Need help choosing Headset

**BunnyPoopCereal** · May 29, 2011, 06:11 PM

If the headset you recommend is not in the poll tell us why you think the one you're suggesting is the overall best. Thanks all

**Darkpriest667** · May 29, 2011, 09:09 PM

plantronics wireless 955.

5.1 stereo sound quality (maybe 7.1 i threw the box away) good price.. reliable works up to 40 to 50 feet away and the battery lasts 8 to 10 hours

cons is that the hookup for the battery charger is literally 8 inches long to the USB and you cant use it when its charging.

I've been quite pleased with it.

**GasMask** · May 29, 2011, 09:21 PM

Creative have always been loyal to me i have a very old set of HS-800 ones and i have had them for over 2 years now still in great condition.

**mrmouth** · May 29, 2011, 09:53 PM

You are going to want something that would be easy to repair. Something like the Steelseries (which I owned), while decent, is not going to be easily repaired, if at all. You have to bascially destroy them to get at the guts. And amazingly, they dont officially service them at all. So you roll over and shred the cable with your chair like I did, and you will be stuck trying to solder extremely small wires yourself.

Point is, just buy something that is not molded plastic and not made to be serviced by them, or you. And I'm going to guess that would mean anything on that list.

After many purchases, Im extremely pleased with the Audio Technica AD700 (Japanese) which are thought to be about the best all around headphones under $200, and phenomenal for gaming due to the incredible sound spatialization. Really, they rival headphones in the $500 price range. They also come with a nice Japanese made cable and adapter.

You can add a mike like in the first pic with a little bit of work, or just buy one that would clip on the cable like I did.

I got tired of the purple grills and sprayed painted them black as seen in the other pics.

**BunnyPoopCereal** · May 30, 2011, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by BarnabyJones

You are going to want something that would be easy to repair. Something like the Steelseries (which I owned), while decent, is not going to be easily repaired, if at all. You have to bascially destroy them to get at the guts. And amazingly, they dont officially service them at all. So you roll over and shred the cable with your chair like I did, and you will be stuck trying to solder extremely small wires yourself.

Point is, just buy something that is not molded plastic and not made to be serviced by them, or you. And I'm going to guess that would mean anything on that list.

After many purchases, Im extremely pleased with the Audio Technica AD700 (Japanese) which are thought to be about the best all around headphones under $200, and phenomenal for gaming due to the incredible sound spatialization. Really, they rival headphones in the $500 price range. They also come with a nice Japanese made cable and adapter.

You can add a mike like in the first pic with a little bit of work, or just buy one that would clip on the cable like I did.

I got tired of the purple grills and sprayed painted them black as seen in the other pics.

Having close to no bass doesnt bother you? and have you used the Astro Mixamp with these by any chance?

**mrmouth** · May 30, 2011, 11:13 AM

They have bass, just not the bass most people are used to. It isn't overwhelming, it doesn't muddy the music. I mean it wont handle ultra (silly) low frequencies well, but most music will be fine.

But in games there is plenty of bass. I just bought Battlefield BC2 and all the explosions have incredible depth to them. Couldn't imagine it any deeper.

I dont use a preamp. My 7.1 soundcard has a dedicated headphone amp, and it's more than enough. These are great amped or unamped. They are not going to benefit much from an amp.

I also dont use CMSS-3D. The soundstage is so massive that they kill any surround sound HPs I have owned or tried.

**Top-Tier-Tech** · May 30, 2011, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by BarnabyJones

I mean it wont handle ultra (silly) low frequencies well, but most music will be fine.

Ultra low bass is the type you feel rather than hear (directionally) so that type of frequency is great for a sub but pointless for headphones.

**NONOPUST** · May 30, 2011, 02:22 PM

I have the Razer headset. While I am content with its performance, I do not think it was worth the $90 I shelled out for it.

**mrmouth** · May 30, 2011, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by ChaobSiroc

Ultra low bass is the type you feel rather than hear (directionally) so that type of frequency is great for a sub but pointless for headphones.

In the context of music. I'm not talking "brown note" inaudible low frequency. That doesn't exist in most peoples homes.

Im thinking something more like Chemical Brothers Bass Test when it drops. Then again, after just listening to it, it isn't that bad at all. It is just a different type of bass. It's tight and doesnt muddy the highs and mids. Just like audiophile HPs shouldn't. But you can force them a good bit with EQ tweaks. They are not bass heavy out of the box, and they seem to loosen up as they break in.

But oddly enough, a similar kind of low frequency happens in BFBC2 sometimes when arty passes overhead and the AD700's handle it just fine. That game paired with the AD700's is a hell of a thing.

The only people who are going to complain about these HPs are bass heads. I grew up on a steady diet of bass heavy music and with some EQ tweaks they handle 99% of what I toss at them.

You can sacrifice a good bit of soundstage and go with the Senns that people usually buy when concerned about lack of bass. Ive demoed a lot of Senns at a local store, and I wouldn't go with anything but the 800's. I like the Audio Technica's over the 650's by a good bit at roughly 1/4 of the price.

**Top-Tier-Tech** · May 30, 2011, 09:51 PM

Your link is directing me back to this thread...

**BunnyPoopCereal** · May 31, 2011, 09:35 AM

Have you guys seen the Audio-Technica ATH-A700? its basically the AD700's but with more bass and none of the sound leaks, it seems perfect in paper, though I cant say any more because I dont actually ahve one with me.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...scrollFullInfo

**mrmouth** · May 31, 2011, 01:26 PM

Those are closed HPs, so they will have deeper bass, but will sacrifice what makes the AD700's shine.

Open headphones sound more ‘natural’ than closed models. Generally an open model will have much better soundstage (the ‘width and depth’ of sound), more natural bass (tighter and faster) and better separation (how well individual sounds/instruments/details are defined).

Closed headphones on the other hand tend to have a more ‘boxed in’ sound to them (where it sounds like the music is coming from inside your head) and boomier, more resonant (slower) sounding bass. Often this leads to closed headphones sounding bassier, but if you listen closely it’s normally just because the bass is stopping and starting slower, and less accurately, than it would on an open model. This is why using the term “better” can be very subjective. You might consider slow, boomy overpowering bass to be “better” than well defined and clear bass.

For gaming specifically, you want that width and depth of sound. I can hear gunshots over my shoulder, high-left and below-right, and even begin to judge distance. Same thing with music. You will hear things you never heard before in songs you have heard hundreds of times.

The ATH-AD700 headphones though have such a great sound separation that I could close my eyes and tell myself my enemy was to my diagonal right, off in the distance and gradually closing. I did not hear explosions, screams, tank sounds, and gunfire all mashed together. I could clearly perceive the enemies behind me and to my left shooting at me, and a truck coming towards me on my right at the same time. Left 4 Dead was especially spooky because I could clearly hear an enemy coming half a block away without having seen him in the distance first.

I have a pair of closed Shure HPs for the train and bus, but I would never use them for gaming (they are awful for that), and you sacrifice all that is great about open HPs for the isolation of not hearing the train or bus, and not annoying people around you. Shouldn't be an issue in your home.

If you have the time and patience, buy from Amazon and return them until you find what suits you. Or maybe you are lucky and have a place nearby that demos HPs.

**BunnyPoopCereal** · May 31, 2011, 01:40 PM

Great Idea! but it still seems like a lot of work.

@barnaby would it be possible for you to post a video of the headphones sound? What im asking is can you wait till its nght and do a vid on the headset and show us how far teh sound leaks and stuff like that? thanks

**mrmouth** · May 31, 2011, 09:15 PM

I dont have a webcam or anything. The best I could is my cell...

They leak. If you plan on taking them to a LAN party or something, they wont work. People in the room are likely going to hear what you hear, and you are going to hear ambient noise. For me, I like that. I now feel way too closed off with closed HPs. It's kind of a claustrophobic feeling. I feel constrained, in more ways than one. The whole experience is just restricted in scope.

All I can really do is give my recommendation and suggest you give them a chance. They are popular for gaming for a reason. They do everything really well. I can plug them into the TV at night to not wake the woman, and they shine there too. They are phenomenal all around HPs. You should only need another pair for listening to music outside of your house.

Or try a pair of Senns like the HD 555 which have slightly better bass, and sacrifice soundstage. Point is, a good pair of audiophile HPs is going to be better than a gaming headset. Sometimes worlds better. So at least you are on the right track.

I went through the same thing. A lot of interent research that still wouldn't help me make a decision. Luckily, I live in a major city with stores that demo audio equipment and I was able to listen to just about everything before making my choice. I chose the AD700's.