Get the Sennheiser G4me Zero or something else?

1RuneKing

Estimable
May 1, 2014
7
0
4,510
I am currently using a Panasonic RP-HC200 that I got a few years back as a gift and a Samson Go Mic that I bought a bit.
I knew Sennheiser was a good audio company, not many problems with them. But I've read things like I'll need an amp, or don't buy anything with the word "game/gaming" in it....
What do you guys say about it?
Are there any headphones in the $200 range you'd recommend? The Zero's are $300, but $200 on Amazon. I would prefer to have the mic on teh headset, but it's not mandatory as I have this Samson mic.............
If I do get the Zero's would I need an amp? I'm not really an audio techy. I use onboard audio, and my motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI which claims to have a 600 ohm amp in the back. This should be more than sufficient yes? And would this drive the front audio as well? I really don't wanna use the back if I can get away with it, but I think I read this set had a 3m longcable, but I can't seem to find that lsited anywhere anymore.

Thanks for any help!
 

Lowie1771

Honorable
Dec 8, 2013
3
0
10,510
I tend to avoid products specifically marketed towards "gamers," because companies often think they can simply paint some racing stripes on and sell it for $50 more. That being said, I know Sennheiser makes quality products; I have the PC360D, which supposedly provide 7.1 sound. Undoubtedly the best pair I've ever owned, but also the only really high-end pair.
 

1RuneKing

Estimable
May 1, 2014
7
0
4,510
This is quoted from gigabyte's site about the motherboard audio.
The ALC1150 is a high-performance multi-channel High Definition Audio Codec that delivers an exceptional audio listening experience with up to 115dB SNR, ensuring users get the best possible audio quality from their PC.

The ALC1150 provides ten DAC channels that simultaneously support 7.1-channel sound playback, plus 2 channels of independent stereo sound output (multiple streaming) through the front panel stereo outputs. Two stereo ADCs are integrated and can support a microphone array with Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC), Beam Forming (BF), and Noise Suppression (NS) technologies. The ALC1150 incorporates Realtek proprietary converter technology to achieve Front differential output 115dB Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR) playback (DAC) quality and 104dB SNR recording (ADC) quality.

Specially designed for gamers, GIGABYTE 9 series Ultra Durable™ motherboards utilize a high-capacity amplifier which is able to drive 600Ω loads, giving gamers a fuller range of dynamic sound with crisper details and less distortion when using high quality professional headphones
I get what you're saying. And to me these seem like good headphones for the money....



I get what you're saying. But these seem like decent headphones for the money (esp at 200). [strike]For the 7.1 surround, how does that work? I would need to use their USB thing to have it right?[/strike] The motherboard says something about having 7.1 surround, but like I said, I'm not an audio guy so a lot of that just goes over my head....
How do you thing the Zero's would compare to the 360D's?
The 363D has the virtual 7.1 surround and uses the USB card..... And apparently it sounds fake..? Either way its $100 more lol.
 

theLeggo

Estimable
Dec 26, 2014
64
0
4,610
Your motherboards amp will only give extra power to the back 3.5mm jacks, not the front. The G4ME Zero is a good headset, but is there any reason for wanting the closed back version over the open back G4ME One? The open back will give a bigger soundstage, for less bass, which is better for a competitive FPS.
 

1RuneKing

Estimable
May 1, 2014
7
0
4,510


Well teh main reason is my family. With the open ones I doubt they'd be too appreciative of the music and gunshots. Plus this way I can tone out the sound of hte TV in the next room easier. My current pair are closed back and I can't tell ya how many times I've nailed someone trying to knife when I heard their footsteps mixed in with mine... Something that likely wouldn't work if I had ambient sound mixing with my in-game sounds.
Make sense? :)
 
generally sennheiser gaming headsets are pretty decent however also overpriced for the quality they deliver. good choice if you dont mind spending the money and can deal with the slight negatives.

the pc363d mentioned above for example really does have pretty decent sound (although rather bass light) and decent mic quality. however, for less price you could easily get something like a modmic and hd598 which would blow them out of the water in sound quality and if you already had virtual surround support on your motherboard you could get surround as well (cheap $30 soundcards can give you this if you do not and you would still be under budget).

i would have said go with a hd558 or hd598 and modmic for the price since open headphones are best for gaming due to soundstage but it seems you want closed headphones.

the dt770 from beyerdynamic has fairly decent soundstage for a closed set of cans and has better quality of sound than the m50s (i own a pair of m50s model and love them, but horribly small soundstage = not so great for gaming, the m50x model is overpriced badly) and can be powered from your current setup if you went with a 32 or 80ohm version. the 80 packs more bass, the 32 is easier to drive even on portables. perhaps this is worth looking into.