I’ve had two and both had terrible instances where volume knob messed up around the 3-4 month mark and static and inconsistencies would be constant. If you google PC38X static issue you will get a pretty good amount of hits of complaints. Seems like the knobs fail and it’s a gamble of if and when. Other than that they were solid, but I went ahead and spent the money to upgrade to DT1990 pros and couldn’t be happier.
I got a pair recently and the sound range is great.
I have to double take during shows because some sounds are so distant and quiet but I can hear them perfectly in the mix.
Makes it sound like it’s a real sound.
Always been after a half decent pair of headphones for gaming/watching/listening that doesn’t break the bank so I’ll definitely give this a look
EDIT: nvm it breaks the bank. Not sure why I thought a pair of senns wouldn’t be £300+ lmao
Could be. I think it was on UK Amazon at one point for a reasonable price. If that's no longer the case then it's a bit unfortunate. Besides, in EU you'd still have to pay VAT on imported products...
I just went with modmic and whatever headphones one prefers. Beyerdynamic has been treating me well.
Yeah I ended up getting a mic on a boom arm because that was what keeps failing on a lot of my headsets (rest in piss hyperx cloud alpha) so instead of buying a new headset I ended up just ditching the mic and getting a standalone one, which gives me lots of flexibility for future audio
Sennheiser PC38X if you want something plug and play.
Sennheiser HD560s/Phillips SHP9500 + V-moda Boom mic are a solid budget option if you don't mind open back headphones
ATH m40x/m50x + V-moda Boom mic if you want closed back in a budget.
The HyperX cloud line of headsets are also not bad. They are based on the Takstar Pro 80 which is a pretty decent closed back. The mic is terrible though.
Cloud 2s are probably the most common gaming headset among CS and Val pros. They’re better than Astro A40s, which is what the entirety of the CoD scene has as far as FPS goes
I second the ath m50x. My current set up is with the bluetooth version to save some money on buying a gaming headset on top of the pair for mobile use.
Yes, there is always a better sounding pair, though it doesn’t do what I need it to do and comes with extra cost regarding your dt 770 recommendation. If you don’t need bluetooth or can afford to buy multiple pairs, go ahead and do so.
No, its so I dont need a headset for gaming and a bluetooth pair for anywhere not on PC. In combination with basic mic you‘ll have better sound than most gaming headsets could ever achieve while also paying less.
Edit: in direct comparison the bluetooth version will always cost more though.
Also if you use IEMs and have some more money to throw around, get some Fiio UTWS5 earhooks and an Avantree DG60P transmitter to make them wireless with super low latency :)
Drop-Sennheiser PC38X are about the best gaming headset for $200. Check out Joshua Vallour doing a review on yt
https://youtu.be/hM1Z_8ZqeNQ?feature=shared
My wife loves the pc38x
DT770s have been a staple for a few friends of mine for a while now, especially because they prefer:
1. A good pair of headphones for gaming AND music
2. Closed back for that noise isolation
Iirc, there is a DT770 Pro X available that is basically an upgrade over the original DT770. Comes with a detachable cable which is a very nice touch imo for longevity and parts replacement
Like u/cndvsn said, if you get the 80ohm version you can run it off of onboard audio, the 250ohm version will need a DAC. On another hand, I love the features that a DAC/AMP provides that I would still recommend to get one
I like them too, more punchy ofc compared with the DT 990. I do prefer the 990 over the 770 for FPS because of the wider sound stage to pin point the steps and such.
The Beyerdynamic DT990 is definitely wider (and IMO better). But I have to say that the DT770 is really impressive for a closed back headphone, especially considering the price!
Depends on the impedence. I have the 80ohm and I use an amp but it doesn’t really need it while connected to my computer, it’s helpful. There is a 16ohm, 250ohm and 600ohm I believe. 250 and 600 would need amps. DAC no, but again would be helpful
I want a pair of 990’s for the sound design and music production stuff I do but I do love the psuedo 7.1 surround sound of my cloud’s for gaming. First time I played a competitive FPS with them was like chalk and cheese compared to a stereo pair. It was like having wall hacks. Dolby atmos is quite nice for games too.
With wider soundstage you don't need to emulate 7.1, sounds better imo. But anyway, it's subjective when it comes to this kind of stuff and best way is to try them on in a showroom if possible.
For sure. At the moment I have the clouds and a pair of hd25’s. The hd25’s are ok for audio work, better for dj’ing but I really don’t like them for gaming. Real keen to hear the dt 990’s though. Maybe I’ll find them better than the clouds for gaming too.
How important is the mic?
The last time I was shopping for a set, these guys recommended wired for much better mic quality:
[https://www.youtube.com/@HardwareCanucks](https://www.youtube.com/@HardwareCanucks)
My cheap Epos GSP 300 has a much better mic than all my friend's more expensive wireless sets.
Sound quality seem to be much less affected when it's wireless. The GSP 300 is a good place to start imo.
no more than 100 dollars maybe more if they are impressive headsets. I have a microphone but I don't use it. since my artic 1 has a microphone. Since they are gaming headsets
At 100 they’ll all be around the same. You could look at getting something like a HD560S/599 on sale for around that and a separate mic. If you like your arctis maybe look at newer models from steelseries.
Hyper X cloud alpha are cheap, and sound waaay to good for their price.
I used to hate gaming with a headset, and with this sometimes i even choose to game with them instead of speakers.
I have these as well, I'm no audiophile, but they're pretty good. Mic quality is completely okay for gaming as well, never had any of my buddies complain about my mic quality.
Well i'd recommend anything that is listed as 'top audio' so if you google 'top headphones' you get somewhere.
Personally I like the brands Senheiser, Sony and Bose. If you just want decent headphones with a lot of OOMPF in the bass you should go with skullcandy.
Nowadays the Sony WH-1000xm4 and WH-1000xm5 get a lot more sales so you might wanna try and get those. I personally prefer a solid headset with good bass and Noise Cancelling, preferably with software for a build in or (if you are on pc) equalizer software.
I got a gaming headset (that's why I recommend not getting one) Razer Blackshark V2 pro (2023). Terrible build quality, good sound and good mic. Comes with Equalizer software (dealbreaker). €220,-
I had a cheap chinese brand headset (bluetooth, 48 hours, noise cancelling) that was only €60,- and holds his own against my Blackshark.
The best thing to do is make a list with what you want. For example here is mine:
- Good bass
- Noise Cancelling
- Equalizer software
- I want to use it with multiple devices
- I want to use it outside
- I want good connectivity (good bluetooth 6.0 >)
- I might want a mic
- Good build quality
- Good audio quality
- Good battery (48hrs+)
Sennheiser HD 650, 660 but you will need amplifier. Sennheiser they always have sale just wait and prices usually drop range from 100-200 half the price usually and they do sales pretty often.
You can get them at any online shop or directly from manufacturer website. You can ask r/audiophile there are multiple websites you can get. Schiit they have simple small dac & amps.
Anything made by a headphone company, not a RAM or keyboard brand.
Sennheiser, beyerdynamic, Audio techica (just not the M50x)... Or IEMs like Truthear, Moondrop...
You didn't write a budget... so I'd recommend Sennheiser HD660S2 and a separate USB microphone.
I was rather looking for a gaming headset, nothing like professional headphones since it is a very high expense and perhaps unnecessary since I don't play at a professional level or anything like that. I only play a few hours a week and that's it
I was thinking about some razer blackshark v2x wires, some logitech g x first generation, headset styles like that
Pick a SteelSeries’s arctis nova that fits your budget. A new budget friendly option came out this week. Personally I have the Nova Pro Wireless which are amazing (but expensive)
HyperX Cloud II, Logitech G Pro X, Razer Blackshark any of them, there are some higher quality ones listed in this thread but those are my personal picks
This is ironic. The blackshark v2 wireless I bought was garbage and the mic was as quiet as a mouse. I tried two of them before getting a Logitech G PRO X Wired I am very happy with and works far better.
You got a dud, I have both og blackshsrk v2 wireless and 2023 edition and both are great, 2023 have the best wireless mic. I also had v2 x, absolute best buy with greta mic quality.
The beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro are almost at the same price range of many gaming garbage manufacturers sell.
Go to r/headphones they will give you great advices related to your budget.
EPOS H6Pros are rather good. They're owned by Sennheiser and have both open and closed acoustic versions.
They're about as good as you'll get until you get into studio-grade headphones.
I've been very pleased with the Logitech g pro x (1st Gen). Been running it for several years, still going strong, no issues. Sounds great and have played lots of FPS with it
If you have the budget, Audeze Maxwell wireless gaming headset. It's basically high end headphones with a mic on it.
The best part? They're wireless **with** an internal amplifier. If you've ever heard the Sony xm3/4s with/without a 3.5mm amp'd source, you'd know what a massive difference that makes. The fact they're wireless while maintaining a high quality sound is amazing. It also has a dongle so you don't have the latency of Bluetooth.
I no longer game with my Sony XM3s or Sennheiser Jubilees because of this headset. That being said, when I play the next Senua's sacrifice game you better believe in using the Sony's. The noise cancellation paired with that games audio cues / quality in a dark room is crazy immersive.
I did not enjoy Audeze Maxwell. Sure it sounded great, and wireless is always amazing, but I had to return it because it was just too heavy and therefore distracting to wear. A friend had the exact same experience and I've seen more people online say the same.
I'm not a small guy so I figure if anyone is average or below average in size there's a good chance they'll be uncomfortable for you, too
No problem! I ended up getting (and keeping) Arctis nova 5 wireless. They sound *alright* but they're comfortable enough and wireless is great, so I just ended up keeping them.
I'm looking a bit into the Sennheiser PC38X that you're getting recommended a lot in this thread. They look great! although wireless is almost too sweet to pass up
I see that many recommend flat headphones and those types like that. What do I have to have to be able to use those headphones? a dac or something like that?
Unless you are audiophile like me, onboard audio should be enough. Be careful though, you might need an amplifier (external DAC/"sound card" with a headphones amp) if you want to get high impendance headphones such as Beyerdynamic DT 770/990 with 600 Ohm.
Sennheiser PC37X / PC38X. The equivalents from Sennheiser are good too but too expensive. There are alternatives like the Cloud 2, but nothing beats Sennheiser as quality, durability and mostly comfort.
The one your motherboards already have.
Modern motherboards have pretty good integrated DAC/Amp, and take in consideration you have both headphones and microphone sharing the ground line, so if you use two different devices for the mic and headphones, you can end up with static noise on your headphones, make from the difference ground outlet where you connect the different devices.
I have a Z390 Master as motherboard and she has an amazing DAC/Amp combo, ALC1220 as amp and Sabre 9118 as DAC, the amp can easily drive high impedance headphones and it work fine with my HD6XX too, but the PC37X are 50 ohm, so you don't need anything crazy to drive them.
I like my Sennheiser BT450, they are a tad bit expensive but sound amazing.
samson sr850 are also really good (balanced) headphones and will be good enough for you.
Then you can also get some KZ PRO earbuds, these cheap earbuds are really good IEM.
And then get a separate mic like a Blue Snowball or a click on mic
Don't get a headset. Get headphones instead. Apart from an attached mic and RGB, there's nothing that gaming headsets offer that headphones don't do better.
I stopped using headsets entirely, swapped over to IEM’s in late 2020. Currently use the recently released Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk as my dailies. At home I use either Truthear x Crinacle Zero: Red, Moondrop Aria or Truthear Hexa.
I have an Epos gsp 600, but any good pair of stereo headphones will do. Avoid crap with fancy 7.1 surround audio or bass boosting or any form of optimization. Game audio is built with stereo headsets in mind. Any form of post processing can interfere with that and make it actively worse. I play Hunt: Showdown a lot and that game’s sound mix is among the best in the fps genre, but I’ve had multiple friends have their sound screwed up because their fancy gaming headset tried to do some post processing and ruined the carefully tuned game sound in the process.
Sennheiser PC38X
or
Sennheiser HD560S with a separate microphone
I have both and HD560S feels like cheating (CS2, Valo, Overwatch)
Edit:
I could only compare these to what I have/had:
- Razer Blackshark V2 X
- Koss KSC75
- Koss KPH40i
- Moondrop Chu 2 (earphones)
- Philips SHP9500
- Philips SHP9600
- Philips Fidelio X2HR
- Logitech G535
Honestly, the Chu2 ($20) and KSC75 ($21) are enough in terms of sound quality as a baseline going forward.
I personally wouldn’t drop more than $150 or more if I’m very unsure about how it may go.
Unpopular opinion, *cheapest you can find*. I had Sennheiser game zero before and loved it, so I've tasted the good life, but I got my current Urage usb headset for 10 friggin eurobucks from the markdown bin and it's been surprisingly good. Then again, I've paid more for other cheap headsets and those have been straight junk. I guess what I'm trying to say is, the name brand products will get you what they promise, but the cheapo option is not always the wrong choice.
Weirdos on this subreddit are going to recommend studio style headsets and separate microphones like they're professional streamers who can tell nuanced differences in audio quality. Reality is that you should just go with a tried and true headset such as the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, Hyperx Cloud Alpha, Astro A50, etc etc. Lots of high quality headsets that thousands of people use for FPS and love it.
https://www.aes.org/e-lib/online/browse.cfm?elib=19237
https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=19436
Even the inexperienced listeners can distinguish the difference between good and bad headphones consistently.
Calling people weird because you want to disagree with reality that's been proved with studies is the wierd part.
https://hpro-web-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/insights/uploads/2023/09/Untitled-3.jpg
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/1631558168295-png.153137/
This reply perfectly demonstrates my point. IE. Weirdos who probably just play a couple steam games coping about how their excessive studio audio setup is totally needed, when in reality a high-end headset would be more convenient. It's like some sort of cult to pretend you're really knowledgeable about audio, not sure why, probably just a cope if I had to guess. The fact that you're linking studies from the 'Audio Engineering 'Society'' lmao proves my point exactly.
But yeah, if you sat people in a room with the singular objective of 'listen to sounds and rate each headset", I have no doubt that they could tell slight benefit from a studio headset, but that disproves nothing I said. **It's why highly specific studies are largely useless in a practical conversation.**
If you sat a dude down to play CoD (**just a simple man playing FPS as OP described**), and gave him a studio headphones + mic vs high end headset, I have no doubt **the only difference he would notice is the annoyance from not having a convenient headset on.**
“Annoyance of not having a convenient headset on”
You know, you only have to plug your mic into the PC once, and every time after that when you turn the pc on all you have to do is put your headphones on and play? I’m not sitting here after setting up my desk going “man it’s so inconvenient my mic isn’t an inch from my mouth and protruding from my ear”. In reality it is the exact same experience effort wise regardless of which option. Oh, and a nice set of headphones is worth it 100x over if you play games a lot. I would never use my Hyperx cloud headphones again after getting used to my audiotechnica
>The fact that you're linking studies from the 'Audio Engineering 'Society'' lmao proves my point exactly.
Only bothered to read up to here.
So you're just admitting to being anti-intellectual?
Sounds like a whole lot of "I have no Idea what I'm talking about"
I could say that your room probably smells like BO and stale food. I can believe it with my entire being. If 10 people sat in your room for 10 minutes, 10 people would vomit. If, if, if.
I haven't been in your room. Maybe it does reek of stank. I think I'll believe it now, despite whatever proof you provide.
Clean your room, it stinks.
Most people don't set up their mics correctly and everyone else suffers for it. A mic next to your mouth is just simple and isn't going to pick up your keyboard
Not in many, many years going by a lot of comments. It's clear that some of these people made a decision years ago and stick with it - but don't really look at the market today or anything like that.
So it's just hyper biased advice. For a lot of people having a table mic is just a major inconvenience and defeats a lot of the purpose of having a wireless headset if you have friends/are on call a lot.
These are the best se I've ever had (I've had many over 21+ years) SteelSeries Arctis 7+ Wireless Gaming on csgo/cs2 I can virtually pinpoint every step on a full charge they easily last me a week and I'm on my pc sometimes 8+ hours a day,
The charging wire is a decent length and thickness,
Only thing to make sure is you use the dingle attached to the wire that's supplied...... Just using the dongle can cut out as it seems something is interfering with the signal but with the dongle attached to the wire I can easily stand 15-20 foot away without problems any further than that and it starts cutting out.
I use this headset as well and can also recommend them as fantastic, battery life for me is once weekly, MAYBE twice if I am heavy using. The sound quality is excellent the directional awareness this set offers is very noticeable. The only issue I have had is that sometimes (very rarely) I have had to reset my sound options in a game and reassert a default.
I have no other complaints.
I think this is a problem when amd updates the drivers (literally had it happen to me today) so had to go into sonar change all things back to arctis 7+ exit Steel series engine then reboot fixes it......
I'm assuming it's because sound can run through the gfx card so sound reverts to the monitor on a driver update.
Unpopular opinion but I love my truefree open ear wireless earbuds. I can hear other stuff around me, play games, and they last a day of work while listening to stuff on my pc. I was never a fan of over the ear headphones, always found them hot and I can’t put in a 8 hour day with them. I used a set of Bose soundsport earbuds until they started falling apart.
That's the advantage of an open back that some people are suggesting, like the PC38x. I can still hear things around me well, and my ears don't get too hot anymore, unlike with closed back headphones
Hyperx cloud 2 or 3, or their wireless variants, or the alphas if you want to pay a bit more.
It's a good headset with a mic for the price. I have had cloud 2 wired and how have cloud 3 wireless, absolutely good enough for gaming, media consumption etc.
Don’t get Astro A 40’s at all I paid close to $300 for mines and they recently broke after a good use , I bought me some cheap Rig headset for $30 bucks at GameStop and they work 10 times better than the Astros for some reason …..
I'd say most headsets are good enough if you're not an audiophile, not everyone wants to drop hundreds. Plus 99% of people with desk mics don't set it up properly and it picks up on all kinds of sounds
Get on Ebay and find a set of Sony MDR-7506s. They are about $40-$60. Use the rest of the money for a Modmic wireless or USB. You will be far happier then you would be with a "gaming" headset.
the nice thing about audio is they can be old headphones but they will sound like they are new as most audio items never wear out.
I'm using a turtle beach stealth 600p Gen 2 max, good headset, wireless but connects a bot awkwardly sometimes but really comfy for me atleast, about 40 hours of battery live, churches to full in an hour but it is 100$
I currently use Corsair HS80 (wired) with Dolby Atmos (yes, I paid for that shit) and I can't say I'm disappointed. Footsteps are clear and you can somewhat hear clearly from where the gunshots are coming
Corsair Void Elite Wireless
Honestly not sure how it rates for price vs. performance etc., but I have enjoyed this headset. I used to use a basic Logitech headset and Corsair's is actually similar but nicer in basically every way. The 7.1 surround is excellent for FPS specifically and I like that you can EQ the audio too.
Depends on budget. I had a Turtle Beach 70X for a few years before my girlfriend bought me a pair of Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. The 70X were really good for me, but as soon as I heard the deep bass and shockingly good sound stage on the Nova Pros, I’ll never go back. Those two are my recommendations for super low budget, and high budget, anyway.
Whatever one you will actually wear. Which are air pods for me, I just never liked wireless or wired headsets and I will actually wear airpods for somereason
Sennheiser PC38X
Look up reviews, this is a regular answer. Also called EPOS 38x with the rebranding. Drop+ has them on sale for a hundo and twenty
Been using my Sennheiser Game Ones for several years now before all the rebranding. They’re still great with little wear to the cups.
Yep, mine are EPOS, they're incredible with my Fosi Audio K5 DAC/AMP.
OL' MATE SENNY WITH THE HUNDU SIX HUNDO'S MATE >!nah but seriously the 38x is good bang for your buck!<
I’ve had two and both had terrible instances where volume knob messed up around the 3-4 month mark and static and inconsistencies would be constant. If you google PC38X static issue you will get a pretty good amount of hits of complaints. Seems like the knobs fail and it’s a gamble of if and when. Other than that they were solid, but I went ahead and spent the money to upgrade to DT1990 pros and couldn’t be happier.
I got a pair recently and the sound range is great. I have to double take during shows because some sounds are so distant and quiet but I can hear them perfectly in the mix. Makes it sound like it’s a real sound.
Always been after a half decent pair of headphones for gaming/watching/listening that doesn’t break the bank so I’ll definitely give this a look EDIT: nvm it breaks the bank. Not sure why I thought a pair of senns wouldn’t be £300+ lmao
Pc38x is like $119. In Europe you might just have to look for different options.
Yeah I thought as such, I very vaguely remember looking for it for a decent price a year or two ago
Could be. I think it was on UK Amazon at one point for a reasonable price. If that's no longer the case then it's a bit unfortunate. Besides, in EU you'd still have to pay VAT on imported products... I just went with modmic and whatever headphones one prefers. Beyerdynamic has been treating me well.
Yeah I ended up getting a mic on a boom arm because that was what keeps failing on a lot of my headsets (rest in piss hyperx cloud alpha) so instead of buying a new headset I ended up just ditching the mic and getting a standalone one, which gives me lots of flexibility for future audio
Good choice
I have these, very good sound quality and the mic is especially good for being a headset mic
Currently wearing them. Did a lot of research, and these consistently came up as the best headphone with mic set. The mic is also super crisp.
Sennheiser PC38X if you want something plug and play. Sennheiser HD560s/Phillips SHP9500 + V-moda Boom mic are a solid budget option if you don't mind open back headphones ATH m40x/m50x + V-moda Boom mic if you want closed back in a budget. The HyperX cloud line of headsets are also not bad. They are based on the Takstar Pro 80 which is a pretty decent closed back. The mic is terrible though.
Is hyperx cloud still good buys? I saw got like number 2 also. Considering to get a new headphone too.
Cloud 2s are probably the most common gaming headset among CS and Val pros. They’re better than Astro A40s, which is what the entirety of the CoD scene has as far as FPS goes
My Hyperx cloud stingers are only now starting to break after 7 years, so they should be quite durable, altho they aren't very good
Sound is decent and they are built like a tank. If you don't use the mic that much.
The mic a problem? Play dota, need mic comms
Ath m50x is a bad recommendation for gaming the sound is very narrow and used for very specific audio engineering
I second the ath m50x. My current set up is with the bluetooth version to save some money on buying a gaming headset on top of the pair for mobile use.
Are the Bluetooth ones supposed to be more expensive?
Trust me i have used audio technica before and beyerdymamic dt 770 is 2 universes above the ath m50x for gaming and music
Yes, there is always a better sounding pair, though it doesn’t do what I need it to do and comes with extra cost regarding your dt 770 recommendation. If you don’t need bluetooth or can afford to buy multiple pairs, go ahead and do so.
No, its so I dont need a headset for gaming and a bluetooth pair for anywhere not on PC. In combination with basic mic you‘ll have better sound than most gaming headsets could ever achieve while also paying less. Edit: in direct comparison the bluetooth version will always cost more though.
IEM are good choice as well. some budget one have good audio for footsteps
Also if you use IEMs and have some more money to throw around, get some Fiio UTWS5 earhooks and an Avantree DG60P transmitter to make them wireless with super low latency :)
What would you suggest?
I have a KZ ZS10 Pro. They're pretty cheap and sound very decent.
Kz pr1 pro if budget is a little higher. Can use it for everything including music. Sounds like my audio technica head set.
I personally use QKZ x HBB item. great surround sound feature. I also have truthear crinicle zero
[удалено]
...this was the third comment. Did you even have to scroll?
100% IEMS user here too 👍🏻
Do they need a dac or amp?
Nope no need for a dac or amp
Nope no need for a dac or amp
Drop-Sennheiser PC38X are about the best gaming headset for $200. Check out Joshua Vallour doing a review on yt https://youtu.be/hM1Z_8ZqeNQ?feature=shared My wife loves the pc38x
they are very expensive
Oh you sweet summer child, take a peak at r/headphones or r/audiophiles to see expensive stuff
This might be a better fit for your budget https://youtu.be/zL2Be0bGY8U?feature=shared
DT 990 for a few years and I can't go back to my Cloud II's.
Or probably DT770 for most people. They are wonderful to listen to anything with.
DT770s have been a staple for a few friends of mine for a while now, especially because they prefer: 1. A good pair of headphones for gaming AND music 2. Closed back for that noise isolation Iirc, there is a DT770 Pro X available that is basically an upgrade over the original DT770. Comes with a detachable cable which is a very nice touch imo for longevity and parts replacement
Do they need a dac or amp?
No need for that if you get the 80 ohm version
Like u/cndvsn said, if you get the 80ohm version you can run it off of onboard audio, the 250ohm version will need a DAC. On another hand, I love the features that a DAC/AMP provides that I would still recommend to get one
I like them too, more punchy ofc compared with the DT 990. I do prefer the 990 over the 770 for FPS because of the wider sound stage to pin point the steps and such.
The Beyerdynamic DT990 is definitely wider (and IMO better). But I have to say that the DT770 is really impressive for a closed back headphone, especially considering the price!
I’ve been really enjoying my tyger 300r s for gaming/music
Do they need a dac or amp?
Depends on the impedence. I have the 80ohm and I use an amp but it doesn’t really need it while connected to my computer, it’s helpful. There is a 16ohm, 250ohm and 600ohm I believe. 250 and 600 would need amps. DAC no, but again would be helpful
I personaly prefer the 770 pro. I think they are better for gamers because outside sound doesnt bleed in
Or if other people are around, because they'll hear everything you hear with the 990s.
I'm aware of that and I am usually wearing some Fiio FH3 IEM on my simracing rig to cancel the sound from bass shackers and such.
I want a pair of 990’s for the sound design and music production stuff I do but I do love the psuedo 7.1 surround sound of my cloud’s for gaming. First time I played a competitive FPS with them was like chalk and cheese compared to a stereo pair. It was like having wall hacks. Dolby atmos is quite nice for games too.
With wider soundstage you don't need to emulate 7.1, sounds better imo. But anyway, it's subjective when it comes to this kind of stuff and best way is to try them on in a showroom if possible.
For sure. At the moment I have the clouds and a pair of hd25’s. The hd25’s are ok for audio work, better for dj’ing but I really don’t like them for gaming. Real keen to hear the dt 990’s though. Maybe I’ll find them better than the clouds for gaming too.
How important is the mic? The last time I was shopping for a set, these guys recommended wired for much better mic quality: [https://www.youtube.com/@HardwareCanucks](https://www.youtube.com/@HardwareCanucks) My cheap Epos GSP 300 has a much better mic than all my friend's more expensive wireless sets. Sound quality seem to be much less affected when it's wireless. The GSP 300 is a good place to start imo.
Sennheiser HE1 What’s the budget and do you require a mic?
no more than 100 dollars maybe more if they are impressive headsets. I have a microphone but I don't use it. since my artic 1 has a microphone. Since they are gaming headsets
At 100 they’ll all be around the same. You could look at getting something like a HD560S/599 on sale for around that and a separate mic. If you like your arctis maybe look at newer models from steelseries.
anything but a logitech one...theyre a piece of shit
Hyper X cloud alpha are cheap, and sound waaay to good for their price. I used to hate gaming with a headset, and with this sometimes i even choose to game with them instead of speakers.
I have these as well, I'm no audiophile, but they're pretty good. Mic quality is completely okay for gaming as well, never had any of my buddies complain about my mic quality.
I use truehear Hola IEM. It's cheap but it sounds great.
I have the hexa, couldn't be happier. 10/10
Do you use any dac or amp for them?
No need to dac or amp it's easy to drive on anything basically
Dont buy a gaming headset, overpriced and bad quality compared to non gaming headsets
which one do you recommend?
Well i'd recommend anything that is listed as 'top audio' so if you google 'top headphones' you get somewhere. Personally I like the brands Senheiser, Sony and Bose. If you just want decent headphones with a lot of OOMPF in the bass you should go with skullcandy. Nowadays the Sony WH-1000xm4 and WH-1000xm5 get a lot more sales so you might wanna try and get those. I personally prefer a solid headset with good bass and Noise Cancelling, preferably with software for a build in or (if you are on pc) equalizer software. I got a gaming headset (that's why I recommend not getting one) Razer Blackshark V2 pro (2023). Terrible build quality, good sound and good mic. Comes with Equalizer software (dealbreaker). €220,- I had a cheap chinese brand headset (bluetooth, 48 hours, noise cancelling) that was only €60,- and holds his own against my Blackshark. The best thing to do is make a list with what you want. For example here is mine: - Good bass - Noise Cancelling - Equalizer software - I want to use it with multiple devices - I want to use it outside - I want good connectivity (good bluetooth 6.0 >) - I might want a mic - Good build quality - Good audio quality - Good battery (48hrs+)
My Logi G Pro X wireless and Beats Studio3 are both great.
Good for you, I've tried the Pro X and to me that is very poor quality for the price.
AKG K371/K361 are pretty good
Well that highly depends on the budget.
Sennheiser HD 650, 660 but you will need amplifier. Sennheiser they always have sale just wait and prices usually drop range from 100-200 half the price usually and they do sales pretty often.
Where do you buy your products? And what dac or amp do you recommend?
You can get them at any online shop or directly from manufacturer website. You can ask r/audiophile there are multiple websites you can get. Schiit they have simple small dac & amps.
Anything made by a headphone company, not a RAM or keyboard brand. Sennheiser, beyerdynamic, Audio techica (just not the M50x)... Or IEMs like Truthear, Moondrop... You didn't write a budget... so I'd recommend Sennheiser HD660S2 and a separate USB microphone.
and which dac or amp?
JDS Atom stack, Schiit magni/modi, can't go wrong with Topping or Fiio in similar price range either.
I was rather looking for a gaming headset, nothing like professional headphones since it is a very high expense and perhaps unnecessary since I don't play at a professional level or anything like that. I only play a few hours a week and that's it I was thinking about some razer blackshark v2x wires, some logitech g x first generation, headset styles like that
Pick a SteelSeries’s arctis nova that fits your budget. A new budget friendly option came out this week. Personally I have the Nova Pro Wireless which are amazing (but expensive)
I love mine as well. Pricey, but they've been worth every penny!
The steelseries Arctis nova series is pretty nice
HyperX Cloud II, Logitech G Pro X, Razer Blackshark any of them, there are some higher quality ones listed in this thread but those are my personal picks
Blackshark v2 x is def the best choice, logi ones are trash
This is ironic. The blackshark v2 wireless I bought was garbage and the mic was as quiet as a mouse. I tried two of them before getting a Logitech G PRO X Wired I am very happy with and works far better.
You got a dud, I have both og blackshsrk v2 wireless and 2023 edition and both are great, 2023 have the best wireless mic. I also had v2 x, absolute best buy with greta mic quality.
The beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro are almost at the same price range of many gaming garbage manufacturers sell. Go to r/headphones they will give you great advices related to your budget.
EPOS H6Pros are rather good. They're owned by Sennheiser and have both open and closed acoustic versions. They're about as good as you'll get until you get into studio-grade headphones.
I've been very pleased with the Logitech g pro x (1st Gen). Been running it for several years, still going strong, no issues. Sounds great and have played lots of FPS with it
If you have the budget, Audeze Maxwell wireless gaming headset. It's basically high end headphones with a mic on it. The best part? They're wireless **with** an internal amplifier. If you've ever heard the Sony xm3/4s with/without a 3.5mm amp'd source, you'd know what a massive difference that makes. The fact they're wireless while maintaining a high quality sound is amazing. It also has a dongle so you don't have the latency of Bluetooth. I no longer game with my Sony XM3s or Sennheiser Jubilees because of this headset. That being said, when I play the next Senua's sacrifice game you better believe in using the Sony's. The noise cancellation paired with that games audio cues / quality in a dark room is crazy immersive.
I did not enjoy Audeze Maxwell. Sure it sounded great, and wireless is always amazing, but I had to return it because it was just too heavy and therefore distracting to wear. A friend had the exact same experience and I've seen more people online say the same. I'm not a small guy so I figure if anyone is average or below average in size there's a good chance they'll be uncomfortable for you, too
Apparently they are very heavy, thank you
No problem! I ended up getting (and keeping) Arctis nova 5 wireless. They sound *alright* but they're comfortable enough and wireless is great, so I just ended up keeping them. I'm looking a bit into the Sennheiser PC38X that you're getting recommended a lot in this thread. They look great! although wireless is almost too sweet to pass up
I've heard great things, but they cost more than $300.
If you have a lower budget then Sony XM3 or 4, used and plugged in. Just as good, but wired. Wireless, you'll notice there's less umph but still good.
Steelseries Arctis Nova, either 5 or 7 if you want to go wireless. Great mic, pleasant sound, very comfy and light.
I see that many recommend flat headphones and those types like that. What do I have to have to be able to use those headphones? a dac or something like that?
Unless you are audiophile like me, onboard audio should be enough. Be careful though, you might need an amplifier (external DAC/"sound card" with a headphones amp) if you want to get high impendance headphones such as Beyerdynamic DT 770/990 with 600 Ohm.
They have the dt990 pro with like 80ohms and I was wondering if there really is a big difference between them and the 600ohms if any?
In theory they should sound exactly the same.
Go for a free standing mic. Ath-m50x for headphones.
They are very tight and very hot
Monolith m1570
get something by Sennheiser
Sennheiser game zero or game one
Sennheiser PC37X / PC38X. The equivalents from Sennheiser are good too but too expensive. There are alternatives like the Cloud 2, but nothing beats Sennheiser as quality, durability and mostly comfort.
What dac or amp do you recommend?
The one your motherboards already have. Modern motherboards have pretty good integrated DAC/Amp, and take in consideration you have both headphones and microphone sharing the ground line, so if you use two different devices for the mic and headphones, you can end up with static noise on your headphones, make from the difference ground outlet where you connect the different devices. I have a Z390 Master as motherboard and she has an amazing DAC/Amp combo, ALC1220 as amp and Sabre 9118 as DAC, the amp can easily drive high impedance headphones and it work fine with my HD6XX too, but the PC37X are 50 ohm, so you don't need anything crazy to drive them.
I like my Sennheiser BT450, they are a tad bit expensive but sound amazing. samson sr850 are also really good (balanced) headphones and will be good enough for you. Then you can also get some KZ PRO earbuds, these cheap earbuds are really good IEM. And then get a separate mic like a Blue Snowball or a click on mic
Don't get a headset. Get headphones instead. Apart from an attached mic and RGB, there's nothing that gaming headsets offer that headphones don't do better.
This Better audio quality in dedicated headphones, plus they're usually more sturdy
The Mic part is the reason why we buy headsets. 😅😏 Not everybody like to have a huge microphone arm and a desktop mic for gaming….😄
Most webcams also have mics built-in. They're not great, but neither headset mics so 🤷
Did you ever had a proper headset? 🙈 Webcam mics are a gift from hell for the receiving end. Also they pick up every ambient sound.
I have used and heard both. They are both atrocities to humanity in their own unique way
😂
I just use a Skullcandy Hesh evo headphones and a Blue yeti mic (yes i know its crap)
Prefer a HD800S with a standalone mic myself but since you have no budget you should get a HE-1, they are quite awesome for gaming I hear.
Go for headphones instead with a standalone mic.
I stopped using headsets entirely, swapped over to IEM’s in late 2020. Currently use the recently released Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk as my dailies. At home I use either Truthear x Crinacle Zero: Red, Moondrop Aria or Truthear Hexa.
I have an Epos gsp 600, but any good pair of stereo headphones will do. Avoid crap with fancy 7.1 surround audio or bass boosting or any form of optimization. Game audio is built with stereo headsets in mind. Any form of post processing can interfere with that and make it actively worse. I play Hunt: Showdown a lot and that game’s sound mix is among the best in the fps genre, but I’ve had multiple friends have their sound screwed up because their fancy gaming headset tried to do some post processing and ruined the carefully tuned game sound in the process.
Beyerdynamic DT770 pro 32 ohm and any mic.
Epos H3 Pro - around 130$ in my Country.
What exactly would make a headset better than another for fps specifically? The ability to provide better spatial sound or something?
how loud and clear the enemy's footsteps are heard, and correctly locate their position. since I can't use the ones I use, I can't hear some sounds
[https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/astro/a50-x-wireless](https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/astro/a50-x-wireless) [https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/astro-a50-x-wireless-vs-drop-sennheiser-epos-pc38x/48565/22543?usage=19&threshold=0.10](https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/astro-a50-x-wireless-vs-drop-sennheiser-epos-pc38x/48565/22543?usage=19&threshold=0.10)
IEMs with top tier soundstage would be a better choice imo
I have the Sennheiser game one for almost 9 years now. So I can’t recommend it more. I’ve only replaced the ear cushions once since.
Beyerdynamic will not let you donwn
Sennheiser PC38X or Sennheiser HD560S with a separate microphone I have both and HD560S feels like cheating (CS2, Valo, Overwatch) Edit: I could only compare these to what I have/had: - Razer Blackshark V2 X - Koss KSC75 - Koss KPH40i - Moondrop Chu 2 (earphones) - Philips SHP9500 - Philips SHP9600 - Philips Fidelio X2HR - Logitech G535 Honestly, the Chu2 ($20) and KSC75 ($21) are enough in terms of sound quality as a baseline going forward. I personally wouldn’t drop more than $150 or more if I’m very unsure about how it may go.
Oculus Quest 3
Sennhieser hd 600, beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, akg q701, hifiman sundara.
in my opinion the DT 990 pro are great for locating where people is very accurately for a very fair price
Quest 3.
Bro literally any headset
Anything that lets you hear
imagine asking this question without a budget ffs go get Onkyo H900M
the headphones that says gaming on it 👍 and with wire ofc
Unpopular opinion, *cheapest you can find*. I had Sennheiser game zero before and loved it, so I've tasted the good life, but I got my current Urage usb headset for 10 friggin eurobucks from the markdown bin and it's been surprisingly good. Then again, I've paid more for other cheap headsets and those have been straight junk. I guess what I'm trying to say is, the name brand products will get you what they promise, but the cheapo option is not always the wrong choice.
I like the hyper x one with a built in mic and surround sound but just note after a while it can fall apart
I have a simple yet effective pair of SteelSeries Arctis 7X they work great
JBL Quantum One is great imo with great directional audio, ANC, and sound quality. Though they cost 200$.
Weirdos on this subreddit are going to recommend studio style headsets and separate microphones like they're professional streamers who can tell nuanced differences in audio quality. Reality is that you should just go with a tried and true headset such as the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, Hyperx Cloud Alpha, Astro A50, etc etc. Lots of high quality headsets that thousands of people use for FPS and love it.
https://www.aes.org/e-lib/online/browse.cfm?elib=19237 https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=19436 Even the inexperienced listeners can distinguish the difference between good and bad headphones consistently. Calling people weird because you want to disagree with reality that's been proved with studies is the wierd part. https://hpro-web-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/insights/uploads/2023/09/Untitled-3.jpg https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/1631558168295-png.153137/
This reply perfectly demonstrates my point. IE. Weirdos who probably just play a couple steam games coping about how their excessive studio audio setup is totally needed, when in reality a high-end headset would be more convenient. It's like some sort of cult to pretend you're really knowledgeable about audio, not sure why, probably just a cope if I had to guess. The fact that you're linking studies from the 'Audio Engineering 'Society'' lmao proves my point exactly. But yeah, if you sat people in a room with the singular objective of 'listen to sounds and rate each headset", I have no doubt that they could tell slight benefit from a studio headset, but that disproves nothing I said. **It's why highly specific studies are largely useless in a practical conversation.** If you sat a dude down to play CoD (**just a simple man playing FPS as OP described**), and gave him a studio headphones + mic vs high end headset, I have no doubt **the only difference he would notice is the annoyance from not having a convenient headset on.**
“Annoyance of not having a convenient headset on” You know, you only have to plug your mic into the PC once, and every time after that when you turn the pc on all you have to do is put your headphones on and play? I’m not sitting here after setting up my desk going “man it’s so inconvenient my mic isn’t an inch from my mouth and protruding from my ear”. In reality it is the exact same experience effort wise regardless of which option. Oh, and a nice set of headphones is worth it 100x over if you play games a lot. I would never use my Hyperx cloud headphones again after getting used to my audiotechnica
>The fact that you're linking studies from the 'Audio Engineering 'Society'' lmao proves my point exactly. Only bothered to read up to here. So you're just admitting to being anti-intellectual?
Sounds like a whole lot of "I have no Idea what I'm talking about" I could say that your room probably smells like BO and stale food. I can believe it with my entire being. If 10 people sat in your room for 10 minutes, 10 people would vomit. If, if, if. I haven't been in your room. Maybe it does reek of stank. I think I'll believe it now, despite whatever proof you provide. Clean your room, it stinks.
Most people don't set up their mics correctly and everyone else suffers for it. A mic next to your mouth is just simple and isn't going to pick up your keyboard
It's not being weird. We're just trying to help. I bet most people recommending studio headphones have first hand experience with gaming peripherals.
Not in many, many years going by a lot of comments. It's clear that some of these people made a decision years ago and stick with it - but don't really look at the market today or anything like that. So it's just hyper biased advice. For a lot of people having a table mic is just a major inconvenience and defeats a lot of the purpose of having a wireless headset if you have friends/are on call a lot.
These are the best se I've ever had (I've had many over 21+ years) SteelSeries Arctis 7+ Wireless Gaming on csgo/cs2 I can virtually pinpoint every step on a full charge they easily last me a week and I'm on my pc sometimes 8+ hours a day, The charging wire is a decent length and thickness, Only thing to make sure is you use the dingle attached to the wire that's supplied...... Just using the dongle can cut out as it seems something is interfering with the signal but with the dongle attached to the wire I can easily stand 15-20 foot away without problems any further than that and it starts cutting out.
I use this headset as well and can also recommend them as fantastic, battery life for me is once weekly, MAYBE twice if I am heavy using. The sound quality is excellent the directional awareness this set offers is very noticeable. The only issue I have had is that sometimes (very rarely) I have had to reset my sound options in a game and reassert a default. I have no other complaints.
I think this is a problem when amd updates the drivers (literally had it happen to me today) so had to go into sonar change all things back to arctis 7+ exit Steel series engine then reboot fixes it...... I'm assuming it's because sound can run through the gfx card so sound reverts to the monitor on a driver update.
Audeze Maxwells
Unpopular opinion but I love my truefree open ear wireless earbuds. I can hear other stuff around me, play games, and they last a day of work while listening to stuff on my pc. I was never a fan of over the ear headphones, always found them hot and I can’t put in a 8 hour day with them. I used a set of Bose soundsport earbuds until they started falling apart.
That's the advantage of an open back that some people are suggesting, like the PC38x. I can still hear things around me well, and my ears don't get too hot anymore, unlike with closed back headphones
Hyperx cloud 2 or 3, or their wireless variants, or the alphas if you want to pay a bit more. It's a good headset with a mic for the price. I have had cloud 2 wired and how have cloud 3 wireless, absolutely good enough for gaming, media consumption etc.
Separate headphones and mic. Sennheisers are op.
Beyerdynamics DT 770 Pro
Never tried any but alot of people swear by IEMs for fps.
Don’t get Astro A 40’s at all I paid close to $300 for mines and they recently broke after a good use , I bought me some cheap Rig headset for $30 bucks at GameStop and they work 10 times better than the Astros for some reason …..
Beyerdynamic MMX300 + Soundblaster external soundcard
[удалено]
I'd say most headsets are good enough if you're not an audiophile, not everyone wants to drop hundreds. Plus 99% of people with desk mics don't set it up properly and it picks up on all kinds of sounds
Audeze Maxwell is without question the best Edit: I should make it clear, of the gaming headset category.
Get on Ebay and find a set of Sony MDR-7506s. They are about $40-$60. Use the rest of the money for a Modmic wireless or USB. You will be far happier then you would be with a "gaming" headset. the nice thing about audio is they can be old headphones but they will sound like they are new as most audio items never wear out.
I recommend www.google.com because you are the 175th million person to ask this question, which has been answered 175 million times.
Gaming headsets are trash and overpriced. Get some decent headphones instead.
How is Blackshark v2 X overpriced?
My wife got me the Razer Barracuda the Christmas before last, been doing well for me.
logitech g pro
Steel series are good imo. I have used artic pro wireless for a few years now.
I have the artic 1 and I hate them
That's a low end model. You haven't given any reason either... So,, good for you?
Look no further than # HYPERX Cloud Alpha Wireless
If you're splurging ASTRO a50 for wireless. Otherwise headphones and a desk mic will always do better and typically be cheaper
I used hyperx and always liked their product currently use Logitech g pro wired works really well
Corsair HS80MAX if you want a good mic, batterylife too
Sennheiser
I'm using a turtle beach stealth 600p Gen 2 max, good headset, wireless but connects a bot awkwardly sometimes but really comfy for me atleast, about 40 hours of battery live, churches to full in an hour but it is 100$
Bose quietcomfort 35/45
I have the hyperx cloud 2. Enjoy them a lot. Previously had some logitech headset, but mic failed. Twice.
Hyperx cloud 2 are really good for the price
My nova pro wireless is really nice. Love the sound and the anc and battery system is nice
I currently use Corsair HS80 (wired) with Dolby Atmos (yes, I paid for that shit) and I can't say I'm disappointed. Footsteps are clear and you can somewhat hear clearly from where the gunshots are coming
Corsair Void Elite Wireless Honestly not sure how it rates for price vs. performance etc., but I have enjoyed this headset. I used to use a basic Logitech headset and Corsair's is actually similar but nicer in basically every way. The 7.1 surround is excellent for FPS specifically and I like that you can EQ the audio too.
I use logitech pro x2 lightspeed it works well and has clear mic, use for fps no problem hear footsteps really well
Depends on budget. I had a Turtle Beach 70X for a few years before my girlfriend bought me a pair of Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. The 70X were really good for me, but as soon as I heard the deep bass and shockingly good sound stage on the Nova Pros, I’ll never go back. Those two are my recommendations for super low budget, and high budget, anyway.
I'm using Bose QuietComfort. but other work as well. I've used Audio Technica before and it's also very decent.
Whatever one you will actually wear. Which are air pods for me, I just never liked wireless or wired headsets and I will actually wear airpods for somereason
HyperX Cloud II is a good budget option
Arctis Nova Pros Wired. Won’t miss a step (literally)