Total headphone noob here, no lies.
I've done some reading at audiophile sites. I have a glimmer of understanding about what sort of audio gear I would want to buy, and why, and what my options are at different price points. I'm even trying to teach myself how to listen with a more critical, trained ear. Not to become an audiophile elitist, of course, but only to be able to properly enjoy my sound quality (although I guess it's a slippery slope).
Then again - I currently use onboard audio (ALC1150), cheapish 2.1 speakers (Z523 40W), and a 3.5mm headset (Siberia V2) for most of my entertainment (some movies, some music, some gaming) and I'm not too unhappy. A proper soundcard and better headphone/headset, chosen in the context of audio quality, are what I'm currently considering. I'm thinking that serious audio equipment, equalizers, amps, etc, aren't my thing just yet - software can do it well enough for my needs.
A quick question, though:
What sort of audio quality can be expected from headsets built for aviation and military industries? I expect the engineering of these things prioritizes durability and reliability and communications redundancy. And a lot of sound damping, of course. Perhaps also some optimization towards voice-frequency audio quality. Maybe even some a few communications security (encryption) features and compatibility with all sorts of weird interfaces. But - as ridiculous as it might be - how well would an aviation headset sound for general music playback and PC gaming and chatting?
No, I'm not really into sporting a helicopter pilot headset for leet gam0rz pwnage dominance, shooting for looks and bling and style, all surface no substance. Well, not a lot, maybe just a little. I mean, I've seen such headsets ebay for cheap ($25-50) and they do indeed look quite cool, and there's no reason not to swap out "bad" audio components for better ones to get the best of both worlds. Not seriously high-end snooty audiophile stuff, definitely no Turtle Beach or Bose or Sennheiser brand whoring, but I think it shouldn't be completely impossible to expect some "surprisingly good" audio quality, no?