Reddit mentions: The best computer headsets

Here you go:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor | $119.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard | MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard | $75.91 @ Newegg
Memory | Kingston Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $56.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $69.99 @ Newegg
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card | $259.99 @ Amazon
Wireless Network Adapter | TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter | $18.99 @ Amazon
Case | NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $39.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | SeaSonic S12II 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $66.98 @ Newegg
Optical Drive | LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer | $17.99 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) | $89.73 @ Outlet PC
Monitor | Gateway KX2153bd 60Hz 21.5" Monitor | $99.99 @ Newegg
Keyboard | AZIO Levetron Wired Gaming Keyboard | $29.99 @ Newegg
Mouse | Logitech G500 Wired Laser Mouse | $44.99 @ Amazon
Other| GameCom 380 Headset | $43.70
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $1011.22
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-10 06:32 EDT-0400 |

CPU: A good six-core CPU. Great bang for the buck. It's not a super powerful, but games are mostly GPU dependant so it should not be a problem. The cooler it comes in should do fine since you are not overclocking.

Motherboard: A good-quality motherboard with all the good features you need form a motherboard (USB3.0; USB2.0; SATA3; etc.).

Memory: 8GB DDR3. Standard for gaming.

Storage: 1TB HDD- you can put quite a lot of stuff on it. It's 7200RPM so it should be pretty fast and Western Digital is quite a good brand.

Graphics card: The 760 is a new card from nVidia. It should easily play most mainstream games (Bioshock: Infinite, Borderlands 2, Tomb Raider, Skyrim, etc.) at mid-high setting and "next-gen" games (Watch_Dogs, Battlefield 4, COD: Ghosts, etc.) at mid settings. I have a Gigabyte Windforce 3x card and the cooler is lovely- it keeps both the temperatures and noise low.

Wi-fi adapter: You wanted one, so a well-reviewed one on the list. I would reccomend just buying a long-ass ethernet cable and just connecting directly throught the router. Much better than wi-fi.

Case: Don't be confused by the price, it is actually quite the high-quality case. It has decent air-flow and it should allow for good cable managment.

Power Supply: It's 620 Watt- more than enought for your machine. It's 80+ Bronze certified which is good. It's SeaSonic which is a great manufacturer.

Optical Drive: It's basic and cheap. You use it to install Windows and never touch it again. YAY

Operating System: Microsoft's latest Windows OS. C'mon you knwo what it is. The new START menu takes a few minutes to get used to or you can get one of the million programs that bring the old one back. Really, with 8 out there is little point in getting 7.

Monitor: The specs on it look good, but it appear to be new and there are no reviews for it, so you are sorta taking a leap of faith. Still, the specs look good.

Keyboard & mouse: Both of them look like good gaming peripherals with good reviews. Their are sort of placeholders and you can get whatever you want.

Headset: Again, placeholder. If you really want speakers get speakers, I have 0 knowlage there, but I find headsets much better for gaming. I have the same headset and both the sound and microphone are lovely for the price. I have had worse headsets with higher pricetags. Just make sure you plug it in the back ports if you can. Don't worry, the cable is fairly long.

Any questions?

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.

Last update 11/27 1:36am pacific || Removed bold from some items, pruning of dead deals coming.

If the first field is bold it is a new deal

Note, I've hit the text limit so I'm limiting extra text.


 


Headphone | Price | Store | Notes
------------------ |-------|--------|-----------
BeyerDynamic DT 1770 Pro | $416 | Amazon | Available for $405 shipped via 3rd party
BeyerDynamic 990 250 ohm pro | $109 | Amazon | Lowest price ever on Amazon. Thanks /u/Jedi_Pacman!
BeyerDynamic T1 Second Gen | $1099 | BuyDig via ebay |
Sennheiser HD600 | $260 | Amazon | Thanks /u/aasteveo!
BeyerDynamic DT 880 600 ohm | $169 | Amazon | Lowest price on record for both Amazon and 3rd party.
BeyerDynamic DT 770 80 ohm | $118 | Amazon | Thanks /u/ASpaceman :)
Chord Mojo Amp / DAC + NVX XPT100 Studio Headphones | $549 | Sonic Electronix |
MrSpeakers ETHER C Flow | $1620 | MrSpeakers | Thanks /u/MrSpeakers !
MrSpeakers ETHER Flow | $1619 | MrSpeakers | Thanks /u/MrSpeakers !
Samson SR950 | $24 | Adorama
Sennheiser IE80 | $179 | Amazon | Thanks /u/LOMOcatVasilii Also available at Sonic Electronix
Stax SR-L500 + SRM252S | $1009| Shenzhen Audio |
DUNU DN-2000J | $269 | Shenzhen Audio |
TFZ Series 5S | $69 | Shenzhen Audio via Amazon |
Fanmusic E6 | $39 | Shenzhen Audio
Simgot EN700 | $69 | Shenzhen Audio
FORREST FLC8S | $269 | Shenzhen Audio
Audioquest NightHawk | $349 | Crutchfield | Also available from Needledoctor
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x | $27 | BuyDig | Add to cart for final price
Beyerdynamic DT 880 32 ohm includes $50 newegg gift card | $159.99 | Newegg | Also available at BuyDig for $139 add to cart to see discount
Beyerdynamic T90 Chrome Limited Edition 250 OHM| $279 | BuyDig| Also available at Newegg for $299 w/$40 gift card
Sennheiser PC360 headset | $99 | Amazon
Monoprice USB DAC Headphone Amp | $49.99 | Monoprice |
BeyerDynamic DT 770 16ohm | $100 | ebay | Also available at BuyDig for $109
BeyerDynamic A20 Amp | $294 | BuyDig | Use code "DIGTURKEY5"
Westone UM Pro 10 | $99 | Amazon
HiFiMan Edition X | $1299 | Music Direct | Thanks to /u/boombap33 for pointing this out
V-Moda Crossfade M-100 Black | $176.54 | Musician's Friend | Includes free Boompro mic. Use code "blackfriday"
Sennheiser PC350 Headset | $78 | Newegg |
Sennheiser Momentum In Ear | $70 | Amazon | Android or iOS versions
BeyerDynamic DT 1350 | $119 | Adorama
BeyerDyanmic DT 880 250 ohm Chrome version | $149 | BuyDig via ebay
Superlux HD668B | $25 | Gearbest |
Audeze LCD-4 | $2999 | Adorama
Audeze LCD-3 | $1349 | Adorama
Audeze LCD-XC Limited Leather | $1299 | Adorama
Audeze Sine | $299 | Adorama
Audeze Sine w/Lightning Cable | $359 | Adorama
Audeze LCD-2 Rosewood w/Lambskin | $749 | Adorama
Audeze LCD-2 Bamboo w/Lambskin | $699 | Adorama
Audeze LCD-2 Aluminum w/Lambskin | $699 | Adorama |
Hifiman HE-400i | $249 | Headamp | Use code "HEADFI10" thanks to /u/Chillindude82Nein for the better deal!
Hifiman SuperMini DAP + iFi nano iDSD + Fiio Cable| $394 | BuyDig | use code "DIGTURKEY10"|
Audeze 2015 EL8 Open | $404.10 | HeadAmp | Use code "BF2016"
Audeze 2015 EL8 Close| $404.10 | HeadAmp | Use code "BF2016"
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x includes $25 newegg gift card| $224 | Newegg |
Fostex TH-900mk2| $999 | Adorama |
Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 Black| $189 | Amazon
Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 Gun Metal | $189 | Amazon
Philips SHP9500S | $50 | Newegg |


 


General Discounts | Discount | Notes
------|---|---
Earphone Solutions | 25% off | Store Wide use code "CYBER" -- they offer discounts for trade-ins as well.
Master & Dynamic | 20% off | use code "MD20"
Meze | 25% off select headphones
NeedleDoctor | Various |
Monoprice | 20% off | Use code "BF2016"
Audeze | B-Stock| Dedicated thread here. Thanks /u/kangaroo_steak!
V-Moda| 10% | Free Boompro Mic with order of on-ear/over-ear headphones.
Brainwavz | Various | Thanks /u/robotlabs!
Addicted to Audio | Various | "For the aussies" thanks /u/KingJie!
Shenzhen Audio | Various |
Decware | Various | thanks /u/Elnrik!
HeadAmp | Various | Use code "HEADFI10" for 10% off (most?) products
Brainwavz Canada | Various | Thanks /u/custardbun!
Violectric Audio USA | 25% | Code "BLACK-25" thanks /u/novicez!

these:

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M40x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR54

• this:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone/dp/B00R98JVVU/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1491575296&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=modmic&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&ie=UTF8&qid=1491575575&sr=1-3&keywords=logitech+artemis
  
  and, if he already has some logitech gear, it works in conjunction with the software he already has.

It's cool! I remember it took me a while to get going as well, and that was in University haha.


Firstly, the best program that you can use is called FRAPS, which is pretty much the industry standard. You can either buy an official copy here or find a torrent, it's quite easy to get ahold of. When you get it and download it, it's very easy to set up and use and is very user-friendly. Step to follow when first opening the program will generally be;

• Click on the 'Movies' Tab
  
• Check where the movies are being saved to
  
• Unless you have a VERY powerful computer, it's better to record 'half-size'
  
• Make sure it's recording Win7 Sound in Stereo AS WELL AS the external input....oh, definitely get a microphone too. You can use built in ones, but as an investment it seriously improves overall video quality! (I currently use this, but a cheap £12 one served me fine for a long time!!)
  
  When all of this is setup and he next opens minecraft, if it's working in the top left corner he'll see some big yellow numbers (the current framerate) and as soon as he presses record, that'll change to red. I think the default record button is F9 but you can check and change that in the program. You want this red number to generally be the same as what you set your frame-rate capture to be (30fps, 50fps, 60fps) etc but that all depends on the speed of the computer. Luckily Minecraft is quite easy so you can probably have it comfortably in at least 30 without any issues.
  
  
  As soon as he is done recording, he just has to press F9 again, the numbers will go from Red to Yellow and it'll all be in files wherever you set it to save them too.
  
  
  
  As far as it goes, this is all you really need to do! It's very easy and basic and is one of the reasons Minecraft has become such a big youtube hit is how easy and well it records through this method. Let me know if you have any further issues! :)

I cant really comment on the 100 and under range but I just recently got this for a friend https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KAK2FI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and this for myself
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G6IJ5NI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They both required purchasing an adapter from microsoft for i think $25 to use game and chat sound through the headset though for xbox. I dont know if the same would need to be done on ps4.

I can say that both has incredible sound. I had a 5.1 headset before and both of these were noticeably better.

Having said this I am not sure I would recommend the Recon 3d's due to an overall flimsy feel. My friend switches back and forth from xbox to pc all the time and the usb plug in on the receiver seems to already be acting up (about 6 months of use).

The steelseries I could not be happier with. They are incredibly comfortable and very sturdy. In my opinion they were worth every penny.

I have Razer Blackshark as well but unless you really like the aesthetic (i love it as I am a former pilot) they are not worth it all even at the cheaper price point. They do not even have 5.1 to my knowledge.

Sorry I could not be of more help in your price range but figured I'd let you know what Ive experienced with some higher end.

Oh yeah, a few of my friends have Turtle beach x41's. They sound good but I would highly recommend avoiding headsets that use AAA batteries. They were changing them daily. Rechargeable is definitely worth it if you can afford it.

Let me know you have any other questions I might be able to answer. Happy Hunting! A good headset changes everything in a lot of games.

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.

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.

• Budget: 250CAD/200USD (That being said I'm a teenager with his first job, if theres some god like headphones in the 200-300 range then lay them on me!)
  
  
• Source: PC/Phone (I'm not to worried about phone compatibility)
  
  
• Isolation: Isolation is always a nice feature but I play in a quiet room so it is not necessary.
  
  
• General Use: These will be typically used at home, but it would be good to be able to walk around with them.
  
  
• Type of Headphone: Over ear
  
  
• Balance: I'm a fan of bass but would very happily take a well balanced set of headphones
  
  
• Past Headphones: Nothing of note
  
  
• Music Taste: Crappy nightcore remixes / techno
  
  *Location: I'm buying in Canada
  
  I was one step away from pulling the trigger on some Logitech G933's before I discovered this subreddit. I already have a separate mic but would prefer to have a build in mic and the convenience of wireless appealed to me. After discovering this subreddit I looked through some posts on gaming headphones and two really caught my eye.
  
  
• Audio Technica ATH-AD700X
  
  -Noticed this after reading through Mad Lust Envy's guide to gaming headphones. The original ones reviewed are no longer on sale new and I've heard complaints about build quality and the 3M non detachable cable on the new ones. While it may be possible to modify the cable I'd rather not have to.
  
  
• Sennheiser PC 363D
  
  -I've been looking at these because they come with a very convenient mic as well as an attachable sound card for 7:1 Surround Sound. In terms of getting good positional audio Surround Sound is very appealing, although I may just be buying into the marketing.
  
  While audio quality for things like music and movies is important I am willing to sacrifice all round quality for good positional audio and a wide soundscape. These headphones will be used for fps games like CSGO and Arma 3 and I don't use my headphones for much else. These are pretty popular games so I'm sure that someone helpful on here could share their experiences. Everything I've seen of this community so far makes it out to be really good and I'm looking forwards to learning more. Thank you in advance!

Sorry, I didn't know I had to post my question to this thread.

Are refurbished headphones better than like new?

My boyfriend and I are doing late Christmas to take advantage of all the Christmas money we've both got and I want to get him a nice pair of headphones, but I don't want to spend more than $100. He likes over the ear headphones, and that about his only preference.

After doing a bit of research I settled on these Sennheiser pc 350 headphones. I won't be able to buy a new pair, so I'm going to choose one of the used or refurbished ones.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Are refurbished better than like new?

Also feel free to critique my choice of headphones or suggest other alternatives. I have absolutely no headphone knowledge other than the fact that the bose pair I've had for two years are pretty awesome.

So yeah, any advice would be great! Thanks!

Not a member of the guild but i'd like to give a helping hand.
In my experience gaming headsets have great speakers but not so much can be said about most mics.
microsoft lifechat lx 3000 headset i use has to have the best mic for its price and beats some of the higher tier gaming headsets in costs.
However, not for music use, good for talking and all that but for base and movie use, i would not recommend it.
For reference, we use these at my last work place when talking to customers in customer support, it is more or less built for that purpose but as i said, not that good sound.

It goes for 27$ on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-JUG-00001-LifeChat-LX-3000-Headset/dp/B000J4WPW8

Hope it helps :)

> Is it something that is worth the extra price? Or is it more of a gimmick?

Alongside my M50x I have a set of Plantronics 780s (which actually I highly recommend if you want a headset but don't wanna drop that much money on them, got mine for $60). I think the virtual surround is a gimmick, but some people really like it. I think for games it's not too bad but for movies, music, or talking to people it makes voices sound really weird.

It's also got Dolby modes for 'Gaming/Movie' and 'Music', but can't really tell the difference between them. Listening to Netflix right now 'Dolby off' makes flat sound like reference. Turning it onthe bass gets a bit heavier and you get some echoy surround effects. 'Gaming/Movie' seems a bit bass heavier. 'Music' seems to put some more highs and upper mids in there.

I've seen some sets with voice augmentation which is purely an entertainment thing. Other features like noise cancelling (on the mic and in the cans) are also around and might be useful depending on your environment.

The other thing that's nice about regular cans is that since they run off 3.5mm jack you can use them pretty much anywhere. So my M50xs fold up pretty nicely for on the plane and I can use them on my laptop or iPod seamlessly. So that might be worth something to you.

Location - England, should be available on Amazon UK

Budget - <£75 (~$110) - preferably lower if there's something good

Source - Laptop and Nexus 5. I've noticed white noise from earbuds in my laptop for a while after I stop playing audio, is that a sign of a bad sound card?

Requirements for Isolation - High; will mainly use at home, but want the option of a quiet library (i.e: don't want anything leaking out, but I shouldn't have much outside noise)

Preferred Type of Headphone - Was thinking full size over-ear because I assumed they'd have higher isolation and comfort, but then I also read these were often less comfortable than on-ear, so whichever ticks boxes.

Preferred music - Pretty big mix, but I'd say indie rock if I had to give a direction (Arcade Fire, Wilco, etc.), sometimes heavier. I assume that means I don't want high bass?

Past headphones - Various earbuds which I find break a LOT for me just from wear and tear, want something sturdier and much better audio quality. Also had Plantronics GameCom 780 headset which I remember liking the audio of, but I don't want a mic anymore.


I'm a complete headphone/audio newb, feel free to correct a requirement/give budget advice if they seems unrealistic. I'm not an audiophile, so while I want something that sounds significantly better than my earbuds, I also care a lot about comfort, durability and aesthetic (not necessarily flashy, but attractive). Thanks!

The answer you will get time and again from people who use headsets a lot is: go for an actual headphone manufacturer, not a general electronics manufacturer. Like Sennheiser, AKG, Shure or Bose for some examples.

I don't know why you'd go for 5.1 or 7.1 headset - it's just fakery. Sure, there are headsets that actually have multiple speakers, but the headphones will still go over your ears, thus diminishing the effect of surround. Also, I've read the sound quality of these kinds of "true surround" headsets is crap. On other hand, if you're looking for a headset with virtual surround, you can do that with a decent soundcard and any kind of headphones.

My personal favorite PC headset is the Sennheiser PC-151.

I actually used to have the PC-155, but it's not made anymore - and anyways, it was just a PC-151 with an added external USB-soundcard (which is quality stuff, too, for the price). The reason I had to get a new pair was because I used the 155's every day, for over 6 years, for like 8 hours a day, and they just kind of... eroded. And that kind of durability for the price is awesome; I can't count the number of hours I spent in awe of the bliss of the crisp and clear sound of these ultracomfortable headphones over my ears (wow, that sounds like a commercial, but it's still true). And when they finally died, I just had to have a new pair.

Thus, while I know from experience that (for example) the Creative headphones suggested earlier in this thread are nice and comfy, and look stylish, they just can't compete with a real headphone manufacturer.

The Pulse Elite headphones are the best investment esp if you plan to use them with PC and PS3. They're also supposed to work with PS4 but only time will tell. They include a 3.5mm cable as well so you can plug them into anything with a headphone jack. I've had mine since they launched and they are BY FAR one of the best investments I've made. Easy set up (simply plug in the USB dongle to PS3 or PC) and they just work. Plus the rumble feedback is quite neat and adds immersion to any game/movie/music ect that you're playing. Amazon has them on sale now for $120. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0087OZ5FG/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

TLDR: Playstation Pulse Elite headphones are great for PC and PS3. Easy setup and even on sale now.

I find it very hard that across four months you could not have found the ability to get a new/different set of decent cans if you REALLY wanted to and if music is REALLY that important to you.

• You could work more.
  
• You could ask a friend to loan you a pair.
  
• You could tell your family you really need a good set of headphones. Maybe a birthday or Christmas gift.
  
• You could sell things you already own.
  
  You're so worried about his actions but if you were actually going to NGAF you should be more concerned with your own first.
  
  This headset is a pretty good head set; it's from Microsoft, it's inexpensive, works as plug-n-play in Win 7 and OSX. It blocks sound well, has great thundery bass without being muddy and the mic is pretty sensitive without being too much so.
  
  The headset also costs $25.

Location - UK

Budget - ~£60, flexible on price. Lower is also perfectly fine.

Source - Will be using them for Console gaming mostly but with a chunk of films and music also. So a bit of everything but mostly gaming.

Requirements for Isolation - Will be using them at home so no preference here, open or closed is fine.

Preferred Type of Headphone - Over Ear / Circumaural. I have a large head and fairly large ears and will be wearing them for fairly long periods of time for gaming so large cans would also be preferable.

Preferred tonal balance - Not too sure, whatever is best for the things which I will be doing. Maybe a bit more on the Bass side.

Past headphones - I am new to the world of decent headphones so my past consists of the bog standard apple and in ear Samsung earphones etc.

Preferred Music - Fairly general taste in music, little bit of everything but probably favour R&b/Rap and dance/ electro a bit more.

Notes - I have spent the past week looking into getting a pair of headphones but I am still fairly lost as to what to get with such a huge variety. The AD700s and Senn 558s and other models above those are widely recommended but they seem to cost almost twice as much in the UK as they do in the US and so they are out of my price range which is disappointing.
Audio Technica M50s and Senn HD 518s can be had for around £80 but they are really pushing it price wise for me unless they are definitely worth it. Found some cheaper Senns like the 419s or the 429s but what is their quality like? Sony MDR-V6s are also another pair i have seen recommended.

Obviously for gaming I would pair these with a clip on mic of some description. something like the Zalman clip on or similar and a 2 to 1 splitter to plug into the DS4 controller. The dislike of gaming headsets is well known but never the less I have seen a couple recommended here and there and they are reasonably priced so it's not a total loss if they are useless: [The Logitech G430] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CJ5FPUE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2LHKRQNKZ0EPX&coliid=I1XWGCGB108WMV) and the Plantronics GameCom 780.

PS4 will likely be my console of choice that I will be using these for if that makes any difference. I have seen lots of talk about surround sound in relation to gaming headphones but a lot of it seems to be for PC, will it function properly on consoles too? does anyone know if the sound would be impacted if I was to plug into the controller jack or the USB slot on the console?

Thanks in advance.

I can't recommend the Sennheiser G4ME One's enough. Best headset I have. Mic is really really good as well. Also extremely comfortable, at least to me. They are open so they offer a great sound stage to pin point footsteps better than any of my other headsets.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-GAME-ONE-Gaming-Headset/dp/B00KK8ZLEC

If you want wireless for PC or PS4 get the Logitech G933. They sound FANTASTIC, really they do, in my opinion. Almost as good as the G4ME Ones. And they are jam packed with tons of features. And it can go wired as well. And it can take phone calls and it can mix in audio from like 3 sources and any 3.5mm you plug into the wireless dongle will also get transmitted.

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Spectrum-Wireless-Surround-981-000585/dp/B0148NPJ78

The card you are looking at is the same as mine, the DX 7.1. The odd listing name seems the fault of Amazon (they listed it not Asus).

>do you still think soundcards are a valuable component of a PC?

We've come a long way since the 90s. Most games and applications do not require an outboard audio card, and 99.8% of games do not support hardware audio acceleration. That does not mean that a soundcard is not a good component - if you want to upmix the channels, upmix the bit/sample rate, or mix and match any other plethora of audio options that are not found natively within your favorite games/apps they can be very beneficial as they will lessen the strain on the CPU while allowing you more customization. I don't blame anyone for buying and audio card, nor do I blame anyone for not buying one. I only recommend that if you do want one, get one with an dedicated onboard processor - there is no point in spending money on something like this, which is nothing more than a cheap pair of headphones that comes with a set of driver and no dedicated processor.

>"So when playing stuff that is native 5.1, you'd change the Channel to 6...

The control panel has two audio options, one is labeled Audio Channels, the other is labeled Analog Out. Audio channels corresponds to the number of channels that your media natively uses (e.g. a cd has 2, a dvd may offer 5.1). The Analog Out corresponds to the number of speakers you have (headphones/2.1/5.1/7.1). 5.1 channels = 6, 7.1 = 8 (5 speakers plus a sub = 6, 7 speakers plus a sub = 8). So you put a CD in and select "2" under Audio Channels since a CD only has two channels (left and right) and since you have a 5.1 system you will have "5.1" selected under Analog Out. Having those selected will allow the soundcard to upmix and enable other options to allow you to use all your speakers. If you selected "2.1" under Analog Out it will only play through your two speakers and the sub and not all.

I hope that makes sense.

>So does this mean I have to open my audio settings and change it manually...

The control panel has a few preset buttons that correspond to various setups (games/movies/music). Depending on how you like to listen to your audio, you may have to switch the "Audio Channels" option when changing between a CD/mp3 and a game, the soundcard cannot detect and automatically configure your channels for you. I just leave my Audio Channels set at 8 by default and the Analog Out to 7.1. This means that 2 channel tracks (mp3s) will only play through the left and right front speakers and the sub. If I change the Audio Channels to 2 then it will upmix.

I am not sure what you have to do with your current card, my last Creative card required the same thing and I don't believe there are any outboard cards that have the ability to detect and configure both your internal sound channels and external speaker config without some human intervention. It's not a big deal, I am betting the same features are found in your Creative CP and you didn't even realize it.

Either way, good luck with whatever you get. Be sure to shop around.

It feels like you're only going to be using them in your room which leaves the option of the open back headphones. They don't really isolate much but I think the tradeoff and benefits in soundstage can be worth it. That being said, I have no idea how loud your fridge is. If you're open to the idea of that, the Philips SHP9500S with a Vmoda Boom Pro is about one of the best choices you can make around your budget.

If you really want to have that closed headphones (which also have benefits since closed headphones can be used in public unlike open headphones), then something like the ATH M40X or even Sennheiser 598C are worth looking into. There's plenty about both on this sub or google. They're not compatible with Vmoda boom pro but instead work with something like this.

Hope that helps

Yeah dude, i already got a nice keyboard with blue switches, and i love it! For the monitor, i think i'd rather have a larger 1440p monitor, even if that means i'll get a higher input lag, maybe 60fps if i can overclock it to get some higher FPS? I'm gonna be using the PC for desktop apps as well, and screen real estate is precious when doing multi window!

Also when are the third party GTX 1080s expected to come out? I don't wanna deal with AMD 480 in crossfire because i play a lot of indie games, a lot of which don't support crossfire/SLI. I might consider the 480x, but when is it expected to come out? I'm getting impatient waiting to finally build this PC! And why is Gsync so expensive? From the (very little) research I've done about it, it looks like all it does is limit FPS. Couldn't i get a 3rd party program to do that?

I don't wanna cut costs on the headset, but the other option is getting the GTX 1070, a cheap mouse, an i5 6600k, or cutting off half my budget for games. I found this headset with nice reviews. I doubt anything better will cost only $20 :P. I'm looking around for a i7 6700k, do you know of any deals for it? Maybe one bundled with other parts? In fact, deals on any PC parts in my budget would be helpful. Lastly, what mouse do you recommend? I need a really good sensor and relatively flat shape. Thanks! :)

I overclocked my 2500k to 4.5ghz, using an H80i GT, and feel like this could last for a long time still. Get a lot of fans helps immensely but most of all I see you don't have an aftermarket CPU cooler, which is a must for overclocking. Make sure to setup push/pull on your cooler when you get one. Put two front intake fans, at least one side intake fan (more if your case has the holes for it) to help cool your graphics, and at least one bottom intake fan. I notice a huge difference in cooling in my new case with 6 fans compared to my old case with 3 fans.


For a headset have you ever considered getting nice comfortable headphones with velour earcups for long hours of gaming with no sweat or pressure on ears/head and then attaching a magnetic modmic to the headphones?


Sennheiser HD439s for $54 (http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-439-Headphones-Black/dp/B005N8W1TM/ref=sr_1_3?s=tradein-aps&srs=9187220011&ie=UTF8&qid=1452599716&sr=8-3&keywords=sennheiser+hd) sound great and are soooo comfortable

AntLion ModMic for $50 (http://www.modmic.com/products/modmic-4-0) is a quality microphone with a magnetic mount to mount it to your headphones instead of wearing a clip-on or trying to use a desktop mic that gives feedback.


I looked at your Logitech G930. Having wireless headset is nice but look at those plastic/pleather earcups: I've used gaming headsets before going with this 439/modmic setup and headsets are definitely less comfortable with worse quality speakers and worse microphones.


If $80 is steep and you wouldn't want to put out $100 for the headphone mic combo, you could always go with a $30 Creative Fatality HS400 headset (http://www.amazon.com/Creative-HS800-Fatal1ty-Gaming-Headset/dp/B002DS4HTM/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1452600411&sr=1-1-fkmr1&keywords=fatality+hs400), which has comfy headphones and a good mic. Mine lasted about 8 months before the left ear died and at probably 5 or 6 months the removable mic's rubber piece split so the mic wouldn't reattach snuggly so stopped working but it's a decent lifetime for a $30 headset.


Even if you had to do a clip-on mic but got a decent set of headphones, it would be better than a gaming headset. The sucky part about a lot of gamer-targeted gear is that the components are lower quality but the heavy marketing and pro-gamer endorsements appeal to the buyer, rather than buying based on quality alone.

The only things I didn't put in this build were:

• Headset - You'll definitely want one for online gaming. I'll recommend one, but I'm really not an audiophile. I'm more concerned price, comfort, and how clearly other's can hear you. If you are an audiophile you'll need to pick them out yourself.
  
• I've found the following inexpensive and very comfortable for a budget set - $25 - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DS4HTM/
  
  
• DVD Drive - Optional. Games now are distributed online via Vavle's Steam, EAs Origin, or direct form the Developer for MMOs. You don't need a DVD for playing games anymore.
  
• If you have access to another windows PC. Laptop or a friend's desktop. And a spare 8GB or larger USB stick. You don't even need the DVD drive to install Windows. You can install it from a USB stick. - http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows-8/a/install-windows-8-usb.htm
  
• If you prefer the simpicity of installing from DVD, or want one installed for ripping DVDs... $13.50 free shipping - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136270
  
  
• Speakers - Optional For multi-player games you'll almost always use a headset for voice-comms. Actually. The monitor should actually have a set of cheap speakers in there, plenty for more relaxed browsing/youtubing. But if you want big boomy speakers that shake you when explosions happen, you'll need to grab those on your own.
  
  ------------------
  
  As for building it. You'll need:
  
  
• Philips screw driver
  
• Small pair of pliers or a M3 sized Socket wrench/driver for installing the motherboard standoffs.
  
  Watch PCPartpicker and Newegg's build a PC videos for some good tips.

Im looking to step up my audio and started searching for a new headset for my PC. Now i have a high end gaming rig so i started looking into high end gaming headphones. well gaming headsets a re a joke from what ive gathered. so i started viewing other options. i found the 373d, hd650 and a bunch others now the ones that stuck out as top line almost 100% positive reviews was the Philips X2/27 Fidelio. Paired with V-Moda Boompro Mic; will this step up my gaming/music audio or is there a better option out there? Im just so overwhlemed from all the reading ive done seems like everything is running together. I didnt feel i had a need for using the stickied purchase thread since im basically ready to purchase just want so outside opinions. so what do you all think? EXCELLENT setup? Fair? Good? whats your recommendation? Any owners of the Philips X2/27 Fidelio?

Im looking for that in between i game ALOT but im in love with music i think this will be a solid in between i mean im currently using Beats Studio 2 plugged into the headphone jack in the volume control of my desktop speakers Bose Companion 20. I was using Sony Pulse Elite until they broke completly. SO will all that im assuming this is gonna be a win win for me?

I have this one and love it.

However it's not USB. I've heard great things about the U320 as well.

If you want great sound quality paired with a great microphone, Sennheiser is awesome. I sound like a shill but I just really love their products and I've had that headset for almost 5 years with no issues. They're definitely on the pricey side but a good gaming headset is worth the investment in my opinion.

This is normally my go to recommended headphones, but it's like half the price in the States.

My normal suggestion is to get a microphone and headphones and pair theme up since they'll sound better all around than any headset that costs a similar price. I'm honestly having a hard time fitting your budget. If you were in the states, this would be easy.

These headphones are slightly not as good as the other ones, but an easy suggestion to make when you can't pay for the HD688B and I know it's a bit of a hassle, but you could pair it with this lav mic. You wouldn't need to but the lav mic on your shirt, you should be able to place it on the head phone cable and just keep them together.

The only headsets I recommend are the HyperX Cloud headsets from Kingston. This one fits just right in with your budget. They're actually pretty good, but might be marginally worse than the headphone+microphone setup I've suggested, but also a bit more convenient.

If you want crisp clean accurate music, get sennheisers.

If you want bass and great highs, get beyerdynamic dt990

going that route you are talking far more than $100.. maybe closer to $200 total

get any condenser mic with cardioid setting.

in my honest opinion though, it will be hard for $100 to get any standalone combination that doesn't sound, fit, and feel better, than this gaming headset by Sennheiser, the PC360 - I have used this headset for 7 years, and to this day have heard nothing better for gaming. The mic sounds just as good as, if not better than, the majority of low cost standalone mics out there.

please for the love of all mankind don't go spending more than $100 on corsair, or logitech, or razer, etc.. etc.. Sennheiser is the only company worthy of marketing a "gaming" headset, at those price points.. they are leaps and bounds better than those others. All the other mics sound like garbage, and their audio is just flat and non-entertaining. They are expensive because of the brands, and/or the cool LED lights.

Budget - ~$50USD


Source - Going to be using them straight from my PC/phone.


Requirements for Isolation - Some isolation, my house can be noisy at times, but it's not required.


Will you be using these Headphones in Public? No


Preferred Type of Headphone - Full sized, over-the-ear


Preferred tonal balance - Balanced is probably my best be here, they're going to be used for a wide range of things.


Past headphones - My current pair are Creative Fatal1tys. Goofy branding aside, they're comfy and the sound quality is good enough for my peasant tastes.


Preferred Music - This is a broad category. On any given day I'll be listeng to KMFDM, Kaizers Orchestra, Bob Crosby, BNL, and Reverend Bizarre back to back. Also, gaming, podcasts, voice chat, and Twitch streams.


What would you like to improve on from your set-up - What I'm looking for are some wireless headphones that fit the above criteria and also have a built in mic. So far I haven't been able to find anything. So help me, /r/headphones, you're my only hope.

consider the sony pulse elites. They're intended to be wireless with the playstation, but plug right into the xbox controller adapter and work great. They have amazing sound and mic sounds great too. Also, they rumble and have virtual surround sound.

All that for about $100 on amazon. They are amazing!

http://www.amazon.com/Edition-Wireless-Headset-PlayStation-3-63089006306200/dp/B0087OZ5FG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414504434&sr=8-1&keywords=sony+pulse+elite

Yes, that should be enough room, though more is always better. Get rid of your furniture! That TV is going to get punched if you're not careful.

Seriously though, that is an adequate amount of space. Here is the official guide for setting up the best possible roomscale experience.

Your 3 sensors are going to be setup similar to how you have them now, with the third being directly across from one of the current two, like an L shape.

Throw down a small rug or mat in the middle of your playspace, this helps to keep you centered so you have a more tactile sense of where you are in the room (in high intensity situations, Guardian is not enough).

Consider looking into overhead cabling, it's around $20 and is super simple to setup. Additionally look into wall mounts for the sensors. 3M strips are your friend.

Check out Sensor Bounds to help maximize your sensor coverage. Check out Cable Guardian to help prevent cable wear (basically required if you use overhead cable routing)

Lastly, try out EchoVR once you have all of this setup.

Hooking up astro's to the computer is super easy if you have the 2013 mix amp. All you need to do is plug a jack from the livestream port into your computers mic socket. Then, in the mp3 port, plug a jack into that and connect it to your PC's headphone port.

You will need to buy a mic though, otherwise if you use the astro mic to talk, your team/friends will hear themselves and your game. You can buy decent mics for under £20.

Below, I will link one which I use to use and can guarantee amazing quality:

UK (Amazon): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-LifeChat-LX-3000-Standard-Packaging/dp/B000JSDOMO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413747613&sr=8-1&keywords=microsoft+microphone

US (Amazon): http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-LifeChat-LX-3000-Headset-JUG-00013/dp/B00906E03I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413747693&sr=8-1&keywords=microsoft+microphone

UK (ebay): http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313&_nkw=Microsoft+LifeChat+LX-3000+Headset&_sacat=0

US (ebay): http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.XMicrosoft+LifeChat+LX-3000+Headset&_nkw=Microsoft+LifeChat+LX-3000+Headset&_sacat=0

I thought I would be a nice guy and give you both ebay and Amazon choices, as well as giving you the correct website (.co.uk or .com) to buy from :)

Hope this helped :)

The official headset has been confirmed to be supported on the PS4,

I have the older model which I'm pretty sure it will be supported but on the tweet or answer on the blog (officially from sony) they mentioned the "Pulse" which is the newer version which is a bit more expensive.

I would buy the Pulse just to play it safe, but I gotta tell you, these headsets are amazing, I have a 7.1 HD surround which is awesome, but when playing late at night this headset is as close as it gets to surround.

I also use it on my pc/mac.

I've used these: Sennheiser PC350 for a number of years now and it's easily one of the best purchases I've made. I can wear these things all day and not even notice. They actually fit completely around my big monkey ears too, and are very comfortable. One review I read mentioned about them feeling like the loins of Jennifer Lopez, and while I don't know if its true, they are really comfortable.
As far as the ones you've listed, I've heard good things about those two Logitech headsets, and like most other people have said, I try to stay away from Razer.

Edit: Going to add that I've had these Sennheiser PC350's since October of 2008, and while working from home and extensive gaming (multiple hours a day easy - forever alone) they haven't failed on me yet. Comfortable as hell, and the wire connecting to the PC is actually a lot thicker than other wires. I've ran over it plenty of times on accident and haven't put a dent in it.

The ones that I've tried and I was really impressed with were these: http://www.amazon.com/Edition-Wireless-Headset-PlayStation-3-63089006306200/dp/B0087OZ5FG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371555012&sr=8-1&keywords=sony+pulse+wireless . I know that they are way more than 50$ but it's a good investment if you also have a PS3.

Also tried these ones and they are quite good for their price: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRZX100-BLK-Series-Headphones/dp/B004WODP20/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371555090&sr=8-2&keywords=sony+mdr-zx100 .

But the ones I use most of the times are the headphones from my Galaxy S3 because I find them to be the most comfortable: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-EH64AVFWE-Premium-Stereo-Headset/dp/B007C5S3AU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371555156&sr=8-1&keywords=galaxy+s3+headphones .

EDIT: and straight from the frontpage: http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-Vita-In-ear-Headset/dp/B006PP3ZK6/ref=pd_sim_vg_20 . Have not tried them but the price is great for an official product.

The audio will work the way you describe. This is actually pretty old tech. I was doing positional audio in Half Life with a Quad speaker setup, obviously no TrackIR back then, but how you move your position in game, be it TrackIR or your mouse of something else won't affect how the directionality of the audio works, they're different systems.

IMO unless you need headphones due to your living arrangement you're far better off getting a small surround system. Virtually all 5.1 or 7.1 headphones won't sound as good as actual physical speakers in a room. Most don't actually use multiple drivers to localize the sound, they use psychoacoustic tricks using a third party piece of software to make you believe you're hearing sound coming from different directions. If you've ever seen one of those audio demos on your soundchip's control panel where they simulate a bee or something moving from left to right and behind you seemingly and back to your left, its just like that.

Some of them do have multiple drivers but even they still use software tricks as help the simulation along. As to whether the software tricks, or multiple drivers, or some combination of the two work best is a matter of debate.

Personally I'm ok with it as software-only, (though again it'll never sound as good as actual speakers in a room) if done well, humans hear far better than 7.1 with only two ears. Headphones with fewer drivers in them for positioning sound better overall since they can utilize larger drivers in the earcups. (This isn't like the old woofer and tweeter and mid-range drivers from the days of yore, the drivers in surround sound headphones aren't there to split the frequencies so much but more for the positioning.)

A decent (audiophiles with $500 wooden knobs on their $10K vacuum tube amps can stop reading now) 5.1 speaker setup can be got for not too much cash, and the physical speakers, even the cheaper ones, will sound a thousand times better for positioning, at least. Price varies wildly, so your budget is of concern. The headphone I link to below is less than $100 and the solution provided by a comment earlier would cost you almost $1000. At some point diminishing returns set in, and you have to keep in mind your own personal experience; I've found you can give a person who is used to cheap earbuds and multimedia speakers a $100 item and a $1000 item and a $10000 item and they can't tell the difference. Hell half the audiophiles out there can't tell the difference.

If yo want to go with the headphones, I'm a fan of Plantronics due to the build quality, a big problem with these headsets in general is the cups break or the wires detach due to wear and tear.

EDIT: attempts at clarification. attempts.

The SteelSeries H Wireless Headset.

They're spendy, but I find they are comfortable, have excellent audio quality, great battery life, and work swell on Linux. As a bonus, they also work well on a consoles if you have one.

It has a receiver box that plugs in via USB (or optical if you have that) so drivers are a complete non-issue. It even comes with two batteries so you can do a quick swap when one of them dies.

I used to use the G35s, and I absolutely loved them. The whole "surround sound" thing is just a gimmick, but the mute button on the headset and just the overall design on the headset made it worthwhile. They lasted a long time, till they fell out of my bag and fell down the stairs (They're not the most durable. The headband is sorta rubbery and feels like it only has a little strip of metal supporting it.) and I used them every day. I must have had thousands of hours on those things. The matte finish on the cups are nice, and the volume control is even nicer, as is the red mute button that appears on the microphone when it's down and muted. The sound quality was decent, but I never got to compare them side-by-side with my audio technicas. Overall, they were (for me and my friends who use them) a supurb headset and I will be choosing either them or the Plantronics GameCom 780 as my next headset.

This is a strange, but related question:

I need better headphones for gaming. I settled on getting these after basically taking a straight recommendation from a friend

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012XFDWO

The problem is that the reviews suggest that I need a sound card with amplifier in order for them to work? I'm not sure I understand. I am of reasonable technical skill, but I'm not sure I'm understanding what I need exactly. Particularly this review and the comments on it are somewhat troubling. They've essentially left me thinking that I need to get a new sound card (currently using onboard sound on an ASUS P6X58D Premium) but I'm not sure exactly what specification the new card would require. I'm just leaving this here as a means of passively collecting research if anyone else understands this topic better. I'll be a few tabs to the right in my browser doing more research on my own, so don't hassle me with the "LOOK IT UP, RETARD" if you don't mind. I'm trying.

Anyway, I appreciate it.

I've been enjoying your casts lately, also, TB. You help to fill my Saturdays in particular. I enjoy having a nice ladder on one monitor while I watch some tournaments on the other. Keep up the great work! I can't wait to hear how some crazy baller casting equipment helps things sound :)

If you want the best quality, headphones and a standalone microphone/clip-on microphone is the best way to go. Personally, I think it's worth it, but if you want to stay in the $50 range, the PC151s get recommended a lot, available at amazon for a pretty good price. If you are willing to increase your price range, I can recommend some slightly more appealing options.

If you're going to plug it into a LAN port you already have installed, or something like a powerline adapter, then you don't need a wi-fi adapter. I was just giving you one because in your original build you posted you had added a USB wi-fi adapter. All of these parts I used are basically equal in quality to what you had previously linked. MSI are a very reputable brand, and I have this exact graphics card and it's a belter for a price.

If you could find some extra money (perhaps what you save without a wifi card) you should grab a better mouse, too. I would also recommend the Microsoft Lifechat LX-3000 over the headset you picked. It's a really great USB headset for the price.

If you're unsure about your internet connection, it's easy to add a USB wifi card later. Again, I'd avoid the super cheap ones because they have generally got worse signal/range than the more expensive options. I bought a £15 adapter before I switched to LAN, and it worked just great.

They're not bad, but they are purposefully tuned to boost treble to help you hear footsteps, and boost bass to help you feel immersed. and you're paying a lot more for the built in mic. :P

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Collapsible-Headset-Control-Microphone/dp/B0012XFDWO

These would be a nice upgrade from the turtle beaches :)

Gamecom 780.
These are actually amazing for their price.

I use these when playing most FPS and games with a lot of action, like Arma, Battlefield, Warthunder etc.


Getting a setup with high quality headphones and an appropriate soundcard is the next best step but that gets extremely expensive.

I for one enjoy most games with the digital surround sound and don't care too much to use my DT990 or M-50s. (I like using these for music and when I play games like Transistor or Grid).


I've tried quite a few other headsets that offer "surround sound" and even Razer's surround software, in my opinion this is the only headset I've found that actually gives the proper effect.
The mic quality is fantastic too and surpasses a "blue snowball" mic which costs ~£65

I see when it comes to headsets you're worried about faultiness after awhile. Most companies will leave you with this problem, Logitech, Turtle Beaches, Plantronics.. Some other companies will just pure rip you off. I know quite a bit after the audio world being a head-fier. I can assure you that nothing can beat the quality of a Audio-Technica or Sennheiser gaming headset..

They usually are 3.5mm, but you can get a converter to USB http://www.amazon.com/Syba-SD-CM-UAUD-Adapter-C-Media-Chipset/dp/B001MSS6CS/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b

Audio-Technica is known for being cheap and sturdy, and for its price none of the competitors like Logitech or Turtle beaches will stand a chance, the quality that comes out of them for their price is just amazing.. They might not look as stylish or what not but if you don't care about that, go for it. You can easily just google Sennheiser or Audio-Technica and enjoy :)

If I could really recommend something, buy headphones, get yourself a good sound card and you won't need an actual gaming headset, the 3D sound will work in games amazingly. Then all you need is a stand up mic or something.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-151-Noise-Canceling-Microphone/dp/B000NOR89Y/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1311707536&sr=1-5

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826402091

Girlsplaywow is a jerk! An incredibly generous jerk! This headset coupled with a USB hub would be awesome! I play a lot of games with my friends and I never get to talk with them on vent or skype because my headset broke, and then my USB ports wouldn't work. ;w; And maybe then I can actually skype with people from RAoA! Anyway, thank you for the contest and good luck on your 10k!

And if I win, you can gift the rest to someone else! ^w^ MEOW!

Best option: Buy separate headphones and an attachable mic That will by far give you the best audio.

If you insist on a headset with a built in mic, I HIGHLY suggest the Sennhauser PC360 at just $118. Sound really damn good (same drivers as the Sennhauser HD595 headphones) and the mic is pretty damn good. Old gen and that's why they are so cheap now but still very very good. I've been using a set for a year now and love them. Unbeatable for the price. Sound can be beat with buying even better headphones and the modmic listed above though but will cost you a lot more.

HyperX Cloud II. I've personally owned the HyperX Cloud 2's for over a year and they're amazing. They're a little over your budget, as the cheapest price I found online was about $100, but they're well worth it. If you search around the subreddit, you'll see these are very popular and highly regarded. You can also look at the HyperX CloudX. These came out after I purchased my Cloud 2's, but these add an additional inline volume and mic mute control to the cable. They appear to the be exactly the same as the Cloud II's in every respect otherwise. I do really miss having an easily accessible mute switch in my Cloud 2's to quickly mute the mic in certain situations. You also get a hardshell carrying case which is nice, my Cloud 2's only came with a cheaper soft shell pouch.

G933 for $130 on Amazon and you can get the white one on Logitech's site for the same price.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0148NPJ78/?tag=pcp0f-20

https://www.logitechg.com/en-ca/products/gaming-audio/g933-7-1-surround-sound-gaming-headset.html#981-000620

Corsair has the HS70 SE and Void for $100 at a bunch of places. Its weird that the regular coloured HS70's aren't on sale now but looks like they were on sale last week.

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/QwGj4D/corsair-void-pro-rgb-71-channel-headset-ca-9011152-na

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/2P7v6h/corsair-hs70-se-71-channel-headset-ca-9011178-na

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/rKNv6h/corsair-hs70-71-channel-headset-ca-9011177-na

I got the White G933's as a Christmas gift cause my cousin likes Logitech stuff but the HS70's are newer and have gotten good reviews. I like the HS70's build better than the G933's as they are similar to the HyperX Clouds that I have right now which uses less plastic and seems more durable. Be aware that the HS70's have a semi open ear cup I think so the audio will bleed a bit in exchange for a wider soundstage. I don't need the ear cups to swivel or anything so ya if I was buying for myself I would get the HS70's.

I have tried these out! But sad to say they are uncomfortable, I like the idea of the ski headband thing but they are straight up uncomfortable... like they didn't do a mass testing type thing or something. I adjusted, and readjusted and adjusted some more and they never fit quite right. They aren't light either so it makes them super weird to wear and they moved if you would do any big motions (like headbang once and they will fall off type thing). If you want a quality wireless headset that is comfortable I would look at the Logitech G533 or the G933 flagship headset. I also have experience with the G933 as they are one of the other headphones I did testing with during my headphone finding adventure lots of us go on.

• Link to G533 Product Page: LINK
  
  
• Link to G933 Product Page: LINK
  
  
• Link to G533 Purchase: LINK It's brand new release, it's the one I would choose if I was you.
  
  
• Link to G933 Purchase: LINK
  
  Any questions feel free to ask.

I have this cooler, slightly annoying to set up but a good cooler for the price.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Master-RR-212E-16PK-R1-Performance-Universal/dp/B0068OI7T8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449654244&sr=8-1&keywords=cooler+master+hyper+212+evo
Used to have this headset good quality sound and the mic sounds good, simulated 7.1 is good aswell for the price.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plantronics-GameCom-788-Gaming-Headset/dp/B00LNJZTTY/ref=pd_cp_147_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1PY9QKDZ31F262YH8NGT
WIFI adapter is just a generic one from amazon it's fine for the price really
http://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-A6210-100PES-AC1200-802-11AC-Adapter/dp/B00OT586RQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449654430&sr=8-2&keywords=wifi+adapters
Keyboard there are some options but for £20 you might not get a great one I would recommend saving and getting a decent mechanical keyboard, it really is worth it. This corsair is a good shout at £65 but it is tenkeyless if that bothers you.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CH-9000040-UK-Vengeance-Performance-Mechanical/dp/B00DOTQ15M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449654646&sr=8-2&keywords=corsair+keyboard
Edit: added wifi card and keyboard bit

These are very good. I'd definitely recommend a decent sound card too (internal if it's a desktop, however creative do make some decent USB ones for laptops too.

These headphones are designed for gaming, as such, they have a very long cable, and a microphone too (this is detachable).

They are extremely comfortable, I can wear them all day long without my ears getting overly warm or uncomfortable.

The only bad part from my experience is the sound leakage. They do not have very good noise cancellation, so when nothing is being played through them, I can easily hear external noise, and when music is playing, other people can hear it clearly (not good for public settings).

Did I mention these things are ridiculously cheap too? Always a bonus :)

I just ordered a pair of these: http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=1359155660R&vpn=86051-03&manufacture=PLANTRONICS . I can't say for sure how good they are because I haven't recieved them yet, but from what I hear, the sound quality is amazing (7.1 surround sound!), and the mic is quite good aswell. Also, even though they're a tiny bit over $50, everywhere else I looked they're about $80, so getting them for only $64 is a pretty good deal. If you want you can check out some reviews here: http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-GameCom-780-Surround-Headset/dp/B00B1KJK22 .

I've never been an audio guy, so I don't know what is good and what isn't, but I have found these to be way way better than I expected them to be for the price: http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-GameCom-780-Headset-Surround/dp/B00B1KJK22/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1450142585&sr=8-10&keywords=plantronics+headset

Pretty comfy too. Like I say though, I'm not an audio guy so someone else will probably be able to say if these are any good or not, or if there is a better headset in that price range.

I've bought 2 from this exact seller and other than the plain brown box clearly labeled "Recertified", I couldn't tell that these were not new.

Mic is removable. Great for gaming with good audio quality from the mic but just OK for music (not super clean sound separation and tend to lean on the bass side).

For the price, damn good.

I think this is the same one on Amazon, here for your comparison and user reviews

I recommend these :
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-350-Collapsible-Microphone/dp/B0012XFDWO/ref=pd_cp_e_0

It's good for games, music, movies. The sound quality is awesome. The mic is good and the headphones are comfortable even after long time usage.

I see that many recommended Razer Tiamat 7.1. Good headphones but a lot more expensive. They cost more than 200$ if I converted currencies properly :)

So far I had only Sony and I've tried some Razer but these are the best in my opinion.

If you're looking for good audio with an attached microphone, this is definitely the one to get. If you don't need all the frills of the Cloud, the Cloud Core is only $59 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.ca/Kingston-HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset/dp/B0153XL4V2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473300999&sr=8-1&keywords=hyperx+headset


Alternatively, Cloud II has USB adapter for 7.1 audio and a better headband, definitely worth the price.

https://www.amazon.ca/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-PS4/dp/B00SAYCXWG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473300999&sr=8-2&keywords=hyperx+headset

After going through almost half a dozen pairs of gaming headphones, I don't think I could go back after using the HyperX. It's comfortable, light, sounds amazing, and has a good microphone.

kind of important ? Comfort is very important for a good gaming headset.

At the risk of sounding corny (ok, maybe I don't care), for less than $200 you can ascend beyond traditional 'gaming' headsets into the arena of quality headphones and microphones. Here is my typical shortlist of recommendations:

Open-backed:

• SHP-9500s + VModa BoomPro
  
  
• Fidelio L2 + VModa BoomPro
  
  
• Sennheiser 598 + Microphone
  
  Closed-back:
  
  
• ATH-M40x + Comfy Pads + Microphone
  
  
• Brainwavz HM9 + VModa BoomPro
  
  
• VModa Crossfade + VModa BoomPro
  
  This list is obviously not exhaustive, but does well to take comfort, ease of use, build quality, and fidelity into consideration. If you have additional questions, feel free to ask. Otherwise, /r/headphones can provide similar feedback and suggestions from within their daily Purchase Help Thread.

For your FPS situation - mess with the gfx settings more. It may sound a bit strange but a setting or two on medium/high might increase your FPS. This is because the lower your graphics are, the more stress that gets put on your CPU (which isn't designed for graphics.)

As for peripherals -

Mouse: Steelseries Rival. Hands down. Literally perfect sensor, has RGB and (in my opinion) has the best ergonomic grip of most of the gaming mice.
http://www.amazon.com/SteelSeries-Rival-Optical-Gaming-Mouse/dp/B00G6IJ5QK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418914929&sr=8-1&keywords=steelseries+rival

Mousepad: XTRAC Ripper XL. It's smooth as hell and only $20. Same size as the QCK+/QCK Heavy, just a bit thinner.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817114182

Headphones - this is a really complicated one to suggest. Some people will tell you to get a dedicated pair of headphones and a dedicated mic, some people will swear by Steelseries/Razer etc. I am currently using Plantronics Gamecom 780 and I'm quite satisfied with them. They were $39.99 when I got them which was the deciding factor between the 780s and their stereo counterpart. I'm unsure if the Gamecom 380 has the same sound as the 780s but at $15 cheaper you couldn't go wrong.

http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-GameCom-780-Headset-Surround/dp/B00B1KJK22/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1418915092&sr=1-1&keywords=plantronics+gamecom+780

http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-GameCom-380-Gaming-Headset/dp/B00B1KJWE8/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1418915190&sr=1-4&keywords=plantronics+gamecom+780

Hope I was able to assist you.

EDIT - I forgot to add into the headphones area that I've used Sennheiser HD 280 pros, Sennheiser HD419s, KRK headphones and AKG headphones. The 780s are all around much better than all of these if you ask me.

On sale on Amazon for $60 currently: https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-KHX-HSCC-BK/dp/B0153XL4V2/ref=pd_sbs_147_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0153XL4V2&pd_rd_r=DNWE1B8HK5CDR9DJ6CBC&pd_rd_w=OMaNe&pd_rd_wg=gckpK&psc=1&refRID=DNWE1B8HK5CDR9DJ6CBC

I got my wife the cloud core and was SUPER impressed with it. I have the Logitech G430 myself and it is also and excellent headset. I'm very confident that at either of these price points you will be extremely satisfied with your purchase.

If you don't mind a $280 price tag SteelSeries H are incredible. They are very comfortable even after hours of use. The battery life is about 20 hours and you get 2. You can keep one inside the wireless transmitter and when the battery in the headset gets low you just swap them. It has a retractable mic and very easy to use controls.

I used to have the PS golds they are the best headset for under $100, I would definitely recommend these. They are comfortable and sound great, that being said one of the hinges on mine broke after about a year.

I currently have the DT770s at work and love them. I also have the Logitech G930 wireless gaming headset, but I'm beginning to hate it. Beyond the constant random disconnects from the wireless, the sound just isn't that impressive.

I'm looking to spend <$250 for headphones + mic. I plan on buying the Micca Orgien+ separately as I buy some new desktop speakers (currently planning on the MB42x, but that's a separate discussion).

I'm not super experienced in all of this, so I'm unsure if there's anything else I need to buy. I really like the DT990s, and then I'll need a mic to hook up, too. On the other hand, it seems like it would be easier to just get an HD598 and the mic that attaches in-line.

I love bassy "fun" sounds, which is why I think I would like the DT990 better, but my biggest worry is that it may be annoying hooking the headphones into the Origen+ and stringing a mic along separately to plug directly into the computer. What do you think would work better for me?

> What would a recommended cheap headset be? I used to have a standalone mic years ago but I doubt those are even around now.

I use this. Not the best, but it's good for its price. I quite enjoy it anyways. I'm on my second pair though, my first one had the cables breaking after I accidentally yanked them out of the computer.

> Why can't I but armor 99% of the time? That used to be pretty standard.

You still can, you're just constantly playing Valve's version of classic casual, which is 10v10, armor and defuse kits auto-bought, and only up to like 15 rounds or something like that.

> Why the hell isn't de_rats still popular? Lol I loved that map?

With Valve's newfound matchmaking system, I think you'll find that the custom gamemodes that were in Source and 1.6 aren't that popular anymore. Or at least less emphasized, as I started CS out with Source's Jailbreak and Zombiemod/escape. Now all I do is play MM or DM. Stayin away from casual cause I dislike 10v10.

1. Wet shaving Edwin Jagger razor blade, because Edwin Jagger is a company in England that produces products for wet shaving, which normally wouldn't be used unless you're either 1. A hobbyist, or 2. A old school 70+ fellow. default wishlist
   
   
2. Hello Kitty wheel cover, because it's a product primarily made for young teenage women. <20 list
   
   
3. Phallic item I'm... not jealous....of its length...not at all.. default wishlist
   
   
4. Geekiest gaming headset, my list is primarily composed of geeky items, but this is probably the geekiest. default wl
   
   
5. Bath scale , it has a body fat % option as well, which is what I'm more focused on rather than weight. default wl
   
   
6. Search and rescue knife would be best for a deserted island. default WL

I've found that a good rule of thumb is the 0.82g of protein per lb of bodyweight (not lean bodyweight, total bodyweight). Incidentally, this roughly works out (for me) to the ketogains.com suggested 1.0g per lb of lean mass since my body fat % lines up just right. So I eat about 150g of protein per day on workout days, maybe a bit less on rest days.

This goes against some of the "meathead logic" you here in gyms about 1g per lb, but there are plenty of studies indicating that is more than is necessary at any level of intense exercise. There is a good summary of the research in an easy to read format available from bayesianbodybuilding.com.

You'll run into plenty of people that will say eat 1g per lb of body, but I think the science suggests a bit lower is optimal. And that's important because your body will convert the excess into blood glucose, causing an insulin spike, and dropping you out of ketosis, etc.

As for IF, I don't do it when I'm trying to gain muscle for precisely the reasons you suggest. I can't eat (or digest) 3,000 calories in a four or even eight hour window. Some people can, I can't. So when I'm trying to bulk (as I am now as of January 3rd), I eat five to six meals (or snacks) a day starting at 6:00am and ending at 7:30pm or so. It's the only practical way I can manage more than 2,400 calories per day without just losing it through diarrhea. YEMV.

If you are really willing to make an investment, I will recommend the Sennheiser PC 350 http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-350-Collapsible-Microphone/dp/B0012XFDWO

Amazon has them listed at $149 down from $229.95

I've had mine for about 6 months now and they are a dream. They extremely comfortable. I forget I am wearing them. They also have excellent noise cancellation [CAUTION: I have missed phone calls while wearing these]. The audio and voice quality are also excellent.

Good luck on your search!

If you're not too particular about it and are looking for a wireless setup, I recommend the Wireless Sony Pulse Elite headphones that were designed for the Playstation consoles. I know they're not 7.1, which is what you are looking for, but I really like mine and they work and sound great for both gaming and other applications. You also don't have a boom that comes down in front of your face which can be a nuisance at times. The pulse function, which on the surface seems like a gimmick, really adds and extra element to your overall experience. Think of it as rumble in your headset ala Dual Shock. Really great set of cans that are reasonable for the price.

Just to note, the Cloud Alpha DOES NOT come with the USB dongle that the Cloud II does. But at this point after a bit more research, (i'm pretty sure...) the PS4 controller does indeed have a 4-pin 3.5mm so really anything should work.

> The DualShock 4 Wireless Controller features a built-in speaker and stereo headset jack, putting several new audio options in the player's hands



Between the two, it'll be a personal choice. The Cloud Alpha is the updated (and most people consider it superior too,) the Cloud II/Cloud Core. Spend more money for the slightly/somewhat superior audio of the Alpha, or spend less money for what is still one of the best headsets out there in the Cloud Core (which is what I assume is the PS4 approved Cloud product. https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Core-Gaming-Headset/dp/B0153XL4V2 )

Under $100 there's a lot of options from what I've seen. Among open-backed ones (generally better sound, but lacking noise isolation) the commonly backed ones are the Philips SHP9500s, Sennheiser 5x8 series on sale (I personally use the 558, great value), Audio-Technica AD500X (mind the wings, some people like or dislike them), etc.


Obligatory /r/headphones plug. But the SHP and 5x8 are both compatible with some boom mic cables as well for about $30 extra (V-Moda BoomPro and generic for the SHP/5x8 respectively).


EDIT: Besides some comfort complaints (can be modded to a degree), it looks like people enjoy the 668B though. If you're strapped for cash go for it.

Everything on your son's list looks pretty reasonably to me. Nothing is outrageously expensive for the use case, and I don't see any glaring errors.

I do have a couple points to bring up. They don't necessarily mean that your son is wrong, but they are just things I would do differently.

Headset - I don't have a good opinion of Razer at all. They tend to have terrible quality control and a high failure rate in their products after just 1-2 years of use. In this price range, you may be able to find the Kingston HyperX Cloud on sale. Better yet, if your son only needs headphones and not a headset (he is already getting a separate mic), there are much better options for $50.

https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Core-Gaming-Headset/dp/B0153XL4V2/

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M20x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR18

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-H840-Audiophile-Over-Headphones/dp/B01J7K0OYU


Mic - I get that the Blue Snowball is a super popular mic, but I think it's overrated. Especially if you plan to mostly use it for talking. In general, I try to avoid condenser mics because I don't like how much background noise they pick up. If you're primarily doing instrument recordings, then the extra sensitivity of a condenser mic is good. But if you mostly want to record yourself talking then a dynamic mic will be much cleaner.

Check out the Samson Q2U or Audio Technica AT2005USB

https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Handheld-Microphone-Recording-Podcasting/dp/B001R747SG/

https://www.amazon.com/Technica-AT2005USB-Handheld-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B007JX8O0Y/

Mic Stand - I own this exact same mic stand. It is pretty decent for the price. Just be aware that it mounts to your desk. In the google doc, you wrote that it is a "wall mount", it is not.

Budget - ~$200

Source - PC

Requirements for Isolation - Doesn't matter. Prefer more isolation, but it's not worth spending more to me.

Preferred Type of Headphone - Full-ear wireless preferred

Preferred tonal balance - Don't care. Using for gaming, videos, general music, talking, etc.

Past headphones - These
for about 6 months. liked them but gave them to a friend recently. Bought these last week but returned them because the cups weren't deep enough.

Preferred Music - Alternative and electronic music (gaming, videos, talking, etc. as well)

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - Would really prefer wireless, but it's not required. Don't need a mic attached (especially because audio quality is usually worse). Would greatly prefer replaceable battery, but also not required. Need to be comfortable enough to use for multiple hours at a time.


Closest thing I've found are these RS 165's, but can't find reviews. Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!

well then glad I copied the post before I deleted it, here it is:

http://imgur.com/eGoM2TW

well shit...i've copied since then
ok then right now i've got the Plantronics Gamescom 307. It's lasted me a year, much longer than any other headset. I am about to invest in the Plantronics Gamescom 780. I have several friends who have got the 780 and they all love it, they say the sound is great, they sound great, they say it's sturdy as hell and it definitely looks sturdy as hell. It's cheapest through Amazon and Walmarts website, I'll link it at the end of this post.

I gave up on Turtle Beach headsets because they seemed to break so easily with me. I had one earpiece randomly break off of the headband while the headset was on my head, I was just sitting at my PC! Not worth the money in my opinion/experience.

http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-GameCom-780-Surround-Headset/dp/B00B1KJK22/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1369710514&sr=1-1&keywords=gamescom+780

If you truly want good sound though, you will be more than happy with those pairs of headphones. It's an investment because they're not super cheap, but it's worth it. Then invest in just a mic and I think you'd be happier.

But if you must go cheaper, this set isn't bad for the price. The sound quality is nowhere near the ones listed above, but it has a decent mic, and the sound quality is better than average cheap headphones.

Headsets lose out to head phones every time, I recommend getting a pair of good headphones and a mic.

I would go with [this] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004FEEY9A/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1479683905&sr=8-1&keywords=hd+558&condition=new) and this this


or [this] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00ENMK1DW/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1479684063&sr=8-1&keywords=shp9500&condition=new) with this

they sound pretty good and the best bang for your buck. Hope this helps

edit: actual mic

Do yourselves a favor and invest in a good pair of wireless headphones, you won't regret it.

I have the Logitech G933 and it works really well for me. Never falls off my head and it doesn't interefere with the Vive at all. The sound is really good and the battery will last you about 11 hours if you turn the LED's to a more reasonable setting.

For real though, scrap the earbuds as soon as you're able to. It's way better this way.

E. Why is this so negative? Was intended to be helpful.

I got this combo for my fiance. This setup destroys anything at the price range.

• Headphones
  
• Earpads (optional)
  
• Mic
  
  Cheap and within your price range, excellent positional audio (surround sound), and super clear drivers. Can't go wrong.
  
  Otherwise if you want something more traditional then the Hyper X Clouds sound better than most super gamery $150-200 headphones.

The XO Ones perform well for the price and include a good chat adapter with some extra features but their build quality is pretty plasticky.

For overall sound and build quality in that price range you probably can't do better much better than the HyperX Clouds. They have a core model without all the extras that works great for the consoles:

https://www.amazon.ca/Kingston-HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset/dp/B0153XL4V2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1486236788&sr=8-3&keywords=HyperX+cloud

The Clouds do not come with a chat adapter though so you will need one of your own (you can use the one that came with your MS headset), a chatpad, or a new controller with the built in jack.

I just use a cheapo headset since that's easier to take with me on the go. I got them on sale, like my gaming mouse. Combined it was like 20$ spent. Well worth it IMO. Extra mouse buttons and the ability to easily chat (both through the game and through steam) make the game way better.

The Samson Go is better and cheaper than both the Snowball and the Modmic. It's also tiny, so desk space shouldn't be an issue. Just throwing it out there as another option.

Also, if you just straight up don't want a desktop mic, no matter how tiny, then you may want to look into this BoomPro clone that has a 2.5mm connector to work with the HD598, M50X etc. I personally haven't used it, but people seem to be pretty satisfied with it. I have an actual V-Moda BoomPro (which you could use with the HD598 if you use an adapter) and it sounds better than the Modmic in my opinion and is also more convenient. Not to mention the BoomPro route is also cheaper. Just another option for ya.

The Modmic is fine, but it's also overpriced and bit of a bother. I personally think the Samson Go or the BoomPro/clone option is the better way to go, unless specifically want a noise cancelling microphone. Neither the Go nor the BoomPro would pick up the sound of your keyboard more than your voice, but they'd still pick up the sound of the keyboard more than the unidirectional Modmic would.

This or this.

What are praying mantis' even praying for? I hope it's something useful like world peace or marriage equality or me opening this pickle jar.

The problem with headsets w/microphone is that you either spend $200+ or you have to decide for good speaker or good microphone. Not saying they all suck but having both connected on the same device definitely sacrifices some quality as opposed to headphones and separate mic.

But here are two options:

Sennheiser 360 - You will always have good speakers with Sennheiser but their mic is not the best. People will hear you of course but it may be a bit too quiet or it may not have the best clarity in the world.

Turtle Beach - Elite Pro Tournament - Turtle Beach is a good middle. Not the best speakers for this price but the mic is descent. The mic will always be just ok with headsets, nothing like an actual desk/hanging mic. But if you want your mic to be a good one and you can sacrifice a bit of speaker quality then this would be the way to go, although a little over your budget

1. They don't sound very good. A vast majority of gamers don't have any understanding of audio as a topic, so using them for advice is not a good idea. Twitch streamers aren't any better, why is it that gamers who care about their sound buy wired hifi? The standards for 'good sound quality' in gaming are set so incredibly low than virtually any product gets good reviews.
   
   
2. For convenience wireless might be nice, but for sound quality wireless is only a problem. Wired always wins for sound quality.
   
   
3. The HyperX Cloud Core is the same price and sounds better, as it is based on a set of hifi headphones, the Takstar HI2050/Pro80. These don't need an amp. If you want something thing cheaper then the Superlux HD668b headphones paired with any mic will get you better sounding headphones, leaving some money for a mic.

I was - and still am - an "activate on Voice Activity" user.

Back with my rubber dome, I knew on an almost subconscious level where my keys were. I could find it with my mouse hand without looking at the keyboard, and I wouldn't be toggling it during the game anyway. It's more for if I'm getting up from the computer between games or the like. Obviously being on a rubber dome, noise wasn't an issue.

With my mech, I adjust my microphone sensitivity so it doesn't pick up my keyboard, but does activate if I talk. I haven't had any complaints about my mech since like a week after I got it (hadn't adjusted my sensitivity at that point). I was on Discord with one of my Quake Live clanmates like two weeks ago while we were playing and he couldn't hear my keyboard if I wasn't talking already.

Now with this 60%, Scroll Lock is a quick Fn+], and Pause is Fn+\. (I have a Fn key on Caps Lock, and one where the Menu key would be, between right Windows and right Ctrl). Generally I use my mouse hand, which is the right hand. I have two hands.

I don't normally bind a voice chat key in Quake Live, because I'm used to being in Ventrilo or Discord while playing.

cc: /u/nmrci

edit: This is the headset I have. Probably has a lot to do with my mic not picking up my keyboard.

edit 2: typo

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-JUG-00001-LifeChat-LX-3000-Headset/dp/B000J4WPW8

Microsoft LX-3000 (on sale right now, too!) is really awesome for the price. Should fit even petite heads rather nicely. Side benefit: better sounding mic quality than a lot of headsets in the $100 range.

I was thinking of getting a cheaper headphone with mic (<$30) to use. I might start joining online DnD sessions, but I'm concerned my laptop's internal fan may be too noisy for the built-in mic. My friend commented on that a lot in the past.

Would something like these work?

Logitech ClearChat Comfort/USB Headset H390, Noise Cancelling Microphone, Headphones for Computer (Black)

or

Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Headset (JUG-00013)

I'm concerned about the durability and quality of both sound and microphone though. Would it be better just to buy a standalone microphone if I'm ok with my current earbuds?

I've been using the Creative Fatality headset for about a year now and it's been really good. I'm no sound enthusiast but the headphone quality seems good to me and I've been told that the mic sounds super clear.

The Sennheiser PC 360 is currently on sale in my Country (Link)

I was considering buying the hyperx Cloud until I found out about this Deal. Whats holding me back is the 40 euro they'd cost more for me and often reported durability issues of the 360s mic from the reviews. Another point is that im probably better off with separate mic and headphones for 100 bucks but im not sure if thats the case for the hyperx cloud too.

Im by no means audiophile (yet), so Im mostly looking for build quality in terms of durability and wearing comfort since Im wearing glasses and seeming to have a big head. At least my current 230 (which I wouldnt buy again) had a very high clamping force to my head.

I'd really appreciate if someone could help me decide if its worth the 40 euro extra :)

I have Plantronics Gamecom 780, they have lasted me 3 years now, the mic quality is clear as day. They're comfy as fuck and sound great.

These are sold as a gaming headset and with this "7.1 surround".

There is a significant difference between having the surround sound turned off and turned on. It can sound weird at first like the sound is everywhere but a couple of seconds later and turning it back off sound horrible.

Whether it is truly surround or not doesn't matter, the difference of having that setting turned on is amazing, all sound quality gets better and I definitely prefer them to using speakers for something such as overwatch because I am immersed by the sound and i can track footsteps because I can hear where they're coming from.

For anyone wanting a cheap gaming headset, at least in the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plantronics-GameCom-788-Gaming-Headset/dp/B00LNJZTTY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481560482&sr=8-1&keywords=plantronics+788

I believe theres a problem with Windows 10, you have to open the file and install with a different setup, if anyone needs help with this. Ping me a message. for google: Platronics 788 wont install windows 10.

Hey,

"I wish to start streaming during my free time and upon asking for suggestions on about doing so, some people suggest I get a special type of mic and that my computer meet specific requirements before attempting to stream."

Yes, you don't have to have a top-of-the-line-sucks-your-dick condenser microphone. You can easily stream with a very inexpensive mic and some audio testing. Thought my personal recommendation would be one of these babies:

http://gaming.logitech.com/en-gb/product/g930-7-1-wireless-gaming-headset

More inexpensive option:

http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-GameCom-380-Gaming-Headset/dp/B00B1KJWE8/ref=sr_1_1/187-2581044-6446855?ie=UTF8&qid=1418907135&sr=8-1&keywords=plantronics+gamecom+380

Blue Yeti's are popular among streamers:

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S

When it comes to streaming and computer specs, above anything else, streaming is VERY CPU intensive. It's highly advised a powerful/separate CPU to stream. A 2.7 dual core processor may not be enough to stream and game on at the same time, I don't know enough about your computer to say.

What I have right now are gamecom 780-s that I got for around £40. If you can, save up for the gamecom 788(currently on sale on amazon) and get those. They have great noise cancellation and have decent sound from the mic.

I have been using gamecom 780-s for a year and have two friends who have them aswell. Both are quite happy with them. I find I have to turn down the sound on my mic quite a lot in PP when editing.

Also here's the link to the 788-s.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00LNJZTTY/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1425338573&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX110_SY165&keywords=gamecom+780

It will be a mono-headset. You'll play like a potato with one of those. You should save a little more and get something like this (Kingston HyperX Cloud) or even a lesser known brand, like SADES. But believe me, anything will be better than that. Unless you have only one year...

Here you go

This is 95 cents over your budget, but I can vouch for these. The microphone sounds amazing, the sound quality is really good and the surround is a nice add-on.

I just picked up the Sony Pulse Elites (originally for the PS3). They will work with anything with a USB port from what I understand (I bought them specifically to be compatible for both my X1 and PS4, as well as PC/Mac).

They are really fantastic - the Virtual Surround Sound is great, they're comfortable (though a bit heavy) and the mic is built-in, so there's no boom to deal with.

I picked them up on sale for $99 off Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Edition-Wireless-Headset-PlayStation-3-63089006306200/dp/B0087OZ5FG

I have these and they are stellar. Have been working for 5+ years now with nothing broken - at all. Mic still works, they still sound great.

There are more advanced models of them now, but I'm super impressed - and they're cheap. I had a buddy with $100+ head sets that break in a year. Get these.

HyperX has great headsets. I just got the Stinger the other day and I haven't had any issues. Sound is great and it's really comfortable. It doesn't have as many features as their more expensive headsets like a detachable mic but it works great for the price.

https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Stinger-Headset-HX-HSCS-BK-NA/dp/B01L2ZRYVE/

https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Gaming-Headset-Nintendo-Switch/dp/B00SAYCXWG/

https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-Line/dp/B01MTLMV89/

https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-CloudX-Headset-HX-HSCX-SR-NA/dp/B01HHBYS8E/

• Budget - Under $100 preferably, but if you find something that fits my requirements under $200 please post it.<br />

• Source - Desktop (no sound card) and Macbook Pro
  
• Requirements for Isolation - none
  
• Preferred Type of Headphone - Full-sized
  
• Preferred tonal balance - balanced or bass-heavy
  
• Past headphones - I've been using a Plantronics Gamecom 780 for three years, and they have been fantastic. I can hear where people are coming from in games and all the music/shows/movies I listen to sound incredible.
  
• Preferred Music - Nightcore. That's all I've been listening to lately, the fast tempo keeps me pumped while studying.
  Example
  
  The two biggest things I want are for it to be wireless and have a mic. I currently have my sights set on Corsair's H2100; all the reviews I've read say it is incredible for Battlefield 4 (which I have over 400 hours in) and reasonably comfortable. Their software appears to allow a high level of customization as well. Many customers have had problems with it, though, so if I purchase it I will go through Newegg since I have had a 100% success rate at returning defective products with a full refund and free shipping.

This question comes up a lot. Do a search to see what other people have recommended before.

If you have a decent sound card I would suggest not going with a USB headset.

I use these and am happy with them. Great price and great bass. The boom mic is detachable.

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-HS-800-Fatal1ty-Gaming-Headset/dp/B002DS4HTM/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

Plantronics Gamecom 780 - $74. Had them for a year, pretty standard headset. Mic quality is good, sound quality is good, and they're robust and comfortable. They're USB though. 4.1 out of 5 stars.

Those adapters are fine for mic input, I was just saying that particular one is a bit overpriced, but that's Antlion for you...

Lapel mics can be quite good, eg. Sony ECMCS3 or Zalman ZM-Mic1.

There are cheaper desktop mics that are still quite nice, like Blue Snowball.

You can get a headset but ofc that would mean giving up the HD598, and usually gaming headsets are not particularly great for music. For the sake of completion I will note though that Sennheiser PC360 is not bad (on par with HD558 actually).

There's also the V-Moda BoomPro, which plugs into 3.5mm, so you can try to use a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter. But be careful what you get, not sure if it's the adapters or the HD598 plug/locking ring, but lots of people report connectivity cuts out from time to time.

Last but not least there's this mic which is similar to the BoomPro but with 2.5mm and iffy reviews.

Budget - Up to $200, but less is better

Source - USB or 3.5mm jack. I'm okay with either, but 3.5mm would save me a USB port and allow me to connect it to my phone.

Requirements for Isolation - Some is nice, but I'm okay with very little to none.

Preferred tonal balance - I got to try my friend's Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones and I absolutely loved how clear everything sounded. I assume that is what "balanced" sounds like, so I guess that is what I prefer.

Preferred Type/Build - It needs to be around-the-ear (I have big ears), lightweight, and have a cushion on the headband. I can not stress the last two enough. I have screws in my head and any kind of pressure on them is excruciating. Normal headphones suck because of this; they're either too heavy and put pressure on the screws or have no cushion so the headband rubs up against the screws. Not fun.

My current headset is the Plantronics GameCom 780. They weigh less than a pound, have that huge cushion on top, and have the big around-the-ear cushions; they're the single most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. I don't like my friend's 280s because they press into my ears, which hurts.

If you guys know of any that are like those, I'd love to hear about them (don't worry about a mic). My current ones are starting to fall apart.

These are only $69.99 new.

I don't have experience with the Siberia, but I do know that the Clouds are best regarded for price to performance.

They also have the HyperX Cloud Stinger, which is a newer model for the budget-minded. It's only $50 new.

I'd watch both of these over the next few days, there is sure to be sales on them somewhere for the holidays.

Yup. I would recommend the Gamecom 780 for a gaming headset. It's cheap and amazing sound quality (for gaming), also 7.1 surround sound. For studio headphones, I would recommend Sennheiser HD 25-SP II. They're compact, but have outstanding quality, and they're what my father uses (he works as a producer/sound engineer) for all his work. They're also very durable, you can easily replace the wire if it ever breaks.

If you are going cheap, please do not buy Turtle Beaches. They are the "Beats by Dre" of the gaming world. They are slightly better than dollar general 5$ headphones, but not by much. You only get a good benefit with TBs if you pay over $199. If you are going for cheap, but want decent quality, I recommend Sennheiser PC151. Sennheiser actually makes the speakers in their headsets, unlike Astros or Turtle Beaches. Here's a link, they run around $60
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-151-Noise-Canceling-Microphone/dp/B000NOR89Y

You will also need this to combine the headphone input and microphone output into the same cable to use with the chat adapter: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=12-200-956

edit: Be aware, you will need to buy the Xbox one chat adapter.

Logitech G400 is great.

Standard 10 bucks keyboard is fine. I have a backlit one with a wrist rest for 30 bucks, but that isn't really necessary.

Im a big fan of Sennheiser headsets, you can get basically anything from them (circumaural or smaller). If you don't have a soundcard i would recommend that you get one, good ones cost only 30 bucks.

I will have to recommend these as well. This thing has a great microphone which hardly ever picks up background noise. You'll be doing everyone a favor by allowing everyone to hear your delicious voice.

The only problem I've had with this model is that it sits on top of your ear. Marathon gaming sessions gave me red ears which burned. We're talking 5+ hrs.

Those lasted me 2.5 years. The cushion that goes over your air I'm using these now. Over the ear, very light, it even manages to block out noise.

Update this post and let us know what you decided to go with. :)

I cannot recommend these enough. Fit nicely in your budget and around your ears, great 7:1 sound, and, best of all, the mic isn't one of those flimsy ones that break after a month.

First, check out /r/headphones.

Second, avoid most gaming companies as their audio often sounds like crap.

Go with Sennheiser. They're an audio company, not a gaming company so their products sound much better. Check prices on Amazon: Sennheiser as they're much cheaper there compared to the Sennheiser website. The Sennheiser PC 360 Special Edition or GSP 300 should suit your budget. If you want to spend a little more, go for the GAME ONE or GAME ZERO. If you want to save even more money, look for them on eBay.

Another good brand to check out is Audio Technica.

I hope this helps.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/by6TJ8
I built one for around 2100 USD, you can use the rest to make your own adjustments, I've put a 1070ti, because thats my favorite graphics card, but feel free to change that to a 1080 or 1080ti. You can use the extra money to get a new headset, I use this: https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-G933-Artemis-Spectrum-Compatible/dp/B0148NPJ78/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1525600459&sr=1-3&keywords=g933

The case may a little pricey, but it's great for beginners.

Amazon has always had them for $127.00, granted you save two dollars. but I saved a lot more in gas, rather than driving to Best Buy to get a price match.

I use a Gamecom 780 and it sounds amazing, comfortable as hell since it completely goes over my ears, and the mic sounds great as well and the reason I havent upgraded to an expensive mic yet and ive had this for years. Best Headset ive ever used. Id personally use it over any of the ones you have listed.

I loved the idea of ModMic / Antlion but hated the idea of 2 cords coming down from the headset. Luckily I found a good combo with:


Senheiser 558s

This microphone / cord replacement


So those headphones along with many higher end sets have a swappable cord. The mic replaces the cord, and has a boom coming out of it. Also got a shorty cord to use with my phone when I just want to use my head phones and head phones. The sound quality and comfort are waaaaaay better than any gaming headset I've owned.

• Reporting back. I love the Sennheiser HD 598 SE's. A lot lighter, comfier, and more open than the ATH-M50x. Returning them the next time an Amazon box is open nearby. It's my personal preference, but I love the HD 598's far more. I can also hear everything in my room as if I wasn't even wearing them. Don't be fooled either they have a good amount of bass themselves. The two downsides are that because it's so light it feels more flimsy than the solid as a rock M50x's and also I can't wear them in public without blanketing my surroundings in the quiet sound of whatever music I'm playing. If you plan on gaming with them then grab a pair of these as well as the 3 foot sleeved extension cable by the same company. The cord on those is painfully short.

I've had THESE headphones, the Plantronics GameCom 780's since September 2013.

I've worn them all day. They are comfortable. The sound quality is really good. The mic quality is great. The price is good!

You can check out my past broadcasts on twitch to judge mic quality for yourself. I'm Zcotticus there too!

The quality of those Turtle Beaches isn't all that great. My personal recommendation is a pair of Audio Technica ATH-AD700 headphones and a decent mic. The sound quality will be much much better. If you just want cheap, these headphones and a decent mic would be the way to go, though I'm not sure how great they are for gaming. They're amazing for the price though.

If you really want a good gaming headset, pony up a bit more and grab the Sennheiser PC360 or settle for the PC350. The only other one that gets recommended frequently is the Astro A40, but it's because of the Mixamp that comes with it. The headphones are meh, but the amp is solid. Of course, you could get a good DAC/amp like the Fiio E7 or some of the other Fiio DACs and amps.

Hi guys,

I am looking for a decent headphone with a built-in mic under $100. I did some research and several headphones are little bit mre interesting than others like the

• Creative Aurvana Live! Headphones
  
  
• Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone
  
  
• Ultrasone HFI-15G S-Logic
  
  I have been using a Plantronic Gamescon 780 with 2 notebooks for almost 2 years. This was my first "real" headset, can't complain much about it except for a very delicate part near the ear portion swivels. I play dota2 and Battlefield games quite often so a built-in mic is a must. I prefer similar designs to the Gamecom 780. Oh and I'm in the States.
  
  Your replies are much appreciated, thank you.
  

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2GHz 8-Core Processor | $264.90 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Asus - ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard | $123.91 @ OutletPC
Memory | GeIL - SUPER LUCE RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $143.98 @ Newegg
Storage | Team - L5 LITE 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $57.99 @ Newegg Business
Storage | Hitachi - Ultrastar 7K3000 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $58.35 @ Amazon
Video Card | PNY - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB XLR8 Video Card | $429.99 @ Newegg Business
Case | Phanteks - Eclipse P350X (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $59.99 @ Newegg Business
Power Supply | SeaSonic - EVO Edition 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $44.99 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $94.89 @ OutletPC
Monitor | Dell - S2417DG 23.8" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor | $341.99 @ Amazon
Mouse | Logitech - G403 Prodigy Wired Optical Mouse | $42.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1688.97
| Mail-in rebates | -$25.00
| Total | $1663.97
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-01 12:20 EDT-0400 |

I have no idea about what switches you want in the keyboard, so I'm just going to leave some good options right here. Pick for yourself.

As for a headset, this is a good option.

This mic on amazon seems like a good option if you don't want to shell out for the modmic nor mod your cans. I can't speak on the quality of the mic (I use a modmic) but it's likely a better solution than the inline cable mics on ebay.

On another note, I hope you are using some kind of amp for the Xbox as connecting directly to the controller will have a low volume output, not to mention poor quality

Stinger is a good choice. Other notable mentions;

https://www.amazon.com/VersionTech-Comfortable-Lighting-Headphone-Isolation/dp/B00PUMKFLC/ref=sr_1_1?tag=amazon0606-20&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1447650913&sr=1-

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-HS800-Fatal1ty-Gaming-Headset/dp/B002DS4HTM/ref=sr_1_1?tag=amazon0606-20&ie=UTF8&qid=1447628788&sr=8-1&keywords=Fatal1ty+Gaming+Headset

I can't attest to the quality of these but the reviews and specs don't seem bad. They seem to be pretty good budget headsets.

They aren't really that much worse. The sound signature of the Takstar Pro80's (which HyperX Clouds are just a rebrand of with a detachable mic added) is very similar to the sound signature of the Beyerdynamic DT 770.

Here is the frequency response curve for the 770's, and here is the frequency response curve for the Clouds.

Having tried both, the 770's obviously sound better (better separation mostly. the bass on 770's is just a lot nicer in general as well.), but it's not nearly as significant as one would assume. If you have the extra cash, get the 770's, but a lot of people can't or aren't willing to spend that much on headphones.

The real value of the HyperX Cloud is the solid blend of functionality, price, and quality they offer. Build quality is important, I don't care what anyone says, and the HyperX Clouds perform amazingly in that regard for their price point. There are plenty of audiophile grade headphones that are built worse than the Clouds.

If you are used to listening to high end headphones, these won't blow you away or anything, but most enthusiasts who aren't absurdly biased against "gaming headsets" would agree that these sound good, and for roughly ~$66 on Amazon they're the obvious go-to for under $100.

The Custom One Pro's (and the Custom Studios) are allegedly souped up, slightly tweaked DT 770's with a more modern build, detachable cable, etc. Never tried them personally.

I have provided the links to the products I use.

​

If you think you're going to be sweating quite a bit (perhaps because of beat saber) I recommend a different facepad by VR Cover.

https://www.amazon.com/Oculus-Facial-Interface-Replacement-Hygiene/dp/B01MQZVF6K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1541091609&sr=8-2&keywords=oculus+face+pad

​

Like TOO_FUTURE said before me, definitely set up a ceiling rig so you dont have to worry about cables running around the floor.

https://www.amazon.com/MIDWEC-Packs-Management-Oculus-Headset/dp/B06XY5WKXW/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1541091631&sr=8-10&keywords=oculus+accessories

​

Lastly, you might want to think about investing in a 3rd Oculus sensor. Having that 360 degree coverage and not having to worry about facing forward all the time will make your VR experience that much better.

https://www.amazon.com/Oculus-Sensor-16ft-Repeater-Cable-pc/dp/B0727WDPX6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1541091677&sr=8-3&keywords=oculus+sensor

Hi, I currently own the Hyper X Cloud II but have started to hear something vibrating/shaking inside the headset. Consequently, I'm in the market for some new headphones. After following the buyers guide I'm currently interested in the Sennheiser HD 598 Over-Ear Headphones, Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Studio Monitor Professional Headphones or the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro Headphones - 250 Ohm. Nevertheless, what's the difference in sound quality between those headphones and these headsets: Sennheiser GSP 350 Closed Back Gaming Headset, Sennheiser PC 360 Special Edition Gaming Headset, HyperX Cloud Revolver Pro Gaming Stereo Headset.


Budget: No more than £150
Source: Directly into my computer
Isolation: some (block out computer fans)
The headphones will be used exclusively at my desk.
Most of the music I hear will be from games, which varies heavily, so I want something which is okay for everything.
Overall I'm looking for something which is clear/detailed (so I can hear opponents in multiplayer games) while simultaneously sounding good for music/cinematic/single-player.


Thanking you.

EDIT: What's the difference between these: Sennheiser HD 598 Cs Closed Back and Sennheiser HD 558 High End Open Over-Ear

I have two different full head phones

I have the Sennheiser HD 555 and I really do enjoy them a lot with listening to music and pen pointing certain sounds but when I am gaming I use my Sennheiser PC 350.

If you are looking for a brilliant headset then I would certainly suggest the HD 555!

Hello I have been looking for a good quality headset for the past week now. I mainly play on the Xbox One and I'm not a PC gamer. I want to know what headsets would you recommend me. I have been eyeing on [Sennheiser GSP 300] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KV3BB0S/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498117313&sr=8-1-fkmr0&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=sennheiser+headphone+gsp+350) and the [HyperX CloudX pro gaming headset for Xbox one] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HHBYS8E/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1_1_2?smid=A2L77EE7U53NWQ&psc=1). If you want me to consider and look at another headset then please say so as I am new to the gaming headset scene. My budget is around $100 and I can definitely wait if companies are already releasing new headphones later this year. Thanks in advance.

i use these. They are slightly above what you want to spend but the sound quality is amazing and they are extremely comfortable.

There are cheaper headset mics of course, but you'll need adapters to get them to be XLRs. Analog computer headsets would probably work, you'd need 1/8 inch to XLR adapters or cables.

Something like this might work, and it's cheap:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DS4HTM

You'll need an adapter to get it plugged into the mixer though...the advantage to a headset like that (which should have separate connectors for mic and headphones) is that you could probably also feed game audio or program audio (or whatever you wanted) easily to the headphones.

The HyperX Cloud II that I use is this one with 7.1 USB connectivity for both PC and Mac!:

https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-PS4/dp/B00SAYCXWG/

Note that the 7.1 only works on PC/Mac.

The licensed Xbox One version of it is this (only difference is it includes the case, has a inline audio controls, but looses 7.1 support PC/MAC)

https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-CloudX-Headset-HX-HSCX-SR-NA/dp/B01HHBYS8E/


This is the latest model, HyperX Cloud Revolver ($120 though)

https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Revolver-Headset-HX-HSCR-BK-NA/dp/B01CIEBU54/

I heard that it has a frame noise issue, but is slightly easier to put on. The great sound is still there, but not better. Personally, I went with the cheaper Cloud II.

I would shop around though as you might find it cheaper elsewhere.

I want one to use at home with my laptop without worrying about the cable, and also be able to take it out on bus rides, mainly for audiobooks and instrumental music. I guess it may have to be bluetooth but I'm not sure. My phone is a blackberry and I guess it will only support bluetooth for wireless use.

Those PS3 ones sound great and are about $50 cheaper on Amazon, but they seem to have some possibly big issues according to the (Amazon reviews)[http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Stereo-Headset-PlayStation-3-63089006306200/dp/B0087OZ5FG]. How long have you had yours?

I use Sony's Pulse Elite Wireless Headset with my PS4. I have enjoyed it quite a bit; comfortable, has plenty of audio options including a slide to balance between voice and gameplay volume, and the battery life is great.

Plantronics 780. It's an over the ear headset. Very comfortable. Though I do need to pull it off at least one ear every other hour or so. The 7.1 emulated surround sound sounds great for games like BF3 and for playing music. This thing can get loud too.

Honestly, not trolling you.... Get these Microsoft L2 LifeChat LX-3000 $21.99 (45% off)

These are the best "gaming" headset I've ever used and durable to boot. They've been abused, stepped on, and dropped and are still going, had them for 3 years now.

I've got a huge head (it creates it own weather!) and these are comfortable for hours, don't notice them at all.

Just ordered another for use at home so I can rotate the old ones to work for web meetings band music.

What budget are you looking at?

If you're cheap Refurbished Logitech G230 I used a set of these and was pretty happy with them aside from the clamping pressure on the head. Mic was decent and cord was very long.

Next I'd say the HyperX cloud Stinger which usually is in the $50-$65 range.

A little bit more money gets the Corsair HS50 These are pretty good and don't scream GAMER

A little bit better, the HyperX cloud cores are no longer quite the "budget" option they were a few years back, sadly the price has gone up, they're still decent.

You can also find the HyperX Cloud IIs on sale for around $95-$99 which come with some extras. Sadly they're not on sale right now and I can't recommend them at current prices.

Over $100 The Sennheiser GSP 302 are good (I'm using them right now), mic is great, decently comfy, and sound decent. I believe they are based of the old HD558 drivers but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Anything higher than these I'd go with standalone headphones and a dedicated microphone, but I don't really have any experiance with those so someone else should chime in.

I'm honestly torn about it. While I like having the 3.5mm jack available, I basically don't use it at this point. At work, I have a Logitech H800 headset, which I use with in RF mode from my laptop and Bluetooth from my phone. In my car, I use Bluetooth. At home, I have 4 Chromecast Audios + a Google Home, which I've got organized into various groups depending on what I'm doing. And I have a pair of Bluetooth earbuds for miscellaneous use. All of them work flawlessly with my Pixel, and none of them are a burden to use at all. Yes there's a slightly increased initial setup time for the first pairing, but now I just power on my headphones or start my car and it pairs with my phone automatically.

The only irritation I have is that Audible doesn't have built-in Chromecast support, so I have to cast my phone's audio to the speakers. But for the benefit of having roughly the same volume everywhere at home and the ability to keep my phone in my pocket while listening, that's more than worth the trade-off over the 3.5mm jack.

I have the plantronics gamecom 780, its a great headset and i have not had any issues with it so far and its nearly been two years.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plantronics-GameCom-Gaming-Headset-Surround/dp/B0079G2Y52/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427381877&sr=8-1&keywords=game+com+780

its a very good headset, and I really enjoy it.

hihly recommend these

Bought them 4 months ago when they were 80. They are now 40 and i'm suprised. Has great sound quality and the microphone great.

Can wholeheartedly recommend Sennheiser PC-151. Excellent mic and phone quality. They're not very big and do not cover the ears. Soft pads that are not synthetic leather (big plus when it's warm, these were pleasant to use in 30 degree Celsius summer Shanghai).

Less than $43 shipped from Amazon. Maybe you can shop around and find it even cheaper!

I've been rocking my Logitech MX518 for almost 5 years now, never even felt the slightest itch to replace it. Also just upgraded from cheap, stock keyboard and headphones to the Steelseries RAW gaming keyboard and the Steelseries H Wireless Gaming Headset (having seen both reviewed by Brother Linus).

The headset - Every bit as glorious as Linus indicated.
The Keyboard - like hot, glowing, sexy butter beneath my fingertips.

I saw your comment about the headset. There is a headset that is considered really good by both gamers and audiophiles, which is unusual cause audiophiles consider almost every gaming headset overpriced trash.

Its the HyperX Cloud 2 or the previous version the HyperX Cloud if you dont want to spend more money, i can assure you both are way better than the official ps headphones or the turtle beach.

HyperX Cloud 2

HyperX Cloud

If you want a deeper and more insightful recommendation about headphones make sure to check out this subreddit r/Headphones

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00906E03I/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They aren't the best, or the most flashy, but I've been using these for over 5 years, and I just keep buying a new pair every year or two when the mic gives out. At $20, they're definitely budget if that's what you're going for, but they're a pretty good headset for the price. The original model I bought had microsoft livechat which I never used, but this model is cheaper and has that useless button removed.

Plantronics GameCom 780 Gaming Headset with Surround Sound - USB Compatible with PC
http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-GameCom-780-Headset-Surround/dp/B00B1KJK22
I love this headset, it's super comfy and the mic registers really well.

really really love my sennheiser pc350s. yes they are a bit pricey, but they provide everything i need, and sound great. same drivers as the hd555s (i believe, don't quote me on that one) http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-350-Collapsible-Microphone/dp/B0012XFDWO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301726025&sr=8-1

I want to get my brother a new form of headphones and a new mic for his birthday (still time though, date is 9th of May). He currently has a Creative Fatal1ty Gaming headset and it sounds just terrible listening to music and listening to him over skype.

Budget | 50€, flexible
---|---
Source | Onkyo TX-8020, he has some HECO shelf speakers
Requirements for isolation | Not needed. He's gonna use them for mainly gaming, couple of MOBA games and single-player, and watching some movies.
Will you be using these Headphones in public? | No
Preferred Type of Headphone | Over-ear
Preferred tonal balance | Balanced, a slight emphasis on bass will be good
Past headphones | Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset ("a piece of shit")
Preferred music | If he listens to music, then it is Linkin Park. Otherwise just gaming, voice chat and some movies.
What would you like to improve on from your set-up? | Mostly a better mic. We rarely see each other and talk a lot over skype. Better sound quality will come with that because the Fatal1ty's sound is garbage. (yes I hate that headset)
Location | Germany

I thought about a Zalman clip-on mic and the Superlux HD-681 EVO. Is there something else that would be a good purchase?

http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-GameCom-780-Surround-Headset/dp/B00B1KJK22

I've been using the GamesCom 780 for a few years now. I actually bought 3 more sets just to ensure I'll have more if mine breaks (and after 2 years, it still hasn't). The microphone is fantastic, the sound is great, and it's relatively cheap.

Here's Exactly what you are looking for. LINK
there are more inexpensive options, but this one is highly rated and comes with the optical cable

And then one of these to convert the Output (RCA) to 3.5mm
LINK


I'm going to be honest with you. By the time you buy this you would probably be better off buying an inexpensive surround souind with an optical input. Sony also makes wireless headphones that are compatible with the PS3 and PS4
I have this one and they work and sound awesome

Elite Version

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NOR89Y/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1/178-4103888-6460661?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=1YB84K4JBMF5XMNM146T&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_i=B0000DCRHA

Great warranty (few years, depending on purchase circumstances) and fantastic mic.

I own like 6 headsets and this is the one I fall back on.

After buying myself a pair of HD 598SE, I have almost all the headphones I need; all I need now is a gaming headset. I play on PC occasionally, but I am mainly a XB1 gamer who plugs my headphones into my controller, so whatever I get, it has to have a 3.5mm jack to fit in controller, my PC, and (hopefully) my mobile device; in other words, No USB Headsets, and No 6.3mm jacks.

Currently, I'm mulling a couple options in my head.

Option 1: Get a normal set of cans with a removable 3.5mm cable so I can replace them with the V-Moda BoomPro Mic Cable. (I would have already done this to my HD 598s but for the proprietary Sennheiser cable.) These headphones may also become my go-to mobile headphones depending on the sound quality, so I'd really like for them to be closed with good noise isolation.

In this case, I'd be looking for:

• Closed back
  
• Easy to drive (Must)
  
• Removable cable connected by 3.5mm jack (Must)
  
• Decent sound stage
  
• Good noise isolation (More important than sound stage)
  
• Heavier bass (At least more prevalent than HD 598SE)
  
• Could be portable
  
• Price: $150 - $250 (+$30 for the BoomPro Mic)
  
  Option 2: Bite the bullet and get a pure gaming headset. I've already looked at a couple options, and the ones that stand out to me are the Kingston HyperX Cloud 2, Sennheiser GAME ONE, and SteelSeries H Wireless. If anyone has any opinions on these three headsets, let me know.
  
  In this case, I'd be more willing to try open headsets, as I'll probably get myself a closed, mobile-ready pair of headphones on a later date. I also won't be as picky about the sound, since these'll almost never be used for music. It will, though, decrease the price I'm willing to pay (SteelSeries H Wireless notwithstanding; for whatever reason, those things are calling to me.)
  
  For this option, my requirements are:
  
  
• Open/Closed
  
• Easy to drive (Must)
  
• 3.5mm jack (Must)
  
• High mic quality
  
• Decent sound quality
  
• Heavier bass
  
• Price: $100-$175
  
  If anyone has any other suggestions, I'm definitely looking for more options, as long as it doesn't total to over $300.

What's the matter with surround/gaming headsets? I'm not much of an audiophile but I like things to sound semi-decent. I have a Plantronics Gamecom 780 headset and I'm really happy with it for gaming audio and communication.

FWIW, currently Wirecutter.com's top pick for wireless gaming headset.

All-time low according to Camelcamelcamel and PC Part Picker, though it has been $149.99 in the past as well.

Also currently the same price at MemoryExpress, Bestbuy, and probably many other places.

Obviously only a good deal if you want a wireless gaming headset - if you don't absolutely need wireless (or aren't willing to sacrifice quality to get it), or if you don't need a microphone, then you'd be far better served by many other options out there.

But if you do want a wireless gaming headset, this one is a good bang for your buck, especially at this price.

Edit: Steelseries Arctis 7 and Logitech G933 Artemis Spectrum are also highly rated picks for wireless gaming headphones. The Logitech is also on for a fairly decent price right now ($250 - $120 = $130).

I adore my Sennheiser PC 350 headphones. They are 3 times what you wanted to spend, but built like a tank and VERY comfortable.

Everyone here will tell you the same: "Headsets are grabage. If you don't need microphone, get a good headphone, and if you need micro, get a good headphone with mod micro"

I tell you the same

BUT

If you really want a headset and can afford it, the HyperX cloud is a neat one (around 60$). Audio quality is far better than any other gaming crap headset. You can connect it to PS4 though the TRRS 3.5 jack in the ps4 controller.

Hope I helped you.

I was under the impression the G430 was a solid budget headset, but I honestly don't know much about headsets so...

I am aware it's usually better quality-wise to buy headphones + microphone (as two different pieces rather than a combo) but this would be very impractical due to how my PC is setup.

When you say Cloud Core, I assume you refer to the Kingston HyperX Cloud Core ?

Damn! I just bought this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0153XL4V2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

for same price. The ones I got are new, but it's a headset and that's pretty much it. I'm wondering if used ones that are better are worth it...

The best headset currently is hyperx cloud, I think. Core is their budget friendly version which lacks extra accessories like extra ear cups etc.

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset/dp/B0153XL4V2

53.99$

I recommend the Sony Pulse Elite headset to a lot of people. It's pretty awesome and beats out almost every other headset in the price range.

I really recommend this one. Audio from the mic is great and in general its good, plus relatively cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Headset-Tablets-Smartphones/dp/B005GTNZUM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419572863&sr=8-1&keywords=logitech+h800

My experience with Plantronics is that they tend to break.

Your best bet is to maybe look around at some Sennheisers PC 151 or PC161.

Apparently, both of these are going for cheap. They are really comfy and sound awesome.

The ATH M50s are awesome, I found them fine for CS personally but what you could do is buy a set of Sennheiser PC 350 gaming headset, great for gaming and music.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Collapsible-Headset-Control-Microphone/dp/B0012XFDWO/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1405269304&sr=1-6&keywords=sennheiser+360

I got these headphones about a year ago that aren't too expensive and have served me well: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B1KJK22/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They aren't top of the line, but they're pretty nice for $60.

Alright, that's a bit on the cheaper side. If you're really looking for quality, I think we're up in the £110 - 130 range. I've a pair of Sennheiser HD 250 at work, and a pair of Sennheiser Momentum at home for gaming. I can highly recommend both if you decide to splash a bit more cash.

For a decent gaming headset at the price you mention though, I'd probably go for the SteelSeries 3H USB (Disclaimer: I used to work for SteelSeries, so I may be biased), or Plantronics GameCom 780. They're both good value for their price.

I have the GTA version of the Pulse Elite, and I've been told how clear I sound by a few people. Great quality headset overall, and the pulse feature is an interesting novelty. Plus, it's wireless.

There's always a debate for "proper" headset and a separate mic. What it comes to gaming headsets I don't know much about void or stinger, but at about the same price point lies HyperX Cloud Cores. For my money the most comfortable ones and the sound is pretty good though it may lack a bit of bass.

Seems they're on sale on Amazon.

Sometimes pretty makes a horrible product. When I was looking for a gaming headset I found a set of these which costed a lot more when I bought them. They are complete garbage even tho they have that "fatality" dude signing off on them.

Ended up buying these from sharkoon which work for 360 and pc with great sound and very loud if need be. Love sharkoon now.

Plantronics Gamecom 780's are great, the dolby makes a good difference and the bass is impressive. However, the plastic headband is it's only downside as it seems a bit cheap. I think you can get them for around £40-50.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plantronics-GameCom-Gaming-Headset-Surround/dp/B0079G2Y52/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411396430&sr=8-1&keywords=780+gamecom

I have the Plantronics GameCom 780 and it's great. The surround sound works great and the mic is pretty decent, though you may have to use some noise reduction. They used to be around $80 but I don't know if they are still being manufactured or not cause the price is now easily over a hundred.

I was using this amazon mic before with the m50x. It sounded terrible. Reports from my gaming friends say it sounds much better. The noise gate seems to work much better too, as they cant hear my wife typing across the room like they could with the old setup. I'll do some proper recording samples and see what I can hear - will report back!

i use koss clip ons and wear a fatality headset
for the mic.
got the koss for ~fifteen and the fatality when it was ~twenty.

i do agree with other posters to use a combo of headphones + a clip on mic because it is cheaper, but using a headset around your neck for a mic provides a closer proximity to your vocals.

i personally don't know how well mics perform when clipped onto your shirt collar (far proximity), but if you talk softly and compensate by boosting your mic volume (increase gain), your voice will become somewhat distorted.

super duper edit: since you already have at least one headset, you can use one of those for your mics if you find hanging them around your neck comfortable

Plantronics 780 7.1 usb headset http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-GameCom-780-Surround-Headset/dp/B00B1KJK22 its an 80$ headset that sounds wonderful, and its on sale all the time its down to 60$ right now. also best mic that i've used for this 80$ or even 100$ :3 i love it to death.

Platronics gaming headset. It only requires a usb to connect, sounds great and the mic works awesome.

http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-GameCom-780-Surround-Headset/dp/B00B1KJK22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381515537&sr=8-1&keywords=plantronics+gaming+headset

The gamecom headset 780 are great 7.1 surround makes everything sound utterly brilliant.

I just picked up the Pulse Elite Edition and it made The Last of Us even more enthralling. I browsed this subreddit and decided to get that one over the Regular Stereo Version as it just seemed to be that much better.

I included the amazon links so that you can do what I did: print it out and take it to Best Buy for a price match (yes, it worked).