Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 16 of 30

Thread: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

  1. #1
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    32
    Thanks
    4
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    • dmoll14's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASUS P8H77-V
      • CPU:
      • Intel Core i5 3570
      • Memory:
      • 8GB DDR3
      • Storage:
      • Toshiba 1TB 7200RPM HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Nvidia GeForce GTX 660
      • PSU:
      • Corsair VS650 650W
      • Case:
      • Coolermaster K380
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 Home Premium
      • Monitor(s):
      • Philips 247ELH 1080p 2ms
      • Internet:
      • Not fast enough

    Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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

  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    133
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked
    4 times in 4 posts
    • YoloSwag's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte H61M-D2-B3
      • CPU:
      • Core i3-2100@3.1Ghz
      • Memory:
      • Kingston 4GB 1333Mhz
      • Storage:
      • WD Caviar Blue 500GB + Green 2TB
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVGA Geforce GTX 660 2GB SC Signature 2
      • PSU:
      • FSP Raider 650W
      • Case:
      • Thermaltake V3
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 64-bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • HP x2301

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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!
    Last edited by YoloSwag; 18-03-2014 at 06:50 AM.

  3. Received thanks from:

    dmoll14 (22-03-2014)

  4. #3
    I'm special azrael-'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Aarhus, Denmark
    Posts
    1,074
    Thanks
    67
    Thanked
    113 times in 92 posts
    • azrael-'s system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASUS Prime X470-Pro
      • CPU:
      • AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
      • Memory:
      • 64 GB ECC DDR4 2666 MHz (Samsung M391A2K43BB1-CTD)
      • Storage:
      • 1 TB Samsung 970 EVO Plus, 1 TB Samsung 850 EVO, 12 TB WD HDDs
      • Graphics card(s):
      • eVGA GTX 1080 SC Gaming, 8 GB
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic X-Series 560W
      • Case:
      • Corsair Obsidian 550D
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 Pro x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • Acer Predator XB271HU
      • Internet:
      • VDSL 55/12 Mbit/s

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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.

  5. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Glasgow
    Posts
    330
    Thanks
    12
    Thanked
    39 times in 30 posts
    • Goobley's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus H81I-Plus
      • CPU:
      • i3 4130
      • Memory:
      • 8GB Corsair Vengeance LP Blue
      • Storage:
      • 1TB Caviar Blue
      • Graphics card(s):
      • MSI R9 270 Gaming
      • PSU:
      • EVGA 500B
      • Case:
      • Cooler Master Elite 120
      • Operating System:
      • Linux Arch/Mint/Windows 7 Ult. 64bit/OS X
      • Monitor(s):
      • 23" iiyama IPS
      • Internet:
      • Meh

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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.

  6. #5
    jim
    jim is offline
    HEXUS.clueless jim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Location: Location:
    Posts
    11,466
    Thanks
    614
    Thanked
    1,649 times in 1,310 posts
    • jim's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z
      • CPU:
      • i5 2500K @ 4.5GHz
      • Memory:
      • 8GB Corsair Vengeance LP
      • Storage:
      • 1TB Sandisk SSD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • ASUS GTX 970
      • PSU:
      • Corsair AX650
      • Case:
      • Silverstone Fortress FT03
      • Operating System:
      • 8.1 Pro
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell S2716DG
      • Internet:
      • 10 Mbps ADSL

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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.

  7. #6
    MCRN Tachi Ttaskmaster's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Reading, UK
    Posts
    6,941
    Thanks
    699
    Thanked
    811 times in 673 posts
    • Ttaskmaster's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Aorus Master X670E
      • CPU:
      • Ryzen 7800X3D
      • Memory:
      • 32GB Corsair Dominator DDR5 6000MHz
      • Storage:
      • Samsung Evo 120GB and Seagate Baracuda 2TB
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Aorus Master 4090
      • PSU:
      • EVGA Supernova G2 1000W
      • Case:
      • Lian Li V3000 Plus
      • Operating System:
      • Win11
      • Monitor(s):
      • Gigabyte M32U
      • Internet:
      • 900Mbps Gigaclear WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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.

  8. #7
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    32
    Thanks
    4
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    • dmoll14's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASUS P8H77-V
      • CPU:
      • Intel Core i5 3570
      • Memory:
      • 8GB DDR3
      • Storage:
      • Toshiba 1TB 7200RPM HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Nvidia GeForce GTX 660
      • PSU:
      • Corsair VS650 650W
      • Case:
      • Coolermaster K380
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 Home Premium
      • Monitor(s):
      • Philips 247ELH 1080p 2ms
      • Internet:
      • Not fast enough

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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!

  9. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    133
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked
    4 times in 4 posts
    • YoloSwag's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte H61M-D2-B3
      • CPU:
      • Core i3-2100@3.1Ghz
      • Memory:
      • Kingston 4GB 1333Mhz
      • Storage:
      • WD Caviar Blue 500GB + Green 2TB
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVGA Geforce GTX 660 2GB SC Signature 2
      • PSU:
      • FSP Raider 650W
      • Case:
      • Thermaltake V3
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 64-bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • HP x2301

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    Quote Originally Posted by dmoll14 View Post
    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!

  10. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Posts
    139
    Thanks
    21
    Thanked
    16 times in 12 posts
    • Jellyfish's system
      • Motherboard:
      • M5a97 Evo r2
      • CPU:
      • 8320@3.5
      • Memory:
      • Kingston 2x4gb@1600
      • Storage:
      • 1tb WD Blue
      • Graphics card(s):
      • R9 270
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic 520w
      • Case:
      • Arc Midi r2
      • Operating System:
      • Win8.1 64

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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.

  11. #10
    Spreadie
    Guest

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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.

  12. #11
    Senior Member MaddAussie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Deepest Darkest Dorset
    Posts
    1,708
    Thanks
    628
    Thanked
    297 times in 179 posts
    • MaddAussie's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus ROG Strix Z370G
      • CPU:
      • i7 8700k (5.1Ghz)
      • Memory:
      • 16Gb
      • Storage:
      • 500G 960 EVO NMVE
      • Graphics card(s):
      • GTX 1070
      • PSU:
      • Corsair RM650i
      • Case:
      • Corsair Carbide A1r 240
      • Operating System:
      • Win 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • 24" Dell HD + Samsung HD

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

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


    Isn't salad what food eats??

  13. #12
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    78
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked
    6 times in 6 posts

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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

  14. #13
    Senior Member cptwhite_uk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Posts
    4,449
    Thanks
    516
    Thanked
    685 times in 473 posts
    • cptwhite_uk's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASUS TUF B650 Plus Wifi
      • CPU:
      • AMD Ryzen 7800X3D
      • Memory:
      • 32Gb DRR5 6400 C32 Team Group T-Create
      • Storage:
      • 4Tb Crucial P3 Plus
      • Graphics card(s):
      • RTX 4080 20Gb Gigabyte Gaming OC
      • PSU:
      • Silverstone 850W 80+ Gold
      • Case:
      • Fractal North Charcoal / Walnut
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 Pro
      • Monitor(s):
      • Gigabyte M28U (4K 144Hz)
      • Internet:
      • BT 500 Mbps

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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.

  15. #14
    DILLIGAF GoNz0's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Derby
    Posts
    10,872
    Thanks
    632
    Thanked
    1,192 times in 945 posts
    • GoNz0's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Rampage V Extreme
      • CPU:
      • i7 something X99 based
      • Memory:
      • 16gb GSkill
      • Storage:
      • 4 SSD's + WD Red
      • Graphics card(s):
      • GTX980 Strix WC
      • PSU:
      • Enermax Galaxy 1250 (9 years and counting)
      • Case:
      • Corsair 900D
      • Operating System:
      • win10 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 24"
      • Internet:
      • 220mb Cable

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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!

    Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack
    off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse.

  16. #15
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    1,013
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked
    20 times in 18 posts
    • excalibur2's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Z77-d3h
      • CPU:
      • Intel 2500k @4.4ghz
      • Memory:
      • 2X4gb Corsair Vengeance
      • Storage:
      • WD 2tb
      • Graphics card(s):
      • R290
      • PSU:
      • Coolermaster 750
      • Case:
      • Haf-x tower
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell u2410
      • Internet:
      • broadband with Plusnet

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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.
    2nd computer gigabyte P965ds3p, 7770 E2140@2.9ghz, corsair HX520 6 years stable, replaced now with E8400@3.9ghz and will overclock more when I'm bored.

  17. #16
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    78
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked
    6 times in 6 posts

    Re: Headphones for gaming that aren't garbage?

    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

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •