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Gaming headsets for PC
- Thread starter ebeattie
- Start date
Don't know what to tell you. It's possible your apparent preference for believing meaningless marketing spiel is introducing a perceptual bias, thus impacting your ability to objectively judge these products.
have you tried using one properly? Distance from your head makes a huge difference for clip on mics.
I use to think the same thing till I got my zalman clip on and hooked it up to my headphone cord near my jaw. it works as well as any head set Ive tried before and lets me use any pair of head phones I want (my senn HD555's lol)
i've been gaming for many years (almost 10 now :O) and have gone through probably 50ish headsets over that time. reason being they always broke after a few months
until i discovered the sennheiser 280 pros
they're not that expensive (just a bit over $100), have good audio quality, muffle outside noise, make sure none of your noise leaks and annoys other people, and are tough as hell
i had one pair for FIVE years and the right can finally conked out on me
what did I do? I stupidly bought yet another "gaming headset" (icemat siberia original) only to have it break on me in about a month then on to some Bose headphones for them once again to break within a month
then i bought another set of hd 280 pros and have had them for a year
i just use a crappy headset slung around my neck for a microphone if i need it, little uncomfortable but you get used to it
until i discovered the sennheiser 280 pros
they're not that expensive (just a bit over $100), have good audio quality, muffle outside noise, make sure none of your noise leaks and annoys other people, and are tough as hell
i had one pair for FIVE years and the right can finally conked out on me
what did I do? I stupidly bought yet another "gaming headset" (icemat siberia original) only to have it break on me in about a month then on to some Bose headphones for them once again to break within a month
then i bought another set of hd 280 pros and have had them for a year
i just use a crappy headset slung around my neck for a microphone if i need it, little uncomfortable but you get used to it
Spare-Flair
Supreme [H]ardness
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2003
- Messages
- 7,471
I have used the same headset since 1993.
It was the one that came with one of the original versions of Dragon Naturally Speaking.
It was the one that came with one of the original versions of Dragon Naturally Speaking.
I got the Astro A40 two months ago: http://www.astrogaming.com/products/detail/3/A40-Audio-System/
Hands down the best gaming headsets I've gotten my hands on. I say "gaming" because that's expressly what it was made for; the included Mixamp headphone amplifier is a godsend on both the PC and the 360. It allows you to mix the balance of the game audio and the chat audio to your preference. If you want to really hear your teammates, turn it towards "voice", if you're playing with a bunch of random assholes you don't want to listen to anymore, turn it all the way towards "game".
They're extremely comfortable too. I've used them for three hours while wearing my glasses and I felt no fatigue or discomfort at all. They also sound great. They won't replace my Grados for listening to music but for games, excellent, I'd put them up against Sennheisers in the same price range.
Hands down the best gaming headsets I've gotten my hands on. I say "gaming" because that's expressly what it was made for; the included Mixamp headphone amplifier is a godsend on both the PC and the 360. It allows you to mix the balance of the game audio and the chat audio to your preference. If you want to really hear your teammates, turn it towards "voice", if you're playing with a bunch of random assholes you don't want to listen to anymore, turn it all the way towards "game".
They're extremely comfortable too. I've used them for three hours while wearing my glasses and I felt no fatigue or discomfort at all. They also sound great. They won't replace my Grados for listening to music but for games, excellent, I'd put them up against Sennheisers in the same price range.
Most gaming headsets are way too bass heavy but its easier to sell since consumers love bass at the expense of everything else and accuracy. That said, I'm surprised that the DT770 and the Audio Technica cans are so bass heavy; with the "audiophile" praise I'd have expected at least some flatness. Surprising.
My Grado GS1000 is very good in the midrange and before I broke them in (a week straight of playing music) they were unbelievably bright and way way too much in the high end, I almost returned them. Music sounds glorious with them but I never cared for how games sounded (flatness is actually a detriment since all the important stuff is in the extreme highs and lows, and games are mixed very differently from good music recordings), but now I'm going to see if positional audio is helped any based on what you said. Long term comfort is a big concern but WTH, I'll try it anyway.
jonneymendoza
Supreme [H]ardness
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- Sep 11, 2004
- Messages
- 6,415
I got this 5+ years ago and it has been through hell. my chair has squashed it, itys been buried underneith my desk for a few months and even stood on it by accident and it still works LOL.
Mind you the foam that goes around the ear piece is fucked but the sound and mic still works. im looking to pick up another set actually and the wire itself is freaking long too.
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Sennheiser-PC-Range-PC131
It was regarded as the best gaming headset at the time i bought it whcih was back in the CSS days haha
Mind you the foam that goes around the ear piece is fucked but the sound and mic still works. im looking to pick up another set actually and the wire itself is freaking long too.
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Sennheiser-PC-Range-PC131
It was regarded as the best gaming headset at the time i bought it whcih was back in the CSS days haha
I picked up these last week (or at least the black usb version of them), and so far I'm very impressed. Sound is very clear, and the mic picks up my voice well. The Siberia is also very comfortable. Despite being very light, it feels very secure on my head, and I can have them on for hours without any discomfort.
I previously had the Astro A40, which I found the quality (sound and build) to be extremely overhyped and they were way too heavy to comfortably wear for long periods.
I will try the clip on the cord. I dont talk very loud in the mic because my wife and baby are sleeping so I need one that can handle that.
undertheradar
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2004
- Messages
- 1,792
I am also looking for a gaming headset, but I want it to be a 5.1... any suggestions?
I know exactly what you mean lol, all my gameing time is while my 18 month son sleeps. I have to talk a bit louder than I like to but for the most part it works. Is your computer in the same room as them?
Same here, I'll game when my 15 month old son is sleeping in the room across that landing. I'm conscious of not waking him and hence I don't use my mic as much as I would normally and use the text command for some things. I enabled the mic db boost so I don't have to shout too much
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gentoo
Gawd
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2005
- Messages
- 709
SENNHEISER PC151
I love my set and they work great.
These are also on sale at Newegg right now for $34.95. They're worth it, although if I get a pair it'll be my third pair. My previous two both malfunctioned after a while but it was probably my fault entirely.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106157&Tpk=26-106-157
PrincessFrosty
Supreme [H]ardness
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I got this 5+ years ago and it has been through hell. my chair has squashed it, itys been buried underneith my desk for a few months and even stood on it by accident and it still works LOL.
Mind you the foam that goes around the ear piece is fucked but the sound and mic still works. im looking to pick up another set actually and the wire itself is freaking long too.
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Sennheiser-PC-Range-PC131
It was regarded as the best gaming headset at the time i bought it whcih was back in the CSS days haha
I have a pair of Sennheisers that are very close to these I think it was something like 165 model, they do an excellent range of gaming headsets which are comfy, have decent quality mics and stereo sound, and are also reasonably priced.
Mine come with audio and mic jacks which also have a small converter to USB, I can plug these headphones into any PC I own and it will auto recognize them, don't need any special drivers or installs they just instantly work, don't need a soundcard or any multimedia device in the PC these just detect and work....Bang, Done.
No. My office is down the hall but my wife is preggers atm and has superwoman hearing....
undertheradar
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2004
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- 1,792
You need more than just that then. You will need a full helmet system so that when you talk your voice is muffled, and just in case that doesn't work and she gets mad... well... good thing you still have the helmet!
So as the name of this thread indicates, what would you, the PC gamer, recommend to me as a good headset? I need a USB interface (my retarded X-Fi Extreme audio doesnt have A MIC INPUT!!!!!!!!! ......arg), and must be at a minimum a stereo headset (none of this mic and one earphone bullshit I see around).
Well what ya got?
I've been using the Creative Fatality USB Headset and it has worked great for me, been over a year of good service and sound, not a scratch on it. very comfortable, good bass. Will use these until i try out something better. Unfortunately you will have to buy and try it since usually they don't have displays at stores to check out headsets.
Keep in mind you can get these for 30 dollars at newegg.com right NOW!
I have tried headsets that retail for over 100, i just don't buy that you have to spend over 100 to get good sound. I will wait for that day to come...but it's not today.
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You need more than just that then. You will need a full helmet system so that when you talk your voice is muffled, and just in case that doesn't work and she gets mad... well... good thing you still have the helmet!
Lol. Are you speaking from experience?
Happy00000
Limp Gawd
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- Oct 12, 2009
- Messages
- 265
I am interested in this Sennheiser PC 166 USB Stereo Multimedia Gaming Headset..If you have the money to spend and quality is important, this is a very good one.
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jonneymendoza
Supreme [H]ardness
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- Sep 11, 2004
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they are excellent
I wasn't trying to say that you do. The ones I linked to are only $79, and from what I have heard they compete with headsets over $100. I don't actually own them, but was trying to bring up what I have heard a lot of good things about. This pair is almost never mentioned.
dude, you need to take care of your shit! my siberias have lasted me 2 years so far and i expect them to last at least 2 more.
I bought plantronics Gamecom 367 yesterday. Had to replace my old plantronics i broke the night before. Bought them for half price at futureshop.ca
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pr...angid=FR&sku_id=0665000FS10111487&catid=27321
they are comfy and the build is good. But they are HUGE. I really like how you dont see the mic when its folded back.
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pr...angid=FR&sku_id=0665000FS10111487&catid=27321
they are comfy and the build is good. But they are HUGE. I really like how you dont see the mic when its folded back.
i have this one to, but the $30 i paid was way too much for the 377, it's the worst headset i have owned, and the latest model looks like the frame is the same as the 377. Its for people with a small or medium sized head for one, the sound is not that great, the volume for movies is terrible, for games if its not at full you cant hear speech of others to well. lots of complaints on the mic quality from others. Im leary to spend good money on a premium headset because im tough on them, but mainly as the majority don't fit. either my ears burn from the pressure or it feels like my head is in a compactor, and sadly u cant try any of them on before you buy unless somebody you know has them. sorry for the rant, but out of 10-12 pairs i would give this the worst, only the sennheisers i had were a tighter fit,,,, and were over twice the price.
i was just looking at the wireless ones, but ive seen several people say they are biting their ears or cause headaches after a short period. i have trouble finding hats, so i think ill pass, but tempting cause everything else about it people seem to love. i had a pair for steelseries 4h not bad, but sound quality was not real great.
they look really snug fitting,,, and is that one side adjusts only, or it just blended in the pic.
gentoo
Gawd
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- Apr 4, 2005
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It's a crummy pic. It's dual-adjustable for sure. Long cable as well with a controller about 3 feet down the cable from the headset.
So I did the zalman clipon thing and IT WORKS!!! Now I can use my Sen 595 or my DT770 with my amp and everything sounds great. Thanks for the suggestion.
haha thats fantastic, im very glad it works for you
I was just like you and didnt think the clip ons really had to be clipped on but wow does it ever make a difference lol, I know i really enjoy being able to use nice high end head phones without worring about a mic now.
Parish_Rane
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2009
- Messages
- 216
These $50:
End result, gaming and music heaven. I can pinpoint sounds in FPS, HoN, anything. I am very audible when speaking on my mic and I am just barely vocalising above a whisper. These headphones are incredibly comfortable and have the best sound quality I've ever heard. Granted, I've not touched "audiophile" quality headphones but these are great. Hear new things in my old music all the time. Can't recommend it highly enough.
Plus this amp $20:
This mic $15:
End result, gaming and music heaven. I can pinpoint sounds in FPS, HoN, anything. I am very audible when speaking on my mic and I am just barely vocalising above a whisper. These headphones are incredibly comfortable and have the best sound quality I've ever heard. Granted, I've not touched "audiophile" quality headphones but these are great. Hear new things in my old music all the time. Can't recommend it highly enough.
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gentoo
Gawd
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- Apr 4, 2005
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I might do that same setup except sub the JVC's for HD 595's.