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HeadPhone Recommendations

cdr1122334455 said:
I reconmend for Headphones, the Koss PortaPros, yes they are a tad old (original designs from the 80s) however I have a pair, and I've used the $500 pairs and the sound quality is almost the same. Just they are $460 cheaper.
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I find that statement to be unbelievably suspect. :)
 
S1nF1xx said:
That isn't bad for $99. Last question is how's the construction quality? I've seen quite a few reviews that say it sucks. What's your opinion?
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Well, considering I've only had these phones for a week take this for what it's worth...

The manual shows how to lock the headstrap's adjustment... I must be dumb cuz it just doesn't click in like it is supposed to. Doesn't really matter tho cuz once they are on and I adjust them they stay in place.

I really love the coiled cord. It's never too short or got too much slack. It's a really nice thick cord too, must have some decent shielding in there. Maybe one day if I have to replace the cord for some strange reason I'll cut it open and see.

Very comfortable. After about 5 minutes I forget I have them on.

The first thing that threw me for a loop was when I pluged them in for the first time. I thought I had them plugged into the wrong port on my soundcard, then the obnoxious "EA Games" logo bust onto the screen and I had a mild heart attack. Yikes, lemme turn that volume down! Yeah there is no static noise. When there is no sound being transmitted by my soundcard there is NO SOUND. That's a good thing. I'm going to shit my pants when F.E.A.R. comes out.

You really don't need an amp to enjoy these. But I'm going to build one CMoy amp now anyway. Since getting these I'm on an awesome PC audio sound binge.

You can fold these things for storage 3 different ways. The cans rotate forward to lay flat (easy for putting it in a suitcase), or you can collapse them 2 other ways. Or you can do the old banana hangar thing by your pc. Nice set if you want to double it as a set for traveling.

Otherwise I don't expect to have to do any parts replacements anytime soon.

EDIT TO ADD: Yeah, construction wise you can have stronger headphones, but the higher end Sennheisers should be on par with the 280's. You are only paying extra for a larger soundstage. I'm just not willing to pay the extra 100-150 for the high notes for dedicated gaming headphones. If I were using my PC for watching movies, tv, and music more regularly, I might consider it. But if you just have a Creative card I wouldn't reccomend it.

EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: Re. the one poster who say they "clamp" onto his head and get hot... I wear a medium size ballcap and have no problem. As for hot, maybe if you tend to sweat during gaming (like a lot of people). I also have no problem. Summer's over. He should try the Sennheiser PXC300 if he wants to stick to closed cans. If you have a larger head give them a try at a high end audio store. If you want open phones look elsewhere.
 
sorry if i'm jacking the thread, but would you guys recommend the sennheiser hd-555's? i found them on ebay for almost the same price as the hd-280 pro's!

i have a similar situation, and after i bought my now deceased sennheiser hd-457's, i pretty much swear by the company from hear on out. these were considered "budget" headphones @ $40 at circuit city, and after hearing the awesome bass and sound quality, i'm ready to step it up to a higher budget.
 
I am listening them as I write this :p. They are damn nice for the price. They are open and will let any noise in/ some noise out. They are ok for rock and awesome for classical and jazz. Bass seems very good to me, makes me really enjoy what little rap I have. They have pretty good Even with my crappy audigy 1 things sound pretty good.

I am very happy with my HD555.
 
i really like my senn hd280pros. great for games, great for music. if you have them cranked though, you will not hear anything from the outside, which can or cannot be not good depending on your situation. i usually only use these cans when its late and i know no one needs to get a hold of me. getting immersed in a good RPG with these headphones is great
 
I just ordered my HD280s this morning, I realized that I can use them when my parents are home so my noise won't bug them, and my only other headphones are a $20 pair that I only bought for the mic it has, they get uncomfortable after a half an hour if I use them as headphones. My friend let me use his Sennheisers (don't recall the model) and they were awesome, I can't wait for mine to arrive!
 
I've bought a pair of mid-range Sennheisers, and then sucked.

I returned it and bought my self a Sony MDR-CD480. These rock, but they don't sell them at my local Sony store anymore.
 
Pyrolistical said:
I've bought a pair of mid-range Sennheisers, and then sucked.

I returned it and bought my self a Sony MDR-CD480. These rock, but they don't sell them at my local Sony store anymore.
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Not to pick on you, but your post sucks. If you think they sucked tell us why.
 
Ratboy said:
Not to pick on you, but your post sucks. If you think they sucked tell us why.
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QFT. Also, what model were they? Believe it or not, some Sennheiser models really suck. :)
 
I didn't read the rest of this thread as I'm at work and don't have much time. Check out Sony MDR-7506 they are pretty much the standard in a studio environment, and they sound excellent. I use them for music production as well as gaming. They are very detailed, and while they block out most external sounds, they are transparent enough that you can hear someone talk to you. (eliminates the "freak out when someone sneaks up on you" effect somewhat) :D I really can't say that I like any other Sony sets, but these are my favorite headphones and they're only around $100-120.

Also, Grado Labs makes some excellent sets. The SR-80s are an excellent cost to performance pair.

Sennheiser (sp?) makes some decent sets, but also makes some crap. I can't think of any exact models to comment on here. I've heard some good and some bad. I haven't heard any that made me want to give up my 7506s though.

There are plenty of good sets of phones, but these would be my recommendations.
 
Pyrolistical said:
It was the 500, 555, or 600.

I forgot. I think it was the 600
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The HD600 is definately not midrange, and requires one hell of an amp to sound its best :)

You must be thinking of the 500s. THEY suck :)
 
Pyrolistical said:
I've bought a pair of mid-range Sennheisers, and then sucked.
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TMI dude. honestly, some people :eek:


i get this wierd sensation with the sony mdr-v900s - like i have to take them off to hear what's going on. you can tell i'm used to headphones :p
 
all i know is that after i used my friend's sennheiser hd-457's, i had to have myself a pair. so i went and picked up a pair for $40. i would still be using them right now, but about a month ago, the left ear died or something. i would fix it, but i think it's about to time to step it up to the hd-555's.

things i loved about the headphones:

  • EXTREMELY comfortable. easily the most ergonomic headphones i've ever used. i could use them for hours without getting that aching ear we all know and hate after we take them off.
  • very good bass!
  • overall good build quality. dropped it a few times without any noticed performance. comes with some plastic thing to wrap the cord around.
now, i saw that the hd-280's had a "coiled" design cord. i thought this was neat and nifty because the cord on my current headphones sags down and frequently gets caught in the casters of my desk chair.
 
hahha, thats tru. u CAN always get better. but not in the noise canceling over the ear type of headphones. dont know how the e5c or w.e they are called perform. but i think the QC2s are great for games. i enjoy em alot in CS:S
 
saturnine2 said:
The HD600 is definately not midrange, and requires one hell of an amp to sound its best :)

You must be thinking of the 500s. THEY suck :)
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What is the cost of something mid-range then?
 
chronic9 said:
bose QC2 - own a pair and i luv em. great build quality and awesome sound, cant get anything better. for lans i dont think they are good since you wont hear ur friends around you to well. if ur into noise cancelling, the solitudes are awesome too. iam getting those in a week or 2, i hope
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BOSE headphones are rather terrible, sorry to let you know. BOSE fail when it comes to anything to do with headphones. Pretty much anything Sennheiser, Grado, Audio Technica or AKG is better than them soz :p get some ATH-900s or HD-595 and youll see what im talkin boot.

Cant get anything better? well.... thats just funny.
 
Pyrolistical said:
What is the cost of something mid-range then?
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IMO ~$50-150. Really depends on who you ask though. HD600s retailed for over $500, but can be had for around $200 nowadays.
 
im trying to get headphones as well nothing to expensive since I just Got done building my new comp in the $1800 range

How Are Icemat Siberias for an ok pair? I want something thats really nice for gaming and that covers the whole ear.But not to expensive. What do you guys think?
 
saturnine2 said:
IMO ~$50-150. Really depends on who you ask though. HD600s retailed for over $500, but can be had for around $200 nowadays.
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Well, the headphones I bought were $250 CDN, and google says...

250 Canadian dollars = 210.04875 U.S. dollars

So I guess it was HD600, and they sucked because they didn't sound any better than my Sony MDR-380 (that costs about $75 CDN) and the headphones were of poor construction.

The plastic bit between the headband and the speaker was so thin, I felt I was going to snap it at any moment.

So this is why I returned it and bought a pair of Sony MDR-480 (about $95 CDN).

The 480's have a detactable cord and is of solid construction. They have a metal headband!
 
Pyrolistical said:
Well, the headphones I bought were $250 CDN, and google says...

250 Canadian dollars = 210.04875 U.S. dollars

So I guess it was HD600, and they sucked because they didn't sound any better than my Sony MDR-380 (that costs about $75 CDN) and the headphones were of poor construction.

The plastic bit between the headband and the speaker was so thin, I felt I was going to snap it at any moment.

So this is why I returned it and bought a pair of Sony MDR-480 (about $95 CDN)
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Well.. if you had a HD600 w/out an amp.. I can imagine why they would have sounded bad to you. Those cans NEED an amp for their full potential. Personally, you probably would have been better off getting a cheap headphone amp and keeping the HD600's.
 
These seem to be the best 2 gaming headphones that I have found. I will be purchasing one of them after i research which i might like better. Most of the other headphones people are suggesting are not for gaming at all so they wont be very good for games. These two headphones are specifically designed for pro fps gamers with 3d sound, laning, and team communication in mind.

ICEMAT Audio - Black Siberia with sound card 95.00

Sennheiser PC160 sk edition 159.00

if anyone has used either of these i would like to hear about it.
 
so guys....which is the better headphone set all around, not just GAMING?

hd-555 or hd-280 pro?
 
magnetik said:
Well.. if you had a HD600 w/out an amp.. I can imagine why they would have sounded bad to you. Those cans NEED an amp for their full potential. Personally, you probably would have been better off getting a cheap headphone amp and keeping the HD600's.
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My main problem with the 600s was the poor construction. The sound wasn't bad or anything. It just wasn't better than my 380s.
 
I have the HD280 pro, and while they do block out sound well and have good quality, they are extremely uncomfortable. Even after one year, I can't wear them longer then 20 minutes. Too tight.

My Steel Pad 5h, are much lighter and have equal quality in sound, although they are open-type. They feel very cheap though, and I don't think they will last anywhere near the HD280.

Now...for $300 you can find a new HD650 on the internet. That is probably the best way to go, and maybe add an amp later on.
 
Dead_eye said:
These seem to be the best 2 gaming headphones that I have found. I will be purchasing one of them after i research which i might like better. Most of the other headphones people are suggesting are not for gaming at all so they wont be very good for games. These two headphones are specifically designed for pro fps gamers with 3d sound, laning, and team communication in mind.

ICEMAT Audio - Black Siberia with sound card 95.00

Sennheiser PC160 sk edition 159.00

if anyone has used either of these i would like to hear about it.
Click to expand...

Better price on those 160sks, http://www.us.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=15268&vpn=PC160SK&manufacture=Sennheiser Electronics

Not sure what their "3D" thing is, since they don't go into it. I think I'll try sticking with my Senn 565 and maybe get one of those cheap logitech desktop mics. I might try just using the built-in mic on my new Logitech Orbital MP cam (sweet cam btw), though it doesn't have the mute button like the dedicated mic would.
 
I would like to thank everyone for their suggestions. I ended up getting the Sennheiser 280-Pro's. They are a bit tighter on my head than I expected, but they are pretty good. I am happy, much better than my bose!
 
The HD-555's are pretty good. They have a felt like fabric on the cups which is kinda annoying if you are an "itchy" person. Comfortable though.

I was listening to some music and was feeling bass in my feet... with headphones. That was pretty wild. I was expecting the sound to be more "close to my ear" kinda of sensation, but it's not really like that.

Problem with the mini-plug adapter is that the regular jack is wide so when it's plugged into sound card, you can't fit something next to the adapter on each side. Too fat. I guess that's why everyone recommends the Grado adapter. Sigh.
 
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