Beautiful Headphones Broke! Back to the Audio Industry: Suggestion on new Headset/ cans for gaming/music

Xilo

Honorable
Oct 23, 2013
19
0
10,570
Hi,

I'm an avid gamer, and recently, my Sony Pulse Elite, my only and favorite headset, is beginning to break due to its design flaws with the sides. Fearful of the loss of a reliable source of audio, I quickly went searching through the headphone industry to find a replacement. Not that I will not buy another pair, as this design flaw is prominent among many owners. My options are narrowed down to 4, with the goal of keeping under $120. I will explain my reasoning for the audiophiles.

Razer Kraken 7.1:
Okay, audiophiles, let me explain. I'm very new to the realm of audiophiles, and am only looking for something sufficient and reliable. The flaw of headphones is the lack of a microphone, and I might as well get the package altogether rather than buy it separately. That being said, the digital mic on this received positive reviews. It is considered bassy, which makes it sufficient for music as well. Lastly, it's mainstream, and used by professionals in gaming. Whose to say that might not work for me? This option, however, is my last option. I will only get this if I'm not convinced enough to get headphones with a microphone. It's also a headset I can flash around without looking dorky.

HyperX Cloud:
Now this is a promising option. This uses some of the Beyerdynamic technology, and it's extremely light, hence the word "Cloud". Also comes with a bonus DETACHABLE mic, like Razer's retractable one. Little more expensive, and the microphone has received negative reviews for being to isolate. Looks promising and also won't make me look dorky. Can't say much about the sound though. Need help here.

Sennheiser 518 + Antlion Mic (75 + 50 ish, pushing it here):
This option seems viable, as I happen to own a movie model of Sennheisers headphones. The cup material is nice, and they are open-back, meaning a better in game expericence at the cost of bass quality, which is concerning. They are, however, a tad bassier than the upcoming option. According to the experts, this is a very economic investment for entry level audiophiles. Not something one could take outside, however.

Audio Technica ad-500X + Mic(same financial situation with sennheiser):
The hype for this one is too much, as it seems to be the best for gaming and gaming ONLY. It sacrifices some of the music balance that I seek, however, and is CLEARLY something I don't want to be seen wearing.
 
Solution
I'll say 80 ohm or above requires an amp while 50+ ohm to 80 are recommended.

Out of the 4 I'll choose the HyperX Cloud, the sound quality is really good for its price, I did bought a V-moda boom mic to go with it though.

Outside of these, I think the G4me Zero and ATH-ADG1 are some really good cans as a headset, the PC363D of Sennheiser is also pretty good, the latter 2 are open back ones.

To the above, I have the same experience with my HD700 and my friend's HD800 which I borrow to test, dang they sound awful on some cards.

HumdrumPenguin

Honorable
Nov 19, 2013
25
0
10,590
First, I think it's a bit crazy thinking about getting a headset to go out and listen to some music. Commuting headphones exist for that. Settle down on your pc with whatever you get. Second, all the options are bad IN MY FREAKING OPINION. My advice is to go with a Sennheiser Game One (they're the same as the HD 558 with a mic) or Astro A40 (with amp). These are the bare minimum. I'm very picky with sound, so I can't recommend anything bad :( Btw, I didn't check the price on those, but I hope they're within your budget. Less than that is just a no no on my list. Gaming headphones are normally bad, really bad for music.

I would very much like to recommend you a Blue Yeti mic along with an Asus Xonar Essence STX II, that would leave us to choose among a lot of good quality cans. But unfortunately I know that would go well over your budget. But who knows in the future, right?
 

RazerZ

Honorable
Herald
Aug 18, 2013
615
1
11,260
HD 518s+ a cheap 3.5mm flex mic from amazon/ebay. Use a 3.5mm male to female extension cord with the mic and connect it to your headphones with cable ties.

End result should look like this (picture the 518 instead of the 558):

 

Xilo

Honorable
Oct 23, 2013
19
0
10,570


The sennheiser 518 suggested above is only slightly below par with the Sennheiser 558 that you suggested. Would that be a good compromise between price and quality?
 

HumdrumPenguin

Honorable
Nov 19, 2013
25
0
10,590


I dunno. I would have to listen to both of them for a while before I could answer to you in this matter. I suggested the Game One because you said you needed a HEADSET, not a headphone. My advice is to stay away from gaming brands when your focus is on music. You think they sound good until you listen to something really nice. But as an all around, I reinstate my idea on going with the game one. If you can't afford it, try out the 518 before anything. If you have a webcam, you can use its mic. Logitech cams have really nice mics. Oh yeah, just to remember, if you don't have a top of the line mobo or a sound card, there's will probably be noise coming out of the ports. Unless you're getting a usb headset, which is digital.
Oh, and if you like a lot of bass, senns are not the best for you (unless you get the HD650). I own both HD598 and HD700, and both are great, but in the bass department they're far from, let's say, the audezes lcd-2.
 

Xilo

Honorable
Oct 23, 2013
19
0
10,570


There's the manufacturer called Antlion that makes attachable microphones to headphones. Also, I think I can fit a 558 into my budget as well. I hear the 558 is the bassier brother of the 598, is this true?
 

HumdrumPenguin

Honorable
Nov 19, 2013
25
0
10,590
The 598 is definitely superior. Better soundstage and clarity. The 558 is indeed bassier, but none are really bassy. The only exception is the HD 650 as I said before. If you're really into heavy bass, Senns are not for you. Truth be told, you can't get much with 120 bucks only. Even on top of the line cans you can't get a perfect all around that will suit any kind of music. They normally exceed on bass and mids or mids and trebles. I truly recommend you to go out to an audio store and try out some cans. I don't know much about headphones in this price range. Before getting the HD700 I had to make a big research and go out trying different pairs, but they were all in the 900-1.3k price range (I live in Canada, eletronics here are quite more expensive than in America). Funny thing is that I didn't like the top of the line HD800. Go figure.
Remember that if you go with the 558 you'll need a sound card (not a cheap one) or external Amp/dac to get everything these cans has to offer.

Btw, if any of the answers helped you, don't forget to choose a best answer.
 

Xilo

Honorable
Oct 23, 2013
19
0
10,570


Going off penguin's earlier statement, I'd be better off if there was something with bass in it, as I'm going to be listening to the hip-hop/ EDM genre. Do you know any sub-$170, bass worthy, open-backed cans, without the need for an amp?
 

HumdrumPenguin

Honorable
Nov 19, 2013
25
0
10,590
50 ohm or more normally requires an amp. And for a head bass headphone it's even more important. I though about recommending the 770 but I didn't say anything because of the price, but since we're talking about the 598 anyways.....
Today I decided to install the audio drivers for my mobo's sound card (asus maximus vii gene) to check what it would do to my cans (HD700). It kills it. Takes all the sparkle and clarity out of it, and the bass goes from tight to loose. And that's literally the best sound you can get that comes with a motherboard. So my question is, is it really worth it to get a better phone like the dt 770 and not invest on a very decent sound card? I'd say no. I'll go back to my first suggestion then, Sennheiser Game One (open headphones) or Astro A40 + amp version (closed headphones).

Update: I just checked on their website that the Game one has analog connectors and is 50ohms. Damn it! They will benefit from a sound card as well.
 

Xilo

Honorable
Oct 23, 2013
19
0
10,570


Open back headphones will be better for gaming, higher frequency music, and convenience overall, so I'm going with that. I'm trying to look for a bassy pair that can fit the budget, for the lower frequencies and bass. The closest, and most ideal pair I can think of are the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pros with an amp (depending on if 32, 250, or 600), but of course, that definitely won't fit my constrictions. Is it possible to use an equalizer at that point and go with Sennheiser? Is there a downside to equalizers?
 

Xilo

Honorable
Oct 23, 2013
19
0
10,570


I've heard that a cheap dac or amp can suffice for 50 ohms. I'm thinking of looking at FiiO, which has a reputation for price/performance and is under 50$. Thoughts?
 

Killmeplsok

Estimable
Dec 5, 2014
26
0
4,610
I'll say 80 ohm or above requires an amp while 50+ ohm to 80 are recommended.

Out of the 4 I'll choose the HyperX Cloud, the sound quality is really good for its price, I did bought a V-moda boom mic to go with it though.

Outside of these, I think the G4me Zero and ATH-ADG1 are some really good cans as a headset, the PC363D of Sennheiser is also pretty good, the latter 2 are open back ones.

To the above, I have the same experience with my HD700 and my friend's HD800 which I borrow to test, dang they sound awful on some cards.
 
Solution

RazerZ

Honorable
Herald
Aug 18, 2013
615
1
11,260
Not sure how installing the latest drivers for your audio chipset would degrade sound quality. I've tried my M50s with a Audioengine D1 and compared to my onboard ALC 892 and I couldn't tell a difference. A pair of $700 headphones might...