*TPU's Gaming Headphone/Headset Thread*

[MT Alex]

I don't think I would ever want to own another pair with drivers smaller than 50mm. Much more comfy. Something to consider.

 

[Kursah]

Im going to put you guys to work lol. My friend wants a headset for gaming, but he mainly wants it for music he listens to a LOT of music thats actually how his first headset died he turns it up really loud and listens to music. I showed him a couple of headphones and gaming headsets and he still doesnt know I'd name you all what I showed him but I dont remember most of them. price range is about 150 nothing more than that good luck guys! And thanks for the huge help.

Headphones I've showed him:
AD700
HD555
Astro Gaming Headset
Tritton 5.1
This is all I can remember

Does he have a decent sound card? If not, I'd recommend (as I usually do) a good sound card (possibly with an integrated HP amp) and a pair of JVC HARX700/900.

the AD700 is good for gaming, but most dislike for music, no bass, no impact, very tinny on music. HD555 I'm not entirely sure, but I'm sure it'd be ok.

Honestly, I'd rather see him get a real pair of headphones and a Zalman clip-on mic. The JVC's are VERY durable, they are large tho. But they put out some serious sound and can have a very ample amount of bass. They work well for gaming also. Plus they've blown away every gaming headset I've ever owned, and when modded (to my ears) compete with a $200+ set of Denon D2000's sound-wise....for closer to $30-40 (or used to be, I got my HARX700 for $34 shipped from Buy.com over a year ago...). Just some food for thought, check out the OP as I did submit quite a few reviews along with a list of user submitted reviews and TPU HP/Headset reviews.

Find out what he's after beyond loud sound, find out what he's driving them with, if he wants open headphones that leak sound in and out but have a larger sound stage or closed that or more isolated with more bass. All of the headphones you list all excel well in certain areas, but I don't think any are really directly comparable. Honestly I'd add a few more to the list...if he's more for music, and likes an agressive sound for rock, etc, and doesn't mind open, he might consider the Grado SR60i for around $60-80-ish. There's a lot of options, and while Gaming Headsets simplify this, the quality of sound is sacrificed and most don't even realize it. That's why I push for people go spend $30-40 instead of $150 to see what they can achieve with headphones and then go from there. I also highly recommend a sound card, even an old X-Fi Xtreme Music as mine ran my headphones quite well, had a very useful EQ and could crank some serious volume...it simply crushed onboard sound in direct comparisons using my JVC HARX700 for testing.

Hope that helps!

 

[-1nf1n1ty-]

Great stuff thanks it helps quite a bit. He does have a sound card it is a fatality xfi sound card. I have AD700's I showed him but he doesnt seem interested in headphones that huge sitting on your head

 

[ShadowGA]

Can you recommend a wireless headset? Will wireless work?

Hi,
My Steelseries 5HV2 headset is beginning to fail - i have to punch it sometimes to get sound it both sides, so some connection is loose i suspect. Therefore I am looking to get a new one to replace it.

I really liked the comfort in this headset with the open ear pads that surrounds the ears - so a new headset should preferably be similar in this way, and I'd also like a new headset to have a microphone attached if possible. However, can external microphones work well enough for communication when gaming? This would open up for some more possibilities.

I havevn't been particular happy with the sound quality in this Steelseries, it is very high pitched and any kind of low frequency bass is completely non-existant. It's especially irritating when listening to music, it sounds very dull.

I have been looking a bit on Sennheiser RS 160, but it doesn't have a microphone. Do you have any suggestions? Will wireless even work alright?

I use the headphones for both music (just at home at the PC, so no requirements in terms of being portable) and gaming.

 

[ShiBDiB]

theirs a sticky..

*TPU's Gaming Headphone/Headset Thread*

 

[ShadowGA]

Ah ok sry didnt see that
However, it doesn't seem like there are so much info on the RS 170.

I did a little more research and it seems like the Sennheiser HD 360 is a really nice headset - it's wired but got a mic too.

The RS 170 and HD 360 are about the same price, so which one of these would you recommend? I'll probably be using them about equally much for gaming and music listening.

 

[Mussels]

ask in the stickied thread, at least there users with the knowledge you seek will all be in one place.

 

[Fourstaff]

Alternatively, head towards Head-fi, they are nuts about their headphones.

 

[-1nf1n1ty-]

Hi guys and merry Christmas! I need some help, I am looking for a pair of ear buds they can be in ear or just normal buds just something for my mp3 player you can either give me a company or just give me some links to really good ones. I know you guys can do this you helped out my friend quite a lot and he is going for the razer megalodon headset thanks for the help everyone!

 

[MT Alex]

Head Direct RE0s are some of the best made, and only $79, down from $200.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Head-Direct/RE0/4.html
http://www.head-direct.com/product_detail.php?p=38

I have the RE2s, and I love them. Wear them all day long at work. They are a little light on bass, but very precise. They are now $29, down from $99.
http://www.head-direct.com/product_detail.php?p=23

 

[-1nf1n1ty-]

Head Direct RE0s are some of the best made, and only $79, down from $200.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Head-Direct/RE0/4.html
http://www.head-direct.com/product_detail.php?p=38

I have the RE2s, and I love them. Wear them all day long at work. They are a little light on bass, but very precise. They are now $29, down from $99.
http://www.head-direct.com/product_detail.php?p=23

Holy crap! thanks! Imma definitely check out these

 

[Kursah]

Hi guys and merry Christmas! I need some help, I am looking for a pair of ear buds they can be in ear or just normal buds just something for my mp3 player you can either give me a company or just give me some links to really good ones. I know you guys can do this you helped out my friend quite a lot and he is going for the razer megalodon headset thanks for the help everyone!

For around $20 shipped I picked up the Meelec M9's, and I gotta say I'm very impressed. I use them with my Sansa Fuze v2 w/Rockbox...pretty damn amazing and can provide very good sound. I used JVC HA-FX34 Marshmallows before..and while I was impressed with those...the M9's are amazing in comparison. Though I don't use them for gaming at all or the sort so I haven't posted a review here yet.

And right now with every pair purchased at $19.99, a pair is sent overseas to our military...how cool is that? Along with that you get a solid pair of buds, a case, cable organizer and 3 extra sets of rubber cushions. And they sound very good for the price imho.

http://www.meelec.com/MEElectronics_M9_Hi_Fi_Sound_Isolating_Earphone_p/earphone-m9-mee-og.htm

 

[AhokZYashA]

a small review of the ATH-M50 from Audio Technica

got them for 150US$ from the local shop

Pro :
- Very easy to drive (15% on windows is loud enough)
- Exceptional Sound Quality for its price
- Circumaural (doesn't touch your ear)
- superb isolation
- coiled cord (win)
- good soundstage for closed headphone
- sparkly treble and extension is good
- bass extension, quality, quantity is one of the best for its price
- a bit recessed mid
- suitable for all music genre

Cons :
- a bit heavy on the head
- a bit tight clamping
- ears can get hot after 2-3hours of use


the review :
when i first received this headphone, im a bit dissapointed of its sound quality, bass is a bit boomy, treble extension is average. after listening for about 45 minutes, bass tightens up, treble is more sparkly, and extension on both ends improves, soundstage also increased,
i first tried it with Ichiban no Takaramono (Original Ver.), all of the instrument sound so clear and separated, the piano, the bass and the guitar all sounds separated and full.
when i changed to bass heavy song, this headphone can produce deep bass (30Hz-50Hz), without breaking a sweat, the bass doesnt covers other frequency spectrum,

the frequency response of this headphone is flat with a slight bump on the low bass section and a slight dip on the midrange section, is sound signature is not fatiguing for long session listening and for gaming, ears do get hot a bit, but its still very comfortable cans to wear,
its not as comfortable as AD700 or AD1000PRM, but its very comfortable for a studio monitoring headphone.

i've never tried this headphone for gaming, but im pretty sure it can do better than the PC350 that AFAIk uses HD595 driver but in a closed cup,

and M50 sounds better than almost all of the gaming headphones under 200US$ mark,

 

[imperialreign]

A little revival on my part, eh?

Tritton AX720 - :shadedshu


Pros:

Semi-optical input
Supports Dolby Digital and Pro Logic II
Removable microphone
Compatible with PC, xBox and PS3

Cons:

Somewhat uncomfortable ear pieces
Slightly heavy design
Spiderweb connectivity
(For PC users) Designed more friendly for consoles
2-channel output
Rather expensive (about $130 USD)

Review:

I had high hopes for this headset, but was rather disappointed. For playback, one must make use of a decoder box (which comes with the headset), which brings me to my first major gripe with the unit: connectivity. A few wires here and there is alright, but the decoder box uses a DC adapter which must be plugged into a wall outlet. This is understandable for console users as USB connections are rather limited . . . but, IMHO, the option to have the decoder powered by USB should've been available. Even with console users, having to hunt down another free wall outlet can be a chore in the first place. Input to the decoder is handled via a rather short optical cable, which limits the decoder's placement to whatever unit you're hooking up to. From there, an analogue PS2 cable connects the box to the headset. If you're using an xBox or PS3, there's further connections to be made for xBox Live support or Voice to PS3. On the bright side, the decoder box supports two headset outputs - should you have a friend over for a gaming session. Still, you're left with a mess of wires going every which way from the decoder box - couple with the massive amounts of connections already in place from your PC or console, it can simply add to the mess.

The decoder box itself must have it's power turned on to recieve any playback, and the unit has it's own volume +/- buttons . . . for PC users, output from the decoder does not appear to be affected by your audio driver software, and not all applications seem to affect it either; this results in the need to adjust volume levels at the decoder. There is an in-line unit which allows the user to adjust volume and microphone levels (as well as turning on the in-line output amp), but some further volume adjustment will be necessary at the box. Dolby output can be turned on and off at the box, and the unit supports a couple of different playback options - either "movie/game" mode or "music" mode, which adjusts how sounds are "positioned" for playback. The unit itself is rather lightweight, and seems of fairly sturdy construction.

Playback is excellent for 2-channel, even more-so with Dolby support . . . but, at the same time, you're stuck with 2-channel support (where-as Dolby support sounds tons better with an actual multi-channel setup). If your audio hardware supports it, you can kinda "fake" 4.1 or 5.1 playback . . . DDL takes up the slack in "expanding" the output to sound more like you're actually using a multi-channel setup, coupled with most PC audio hardware that's capable of positional audio. But you're still left with a stereo channel mix, which sounds extremelly evident in media which supports true multi-channel playback (some forms of audio, HD-DVD/Blu Ray, some games, etc.) . . . sounds which would originate from the rear tend to have a muddy sound which affects forward placement as well. A big gripe I have, though, is that they've used the optical connectivity as a major selling point, when instead the headset is actually using analogue. Sure, there's the digital connectivity between your hardware and the decoder box, but from there's it's passed to an analogue PS2 connector, then to two 3.5mm mini-jacks at the "break-away" connector (one for the headphones, the other for mic).

The headset itself can be a little uncomfortable, although they're very sturdy. The ear pieces are rectangular in nature, and the padding is quite stiff. They do an excellent job of isolating outside sounds, though, but don't offer much breathability. I don't foresee this unit mearly falling apart from being roughed around - they definitely designed it to stand up to the abuse gamers put their equipment through. The in-line controller incorporates a "break-away" design, where the unit will split in two should you both ends of the cable be pulled hard enough. In instances where one end of the cable has become entangled around something, you don't need to worry about ripping the headset off your head . . . but, if the cable is being pulled at the decoder box, it's lightweight design will ensure the box is pulled off of wherever it's sitting . . .

Once up and running, I set these headsets through a slew of playback tests with two different audio cards: a Creative X-FI Titanium Fatal1ty supporting native optical and an Auzentech X-Fi Bravura 7.1 with the optical-coaxial digital adapter - I wanted to hear how this headset would sound when paired with an upper-end gaming audio card, and an upper-end "audiophile" card.

I used the following for music playback:

Front Line Assembly - "Providence" - a broad electronic track, with lots of percussion, accompanied by synthlines, samples and opera-esque vocals. Reproduction was decent. The vocals were clear, as was the synthlines and background sounds and samples. The percussion tracks felt weak, though, especially the timpani drums rolling in the background (which give this track it's true sense of power). The track felt a little muddy without the expanse multi-channel playback provides, with the bass and drums frequently overlapping each other. Otherwise, the track's broad range kept from focusing too heavily on the weaknesses of the headset.

Hybrid - "Finished Symphony" - another broad electronic track, combining elements of techno and trance with an actual symphony. The electronic portions of this track were clear and crisp, but the sound of the strings suffered greatly. Instead of the strings feeling like they're driving the track forward, it sounded more like they were simply along for the ride. With the many quieter parts of the track, the headset's weaknesses became really apparent, especially with bass reproduction.

Gorillaz - "Dirty Harry" - good track with strong vocals, percussion and keyboard. Playback was rather quite excellent with this track. Bass repoduction (which had been a weakness of the last two tracks) sounded excellent with the Gorillaz tight bass lines. Vocals were clear as well. The keyboard line wasn't as clear as I like to hear, but it didn't sound like it was being heavily drowned out, either.

The Offspring - "You're Gonna Go Far Kid" - Typical rock track. Another track with excellent playback. Cymbals and guitar were extremely clear and crisp, as were the vocals, and the bass line wasn't drowning out the track. Drums sounded a little weak, though.

СЛОТ - "Конец света — нет Интернет@" - Another typical rock track, although heavy on the bass and drums. Playback was decent, but not great. Vocals and guitar were clear, both the track's bass and drums just sounded like a muddy mess, losing a lot of power from this track.

For gaming, I played about an hour in Metro2033, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Crysis and STALKER: Call of Pripyat. Across all titles, playback was similar in performance. Gunshots were crips and clear, as were many ambient sounds and much of the in-game music. Explosions were crisp as well, but lacking in bass. The biggest weakness I noticed was in positional audio. All titles are known for having exceptional audio engines and playback positioning, but many times I felt disoriented trying to locate where sounds were coming from . . . especially during instances when there was a lot going on nearby - sounds were drowning each other out quite frequently. For slower paced games, this headset would probably be alright, but has a hard time standing up to numerous nearby sounds.

Overall, I'm rather disappointed with this unit - at least at the unit's $130 USD price, and would be hard pressed to recommend this unit to any avid PC gamer. Perhaps if true 5.1 output were provided (instead of the 2-channel output), it's price would seem more justified . . . but, I've used other units priced much lower that have better sound output. Playback is decent, but not impressive in the least, even with Dolby support. Comparatively, Razer's Baraccuda HP-1 headset sounds night and day better than this unit, and is nearly half the price (although it lacks digital connectivity and Dolby support). The optical connectivity marketing point is misleading (IMHO), as optical/digital does not exist between the decoder box and the speakers.

My final recommendation: pass on these and look for something else.

 

[imperialreign]

On a side note, I'm trying to get a hold of a pair of these: Pioneer SE-DIR800C for testing.

Kinda nervous by the "virtual" 5.1 provided by Dolby (the headset is only 2-channel) and it's "wireless" setup, but the specs are impressive and the headset gets superb reviews (not surprising, IMHO, considering the manufacturer).

Will keep y'all posted

 

[Kursah]

As long as the Dolby Headset part is a controllable feature like X-Fi's CMMS-3D you'll be fine. I use CMMS in games only, FPS primarily...really beyond that it's not useful to me...and it generally destroys music, though there are some songs I do enjoy with it enabled.

The specs are impressive for sure, but I just dunno about wireless. Keep us posted for sure!

I think I'll stick with my JVC and Denon headphones for now! Though I am still debating trying something different along the lines of Grado or Beyer DT880 or 990. Will have to wait till spring or later at this point though.

 

[BumbleBee]

I need headphones for my receiver. thinking of Denon AH-D1001 or Shure SRH440.

 

[imperialreign]

As long as the Dolby Headset part is a controllable feature like X-Fi's CMMS-3D you'll be fine. I use CMMS in games only, FPS primarily...really beyond that it's not useful to me...and it generally destroys music, though there are some songs I do enjoy with it enabled.

The specs are impressive for sure, but I just dunno about wireless. Keep us posted for sure!

I think I'll stick with my JVC and Denon headphones for now! Though I am still debating trying something different along the lines of Grado or Beyer DT880 or 990. Will have to wait till spring or later at this point though.

I'm kinda worried over the Dolby upmixing - even with something like CMSS behind it. Really, with the last headset I just reviewed, having CMSS available was really their only saving grace - but, I tried to keep the review as much to the headset as possible and not what you'd need to make them sound better

I'm simply in the market for something to replace my beat-down Barracuda's . . . I'd prefer to stay with true 5.1, or find true 7.1, but they're few and far between. It seems over the last year there's been an influx of "5.1" marketing, where manufacturers are adding Dolby support simply so they can claim 5.1 output, whether the headset is actual capable of native or not - and they they tend to neglect the number and/or types of drivers, and/or the frequency response (numerous drivers tend to have a few different FR listed - or a very broad range listed) in their specs .

IDK . . . I've come to the conclusion over the last two years that the whole of the audio market has suffered greatly from consumer ignorance. Manufacturer's have gone on a marketing propaganda spree, simpyl because the consumer doesn't have any idea what they're looking at.

 

[BumbleBee]

take a look at Turtle Beach they have a couple models now with multiple drivers.

 

[Kursah]

Yeah my HPA2's were a solid gaming headset, used them for years (see OP for review). Still one of the best gaming headsets I've tried...but now I'm spoiled by a true headphone, and just can't go back to a headset. My HPA2 mix and a couple zip ties turns any headphone I use into a headset. I gotta say my D2000 still do a sweet job for gaming audio and provide a good sense of space considering they're a closed can. The HPA2 were open though, and while they were damn good...I'd still take a pair of JVC HARX700 over them or any gaming headset I've tried to date...especially after a couple easy mods.

 

[AhokZYashA]

btw,, ill take a K701 with a matrix M-Stage over anything for gaming
you should try those combo..

 

[fullinfusion]

sennheiser pc-350 LINK

I received this gaming head set for x-mas from the wife and so far I love them.

PRO'S
-nice and lite
-long cord
-closed can and they don't touch the ears
-nice soft foam around cans for hours of game play or listening to music
-collapsible for easy storage
-great sound and haven't had a hint of distortion even with the bass thumping
-excellent clarity from mic as I've been told by others while gaming
-excellent for killing the out side noise even when turned off
CONS

-not usb plug style
-thats all really

 

[fullinfusion]

Sorry for the double post but I need help with sound settings.
This headset is my first real good gaming set and I'd like to know, is there a trick most use to get the best sound outta there head set?

I mean...

I play with the EQ settings while listening to MP3's and have the sound matched to my likeness.
But when I jump into a game it's like holly crap!!! BASS!!!! I need to lower the volume as my bones are vibrating lol. But really is there a setting I need to be concerned about for proper gaming sound?

hear, I took some screen shots on what my settings are at. If there is something off would you kind ppl please help guide me on what needs to be adjusted?

 

[MT Alex]

I'm not familiar with the Supreme Onboard X-Fi, but on stand alone Creative cards there are three modes, Entertainment, Gamer, and Create. If this is true on your onboard X-Fi, then set up a sound configuration that you like in Gamer Mode, and simply switch to that mode via the console launcher prior to gaming.

I always do this for mine, because I have Entertainment Mode set up for 5.1, and gamer mode is for my headphones. Don't forget to select the right speaker configuration.

 

[blu3flannel]

This may be a noobish question, but I can't stand it anymore. I have a (cheapish, but great sound quality) set of Skullcandy headphones, seen here (I have a different color, but whatever). I've used them on other devices, such as iPods and the like, and they can be extremely loud without loss of quality. However, when I use them on my computer, Windows will only let me turn them up so loud (not very loud at all). I'm tired of everything being medium loud, I wanna hear something! Is there a way to raise the limit or something? Thanks.