Looking for a gaming headset solution with mic monitoring/sidetone for under $100-150 or so.

[malrats]

I am always on a constant quest for a headset that's good for gaming but also provides me with a way to hear myself. If I can't, the headset is useless. All Turtle Beach and Astro offerings have this, as well as Logitech, but none of them have really worked well for me for a PC setup because of either quality or price being too high.

I also have Razer Kraken 7.1 V2 (decent but the microphone gives me a lispy distortion and they are too noise isolating) and SteelSeries Arctis 5 (a firmware update miserably killed the volume and sidetone).

I feel like I've tried almost everything by this point, even Game Ones, which I didn't like (the velour was hot and the open style still didn't really let sound or air in very well and was therefore pointless for that high price).

Anyone have any suggestions that I'm missing? Thanks.

 

[Chugalug_]

The Game Ones I don't like, I have the Game Zeros which admittedly I got free but are much more comfortable.
I recommend getting a proper pair of headphones and a moovmic, always the better option above the $100 mark.

https/pcpartpicker.com/product/4PcMnQ/sennheiser-hd-598-cs-headphones-hd-598-cs

 

[malrats]

The Game Ones I don't like, I have the Game Zeros which admittedly I got free but are much more comfortable.
I recommend getting a proper pair of headphones and a moovmic, always the better option above the $100 mark.

https/pcpartpicker.com/product/4PcMnQ/sennheiser-hd-598-cs-headphones-hd-598-cs

But now the question is, how do I hear myself with this sort of option?

 

[Chugalug_]

You can turn on the 'listen to yourself' option under mic properties in Windows Audio Devices.
No headsets generally should do this anyway, the only company I know of that's done this is Turtlebeach.

 

[malrats]

You can turn on the 'listen to yourself' option under mic properties in Windows Audio Devices.
No headsets generally should do this anyway, the only company I know of that's done this is Turtlebeach.

Since some point after Windows 7, this function hasn't worked. There's a high enough delay that you end up speech jamming yourself.

As far as companies that do it, I can personally vouch for having used it on Turtle Beach, Astro, Razer, SteelSeries, and Logitech headsets. They each have their own sets of software/USB amplifier monitoring/sidetone.

 

[Chugalug_]

Is this such a major issue for you that you need to go for a headset instead? This drops sound quality DRAMATICALLY and means that you won't have as good of an experience in terms of audio.
It's not a bad thing, I changed from the PX22s to the Sennheiser Game Zeros for use during LANs and while it took about a week to adjust it's perfectly fine now.

 

[malrats]

Is this such a major issue for you that you need to go for a headset instead? This drops sound quality DRAMATICALLY and means that you won't have as good of an experience in terms of audio.
It's not a bad thing, I changed from the PX22s to the Sennheiser Game Zeros for use during LANs and while it took about a week to adjust it's perfectly fine now.

Sadly, yes. I've tried so hard to play games without being able to hear myself, but two things happen:

1) I end up screaming and I play late at night, so people wake up and freak out on me.

2) Because I can't hear myself or anything around me, when those people approach me to scream at me, I never hear them coming and they scare the absolute hell out of me.

I want to be aware of my surroundings, have decent in-game (preferably) surround sound and chat, and be able to hear my own voice. That's what I'm chasing after.

 

[Chugalug_]

Here's your problem.
You say you're looking for a headset solution yet don't want a headset, no pair of headphones on the market is going to offer a software option like this, so it's an impossibility, I can't help you there.
See if you can get one of these softwares to mics other than their own proprietary ones, message each of the companies.

 

[malrats]

Here's your problem.
You say you're looking for a headset solution yet don't want a headset, no pair of headphones on the market is going to offer a software option like this, so it's an impossibility, I can't help you there.
See if you can get one of these softwares to mics other than their own proprietary ones, message each of the companies.

What do you mean that I don't want a headset? A headset is exactly what I want. With a microphone built in.

 

[Chugalug_]

I mean for $150, that's the only thing you're going to get, the Game One and Game Zero are at the top of that spectrum, and you don't like them.
Headphones are the only option apart from maybe giving the Logitech G633 a try.
All depends on preference.

 

[malrats]

I mean for $150, that's the only thing you're going to get, the Game One and Game Zero are at the top of that spectrum, and you don't like them.
Headphones are the only option apart from maybe giving the Logitech G633 a try.
All depends on preference.

Oh, I see.

Yeah, I'd tried the G633 a few months back and returned it. It was decent until a really nasty static was coming through the microphone.

 

[Chugalug_]

Go with the Sennheisers I listed and a moovmic off Amazon, great quality.

 

[alexschipper]

I think the Lucidsounds LS30 might have what you want, there you can set the ammount of sidetone via a jogwheel. They also have an surround version, the LS40, but not sure if it has the same ammount of side tone.

cheers,

Alex