Headphone Gurus: Heed my call for wireless headset suggestions!

Take a look at this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-161-Gaming-Headset/dp/B000O50V7I

Not wireless thou. 

Wireless? Don't expect to find many responses here. All of the competent headphones are wired.

That said, if your main issue is that the wire is a point of failure, you could seek out a replacement headphone with detachable cables so that you don't have to muck about with opening it up and splicing in a new wire.

Also, it sounds like you want an open headphone. Leaks sound in and out, but allows a wider soundstage and won't muffle your own voice, even if it's circumaural (rests around the ear instead of sitting on it or in it).

If it must be a headset, you could go for the Sennheiser PC360, but as usual, that's wired (and I don't think it has a detachable cable). I actually can't think of any headphones with detachable cables that might be good for gaming at the moment. (I've gone Stax for my gaming headphone of choice, and nothing they make has detachable cables. Frankly, I'd want a secure connection given the high voltages these things run on...)

Some people actually seem to like Ultrasone and their distinctive S-Logic for gaming, but the models they cite are all closed. They do have some open offerings, though...and I haven't heard any of them, so I can't confirm or deny for myself that they're any good for gaming. (The reason I mention Ultrasone specifically is because I know their Pro models have detachable cables. I can't think of too many other open headphones with detachable cables other than the high-end Audez'e offerings, which will cost more money in total than you'd want to spend, I'm sure.)

CanJam at RMAF 2011: Sennheiser

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/canjam-rmaf-2011-sennheiser

Somewhere in our very own Canjam impression thread they state that the RS 220 sounds just like a pair of HD650s but with no wires.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMetal 

 

Thanks for your feedback NamelessPFG. I'll keep in mind your suggestions when I go headphone shopping. 

The RS 220 looks like a nice buy. However, won't these headphones muffle my voice when I wear them?

 

Do you really expect any set of headphones to not muffle your voice? An open set like the RS 220 will have the least isolation of any set... If you don't want your voice to be muffled get some speakers

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMetal 

Well, in light to the fact that I'm not certain if that was a troll attempt, I'll answer with: yes I do expect certain headsets to not muffle my voice. In fact, that's why I was trying to get expert advice here...(I'd like to use my speakers, but I'm a late night kind of person. Everyone's sleeping except me, so...yeah...)

 

So I guess I'm not clear on the RS 220 then. Even though it's cuffed, it's "open" as you say. I'm guessing that means it lets in sounds from the outside. If that's so, then great! Then my next question is: will it let sound in as good as non-cuffed headphones?

I can assure you I am not trolling. The majority of headphones are made to isolate your ears from sound from the outside world in order for it to not interfere with the quality of the sound from the headphones. Some headphones, like the rs 220, are open in a compromise to try to attain better soundstage etc. at the price of letting in ambient noise, meaning they can only be used in quiet environments. If you were to put the headphones on with no sound playing and tried talking you could hear yourself with no issues. However, with the headphones playing you are putting a speaker far closer and more directed towards your ear than any sound coming from your mouth so if you expect to hear your voice coming through loud and clear with any headphones playing sound you are going to be disappointed. 

Oh and the rs220 are probably going to be priced around 5-600 dollars so I don't know if you want to pay that much.

Not sure, I have only been paying attention to the rs 220 because it is supposed to be pretty much a wireless version of the hd600, which IMO is an excellent headphone. Sennheiser has lower models like rs180 and rs160 but I am not familiar with them at all and I don't know if they are open like the rs220. I am sure other companies make good wireless phones but again I am not familiar with them.

The RS 170 is closed and costs about $279.  The RS 180 is open (what you want, I think) and is about $329.  I like them quite a bit.

Hey man.  Just wanted to make sure you knew that the RS-180, 220, etc are not mic'd headsets so you would need a separate mic.  It might help for you to get the feel of an open circumaural headset compared to the closed one you are used to by finding a headphone bar in your area if one exists or convincing someone who sells/owns the HD650 wired to show you the difference between those and yours.  Then a wireless version such as the RS-220 will still generally give you the same open feeling.  Someone can basically talk to you and you will hear them and hear your own voice just fine without much distortion.