Best Gaming Headset With Mic??? (read a million threads already)

[Gabriel Ospina]

mostly used computer speakers my whole life , but now i want to switch to a headset , i keep hearing about 2 brands , audio technica and sennheiser , the problem is i keep hearing i need a sound card for them to be fully used... and on top of that i am looking for a mic also.... i want the best sound quality i can get for the price ,

i think i am on the right track but i dont know what to do.... help me out guys...

 

[basroil]

1) You don't NEED a sound card for ATH-AD500X or HD518 lines
2) With a sound card they will sound better than without
3) Even without a soundcard they will sound better than 90% of headsets out there.

If you need a mic though, you can use either of those families with a modmic, those with an external mic like Blue Yeti or AT-2020USB, or buy a headset based on those designs like the G4ME series.

 

[dddyfz27]

Definitely following this. I am in the exact same boat and have the same struggle. Making the switch from console to PC. Mainly only play fps so I'm trying to find the best setup to hear footsteps.

 

[Gabriel Ospina]

1) You don't NEED a sound card for ATH-AD500X or HD518 lines
2) With a sound card they will sound better than without
3) Even without a soundcard they will sound better than 90% of headsets out there.

If you need a mic though, you can use either of those families with a modmic, those with an external mic like Blue Yeti or AT-2020USB, or buy a headset based on those designs like the G4ME series.

i am considering the g4me series with a amp.... what is a good soundcard to get with it???

 

[thor220]

The problem here is that you assume you need to buy headphones with a Mic already on them. Why would you limit your choices when you could buy any headphones and simply add a ModMic onto them?

You want the best sound quality for the price? That largely depends on your budget. Let's say you have around $150 to spend total. The best you are going to get in this price range are the Audio Technica ATH-A900x. For the Mic you could get a ModMic or Blue Snowball. If you usually play games in a quiet environment and aren't worried about the amount of noise you make while playing games, The Audio Technica ATH-AD900x is pretty much the same as the A900x but has an open design. This improves the sound but conversely everyone around you can hear it, kinda like speakers. The upside of either of these headsets is that they are low impedance and don't require an AMP. A sound card would help a bit but it isn't an immediate concern if you don't have the money.

 

[ssddx]

there are many great brands of headphones. sennheiser and audiotechnica are only two of them.

agreed, dont rule out headphones just because they dont have a mic. most of the better sounding products are just headphones and you can add a mic to them easy enough.

a soundcard or amp is not required for all headphones but is for some harder to drive ones. the ad-series and hd5x8 series should be fine in most cases without one.

the game one = hd598 with a mic basically. the cheapest soundcard i'd go with is the xonar dg (equal to high end onboard audio only) if you have issues with your onboard like distortion/crackling/etc, or perhaps the creative z if you want better than onboard performance. the xonar dx would also work nice with headphones that dont require much power (as it doesnt have a strong amp but has a better dac than the z). you could also use a headphone dac+amp external like the fiio e10k or similar if you prefer.

 

[gondo]

You want the best. Avoid the soundcard. Avoid the expensive high end motherboards with onboard headphone amps.

Get yourself an external USB DAC. That'll give you superior sound. A nice one is the M-Audio super dac. Another nice one is the Emotive Ego series. The DAC won't have fancy dolby software or cretive CMSS vitrtual surround sound for headphones. That's why soundcards cost so much, they have all this fancy software that's not good. Just install Razer surround for free and get virtual surround sound. $20 unlocks the full version. More expensive solutions exist such as out of your head but the razer is good enough for the price.

Now just get any set of headphones. Hit up a music store that sells guitars and stuff and go shopping. I recommend a pair with a removable cable so it can easily be replaced when broken. AKG, Seiheisser, Audio Technica, Grado, Sony, Shure, etc... Lots of good brands out there. Depends on your budget. Hit the store and see what they have.

Now your missing a mic. If you have a webcam you can use that. If you don't have a webcam and want one, problem solved. Otherwise the Blue Yeti or Snowball are the better ones.

A USB headset is basically a cheap DAC, Dolby Headphone software, and a cheap pair of headphones all rolled into one gaming package. If any of it breaks it's garbage. Buying the components seperately as above gives you professional sound, and a product that could last forever. Good headphones can easily last forever as they can be repaired and rebuilt. Seinheisser for example will always have replacable parts and ear cushions. And for music and movies they will be superior to a USB headset.

You could always just use your onboard sound for now and just get a pair of headphones. Upgrade to a DAC in the future. Also note the DAC can also be purchased at a music store. The Emotiva one must be ordered firct from them, but something like an M-Audio or Dragonfly can be purchased in music stores.