Sennheiser Headset Question

[AW50]

Hey guys,

My Logitech G930 is currently broken after a few years of usage and I would like to make an upgrade.

Currently, i'm thinking about an Sennheiser 363D, 360 or even the 333D headset for gaming, eg. Battlefield, COD soundwhoring.. etc. (I also listen to music)

The only problem I have with these is that it says it has an "open design" does that mean if I am listening to music, while chatting to friends on skype, does that mean that they will hear my audio too?

My friend has a steelseries headset (I don't know which one it is) and we can hear his music through his mic even though he is wearing the headset. If the Sennheiser headsets have these problems i'd like to know that. Thanks!

 

[herrwizo]

Open design means that everyone around you can hear what are you listening to. The same applies to your microphone, which can then pick up the sound from headphones and create feedback loop. This can be sorted out by using lower volumes or lower mic sensitivity.

 

[ssddx]

the sennheiser 363d is overpriced. it is basically the old hd555/595 headphone with an integrated mic and soundcard. they are also known to be rather bass-light as well.

for LESS money you could go with something like the hd598 and modmic or desk mic ($150+$50) and be $100 less than the pc363d. if you wanted virtual surround sound you could use onboard on buy a soundcard and still be cheaper than the pc363d.

you could also use one of the other headphones available in that price range and still be lower or equal in budget as well if you wanted to go with a closed set of headphones instead of open.

if you wanted that "bass light" sound which is so desireable by ultra competitive gamers in the fps genre you could go with the ad700x or ad900x and have one of the best rated headphones for that purpose combined with a modmic or deskmic and still be under the price.

the pc363d is not a bad headset however and does score well but it (and the beyer mmx300) are just priced at a point higher than they should be for the quality and value you receive which makes other options a bit more appealing.

--

basically open headphones:
-typically offer a large soundstage for an airy/3d sound
-tend to be a bit more precise/accurate/sharp on sounds
-tend to be rather light to medium on bass response
-leak some sound and allow some sound to leak in
-breathe and are cooler to wear in hot weather

closed headphones:
-tend to have smaller soundstages due to soundwaves not escaping
-tend to be a bit warmer not quite as sharp and precise on sound due to sound bouncing around inside
-tend to be fair on bass ranging from medium, to heavy to the ultra-heavy of some designs
-muffle/subdue outside noise and also leak less noise
-are hotter to wear since they do not breath and may require taking them off once in awhile in hot weather

--

if playing at very loud volumes with a microphone attached to open headphones (or an open headset) some sound leak into the microphone can occur in some situations. generally this is because either the microphone is very sensitive and is without any noise-cancelling or directional capabilities or the volume (or amount of leak on the headphones) is very high.

generally this leak is not audible (except at high volumes) at distances more than a few feet away which makes using a desktop microphone another viable option.

at a very quick glance some people have reported no issues with sound leaking into the microphone when using the ad700x (which leaks a fair bit) combined with said modmic, the cheap and not very good zm1 zalman clip on as well as desktop mics. of course this may not be true in every single case but i think you should be fine as long as you do not punch the volume too high and as long as the microphone being used is noise cancelling or is directional (sometimes called cardioid which is the proper terminology)

yes, the pc363d should be fine as far as sound leak/microphone pickup is concerned as though they do leak sound they are generally not reported to have issues of mic pic up of audio (they are noise cancelling) and are pretty crisp.

--

in short:

i'd say that if you want a bass-light sound the pc363d would work... but you may at least want to consider using a pair of $100-200 headphones, a seperate mic and possibly a soundcard (if needed) for that sort of price as i feel you can get better value (and have more choice) for less/same money. your choice completely though.

--

afterthoughts...

i did not mention the pc360 at all above though for the money it is a solid and good headset. it will not compare of course to spending close to $300 for equipment (pc363d or other) but for the money is definitely a good choice at about $130-140.

 

[AW50]

the sennheiser 363d is overpriced. it is basically the old hd555/595 headphone with an integrated mic and soundcard. they are also known to be rather bass-light as well.

for LESS money you could go with something like the hd598 and modmic or desk mic ($150+$50) and be $100 less than the pc363d. if you wanted virtual surround sound you could use onboard on buy a soundcard and still be cheaper than the pc363d.

you could also use one of the other headphones available in that price range and still be lower or equal in budget as well if you wanted to go with a closed set of headphones instead of open.

if you wanted that "bass light" sound which is so desireable by ultra competitive gamers in the fps genre you could go with the ad700x or ad900x and have one of the best rated headphones for that purpose combined with a modmic or deskmic and still be under the price.

the pc363d is not a bad headset however and does score well but it (and the beyer mmx300) are just priced at a point higher than they should be for the quality and value you receive which makes other options a bit more appealing.

--

basically open headphones:
-typically offer a large soundstage for an airy/3d sound
-tend to be a bit more precise/accurate/sharp on sounds
-tend to be rather light to medium on bass response
-leak some sound and allow some sound to leak in
-breathe and are cooler to wear in hot weather

closed headphones:
-tend to have smaller soundstages due to soundwaves not escaping
-tend to be a bit warmer not quite as sharp and precise on sound due to sound bouncing around inside
-tend to be fair on bass ranging from medium, to heavy to the ultra-heavy of some designs
-muffle/subdue outside noise and also leak less noise
-are hotter to wear since they do not breath and may require taking them off once in awhile in hot weather

--

if playing at very loud volumes with a microphone attached to open headphones (or an open headset) some sound leak into the microphone can occur in some situations. generally this is because either the microphone is very sensitive and is without any noise-cancelling or directional capabilities or the volume (or amount of leak on the headphones) is very high.

generally this leak is not audible (except at high volumes) at distances more than a few feet away which makes using a desktop microphone another viable option.

at a very quick glance some people have reported no issues with sound leaking into the microphone when using the ad700x (which leaks a fair bit) combined with said modmic, the cheap and not very good zm1 zalman clip on as well as desktop mics. of course this may not be true in every single case but i think you should be fine as long as you do not punch the volume too high and as long as the microphone being used is noise cancelling or is directional (sometimes called cardioid which is the proper terminology)

yes, the pc363d should be fine as far as sound leak/microphone pickup is concerned as though they do leak sound they are generally not reported to have issues of mic pic up of audio (they are noise cancelling) and are pretty crisp.

--

in short:

i'd say that if you want a bass-light sound the pc363d would work... but you may at least want to consider using a pair of $100-200 headphones, a seperate mic and possibly a soundcard (if needed) for that sort of price as i feel you can get better value (and have more choice) for less/same money. your choice completely though.

--

afterthoughts...

i did not mention the pc360 at all above though for the money it is a solid and good headset. it will not compare of course to spending close to $300 for equipment (pc363d or other) but for the money is definitely a good choice at about $130-140.

Thank you for you very detailed long reply!

So for the 363D headsets the mic will not pick up the sound coming from the headset itself if I have it at a reasonable volume?

As my soundcard is on-board, i'd rather go for a headset that came with a better quality soundcard.

Currently, price isn't really my concern I would just like an upgrade from the G930's which have broken down...

 

[ssddx]

the pc363d should not pick up on what you are listening to as long as you are not blaring it.

the quality of soundcard inside headsets really is no better than your onboard. its about equal in most cases.

you could get something just as good or even better for less cash but it would not be an all-in-one solution. up to you if you care about that or not.

just realize that the 363 is noted for being fairly bass light. not sure if that fits your needs or wants.

 

[AW50]

the pc363d should not pick up on what you are listening to as long as you are not blaring it.

the quality of soundcard inside headsets really is no better than your onboard. its about equal in most cases.

you could get something just as good or even better for less cash but it would not be an all-in-one solution. up to you if you care about that or not.

just realize that the 363 is noted for being fairly bass light. not sure if that fits your needs or wants.

By bass light it means it makes some sounds easier to hear such as footsteps, reloading, etc in FPS games right?

As a person that mainly plays FPS and some MMO's here or there. Will light bass be a advantage?

 

[ssddx]

generally ultra-competitive fps gamers like bass-light, accurate open headphones since it allows them to pinpoint footsteps and other such things easily. the audiotechnica ad700x and ad900x are a prime example of this. the 363 will also tend to be similar though not as extreme as those.

basically bass can sometimes cover up the sound of footsteps depending on the sound. bass light headphones can sometimes gain a slight edge in certain situations. the other reason the audiotechnicas are favored is the extremely large and accurate soundstage which is good for virtual spatial positioning of sound.

with that said, such headphones generally do not have the "fun factor" that others do and are a bit more analytic in nature. headphones with a bit more low end such as the moderate sounding hd598 are going to be a bit more enjoyable if you're seeking to appreciate the sounds and enjoy the game instead of worrying more about competition. music will sound fuller and deeper, sounds will be more natural and you can still be competitive just without the small edge you may get from a bass light set of cans.

however there certainly are people who do prefer the sound of bass light headphones and do enjoy them in that manner. i just mentioned the properties so that you may have an idea on how to judge based on your own preferences.

--

i'll be honest here.. while it is true that you can gain some slight advantage from headphones it is not to be-all end-all to the equation. i've played more than my fair share of fps games and have been competitive with equipment that is considered not ideal such as wireless mice and keyboards, closed headphones, bassy headphones, a large tv instead of a small monitor as well as a few other various things.

while true that some of those choices can affect how you play it is also true that skill makes up for a whole lot of the difference and that many people like to blame equipment instead of lack of skill on failure. good or specialized equipment can give you an edge but arent going to cause you to win by default.

..i would just pick whatever headphones/headset you will get the most gratification out of instead of sweating the little things.

 

[AW50]

generally ultra-competitive fps gamers like bass-light, accurate open headphones since it allows them to pinpoint footsteps and other such things easily. the audiotechnica ad700x and ad900x are a prime example of this. the 363 will also tend to be similar though not as extreme as those.

basically bass can sometimes cover up the sound of footsteps depending on the sound. bass light headphones can sometimes gain a slight edge in certain situations. the other reason the audiotechnicas are favored is the extremely large and accurate soundstage which is good for virtual spatial positioning of sound.

with that said, such headphones generally do not have the "fun factor" that others do and are a bit more analytic in nature. headphones with a bit more low end such as the moderate sounding hd598 are going to be a bit more enjoyable if you're seeking to appreciate the sounds and enjoy the game instead of worrying more about competition. music will sound fuller and deeper, sounds will be more natural and you can still be competitive just without the small edge you may get from a bass light set of cans.

however there certainly are people who do prefer the sound of bass light headphones and do enjoy them in that manner. i just mentioned the properties so that you may have an idea on how to judge based on your own preferences.

--

i'll be honest here.. while it is true that you can gain some slight advantage from headphones it is not to be-all end-all to the equation. i've played more than my fair share of fps games and have been competitive with equipment that is considered not ideal such as wireless mice and keyboards, closed headphones, bassy headphones, a large tv instead of a small monitor as well as a few other various things.

while true that some of those choices can affect how you play it is also true that skill makes up for a whole lot of the difference and that many people like to blame equipment instead of lack of skill on failure. good or specialized equipment can give you an edge but arent going to cause you to win by default.

..i would just pick whatever headphones/headset you will get the most gratification out of instead of sweating the little things.

Thanks for your replies.

For a modmic, is it possible to buy the physical version anywhere? And whats the difference between the AD700x and AD900X?

From the quick research that I did, the 900x seem to have a fuller more bassier sound than the 700x?

 

[ssddx]

as far as i know the only source of the modmic is the official website. regardless of being only available there they sell like hotcakes and the company has been doing a booming business. there are other options of course but the modmic i would say is one of the better.

the ad700x and ad900x are similar. both are rather bright on treble with a limited bass response and wide open soundstage. the 900x is just a bit better sounding and with just a hint more bass (but still bass light compared with other headphones like even the fairly mild bass of the hd598).

 

[AW50]

as far as i know the only source of the modmic is the official website. regardless of being only available there they sell like hotcakes and the company has been doing a booming business. there are other options of course but the modmic i would say is one of the better.

the ad700x and ad900x are similar. both are rather bright on treble with a limited bass response and wide open soundstage. the 900x is just a bit better sounding and with just a hint more bass (but still bass light compared with other headphones like even the fairly mild bass of the hd598).

Thanks mate. I think ill just go for the 363D as I can't find retail stores that sell the modmics or 900x in Australia.

Just to double check, the 363D mic most likely won't pic up audio from the headset itself right?