What headphones/set/what ever you call them to buy?

So I was looking at getting the Sennheiser PC360. But after reading some stuff it look like thequality is going down? any way what headphones/set/what ever you call them to should I buy?

they will mostly be used for gaming but also some music(not bass stuff) and adio books. I don't really care about wired or wireless.It must be able to be pluged in to a ipad 3rd gen. as for mic I don't really care about it but suggestions for them built in or clip on's would be appreciated...(thaks in advance)

What budget? At the low end, JVC is great value. At the high end, Grado is regarded as one of the best.

no more then $500 less is better....(so around like the 100-200 range +/-50-100)

hum nothing... did the mini wall of text scar every one away?

Tons of options in here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad...ming-guide-updated-4-30-13-koss-esp-950-added

oh yes I have that bookmarked and from what I have read there the Sennheiser PC360 looks like the best option for me. I just asked here to see what you guys thought

so any suggestions other than the Sennheiser PC360 ?

If you're after a headSET you probably won't get much better than those.

If you want a set of headPHONES and use a clip-on mic or desktop mic (like I use); then there are plenty of options. Especially for that price range.

so the difference between headSET and headPHONES is a mic ?

also suggestions for headPHONES would be appreciated(along with clip on mics)

thanks

Generally I consider it that way. Not sure if that'd be the official difference in terminology..

There's a Zalman Clip-on mic that a lot of people use.. I personally use some Logitech desktop USB mic lol.

ATH-AD700/AD900 (Noting these are open-back headphones; if you need isolation; veer away from open back headphones)
ATH-M50
Shure SRH 840 (My pair; slightly heavy on the head depending though)
AKG 701/702
Sennheiser HD595

Also noting I'm pretty sure the PC 360's are open backs. I also think there is a newer model out?

the 360's looked like the best choose from Kunfire's lik

Look up AntLion Modmic. You can add it to a good pair of headsets. I'm waiting for ver. 4 myself.

I don't know where to start on this one, there plenty of options.

First of all the difference between a headset and (HiFi) headphones is not only the attached microphone, it's the overall sound quality. Even at the beginners market around 150$-200$ Headsets stand almost no chance compared to 180$ Headphones paired with a 20$ Microphone. Headsets are quite expensive for their performance, they are labeled 'gaming series' and stuff, esport teams use them and thats what makes them expensive. The bang for the buck just isn't right.

5.1 Gaming headsets vs Stereo Sound
Do you really need 5.1 in gaming headsets? Is there really 5.1 in those headsets? Answer to both is: No. Yes 5.1 Headsets have more than 1 speaker per side, since the sound is emitted at the exact same time from all speakers there is no real surround sound. Therefore you would need a chip that calculates when to emit what sound. It is the time delay from the sound between our left and right ear that tells our brain where the sound is from.
I won't lie here, when you listen to surround sound demos on the net a good Surround Headset will perform slightly better at that illusion, yet is pretty likely to lack a wide soundstage.
So all in all Stereo Headsets/phones it is.

What do you need to invest
If you are an enthusiast that games most of the time, and listens to music from time to time I'd say you are good to go in the 150€ (should be around 150$-200$) range for the headphones.
The microphone really depends on what you need it for. I got a zalman clip mic for around 10$, it works for skype and teamspeak. If I was going to record let's plays and stuff I might go with something else. Depending on how important that is to you, go with a 10-15$ clip mic or look for a 20-30$ desk mic.

What are your choices?
Since Im at work I cant give you all the links, but at latest you will find them here tomorrow.
From what I remember by head:
Ultrasone HFI 580
Beyerdynamic 770
ATH-M50
Sennheiser HD595
On the mire expensive end (like 300$)
Beyerdynamic 990
Ultrasone HFI 780

What to pick?
Best possibility is, if you have a good (!) HiFi store around, go there and see if you can listen to some of their headphones. Audio is very subjective, everyone will favor other things. I had the luck that a store in my local city only receives customers after they made an appointment. So you can spend an hour or more in their studio and listen to variuos headphones / songs / etc. I even brought some blurays.

I hope this helped a little bit on that topic.

yes it helped alot thanks

I have the AKG 701s but sadly they have been broken for over two years. One of the ears went out after I yanked the cord. I opened them up after a lot of work and solder them back on but they still don't work :/

Anyway, don't get them for gaming. They are studio phones and they are absolutely amazinggggggg. I can't add enough Gs. Listening to classical music is so enjoyable

I am a huge advocate of Sennheiser. So I would go with those... I have the low-end HD 429s which I used for everyday listening and gaming. But my friend has like 3-4 of them including the 595s. Great phones but if you are new to this and just gaming, I would go for a cheaper model. You probably won't notice the difference unless your a musician or audiophile with a high-end system.

Just a note for the surround vs stereo, 5.1 and 7.1 headphones are a gimmick, yes. What tends to work a lot better are sound cards/mixamps that can mix 7.1 into stereo, creating a virtual surround sound setup.

Pretty much any ASUS or Creative sound card, as well as the mixamps that come with the Tritton AX720 and Astro A40 do this.

Leegit said:

I have the AKG 701s but sadly they have been broken for over two years. One of the ears went out after I yanked the cord. I opened them up after a lot of work and solder them back on but they still don't work :/

Anyway, don't get them for gaming. They are studio phones and they are absolutely amazinggggggg. I can't add enough Gs. Listening to classical music is so enjoyable

I am a huge advocate of Sennheiser. So I would go with those... I have the low-end HD 429s which I used for everyday listening and gaming. But my friend has like 3-4 of them including the 595s. Great phones but if you are new to this and just gaming, I would go for a cheaper model. You probably won't notice the difference unless your a musician or audiophile with a high-end system.

Click to expand...

well I am a musician and play cello... listen to classical music too.

Then include the more expensive 300$ and more in your search, too. But make sure that you listen to both, low end and midrange phones if you really hear the difference. I cannot stress that enough: audio is very subjective, therefore more expensive is not necessarily better for you. It might be though.

so any where you guys go to for reviwes and what nots for this kind of stuff?(like kunfire's link) also from what I am reading here it is better to get headphones(no mic)with a clip on mic(stll looking for more suggestions on these)/desktop mic(I do have a crap deskto mic that just works) than a headset(with mic) becuase the mic bumps the price up imporpotionaly.

Ant lion mod mic for your mic.