Gaming Headset recommendations?

[jerue]

I'm hooked on Fallout 4, and might be looking into doing more PC gaming. My roommate upstairs mentioned how loud I had my speakers playing Fallout due to the bass (I love my Klipsch 2.1 Promedia), so I might need to look into a new headset. The last thread I found on this was from 2013...so what do you all use?

I have no budget, but I always prefer a good value. Wireless and comfiness a major plus . I currently have 2 sets, the Turtle Beach x12 and x31 to hold me over until it's time to upgrade. They're both OK, not great. I read about the Steelseries 7H, though one user here (in the 2013 thread) ended up returning it..

[CPTBadAss]

I recommend you finding a nice pair of headphones (read audiophile gear) at a budget you're comfortable with and adding a microphone like an Antlion mic.

[jerue]

I recommend you finding a nice pair of headphones (read audiophile gear) at a budget you're comfortable with and adding a microphone like an Antlion mic.

Don't gaming headsets distribute sound in a different manner from traditional headphones? Most regular headphones are 2.1 (and this is recommended for listening to music, wouldn't be good for gaming), I want something that is at least 7.1 or designed for gaming so I can hear sounds from all directions.

[CPTBadAss]

I don't think so. I never actually looked into any gaming headsets because I didn't believe the gamer hype. Kinda feels like those numbers are just marketing hype from gaming companies. I play video games on my Mad Dogs and it sounds fantastic. It's so realistic that sometimes I take off my headphones because I think someone is behind me in my apartment.

[mobbo]

I'm using an Astro A40 headset right now and it's served me pretty well. The wireless version is the A50 so maybe check that out.

Sound quality is decent and I haven't had any issues with the mic. Comfort wise...maybe my head's weird but I find they sit a little heavy pressuring the top of my head. I have a pair of Bose headphones that are much comfier to wear for long periods of time (have fallen asleep with them on...) that I tend to use when I don't need a mic.

[azhdar]

I used several "gaming headset". I switched over to good headphones + additional mic. It's a much better way to handle it imo.

[lakiozoon]

7.1 is almost always software/soundcard emulated. So in reality gaming headphones are exactly like normal headphones, having only 2 speakers, but with a really small/cheap soundcard built in. Built in soundcard has 7.1 dolby sound option right from the start, but most have poor sound quality. You can achieve the same thing with a pair of regular headphones and a separate soundcard.

There are some real 7.1 heaphones like http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/razer-tiamat-71 but I wouldn't recommend those for many reasons.

I find it better to buy some mid grade audiophile headphones and a separate microphone, either a tabletop one, or something like http://www.headsetbuddy.com/moovmic-detachable-boom-microphone/
With these, you need to have a soundcard with 7.1 emulation to have dolby surround for games.
Soundcards are relatively cheap, something like https://www.asus.com/Sound-Cards/Xonar_DG/ is more than enough.

There are some gaming headsets I find really good, on par with most audiophile headphones, but they come with a hefty pricetag.
If money isn't an issue, I can recommend:
- http://en-us.sennheiser.com/gaming-headset-game-one
- http://en-us.sennheiser.com/pc-gaming-headset-game-zero

They are actually the same headphones but game one is an open back headphone, and game zero is closed back model.
Main difference is that open headphones leak sound in and out, but in exchange offer an open, airy sound signature which most people prefer for listening music. Closed headphones offer more isolation and generally offer more bass in return.

Happy hunting!

P.S. some mid-fi headphones I can recommend are:
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50x (closed back, probably the best value for money)
- V-MODA Crossfade M-100 (no personal experience with those, but reviews are good)
- Akg q701 (open back, superb sound positioning in games)
- Sennheiser 518/558/6xx (if you are into music as well, all open back)

For AKG and Sennheiser 6xx i advise a separate amplifier, so things get complicated:)

[missalaire]

In addition to those Sennheiser Game Zero headsets, their PC360 and 363 should be pretty good also.

The Audio Technica ATH-ADG1 (open) and ATH-AG1 (closed) headsets are quite good too. I own the open ones and they have pretty great sound, though they're pricey.

[drewba]

I recommend you finding a nice pair of headphones (read audiophile gear) at a budget you're comfortable with and adding a microphone like an Antlion mic.

I second that recommendation. I was sick of having to replace gaming headphones after several sets broke after ~18 months of use each (Razer Kraken, Steelseries V2, Turtlebeach PX). So, I spent some time on Head-Fi.org picking up bang-for-my-buck recommendations on headphones that don't sacrifice audio quality. I settled on JVC HARX700s (they are fugly, but very comfortable and the audio quality is great for $40 headphones) & a Sony ECMCS3 Clip-on mic ($18, sounds noticeably better than any gaming microphone I've ever used).

One of these days I'll splurge on a decent condenser mic...

[cmadrid]

I've been really happy with my Philips Fidelio x2s.  They are incredibly comfortable and the sound quality is great, especially if you like bass.

[bocahgundul]

DON'T BUY ANY OF THAT "GAMING" BULL**** HEADSET. Honestly just buy a good headphone + mic

[cmadrid]

You can find a lot of information on the Headphone Thread that is also in the Other Geeky Stuff subforum!

[raymogi]

Steelseries H Wireless. It's comfy as hell. Oh and it sounds good as well.

[demik]

**** it

[Bartlebum]

I know saying Razer usually gets people lynched, but I've been using a refurb Kraken Chroma 7.1 I got from amazon for 65 bucks and it's actually pretty good! Sounds good on Teamspeak, sounds decent with games. No complaints!

[GL1TCH3D]

I wrote a handy little guide for situations like this:
http://pastebin.com/7R3TQShB

See section 3

My personal preference has been the AKG K551 for gaming with the antlion modmic. Unfortunately your audio input (mic) isn't going to get much better without dropping a good $200-300 or getting the audio technica AG1 (or whatever their new gaming line is. Pretty good actually).

Other headphones like the K/Q701 or from other brands that meet your preferences more can be used, I just find that with a good source the AKG K551 is the best headphone I've heard under $500

[KnivesM]

Astro A40s are good if you play a lot of shooters, I've had mine for 4-5 years and they're still going strong.

Also I've heard the Sennheiser Game Zeros are really good.

[jamster]

Don't gaming headsets distribute sound in a different manner from traditional headphones? Most regular headphones are 2.1 (and this is recommended for listening to music, wouldn't be good for gaming), I want something that is at least 7.1 or designed for gaming so I can hear sounds from all directions.

Deleted, incomplete post.

[Steezus]

Gaming headsets are trash, I've gone through so many brands over the years and they all break so fast. I went with a Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro and Audio Technica 2500 mic. So much better than a headset.

[GL1TCH3D]

Gaming headsets are trash, I've gone through so many brands over the years and they all break so fast. I went with a Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro and Audio Technica 2500 mic. So much better than a headset.

I would vouch for both the audio technica and sennheiser gaming headsets because they know what they're doing with both headphones and mics.

But in general not only is the sound on headsets inferior, they are worse quality than just buying headphones.

[Axollott]

I use the Philips Fidelio X2 as headphones and a Shure SM58 as a microphone. I also have the Sennheiser hd25 which i use when I need sound isolation.

[Rodgaroon]

I recommend you finding a nice pair of headphones (read audiophile gear) at a budget you're comfortable with and adding a microphone like an Antlion mic.

Don't gaming headsets distribute sound in a different manner from traditional headphones? Most regular headphones are 2.1 (and this is recommended for listening to music, wouldn't be good for gaming), I want something that is at least 7.1 or designed for gaming so I can hear sounds from all directions.

Use Razor free 7.1 software. Its freaking amazing.

[missalaire]

Gaming headsets are trash, I've gone through so many brands over the years and they all break so fast. I went with a Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro and Audio Technica 2500 mic. So much better than a headset.

I would vouch for both the audio technica and sennheiser gaming headsets because they know what they're doing with both headphones and mics.

But in general not only is the sound on headsets inferior, they are worse quality than just buying headphones.

I can vouch for Audio Technica. I own their ATH-ADG1 gaming headset and it's quite good though pricey. It comes with a pretty decent USB dac/amp.

[fknraiden]

I've owned my astro a40's for almost 8 years now. They are the most comfortable headset I've ever tried. Friend just got the a50s and likes them. I sometimes look around my desk for them before realizing I'm wearing them.

[Badwrench]

I recommend you finding a nice pair of headphones (read audiophile gear) at a budget you're comfortable with and adding a microphone like an Antlion mic.

I second that recommendation. I was sick of having to replace gaming headphones after several sets broke after ~18 months of use each (Razer Kraken, Steelseries V2, Turtlebeach PX). So, I spent some time on Head-Fi.org picking up bang-for-my-buck recommendations on headphones that don't sacrifice audio quality. I settled on JVC HARX700s (they are fugly, but very comfortable and the audio quality is great for $40 headphones) & a Sony ECMCS3 Clip-on mic ($18, sounds noticeably better than any gaming microphone I've ever used).

One of these days I'll splurge on a decent condenser mic...

I second this recommendation.  The JVCs have great bass, and are very comfortable (but very funky looking as stated).  If you want better staging and a more open sound (but a lot less bass), the Audio Technica ATH-AD500 would be a great way to go (it's what I currently use).  For longer sessions, I completely forget that they are on. 

[Kompanion]

Don't mean to high jack the thread, but does anyone have good recommendations for solid speakers that aren't too expensive? I don't have any noise concerns and I don't really like wearing headsets (the inner paranoid in me doesn't like to be totally isolated). I have a solid pair of 7.1 headsets but my speakers are cheap $15 things I bought from Target...

[jerue]

Haven't checked this in a while. Nice to see so many recommendations

I ended up breaking down and buying a pair of Sennheiser HD598's for $95 on Amazon (praise be Black Friday). I will look into a mic later, definitely not needed for now. If I ever go back to serious console gaming, will check out the Astros. Turtle Beaches are not what they used to be...

Don't mean to high jack the thread, but does anyone have good recommendations for solid speakers that aren't too expensive?

I really like the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1. They are $109 at Best Buy for Black Friday, I think normal price is ~$139 but they occasionally go on sale for $119. The bass is ridiculous and these speakers can get EXTREMELY loud (I am talking the police visiting your house loud, don't ask how I know ).

[heraat]

The Logitech G430 is quite possibly the most loved one so far in terms of gaming, affordability and quality, the ear-cups are pretty large and there’s a lot of padding. I am personally using this headset for playing pubg and call of duty. I would suggest you to buy this gaming headset.

[Darthbaggins]

Don't mean to high jack the thread, but does anyone have good recommendations for solid speakers that aren't too expensive? I don't have any noise concerns and I don't really like wearing headsets (the inner paranoid in me doesn't like to be totally isolated). I have a solid pair of 7.1 headsets but my speakers are cheap $15 things I bought from Target...

Look at the Kanto YU2's - I've had my set for a few years now and love them.

[mariopepper]

Mad Dogs seems pretty good. But I also can mention the one I still own shure BRH31M datasheet. I rarely use it now but this manual is necessary for sure. Maybe someone is interested in old gaming headset

[fluxlab]

Audiophile headphones with a separate mic is probably your best bet

[noisyturtle]

The Audeze LCD GX is likely the peak of 'gaming headsets.' I'll always simp for Audeze, no one will argue on their sound they are top in their field in terms of headphone sound quality. Now they make $900 top of the line magnetic planar headsets. That's what I would get if budget were no concern.
https://www.audeze.com/pages/gaming-and-multimedia

[suicidal_orange]

The Audeze LCD GX is likely the peak of 'gaming headsets.' I'll always simp for Audeze, no one will argue on their sound they are top in their field in terms of headphone sound quality. Now they make $900 top of the line magnetic planar headsets. That's what I would get if budget were no concern.
https://www.audeze.com/pages/gaming-and-multimedia

Was worried when I saw the name but they are only 460 grams so you don't need the neck of a real sportsperson to enjoy your e-sports wearing them   Surprisingly light on the power requirements too.

If only budget wasn't a consideration...

[DarthChrisDK]

There are plenty of things out there that I still want to try and experience.

I think my go-to recommendation are the Arctis 7 from SteelSeries. Among all of the gaming brands, I consider it to offer the absolute best value/quality for the money.
Right now, I am using a Corsair Virtuoso RGB SE, and they feel nice, and the sound is also fine once you tweak the equalizer. The microphone is also one of the best I've ever used.
However, I don't like iCUE (the software that runs all of Corsair's products), and I relatively often experience connection loss, which means I have to remove and insert the USB dongle in order to make the headset work. So I don't fint it that reliable, to be honest. I'm going to swap back to Arctis 7 again, once they are affordable. When I used those, I never had any issues in terms of reliability. For some reason, the price of them has gone significantly up as of late. I guess it's due to low supply.

[Darthbaggins]

Still my favorite over-all headset is my Sennheiser PC360SE's, I'd look into the PC 37x's on Drop if you're wanting that Headset/mic all in one type of set.

[Kavik]

Still my favorite over-all headset is my Sennheiser PC360SE's, I'd look into the PC 37x's on Drop if you're wanting that Headset/mic all in one type of set.

I got the PC 37x a couple months ago, and I'm pretty happy with them. The sound didn't knock my socks off or anything, but they are very comfortable and I appreciate the basic controls (mic up = mic off, volume dial on the right earphone, removeable cable). Despite being open back, I don't really hear outside noise much, but I also don't feel completely shut off from the world.

[Darthbaggins]

yeah, they have a good clarity imo.  I also have my set hooked to my SB Zx card so they are more than enough to drive them (to the point I don't have to turn them all the way up like I do w/ on-board).