Need help narrowing choices on a good headset/pair of headphones!

stealthwolf29

Honorable
Jul 7, 2013
3
0
10,510
Hello, thanks for reading this. I need a lot of help in narrowing down my choices on a few pairs of headphones/headsets. I've been doing a lot of reading and research on the topic, and find myself absolutely overwhelmed by conflicting opinions, varying information, etc.
My primary uses for these headphones will be gaming (rarely an fps, so overall sound quality is preferred over "sound whoring" as I have heard it called, though decent sound immersion is pretty important) as well as music of many different genres, mainly punk, metal, indie, and alternative. I would like to be able to use them with my phone, however this is not necessary and if it would negatively impact the overall performance of the headphones, than feel free to forget about usage with a phone. I use a webcam as my mic, so if there are any options that would provide a better audio recording setup that would remain under my total budget, that would be great (examble being built in mic/modmic.) Unfortunately my budget is capped at $200. The few sets I've seen so far that have been recommended to me include:
ATH - M50 Isolation is good, good sound, bad soundstage
ATH - AD700 Open design provides great soundstage, amazing highs and mids, bad bass
Sennheiser PC333D Not quite sure about this one, just found it on my own
Steelseries Siberia V2 Slightly below average sound quality, poor mic, assorted issues
Logitech G930 Software bugs, unreliable, good sound and mic though

Any help, such as recommendations or a final answer, is more than welcomed. I am so tired of finding no answer, despite hours of searching for a good solution. Thank you!
 
Solution
i recommend that you do a forum search for "ssddx headphone headset" and read some of the other responses i've made to these threads as i went over in great detail some options and what works best for certain situations.

you forgot such things as the hd558, hd598, dt770, u320 and pc350 in your list. which of these (and the ones you mentioned) is best for you depends on what kind of sound profile you like.

the hd598 or hd558 are going to be likely better for you in terms of gaming since they have wider soundstages. bass is better on the 558 but it has less clarity and soundstage then the 598 since it is a lower end product.

the m50 would provide the bass for your music genres if you can get over the small soundstage. the dt770 is a...
i recommend that you do a forum search for "ssddx headphone headset" and read some of the other responses i've made to these threads as i went over in great detail some options and what works best for certain situations.

you forgot such things as the hd558, hd598, dt770, u320 and pc350 in your list. which of these (and the ones you mentioned) is best for you depends on what kind of sound profile you like.

the hd598 or hd558 are going to be likely better for you in terms of gaming since they have wider soundstages. bass is better on the 558 but it has less clarity and soundstage then the 598 since it is a lower end product.

the m50 would provide the bass for your music genres if you can get over the small soundstage. the dt770 is a better choice overall than the m50 but runs more money and depending on what version you buy.. might need a small amp for portable use.

so... i'm thinking either dt770 or hd558.
 
Solution

stealthwolf29

Honorable
Jul 7, 2013
3
0
10,510


okay so I found the HD 598's on Amazon, and they are only 180 dollars because they are on sale. Would this be a good deal, compared to their normal $320 price point? Are they able to be driven from my computer's on board sound card? I hope I'm not asking too much!
 
hd598's can be driven by onboard sound just fine since they are only 50ohm impedance. most portable devices can handle them as well.

if you need virtual surround sound though you might need a dedicated soundcard or the free razer software but that is a different topic then them just being able to power the headphones.
 

stealthwolf29

Honorable
Jul 7, 2013
3
0
10,510


Okay, thank you so much for your help. I'll take the deal then and let you know how I like them once I get them. Your help is much appreciated. :)
 
the h598 have a wide soundstage which makes them good for gaming. quality is also good. they are just a bit bass light compared with some other headphones but still have more bass then things such as the a700x. generally bass is okay unless your'e a basshead and need more than average amounts to be satisfied.