first glance.
Anyway, I'm really excited about your channel, and I hope my info helped!
From my own (limited) research, I've got my eye on Sennheiser's HD 598 and HD 558, but I would have to buy an aftermarket 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter. I don't mind the price of an adapter, but I don't want it to be cumbersome. And are the HD598's better by $40? They seem to nearly be the same exact headphone.
I would call myself a moderate audiophile but I'm also not willing to spend >$200 on headphones. I currently have a pair of kingston hyperx cloud IIs and they are the best headphones by far for the price. Sound great and extremely comfy. They are also currently on sale for $120. A slightly cheaper option is the cloud core at $100, which is the exact same headphone, just without anything extra. The cloud II has a usb control box for volume, mute, and simulated 7.1. They have a new model, the cloud alphas at $142, which I want to buy. Sound better, has better inline controls, and a removable cord.
They will work with anything that has a headphone jack. The mic boom is removable and has a small plug to cover the hole when it's out. As for sound quality, the bass is loud and clear, even at high levels. The mids are a little weak but if you have access to an equalizer you can make the headphones sound all around awesome. Mids sound better on the alphas because of the dual chamber audio. They sound very good on my phone using poweramp's equilizer. I use them basically exactly how it sounds like you plan on using them, except with a bit of metal and rap mixed in.
So my recommendation is alpha if you want the best for under $150, cloud II if you want something cheaper with inline controls on pc, or the core if you don't need any of the extras.
I use a crappy Sharkk mouse I got for 15 dollars from EBay. It may feel flimsy and I may have to super glue the scroll wheel to the actually wheel every couple weeks but hey it works. I mainly bought this because A) It was on sale for 15 dollars B) It has two extra buttons and C) It got dem lights.
For my keyboard I'm using a flips keyboard over [KB-0325](http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/fYcAAMXQhuVROMdI/$(KGrHqF,!jkFD1HN61hYBROMdIB!d!~~60_1.JPG) (Not my image). I actually really like this keyboard even if it is ancient. It gets the job done and while the 4 key on the number pad messes up occasionally and types multiple 4's, I'm not sure if I would enjoy anything better. I've had it since I built my computer and its always stuck by my side through thick and thin.
Headphone wise I'm using JVC HARX700's. I actually really like these headphones and I got them as a gift so I'm happy.
I don't know if it counts but I borrowed a Blue Yeti Mic from for almost four months before returning it last month. I mainly used the Blue to record. no not another crappy lets play video, but I'm currently working on some heavier vocal stuff.
So as you see a big factor in my purchases is price. I'm not proud of my gear, but I am willing to go out on a limb and buy a cheaper rip off version and save a few bucks toward a car and the likes then spend 100 dollars on a mouse so I can feel cool. Not that expensive parts are bad, I just personally find I can get by with cheaper things and save money for other things be it cars, school, food, or my PC innards (GTX 660, 8gig Corsair RAM, 2+1tb Western Digital and Seagate HDD, AMD Phenom II x4, cheap Cooler Master Case, MSI Military Class mother board that I cant remember). I may be a penny pincher and I do know that cheap things don't last quite as long, but in my current situation cheap will get me buy.
Good luck to everyone else and thanks for the giveaway OP!
Yeah I could suggest a few.
[Blue Yeti] (http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1418924712&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=blue+yeti&amp;pebp=1418924714123)
MXL 990 Condenser Mic
Audio Technica AT2035 I have owned all of these and they might be pricey for you, but any one of them are worth the investment. My favorite is the AT4040, but that is like $300. The AT2035 is a great alternative to that and it's what I use a secondary. Anyone of these are fine just read some reviews check out their manufacturer's webpage. It's important to get a good mic that is right for you. For example the Blue Yeti was nice, but I have a kinda high pitched voice and it was not picking up mid frequencies as well as I would have liked.
If you don't feel like spending that much a couple of good mics are:
Audio Technica ATR2500 $66 on Amazon.
and
MXL 770 $60 on Amazon
EDIT: Forgot to mention. We actually have pretty similar voices oddly enough as it is. Another thing I noticed was the amount of essing (the his sound while pronouncing s) and a little bit of pop on hard consonants. I would lean towards getting a mic with a good mid-range focus and a pop-filter.
Cheap 2.1 sound? Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 for $40 on Amazon. Brother had this exact set and he liked it, except the control knob was weird to use and it was impossible to plug in headphones without messing with the volume wheel. The exposed speakers and plastic casing make it look cheap, but they sound really good considering the cost.
Slightly better sound? Creative Sound BlasterX Kratos S3 for $80 on Amazon. All wood casing gives you great sound and they have a good amount of punch. The sub will be a bit lacking if you place it on the floor. You can get these for about $60 from Fry's Electronics if you sign up for their e-mail promo codes. They knock off $20 retail with the code.
Best bang for your buck? Logitech Z623 for $120 on Amazon or the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 for around $120 on Amazon. Both of these are THX certified and they have a lot of bass. Powerful sub coupled with some great speakers make these awesome for the price.
idk what your price range is but ill name a list of headsets iive know are good.ive tried a couple and i personally own the astro a40 tr https://www.amazon.com/ASTRO-Gaming-A40-TR-PC-Headset/dp/B014LH5LH4/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468999233&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=astro+a40+tr
Razer man o war te edition Very comfortable and has a good bass response
http://gear.blizzard.com/overwatch-razer-manowar-headset
Logitech g633 amazing sound ive tried these i absoultely loved them but i was able to buy keep these at the time i had them
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Artemis-Spectrum-Surround-Headset/dp/B013P0K8OE/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468999270&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=logitech+g633
Hyper x cloud ii/revolvers basically an audiophile headset called takstar something idk remember the numbers with a mic
https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-PS4/dp/B00SAYCXWG/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468999356&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=hyper+x+cloud
https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Revolver-Headset-HX-HSCR-BK-NA/dp/B01CIEBU54/ref=sr_1_3?s=videogames&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468999397&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=hyper+x+cloud
If you want an audiophile grade open back headphones you can get the phillips shp9500 with a vmoda boom pro(replaces the 3.5mm cable from the phillips with a 3.5mm cable with a mic attached to it that actually works really good ive personally have used the vmoda boom pro, and these also dont have much bass since they are open back but will give you a good soundstage and a more flat overall sound which is great)
https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468999443&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=phillips+shp9500
https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Gaming-Headset-Headphone/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=RMHT9CZPCNN63DNKGWBC
Turtle beach elite pro pretty new but looks amazing
https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Beach-Tournament-ComforTec-TruSpeak-Technology/dp/B01EM9PLVC
Senheisser game one/zero one is a closed back and one is a open dont remember which one is which
https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-GAME-ZERO-Gaming-Headphone/dp/B00KNPYAEY/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=videogames&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468999133&amp;sr=1-2-spell&amp;keywords=senheisseer+game+one
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GWU8FTK/ref=twister_B00OZP5HG8?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1
Plantronics rig 500/500hd/500e(just little variations in between still the exact same headset one is just stereo,one is surround sound, and one issurround and comes with different sets of earcups closed and open. ive also personally used these they are fantastic but i wouldnt recommend if you have big ears normal to small ears fit inside the cups well)
http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/rig-500hc
http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/rig-500hd
http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/rig-500e
If anything is out of your price range i can probably recommend some other ones but these are the ones i can think of on the top of my head feel free to ask any questions
Hey guys, I have a $300 (USD) budget to improve my audio performance on my high end PC. When I built it, I more or less ignored the audio side of things, and I'm already regretting that decision :P I'm currently using cheap logitech z313, which aren't horrendous but definitely lack in volume or definition.
I DO NOT have a sound card, and am just using on-board sound of my Asus Sabre-tooth z77. Advertised on their website with these specifications:
Realtek® ALC892 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
Audio Feature :
Ive heard mixed opinions on whether on board sound is just as good as an actual stand alone sound card. I've also read how important a good DAC can be, but am not sure if its a big enough of a deal to include in my initial budget, or just something i should get "down the line" for a slight increase in performance.
My question is this: what should I prioritize my budget for, in terms of performance and cost?
I could potentially get the recommended JBL's (my musician friends seconded the recommendation) but it wouldn't leave any room in my budget for a DAC, soundcard, or subwoofer.
Do you all think I'd be happier with getting the cheaper Klipsch Promedia 2.1 THX certified all in one (http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-ProMedia-Certified-Computer-Speaker/dp/B000062VUO/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1408310685&amp;sr=1-1-spell&amp;keywords=Klipcsh+Pro+Media), and then a Schiit DAC on top of it (or sound card?) or would I be better off just getting the best speakers I can afford (The JBLs) and upgrading the rest as I go individually? Is the performance difference one that is drastically noticable or is it a minor difference that only true "audiophiles" would even notice?
As this is for a desktop PC setup, I'm looking for all around solid performance. I use it for everything; from production to gaming to movies to music.
So this is just my opinion; take what you want from it.
Main build parts look great. They will easily crush OW, RL, and RS:S. CS:GO is the only one that looks a bit concerning. From my personal experience and benchmarks I have looked at, there is a direct correlation between the cpu clock speed and the peformence (csgo is largely cpu based). If you're not planning to play a lot of AAA games (don't worry, you'll still be able too), I would wait a bit and get the RX 470 instead of the 480. This will let you run the CPU intensive games you seem to want at a higher framerate (think CS:GO at 300fps, which is what people aim around for very competitive play). More info on why you would want 300 and not 144 can be found here. Keep in mind that youtube video does have some extra stuff in it that is specific to CS:GO.
Ram seems to be good. I have the same ssd and hard drive as you put on that list, and I love them. Friend got the case you put down (talked to him and he said he loves it). He also said the same about that psu (he has the 650w version).
Now lets move on to the peripherals. Monitor is good. I have a slightly different monitor with the same panel inside that works flawlessly. The one gripe you may have with that monitor is you can't swivel and turn it with the included stand. Nothing hard to fix up with a stand from monoprice (costs $20 though :/). Zowie fk2 is great. I got a different zowie, but they are all absolutely wonderful. Qck+ (used to have but moved on) is good for a couple months (6 or so) and then gets a little worn out and worse for tracking. Damn they are a good price though. I do not know much about headphones, nor know someone who does, so I don't have much to comment on them. I feel like you could get better, but I have no clue.
The mic and the keyboard. Welp! the mic seems incredibly overpriced TBH. Unless your gonna be using it to stream on twitch regularly, I don't really feel it's worth the price. I got THIS one, and have been using it for a year with no issues at all. Absolutely wonderful for skype and in game chat. TEST AUDIO FROM MIC
Now the keyboard isn't that great. With a cheaper mic and gpu you can get a better one for a reasonable price. Also check out /r/mechanicalkeyboards (an absolute amazing sub).
BASED ON ALL OF THAT THIS IS WHAT I RECOMMEND
even though it's more expensive you can feel free to take bits and pieces of my recommendations and not others :)
now I'm going to bed
anybody feel free to critique me cause I'm not perfect
Ok so what I am about to suggest may not be high quality enough for you. From the speakers you have mentioned above you may be going for the $80 - $100 range. With speakers like the MB42X you will absoultely need an amp but the Swan M10 looks like they do not need an amp. I have never bought an amp so I can't make any suggestions.
Moving away from what you have mentioned, I would recommend this
I have these and they really are pretty good and pumping music out. I used them for gaming, general pc use, and for playing music when friends are over. The sub gives the sound some meat and the satellite speakers are quite nice. All that being said, this is the budget system. Something like the Swan m10 is definitely the nicer kind of this same setup (no amp needed, 2 satellite and a sub) but these get the job done for me, at least until I have more disposable income to buy a nice set of speakers and amp. I would highly recommend these bad boys, a major reason being they are just so damn cheap and sound great.
Don't buy any of that gamer gear. They are overpriced and quality is subpar. Go with these two these two; Sennheiser HD598 and Antlion Modmic.
Sennheiser HD598 are one of the best headphones for the price in the market right now. They are open-back, meaning that the ear cups are open, thus sound leaks towards your surrounding but external noise is also not isolated. If you plan to play at home it is a great choice. Moreover the soundstage is superb (since they are open back). The mic is probably the best you can get for $50. Great sound quality and it also attaches on the headphones.
If you want to make the headphones sound even better consider buying an amplifier and a DAC in the future. Maybe you'll want even a different, more advanced model in a couple of years.
Come by /r/headphones! The community is very friendly and you can dwell into more the audio world.
Ah ok, that's probably the reason. Most built in microphones will not be as good as the microphones you buy in stores/online. They pick up the sounds of your laptop fan and other noises. It's alright if you're a beginner just trying to start but it'll quickly need to be replaced as some people might not even consider following you if there's an annoying sound constantly playing.
Since I haven't heard your microphone then all I can say is that if it doesn't sound like your ears are about to bleed then feel free to use it for starters(test this with a friend or some viewers). But I suggest you get a dedicated microphone for streaming.
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Microphones my friends and I have used
If you're able to buy a microphone then the ones that my friends and I have experience with are the following:
Here's a video that show's off both microphones and an extra
Other Microphones
I've heard that these are also good, though I have no experience with them.
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Some tips for your microphone
I suggest you get a pop filter^[1] for your microphone if you decide to buy one. Then, if possible, you should also get a Shock Mount^[2] but that isn't as crucial as the pop filter.
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There's a bit more to recording your microphone, like sound proofing, but that's for another day. I just wanted to give you a list of microphones and some tips that could help you out if you're a new to streaming/recording.
Good Luck! As I said before, if your laptop's microphone doesn't make your ears(or a friends' ears) bleed then go ahead and use it for how ever long it takes you to save up and buy a better microphone. But I suggest you not wait too long if you have the choice.
Edit: Markup
Edit2: Grammar
Edit3: Reworded the first section's title.
Two picks that you can't go wrong with are:
Open backs: Fidelio X2 + VModa BoomPro
Closed backs: Audio-Technica MSR7 + VModa BoomPro
Spendy yes, but these are essentially the top of the heap for great sounding, well built, comfortable, and easy to use headsets. Compatible with pc and most consoles, either of these should last a lifetime save for maybe the cords or pads which are replaceable. Buying 'Used - Like New' is an option to save a bit.
If you decide using a desktop mic is an option, then the DT990's have already been suggested. The ModMic is an attachable mic option that works with everything, but it adds yet another cord so it's not an option I'm particularly fond of.
If you decide the options above are just more than you really want to spend, there are a few good budget picks as well.
From my Research (Edit: I should clarify, these are what I've found to be considered the "best" buy--that is not necessarily the best pure performance, but the best performance/quality per dollar. Many other people have covered upgraded options that perform better, but a steep cost):
Currently I personally use a ModMic + ATH-M50X's
It works great but I'm going to go to Wireless next because my cat is in love with laying on my lap and chewing on cables :/
This isn't what you want to hear, but I suggest trying to grow your budget a bit. If that means holding off a bit, do it. You can get a pair of budget speakers for $20 (no idea about conversion) and then try to set aside a bit more for something that will actually wow you in a few months. I used to work as a musician, so I'm generally a fan of powered monitors. I personally use the Audio Engine A5+ system (with an added subwoofer) and am a huge fan of them in general. Have a great sound signature, push enough air to handle decent bass without a subwoofer for most things, and have fantastic clarity in the sound.
You could save a bit more by downgrading from there to the A2+, and they may even do better on the wall (A5+ usually suggests about 6 inches of clearance from the wall to get proper air movement.)
If you really don't want to wait or don't want to spend the extra to get into the world of audiophile quality, the CA-3602a (couldn't find a UK link) is a pretty solid budget option.
What kind of games do you play? For competitive FPS where positional queues and imaging are important, I'd go with a used HD700 or even HD800. Will be hard to find on a $400 budget, but maybe you'll find the 700.
For more single player or immersive games, you have a lot of different options. This will come down to more of what sort of sound signature you like (bass, mid, treble forward?). I would put the HD600 series here moreso than in the competitive gaming realm.
Honestly, once you get above where you're at now, the diminishing returns become pretty apparent. I don't notice enough difference when gaming between my ATH-AD700x and my HD800 that would make me want to spend the difference for gaming alone. Sure the soundstage on the 800s is wider and the imaging slightly better, but it doesn't translate to that much of an edge in game. The 700x (or 598 in your case) is already leaps and bounds ahead of whatever other fart cannons most other people are using. I'd honestly just stick with what you've got.
As stated in other replies, get a desktop mic, a boom mic, a modmic, or any sort of wired clipon. Most/all gaming headsets are not great, or just OK, and you will be sacrificing sound quality and soundstage going to one of those from your 598s. This mic is $10 and actually sounds pretty darn good. I clip it on to whatever pair of headphones I pick up (depending on the game).
What are you driving your 598s with? You may see some improvement investing in your source.
Save your money and don't buy super fancy cables expecting much difference. Good solid cables shouldn't cost more than $50. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I don't think they drastically change the sound signature, at least to my ears.
He has some good advice. But for the love of all that is holy. Please do not buy a "gaming" headset.
Invest in a good pair of headphones and attach something like a Antlion Mod-Mic to it. You'll end up with far better sound, a similar if not better mic, for around the same or cheaper price as those "high end gaming" headsets.
Something like this: Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 $99 + Antlion ModMic $32 or Zalman Zm-Mic1 Clip-On Mic $6.99
Gives you a set of incredibly good sounding headphones for both music and gaming, and a mic comparable to the one you are going to find on any headset out there (no matter how expensive, unless you want to go super high end).
If you don't like the look of the ATH-AD700s, then browse through this wonderful thread/font of knowledge on headphones at Head-Fi.org: Link.
As for mechanical keyboards, the Steelseries 6Gv2 Cherry MX Black is a good choice.
In terms of mice, I suggest you go to your local computer shop and try out mice there with your hand. You need to find one that fits the way you like to grip your mouse and one that is fit for you. I'd even recommend the same with the mechanical keyboards. A place like Frys is a great place to test them out as the regularly have the mechanical keyboards out on display to test.
I'm currently using the AKG K7XXs and love them, but those are pretty pricy.
The Sennheiser HD518s are great. I've owned a couple of the HD5xx models, can't remember which exactly, but they were excellent headphones and EXTREMELY comfortable for hours on end. Very good sound. Absolutely a great line.
You could then throw on something like this and you're still close to your original budget...
Budget: $175
Source: My Laptop
Requirements for Isolation: None, I think. I'll be using them at home only and if necessary I can just shut my door
Preferred type: Full-sized, circumaural
Preferred tonal balance: Unsure but I guess balanced? Hopefully my music preference/use will allow for some input here
Past Headphones: Beats are the only notable pair I've had. I enjoyed they way they sounded but that could just be because they were the first non generic pair that I've used. Biggest gripe would be buying batteries.
Preferred music: Electronic, Video Game soundtracks (usually orchestral), hip hop, and power metal
I'd like to use them primarily for music (most importantly) and also as a headset for gaming, although I won't need them for CoD style gameplay where footsteps are important. I was thinking about buying non-gaming headphones and just buying a mic but I'm open to anything.
Regarding standalone mics, I went through Mad Lust Envy's guide and was looking at the V-moda BoomPro and was wondering if it was worth the price? Also I've heard great things about the Zalman and was wondering if I should just get that to save money.
Thanks!
Edit: This is a repost since I'd like a few more responses. u/andysaurus_rex suggested HE-300 but I've also heard that they are just okay for electronic music. I'd like a pair that's made moreso for electronic music/bassy but if u/andysaurus_rex's suggestion still fits best and I've just been misinformed then I'll do that.
Also, if anyone has any input on the mics, that would be much appreciated.
I come from the audiophile world, so a couple things I need to know before I offer any recommendations....
-Price, now I know you said "unlimited" but are you willing to include a DAC too?
-Listening preferences/uses, do you like music with a lot of bass or do you like a flat sound signature? Will you be doing competitive FPS where you might want more treble to hear footsteps easier?
-Environment, are you in a room by yourself or is your PC quiet enough where an open back headset is okay or do you want total isolation from any noise around you? (NOTE: open back provides better sound stage at the cost of you hearing stuff around you and other people if they're close hearing what's playing)
Last...AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY.....DON'T, I repeat DON'T buy a gaming headset if you want good sound quality unless you want to fork over more money than you have to.
Having said all that, one recommendation is the Phillips SHP9500 with Vmoda boom pro (open back) all for around $100 IIRC on Amazon.
Another recommendation is the Phillips Fidelio X2 with before mentioned boom pro.
IF you want "f*ck all outside noise" the Bose QC 35 will work (mic cord included)
However, probably the best idea out there is the Modmic (link: https://www.amazon.com/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone/dp/B00R98JVVU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1503259595&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=modmic) pick your favorite headphone and attach a mic to it)
Then you can completely go balls to the wall and get something like the ShureSRH1540.
Or just say fuck it and buy the Sennheiser Orpheus ;)
I linked them in my post, but for ease:
Headphones: A good entry pair would be the Philips SHP9500S. Check out /r/headphones' headphone purchasing guide if you'd like to actually figure out what headphones would best suit you. Everyone's different.
Mic: If you want one that will resemble that of a gaming headset's mic, then the Antlion Modmic is great, and attach magnetically (I believe?). If you'd like an inexpensive mic that isn't attached to your headphones, the Samson Go is actually pretty awesome. It's shockingly-close to sounding like the Blue Yeti Pro. Here's a sound test involving the two microphones mentioned.
Almost anything with a built in mic is going to sacrifice audio or build quality. A cheap and popular solution is to get this Zalman clip on mic. Of course, it won't be the highest quality, but it's certainly good enough for chat. Look for something better if you're recording for lets plays or anything like that.
I love Sennheiser's open cans, but they're open and can get uncomfortable after long gaming sessions. The hifiman will need an amp, so that will go beyond your budget. If you can afford an extra ~$100 for an amp, the Hifiman HE-400 is really an incredible option. Super comfortable, though fairly heavy.
Also look at Beyerdynamics. At ~$160, it gives you room for an amp. Very comfortable too.
Try to test drive a pair if you can. Some websites have generous return policies so you can try them out.
This is exactly the place to ask this. I can point you in the right direction on these things, but you'll need some prices, details, or something if you want more advice.
Yes mechanical keyboard. Its like the peripheral upgrade equivalent of an SSD, everything about it is better, and you'll never go back.
HERE is a /r/MechanicalKeyboards stickied reason why. There is no way I could explain it any better. Spend a little time in that subreddit. The stickied post up top of it will help you pick your board. Then check out /r/mechmarket since durability is one of the nicest advantages.
THIS post is all you need to get started on speaker set-ups. /r/zeos is just great and covers all price ranges. Anything less than that, it will just come down to looks and reading reviews. Unless you can cop some of the Klipsch Promedias on CraigsList or something. I got a set for $25 and it is the best deal of my life. Things sound fantastic and I can't even take em above 50% or touch the sub volume without waking the neighbors.
As for wireless headphones, no idea. I don't mind the wires for the audio quality provided.
The Sennheiser PC line, like the PC350, PC360, PC330... Blah blah, but I personally still think the AD700's out perform the PC line, maybe on par with the PC360's.. But the PC line is overpriced, but very very good. What I recommend is getting a clip on mic, the Zalman ZM-MIC1 and AD700 combo is quite popular. If you have the money, the AKG701/702's with a nice amp are probably the best known for gaming. Best thing about the AKG's, you can game, music and watch movies with amazing beautiful sound quality, the AD700's are quite bad for movies and music, depending on what you're already used to, they still sound phenomenal for some.. If you really don't want a clip on mic, look into th Blue Yeti usb microphone. It's amazing.
> Is AMD as good as Intel nowadays or should I focus on Intel i5i7?
AMD's R5 series is extremely competitive to intel, I would personally purchase the R5 1600/1600x if I was building a new PC today. The Intel i7 7700k manages to beat Ryzens R7 1800x and 1700x due to its higher IPC and clock speeds. This is relevant at very high framerates such as 1080p 144FPS. At 60FPS in either 1080p, 1440p, or 4K the CPU's are pretty much the same (But with AMD having far more headroom for streaming, recording, or multi-tasking due to its superior core count). So it only really matters if you are going for extremely high refresh rates. Both are nearly equal at 90 or 120 in many titles with intel pulling away after that.
> I'd like to run dual displays do need special video cards for that nowadays? Or do most PCs have that as an option now?
Most GPU's and Mobos come with multiple display outs. So you can run both displays off your GPU. No special items needed.
> I capture gameplay using an Elgato and my Mac to capture for my PlayStation's should I get an internal card? Any recommendations?
Not really into streaming myself. Many people use programs such as OBS software as an "on the cheap" solution. Could you not also use your Elgato with your PC?
> If I didn't go Dell one other PC manufacturers are a good choice?
I am very partial to building your own PC. Today its even easier then when you were doing it! Your 1400$ could go a lot farther by building your own.
> I'd appreciate some Amazon links to any other recommendations for gear I plan on podcasting so I need some microphone stands/lighting/dual monitor stands (are mounting brackets universal now?) if you have any recommendations for this fire away
Yeti Blue - https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Yeti-USB-Microphone-Silver/dp/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1500325780&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=yeti+blue Is probably one of the most popular USB plug and play Mics for streaming. It has excellent sound quality, dead simple set up and has multiple pickup patterns depending on where you position it and how you set-it up.
If you want a bit cheaper the Yeti snowball again is very popular, If you want a bit more of a higher end mic then I would suggest the Audio Technica AT2020 XLR , which would require both a phantom power source for the cable and an interface (like the Focusrite Scarlett Solo.) Generally I wouldn't hop into these types of set-ups unless you are willing to do your research and are willing to put a section of your budget towards the audio. For 97.5% of streamers/podcasts the USB Yeti Blue / competitors at that price range will serve you well.
Most boom stands are standardised. Its just a matter if you want the table pincher or the full stand with the base. 99% of the 20-30$ ones work great.
CPU | Intel Core i7-4770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor | $314.99 @ NCIX US
Motherboard | MSI B85-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $79.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $107.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Corsair Force Series GT 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $226.48 @ Amazon
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $87.99 @ NCIX US
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB Video Card | $129.99 @ Amazon
Case | NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case | $49.03 @ Amazon
Power Supply | SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $72.98 @ SuperBiiz
Optical Drive | Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer | $17.98 @ Outlet PC
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) | $129.98 @ Outlet PC
Monitor | Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor | $154.99 @ Newegg
Monitor | Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor | $154.99 @ Newegg
Keyboard | Cooler Master Storm Quick Fire Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard | $74.99 @ TigerDirect
Mouse | Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball | $44.69 @ Amazon
Speakers | Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 120W 2.1ch Speakers | $161.98 @ Best Buy
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $1809.04
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-06 13:45 EDT-0400 |
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $29.98 @ Outlet PC |
| Monitor | Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor | $147.58 @ Newegg |
Keyboard | Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard | $74.98 @ SuperBiiz
| Microphone | Pyle Home PDMIKC5 Professional Table Top Condenser Microphone | $25.84 @ Amazon |
| Microphone | Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone - Silver Edition | $106.02 @ Amazon |
Mouse | Logitech G500 Wired Laser Mouse | $55.98 @ Outlet PC
Mouse | Logitech G9x Wired Laser Mouse | $72.98 @ SuperBiiz
Speakers | Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 232W 2.1ch Speakers | $219.99 @ Amazon
Speakers | Logitech Z313 25W 2.1ch Speakers | $34.99 @ Amazon
Headphones | Audio-Technica ATH-M35 Headphones | $69.00 @ Amazon
Headphones | Sennheiser HD 380 Pro Headphones | $140.99 @ Amazon |
***
Also, feel free to link to / paste source anywhere on Reddit. I take full responsibility for any negative vote brigading my posts may be bombarded with.
| Back to Guide |
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On the case of your wants for a wide soundstage, the AD900x is in fact a great choice, but has bass quality over quantity and are very focused and have extreme treble and upper mid clarity. They are in fact good for games like CS:GO, but if you want to play battlefield with them, you'll want something like X2s which stretch your budget a bit, but are compatible with the VModa BoomPro which is great for the price but doesn't work with everything.
Your PC360s are Sennheiser HD595s with an attached mic basically, and the 595s don't have the widest soundstage at the price of either the 595s or the PC360s.
You may need an amp/dac combo for your 900x, so you can get something like this, which will power it just fine, but if you're on a desktop with a good motherboard, you should be fine.
Also if you can buy the AD900x from USA amazon, they are like $176CAD which is extremely cheap.