[Guide] Sound Equipment / Headphone Guide

[Keller]

There's been lots of threads recently, asking on advice on what headphones to buy. In this guide I will explain the things that go on with sound devices.


Alright. Firstly. Sound is a very subjective thing, everyone has their own taste and it's hard to know what's good or bad when it comes to sound, if you haven't heard a pair of really , really good headphones. You just have nothing to compare yours to, and when you hear an above-avarage headphone, you think that it's really really great.

That being said, it's time to move on to the brands.
Solid brands that have a great reputation behind them (Main Competitors): Beyerdynamic , Denon, AKG , Sennheiser, Grado (Current models may also appear as "Alessandro") Sony, Audio-technica , Fisher Audio .
Other Good brands that excel in certain areas: Forstex, Superlux, JVC, Phillips, Koss, Audeze, Hifiman, Probably many others, but cant remember them list them all, give me a poke in the comments)
Things to avoid: Skullcandy and Monster (Unless you're looking for a fragile fashion accessory), Bose, Anything branded as a 'Gaming Headset'.

Alright, now down to the headphones themselves, Most brands have actual headsets that sound awesome, but really, if you're looking for pure sound quality here's a list of things that really excel for their price:

Audio-Technica AD700 - 80$
These headphones are famous for their soundstage - It's way better then any fancy 7.1 Headset can do. What this does is give you a preciese 3d soundscape that's very accurate. Second only to 1000 buck headphones. these are THE choice for a multiplayer FPS. What sucks about them is that they barely have any bass. It feels like it's rumbling deep within the phone, it does not punch. However, it is accurate. Also some people complain about them being too big.

Sennheiser HD555 - a Hundred Dollah.
These headphones are sennheiser's starter 'audiophile' headphones. they have a very good soundstage but not quite as unlimited as the AD-700s. These are all-around good for pretty much everything. They can be modded to their greater variant the HD-595s(Or atleast close to it) Which will make the bass punch you. What sucks about them is that they get cracks quite easily, so handle with care!

Fisher Audio FA-011 - 120$
These are the best of both worlds - It's like someone combined the 555s and the AD700. It has a very wide soundstage along with punchy bass and overall pleasing sound. What sucks about them is that they're 120$ and hard to find.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50s - 155$
These are basically audio nirvana if you haven't listened to good headphones. You will hear new stuff and you will be amazed at how detailed recordings can be. What sucks about them is that you'll probably want a good amplifier or sound card to go with them. Also they're very picky about MP3 quality. Under 256Kbps is gonna sound underwhelming. They're also quite expensive. But if you fulfill all the criteria - they're audio nirvana .

Grado SR60i - 80ish dollars, hard to find in EU.
Famous for their price/performance ratio, even though those don't exist in the headphone world. They aren't fit for gaming, due to a lack of soundstage but if you're getting them for listening to aggressive music such as rock/metal - Oh wow, these babies will keep you happy. What sucks about them is that they're fairly uncomfortable and quite flimsy.

Superlux HD681 - 30-40$
Amazingly these chinese headphones sound pretty damn decent for the amount of money you pay for them. They also have a very large modding scene as does the grado SR60i. What sucks about them is that they need to be modded to be comfortable. Also they aren't widely available.

Forstex T50RP* - 80-110$, Hard to find.
What these headphones utilize is a different type of engineering - Planar magnetism. that makes them sound really damn smooth . Their bass packs a very hefty punch. They can be modified to the infamous 'Thunderpants', said to have amazing 500$-worthy properties. What sucks about them is that you will need a very good sound source as they follow the golden rule - Crap in, Major Crap out. Quality in, Major Quality out. They arent a very comfortable fit either, but the sound they produce even without a modification is considerably better than other mentioned headphones.

Pretty much those are my top recommendations, there's more expensive headphones but you shouldn't look for them here, this is just a beginner's guide.
As far as sound cards and amplifiers go : Either go with an Asus Xonar STX or a Fiio e7 + e9 combo and those should fit all your hifi needs . (Or you can even try to build your own! )
Also according to MMO-C users the asus Xense is a solid sound card when it comes to 5.1 dolby digital.

I've listened to most of the headphones I've listed here except for the Forstex M50. The 555 I listened to Wasn't modded either, so i've got no clue how it sounds personally post-mod but I have it on good authority that it makes the bass hit you and widens the soundstage.

Remember, before buying a headphone it doesnt hurt to listen to it at your nearby store.

[eErike]

Really nice read!

Think many out there would like to read anything about razer, and I would love it if someone could break it down to them that they are seriously overrated ;P

Other than that, solid guide, huge plus that you've "used" most of them yourself!

Sennheiser <3

[Deleted]

Try to find something in the 40-60 dollar range. A lot of requests seem to be within this price range. People being prepared to pay 100+ dollars for headphones remains somewhat of a rarity overall unfortunately.

[haxartus]

For 40-$60 you can get this.

[Cyanotical]

my personal choice is a Asus Xonar Xense, it comes with a special edition Sennheiser PC-350, and has larger studio style 6.3mm jacks, the headset is very good for a computer headset, but not the best out there,

the real reward from this card is the dolby digital live functionality, meaning you can get dolby digital from your video games, not just pre encoded movies, this means you can use a real sound system, not a crappy 5.1 computer sound system (even the best computer sound systems do not match a semi cheap component home theater system)

[Deleted]

I would add that a lot of the xonars are able to do the up-sampling but the suggestion is still a reasonable one.

Dolby headphone makes a huge difference and does genuinely work (again, most xonars).

The best setup would be the xense card with a better pair of headphones.

[Keller]

I would add that a lot of the xonars are able to do the up-sampling but the suggestion is still a reasonable one.

Dolby headphone makes a huge difference and does genuinely work (again, most xonars).

The best setup would be the xense card with a better pair of headphones.

Alright, adding Xense, since it got 2 vouches.

[vesseblah]

Putting down few of the usual suspects of gaming headsets here that are recommended buy, in order of cheapest to most expensive. All of these have more neutral sound and will be decent for listening to music and movies as well as games:

Koss SB45
Incredible sound quality in music at the price, usable but not great mic. Not too comfortable for 5 hour gaming sessions but shorter times are fine.

Plantronics Gamecom 377
Better mic and lot more comfortable to use than the Koss.

Steelseries Siberia v2
Has bit of frequency tweaks so it sounds clearer when using it as voice comm headset but weaker in music.

Plantronics Gamecom 777
USB model of the 377, not worth the extra money unless you need the USB connectivity.

Logitech G35
Ugly but comfortable and good sound.

Sennheiser PC350
The old king.

Logitech G930
Wireless version of G35, and the only actually good wireless gaming headset even close to being worth it's money. Still very steep pricetag over G35.

Sennheiser PC360
If you want simply the best without asking "what it costs?" there's only one choice for gaming headset. All of the usual Sennheiser quality without the usual Sennheiser extra bass makes it perfect all-around headset for gaming and enjoying movies and music. Sound quality is pretty much the same in the previous PC350 model, but the new ones are supposedly more comfortable to wear for long sessions.


Creative, Razer and Astro were left out of this list simply because all three are overpriced and overrated. Creative's WoW headset at $100 is nearly equal to $75 Steelseries Siberia v2 for example in quality. Razers are even more overpriced, and the hyped Astro A40 is closer to $100 in sound quality with $200 pricetag. If you want to use a headset with PS3, X360 and PC on weekly basis pricing of the Astro A40 is starting to make bit more sense, but only in that case.

[Keller]

Putting down few of the usual suspects of gaming headsets here that are recommended buy, in order of cheapest to most expensive. All of these have more neutral sound and will be decent for listening to music and movies as well as games:

Koss SB45
Incredible sound quality in music at the price, usable but not great mic. Not too comfortable for 5 hour gaming sessions but shorter times are fine.

Plantronics Gamecom 377
Better mic and lot more comfortable to use than the Koss.

Steelseries Siberia v2
Has bit of frequency tweaks so it sounds clearer when using it as voice comm headset but weaker in music.

Plantronics Gamecom 777
USB model of the 377, not worth the extra money unless you need the USB connectivity.

Logitech G35
Ugly but comfortable and good sound.

Sennheiser PC350
The old king.

Logitech G930
Wireless version of G35, and the only actually good wireless gaming headset even close to being worth it's money. Still very steep pricetag over G35.

Sennheiser PC360
If you want simply the best without asking "what it costs?" there's only one choice for gaming headset. All of the usual Sennheiser quality without the usual Sennheiser extra bass makes it perfect all-around headset for gaming and enjoying movies and music. Sound quality is pretty much the same in the previous PC350 model, but the new ones are supposedly more comfortable to wear for long sessions.


Creative, Razer and Astro were left out of this list simply because all three are overpriced and overrated. Creative's WoW headset at $100 is nearly equal to $75 Steelseries Siberia v2 for example in quality. Razers are even more overpriced, and the hyped Astro A40 is closer to $100 in sound quality with $200 pricetag. If you want to use a headset with PS3, X360 and PC on weekly basis pricing of the Astro A40 is starting to make bit more sense, but only in that case.

I'd agree with you on the Koss and mabye siberia, though not quite as expansive as the AD-700 but oh man, Plantronics're horrible. I have no clue about the logitech ones.

[vesseblah]

I'd agree with you on the Koss and mabye siberia, though not quite as expansive as the AD-700 but oh man, Plantronics're horrible. I have no clue about the logitech ones.

Had Koss SB45 and using Plantronics Gamecom 777 atm.

Comparing between those two Plantronics is more comfortable using several hours (bit larger earpads) and has lot better mic quality. Sound quality in music and movies is about the same. Plantronics 377 and 777 should be the same except for the USB dongle as far as I know, so the 377 should be fairly good purchase at below $50 level. Better than Koss SB45 if you plan to use it during whole evening raids. Both are plasticy and bit flimsy. Headband of Koss snapped after year and half of use and abuse, Plantronics is now bit over year old and nothing's broken yet.

[Deleted]

Sony MDR-XB500 should be on the list. Cheap with super-comfortable cushions and 40mm drivers that deliver DEEP bass, which I personally love for gaming during times of the day when my subwoofer is too loud for my neighbours.

---------- Post added 2011-08-21 at 12:32 PM ----------

my personal choice is a Asus Xonar Xense, it comes with a special edition Sennheiser PC-350, and has larger studio style 6.3mm jacks, the headset is very good for a computer headset, but not the best out there,

the real reward from this card is the dolby digital live functionality, meaning you can get dolby digital from your video games, not just pre encoded movies, this means you can use a real sound system, not a crappy 5.1 computer sound system (even the best computer sound systems do not match a semi cheap component home theater system)

I just want to add that all X-fi cards except the Xtreme Audio variant are capable of Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect.

[Keller]

Sony MDR-XB500 should be on the list. Cheap with super-comfortable cushions and 40mm drivers that deliver DEEP bass, which I personally love for gaming during times of the day when my subwoofer is too loud for my neighbours.

---------- Post added 2011-08-21 at 12:32 PM ----------

I just want to add that all X-fi cards except the Xtreme Audio variant are capable of Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect.

Well the XB-500 is an excellent choice as a lower-priced headphone, Especially if you want comfort. Also warms ears up in the winter

[Deleted]

Well the XB-500 is an excellent choice as a lower-priced headphone, Especially if you want comfort. Also warms ears up in the winter

I'm currently waiting for the delivery of a pair of XB1000, speaking of the MDR-series

[Deleted]

Headphones are nice and dandy.

But as Gamers, we want headsets. That's right, most of us want a microphone so we can talk to others.

That alone most of the OP recommendations obsolete.

I mean the recommendations are probably good, but they miss the audience.

[Deleted]

Headphones are nice and dandy.

But as Gamers, we want headsets. That's right, most of us want a microphone so we can talk to others.

That alone most of the OP recommendations obsolete.

I mean the recommendations are probably good, but they miss the audience.

A good pair of headphones + clip on mic = win.

[Keller]

Headphones are nice and dandy.

But as Gamers, we want headsets. That's right, most of us want a microphone so we can talk to others.

That alone most of the OP recommendations obsolete.

I mean the recommendations are probably good, but they miss the audience.

You can get a desk mic that's way better then the ones in most 'gaming' headsets. There's also clip-on mics. The only downside to those is that the cable starts to look like a monstrosity.

[Drunkenvalley]

I'll be more than happy to vouch for the Plantronics Gamecom 777. Not using the USB connector thing though. Maybe I should have. But they're surprisingly comfortable. Only thing is that cable gets in my way sometimes, but that'd happen with mostly every headset I think.

Darn good mic too, last I heard.

[Uggorthaholy]

To be honest, I use a direction-sound based logitech stand mic, and I either run open speakers if I'm raid leading (people stfu when I'm in charge), or I run a cheap pair of wrap-around-my-ear headphones I got from gamestop on clearance.

I'm no audiophile, but I MUCH prefer the stand mic to a headset. Less muffle, and less opportunity for me to spike it when I'm mad.

[Soulshaft]

Took the dive on the Logitech G35's recently, since I've always got my 30-day return policy to fall back on. Surprisingly, they sound well above average compared to their competitors in that price range. They are fairly bulky, and if you don't like soft touch (matte finish) plastic, these might not be for you. However, even with their size, I didn't find them to be overly-heavy, even after around 4-5 hours of continuous use. The build quality is sturdy, as well as the USB input cable being braided. They come with some nifty software, including voice-masking software, and three programmable G-Keys on the left ear cap, but I've found little use for these in my everyday gaming and listening. The volume wheel on the left ear cap, however, I do use for primary volume adjustment, as it travels well when rolling up or down.
The emulated 7.1 Dolby is certainly worth mentioning, as well. It works. It's as simple as that. In my opinion, it sounds absolutely fantastic.
Also, I guess I should add that the mic is clear and crisp on the other end, and if you don't mind the sound of your own voice, you can preview it in the software package that comes with the headset.

[dotOrion]

Apologies for digging this thread up again, but I was actually wondering - since you seem much more at home in this kind of stuff - how you feel about earbuds? Like say in-ear noise cancelling earbuds: worth it for listening to music on public transportation or just marketing crap that doesn't mean anything?