Rant about LOW QUALITY HEADPHONES...

L

lordroy

Gawd
Joined
Apr 25, 2001
Messages
703
OK... stick with me here...

I game (WoW, DoD, Teamspeak, Vent, whatever...), listen to music (mostly MP3s and CDs), and watch video (Divx, DVD, ect...) all thru my computer...

I have the soundcard listed below, cost me aroud $100 new, works great, has all the ins-and-outs I need for whatever I do, has a breakout box that sits on my desktop... I love the Hercules GT XP 7.1!

I used to have my rig hooked to a Sony Receiver and 6x200w surround speakers + Sub + 200w center channel so I could enjoy the game/music/video... but things have changed... GF moved in, she likes to play games/music/video ect... Receiver + speakers moved to living room, 2 computers side-by-side. 2 Hercules soundcards.


<start rant>
I go and get some Plantronics Headsets. One has lasted me for about 6 months of use, the other about 6 weeks. Both start to fail me around the same time, in the same place, where the wire meets the "inline volume control/mic mute button". As each broke, I replaced them with equal value Logitec headphones (about $45. each). Within a month, both of the replacements are failing IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE (where the wire meets the "inline volume control/mic mute button"). Of course, this time I saved receipts and returned them for replacements, and of course now the REPLACEMENTS ARE FAILING IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE. Neither myself nor my GF are rough with the wires/headphones. We treat them with care and as if they were eggs. How the f**k do these companies stay in buisness with such lousy practice? I have always said that "a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link". Why cant they reinforce these wires or something? I took these things apart and looked at the wires, they are soooo small and frail, how can anyone expect them to hold up to any sort of stress? WTF WTF WTF!!...
<end rant>



Sorry about that, had to get it off my chest. Now the question.

What brand/model would you guys suggest for headphones? My breakout box takes 1/4" plugs, but I have adapters (no USB crap). Requirements are as follows:

1) Good sound
2) Good Mic
3) Durable
4) Doesn't break the bank

Whatever I get, I really need to get 2 of. I really dont want to spend more than $100 ea...


any suggestions?


-=R=-
 
headsets suck get somthing like Senn HD555, and a Good powered mic. Beyer DT231, and KOSS KSC75's are also other options. Grado SR 60/80's too.

Regards,
Mike
 
Elderblaze said:
headsets suck get somthing like Senn HD555, and a Good powered mic. Beyer DT231, and KOSS KSC75's are also other options. Grado SR 60/80's too.

Regards,
Mike
Click to expand...

I have looked into SENNHEISER cans before, thought they were a tad expensive, but they may be worth it. Any idea of any of their boomsets? All of them seem outrageously priced ($280++)

I have heard really good things about KOSS's lifetime warranty. The KSC75's seem like they are a little on the cheap side.


I really would like some sort of all-in-one solution, but not something so cheap (inexpensive, yes, cheap, NO!)

-=R=-
 
Oppy said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16826106346
Click to expand...


I really would like to avoid any headsets with inline volume control... especially ones without ANY sort of reinforcement

(here is a pic I found of the Senn 150PC linked above)

cablebits280.jpg


I believe that would break in a month.


-=R=-
 
JustinSane said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836504001

Those are pretty nice. Just got em and they own.
Click to expand...


First review of these:
Sound, is the only thing going for these. For someone who works at his computer all day, these do not hold up. Even with the proper handle, they don't stand up to constant use.
Click to expand...

Second review of these:
This is my second pair. First set broke after tripping on the cord.
Click to expand...

Third review of these:
The right base effect vibration broke within the first month I had them.
Click to expand...



You might want to hold on to the receipt...



-=R=-
 
magnetik said:
I use my Beyers for gaming and a usb Logitech mic for my BF2 sessions. Quality is great and the Logitech has a push to talk button on it. As far as breakage.. the Beyers are built like a tank and the usb mic never has stress on it to cause it to break.

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/CA/EN,CRID=103,CONTENTID=6776
Click to expand...


Yes, thoes Beyers look very sturdy and well made, if a little on the pricy side ($150+).

Not using USB mic, no reason to. I have mic port on my Hercules GT XP 7.1. Dont need another.

Thanx tho. Will look at the other Beyers also.


-=R=-
 
First - "Sound is the only thing going for these."

Isn't that what headphones are for?

Second - "This is my second pair. First set broke after tripping on the cord."

Read the rest - "The headphones still work so I won't throw them out. I missed the mic and vibration effects. So I just had to buy another set. Excellent set, great bass and the microphone is clear. Great set for gaming and comfortable for hours on end."

He tripped over the cord and broke them. Nothing the headset did.
 
JustinSane said:
First - "Sound is the only thing going for these."

Isn't that what headphones are for?

Second - "This is my second pair. First set broke after tripping on the cord."

Read the rest - "The headphones still work so I won't throw them out. I missed the mic and vibration effects. So I just had to buy another set. Excellent set, great bass and the microphone is clear. Great set for gaming and comfortable for hours on end."

He tripped over the cord and broke them. Nothing the headset did.
Click to expand...

Realize I am not attacking you or your choice of purchase. When the first 3 reviews all say something about them breaking, the hairs on my back start to rear up. I am so sick of shoddy made computer headphones.

Sorry if I sounded like I was attacking.


-=R=-
 
Now when you say "break" are you saying that the cord is coming out of the control, or that the sound is cutting in and out, and/or the sound is there but not completly there (ie if you listening to song and hear the music but no singing or vice versa.
 
Oppy said:
Now when you say "break" are you saying that the cord is coming out of the control, or that the sound is cutting in and out, and/or the sound is there but not completly there (ie if you listening to song and hear the music but no singing or vice versa.
Click to expand...


Its a short in the wires going into the inline volume control. Move the wire one way, works fine, move it another, one-or-both earphones cut out/lose sound/ect.

It has happened with every set of headphones with inline volume control I have ever owned in the years and years I have been doing this thing. I should have known better. Why cant companies just leave the sound controls to the computer and/or make it so this crap doesnt break so much. I can tell you why, because they expect the average consumer to just take the hit in the wallet and go buy another one.


-=R=-
 
JustinSane said:
I know someone who swears thats the best headset hes ever used.
Click to expand...

He must not have used too many headphones then,,, :rolleyes:
 
I use these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16826159003

Sound quality is one thing with headphones, but not number one in my opinion.

The number one most important feature in headphones for me is comfort. Can I wear them for umpteen hours per day and not have sore ears afterward? Can I do this day after day every day? If I can, then I'll talk about sound quality.

With that in mind, I've gone through about five headphone sets before finding one that didn't kill my ears. I don't know if my ears are too big or too small or stick out too much from my head, or not enough, but the first four I tried just weren't comfortable.

These are comfortable. I play World of Warcraft umpteen hours every week trying to PvP up the ranks, and I can wear these all day without problems.

Sound wise, these are great. They are surround sound headphones, which is useful for hearing things around me... like when I'm on flag defense in WSG and someone runs into the second level on their mount... based on the number of dismount sounds I hear I know how many attackers are incoming without even seeing the enemy.

The catch with these headphones is that they are powered via USB, and USB power is dirty. If you plug these into any USB port on your computer, you will hear background noise whenever you move your mouse, the hard drive spins, the monitor changes resolution... everything. The solution is to buy a POWERED (make sure its seperately powered with an AC adapter and everything) USB hub, and only plug your headphones into it, don't plug it into your computer too. This will isolate the USB power from your computer, and you will hear no background noise.

The microphone works well too, its removeable, and bendable so you can aim it towards your mouth, etc.

I've used this headset for about six months now, and it hasn't broken or decreased in quality in any way. It has long cabling, longer than I need, so that gives enough slack to not have to pull against the more vulnerable surround cables, thus sparing any damage. And the cables at the headphone itself don't seem vulnerable to being damaged by pulling them out. I would recommend it.
 
lordroy said:
Ok what about:

Icemat Black Siberia


Anyone have anything bad or good to say?


-=R=-
Click to expand...

Ok, im quoting myself here. I went and got this cans, and, I have to say, I am pleased with my purchase.


1) Excellent Sound. Maybe someone will refute this, maybe I am not an audiophile, but works great in games and my mp3 collection sounds wonderful with these.

2) Good mic. The mic can be removed when you dont need it, which is a great thing. The only thing I dont like is (and the one thing about this set): the mic isnt a boom. You have to clip it to something, say, like your shirt, and while the mic is very good quality, I am in a semi-noisy enviroment, so it picks up all the noise around me as well as my voice.

3) Very Durable. The wires at every junction have been reinforced with rubber, and the connections are very well made. The (removable) inline volume control has a solid feel to it and I am not afraid of it breaking. Awesome!

4) Best bang for buck. At $69(usd), it is a good deal. Very sturdy, very comfortable, very good sound.


I highly suggest this set of headphones. Period.


I will update if I find ANY problems with these.


-=R=-
 
Here is a minor update of my "headphones rant"...

I have been using those Icemat headphones with pretty good results for the past 6+ months.

The first set I have are still being used as we speak. I purchased a second set and, up to about 2 1/2 months ago, I had very little problem with them. However....

One side of the headphones cracked and broke, the plastic was kinda weak, but I guess it was too much strain on it, using it daily or whatever. I tried to repair it, but to no avail, the plastic where the screw that held it together was no longer going to hold it... I contacted Icemat to see what I could do... this is what I got from them:

Line Vitting Madsen wrote: Dear Sir,

We are sorry to hear about your bad experience with your product, and we will of course exchange your defective product for a new one.

Please return your defective product to the following address:

QRS Software, Inc
11879 Woodbury Road
Garden Grove CA 92843

c/o Soft Trading / RMA

Very important; mark the package with your RMA number (RMA-##.##.##)

If this number is missing we can not trace your product and this will prolong the procedure.

Kind Regards
Line Vitting Madsen
Customer Service Coordinator
Click to expand...
Now I thought, wow, what a great company. I immediately sent them off, and waited around 2-3 weeks... and when I didnt hear back from them, I sent an e-mail asking about them. This is what I got:

Line Vitting Madsen wrote: Hi Roy,

QRS have some trouble finding it – did you get a tracking number or something like that when you sent it?

Kind Regards
Line Vitting Madsen
Customer Service Coordinator
Click to expand...
And I thought, OH BOY, here goes some crap, but then a few days later:
Line Vitting Madsen wrote:

Hi Roy,

They found it now, I apologize for worrying you.

The new one will be sent out asap

Kind Regards
Line Vitting Madsen
Customer Service Coordinator
Click to expand...
And again, I thought all was good, and that it was just a short mixup. Well, now it has been almost 3 months and I still do not have my headphones back. I was in constant communicaton with this rep, but (she?) has stopped responding to my weekly e-mails. The last thing I received from (her?) is:

Line Vitting Madsen wrote:

Hi Roy,

No you’re right it shouldn’t be taking this long, however QRS are very busy, so they haven’t given me an update for some days on what they have sent out.

I’ll keep bugging them until they send it.

I’m sorry to keep you waiting like this.

I have just contacted our CEO of North America to take care of it also.
Kind Regards
Line Vitting Madsen
Customer Service Coordinator
Click to expand...
Now, I have to say, I really like these headphones, quality is still good, but the customer service is lacking. Sheesh, where do I look for better headphones next?


-=R=-
 
i too am looking for a durable set. It seems all of them are made crappy. I've gone through 3 plantronics, 3 or 4 altec lansings (thanks to best buys now defunct warranty policy). I haven't found anything i thought was durable. If you look at the wiring in all of them its the thickness of a thread.

I wish they made headsets out of stainless steel and 1/2" cable wiring. Tired of buying headsets every few months when the cords get tugged from rolling chair.
 
DONT get the icemat siberias - I personally know 2 people who have had the headband break within a few months of buying them, they are a weak design.

I have had my sennheiser HD201 headphones for over 1 year now and HELL THESE THING ARE STRONG. I have dropped them on the floor, got the cord stuck under my chair and stood up. I have gone to bed listening to them to find them sandwitched between me and the wall in the morning. I have got angry playing CS and chucked them at the floor multiple times. Not even a scratch, only some of the text by the left earcup has worn off a bit. So in conclusion Sennheisers are strong.

I think you should get the Sennheiser PC 150 or PC 160 headset. For $37 you cant go wrong. And the mic is supposed to be very good.
 
If you must have a mic attached (I do, and I'm willing to sacrifice some sound quality for it) then the Sennheisers are the only way to fly. I had a pair of pc150s break after I got the cord caught under my chair, stood up and they ripped off my head, hit the wall and then the hardwood floor and even then only the mic broke - the phones were fine. Also, that was probably the third of fourth time I'd done that to them.

I upgraded to a pair of pc160s and honestly I'd go with the 150s. The sound quality isn't noticably better between the two and the only real advantage is the slightly larger earcups on the 160s. However, I have big ears and the cups are designed to sit on top of the ears instead of encompassing them. That's really my only complaint about them.

I'm not rough with them, but I'm definitely not gentle either and they've held up very well. I've got nothing but good things to say for the pc150s. They may not sound as good as the HD595s for other headphones audiophiles recommend, but they don't cost as much either and honestly, when I'm playing a game, as long as I can hear someone approaching, I don't care if their footsteps sound amazingly clear or not.

Also, the mic on both is of great quality. None of the normal scratching that I associate with normal tabletop mics. It's obviously not studio quality, but for normal voice recording and use for vent/teamspeak it's fantastic.
 
I have a set of Sennheiser PC 150's for about a year and the sound quality for the headphones + mic are very good.

Keep in mind with the Icemat Siberias that the mic clips on to your shirt, which could be annoying to some (me :D)
 
dont scimp on headphone, i got a pair of senn hd 485's for 75 bucks.... great quality, detachable cord for easy replacement and it wont break, and just sturdy...... get a zalman mich with it and ure set.... dont scimp out on a pair of $20 logitech headset... insane diff in quality between these and those... ive owned both btw...
 
I thought I'd pop in and mention that I HATED my iCEMAT Siberias. Terrible, terrible quality. Sold them the day after I bought them and bought some ATH AD700s.
 
I have the iCEMAT Siberias. I think they're good. I've had them for a few months nothing has broken, though I do keep good care of them.

The only complaint I have is the bass quality. It could be better.
 
I also have the Sennhiser PC150 headset, and they are a good set. not as comfortable as my HD515s, but they get the job done, and the mic sounds great.
 
Simple question here. Are we all just looking/discussing stereo headphones/headsets, or, is anyone interested in how any of the 5.1 surround sets work?? Curious........

OCZ
 
well i ended up going with some HD280's and the zalman mic. i hope it works out ok. i also bought a cheap $8 headset for backup too.
 
OCZSpeedJunky said:
Simple question here. Are we all just looking/discussing stereo headphones/headsets, or, is anyone interested in how any of the 5.1 surround sets work?? Curious........

OCZ
Click to expand...

None of them do what they are advertised to do particularily well. It's just a stupid gimmick.

Go with a proper pair of headphones instead for real soundstage.
 
I already have a pair of Sony's that I use, not too spendy, durable, and sound pretty damn good for the money. I ordered another set, a 5.1ch surround set because we have 4 pc's in this room, 3 desktops and a lappy, and there just isn't room for 2 systems(my system & my roomy's main system) to have 2 sets of 5.1ch full speaker systems setup. Otherwise, I'd go pic up my Logitech Z5500's, but just no room for them. With them, and my roomy's Z5300e's, we'd be having speakers sitting all over the place lol. So I opted to grab a 5.1ch headset, figured it'd be easier. Anyway, I'll let ya know how they work after I get'm on thursday when my order arrives and tweak'm & test'm over the weekend. Yap atcha then.

OCZ
 
When the wife is being a pain and asking me to lower my volume so she can watch Desperate Motherf*ing Housewives I plug in my Sure e4g earphones and use my Logitech PS2 USB headset for the MIC.
 
If Ventrilo uses stadard interfaces to get at the attached sound devices then I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. I haven't run into any problems using my Logitech USB headset MIC or the MIC on my Orbit webcam with any programs so far. I never used Ventrilo so I can't comment on that program.
 
You gotta love when an old post gets ressurected just for bitching and arguing....
 
Yup :) Gotta wake it back up and revive it so someone else can find a new reason to b*tch lol Might be me after tomorrows tryout with the new 5.1 set lol hmmmm........

OCZ
 
lordroy said:
Its a short in the wires going into the inline volume control. Move the wire one way, works fine, move it another, one-or-both earphones cut out/lose sound/ect.

It has happened with every set of headphones with inline volume control I have ever owned in the years and years I have been doing this thing. I should have known better. Why cant companies just leave the sound controls to the computer and/or make it so this crap doesnt break so much. I can tell you why, because they expect the average consumer to just take the hit in the wallet and go buy another one.


-=R=-
Click to expand...

my pc 160's do this ever since they fell 2 feet off my chair =(
 
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