LF Headset < or = $200

[MonsieuRoberts]

It's time to upgrade. I've been using my pair of Carcharias for a few years now and I want a change.

-Needs to be super comfy.
-I'd like something that sounds great for vidyagames. WoW, Warframe, Mech Warrior Online, random Steam titles. lots of asplodes and pewpewpew.
-Doesn't need to have a mic, I have a desk mic.
-Needs to NOT be extensively expensive, $200 is as far as I'll go if you can really really sell me on a pair, but feel free to save me some money. Please.
-I don't have a standalone sound card, just whatever this motherboard has built-in. If I'm going to need one for awesome sound, please include it into the price; If it won't fit within my budget, still include it but separately. I'm curious!

[solvexx]

Sounds like you want people to do every single bit of research for you as well as wrapping it all up in to a nice little bundle.
It's not hard to go to your local audio shops and have a listen for yourself.

If you're paying 200$ then anything from AKG or Sennheiser will be sufficient.
Above that will take actual consideration.

[MonsieuRoberts]

I figured that some of the people in this sub-thread would be experts on this sort of thing, that's why I didn't just go buy an expensive headset from work(Futureshop, AKA Bestbuy). I've never bought a high quality pair of headphones, so I don't know what kind of features I should be looking for. I just posted what I was looking for in general, hoping that someone who has experience would guide me towards something that worked for me.

Isn't that how request threads work? O.o

[Ethes]

Personally using the Siberia from Steelseries. Lovely piece of equipment for about $100

[Adorada]

You're better off going for headphones, seeing as you already have a mic. I would give you some suggestions, but this should be pretty much all you need:

http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide

I'd go with something around $150 and add a sound card, seeing as it'll be better than onboard.

[Deleted]

Personally using the Siberia from Steelseries. Lovely piece of equipment for about $100

Do not. Avoid "gaming" headphones at all costs. If thats all you are prepared to spend, remember to invest in both DAC and headphones.

[Deleted]

and stay far away from DRE Beats

[MonsieuRoberts]

You're better off going for headphones, seeing as you already have a mic. I would give you some suggestions, but this should be pretty much all you need:

http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide

I'd go with something around $150 and add a sound card, seeing as it'll be better than onboard.

Thanks for the link!

[BruceG87]

OCN's Most Recommended Audio Products is another amazing resource to utilize for all aspects of PC related audio.

You'd be amazed to hear the difference between your Razer headset and a proper set of headphones utilizing a sound card or DAC.

Just remember to avoid brands that mass produce peripherals especially ones labeled as "gaming". Purchase your headphones from a proper audio manufacturer.

EDIT - Whatever headphones you opt for, just remember to double check the impedance on them. Some headphones require amplification to run properly. This is not necessarily a huge deal as there are plenty of options as far as sound cards with built-in amps, but at the same time not every sound card is equipped with an amp. Another note, higher impedance headphones do not necessarily mean better sound quality or sound stage.

[MonsieuRoberts]

Thanks for the reply, I'll check it out.

From the earlier URL, I am REALLY liking the look of these V-MODA headphones. They look fucking awesome!

I understand that an amp (also a DAC?) is something you plug your headphones into which goes into your computer, but what exactly does it do? Better sound quality? Some of the headphones in that first list have it as mandatory or recommended, and some don't need it. I ahve a pair of the Deadmau5 SolRepublics and they don't need an amp, in fact, I've never had an amp on any of my headphones, but I've never spent over $100 on a pair. the SOLs are probably the best ones I've had in terms of Headphones to wear around. I had a pair of Beats Pros, and the bass was awesome but there were so many cons...just not a good pair of headphones.I wouldn't even consider buying any of those namebrand headphones again, even thoiught the Monster Inspirations sound awesome too, from what I've heard from the demos at work.

Look at that paragraph of useless information lol. What do Amps and DACs really do? I'll probably find out in one of these URLs posted eventually.

[BruceG87]

-snip
From the earlier URL, I am REALLY liking the look of these V-MODA headphones. They look fucking awesome!
-snip

I wouldn't bother with those things. "Inspired In Italy, Styled in Hollywood" screams overpriced branding. Not to mention all the extra marketing crap, detachable mic cables, travel case, "customization" options.

All in all, these things couldn't touch my AD900x's in terms of sound quality or comfort.

As for your other questions.

-snip-
Look at that paragraph of useless information lol. What do Amps and DACs really do? I'll probably find out in one of these URLs posted eventually.

A DAC is a Digital to Analog Converter. It does just as it says, converts digital signal into a line-level analog output that can then be fed into an AMP.

An AMP provides extra voltage for headphones that require the extra voltage to be driven properly. If your headphones do not require amplification, then an AMP is simply a waste of cash.

Anyways, I'll help make things a bit easier on you. With your budget, you want to consider sound card + headphone options as DAC's are rather pricey.
If you want, I can supply you with some options but I need you to supply me with more information.
You already said you have a mic, so I'm keeping that in mind.

1. Do you prefer over-ear or full-sized headphones. I assume you do not want earbuds, please correct me if I am wrong. (See Types of Headphones)

2. Do you prefer Open or Closed headphones? (Again, refer to above link)

3. Do you have any PCI x1 or x16 slots open on your motherboard? (For the sake of a sound card)

4. Give us an idea of how you will be spending your time. IE - 70% gaming/30% music&movies. 50% Gaming/50% music&movies, 70% music/30% all other, etc..

5. Do you require positional hearing for the sake of any first person shooters? (Ideal cans for positional hearing tend to be light on bass.) Otherwise are you a bass head?(Favor heavy bass)

[MonsieuRoberts]

1. Do you prefer over-ear or full-sized headphones. I assume you do not want earbuds, please correct me if I am wrong. (See Types of Headphones)

Full sized ones. My SOL Republics are on-ear, and they're pretty comfortable, but I much prefer over-ear, like my Carcharias. Super comfortable for me. Seems like a necessity when you're gaming for long hours.

2. Do you prefer Open or Closed headphones? (Again, refer to above link)

It doesn't matter. I'll still be using my SOL Republics on the bus to work, and there's no one to disturb with any leaking when I'm gaming. So, it's irrelevant. I dunno.

3. Do you have any PCI x1 or x16 slots open on your motherboard? (For the sake of a sound card)

I don't have any PCI-E slots left (I think there's only two, and my 7850 is covering one) but I do have 2 smaller ones open. Like, really tiny.

4. Give us an idea of how you will be spending your time. IE - 70% gaming/30% music&movies. 50% Gaming/50% music&movies, 70% music/30% all other, etc..

I'll be using the headset primarily for gaming. I'd say right now I use my Carcharias exclusively for gaming and Vent, and when I'm doing things solo or listening to some music (mostly soft EDM, but some rock and lots of JRPG OST) I just use my speakers. If whatever pair I get sound better than my speakers, things will change, and I'll probably wear them most of the time no matter what I'm doing. I'd say about 40% of the time when I'm gaming I'm also talking, the rest I'm silent & playing solo, and about half the time I'm playing some music on top of the game's sound, which is usually turned down. When I'm playing Hawken, Mech Warrior Online and other such asplodie and pewpewpew games, I love the sound effects cranked. Listening to chainsaws in Warhammer, engines in Most Wanted, singing swords in Skyrim, mini-nukes in Fallout, that kind of thing. Mass Effect, The Witcher, Skyrim, KOTOR, Borderlands, Dragon Age; Any game with dialogue that I care about, I always always ALWAYS have the sound on.

Another paragraph of babbling!

5. Do you require positional hearing for the sake of any first person shooters? (Ideal cans for positional hearing tend to be light on bass.) Otherwise are you a bass head?(Favor heavy bass)

I'd say I'm a bass head. The only FPS I play is Borderlands, and that's probably at the bottom of the spectrum of FPS in terms of awareness being a necessity. Plus, I'm down with the wub and the unce.

[imabanana]

If you're paying 200$ then anything from AKG or Sennheiser will be sufficient.
Above that will take actual consideration.

For this budget, I'd advise AKG K240 MKII : http://www.head-fi.org/products/akg-...kii-headphones

Perfect sound, and fits all your needs (at least everything stated in the first post).

Been using it for quite a while now, incredible quality for this price, and can be worn for hours without even noticing it.


As for the sound card, I'm using it with a ONKYO SE-200PCI LTD, really an awesome card (using it for 6+ years now), but quite above your budget (hard to find under $250 alone). With more "reasonable" prices, I've heard lots of great things about Xonar cards, even the cheapest ones (around $40).


Edit :

You're better off going for headphones, seeing as you already have a mic. I would give you some suggestions, but this should be pretty much all you need:

http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide

This link has really good advices, "In general it's best to avoid products made by Skullcandy, Bose, Beats, or Monster unless otherwise specified in this thread.", first thing everyone should read when choosing headphones.

[Deleted]

http://www.astrogaming.com/a40-headset-astro-edition

lovely headset.

[Deleted]

http://www.astrogaming.com/a40-headset-astro-edition

lovely headset.

At least they finally lowered the price on this overpriced, mediocre and overhyped headset.

[MonsieuRoberts]

Looked at our stock at work and found these. With my discount they're about $120 before taxes.

Thoughts?

[apepi]

How about Sennheiser PC350?

I recommend http://www.overclock.net/t/1014902/o...audio-products as a buying guide.

[BruceG87]

Looked at our stock at work and found these. With my discount they're about $120 before taxes.

Thoughts?

Glad you have some kind of discount available, because I can list a dozen sources that have those exact cans available for $100 cheaper.

Anyways, HD558's are great given the price and the potential for the "Foam Mod" which you can find more details on if you google 558 Foam Mod. However, they are a bit light on bass. If you consider yourself a "bass head" you'll be disappointed in the capability of the HD558's.

I don't have any PCI-E slots left (I think there's only two, and my 7850 is covering one) but I do have 2 smaller ones open. Like, really tiny.

I assume you mean PCI-E x1 slot. That gives you plenty of options for sound cards.

For sound card, pick a Xonar DGX which is the cheaper, sports a built-in amp and provides you with all you need for headphones. Regardless of what headphones you opt for, this is the sound card you will want given your budget. Feel free to shop around for some kind of open box deal or refurbed card. You won't miss out compared to buying a brand new card except for the higher price tag.

For headphones, Audiotechnica A700x will perform well while having bass available. You could go for the open-ear AD700x, which have decent bass but the A700x definitely wins as far as bass is concerned. As the owner of a pair of AD900x, the wing design utilized for all audiotechnica's audiophile headphones is unbelievably comfortable even during long gaming sessions. Then again, if you have a smaller head the wing design might cause them to sit lower on your head. This is something to consider, unless you have a large head as I do.

You could shop around for some Ultrasone Pro 550's which are definitely bass heavy, if that is what you want. Though I've read a lot of mixed reviews. One thing is for sure, folks either outright love them or outright hate them.

[MonsieuRoberts]

Glad you have some kind of discount available, because I can list a dozen sources that have those exact cans available for $100 cheaper.

Anyways, HD558's are great given the price and the potential for the "Foam Mod" which you can find more details on if you google 558 Foam Mod. However, they are a bit light on bass. If you consider yourself a "bass head" you'll be disappointed in the capability of the HD558's.



I assume you mean PCI-E x1 slot. That gives you plenty of options for sound cards.

For sound card, pick a Xonar DGX which is the cheaper, sports a built-in amp and provides you with all you need for headphones. Regardless of what headphones you opt for, this is the sound card you will want given your budget. Feel free to shop around for some kind of open box deal or refurbed card. You won't miss out compared to buying a brand new card except for the higher price tag.

For headphones, Audiotechnica A700x will perform well while having bass available. You could go for the open-ear AD700x, which have decent bass but the A700x definitely wins as far as bass is concerned. As the owner of a pair of AD900x, the wing design utilized for all audiotechnica's audiophile headphones is unbelievably comfortable even during long gaming sessions. Then again, if you have a smaller head the wing design might cause them to sit lower on your head. This is something to consider, unless you have a large head as I do.

You could shop around for some Ultrasone Pro 550's which are definitely bass heavy, if that is what you want. Though I've read a lot of mixed reviews. One thing is for sure, folks either outright love them or outright hate them.

So having open headphones will make the bass worse? I like the look of those AD700X more than the A700X.

THanks for the replies by the way, going to go with your recommendations.

[BruceG87]

So having open headphones will make the bass worse? I like the look of those AD700X more than the A700X.

THanks for the replies by the way, going to go with your recommendations.

It's a bit more then that, it's more so the design of each. However in this case, the open-ear AD700x will have inferior bass when compared to the closed-ear A700x. Another note, the AD700x will leak a lot of sound as do all open-ear design headphones.

Another thing to keep in mind, open-ear designs will allow your ears to breath. Meanwhile closed-ear designs leak far less sound while providing a kind of "suction cup" feel. I hate that suction cup feel when it comes to gaming where I am utilizing a mic though others do not mind it. Another negative for me is having my ears borderline sweat after long gaming sessions with closed-ear headphones. In my particular case, my Beyerdynamic DT 770's are great for video/music, especially when I do not want to disturb others. However I can't use them for long gaming sessions.