Best Gaming Headphone + Microphone vs Headset

[FreedomDive]

Hello Tom's Community,
This is actually the first time I've ever used this website but it seems very helpful for the most part and I've been indecisive and need some advice from people who really know their stuff. All input and suggestions are greatly appreciated and i will look into all of them.

*I have already looked into many of the related forums posts and haven't found a answer that i need and is up to date.

My Current situation/Problem:

I'm using the Razor Kraken 7.1 pro at the moment but after about a year I'm having trouble with the wires i assume as it mysteriously stops registering to my pc and stops working (audio wise, the light is still active) sometimes after i move even an inch from a position of it working already.
So having to constantly re-plug and readjust myself and the cords every time i move in my chair is very frustrating as a gamer and just in general so i'm looking for a new audio setup.

I will mainly use the headphones + microphone/headset for Gaming (mostly fps to listening to positions of gunfire and footsteps), watching videos/movies and listening to music daily on my PC(i listen to a lot of genres like rock,pop,country,jazz so it doesn't have to be super bass heavy or something) . I have already asked friends about this and they suggested me to buy headphones + a microphone as it is "high quality audio wise".

So i'm looking for suggestions of headphones/headsets and info if a microphone + headphone combo is better over a headset.

My preferences are:
- Excellent good sound quality all-round
-comfortable
-Good sense of position in fps games
-Wired, not Bluetooth
*don't mind open back or closed back

My budget is around (can be a little higher or lower) $250 CAD for a headphone + mic combo or around $150 CAD for a headset.

Sorry for the barrage of text but it wanted to be informative to get the best feedback possible. If you have any questions feel free to ask as well.

Thank you very much for your time and feedback.

 

[ssddx]

you say that you have read other forum posts about this topic, however you fail to mention your thoughts on any of it as to what sounded good to you. do that as it cuts down on time.

yes, sounds like you might have a broken wire on your current headset.

do you have a soundcard or are you planning on just using onboard?

open back headphones with wide soundstage and low bass response:
ad500x, ad700x (closed version a500x, a700x) (or ath-adg1/ath-ag1 which is based on the open/closed versions)

open back headphones with decent sounstage and more neutral response:
hd518, hd558, hd598 (or game one headset which is based on them)

budget level options:
hyper x cloud (based on takstar pro 80. avoid the soundcard version if you go with it and use your own), 668b, CAL! (at moderate volume)

then there are the other headsets by headphone companies..
game zero/pc363d (same thing basically. bass light), mmx300 (overpriced but based on an early dt770 premium design so not bad)

if you wanted something bassier, the dt770 is worth noting although you would want at least a decent soundcard for them.

CAD prices seem high. not sure if shipping from usa would be cheaper or if the USD/CAD conversion is just that bad at the moment.

as for mics, the modmic is the go to solution. the omni is more sensitive but if you have ambient noise go with the uni to try and avoid picking up things it shouldnt. the moovmic is a cheaper solution if you do not care as much. getting a cheap mic like a blue snowball ice also works. neewer makes some decent budget mics as well but you would want a cheap audio interface/mixer to provide power to them

depending on what you buy a decent soundcard or amplifier might be warranted. no idea what seems to interest you at the moment though.

 

[FreedomDive]

you say that you have read other forum posts about this topic, however you fail to mention your thoughts on any of it as to what sounded good to you. do that as it cuts down on time.

yes, sounds like you might have a broken wire on your current headset.

do you have a soundcard or are you planning on just using onboard?

open back headphones with wide soundstage and low bass response:
ad500x, ad700x (closed version a500x, a700x) (or ath-adg1/ath-ag1 which is based on the open/closed versions)

open back headphones with decent sounstage and more neutral response:
hd518, hd558, hd598 (or game one headset which is based on them)

budget level options:
hyper x cloud (based on takstar pro 80. avoid the soundcard version if you go with it and use your own), 668b, CAL! (at moderate volume)

then there are the other headsets by headphone companies..
game zero/pc363d (same thing basically. bass light), mmx300 (overpriced but based on an early dt770 premium design so not bad)

if you wanted something bassier, the dt770 is worth noting although you would want at least a decent soundcard for them.

CAD prices seem high. not sure if shipping from usa would be cheaper or if the USD/CAD conversion is just that bad at the moment.

as for mics, the modmic is the go to solution. the omni is more sensitive but if you have ambient noise go with the uni to try and avoid picking up things it shouldnt. the moovmic is a cheaper solution if you do not care as much. getting a cheap mic like a blue snowball ice also works. neewer makes some decent budget mics as well but you would want a cheap audio interface/mixer to provide power to them

depending on what you buy a decent soundcard or amplifier might be warranted. no idea what seems to interest you at the moment though.

Thanks for your suggestions and opinions, sorry about not listing what sounds good to me but honestly i'm not too sure. I haven't tried out other headphones/headsets really but i would like a headphone with better audio quality than the kraken 7.1 pros. for music wise i would like a crisp sound all around (mid and high mostly) as i'm not a bass heavy enthusiast but i don't mind it either. Right now the Canadian dollar is pretty bad but slightly climbing back, if there are other cheaper options than shipping from the US (amazon or another website of the sort) i'd love to hear it. I do not have a sound card and I'm most likely not going to buy a sound card.

I was suggested the Sennheiser HD 558 Headphones from a few people and was told by someone that the hd598 price wasn't worth the upgrade, do you agree with this statement?

 

[ssddx]

hd518/558/598 share the same exact drivers last i heard. the difference is in build quality, the pads and the design which somewhat affects the sound signature. while slight the differences are that the hd518 sounds the most bassy while the hd598 has the most neutral signature. likewise the hd598 has a bit more soundstage and the hd518 has less. the hd598 is built fairly well while the hd518 is a bit cheap. the hd558 is midway between and is certainly suggested over the 518 for the nicer pads they come with and additional build quality.

is the hd598 worth it? from a $/performance standpoint for audio quality perhaps not but from a build and comfort standpoint it certainly may be.

as i said before, the game one is pretty much the same thing with a mic strapped on.

also look at the ad500x/ad700x since you want bass light.

i would say look at akg as well but the prices are crazy high in canada and they need a good amp or sound like crud so thats out.

 

[FreedomDive]

hd518/558/598 share the same exact drivers last i heard. the difference is in build quality, the pads and the design which somewhat affects the sound signature. while slight the differences are that the hd518 sounds the most bassy while the hd598 has the most neutral signature. likewise the hd598 has a bit more soundstage and the hd518 has less. the hd598 is built fairly well while the hd518 is a bit cheap. the hd558 is midway between and is certainly suggested over the 518 for the nicer pads they come with and additional build quality.

is the hd598 worth it? from a $/performance standpoint for audio quality perhaps not but from a build and comfort standpoint it certainly may be.

as i said before, the game one is pretty much the same thing with a mic strapped on.

also look at the ad500x/ad700x since you want bass light.

i would say look at akg as well but the prices are crazy high in canada and they need a good amp or sound like crud so thats out.

Hey once again, thanks for your all help in my quest for a new headphone but i have another question. I recently found out about the HifiMan HE-350 on Massdrop for $99, so i ask you the HifiMan HE-350 or the HD 598. My budget isn't a problem between theses two and i'm purely going for quality and comfort, I'm using the headphones for gaming and listening to videos/music so i'm looking for something mostly neutral actually.

 

[ssddx]

not sure about the he-350 but i know the he400i is a nice entry level planar headphone.

want a he350 review? read this http/www.head-fi.org/products/massdrop-x-hifiman-he350/reviews/15914 though i'd suggest a second opinion as well.

 

[Ben Lumsden]

Hey man!
I was recently in the same position as you and I looked into Steelseries. Have you ever heard of them?
I bought the 'Siberia 350's which are £100.
Pros:
Extremely comfortable
Excellent microphone for its price
Amazing customisation on the fly
The sound is just... Fantastic
Premium Packaging

Cons:
Probably better microphones for the price, but my friends and I all think it is still amazing.

The Siberia 600 (next one up) is a little bit more expensive but it has a slightly better mic and a 10 band equaliser rather than 5 band.

I seriously recommend having a look into the Steelseries Siberia 350 series, you won't regret it.