Headphones + Microphone Suggestions

[Scummer]

Ok so atm I'm looking to upgrade my audio setup. I'm not an expert at headphones/mic's so any general tips would also be appreciated.

From what I've read gaming headset aren't worth the money so I don't want one of those, although it's perhaps made finding a good headphone/mic combo a bit more adventurous.
Sennheiser seem like a good brand that I'm familiar with, so I suppose I'd prefer something from them. My brother uses a Sennheiser HD 598 and says it's great.
Are there any headphones like that for around a little cheaper? Around £150-ish would be preferable.

Now I don't know anything about what microphone to get. I don't know if a clip on one is best or one that sits on my desk. But I'd like something of good quality that's preferable not cheap cheap as long as I can chat clearly with friends as I'll be using the setup for skype/mumble and listening to music a lot.

Also does anybody know of any other good techie/headphone/audio forum that I could read through and maybe ask around for more help and a broader answer?

Thanks!

[Deleted]

hey dude, first off, before you get any high quality headphones to use with the PC, you got a soundcard?, though that can be aquired after though, something to budget in

[Ravuno]

I too can recommend the HD 598, most comfortable headset I've ever owned.

As for microphones I just use a medium priced standalone microphone which works fine.

[Deleted]

Or buy headset with soundcard on it.

Anyway, SteelSeries Siberia V2 or Sennheiser PC350 or PC360 depending if you want closed or open headphone.

[Scummer]

hey dude, first off, before you get any high quality headphones to use with the PC, you got a soundcard?, though that can be aquired after though, something to budget in

I don't believe I do. It's probably the one piece that I can't remember when I had my pc built. When I search around the audio devices I just get something to do with realtek, so no I don't believe I have one.

Suggestions on that too would definitely be appreciated. Don't want to skip on that.

[Idrinkwhiterussians]

Here is a lovely buying guide for headphones. It helps with quick overviews of the sound characteristics of the headphones. It also notes if an amp is required or recommended.

I would suggest thinking about if you would prefer to have open or closed back and what kind of music you generally listen to, then go from there.

[Deleted]

Definitely follow above advice though below combo is quite and you'll save some money.

Takstar HI 2050 £24 (don't be fooled by the price, it's a steal) They're are as good as many much higher priced headphones.

Samson Go Mic £38.99

Blue Microphone Snowball iCE £62.50

[Deleted]

I'm using a Logitech G35, the standard one with sleeved cable.

Really good sound, and comfortable as well.

[Deleted]

I too can recommend the HD 598, most comfortable headset I've ever owned.

As for microphones I just use a medium priced standalone microphone which works fine.

As an HD 558 owner, I can vouch for that. Basicly the same construction. I love them. You can wear these all day without feeling anything.

[Scummer]

I would suggest thinking about if you would prefer to have open or closed back and what kind of music you generally listen to, then go from there.

Generally metal. I'm not sure which setup that's better for.
How much audio leak can I expect from open headphones? I mean if I have an open pair headphone how much of the leaked audio would my microphone pick up, if any on average?

---------- Post added 2013-06-06 at 10:08 PM ----------

Definitely follow above advice though below combo is quite and you'll save some money.

Takstar HI 2050 £24 (don't be fooled by the price, it's a steal) They're are as good as many much higher priced headphones.

Samson Go Mic £38.99

Blue Microphone Snowball iCE £62.50

Which of the microphones would you suggest over the other?
I'm tempted to get those headphones though. Although it might sound off I might get them as a backup pair to a more expensive pair of headphones and use them when I travel.

[Deleted]

Mine bleed quite a bit at high volume, though I haven't really heard anyone complaining about it picking up on the mic.
But I have a 10$ mic, so don't go on that.

[Kivimetsan]

Audion Technica ATH M50 - The best headphones you will ever buy, they will never break, they have amazing sound, you can use them for gaming then take them out in public as well.
Then get a cheapo mic for like $5 from a computer store, gg.

[Deleted]

5$ mics usually sound like 5$ mics, and trust me, the people hearing you hate your voice.

[Rucati]

I don't know anything about headphones to be honest, I use a pair of Logitech something or others I got at Target for like $15, they work just fine and I've had no problem at all.


As for a mic, I use a Blue Snowball, I think it was about $60 or so, it's really nice and has amazing quality, well worth the money as far as I'm concerned.


To be 100% honest though, if all you want it for is to skype with people a regular headset will be just fine. You can probably get a headset at walmart or target for $20 or so and it'll be fine for skype. Skype is actually really good at blocking background noise from calls, so the microphone isn't terribly important for that, and any headset will work for hearing your friends clearly. I probably wouldn't spend a significant amount of money on a headset/mic just for Skype, I use my mic for recording various things, so I needed a microphone that had a high quality, if you don't plan to use your setup for recording there's little need for expensive equipment.

[Deleted]

http://en-de.sennheiser.com/chat-hea...hone-pc-3-chat

Perfect f. Gameing, not too bad for music and less than ~20 €

[Deleted]

Which of the microphones would you suggest over the other?
I'm tempted to get those headphones though. Although it might sound off I might get them as a backup pair to a more expensive pair of headphones and use them when I travel.

The Samson mic is really good quality, there is a video in the comment section on Amazon. The Snowball is also good and comes with a better stand, making it little easier to work with.

As for the headphones, you could always buy a pair, test them out and then add a more expensive pair later on if you don't feel like these are quite enough for your needs.

[Sonatine185]

+1 for hd 598. One of the best gaming / music headphones I own. If it's too expensive, its little brother hd 558 is almost as good.

[Idrinkwhiterussians]

I have a pair of Grado SR80i, and while they do leak sound, it is not a horrible amount and has NEVER been picked up on my mic, which is a simple clip on. The biggest complaint I would have about them is actually the comfort level.

I also happen to listen to a lot of metal, though what I listen to leans towards the prog side of things. I am going to listen to some Meshuggah, Symphony X and then Iced Earth to give you a better solid impression of them. (overall, the sound is great, I just haven't paid 100% attention to the sound on them for specifics)


Edit: Well, after giving a hard listen, I have a few things to note about my choice for music cans. I used a flat EQ. The mids are somewhat forward, with a fairly bright high end. Bass is accurate and does not float/bloat even with some good quick metal. Vocals are nice to listen to through them, as well as being able to pick out all kinds of sounds that you might not hear otherwise. With the open back, they sound somewhat like you are at a show. They also can go well loud enough to blow out your ears, and are somewhat easy to drive (no amp needed)

Unfortunately, they are a bit pricey in the UK (which I just found out) and come in at £135.

[Cows For Life]

Audion Technica ATH M50 - The best headphones you will ever buy, they will never break, they have amazing sound, you can use them for gaming then take them out in public as well.
Then get a cheapo mic for like $5 from a computer store, gg.

A lot of people, myself included, find these very uncomfortable to wear for extended periods of time. The same goes for Grados that I've tried. It's also a closed design which may not be to every person's taste.

[Scummer]

As for the headphones, you could always buy a pair, test them out and then add a more expensive pair later on if you don't feel like these are quite enough for your needs.

Well my plan for the moment if I can get it all organised is to perhaps pick up a pair of those Takstar headphones along with that Samsung microphone a bit later when the headphones are busted in. Then get an expensive pair later on (like 3 odd months, which around my birthday) rather than rushing into getting a new audio setup which is something I'm relatively new to with a £150+ pair of headphones that I perhaps can't appreciate. If that makes any sense.