Casper thanks so much for that suggestion and feedback! And also thanks very much for the pictures!! That's very helpful to newcomers like myself.
I actually bought the A40 set refurbished for $155, so figure that's a good deal because the mixamp alone would have cost $129 (though it would have been brand new). If this mixamp has a good lifespan, I figure I can get a set of headphones (like the ones you suggested) in the future, and pair them with the mixamp. I really only need a headset for gaming and Skype though. I am a music lover, but have two sets of studio monitors and a studio sub, so I always use that for music and movies.
I will report back once I try the A40 (refurbished). By the way, I had already tried the Pulse Elite and the Gold Wireless. I HATED the Elite, and the Gold Wireless wasn't nearly as bad, but still poor in regards to sound quality. I DO like having the wireless feature, but it seems to be sacrificing WAY too much sound quality both on gaming and voice chatting.