Recommended Gaming Headset

trawetSluaP

trawetSluaP

trawetSluaP

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I recently got a pair of Astro A40s and I both love and hate them. The sound quality in Stereo mode is brilliant, and the ear cups are nice and deep meaning they're very comfortable. However they're let down by the very poor Dolby Setting and the head band being uncomfortable.

Can any of you fine people recommend a good headset that has deep ear cups and a nice padded head band that are really good?

Thanks,
Paul
 
For their pricing hardly any gaming brand stuff can be said to have good sound...

Is it just headphone you're after or is mic needed?

But in general first thing is do you have noisy or quiet environment?
Closed design isolates external noises and enables strong lowest "rumbling" bass, but has lots of troubles in soundstage and overall balancing of sound compared to good open headphones.
That good big soundstage is needed for getting good sense of both direction and distance of sound sources.


Also do you want maximum "competitiveness" for picking out foot steps and such?
Or balance between good "fun factor"/immersion with some strength in bass and detailed sound?
Absolutely best competitiveness needs very neutral/weak bass, which cripples "fun factor" heavily because grenades going off etc don't sound much anything in games.
Good open headphones can also manage balance of having good bass and just notch lower competitiveness.
For closed design such balance doesn't really happen, because of soundstage problems and challenges in balancing sound.


Besides good sound what is needed is binaural-simulation to mimic how sounds would behave in real world while traveling to ears.
That's where sound cards have major advantage to integrated Realteks.
Though Dolby Headphone is rather average with awfull tendency for echo and bass bloat.
Because instead of pure binaural-simulation it was designed to mimic also acoustics of some old movie theaters.
They must have gotten lost and gone to gothic gathedral/public bath...
 
Honestly, hadn't thought that deep into it!

I'd like a pair with a mic for the ease of it, but overall would like a nice sounding headset with good sound quality. My environment is generally quiet.
 
There's easy way for turning any standard quality headphone to headset.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/antlion-audio-modmic-v4-muteless-sp-042-al.html

Beyerdynamics are even easy to DIY mod with mic taken from Creative's cheapest headsets. (SB Blaze has replaced that Fatal1ty)
https://imgur.com/gallery/bKU4H


For maximum competitiveness AKG and Sennheiser have some of the best models.
But strongly suspect that those Astros have quite strong bass, which would make neutral bass feel plain anemic/lackluster.
So I guess you would prefer to keep good strength in bass?

For good balance between some strength in bass and overall good sound for gaming Beyerdynamic DT990 is one of the better ones for its price.
"Pro" version can be had for little over £100.
Though as intended for studio use it has coiled cable and little more head band clamping force than standard "Edition/Premium".
Pro (Black) Limited Edition would come with normal straight 3m long cable... and really nice black look.

More expensive AKG K712 would have also quite similar frequency response with stronger than neutral bass.
Good lower bass is challenging for open headphones, so actually there aren't that many other such headphones.


As for binaural-simulation Creative's SBX Pro Surround is very well balanced.
(set all sound settings to 2.0/stereo and disable effects/processings to avoid messing sound)
If those gunshots inside first minute don't sound like really coming from far away and different directions that's because of those Astros.

Sound Blaster Z bulk/oem is very good for its price and would drive 250 ohm Beyers very easily.
That cover of retail version is really more cosmetics than any protection.
Though even budget class Audigy Fx would drive Beyers far to hearing dangerous volume.
 
Can't say having experience from much of different AKGs.
But what I've tried model or two higher models have very big ear pads and also their feel is very light.
Maybe in end of week or in next week could tell more about K712...
 
trawetSluaP said:
I was looking at the AKG 712 Pro, really like the look of them. Just need them to have a decent ear cup depth like the Astro A40s.
Click to expand...

K712 will need a decent headphone amp as they're about as sensitive as a brick. Good headphones for gaming though.

If you'd prefer a something with a microphone; Beyerdynamic MMX300 can be had for £100 from a reputable seller on the famous auction site. Essentially 32 Ohm DT770 with an attached microphone. At one point they had an RRP of around £250.
 
Hiijinx said:
Awesome information to know, thank EsaT!
I actually have a 990 pro and want to try this because my webcam microphone sounds like a fishbowl.
Click to expand...
Suspect it might just maybe sound better if you ripped out that mic from plastic webcam and put in into glass fishbowl...
(at least solid glass wouldn't vibrate so easily from various sounds than thin plastic)

While of course no doubt clearly below big desk mics in sound quality ModMic has very clear sound for speech
And uni-directional pattern+ close distance to mouth makes mechanical keyboard sounds and such quieter.


Marsman said:
K712 will need a decent headphone amp as they're about as sensitive as a brick. Good headphones for gaming though.

If you'd prefer a something with a microphone; Beyerdynamic MMX300 can be had for £100 from a reputable seller on the famous auction site. Essentially 32 Ohm DT770 with an attached microphone. At one point they had an RRP of around £250.
Click to expand...
It's Hifiman which has some models as sensitive as brick.
Though K712 indeed needs lot more power than average. (also more than 701/702)
And despite of lowish impedance actually as much voltage per dB than 250 ohm Beyers.
Meaning they draw quite a lot of current, which is the thing loading outputs most.
(while for as long as output has enough voltage swing 250 ohm Beyers are very easy load)
 
How about the Sennheiser 373D?

Proper headphones which come with a matched USB DAC. I have the older version, the 363D which I use to game with and it surprised me how good it was when I bought it.
 
PapaLazaru said:
How about the Sennheiser 373D?

Proper headphones which come with a matched USB DAC. I have the older version, the 363D which I use to game with and it surprised me how good it was when I bought it.
Click to expand...

I did have a look at those and some reviews said they were good, other say they're typical gaming headset and could get a better pair of dedicated Headphones for the same money.
 
trawetSluaP said:
I did have a look at those and some reviews said they were good, other say they're typical gaming headset and could get a better pair of dedicated Headphones for the same money.
Click to expand...

But you cannot get the combined package for the same money. Sennheiser are one of the worlds leading headphone manufacturer, I've got two pairs along with a few others. They are the only ones that I buy and keep, I buy then sell all the others.

Soundblaster Z = £50
AKG K550 MK2 = £130

And no mic still, which you need to spend another £40 to get one as good (Modmic) as is on the Sennheisers. That would be my comparison with the Sennheisers, based on the fact I have had both setups.

Alternately, get the Z for £50 and get some Beyerdynamic MMX 300 from the auction place for £100 as it is end of life.
 
PapaLazaru said:
But you cannot get the combined package for the same money. Sennheiser are one of the worlds leading headphone manufacturer, I've got two pairs along with a few others. They are the only ones that I buy and keep, I buy then sell all the others.

Soundblaster Z = £50
AKG K550 MK2 = £130

And no mic still, which you need to spend another £40 to get one as good (Modmic) as is on the Sennheisers. That would be my comparison with the Sennheisers, based on the fact I have had both setups.

Alternately, get the Z for £50 and get some Beyerdynamic MMX 300 from the auction place for £100 as it is end of life.
Click to expand...
Take it you'd recommend the Sennheisers over the BD MMX's?
 
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