59 replies to this topic

[pilot84]

Vulpesveritas, on 25 January 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

The corsair is $30 cheaper and you get true 7.1. not virtual 7.1.

with only one driver per cup the corsairs are also virtual. to be true 7.1 they would have 7 drivers per cup. i have g35's and they work great but have some quirks. if you have stiff facial hair then eventually the pleather around the cup will start to wear and break down. they are very sturdy, these things have taken a beating at my house. it has something loose in the right cup but you have to shake the crap out of them to notice it. the sound quality is great and the mic quality is very good. nobody complains about my mic on vent, ts3, or mumble. if you havent gamed with surround sound then you are really missing out. you will be able to more procisely tell were the sounds are coming from and it will help you improve your game.

[Gendou]

I've had nothing but fantastic experience with my Logitech G930 Wireless Headset.

Quote

• Gaming-grade wireless with up to 40 ft. range

• Dolby 7.1 surround sound

• Customizable on-ear sound controls

• Comfortable memory foam headband

• Sound-isolating cushioned ear pads

• Noise canceling boom mic with auto mute

• Full-speed USB recharging base

They're sturdy, comfortable, the battery lasts a good while (and you can charge them while wearing them using the USB cable) and the sound quality is great. I definitely recommend them, especially if you like Logitech hardware.

[Gedeon Kane]

logitech g35 or g930. i own both, they are fantastic.

[Nexus Trimean]

My philosophy is to buy the cheapest thing you can find, Headsets take so much abuse its best to go for something cheap and effective, that way when it dies you wont be shelling out big bucks to replace it.

[Chiyeko Kuramochi]

Nexus Trimean, on 01 June 2012 - 12:29 PM, said:

My philosophy is to buy the cheapest thing you can find, Headsets take so much abuse its best to go for something cheap and effective, that way when it dies you wont be shelling out big bucks to replace it.

Or just spend more and get a unit that doesn't break

I did what you did and had to buy a new one every few months, now I got a still damn cheap fatality whatever thing, won't advice it though not very comfortable will get an other good unit myself, but still costs maybe 3 times more than the cheap cheap one at least the sound is better mic is better and it won't break when you look at it

[Gendou]

Nexus Trimean, on 01 June 2012 - 12:29 PM, said:

My philosophy is to buy the cheapest thing you can find, Headsets take so much abuse its best to go for something cheap and effective, that way when it dies you wont be shelling out big bucks to replace it.

I had that philosophy, but then I splurged and got the Logitech G930 for a birthday present (basically, my wife was like, 'buy whatever toy you want for your birthday'). So far they've lasted over a year with absolutely no degradation in audio quality or physical wear-and-tear. In the same amount of time, my wife has gone through three sets of gaming headsets (including an inexpensive Koss headset that fell apart on her head), and none of them have the quality of the G930. She doesn't mistreat her headsets or throw them around after losing a match, they just wear out. Honestly, if we'd just bought her a G930, we'd probably have saved a little money.

Maybe for her next birthday...

Edited by Gendou, 01 June 2012 - 02:47 PM.

[Chiyeko Kuramochi]

Been looking arround to find a replacement for the one I have right now and by reading up the Sennheiser PC 360 G4ME seems to be a very solid though a bit expensive perhaps.

I am not a huge fan of wireless nor extra buttons that I don't need (the 6 G keys on my logitech G15 are already more than I use ) and this headset also delivers in music, movies and such.

[Meldarth Sunphot]

I just picked up the Creative Tatical Alpha - its both USB soundcard - and 3.5mm plug. They have great sound; 5.1 virtual sound with THX cert software.......the mic is very good on them and also detaches.

Are they the best sounding? no the bass is a little weak before adjustment; but being able to use them with my phone 3.5mm for music is awesome; I then just plug them back into the usb adaptor and great headset and mic for system.....or just great headset.

And their price is also decent 50 dollars......

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16826158092

[HeroicTofu]

Personally, for just pure headphones, I recommend the Sennheiser HD202s. They start out a bit snug and you wear into them overtime. A trick I've learned is to extend them over a kleenex box or similarly sized box when you aren't using them. This weakens the constriction of the headphones and after just a couple weeks of this, the headphones are no longer clamp down kill mode.

The HD202s are also only $20 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co...38606798&sr=8-1

You can't be the price and the sound quality is well above average.

[Antaumus]

Don't buy gaming headset for one. Nice guide on headphonic forum. http://headphones.co...php?f=2&t=6206.

Should elaborate why, Gaming headset is 50% bling, 50% headphone. buy yourself a good pair of headphones and a desk mic. Real headphones (by a brand that makes headphones not mice, keyboards etc) are worth it.

Edited by Antaumus, 01 June 2012 - 07:29 PM.

[ENDMYSUFFERING]

I have a Razer Carcharias headset, and it has good mic quality and really good sound. It's $76 new on amazon right now, and completely worth it.

[Lakevren]

I think I'm too late.

Most of the recommendations here are junk. Gaming headsets, in general, are junk. Few exceptions, but avoid USB ones. Get a good sound card or that Astro Mixamp (better for consoles, otherwise get sound cards).

I generally abide by this guide: http://www.overclock...-audio-products and http://www.head-fi.o...dolby-headphone

I personally have an Asus Xonar Essence STX, and a Beyerdynamic DT990 Premium 600 Ohm. And a $10 desktop microphone.
Thinking of getting this microphone though:

[Chiyeko Kuramochi]

Lakevren, on 02 June 2012 - 04:36 AM, said:

I think I'm too late.

Most of the recommendations here are junk. Gaming headsets, in general, are junk. Few exceptions, but avoid USB ones. Get a good sound card or that Astro Mixamp (better for consoles, otherwise get sound cards).

I generally abide by this guide: http://www.overclock...-audio-products and http://www.head-fi.o...dolby-headphone

I personally have an Asus Xonar Essence STX, and a Beyerdynamic DT990 Premium 600 Ohm. And a $10 desktop microphone.
Thinking of getting this microphone though: *youtube link removed for easier reading*

Actualy the Sennheiser PC 360 G4ME has been tested to solve the trouble most headsets had with music games and more Hence I am looking at it for I do not want a desktop mic (space is at a premium as it is already)

[Lakevren]

Chiyeko Kuramochi, on 02 June 2012 - 04:59 AM, said:

Actualy the Sennheiser PC 360 G4ME has been tested to solve the trouble most headsets had with music games and more Hence I am looking at it for I do not want a desktop mic (space is at a premium as it is already)

Like I said, there's few exceptions. PC 360 is one of them, but it's basically an HD595/598 with a microphone attached and a few minor sonic differences.

And the microphone I linked isn't a desktop one. It's made specifically for headphones. But I generally use my speakers and only sometimes my headphones. Usually use it for FPS games.

[Hruhai]

Seinhausser make excellent headphones, if you're willing to pay for the quality.

I was a bit iffy when I bought mine six months ago (PC-350) but I've never regretted buying them for a second.

[Catamount]

I'm sure if most of us had $400-$500 to spend on our sound setups, we would get something like a pair of HD595s (they are nice headphones) and a good sound card to run them off of. Claiming the suggestions made here are junk compared to setups that cost half as much as my last computer, however, is completely inane, and more or less tantamount to claiming a Honda Civic is a junk car, because it's not a $100,000 luxury sedan. It may be typical "audiophile" elitism (seriously, what is it with this particular group of people?), but it's not necessarily helpful.

That's not to say I disagree with the assertion that most gaming headsets are junk; they are. Still, the general suggestion of getting high-end headphones and a dedicated soundcard (which is extraneous except when dealing with high-end headphones), as a one-size fits all solution, or to always avoid USB headsets when there are cases when they're helpful (I rather like having positional audio on my laptop for shooters, and no, I don't have the budget for a halfway decent external soundcard for it; that made mine handy), is basically to shoehorn everyone into a single category without concern for their actual needs or budget.

Edited by Catamount, 02 June 2012 - 05:35 AM.

[Lakevren]

Catamount, on 02 June 2012 - 05:24 AM, said:

I'm sure if most of us had $400-$500 to spend on our sound setups, we would get something like a pair of HD595s (they are nice headphones) and a good sound card to run them off of. Claiming the suggestions made here are junk compared to setups that cost half as much as my last computer, however, is completely inane, and more or less tantamount to claiming a Honda Civic is a junk car, because it's not a $100,000 luxury sedan. It may be typical "audiophile" elitism (seriously, what is it with this particular group of people?), but it's not necessarily helpful.

That's not to say I disagree with the assertion that most gaming headsets are junk; they are. Still, the general suggestion of getting high-end headphones and a dedicated soundcard (which is extraneous except when dealing with high-end headphones), as a one-size fits all solution, or to always avoid USB headsets when there are cases when they're helpful (I rather like having positional audio on my laptop for shooters, and no, I don't have the budget for a halfway decent external soundcard for it; that made mine handy), is basically to shoehorn everyone into a single category without concern for their actual needs or budget.

The gamers who have a laptop have even more limited choices due to being stuck with USB. USB headsets tend to have poorer durability, and in turn end up costing more in the end. However, there are USB solutions, but don't get one that's bundled with a headset. External sound cards with positional audio is one (that may vary on which one is quality).

But you should read the guide. It has all sorts of options, as well as budgets. Even $60 ones. Asus Xonar DG + Panasonic RP-HTF600 and you are set. I just happen to have an expensive one, is all. Plus $10 if you want a microphone, such as the suggested Zalman microphone. If you need USB because you have a laptop, I think the Asus Xonar U3 is a solution, albeit slightly more expensive.

After all, you DID just do this to me:

Quote

is basically to shoehorn everyone into a single category without concern for their actual needs or budget.

With this:

Quote

It may be typical "audiophile" elitism (seriously, what is it with this particular group of people?), but it's not necessarily helpful.

Without reading the first guide linked.

Edited by Lakevren, 02 June 2012 - 06:05 AM.

[Catamount]

I did read the guide, and I agree with a lot of the options, insofar as the ones I've used. I was going to get the AD700s myself before realizing there were other considerations besides pure sound quality (these are purely for gaming; let's face it, most games have a low cap on sound quality to begin with, and in the heat of battle, I'm not sitting there in BF3 listening to how crisp the bullets feel), so I sprung for the Vengeance 1500 instead. It's about the only virtual surround headset that I know of (certainly that I've ever used) that actuall works, USB in general was desireable for my situation, and aside from being a bit bright, which isn't always bad in gaming, the sound quality on them is in excess of what's needed for the intended use, and generally fairly decent, considering the price tag (certainly better than I was expecting). So the meager $60 I paid for them netted me something ideal to my situation.

You're right, maybe my comment went too far, but the point is, showing a guide with a list of recommendations with little elaboration (even if they are decent general guides), or making sweeping comments, isn't always conducive to giving the best recommendation to a particular person.


Also, why the dedicated sound card, even at the low end? I've found no real advantage to using them with cheaper headphones. I'd rather put that money into a better pair of headphones. Onboard sound is hardly the horror it used to be. In fact, I find them to be little better, if at all, except when using higher-end headphones (read: not something in the $30-$60 range).

Edited by Catamount, 02 June 2012 - 06:09 AM.

[Gendou]

Lakevren: I think that your attitude of 'audio savior' ("I think I'm too late.") - along with the implication that those of us who bought gaming headsets don't know what we're doing - in a thread where most of us are sharing our opinions and experiences is likely to rub many of us the wrong way.

I did quite a lot of research before buying my Logitech G930's. I'm not one to spend a lot of money on accessories, so when the opportunity arose to spend more-than-my-usual-budget on headphones, I took my time. I tried out Sony and Koss and Panasonic and Sennheiser headphones and headsets along with the Logitech and Creative and Steelseries headsets. Ultimately, the ones that sounded best to me, and had the feature set that best fit my needs, were the Logitech G930's. My choice was not made with a deaf ear or in ignorance. I tried the ones you recommend and in the end, I chose a gaming headset.

Most of us have tried to share our opinions and experiences in a non-judgmental manner, so having someone come in and essentially claim that everyone else is doing it wrong is not only abrasive and rude, but seems rather ignorant as well.

[Lakevren]

Catamount, on 02 June 2012 - 06:08 AM, said:

Also, why the dedicated sound card, even at the low end? I've found no real advantage to using them with cheaper headphones. I'd rather put that money into a better pair of headphones. Onboard sound is hardly the horror it used to be. In fact, I find them to be little better, if at all, except when using higher-end headphones (read: not something in the $30-$60 range).

It's largely due to positional audio processing (Dolby Headphone or otherwise). That and most onboard microphone inputs are terrible. Laptops are notorious for bad audio with the headphone jack.

As for the Corsair headset, I've heard it's one of the more decent ones, but it's no AD700 (obviously). But I can't really judge that EXACT one headset.

Others, however, I can, largely due to reliability problems or just plain low quality. For instance, the Razer Tiamat is a $180 headset... but has one of the crappiest microphones ever (you can youtube it to find out how crappy). I mean, if it's $180, at least put a decent microphone. The Razer Carcharias, a much cheaper headphone (decent headphone as well, but might have SOME durability issues) has a MUCH better microphone than the Razer Tiamat. I want people to avoid such junk and regrets. Another example is the Tritton AXPros. My friend bought them, and two weeks later, one of the drivers just fizzled and died. Talk about lack of durability.

Gendou, on 02 June 2012 - 06:16 AM, said:

I did quite a lot of research before buying my Logitech G930's. I'm not one to spend a lot of money on accessories, so when the opportunity arose to spend more-than-my-usual-budget on headphones, I took my time. I tried out Sony and Koss and Panasonic and Sennheiser headphones and headsets along with the Logitech and Creative and Steelseries headsets. Ultimately, the ones that sounded best to me, and had the feature set that best fit my needs, were the Logitech G930's. My choice was not made with a deaf ear or in ignorance. I tried the ones you recommend and in the end, I chose a gaming headset.

Keep the batteries charged, or else the microphone will emit this incredibly annoying low battery sound beep every now and then. Incredibly annoying.

Edited by Lakevren, 02 June 2012 - 06:19 AM.