Best <£30 headphones for gaming?
- Thread starter Angilion
- Start date
i have the Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset and you can't really go wrong with these, they are light and the surround sounds are very accurate, see all the 5 star review people are giving 
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SP-091-CL&tool=3
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SP-091-CL&tool=3
i have the Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset and you can't really go wrong with these, they are light and the surround sounds are very accurate, see all the 5 star review people are giving
Got them too, extrememely good bass for such cheap headphones.
Goldring DR50 I'd say.
Or perhaps Koss KSC75's haven't used them for gaming myself but -Ad- does.
As margaret has recommend, try the Goldring DR50 or 100, good phones.
I use my ear clip on kiss ksc-75. They may look like cheapy over ear phones, but are surprisingly good for gaming, although I do use them out of my headphone amp that normally power my grados. Or just get both the koss are really cheap and can be used out on the move or as an emergency pair.
CREATIVE Ft1t1t1ty1yt1ty are not very good, the 5 star reviews from people are because they have not heard a proper set of headphones. It's like me going to test drive a lada and giving it 5 stars because of I have never driven any other good car like a ford focus or bmw 3-series.
Soldato
- Joined
- 3 Mar 2006
- Posts
- 3,233
- Location
- Atcham, Shropshire
the creative fatality's are ok, complete rubbish for css though, the bass drowns out all the subtle sounds so you can barely hear anything. so if you play css then stay away from these. games which dont need you to be able to hear stuff should sound pretty cool.
on the other hand, the bass is very good
music sounds very good for such a cheap pair.
on the other hand, the bass is very good
music sounds very good for such a cheap pair.
If you can stretch to getting DR100's, I have them, great set for the price. They beat any headset going, especially the Fatal1ty ones. If you need a mic, just get a seperate one, a favourite here is the elara clip on mic, that coupled with the DR50 or 100's would be my choice.
- Joined
- 5 Dec 2003
- Posts
- 21,063
- Location
- Just to the left of my PC
DR100s are out of stock and I am impatient for my new toys
I've been using the old "5.1" Speedlink Medusa, because I fell for the "5.1" thing. In case anyone is wondering - it doesn't work. I've been using them in stereo mode with my X-Fi faking surround sound and that's better. I think that the DR50s will seem a lot better to me.
DR100s are out of stock and I am impatient for my new toys
I've been using the old "5.1" Speedlink Medusa, because I fell for the "5.1" thing. In case anyone is wondering - it doesn't work. I've been using them in stereo mode with my X-Fi faking surround sound and that's better. I think that the DR50s will seem a lot better to me.
Yeah I'm like that, if it's not in stock I go find the next best thing
The DR50's will be a huge improvement over the medusa's. I use dolby headphones from my xonar with my DR100's and it produces far superior surround sound to the 5.1 headsets.If you can hang on until this evening, I have my old Medusas (which only still work in Stereo mode), DR50s and DR100s. Can do a quick comparison, as they seem to be the main headphones you're considering.
From memory, I would strongly advise the DR100s over the DR50s for gaming.
From memory, I would strongly advise the DR100s over the DR50s for gaming.
Associate
- Joined
- 29 Nov 2007
- Posts
- 513
awesome im on the lookout to replace my failing medusa
OK all - I have Speedlink Medusas (5.1 broken - only work in stereo mode), Goldring DR50, Goldring DR100 and Goldring NS-1000 and some Philips earbuds (can't remember model but they cost less than a tenner) sitting in front of me.
Just made sure they all work and given a quick listen to a music track. Everything is unamped, plugged into my Xonar D2.
Firstly - the Medusas:
Medusa - dark sound. Bass is rather muddy and bloated. Lacks detail - a bit like listening through fog.
Philips cheapo earbuds. Not as dark as medusas. Bass sounds similar but better detail in the mid range and treble.
DR50. Nice detail but kind of cold and clinical sounding (they've maybe had 30-40 hours burn in / use now). Bass sounds recessed (very quiet) compared to the medusas or philips earbuds but more detailed. Timbre of voices and instruments more realistic and distinctive. Lack of 'sustain' on notes - it sounds like notes silence too soon.
DR100. Very good all rounder. They're similarly detailed to the DR50s but a much more balanced headphone overall. They have bass, presence, sustain. Great for the price, especially compared to the DR50s.
NS-1000. The only closed headphone here. Quite a similar character to the DR100s but everything is much clearer and punchier. Bass is maybe a little more prominent. Voices sound realistic. It's difficult to describe the sort of effect these things have on me but I'll listen to the same track on these and will be foot tapping or nodding. It's difficult to describe but they give me a better emotional connection to the music. - Not surprising as they cost over 3x what the DR100s do new. They have one big flaw though - the noise cancelling causes hiss.
I have to go and make dinner then will do a few gaming tests.
Just made sure they all work and given a quick listen to a music track. Everything is unamped, plugged into my Xonar D2.
Firstly - the Medusas:
Medusa - dark sound. Bass is rather muddy and bloated. Lacks detail - a bit like listening through fog.
Philips cheapo earbuds. Not as dark as medusas. Bass sounds similar but better detail in the mid range and treble.
DR50. Nice detail but kind of cold and clinical sounding (they've maybe had 30-40 hours burn in / use now). Bass sounds recessed (very quiet) compared to the medusas or philips earbuds but more detailed. Timbre of voices and instruments more realistic and distinctive. Lack of 'sustain' on notes - it sounds like notes silence too soon.
DR100. Very good all rounder. They're similarly detailed to the DR50s but a much more balanced headphone overall. They have bass, presence, sustain. Great for the price, especially compared to the DR50s.
NS-1000. The only closed headphone here. Quite a similar character to the DR100s but everything is much clearer and punchier. Bass is maybe a little more prominent. Voices sound realistic. It's difficult to describe the sort of effect these things have on me but I'll listen to the same track on these and will be foot tapping or nodding. It's difficult to describe but they give me a better emotional connection to the music. - Not surprising as they cost over 3x what the DR100s do new. They have one big flaw though - the noise cancelling causes hiss.
I have to go and make dinner then will do a few gaming tests.
- Joined
- 5 Dec 2003
- Posts
- 21,063
- Location
- Just to the left of my PC
Thanks for doing this. I appreciate getting such a useful comparison.
It turned out that someone had bought all stock (more than 10) of the B-grade graphics card that was my main reason for going to OcUK, less than 3 hours before I was leaving for the shop. So I never went. I looked locally during my lunch break from work, but there's nothing to be had nearby that I wanted. I could order the DR100s online for £30 including delivery, which seems very cheap, but I dislike having things delivered. Or, more commonly, coming home from work to find a "no-one was in, we couldn't deliver" card on the mat.
I may as well pay ~£35 for the DR100s as opposed to ~£25 for the DR50s. Even if they only last a year, that's about 21p a week difference. I use headphones a lot, so it will defintely be worthwhile.
I did find one very scathing review of the DR100s, with the author wondering if Goldring have changed some important components and describing them as "shrill". I'd link to it, but it's on a site that sells lots of things, so it's probably seen as a competitor.
It turned out that someone had bought all stock (more than 10) of the B-grade graphics card that was my main reason for going to OcUK, less than 3 hours before I was leaving for the shop. So I never went. I looked locally during my lunch break from work, but there's nothing to be had nearby that I wanted. I could order the DR100s online for £30 including delivery, which seems very cheap, but I dislike having things delivered. Or, more commonly, coming home from work to find a "no-one was in, we couldn't deliver" card on the mat.
I may as well pay ~£35 for the DR100s as opposed to ~£25 for the DR50s. Even if they only last a year, that's about 21p a week difference. I use headphones a lot, so it will defintely be worthwhile.
I did find one very scathing review of the DR100s, with the author wondering if Goldring have changed some important components and describing them as "shrill". I'd link to it, but it's on a site that sells lots of things, so it's probably seen as a competitor.
Was it actually a proper review site of heaphones and audio equipment, or some computer website who probably know sweet FA about headphones. If it sells things then I doubt it is a worthwhile site to listen to reviews from anyway.
E-mail in trust so I can check it out
E-mail in trust so I can check it out
User review on the rainforest site? I suspect that they just had a brand new pair and didn't give enough time. All the goldring headphones I've tried have been rather shrill out of the box, suffering from sibilence (overemphasising 's' sounds and cymbals etc). This tends to reduce a lot after a few hours of use (character of some headphones will still be changing 10s or even 100s of hours after use).
With the DR50s I found that this 'burn in' got rid of the shrillness but didn't emphasise the bass. With the DR100s the shrillness went and the headphones eventually gave a much more full open sound too.
There are a lot of people that bought DR100s recently that seem to like them. I've seen others recommend them in a few threads here.
Sorry about the lack of gaming tests. That changed into playing Far Cry 2...
With the DR50s I found that this 'burn in' got rid of the shrillness but didn't emphasise the bass. With the DR100s the shrillness went and the headphones eventually gave a much more full open sound too.
There are a lot of people that bought DR100s recently that seem to like them. I've seen others recommend them in a few threads here.
Sorry about the lack of gaming tests. That changed into playing Far Cry 2...
- Joined
- 5 Dec 2003
- Posts
- 21,063
- Location
- Just to the left of my PC
Yes, it was a user review on "the rainforest site". The only user review for them on that site, so they show up with a 2-star rating there.
On the other hand, What Hi-Fi? gave them 5 stars and all the other reviews I've seen rate them highly. The common theme is that they're on a par with headphones costing twice as much.
Do you know what they're like for someone who wears glasses? Some headphones are quite uncomfortable with glasses.
Hmm...somewhere I won't mention sends them by UK standard post. So at least I can pick them up from a local post office after royal mail try to deliver them when I'm at work.
On the other hand, What Hi-Fi? gave them 5 stars and all the other reviews I've seen rate them highly. The common theme is that they're on a par with headphones costing twice as much.
Do you know what they're like for someone who wears glasses? Some headphones are quite uncomfortable with glasses.
Hmm...somewhere I won't mention sends them by UK standard post. So at least I can pick them up from a local post office after royal mail try to deliver them when I'm at work.
Hmm - that's possibly a drawback. I only use glasses for driving so never worn mine with them. Can try this evening. The DR50s, DR100s and presumably the DR150s (which are a very similar design) do suffer from what can be described as a 'head squeeze of death' when they're new, especially if you wear them fully extended. I resorted to stretching them when I wasn't wearing them and they've either loosened up or I've got used to them.
- Joined
- 5 Dec 2003
- Posts
- 21,063
- Location
- Just to the left of my PC
That's not promising. I have to wear glasses whenever I am awake and not in the shower. My natural eyesight is so bad that, according to my optician, it's legally defined as "functionally blind". It is, for example, practically impossible for me to read normal-sized print with both eyes - in order to be able to see it clearly enough, I have to bring it so close to my eyes that they are at a slightly painful limit of movement "inwards", about three inches away from my nose. Without them, my view of this screen is "grey rectangle on blue background" and that's it. So any headphones I wear must be comfortable with glasses.
It is likely that I'll need full extension on headphones - I have a large head.
The Medusa headphones are extremely good for wearing with glasses - I can wear them for hours on end without discomfort. They're just not very good for sound quality and both arms have snapped (cheap plastic). Superglue and sticky tape doesn't really do the job, so the headphones are no longer properly flush with my ears. On the bright side, it's a good excuse for an upgrade I didn't want to discard them when they were working properly, it seemed wasteful.
Hmm...to buy or not to buy? I had decided on the DR100s (I decided it was worth the extra over the DR50s), but the "head squeeze of death" would be a problem with glasses.
It is likely that I'll need full extension on headphones - I have a large head.
The Medusa headphones are extremely good for wearing with glasses - I can wear them for hours on end without discomfort. They're just not very good for sound quality and both arms have snapped (cheap plastic). Superglue and sticky tape doesn't really do the job, so the headphones are no longer properly flush with my ears. On the bright side, it's a good excuse for an upgrade
I didn't want to discard them when they were working properly, it seemed wasteful.Hmm...to buy or not to buy? I had decided on the DR100s (I decided it was worth the extra over the DR50s), but the "head squeeze of death" would be a problem with glasses.
You should be able to bend the headband outwards slightly. But hopefully an owner can confirm if I am wrong. It's what I did on my grados, as they made my eyes pop out because of the way they came out of the box
Also, thought about contact lenses, glasses suck, and I binned them when I finished school before I went to uni. Best thing I ever did, and easier/cheaper to buy new ones as your prescription changes (if you are still young, say under 22/23).
Also, thought about contact lenses, glasses suck, and I binned them when I finished school before I went to uni. Best thing I ever did, and easier/cheaper to buy new ones as your prescription changes (if you are still young, say under 22/23).