EvaUnit02 on 8/6/2009 at 07:58
Gaming headsets are over-priced trash. The sound quality of the speakers are almost always horrible, especially with the gimmicky 5.1 headphones.
Buy some REAL headphones and use a clip-on mic.
I highly recommend Audiotechnica's, terrific bang-for-buck Monitor Headphones that are excellent for not just games, but also music and films.
A good starting point are the (
Atsuko Tanaka) Audiotechnica ATH-A500. They're Closed Ear, so they excel at gaming because there's no sound leakage.
If you plan on using them not just gaming then the Open Ear Models like the (
http://www.audiocubes.com/product/Audio-Technica_ATH-AD700_Air_Headphones.html) ATH-AD700 are great, as you get a better sound-stage then you do with Closed-Ear.
catbarf on 8/6/2009 at 10:59
JaZzy, reading the headset's blurb on that website made me laugh. It's absolutely stupid.
I use a Sennheiser PC 150. It's supposed to be $80 retail, but a bit of Ebay hunting allowed me to get it for $30.
I really can't spend a lot on a headset, because in turn I'd need a good sound card, and I can't justify paying $200+ just to get good sound quality.
Ostriig on 8/6/2009 at 12:20
I very, very rarely have need to use a mic anymore, especially since I don't play any online games at this time. When I did need one, I'd only use cheap gaming headsets. I do think they're more comfy than using a clip-on mic, but if, like me, you're not likely to use them often, I'd suggest getting the cheapest stuff around.
For everything else where I can't, or don't want to use the loudspeakers - whether in games, music, films - I use a pair of (
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00067OF80/wwwbiblionmay7739-21/ref=nosim?gclid=CKbyj-_S-poCFcME3goddT-Eew) Sennheiser eH150 headphones. They're superb and at a good price, I fully recommend them.
EvaUnit02 on 8/6/2009 at 12:31
Guys, you're not doing him any favours by recommending the cheap Sennheisers. Sennheiser are highly overrated by ignorant reviewers who compare them to $10-30 shit from WallMart and/or Ipod earbuds.
Sennheisers only start becoming worthwhile once you get to the high-end models, the HD580 or better.
Quote Posted by catbarf
I use a Sennheiser PC 150. It's supposed to be $80 retail, but a bit of Ebay hunting allowed me to get it for $30.
Bootleg Sennheisers are really common on the likes of Ebay.
Thirith on 8/6/2009 at 12:32
Ostriig: Rather ignorant question here. Would headphones like that Sennheiser one work okay on plane journeys? I'm asking because taking along my MP3 player for long flights has been a complete waste because I only have the standard ear plug headphones, and with those the noise of the plane cancels out most frequencies, it would seem.
Matthew on 8/6/2009 at 14:24
Quote Posted by EvaUnit02
Guys, you're not doing him any favours by recommending the cheap Sennheisers. Sennheiser are highly overrated by ignorant reviewers who compare them to $10-30 shit from WallMart and/or Ipod earbuds.
Sennheisers only start becoming worthwhile once you get to the high-end models, the HD580 or better.
They're not
that bad. I picked up a set of the CX-300 in-ear phones (cheaply yes, but from Amazon not Ebay) and I'm very very impressed by the quality.
Ostriig on 8/6/2009 at 15:15
Quote Posted by Thirith
Ostriig: Rather ignorant question here. Would headphones like that Sennheiser one work okay on plane journeys? I'm asking because taking along my MP3 player for long flights has been a complete waste because I only have the standard ear plug headphones, and with those the noise of the plane cancels out most frequencies, it would seem.
I've never taken them on a plane, nor know anyone who has, but I do have a friend who wears them regularly on the street, and he seems perfectly happy. The fact is that they're the sort of design that EvaUnit mentioned, "closed" - they fit very snuggly on the ear providing pretty good audio isolation from the environment. Regarding the plane, I'm certain they'd be a significant improvement over earplugs, but I can't venture a guess on whether they'd completely cut out the noise you're thinking about.
However, taking a wild guess here, I imagine the runtime from your MP3 player or laptop would take a notable hit with a full headset compared to earplugs, so that might be worth taking into account as well.
Quote Posted by EvaUnit02
Guys, you're not doing him any favours by recommending the cheap Sennheisers. Sennheiser are highly overrated by ignorant reviewers who compare them to $10-30 shit from WallMart and/or Ipod earbuds.
Sennheisers only start becoming worthwhile once you get to the high-end models, the HD580 or better.
I agree with Matthew here, I think you might be exaggerating a bit. I'm sure they're not on par with the top-of-the-line gear, especially for a hardcore audiophile, but otherwise, given the cost and the sound quality from an admittedly more entry-level perspective, I'd definitely call them "worthwhile". I can honestly say that I've been very happy with the purchase.
EvaUnit02 on 8/6/2009 at 15:27
Investing in good quality headphones is worth the effort, they will normally outlast several PC builds.
Those Audiotechnicas have great quality to price value and will not break the bank, definitely not top end, just entry-level audiophile quality. The ATH-A500 is far better than all lower-end Sennheisers, up to and including the Senn HD-555.
Plus they're low impedance, so you don't need an amplifier to get the most out of them like you do with high/top end Sennheisers.
But one thing is for sure, AVOID "GAMER" and 5.1 Headphones like the plague, they're epitome of shit. Sennheisers crap all over them.
Nameless Voice on 8/6/2009 at 16:05
Quote Posted by Thirith
Ostriig: Rather ignorant question here. Would headphones like that Sennheiser one work okay on plane journeys? I'm asking because taking along my MP3 player for long flights has been a complete waste because I only have the standard ear plug headphones, and with those the noise of the plane cancels out most frequencies, it would seem.
You probably want noise-cancelling headphones if you want to take them on a plane. I have a pair of AudioTechnica ATH-ANC 5 noise-cancelling headphones and I'm happy with their quality, though I haven't really had much experience with high-quality headphones or tried using them anywhere as loud as on a plane, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. :)
