Looking for a decent headset on the cheap?

[Enmity]

Hey guys, i've never owned a gaming headset before as I usually just use my Home theatre system but as I have children these days i'm thinking the best option would be some gaming headphones thats are both comfortable and great for pin pointing where enemies are whilst playing bfbc2, css and other various online games - Plus couldn't hurt to find a pair with decent bass to pump some beats every now and then.

Now I understand most of you guys will be based in europe or US, I am in New Zealand and a lot of the stuff u guys get, i cannot. So heres the website I'll be using - If you could take a look and simply post what you would buy with the budget I have and what reasons you would choose the particular headset I'd really appreciate it.

http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/comp...ttypeid=0&t=20

my budget it $150.00 NZD

Thanks guys.

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/comp...p?partid=11487

I have those and the music sounds great and so do games especially BFBC2. Just turn the bass up a bit within windows (speaker properties>bass balance) where you like and youre ready to rock. The mic that is on it is great as well and easily stores itself within the headset for easy concealment. It is also very comfortable.

[Enmity]

Awesome, hadn't spotted those ones before. look very nice indeed ive heard great things about the Speedlink Medusa 5.1's but i cant find them anywhere in NZ so im trying to find the closest thing to it. Any takers?

[Widjaja]

My Bro bought the Logitech G35 headset.
I think they are less than $150.

He said they sound rubbish until some tweaking with the eq was made.

If you don't want a mic then something from the Sennheiser range will be fine.
I use HD202 headset and they do the job nicely for around $70 NZ.
Maybe a bit too much bass for some though.

[Enmity]

Update : ok so ive done a lot of thinking and asked a shit load of questions since im new to the audio side of pc gaming.

Im in the process of contacting a few websites in new zealand here that seem to ALL not have what i want in stock.

Firstly, since im running onboard sound right now (realtek HD audio) i found an asus xonar DG pci sound card with dolby surround support which is only $65NZD - but im having trouble finding out if the "low profile bracket" means it won't slot into my normal sized ATX machine? as in - is it made for htpcs only? Or is it simply because the card is only half size?..for reference : http://www.techworld.co.nz/asus-xona...t-p-34039.html

update2 : Nevermind...lol..i read a little closer to find the low profile bracket is just an accessory bundled with the card haha...k just need to find somewhere with one in stock now.

Secondly - ive found a good price on sennheiser HD555's - the website i found these on is here www.jaudio.co.nz and from what i've read - for the price ($170 NZD) the HD555's are very popular for gaming.

Are the hd555's going to be overkill for the cheap soundcard which does a maximum of 96khz? as versus the Xonar DS (out of my budget) which does 196Khz - in reviews, most people are saying the sound difference between the two cards is negligable.

just thought id give you guys an update. I should hear back from the stores tomorrow regarding whats instock and whats not. hope im making the right decision!

[BarbaricSoul]

These are what I use. I'm happy with them.

http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/comp...p?partid=10137

[inferKNOX]

You won't go wrong with the Roccat KAVEs which should be just at your budget's price.

[Enmity]

can you pinpoint enemies well using these? or do they just have nice sound? everyone keeps saying to me that itll just work as left/right channell unless you get a soundcard with dolby surround support which enables you to use any stereo headphones to produce "fake" 5.1 which seems to perform better than a 5.1 Headset apparently.

its this (repeated) information which has driven me to search for a simple soundcard basically only for headphone use and go for the sennheisers as everyone keeps recommending them everywhere i go lol.

[inferKNOX]

I can tell if an enemy is behind or in front using these. It's subtle though, not quite as pronounced as you may think, but if you focus, you will hear it.
When I play racing games and a car comes up behind me, I sometimes look back, forgetting it's in the game!!
The sound is superb IMO + surround really really works, so I'd say those just are saying fake is better, they just don't know about these yet, after all, Roccat is relatively new, small and generally only available in Europe, but if you search hard enough, you should find a supplier in your area.

The Roccat Kave headset is one of, if not the best PC investment I've made and I totally recommend them!

[mrhuggles]

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/stereo-...d-music-502555

i use these, in combination with a home made adapter, since they are smartphone in ear headphones, 4 conductor.. their performance is pretty legendary especially if you like bass and their mic is excellent.

they sound uhh,... gee... I'm not really sure exactly what to compare it to, a nice sound system with a really big sub honestly.

[Fourstaff]

I use a Creative Fatal1ty HS800, bought it for £10 and its very good for that price. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone though, it is lacking in a lot of fronts, unless you are looking for "disposable" ones, which I would happily recommend it to you.

Personally, given the choice, I would go for a decent pair of cans and use a tabletop/clip on mic, they seem to be the setup of choice for many people who enjoy their music. Big plusses include much wider selection of cans, and better bang for buck. As a general rule of thumb, I would avoid Razer products, they tend to be on the pricier end.

Get one of this:
http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/comp...sp?partid=7765

and take a look at this:
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=100173

[Undead46]

These are amazing: http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/comp...sp?partid=8870

I have em' and love em'!

[Fourstaff]

Originally Posted by Undead46

These are amazing: http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/comp...sp?partid=8870

I have em' and love em'!

If you are wearing glasses, I wouldn't recommend getting them, they clamp your head very tightly. Also, if you have (or planning to get) a decent soundcard, that set is a no-go.

[Enmity]

right so the HD 555s are supposedly unavailable now too...so heres my choices:

Bearing in mind that I'll be also getting the Asus Xonar DG sound card specifically for these headphones

HD202 - $79
HD205 II - $96
HD 418 -$99
HD 428 - $119
HD 438 - $129
HD 448 - $169

Anything above that is out of my price range unfortunately

[Enmity]

Also, just got a friend of mine mention he can get a good price on the Steelseries Siberia V2 Headset which is supposedly amazing for gaming. If the price is right I may go down this track to team up with the Xonar DG.

Anyone had experience with this headset running a soundcard that supports dolby headphone?

[MT Alex]

I think you are on the right track, steering clear of "gaming headsets" and getting a good set of cans with a sound card.

A little pricey, but the best cans I have heard to date were Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pros. Simply incredible.

[Fourstaff]

The Beyerdynamic DT990 is probably quite a bit over the pricerange. He might be able to find one second hand though. Steelseries Siberia is good, but I cannot remember whether its the V1 or V2 which is better. Head towards Head-fi?

[Enmity]

Ive posted over at head-fi now, just waiting on replies. In the meantine I found a good website with a nice range available in my country.

With a limit of $170(ish) what would you get for gaming?

http://www.ifocus.co.nz/index.php?cP...sort=lowtohigh

[BumbleBee]

Originally Posted by Enmity

Ive posted over at head-fi now, just waiting on replies. In the meantine I found a good website with a nice range available in my country.

With a limit of $170(ish) what would you get for gaming?

http://www.ifocus.co.nz/index.php?cP...sort=lowtohigh

I took a look on iFocus. I would go with the Sennheiser HD438 and Zalman Mic.

[hat]

I have a Razer Piranha. It sounds great and works great for pinpointing enemies. It's only stereo, but that doesn't matter a whole lot for headsets really. The mic is kind of crappy and takes some adjustment but it's okay once you get it down pat. It's got a good fit, I heard a lot of people say it was very tight, but it wasn't as tight as I was expecting, but it's still tight enough to comfortably stay on my head.

[Enmity]

With the advice given over at head-fi ive decided on the hd485s as i cannot find hd555s in my country unless its ludacrisly expensive. Should be here tomorrw. The xonar dg isnt in stock until the 31st so ill keep shopping around there. Will let you all know how these things sound once tuey turn up

[BumbleBee]

Originally Posted by Enmity

With the advice given over at head-fi ive decided on the hd485s as i cannot find hd555s in my country unless its ludacrisly expensive. Should be here tomorrw. The xonar dg isnt in stock until the 31st so ill keep shopping around there. Will let you all know how these things sound once tuey turn up

I chose the HD438 over the HD485 because it's closed, less bass, lighter and more comfortable...

[jamesrt2004]

Easy,, do not get a gaming headset!! a $5 mic and 145 in decent monitor headphones will be much better clarity, much better 'surround' system! Seriously


Something sennheiser would be nice maybe hd555?


(should have read the thread!! You're taking the best option IMO ..)

[rawad]

i had an hd 555 for gaming and music and its exellent i bought for about 114 $ from ebay wit free shipping then , itx great but rmember its an open headphone so someone near u will hear what ur hearing
if u want a closed one audiotechnica ad700 their beast for gaming last time i checked they were availabe for about 100$
http://cgi.ebay.com/Audio-Technica-A...item588c44b82e
but their pink XD !

[HookeyStreet]

So nowadays it's better to use a good set of headphones paired with a clip on mic, instead of a gaming headset (with built-in mic). I didn't know this

I remember everyone going crazy for the Medusa 5.1 headsets