Headset or Headphones + Mic?

Heya,

Your headphone: Sennheiser PC 360.

And the Astro Mixamp is the one to get.

Very best,

NEW Sony MDR-ZX700ip

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-MDR-ZX700IP-Black-Stereo-Headphones-iPhone-/140568323951?_trksid=m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D25%26pmod%3D140588787614%26ps%3D50

It might be tough to get the needed setup together for $400, especially if you don't already have a speaker amp/receiver handy, but you just might be able to afford a vintage Stax Lambda setup with an SRD-series transformer (for which you'll need a speaker amp to drive them; SRM-series units are direct-drive amps in and of themselves, but also more expensive). Games and music alike work very well with them, but don't expect as much bass slam as any dynamic-driver headphone. (You'll hear the notes; you just won't feel them nearly as much.) Did I forget to mention how comfortable they are?

But if you don't already have something like the Astro Mixamp for your consoles, you'll definitely have to get one of those, bringing down your budget to $300 max, give or take $30 (depending on whether you buy new or find a good used deal). Stax isn't a likely option at that price point, and on top of that, you'd have to attach a boom mic or use a clip-on mic.

Cheaper alternatives like the Turtle Beach Ear Force DSS and (perhaps if you find a good used deal) the JVC/Victor SU-DH1 exist, but the Ear Force DSS is allegedly more prone to hiss than the Mixamp, and only the Mixamp has a proper headphone amplifier (said to be just enough to drive an AKG K 701/702 if you keep the game/voice balance knob turned all the way to the game side).

The AD700s excel at imaging (the ability to pinpoint exactly where a sound is coming from) with binaural surround filters like Dolby Headphone, but if you're looking for significant bass, don't expect any without plenty of bass boost/EQ. They're also very comfortable, though not quite Stax Lambda-level comfortable.

Other popular headphones you could look into are the Superlux HD668B/Samson SR850, Sennheiser HD555/558 and HD595/598, and perhaps one of the more affordable Ultrasones. I haven't heard any of these, so I can't really vouch for or against them, but I've heard a few positive opinions regarding gaming on them as well as music reproduction. The AKG K 701/702 may also be an option, but note that they're really insensitive and could benefit from something like a FiiO E9 if you have another $100 or so to spend. (Chances are you're going to want some voice chat through the Mixamp too.) Be sure to include a mic in your budgeting for these; none are headsets.

Headset-wise, your choices basically boil down to the Sennheiser PC350/PC360 and Beyerdynamic MMX300. Don't know much about the latter, but Mad Lust Envy's opinion on the PC360 is extremely positive, especially for gaming with Dolby Headphone.

The Zalman mic is great.  I've bought several for friends and the SQ is a step above any $50-100 Sennheiser headset or Plantronics headset I've used.

The downside with the Zalman mic is that it will only clip onto a nice, thick cord like on a Grado.  Otherwise, you're going to have to get ghetto with masking tape.

You're going about this the right way.  Get some headphones you like, and use the Zalman to handle the mic component.

Fwiw, I've heard that the expensive ($150+) gaming headsets have significantly subpar sound quality compared to a comparatively priced and fantastic headphone (the HD650 is only $360 new on Amazon now! even cheaper elsewhere?) and clipping on the $11 Zalman mic.

The Zalman mic is /really/ good, and has considerably better SQ than $100+ headsets and bluebooth devices I've used.

I think your price-performance assessment of products is not accurate.

Also, Astro products are not anywhere close to audiophile gear.  Stylish and expensive, yes, but not much else.  I think you can do a lot better, like with the Fiio E9 ($112 new).

A HD650, E9, and Zalman would be $483 new (with Amazon's free shipping and no tax), which falls within your budget, and I'd challenge anyone who doesn't say that those three devices absolutely outclass the gear you have listed above.

I thinking about the same issue myself and trying to decide if the mixamp would have enough power to drive the hd 650 (impedance 300 ohms, 103 db SPL http://www.sennheiserusa.com/high-quality-headphones-around-ear_009969) compared to the hd 598, pc360, or the a40s (all 50 ohms). Some people mentioned having to get another amp to drive the hd 650 with the mixamp (post #2). What do you guys think? Anyone with personal experience with the mixamp 5.8 and the hd650 or other hard to drive headphones?

I would think that even with 3 AAA batteries your still getting 4.5 V would should be more than enough to drive the headphones. How do you determine if you've got enough power?

How do you get the clip on mic to connect to the mix amp?  It has a smaller plug for the mic.  The 1/8 plug of the mic wouldn't fit.  Are there any adapters for this?  I need a clip on mic.  
Edit:  I found a plug in the back of the mix amp but when I plugged in the mic it wasn't working.  I had to use an adapter to my control and it works.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elysian 

Fwiw, I've heard that the expensive ($150+) gaming headsets have significantly subpar sound quality compared to a comparatively priced and fantastic headphone (the HD650 is only $360 new on Amazon now! even cheaper elsewhere?) and clipping on the $11 Zalman mic.

 

The Zalman mic is /really/ good, and has considerably better SQ than $100+ headsets and bluebooth devices I've used.

 

I think your price-performance assessment of products is not accurate.

 

Also, Astro products are not anywhere close to audiophile gear.  Stylish and expensive, yes, but not much else.  I think you can do a lot better, like with the Fiio E9 ($112 new).

 

A HD650, E9, and Zalman would be $483 new (with Amazon's free shipping and no tax), which falls within your budget, and I'd challenge anyone who doesn't say that those three devices absolutely outclass the gear you have listed above.

I would say get sennheiser hd598 and an astro mix amp. That will cost you around $375. The hd 598 are great for shooting games where you want position and detail but have a little more bass than the ad700 so it will also be good for movies and music.