Looking For A Good Headset/ Headphones For >$100

Joder921

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Jan 15, 2014
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After dealing with many cheap pairs of $20 - $30 dollar headsets, its time for me to finally get one that's gonna last. I recently built a gaming PC and just stuck with some earbuds and a plug in mic. The plug in mic is great, however my earbuds just are not cutting it any more.
I do not have much experience within the audio realm, so I decided to consult tom's Guide for recommendations.

Things that I want from a Headset / Headphones:
-I want the headset to be durable. (I've seen too many cheap headsets snap right in half.)
-I want good sound quality. (including bass)
-I would like surround sound. (recommended by a friend)
-I NEED serenity. I don't want the person next to me to be able to hear what i'm listening to through my headset, nor do I want to hear everything else in the room that's happening around me. ( My last pair were like speakers taped to my ears. Everyone else could hear them.)
-Wireless would be nice, but not required.
-Doesn't need a mic. I already have one that works fine. (if it has one that's fine too)
-Under $100 dollars please :)

My PC has a fairly cheap sound card (if that matters).

That's about it! I really appreciate you guys for all the help :)
 
if you went the standard headphones route, there are a few options for under $100....

creative aurvana live! closed cans for $60 with respectable audio quality for the money. due to being a closed design they arent the best choice for gaming (open cans are) but since you dont like sound leakage i'd say you would prefer closed cans. while good, they are not capable of "high" volume levels and sound best at moderate levels.

sennheiser hd518. while these are open cans so will leak sound out of them (minimal if volume is kept to reasonable levels) they have a nice neutral soundstage with just a slight bit more bass than a flat eq. if you can get over them being open (which you seem to not want) they are superb for the money. $73.

ath-m50. available open box for $100 on ebay. while they might have a very small soundstage (which is not as ideal for gaming) its hard to deny that they have good sound quality for the money, have great bass and sound isolation.

as for virtual surround... you can use razer's free software for that or if your soundcard or motherboard includes the option for virtual surround you can use that. it honestly is not required for gaming on most open cans since positional audio and soundstage are good but you might benefit from it on closed cans.
 

Joder921

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Jan 15, 2014
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Thank you for this insight! I definitely want closed-can headphones/ headset! The ath-m50 looks great, but i would like "new" and not refurbished. Also, I would like to try out a headset that has surround sound. The creative aurvana live ones look a little... plain... i would like some style in the headphones :)
Im not sure if there are great surround sound headphones for the price, but my friend recommended the logitech G930 headset that he bought.

Could I get any other recommendations before I buy anything? Also, if there inst a good surround sound headphones/ headset in my price range, I'll take some more stereo suggestions :)
Thank you for all your help!
 

raul1794

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May 27, 2011
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Avoid the g930, they have too much connectivity issues. Hyperx cloud 2 is your best choice.