[Deathsycthehe11]

Well, I was researching for headset for gaming. I mostly play WoW and I need a mic to talk to my friends. There's currently a deal for Turtle Beach Ear Force X12 for $43, but I dig a little deeper and found that the AD700 plus mic mod was a better choice.  So I might buy the AD700 depending on the answers of the following question.
 
Is there a cheap boom mic to buy that I can tape on since all the other LVA-7330 are sold out?
 
Also would I need to buy a mixamp/dss or a sound card?  I know the reviews on the guide was based on Dolby Headphone, but would I still necessary need it?
 
How is the sound leakage?
 
Final: Do you think is worth it?  I mean I mostly only need a mic so I can talk to my friends on some raids/dungeons.  Other than that, I might need it to listen to music at night while my parents are sleeping next door.  Would you recommend cheaper handsets for my needs?
 
Thanks.
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
What did you read that made you think the AD700 was so good for gaming over something else? Wild tales of immersive audio due to massive sound stage? Before you are lured in by that, think about how you feel when you listen to an old radio with mostly treble and mids and very little bass beyond the punch that it occurred. That's the AD700. A nice big open concert room, but someone left the bass at home. So you will have accurate nice sounding mids and highs, but you will be left wondering why it sounds so... hallow. The biggest feature of not having bass, the reason people use the AD700, is specifically for foot steps in FPS games. This really does not apply to other games. So keep that in mind.
 
I'd get the Astro Mixamp for an easy dolby headphone solution with built in amp for both the headphone and for the microphone's volumes. Attach a Sennheiser PC 360. Done deal. Way better overall for total listening experience than the anemic AD700.
 
If you want cheaper, a Xonar DG soundcard with the Samson SR850 with a clip on microphone would do it too. Bass included.
 
Very best,

 

[TMRaven]

There are a couple good clip on mics for pc gaming.  The zalman one is the most popular, but I know a couple head-fiers have found some better alternative clip on mics.  As for listening to music, the AD700s are subpar at it, mainly because they don't have a very robust low-end.  If you like any amount of bass in your music, then I'd advise you not to get them.

 

[Deathsycthehe11]

Hmm, never thought of that.
 
The Xonar DG and SR850 does sound interesting.  Can you recommend any cheaper or does the sound quality get a lot worst if I go cheaper?  I'm basically looking for the best for the bang headphone, with a absolute max budget of $100. I prefer less.

 

[fabio-fi]

HArx700's or 900's (big bro) both have nice bass, and they're in your price range. 

 

[NamelessPFG]

The AD700s could use a bit of bass boost/EQ for a more balanced sound, but some people don't do that on principle (plus it requires that every source needs EQ functionality).
 
As for Dolby Headphone and similar binaural surround filters like CMSS-3D Headphone, some people love them, others hate them for the sound quality hit and opt to just play in plain stereo. I don't like playing in stereo due to the lack of 3D imaging, which helps immensely with situational awareness, but do notice a distinct sound quality hit as a side effect. (I wonder what it takes to get binaural surround that preserves sound quality...the $3,000+ Smyth SVS Realiser, perhaps?)
 
While some people will get a clip-on mic or mod a boom mic into their cans, I just use a desk mic with some semblance of directionality. It's not even a particularly standout mic, just a cheap little electret condenser I found for a dollar in a thrift store.
 
I definitely think it's worth it. Better sound helps with immersion and situational awareness, though I don't know if sound is as crucial in MMORPGs like World of Warcraft as it would be in a FPS.