Need help with Headphones

S

ScYcS

2[H]4U
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Dec 11, 2004
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I want to buy a nice pair of headphones (nice as in under $100, has to be from newegg since i have a $25 gift card from there...so essentially my budget is $75 + $25 giftcard).

I was looking at the HD485's and the reviews seem good. The HD280's are the same price. Not sure which one would be better for this.

Here's my question though:

a) are they good for positional audio in gaming. These cans will be used mostly for this propose. The positional audio is extremely important for DoD:S games.

b) if i buy a zalman mic, will it pick up a lot of background noise? I need to have clear communications while in the game via Ventrilo and Teamspeak. I can't have my voice being scrambled or annoying with background noise. Is there a better alternative? A standing mic is impossible for this task.

c) would a dedicated headset be better for this? IceMAt Siberias for example.

If it makes any difference: I'll be using a Audigy2 ZS to drive all this.

Thanks in advance
 
I dont know what headphones to get for $100 but as for the mic... with my x-fi it doesnt pick up the sound from the headphones but it does pick up the noise from tv etc.
 
Also, for positional audio and gaming, should i try getting the HD-485, the 555 or the 280pro? Or even the Audio-Technica ATH-A500 ?

I'm really not sure about this.
 
Nobody can recommend any of the headphones over the other? What about other mic options or even opinions about the zalman mic except the one already posted (thanks btw!)?

Any pros/cons for the posted headphones in a gaming environment would be great.
 
I have a set of HD-280 Pro's that I used for just over a year. They're a great entry point to quality headphones, but they do have one issue. It may or may not be a problem for you but for me they're a good deal too tight. I actually used a soccerball to stretch them out a bit and they still get uncomfortable during extended use.

So I ended up picking up a set of HD595's just a coulpe of months ago and they're awesome. I've actually had moments where I forget I'm wearing them.

I'd say positional sounds are a bit better in the 595's but they're still perfectly accurate in the 280's. I never had a problem spinning around and catching people trying to sneak up behind me in BF2 or CS: Source.

Bass is a little better in the 280's (likely due to the closed design) but the 595's are better as far as overall clarity.

If you want isolation from outside noise the 280's are going to be better given their closed design.

I can't really help with the mic question. If I'm playing a game that I need voice chat for I sacrifice some (actually a lot :|) of audio quality and just use a Sennheiser PC60 or 65 or whatever headset. I forget which model I actually have.
 
Ok, here's what i came up with:

I extended my search a bit and thought that i also might get some more music pleasure out of it and so i think i'll go the following route:

1. Get a x-Fi gamer card. It's a "real" x-fi and not the audio version. Should be a nice upgrade from my Audigy2 ZS.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16829102006

2. Get a cheap headset with adjustable and REMOVABLE boom mic.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16826106803

3. Get a audio exension cable and some velcro and pair this with some engineering genius to attach the mic to the extension cable, then velcro it to the new headphones (mentioned under number 4.), creating my own little headset.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16882123078

4. Get meself a pair of better cans, namely AudioTechnica ATH-A700, which are supposed to be good for gaming due to their range and halfway decent price.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...7510?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2JUPN4BTA3CZV&v=glance

Total cost: roughly $200

Any objections?
 
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yeah that will work fine. just keep the room cool b/c the 700s are a big pair of earmuffs. for those climate challenged I always suggest the Senn 555 or the Koss Portapro. I use the Koss Sportapro sometimes and it sounds really decent for $20.
 
wow....$49 for pads....i think i take my chances with the default ones :D

Anyways, it's all ordered. I think this might work out well. Was also thinking about the Beyer 770 pros but they're a whole $80 bucks more. Maybe next time.
 
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