Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

[dmoll14]

Hi all,
I'm going to be ordering a new set of headphones in the near future, and was looking for an expert opinion.
I was going to get a proper gaming headset, probably this one - http://www.corsair.com/en-in/vengean...gaming-headset - but then I started seeing more and more audio forums saying that the sound quality is terrible on them, and it is far better to get a dedicated set of headphones and a separate microphone.
My question is, what do you guys recommend? I will be using them for gaming quite a bit, but I also want to be able to listen to music on a fairly regular basis. My checklist would be this:

-good audio quality across treble, mid and bass
-decent thump to the bass but not overpowering like beats are
-decent soundstage for positioning
-either closed or semi-closed back because I'd rather hear what's coming out of the headphones not what's coming out of the radio in the next room

I already know what I'll do for a microphone so don't worry about that but if you've had a set that you used for similar purposes or that you know would be good then I'd appreciate the advice. my budget is around $150 (90gbp), but I can pay more if it will make a huge difference, and I know that amazon has some stuff pretty cheap right now.

Thanks

[YoloSwag]

The truth about these things is that - there isn't really such a thing as a gaming headset, meaning specified for the only use in games.
You could just buy ANY high quality headset/headphones/earphones/earplugs and plug it into your device, really.

But since you mentioned good quality sound, the only thing I will recommend are offerings from Sennheiser. It's a well known brand renowned for it's audio quality. I've basically tried different things from Sennheiser and all I can tell you is, it is really amazing, you could bring along with you your trusty audio device to an electronics shop near you and test any of those. Their products range from semi-expensive to really expensive. But even their low level products are better than most brands of the same price range. I've tried listening to an in-ear headset that was priced at $89.99 and the audio quality was far beyond the most expensive offering of some more well known brands. It was like a concert in your head but you could feel it.

Here's one gaming headset they offer http://en-de.sennheiser.com/gaming-h...dphone-pc-323d
All of their offerings are good. German brands in particular have great quality and build.

Here's a tip about these things you may want to consider - Most companies just make some gears and slap the prefix "gaming" on it and it will increase the price dramatically.
So my suggestion really is, get something for audiophiles, a pair of headphones that are meant for quality music - that is the real test of true audio quality.
I'll just say this, get something like this http://en-de.sennheiser.com/over-ear...-phone-hd-429s and buy a separate mic, or just buy an audio plug splitter for in and out, or if your computer supports the in and out in 1 plug that'll do fine.

You could even use this device for your other gadgets. Most gaming headsets don't even have detachable mics so wearing those in public might seem a bit awckward

Anyway, I hope you find the right one for you. There's always a preference factor involved.
Hunting for headphones is my second favorite thing to do next to hunting for GPUs

Good hunting!

[azrael-]

I've been very happy with my Icemat (now Steelseries) Siberia ever since I got them 7+ years ago. Very good audio quality, but the 'phones look somewhat bulky. They're reasonably comfortable to wear, though.

CAVEAT: I see there're several different models with the plain V2 being the closest to what I've got. Things might have changed in the mean time quality-wise.

[Goobley]

Looking for a closed set of cans at that sort of price I'd recommend the SRH440, or if you can stretch your budget a bit more, the Beyerdynamic DT770s, or AKGK550. Warning: the SRH440 is quite heavy, I got used to it, but not everyone does.

[jim]

I don't know a huge amount about audio quality, but I would suggest that any headset marketed as "gaming" will probably not achieve the same kind of audio quality as a set for the same price that are designed for music.

Problem is, it depends how much you care. For some people, quality just means a lack of distortion, and I would hope that any decent brand's headphones >£100 would achieve that. If you're looking online though, you might be coming across people with £1000+ hifi systems, and it's inevitable that they'll listen to a pair of gaming headphones and be disappointed by the clarity of the bass during the middle section of their FLAC of Beethoven's 5th. Not saying they're wrong, but they might be misleading your opinion if all you're after is something that sounds 'pretty good' and works for both BF4 and your collection of 90s Europop.

In short, I think you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you've used before, what you expect, what you're likely to use them for and so on. But I suspect I'd still be inclined to go for a separate microphone, and a good quality, non-gaming pair of headphones - not that I would venture to suggest a pair.

[Ttaskmaster]

I rather like the Corsair Vengeance 1500 headset.
It's just a USB 7.1, so audiophiles will likely hate it, but the sound quality is the best I've found at that price and while everything is powerful, it's very subtle and refined. Other headsets feel very raw by comparison.

[dmoll14]

Thanks for the helpful replies, they've certainly solidified my suspicions about the word gaming when it comes to the name of a pair of headphones!

[YoloSwag]

Thanks for the helpful replies, they've certainly solidified my suspicions about the word gaming when it comes to the name of a pair of headphones!

Ahh finally, someone decided to swallow the red pill.

Congratulations! The truth has been revealed
Now we fight against the machines!

[Jellyfish]

I was briefly looking into headphones the past few days, but for as reasonable as i could find. A few that looked ok (but wanted to read more into currently) were some Superlux headphones (but closed ear) Samson, and a pair of AKG for about £20-30. Personally some important things were a single cord from one headphone, quality of the wire/cable.

I had some Sennheiser (cheapish ones, 201's i think, were £11 a few years back) but the main thing that went on them was the really thin cable. I was quite surprised a few higher models of them also had very thin cables for the money, but after £60 or so i noticed the thicker cables and/or detachable. So for £20 or £30 i was looking into other brands.

[Spreadie]

QPAD QH-90s?

I'm very happy with my Vulcan ANC set (though ANC is something of a marmite issue). Regardless they are excellent quality and have very good passive isolation. They are also one of the few headset I've worn that don't annoy/irritate you when wearing them for extended periods.

[MaddAussie]

I recently bought a Skullcandy Plyr 1 wireless headset and I'm very impressed
http://uk.skullcandy.com/plyr-1

[drone567]

Having just repaired my gaming headset with hot glue. It seems to me that gaming headsets aren't built to last. Too much plastic and fiddly joints to break. Also I plugged in my really old Sennheisers,(while waiting for hot glue, molten lava like, to set), and everything from music to rifle in game, sounded better. But I have found a solution, quality of build, quality of sound. I think they'll last, and make the price worthwhile. I think these combined with sound enhancing software, are best solution. http://eu.audio-technica.com/en/prod...tID=5&subID=60

[cptwhite_uk]

If you value:

Comfort
No ear squashing (light grip)
Comfortable with glasses
Quality of build
Very good sound quality (stereo only)
Build quality (I've been using the same pair for 4-5 years now)
Life time warranty (get free replacements for the cost of delivery ~ £8)

and don't mind:

Sound leakage
No microphone

Then check out the classic Koss Porta Pro (the Occulus rift is using Koss headphones so that should tell you something).

They're about £25-30 from Amazon

Here's some reviews:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYzwthTRYRs
http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinio...roundup_Page-4
http://www.headphone.com/products/koss-porta-pro
http://www.cnet.com/uk/products/koss.../user-reviews/
http://www.head-fi.org/products/koss...ones-semi-open

You might think the sound quality will be poor given the size, but for a budget headset they have agreat depth and are very enjoyable to use.

[GoNz0]

My sennheiser PC350's are years old, been grabbed by the kids several times a month, the cables ran over with the chair wheels daily, even managed to hoover the cable into the brush bar and yet they still work. Did a bass mod on them and replaced the pu pads with velour ones from the hd600 series and all is good, so I would suggest the newer PC series sennies. Match the ohms to your sound card, ie crap onboard get the lower impedance and higher outputs like Creative ZXR get the higher output.

Bought in 2009 so they have passed the endurance test!

[excalibur2]

Well I was interested in this thread as I keep meaning to buy some head phones for years, but the problem is:- no one can agree for which ones for about £90 or under.

[drone567]

I listen to a lot of music on mine, but also enjoy the sound effects in game. Sennheiser do offer a great range, even for under £90. I'm just starting to believe that established audio headphone makers have the better sound and quality. They're coming from that place. Maybe some gaming headsets are fashion. Change it next year. Maybe they're cliches; do you get what you pay for? should it sound like it was made in Germany? http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/gaming-headsets-for-pc