Gaming mouse, keyboard, and headset.

[sonna]

Evening all,

After the above mentioned. Budget circa £250.00 (I’d like to take advantage of the buy now pay later finance offer...)

My Razer Krakens have just packed up, and I’m using a Lenovo mouse & keyboard which I pinched from work. Therefore I’ve never used a mechanical keyboard, and my current mouse only has two buttons and a scroll wheel (promise I’m not using a Win95 machine).

I already have a Sound Blaster Z sound card, so can accommodate either 2.5mm or USB for a headset. I understand the Cloud II’s are a good shout?

I mostly play CSGO, PUGB, or WoW.

Would appreciate any input.

Cheers,
Sonna

 

[PapaLazaru]

Mouse - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/xtrfy-m2-usb-optical-esports-gaming-mouse-black-gs-015-xt.html Nothing comes close for the current price. Quality bit of kit.
Headset - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/sennheiser-gsp-300-gaming-headset-blue-sp-096-sn.html It's Sennheiser, it is well reviewed and will work well with your soundcard.

Choosing a keyboard is harder. You are in the realms of both mechanical and backlit which are both pre-requisites in my opinion but what keys to go for is your call. I prefer Cherry MX Blacks, or have done until now and am currently using the Corsair Gaming Strafe RGB with MX Silent keys which are wonderful, but the keyboard takes you a little over budget - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...-gaming-keyboard-ch-9000121-uk-kb-052-cs.html

The iKBC keyboards look like really good value as an alternative - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/peri...ing-keyboards?ckSuppliers=755&ckTab=0&sSort=2

 

[sonna]

Thanks for the suggestion @PapaLazaru I shall take a look.

I suppose it’s worth noting that I’m not particularly fussed with a keyboard that lights up like Blackpool pleasure beach. I’m also right handed, so that can include and RH only mice into the search.

 

[EsaT]

Therefore I’ve never used a mechanical keyboard, and my current mouse only has two buttons and a scroll wheel (promise I’m not using a Win95 machine).

Without experience from mechanical keyboards switch with decent resistant before actuation point would be likely good:
Unlike membrane/rubber dome keyboards mechanical switches detect press half way along travel.
So if there's little resistance before that you could easily do accidental presses unless avoiding resting fingers on keys.

And linear switches have pressing force increasing linearly the deeper you want to press the key.
MX Black has good resistance before actuation point, but some crouching/running key is more stressful to keep down with pinky
MX Red has all around lower resistance being nice light to keep pressed down, but that also means very little feel before actuation point.

Non-linear MX Brown is kinda of combination with higher force tactile point you have to exceed before key depresses to actuation point.
After that it has very similar force curve to MX Red for light bottoming.
That makes it good all around switch and safe for someone without experience.


But one thing you likely won't like is typical mechanical switch being quite a lot noisier than membrane/rubber dome switch.
With sharp sound from bottoming and key getting "kicked" to top position by spring making switch shaft mechanism hit roof of its housing with key cap "rattling" along.
Traditionally mechanical switches have completely disregarded noise.
Non-linear MX Blue and its Chinese cheap copies (like used by Razer) even has purposely added extra sound effect.

Relatively new Cherry MX Silent has damping for both bottoming noise and rising to top noise.
But it's only available with MX Red and Black force curve variants and used only in couple keyboards.

Which brings up alternative.
Omron made Romer-G of Logitech with MX Brown style force curve with clear resistance before key depresses to actuation point.
Also you can Logitech G810 at quite decent price considering it also has dedicated volume contro/media keys.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/logi...rgb-mechanical-gaming-keyboard-kb-25c-lg.html

I suppose it’s worth noting that I’m not particularly fussed with a keyboard that lights up like Blackpool pleasure beach.

Besides damping those two noise sources it was designed also for well controlled illumination of key cap markings:
Cherry MX RGBs rely on transparent switch housing to spread light causing "Christmas tree" look.
Just skip Finnish speech, unlike most videos this starts by showing product itself instead of promoting reviewer's face:

Again Romer-G keeps light directed to top of key cap:

 

[EsaT]

I already have a Sound Blaster Z sound card, so can accommodate either 2.5mm or USB for a headset. I understand the Cloud II’s are a good shout?

Like Superlux also Takstar makes headphones with lot better sound quality than expected for budget pricing.
And while Sennheiser certainly makes many excellent sound quality headphones that doesn't mean cheaper closed design based gaming headset like GSP 300 is automatically at that level.
Reliability of typical gaming headphone/set review is at level of nearly deaf music critic.
And they never include any actually known good reference points.

If there's no actual need for microphone you want headphones without cost diversion of factory attached microphone.
And without need to isolate noise of environment closed design is bad starting point, because of its acoustics/physics.

Besides good 360 sense of direction these should also have clear sense of depth/distance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1_20T8x_OI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8xZp0WPwxs
Any head in bucket underwater feel is caused by headphones being bad...
Compared to typical closed gaming stuff semi-free Superlux HD-330 feels almost like top level headphone.
Really don't ever try those with some AKG K700-model, DT990 Beyerdynamic or open Sennheiser HD5xx headphone if you want to think gaming stuff any good.

 

[sonna]

Appreciate your comments @EsaT A lot of good information there.

A mic would be essential. However I wouldn’t mind some headphones I could also port across to my hifi.

Thoughts on the AKG 702’s? Appreciate they don’t come with a mic, but there is the ModMic option...

Would my sound card be enough to drive them, or would a dedicated amp be required like the Asus U7?

 

[EsaT]

However I wouldn’t mind some headphones I could also port across to my hifi.

Thoughts on the AKG 702’s? Appreciate they don’t come with a mic, but there is the ModMic option...

Would my sound card be enough to drive them, or would a dedicated amp be required like the Asus U7?

No reason to not use same headphones for gaming and music.
Headphones good for binaural sound do well in music, because binaural sound needs good overall sound quality.
(unless music means only bass and nothing more)

AKG K701/702 are among absolute top headphones for binaural gaming.
With neutral bass taking back seat to details they're pretty much at aural "god mode/wall hack" level in locating sound sources.
ATH-AD700x has equal sound stage, but its bass is below neutral lacking lower bass lowering overall immersion.
That highest possible "competitiveness" always means compromising in "fun factor", because stronger bass makes foot steps and such details not so obvious.

DT990 does well in that fun factor, but also with sound stage notch below AKGs isn't as high in competitiveness.
Though lot better than average headphone and especially closed gaming stuff. (also famous for music HD650 Sennheiser would lose clearly)
K712 has AKG sound stage with above neutral bass, losing little to DT990 in fun but being more competitive.

Myself have five years old DT990 and couple months ago bought K712 and second hand K702 for bass neutral reference.
(+tape keeping parts from falling HD595 Sennheiser, which lacks above neutral bass of DT990/K712 while having DT990 level sound stage)


Also V-Moda BoomPro mic could be used with detachable cable AKGs when using this kind adapter:
BGS 3 Pin Mini XLR Female to 3.5mm Female Stereo Headphone Jack Adapter with AKG Wiring
That would avoid separate cables of ModMic.


While Asus certainly brought competition to sound cards in some areas mostly they just managed marketing hype lot better than Creative.
That Xonar U7 looks to be of those hype products.
Its headphone output seems to be even weaker than that of integrated Realtek codecs which do 1 Vrms to 32 ohms:
http://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/report/amp/asus-u7-hp.php#rw11
And SB Z does better than Realteks.
Also Dolby Headphone of those Xonars is overall mediocre with bass bloat and echo.

Though those AKGs are certainly more demanding than average headphones with their current requirement.
(with lower current draw 250 ohm Beyers are actually easier load)
In high dynamic range content like classical music SB Z could struggle to drive them fully.
In such content average signal level is low and you ramp up volume basing to that, while there are shorter transients and moments with lot louder sound requiring much more power.

Though again in games signal level is kept lot more even.
Because it would be annoying to have ears ringing when shooting match starts, if having enough volume for hearing foot steps.