Best Gaming Headset Suggestions (Must Include Mic)

ryken said:
Zalman Clip-on Mic is the way to go, no matter what headphones you get.

As for the cans themselves, Beyerdynamic DT770s (~$200), Sennheiser 555s (~$105) and 595s (~$185), and Audio Technica AD700s (~$90) all tend to get lots of positive recommendations around here.

If you want to go cheap, I can't recommend the JVC HA-RX700's ($34) enough. If the sky is truly the limit, Sennheiser 650s (~$400) and a nice headphone amp would be fun!
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If I were to go with the Beyerdynamic DT770s or any of the high end ones you suggested would my Creative Labs Sound Blaster Xfi Titanium Fatality Champ (NCIX Link To Soundcard) sound card handle those beasts (specifically the Beyerdynamics: NCIX Link)? If not do you have any amp suggestions? I'm looking for the sharpest sound in gaming, though aside from sharpness great quality would also be nice.
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Neurofreeze said:
Whatever you do, please don't buy into this: http://www.psykoaudio.com/
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Funny, I was actually looking into those as a viable option. What makes you say that, I wonder?
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^This.
 
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I have the A40s and the Mixamp, I use them with my PC, PS3 and 360.

They sound phenomenal.

When I want to listen to music I plug in my BD DT 770 Pros, although the A40s sound pretty dan good for music too, so if you arent an audiophile the A40s are an all around good 5.1 headset.

Everyone always comments on how clear my mic is, and have the mixamp to turn up/down the music/voice on ps3/360 is a God send.
 
myelin1 said:
for the money, the sennheiser pc350 is a piece of junk. low frequencies are lacking, and the overall sound is muddled by mids and "tinny" highs.

you would be better off going with a desktop mic and a quality set of headphones. gaming headsets tend to be cheap in quality and marketed toward younger gamers. it is difficult to beat a quality set of headphones. it just depends on your budget.
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You need to use them Amped to get them to sound excellent.
 
Right now, if you purchase the Steelseries Siberia v2 3.5mm Circumaural Full-size Headset from Newegg you get a Free headset with purchase.

WTF? :p

I'm researching a new headset now and found that special browsing through Newegg.

Very odd.
 
nothing with a mic built in is good, end of story.
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That's not even close to being true. That comment sounds like you just have a big bias against headsets for some reason cause it sure made no sense. I do think though that someone should come out with a fully boomed mic (bringing the mic down to mouth level) to put on headphones instead of the clip on to wire kind.
 
KayossZero said:
You need to use them Amped to get them to sound excellent.
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for the record, i had the PC350 headset running through a yamaha rx-v365. i could not rate the sound as "excellent." however, my DT 770 Pro 80s with the amp listed above are "most excellent." :cool:

purely subjective though. i just think it is very difficult at this time to get really good sound (whatever that means) out of gaming headsets. making a high-end set of cans with a boom mic and selling it for 300-400 won't be as profitable as making lower quality sets that people can afford.
 
I think the debate between headphones and headsets will never end and never have a conclusion. To say though that no headsets are good is just plain close minded. For some reason the so called audio purists (whatever the hell that actually means) seem to think it's below them to include headsets in their vocabulary. On the other side of the coin (the lowly people that the audio purists look down on) for the most part seem to be happy as clams with their headsets. Which one hears the best quality sound (whatever the hell that means)? Brings to mind the old question of if no one is in the forest, what will the sound of a tree falling down sound like. Who the hell knows and who really gives a shit! Oh, I forgot, the audio purists who think their ears are better than anyone elses give a shit.
 
many things factor in to perception of sound, especially age. those who are younger are more able to perceive higher frequencies than those who are older. this is due to the fact that cells in the cochlea that preceive lower frequencies are located after those that perceive higher frequencies. thus, to perceive lower frequencies (i.e., bass), sound waves must travel through the cells that detect higher frequencies to get to the cells that detect lower frequencies. over time, this actually wears out the high frequency cells. as such, older folks lose some high frequency perception as part of the normal process of aging.

age is but one factor in discerning what sounds good and what does not. there are several other factors such as cognition (e.g., this set of headphones costs more, so it must sound better), susceptibility to marketing, etc.
 
demografik said:
nothing with a mic built in is good, end of story. if for some reason you absolutely MUST have a mic attached and you cannot handle using a clip-on or desktop mic, just buy whatever is cheapest.

be warned though, the quality difference is DRASTIC. a buddy of mine was boasting about his $200 headset (triton or some crap) and i convinced him to buy some $30 harx-700 just to try them out. these headphones benefit greatly from extensive burn-in and right out of the box he said they blew his headset out of the water.
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My Beyerdynamic MMX 300, **WITH** a mic, would like to have a talk with you. End of story. And it's the BEST headset you can buy with a mic attached, basically being the same as a 2005 DT770, which you aren't going to call good? Yeah more expensive than a $200 DT770 but you get a high quality mic and a nice USB soundcard with it too.
 
Mike89 said:
I think the debate between headphones and headsets will never end and never have a conclusion. To say though that no headsets are good is just plain close minded. For some reason the so called audio purists (whatever the hell that actually means) seem to think it's below them to include headsets in their vocabulary. On the other side of the coin (the lowly people that the audio purists look down on) for the most part seem to be happy as clams with their headsets. Which one hears the best quality sound (whatever the hell that means)? Brings to mind the old question of if no one is in the forest, what will the sound of a tree falling down sound like. Who the hell knows and who really gives a shit! Oh, I forgot, the audio purists who think their ears are better than anyone elses give a shit.
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The biggest problem is that people don't buy everything that's being talked about and make up their minds from what they read - which with something as subjective as audio, becomes just a minefield of 'mine's bigger than yours'. For a while I avoided headsets because of what I'd read on the audiophiler-than-thou sites like Head-Fi. But the more I read, the more I started realising that most of those who hang out there don't have a fucking clue apart from the peer-group path they've decided to tread.

As someone who does hoover up an enormous amount of gear however and doesn't stay within the peer-group tracks, I flit between the PC350, G35 and the MMX 300 - and the only non-headsets I use with the computers are the Omega 2 MkII, Beyerdynamic T1, as well as the HD650 which the T1 is slated to replace. And I'd say the headsets get more head time than the headphones, just because I do a variety of things as you all do, not just listen to music. If I crank up j.River or Spotify Premium, yeah I'll switch to the headphones.

The 300's get the most head time as they are the most generally capable headsets in terms of mic quality and headset quality that I've come across. Essentially you have a decent headphone combined with a mic that blows stupid contraptions like the ZM-MIC1 clean away. And those equally hopeless desktop mics? Unless you have a Blue Mouse jammed in your face as I do when I'm recording client briefings, purleeeze.

The G35's were quite a surprise - I was expecting something mediocre. But in the end these probably get as much pure gaming time than the MMX 300. The 3D isn't accurate enough for positional accuracy but it really increases the game immersion. The sound is punchy and accurate, and it offers excellent isolation. Comfort is a factor as it clamps pretty hard, but no worse than many headphones which achieves the same sort of isolation - and the fit is tuneable. I found that changing the top pad even affects all-round comfort for example, not just temple pressure. It is pretty passable as a music phone too in stereo mode, and the mic pickup is not bad.

I'm less enamoured of the typical Sennheiser sound of the PC350: You need a more aggressive sound for gaming, and I don't think it delivers in that aspect. However it is hands down the most comfortable out of the three (partly explained by the fact that it's the lightest and least isolated), has mic pickup that's at least as good as the G35 and folds - so I use this as my semiportable Skype set for those marathon conferences.

I'd say if I had to whittle down to one set working off a regular PC or laptop, I'd actually pick the Logitech over the Beyerdynamic - because of the 7.1 flexibility, which really takes compatible (i.e. most modern) games into another dimension of immersion. However if you want an all-rounder purely for stereo use and care as much about the quality of the mic as you do about the drivers, then the MMX 300 is an excellent choice.
 
Rise From Your Grave

So after pushing this off FOR SO LONG, I've decided to come back to trying to pick and buy a pair-o-cans. After reading back through this entire thread I've whittled down the list to these 3 choices:

MMX 300

Astra A40

G35

I realize some time has passed since I originally started this thread, so if there are any updated versions/iterations of those sets please let me know. Anyhow, the Astra A40's look quite appealing IMHO, but I need to know what's what, again, from people who actually have tried 2/all of those. I need really good audio situational awareness as without it I'm basically handicapped. I need the sound quality to be good and clear, I need to know what I'm hearing. The mic quality doesn't really matter as I'm not planning on putting on a "vocal show" unless I get drunk, but I still want people to hear and understand what I'm saying without issue. I do not own an amp, I plan on hooking the set straight into my Creative Labs Sound Blaster Xfi Titanium sound card, so please keep that in mind. And, well, yeah that's about it. PC Gaming And Music is what I need these for, in that specific order. Make this happen people. lol
 
I recently purchased a set of Corsair HS1 usb headset and I think they sound amazing for gaming and movie watching, the comfort factor alone is worth it. They are so comfy with memory foam around the ears, its a larger headset, but it doesnt even feel like you are wearing anything.
 
Can anyone also comment on the durability of these models? I'm finding this thread very helpful in selecting a new set of cans, but mine *always* seem to break. Even with tripguards in place, they fall off a chair, or they get ripped from my head from something, it's ridiculous. I've been through at least a dozen pairs in the last 3 years or so. >_<

So if someone can just piggyback some info regarding this on top of any information for the OP I'd be really thankful!
 
The best headset I've owned for gaming were definitely the Turtle Beach HPX with the astro mixamp. I tried the A40 but didn't like them at all. The HPX broke during my move to Seattle and I decided to try the astro A30, which to me sound better than the A40.

I also have the audio technica ad700 that i use with the mixamp and zalman clip on mic. The only downside to that one is all the cables get tangled up. it would be an easy fix but i'm too lazy. To me this is the best set up for xbox gaming. the ad700 are a little loose compared to the HPX which fit my head perfectly but I know others have complained that they fit too tightly. I also used the HD555 which i bought off of some guy on craigslist for 25 bucks just to try them out and I didn't think they sounded as good as the ad700.

I actually plan on selling my A30's to pick up another pair of HPXs.
 
Just bought the Logitech G930 on a whim, color me extremely impressed. $120, they sound good, the spacial sound of Dolby II on your head has been blowing me away all night haha. Was playing L4D2 and I could hear all of the special infected and exactly where they were waaaaaay earlier then I've ever been able to, and I always knew exactly where they were. Its insane, almost like cheating.

Absolutely loving these so far. Dont think I'll be able to go back to wired again.
 
Alright so I've at long last finally decided on the Astro A40's, and I just got one more question before going through with it! That question of course is whether or not I should go with wired/wireless, Aside from the obvious, what are the adv/disadv between the two systems.

Thanks in advance!
 
|Nexus| said:
Alright so I've at long last finally decided on the Astro A40's, and I just got one more question before going through with it! That question of course is whether or not I should go with wired/wireless, Aside from the obvious, what are the adv/disadv between the two systems.

Thanks in advance!
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I've been in the same boat looking for a new headset that I can migrate easily between my Xbox 360 and PC. I've watched and read a ton of reviews in the last couple weeks and so far the consensus between the wired and wireless Astro Mixamp is space. Basically if you are only using the setup on your PC and will be two to three feet from the monitor then go for the wired mixamp. However if you game from your couch via HTPC or Xbox/ PS3 then the Wireless 5.8 Mixamp sounds like the best choice. All reviews I've seen praise the lack of any hiss or interference and it's wireless freedom.

The price seems a little steep but considering they include all wires needed to get you up and running, from what I've heard excellent support and completely user repairable headset due to it's rugged and accessable components make them totally worth it. I'll be ordering A40's and Mixamp 5.8 in the next couple of days or early next week. :D
 
Thanks Acid, really appreciate it. I can finally go through with my purchase. :O
 
Alright so just as I was about to go ahead with the purchase when I found out the possibility that the Wireless Mixamp might not work with mp3 players when playing games, while the wired amp system would. Anyone have the wireless system and knows if/not for sure?
 
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I heard the same thing in one of the reviews I watched. If it's true then I guess that is one of the two advantages that the wired mixamp has over the wireless, the other being that it can also accept digital coax and composite audio as an input. Mixing an mp3 player in with the decoding stream would be pretty spiffy although a little hectic for competitive play. I suppose I didn't really think of it since I usually just fire up windows media player or VLC if I'm on PC and want to hear some tunes or just play music through xbox 360's music player functionality.
 
i don't know the answer to your question. I did ditch my G35s for the a40's with the 5.8GHz wireless mixamp, rechargeable battery, 360 chat cable, and the PS3 chat cable though. i wont ever go back.
 
I've owned both the Wireless and Wired system. I sent the Wireless 5.8 back!

Simply put, the Wired has a better feature set...if you don't consider "wireless" itself to be a major selling point. The Wired model is capable of operating exclusively via USB - it shows up as a USB mic and USB headphones by itself. You do not HAVE to connect your sound card to it by RCA, Coax, or (best) Toslink, but you can if you want (provided you have a sound card with a digital out), which will make it the "only" audio output but allow you to mix game sounds and other things etc... However, you can also do what I did when I had speakers and set... Sound Card > Speakers as Primary Audio Output (for game audio, music etc) but set Astro Mixamp USB > Astro headphones as secondary for other things like Mumble/VOIP use. Thus it would be "military style" where comms would come through the headset and nothing else. Of course, once my speakers broke I could use it as a unified system.

You cannot do this with the 5.8 Mixamp (wireless). The USB connection is only a dummy power and one-way mic connectivity, not two way for audio+mic. In fact, you need to buy the "PC/PS3 Chat Cable" to be able to use it as a USB microphone on your PC or PS3, a separate item! Thus, you need to have it connected via Toslink (the only option on this model, if I recall) at all times and thus your Sound Card > (via digital) > MixAmp > Wireless Receiver > Headset . For me, this was a loss of a critical feature and since I mostly use my Mixamp for my PC, the wire issue doesn't bother me. It just seems to be a more full featured, compatible (including X360/PS3 without adapters) option and the Wireless is a step back save for the fact its well..wireless.

Edit: If you can buy direct from Astro, do so. Prices aren't typically lower anywhere else, and you'll be able to get the new 2011 version of the A40s. Pick whatever variant/color you like best too, they have many available.
 
Xaeos, you truly are a life saver. I owe you one for this! Thanks, and yeah I was going to primarily use these this set for PC gaming. Though I only considered the wireless version as I may use it when I play on my 360/PS3. I've heard rumors both on here and other sites that the wireless amprx unit offers a better 7.1 chipset or something like that. Any idea on what that means in terms of performance?
 
Another Astro convert here, I have three mixamps + a40's and a30's. They work great and the sound isn't too bad.
 
I have the Corsair HS1As and they are great for gaming, ok for music. The Dolby Surround Sound feature is awesome.

Mic is apparently on the quiet side according to friends/reviews.
 
popowrx said:
I have the Corsair HS1As and they are great for gaming, ok for music. The Dolby Surround Sound feature is awesome.

Mic is apparently on the quiet side according to friends/reviews.
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I just got a pair of these as well and they are by far and away the best PC Gaming Headset I've ever purchased.
 
I'm in the market for a new headset, and Corsair HS1A seems to be best in my price range.
 
BurntToast said:
AD700 are better. But they don't have a mic if you want to use that as an excuse.
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Some people prefer using actual headsets rather than mixing and matching studio headphones and a clip on/desktop mic. You can find the Corsair HS1A for around $50 online these days and to me thats a hell of deal. Sure, they might not satisfy every audio snob out there but as a gaming headset they are top notch for the price.
 
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To HS1A owners: anyone else having trouble with the cable? The right side of my headset is louder and more powerful than the left side, just slightly. Sometimes if I accidentally jostle the cable, the left side will cut out and I'll have to play with the cable in order to get it back, but as much as I've played with it, the right side is always a little stronger.

Think I might have to RMA it...
 
SLiGuy said:
To HS1A owners: anyone else having trouble with the cable? The right side of my headset is louder and more powerful than the left side, just slightly. Sometimes if I accidentally jostle the cable, the left side will cut out and I'll have to play with the cable in order to get it back, but as much as I've played with it, the right side is always a little stronger.

Think I might have to RMA it...
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I would. Haven't had any issues with sound other then an early problem with the Sound Manager program which kept on closing/not opening on me. For some reason it doesn't do that anymore haha.

Also, Witcher 2 is not playing nicely with it. Can't hear any sound with that game. Works on everything else I've played though.
 
If you decide to RMA the headset, I think you will have no problems getting it exchanged. Corsair has excellent customer service.
 
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