Man, the ATH-M50 is getting a lot of love here. Has much as I love them I'd like to point out a very slight caveat with them. They have a limited sound stage, meaning that it can be a bit difficult to point out the direction and distance a sound is coming from. If you're looking for a pair of headphones for super competitive Counter-Strike, they might not be what your looking for. For everything else, they are absolutely amazing. I got them for recording electric guitars but I use them for everything now.
I use my Logitech G35 for long gaming sessions on PS4 most of the time. When I'm too lazy though I just plug in my Beats Studio into the controller and it sounds great too.
Like a bunch of other people, I'm on the headphones & desktop mic route. Although I've become kind of obsessive about sound quality.
The obsession probably started when I bought some Creative "GigaWorks" T20 speakers on sale, then moved on to Sennheiser HD 555s (also on sale), which I then modded, then bought a better sound card, then got some Beyerdynamic DT 880s and a headphone amp (which I switched op-amps in until it sounded "right"), and now am on Fostex TH-600s and another amp. I'm not even sure I'm completely happy with the sound coming from the sound card and/or amp now, but it's good enough that it doesn't bother me. Hopefully these headphones never completely break because I can't really afford to buy expensive ones like this again anytime soon, although I probably wouldn't be able to go back to the others at this point.
edit: Just so nobody thinks I'm suggesting these, do NOT buy Fostex headphones or at least the expensive TH-600/900 models. They are made way too fragile in important areas like the headband and the spots where the cup sections are screwed together. The adhesive on connected parts doesn't hold, the plastic inside breaks, the "egg protein" fake leather of the earpads disintegrates extremely quickly (I bought a replacement pair around the 6-month point, because the originals were already missing pretty much the entire top layer), and they're just not well-made for long-term use. I've had these slightly longer than a year, have been very gentle on them the entire time, and they're already literally falling apart. They might sound alright, but they're not worth the amount of money you spend on them. Stick to cheaper models so you don't feel extremely ripped off, or go with a company known for having more durable products.
I own a pair of Audio-technica studio headphones. They're cheaper than the expensive Turtle Beach/Astro headphones and infinitely better. Never going back to "gaming" headsets again, they're all branding. These cost me $150 + a Zalman clip-on mic for $7, and they sound much better than the $200+ gaming headsets.
A lot of different opinions here, and a lot of options in the poll. I think if I were someone looking for a headset, this forums thread would be depressing.
It comes down to price, sound & construction quality, comfort in use cases, and ease of use. All things being equal we want high quality low price on things that fit our needs, but you really have to only pick two unless you have a wad of money to spend. If cost is no object you just pick the highest quality for the use case you have that has teh easiest controls.
However, you run into problems. You can spend $$$ on a set of headphones that every AV expert will tell you has the clearest highest high, they deepest most perfect rumbly lows...and is comfortable. They could even sound good in games too because some engineer tuned that into the design as well. But, it is not a headset - there's no mic. So you add a microphone and you will need a mixer for controlling game sounds, chat volume, etc.
So, really and this is just my opinion. Great sound is fine, but ease of use for 'gaming' if you are a gamer sits above that. Ease of use (controls at finger tips) > Sound quality > Use cases/Comfort (where and how you can use them for other things) > Price. You can build yourself a gaming sound setup, and that probably the highest quality but it will cost you. Find the headset you want, find a microphone that will work for you, buy a small mixer of you choice made from gaming so you have teh controls you need. That's a lot of choices and if you like doing that it fine....but if you don't you are screwed.
My advice if you just want a solution, not five separate solutions - buy a gaming headset - one that gets high scores in reviews. And, yeah, be willing to spend above $150 for them because build quality matters unless you want to replace them every 18 to 24 months.
I've had my A40s for a few years, have a couple of the mixamps, a wired one for my pc and the wireless 5.8 that I use with PS4/XB1. They're pretty comfortable while wearing my glasses, I tried some Turtle Beaches before and they hurt my head by jamming my glasses into my temples.
I'm still digging my (Astro) A30's after 4 years. I hope they last me for a decade or more.
I'm wasting potential by just plugging the, into my audio jack of my pc speakers, so maybe I'll take the time to go underneath my pc and permanently place them.
I have a pair of wireless corsair vengeance 1500 cans. Mainly using them for talking to people over voip at work.
At home I generally use a pair of beyerdynamic custom one pros. If I ever for some reason feel like I need a mic for gaming (might happen at some point, I guess) I have a modmic I can slap on them.
I am kinda curious to know if Rorie is asking this question for advertising purposes:).
Seems an oddly specific question to ask.
yeah i hope not. not that i deeply care, but it's in better taste to be up front with that sort of thing. as in a simple "we're trying to get better ads for the bombcast, and..."
Sorry in advance I am gonna sound like a sales rep. For gaming on my TV setup I have a Sennheiser RS 180 - really expensive but it's gotta be the best wireless headphone by a mile. I have tried probably everything else and nothing comes close. Most common issue I have with others is closed designs, tight around the ears, too heavy, etc. About closed designs, you know how on a closed headphone you can hear every tiny rustle of the cable? I'm looking at you Xbox One headset. Who can deal with that?? I also like to be able to hear if my phone rings or something.
Pros: * Few-millisecond latency * lossless transmission (Kleer) * amazing range * comfortable for an unreal number of hours, I have probably worn them for way-too-long gaming over 8 hours straight. * stereo only (no surround gimmicks) * runs on 2 AAA Eneloops for 12+ hours * Oh and it's a Sennheiser, you know the sound quality is fantastic.
Cons: * Only a single 3.5mm connection for input (it has RCA outs but not for input, super weird). * You are getting multiple conversions (HDMI digital -> receiver DAC -> wireless digital -> headphone DAC). I think they should simply add an SPDIF input on the headphone base. * No mic. * No input on the headphones for hooking up a cable for passive audio.
When not gaming on my TV I use the wonderful LG HBS730 bluetooth headset for around the house and anything from my iOS devices. Ultra-light and very inconspicuous. Apt-x support is great to my Macbook (for fuck's sake Apple, add Apt-x to iOS already!), earbuds are awesome (and not isolating!). Battery life kinda sucks but maybe it's just the age of mine. And non-Apt-x bluetooth latency fucking sucks but that's not the headphones' fault.
I use a Turtle Beach because I needed wireless headphones that hooked into my TV, not my game system (I have a Wii U, a PS4 and an Apple TV). Most brands I found just hooked into the system, which is a drag since I bounce between my three media devices.
primarily i use the Sennheiser HDR 180 they are a bit expensive and you can choose a lower grade but they are extremely comfy and the sound is great. also they are wireless. i also use a Philips wireless headphones dont know the brand because i got them from my job as a christmas present. but roughly the same price range. i personally prefer the sennheiser brand since it pretty much at most prices classes they deliver an amazing sound
I use Turtle Beach EarForce PX4 for my PS4. It's decent, but it isn't very compatible with the system. The mute mic button and chat volume control buttons do not work with the PS4, meaning I have to unplug my chat cable if I want to silence my mic and I have to adjust the party volume by going through some menus on the system. It's a total pain. The headset is wireless, which is a step up from the wired Turtle Beach headset I was using a few years ago, but at least on that older set I could independently adjust game and party chat volumes. No dice here. The PX4 has two buttons for tone and blast limiter, but there only seems to be one tone that sounds good.
Overall, the headset kinda sucks, but I got it for fairly cheap (~$98 I think). Games and movies sound fine, but the incompatibility with the PS4 is real annoying.
I use a 20 dollar pair of Sennheiser 20-Xs or whatever. I think it was the kind Ryan used to evangelize. It's pretty good for the price, but still a bit tight on my head.
I thought you didn't have my brand but Sades is right there. I got this one shipped from china and it was all in chinese writing, but it works like a charm
Glad to see a lot of Beyerdynamics on here. I use DT 770s 600 ohms with an amp when traveling and a DAC for desktop use. They are currently on 5-7 year run. When I buy my next pair it will probably just be the 32 or 250s just so I don't have to power them as much.
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