New Headphone help :)

simbady

simbady

simbady

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Hi there for some time I have been thinking about getting some new headphones, I'm looking at spending around £60-£80.

I will mostly be using the headphones for gaming but also listening to music. Current I have a Asus Xonar D2 sound card with Turtle Beach X1 headphones.

I've been looking at Goldring DR150 with a FiiO headphone amp. Problem is It would be ideal if I could get a headset rather than headphones, so does anyone know of a nice headset with good sound quality like the goldrings, but with a mic :)

thanks in advanced
 
TBH, you will find no headset that will match either the Goldring DR150's or NS1000's for sound quality. If you must have a mic, maybe the Razer Carcharias. It offers good sound quality, but then £70 is not that cheap. Some seem to like Steelseries V2. However you look at it, for what the Goldring's cost, nothing will come close.
 
One option would be to add a clip on mic, i was in a similair position a while back. Wanted a headset, but most i tried were a bit poor on the sound front compared to goldring ns1000's that i tried. Opted for the goldrings instead, sound quality with my Xonar DX is excellent.
 
setter said:
One option would be to add a clip on mic,
Click to expand...

That wins every time. I should have included that, but oh well, at least someone mentioned it. :)


For too many people, the convenience of a mic stuck to the face is more important than sound quality it seems. So thus, most will buy a headset.
 
Thats a good idea thanks :), What are your guys opinions on headphones amps? Got a friend who says they are awesome but want to check with some others?
 
It depends on the headphones really. Some HP's don't need a separate one. The DR150's are such phones. I have them, and I have an Xonar Essence, which has a HP amp. The amp does improve them, but it's very very subtle. It's not enough of a difference to make me think wow, what an improvement. But that's me, some people might have a different experience. Different people have different experiences with HP's that do not necessarily need a headphone amp. Some people have asked, do Sennheiser's HD555's gain more performance from a HP amp. Most people I have seen comment on that, say no. There are some who do think there is an improvement.

TBH, I think if one is thinking of getting a HP amp for a pair of phones, it's best to find out if there is any significant benefit before hand for those particular phones. It also depends on the price of said amp. A £100 HP that provides very little gain to the phones, is rather pointless TBH. However, if that HP amp costs £20, then it doesn't matter, if the gain is very small, as there is little money lost, so to speak.

Some HP's do require a HP amp, and a good one to get the best from them. Sennheiser HD600/650's are the most common examples. Connecting those to a iPod or any device that doesn't have a dedicated HP amp, is like buying really good quality speakers to connect to an Alba or Goodmans stereo.

So anyway, I have waffled on enough. :p

If you are thinking of getting the DR150's, a FiiO E5 wouldn't be a bad purchase. As it's cheap, if you find little gain, then you haven't really lost anything. If you decide on the NS1000's, then they will definitely benefit from the E5, without a doubt. :)
 
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MArsman, plz buy me some NS1000's & DR150's so I can devide which i want :p

@ OP: - Speedlink clip on mic about £6, best mic i ever had!
 
I run my DR150's through an old 80's midi CD hi-fi (so old it has a turntable), and the amp makes a noticable difference to the sound quality. The bass especially is much more punchy.
 
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