Best headset for around $150?

[Brandon138]

I'm looking to get a headset soon since I'm just using a cheap logitech one right now. Thing is I don't really know what I'm looking at when I look at some of the specs (7.1, USB connected etc).

My priority is sound quality first. I want just about the best sound quality possible without having to spend $300+. Meaning surround sound and the quality/tone in general. To me it sounds like USB headsets would be best but from what I've read apparently that's wrong. I'm also not against getting an aftermarket soundcard if necessary.

Next priority would be comfort and having a mic.

I was looking at the Steelseries Siberia V2, but again, I don't exactly know what I'm looking at for the specs. Also I saw that a Siberia V3 is out now. The idea is I want to get something not super expensive but without cutting corners. I don't want to feel like I should upgrade a year from now.

Thanks for any help.

 

[timeconsumer]

I would get a quality set of headphones like Sennhesier HD 558 or Audio Technica AD700X and just use a clip on microphone to clip to the headphone cord. Best sound possible.

 

[Brandon138]

I would get a quality set of headphones like Sennhesier HD 558 or Audio Technica AD700X and just use a clip on microphone to clip to the headphone cord. Best sound possible.

How cluttery is a clip on headphone? Never used one and I'm not a fan of excess wires everywhere.

Also I should mention that these will be used for gaming just as much as listening to music and other media.

 

[timeconsumer]

How cluttery is a clip on headphone? Never used one and I'm not a fan of excess wires everywhere.

Also I should mention that these will be used for gaming just as much as listening to music and other media.

It wouldn't be noticeable at all if you use some zip ties, electrical tape, shrink tubing, or something similar to keep the cords together.

And as far as gaming vs. media. I've used 5.1 and 7.1 for gaming and I don't like it. I prefer a regular pair of headphones.

 

[ssddx]

generally in terms of audio quality hifi headphones are far superior to headsets. the only cases where this is not as true are headsets based on actual headphone designs. this would be the hyper x cloud, ath-adg1, pc363d, game zero, game one, mmx300. most of those however (all except game one) are based on headphones without much bass presence.

do not forget the modmic. its perhaps teh best option for turning headphones into headsets. the uni-directional is what you want.

as far as headphones are concerned... depending on your preferences there are tons of options for you. you should give us an idea how you want them to sound and what kind of features you want.

want advantage in games? ad500x/ad700x are good choice. very little bass but this means you hear footsteps easier but they may be boring to listen to.
want bass and soundstage? dt990
want bass but closed design? dt770.
want something more mellow and in between the above? hd518/558/598.

 

[Brandon138]

generally in terms of audio quality hifi headphones are far superior to headsets. the only cases where this is not as true are headsets based on actual headphone designs. this would be the hyper x cloud, ath-adg1, pc363d, game zero, game one, mmx300. most of those however (all except game one) are based on headphones without much bass presence.

do not forget the modmic. its perhaps teh best option for turning headphones into headsets. the uni-directional is what you want.

as far as headphones are concerned... depending on your preferences there are tons of options for you. you should give us an idea how you want them to sound and what kind of features you want.

want advantage in games? ad500x/ad700x are good choice. very little bass but this means you hear footsteps easier but they may be boring to listen to.
want bass and soundstage? dt990
want bass but closed design? dt770.
want something more mellow and in between the above? hd518/558/598.

I would say that I'm going for immersion, as far as gaming. I just want things to sound real. I'd like to be able to tell if things are far or close and from what direction. I'm not TOO concerned about having really low bass, but I don't necessarily want to be weak in that area. For example if a giant monster comes stomping towards me I want to be able to feel the deep sound of his footsteps. I'm more concerned with overall quality and realism than anything.
Right now I think I'm leaning towards the 598.

Also I might try to get a sound card in addition to the headset.

 

[timeconsumer]

I would say that I'm going for immersion, as far as gaming. I just want things to sound real. I'd like to be able to tell if things are far or close and from what direction. I'm not TOO concerned about having really low bass, but I don't necessarily want to be weak in that area. For example if a giant monster comes stomping towards me I want to be able to feel the deep sound of his footsteps. I'm more concerned with overall quality and realism than anything.
Right now I think I'm leaning towards the 598.

Also I might try to get a sound card in addition to the headset.

I'm a Sennheiser owner myself so I like the decision of the 598.

 

[ssddx]

you mention both immersion and realistic. a few things to point out which relates to frequency response curves (how headphones sound at different sound levels). a curve which is fairly flat would mean that across the board no one thing (treble, mids, bass) stands out as prominent and these will provide the most natural true-to-recording sound. a curve which is v-shaped (prominent in treble and bass) will give a more exciting sound. some claim flat is natural while others call it boring. some call v-shaped immersive while others may say mids are weak. depends on your preference really.

the dt990 would be fairly exciting and immersive. bright crisp highs paired up with deep bass as far as open cans go. could be a bit fatiguing due to treble and the fact that they are fairly aggressive in detail but thats not a bad thing either.

the hd558 or hd598 are more laid back and easy listening. some may say they are a bit slow and dull but again, opinion. decent enough bass, mids are about equal to everything else and decent but not overly bright treble. a good all-rounder generally.

a soundcard or external amp is a good idea. depending on what you want to buy for headphones your choices there might change a bit. the soundblaster z however is worth looking at.

 

[Brandon138]

Welp. Looks like I'm going with the Creative Labs ZXR and Sennheiser HD 598. I think, still thinking about the headset. I may have to try to go somewhere and test some out.

 

[ssddx]

it should be noted that the game one headset is pretty much a hd598 + mic in one.

also of note is that the hd518, 558 and 598 share the same exact drivers and only vary in build quality and sound very slightly (due to construction). the 518 is a bit more bassy and a little less treble but they are all similar. see http/graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID%5B%5D=2841&graphID%5B%5D=2861&graphID%5B%5D=2851 curve for details. what you get as you move up in price is more build quality and more comfortable pads.

 

[timeconsumer]

it should be noted that the game one headset is pretty much a hd598 + mic in one.

also of note is that the hd518, 558 and 598 share the same exact drivers and only vary in build quality and sound very slightly (due to construction). the 518 is a bit more bassy and a little less treble but they are all similar. see http/graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID%5B%5D=2841&graphID%5B%5D=2861&graphID%5B%5D=2851 curve for details. what you get as you move up in price is more build quality and more comfortable pads.

Very interesting graph, thanks for sharing. As a 518 owner I don't feel so ashamed for being poor now.

 

[Brandon138]

it should be noted that the game one headset is pretty much a hd598 + mic in one.

also of note is that the hd518, 558 and 598 share the same exact drivers and only vary in build quality and sound very slightly (due to construction). the 518 is a bit more bassy and a little less treble but they are all similar. see http/graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID%5B%5D=2841&graphID%5B%5D=2861&graphID%5B%5D=2851 curve for details. what you get as you move up in price is more build quality and more comfortable pads.

I'm dumb but idk what I'm really looking at with that graph. I get the 2 axis of the graph but I don't quite know what it signifies as far as the bass/treble level. The volume of it?

 

[ssddx]

http/www.centerpointaudio.com/HowToUnderstandSoundFrequencyResponseGraph.aspx

basically a static volume series of test tones are played and the output volume measured.

the zero db line would be neutral while anything above the line would be more "prominent" sounding" and anything below the line would be a bit "recessed".

meaning, if say both treble and bass spiked above the line while mids were below (v-shaped curve) in listening to the headphones you could expect that bass and treble would sound louder in comparision to mids. this says nothing as to the "quality" of the audio coming out of the cans but is a good representation about how they sound generally speaking.

as another example, a line that for the most part follows a horizontal line would be called flat. while some people would say it sounds boring and unexciting its also going to give you the most accurate true-to-recording sound so others would say it sounds more natural. flat sounding headphones are great for audio production for this reason.

as for while is best, that depends on your preferences. there are many other types of curves... some spike in mids (forward mids), while some spike in treble and mids with little bass (forward highs and mids) while some spike in bass (forward bass). keep in mind to not just go by the curve graphs but also what people say about them. i only mentioned curves to try and give you a vague idea how such things worked and sounded.

 

[Brandon138]

Thanks for all the help. So from that graph it looks like the 558 could be a good choice. Still need to do a bit of research though.

 

[Brandon138]

So I'm still leaning towards the 598's but the only thing that worries me is what I've read about its bass. I don't really need a lot of bass, but I don't want to be lacking in it. My headset now tends has bass that tends to butt in when it shouldn't and that's the main thing I worry about with bassist headphones. I just want bass when it's supposed to be there. Playing BF4 for example, I still want to feel a boom when an explosion goes off, but I don't want everything to have a bassy overtone to it likes headset now has.

 

[ssddx]

if you are in the usa you missed out on the hd598's for $99 yesterday at amazon. they are back up to $160 now.

the 5xx series is neither "bass light" nor "bassy" but is more "average" sounding in regards to bass. more bass than bass light headphones like the ad500x or q701 but not as much as any headphones in the bassy classification like the dt770 or dt990.

if you want more bass then the 598 then you're going to be delving into the bassy classification of headphones, which by your description i think you are seeking to avoid.

 

[Brandon138]

Why would you tell me that

 

[timeconsumer]

if you are in the usa you missed out on the hd598's for $99 yesterday at amazon. they are back up to $160 now.

I almost jumped on that deal until I remembered what you said about the 518s having the same drivers.

 

[ssddx]

you may want to see what is on sale for cyber monday.