Im looking for some recommendations on a headset

[Th3-Hunter333]

I just had my good old asus strix pro headset snap almost in half on the left side right above the left hand side speaker and am now on a hunt to look for one.

Im open to almost all recommendations, i just have one requirement that i would need and that is i would much prefer to not have a usb headset and would prefer to have a 3.5mm jack at least.

Also if anyone has a recommendation of using a deck mic and a headset without a mic built in, i would accept that as well but i would like to see links ;]

Thanks a bunch guys

 

[basroil]

All depends on how much you want to spend. If you budget about $200, you can get a stand-alone mic (like http/www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2500-USB-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B004QJREXM/ref=sr_1_7?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1444026567&sr=1-7) and then a decent studio headphone (more or less anything in http/www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Design+Type_Over-Ear&mnp=75&ci=12572&N=3753775955+4291226455+4291223026+4291606550+4291215468+3807447614&mxp=140)

If that's not to your liking, maybe something like http/www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1062932-REG/sennheiser_506080_g4me_one_headset_black.html ?

 

[ssddx]

agreed, budget please as well as what soundcard/amp/motherboard you have or if you are not opposed to purchasing a soundcard or amplifier. please also specify if you want closed or open cans and what kind of sound signature you like.

a few choices under $200

ad500x, ad700x, ad900x lineup. open. huge soundstage and great positional audio. lacks low end bass.
a500x, a700x, a900x. closed. similar to above lineup but with poorer soundstage and darker sound with a little more bass.
dt770. closed. bassy. decent soundstage for closed cans. v-shaped sound signature with bright treble and good bass.
dt990. open. bassy. good soundstage. v-shaped sound signature with bright treble and good bass.
dt880. semi-open. similar to above two but more neutral in signature.
k701, q701. compare to ad500x lineup but harder to drive.
hd518, hd558, hd598 lineup. open. fairly neutral headphones with more laid back easy listening feel.

some require amps or soundcards depending on what equipment you are trying to use them on.

for microphones here are a few options

lavalier microphones. may need adapter but offer everything from poor quality (zm1) to excellent quality (professional models). small, attached to collar or headphone cable.

moovmic or similar. low end copies of the modmic with worse sound quality and build quality. you get what you pay for but are not terrible for the price for low end budgets.

modmic. the go-to solution for adding a microphone to a headphone. good quality.

desktop microphones. on a budget the atr2500usb is similar to the much more expensive at2020usb but perhaps 75% as good in build quality and sound. the at2020usb is great for plug and play. the at2020 (xlr) is good if you use a mixer and want to record but is more equipment to set up. the at2035 is a slightly better mic than the 2020 depending on what you want to record. the blue yeti is a comparable mic to the 2020 which offers multiple pickup modes however it is a bit on the large size. usb mics will be plug and play and easy to use while xlr will need an adapter or mixer which can be better for recording since you have a physical knob to turn for gain and the like but may be more than just an average gamer wants.

 

[Th3-Hunter333]

Im open to almost any budget, and will thank both of you above for the replies (you guys are awesome, thanks)
Lets start at 100$ USA

I will leave more info, i plan on maybe making use of the antlion mod mic of something similar to this for gaming purposes mostly/slight music

Im running it on my custom built desktop with an msi gaming 9 ack x99 motherboard (it has a creative soundblaster onboard audio?) (creative sound blaster cinema 2 is the software for it)

My preference, mostly open to almost anything but i would prefer to have closed headphones with more emphasis on the bass (hows that for more info?)

 

[ssddx]

for only $100 and under (for both mic and headphones total) your choices are a bit limited. for $200 and under you have more options. for $300 and under you can have your choice out of anything from the list above and power them fine.

under $100 best value picks
-hd518 paired with moovmic or lavalier mic. not closed nor bassy but is just this side of neutral with a slight little edge on bass.
-creative aurvana live! paired with a mic (good quality for low to medium volume levels only)
-hyper x cloud headset. for the price, you wont find many better headsets.
-hd439 .. with bass mod done its bass is very substantial (perhaps too much).

if you want both closed and bass perhaps the dt770 is what you want. v-moda headphones offer similar sound signature (and you can use the boompro mic with them easily) but the dt770 is better all around.

the m50 is like a budget dt770 and has good warm sound for the money (around $110 for the older m50s model is good, the m50x models are too costly for what they offer) but they have a VERY small soundstage which is not ideal for gaming and the earcups are not for people with large ears. i own a pair myself and i like how they sound however everything will sound very close and intimate/nearby (which i like) not airy and 3d like open or large soundstage cans will.

of all the choices, i'd likely single out the hd518 and hxc as the best under $100 choices for gaming but if you have a higher budget which opens up more choices that would be ideal as the $200-300 range is really where the sweet spot is in terms of performance per dollar value.

 

[Th3-Hunter333]

Your responses are spot on, thank you alot mate.

I know this one is over budget but do you have experience with the Audio technica ath t500 as well as the ad500x?
http/www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-T500-Dynamic-Headphones-Import/dp/B002T6NZKU
http/www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009S333U4/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687642&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002T6NZKU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0TEEC5H35ZGSHBYPR4A8

I wish the ad500x was closed though ;/

 

[ssddx]

the a500x is like a closed ad500x. soundstaging is less, they are not quite as clear and there is slightly more bass. overall the ad500x is superior but if you absolutely require closed its an option. keep in mind that in a prior post you wanted BASS and they do NOT have that. mid-bass is very punchy and is fine but you do not have depth into the lower frequencies.

not super familiar with the t500 but it has been described as between the ad900x and m50 in sound. brighter than the m50 (but harsh and sibilant without a warm amplifier), more bass than the ad lineup but less than the m50 with more soundstage than the m50 has. it was suggested to use a decent amplifier with them to mellow out the harsh uppers (and to burn them in to help with this as well). overall doesnt seem like a bad choice for budget headphones but i wouldnt think it superior of any of the more expensive choices i've listed.

 

[Th3-Hunter333]

Hmm overall this seems like this is going to be a hard choice here, i do want to have a bit more bass because i just like it in gaming.

I like these options, they are greatly appreciated

You are very good at headphones comparisons no doubt, i might give open air headphones a try for once in my life.
I just like noise cancellation quite alot is why i havent

 

[ssddx]

if possible give a listen to some of them in person locally. sometimes there is a nearby shop which has demo models.

generally open cans are suggested for gaming unless you have need of closed cans to help block out ambient noise levels. which one is best for you depends on your own circumstances. completely your choice whether your pursue open vs closed.

 

[Th3-Hunter333]

Im thinking i would need to have closed mainly so they dont leak audio and wake others sleeping in the house lol.

Fiance sleeps literally right behind me at the moment while im on my desktop (when im gaming, my volume is usually cranked)

Edit:Also any reccommendation on maybe a amplifier or something i could possibly use so i can have a volume dial in close reach

This might not make any sense here but i just want an amp or something maybe that will give me a volume dial (if you can call it that) right at my finger tips along with other features that the amp provides of course

https/www.google.com/search?q=asus+strix+pro&tbm=isch&imgil=bUinXEYQ0R9cGM%253A%253B1fEopMkJkpanyM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Frog.asus.com%25252F323802014%25252Fgaming-headsets%25252Fasus-announces-strix-pro-gaming-headset%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=bUinXEYQ0R9cGM%253A%252C1fEopMkJkpanyM%252C_&biw=1920&bih=947&usg=__iOMUJlqtXFcg1PN7BV-d7QcjkQE%3D&ved=0CDkQyjdqFQoTCIOOp57UrMgCFcg5Pgod7eML1A&ei=AB8TVoOOEMjz-AHtx6-gDQ#imgrc=bUinXEYQ0R9cGM%3A&usg=__iOMUJlqtXFcg1PN7BV-d7QcjkQE%3D

Like this one^

 

[ssddx]

all external amplifiers or dac+amplifiers have volume knobs.

are you caring whether or not you have virtual 5.1 support or not?

if not, external dac+amp units are great. if you do then the only thing i can think about would be either using an external soundcard like the omni or using an internal soundcard or onboard audio (if onboard supports virtual) and an external amplifier.

https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=h98XY1und0A 6:50 leak test on hd598. at high volumes people can hear what you are listening to right next to you although this drops off quite fast with distance. heres a similar test (though he has a less sensitive mic it seems) with the closed m50 https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2BhjQRDCAk which is still audible at high volumes but not so much at low volumes.

generally at any sort of high volumes you will hear audio leak no matter if they are closed or open cans although closed cans will be muffled a bit more. at low and medium listening levels closed cans have almost no leak at all.

before i recommend any amplifiers or the like, its best to at least have an idea of which headphones you were thinking of.

 

[Th3-Hunter333]

Ok i will put it like this, im leaning more towards the closed set here below

http/www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WXY0H8/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687542&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B005TCZITW&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ASQR0BEJTANYEAFN7KZ

But this is also an option im thinking

http/www.amazon.com/Technica-AUD-ATHAD500X-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B009S333U4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1444095287&sr=1-1&keywords=ad+500

Im leaning more towards the closed set to avoid me disturbing my fiance in her rest lol

Also on your last note, i dont require to have virtual surround because i do have a little bit from my creative soundblaster software that i like to use at times but hell if that is also an option i would like to see what is available

Fast question here, would an antlion mod mic be able to be used WITH the amp? or would i just have to suffice with my onboard mic connections?

 

[ssddx]

keep in mind that neither the a500x nor ad500x have good bass. (i sound like a parrot but i'm making sure you realize this). both are decent choices provided you're happy with that.

if you want to use your onboard audio software, you could just use an external amplifier and get virtual from your onboard. sound quality on the dac side would be the same (an external dac or an internal soundcard would increase this at more cost) but if you think your onboard sounds fine and want to keep costs down you can go with onboard for now.

as far as external amps that you can use which are budget oriented (since you appear to be liking sub $100 headphones) would be the fiio a3/e11/e11k. if you ended up with nicer headphones in the under $200 category then there are nicer amps like the schiit magni and e12. (there are also external dac+amp solutions i could list but since you want virtual surround i'm not listing them as they do not support it)

external dac/amps do not have connections for microphone, that would be reserved for soundcards or your motherboard connectors.

a headphone amplifier only amplifies a signal. thats it. its one and only use is boosting the power of a signal from a source so that it can power headphones. the only external option which would have a mic jack and still have a volume knob is something like the soundblaster omni, u7 or xfi which are pc soundcards and not standalone headphone dac/amps. similar in function yes, but also different.

 

[Th3-Hunter333]

I fully appreciate making sure im aware that both of those lack in bass (sadly i will miss it but i have no problem sacrificing in the bass department)

It seems that alot of these external amps/dacs are usb (am i right here)
I cant use my onboard software without it being ran through a 3.5mm headphone jack sadly

The above isnt really a major concern but would just like to have the tweaks that i can apply from the software as well.

I may stick with onboard for that maybe (my onboard sounds mostly alright to me as is) http/us.msi.com/product/mb/X99S-GAMING-9-ACK.html#hero-overview

I linked the motherboard for you above to see what i will be running this entire setup to if it helps

As it stands i might be grabbing one of the headsets from above and running the antlion mod mic to it.

The only thing im wanting to have really after that is the ability to change my volume on the fly while im gaming or anything for that matter right at my fingertips (little volume dial at my hand if you will)

 

[ssddx]

you could have bass if you changed headphone choices within budget (but may sacrifice in other areas) or up your budget to something like the dt770 which would be ideal for everything.

most dac+amp units are usb. amplifier only units either accept 3.5mm or rca red+white generally. dac+amp units can not be used with your soundcard. amplifier only units can.

for something like the a500x you could make do with the omni which is about the same price as the a3. your choice there. likely your onboard audio can drive the a500x fine without an external amp but you wanted an external volume control.

 

[Th3-Hunter333]

yeah i was watching some videos on the omni, i might like that alot.. its about perfect for what i was wanting.

I would like to have the external volume control which the omni would provide just fine but im just not sure yet

 

[Th3-Hunter333]

I would like to ask your opinion one more time if you would like, i posted this as a new thread here on toms hardware and thought i should post it here as well to see what you think as well.

Again, you are awesome. Your help is accurate and clean mate ;]



Ok ive got two options in mind here that im thinking about doing but just need an extra opinion and budget is a bit limited.

My old asus strix pro's headband snapped and now im on the hunt for a new headset and have decided on two options (currently im using a set of skull candy crushers without a mic)

My motherboard is the msi gaming 9 ack x99 so the onboard audio is not half bad at all (pretty decent for me)

Audio technica http/www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WXY0H8/ref=pd_lpo_...

Antlion mod mic http/www.modmic.com/

Creative soundblaster omni http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Option one is as follows:I can get me a set of audio technica a500x and an antlion mod mic to run along side the audio technica and stick with my current onboard audio to run the audio technica

Option two is as follows:I can stick with my current set of skullcandy crushers and grab the antlion mod mic to use with the crushers and get the creative soundblaster omni to power the crushers

I am perfectly fine with both options, im just wanting a second thought from someone more knowledgeable in headphones/audio.

Which would give me a better audio experience, the better headset or the soundblaster?

 

[ssddx]

you would want the better headset.

if you're in a budget bind... you could always get a cheaper microphone. perhaps the moovmic. its not the same quality as the modmic at all but based on reviews should be adequate for just normal gaming matches and simple voip use.

 

[Th3-Hunter333]

You are hands down the fastest person ive seen comment on here lol, i got to hand it to you.

I like that advice alot, i was mildly leaning towards the omni choice but mostly because i like the way the software looks from youtube videos (im sure i can make it sound good from just the software)

But actually i might go with your idea on that