Best $150 or less 7.1 surround sound headphones

[Hunter Wideman]

Hi I have a Logitech G930 7.1 surround sound headset and I'm never going to a 5.1 or below again. I've had it for a couple years now and it'll disconnect then reconnect then the other day it just flat out wouldn't turn on no matter what USB I plug it into. My friends also complain about the sounds that my headset makes when it disconnects by itself. I also heard that alot of the other Logitech headsets are awful so I'm never going back to that again.

So here's what I'm looking for:
Astounding audio quality (7.1 Surround sound)(Better than Logitech G930)
Great comfort for a 12-hour straight wear
USB is preferred
The cable needs to be very thin, lightweight and durable(to where it's not annoying)
Made for PC

Thanks guys!

 

[RCFProd]

You looking at headphones or headsets? So does a mic have to be included?

 

[Hunter Wideman]

You looking at headphones or headsets? So does a mic have to be included?

No a mic does not have to be in there. I don't even prefer to have one on the headphones

 

[ssddx]

it should be noted.... the g930 is not "real" surround sound. it only has two drivers like any other headphones and has a soundcard inside distorting the sound to make it seem like 5.1/7.1. this is called virtual surround and with support on your motherboard or from a soundcard you can turn any headphone or headset into a virtual 5.1/7.1 device.

i would highly suggest looking at regular headphones and just using a soundcard to give yourself virtual. the xonar dg or u3 can do this (dolby headphone). as for headphones you need to list what you're looking for in terms of audio signature (bass light, bass heavy, neutral, etc).

good cans to look at for that budget:

hd518, hd558, ad500x, ad700x

if you want durable - you want thick cables. thin cables will break easier regardless.

if you want usb, use a usb soundcard to give it to you.

 

[Hunter Wideman]

it should be noted.... the g930 is not "real" surround sound. it only has two drivers like any other headphones and has a soundcard inside distorting the sound to make it seem like 5.1/7.1. this is called virtual surround and with support on your motherboard or from a soundcard you can turn any headphone or headset into a virtual 5.1/7.1 device.

i would highly suggest looking at regular headphones and just using a soundcard to give yourself virtual. the xonar dg or u3 can do this (dolby headphone). as for headphones you need to list what you're looking for in terms of audio signature (bass light, bass heavy, neutral, etc).

good cans to look at for that budget:

hd518, hd558, ad500x, ad700x

if you want durable - you want thick cables. thin cables will break easier regardless.

if you want usb, use a usb soundcard to give it to you.

Well I have an MSI Gaming 5 with some sort of onboard sound card.
The reason I said I want a USB is because with my history of headsets, the audio quality is usually better for me than using a sound jack.

Also the type that I would love to have is one that is perfect for music where the bass and treble doesn't overrule the vocals.
So most likely Light bass would be good, especially for games as well.

I'm still confused on the whole 'virtual' and 'real' surround sound. But I don't honestly care that much I just want to be able to hear 360degrees around me.
Thanks

 

[ssddx]

be aware that usb just means you're using a soundcard inside the headset instead of your onboard. going with a soundcard would bypass this as well so you can certainly use 3.5mm.

hd518 is more neutral and while not bassy has more than the ad500x would which is considered bass light. the ad500x's lack of bass however is what gives it an advantage in fps games since you can hear footsteps very easy..

real surround would be multiple drivers inside your headphone cups (although its honestly not the same as speaker surround sound). virtual is software which emulates this effect. since real surround sets use smaller cheaper drivers they normally sound worse off than stereo sets even though the surround might be slightly better (though virtual is pretty much equal).

 

[Hunter Wideman]

be aware that usb just means you're using a soundcard inside the headset instead of your onboard. going with a soundcard would bypass this as well so you can certainly use 3.5mm.

hd518 is more neutral and while not bassy has more than the ad500x would which is considered bass light. the ad500x's lack of bass however is what gives it an advantage in fps games since you can hear footsteps very easy..

real surround would be multiple drivers inside your headphone cups (although its honestly not the same as speaker surround sound). virtual is software which emulates this effect. since real surround sets use smaller cheaper drivers they normally sound worse off than stereo sets even though the surround might be slightly better (though virtual is pretty much equal).

I mean I would like to be able to have a bass sensation (ex. explosion) but I don't want to have so much that it sounds distorted if that makes any sense. If it does then what should I go for?

 

[ssddx]

well, the ad-series lack "depth" to bass. they have punchy mid bass but doesnt extend very far down in frequency. you won't get boomy bass however that is why they give advantage.

the hd-series extend a bit further into bass frequencies so offer a bit more low end however aren't basshead headphones by any degree and are pretty much neutral in sound signature. good for gaming if you want a tinge more bass.

now, if you're a BASSHEAD and realize that to get those levels of bass you will need to give up some soundstaging and quality there are options for you. the hd439 is going to be pretty bassy - if you mod them by taking tape off inside they can become really bassy (theres a thread on head fi about hd439 bass mod). having too much bass however (even though it might be enjoyable depending on what you like in terms of sound profiles) is going to be less advantageous in games given you cannot hear footsteps as easily. it will make things generally sound more exciting though.

if you had more budget, the dt770 with a decent soundcard like the xonar dg would be a good choice for both decent soundstaging for a closed can, good treble and good bass along with great comfort. it doesnt have the soundstaging of the ad-series but for a closed can (which generally arent so good in terms of soundstaging) its pretty darn good and acceptable for gaming.

 

[Hunter Wideman]

Ok I think I'm going to go for the HD 439 from what I've seen. Thank you all!