[HarryOMalley]

Hi guys,

So recently my 3 year old set of Turtle Beach PX21s fell apart completely, and so it is time to get a new set of headphones/headset. I am stuck between getting the Astro A40s or some headphones like sennhesier hd598 or other with a modmic. I want your guys' opinions on whats best to do and what headphones are best for gaming and listening to music (Im a bassist and so bass is quite important to me, to be able to crank it up high). I kniw that sennheiser open headphones are very nice having bought a relative a pair of them, but i just want the get the best headphones for my money. My price limit is around £300 with everything but in time i can go higher (for example if i needed a seperate sound card, which is unlikely considering my mobo's built in sound card (i have the asus maximus vii hero)). Ooh and if it can work with my Galaxy S4 that would be great.

Thanks,
Harry O'Malley

 

[Nytkim]

Gaming headsets - ease of use, wireless, features (like voice chat volume control)
Pro headphones - Sound, comfort, build quality
 
Which one do you want? Do you need portability or you don't care to have the biggest headphones around? You mentioned the hd 598, so you don't mind isolation and leakage? Stereo or surround? You can buy stereo headphones and use a soundcard to emulate surround, or even a software. Does your sound blaster have this feature? Since you have a relatively good soundcard and want a headphone to work with your smartphone, you should be looking at headphones that are easy to drive.

 

[HarryOMalley]

Ok, so controlling my voice levels is quite important, but equally i want the sound on them to be real good too. To be fair thinking about it, i might just go with the astros, considering that i dont need them to be portable (compatibility with android yes but only when using at home, earphones for on the move ) but i do need them to have features for the ps3, xbox and pc, i think the astros will be best. Do you know whether there are any gaming headsets that are better than the astros?

 

[Nytkim]

I have never owned an Astro, but from what I read, the A50s are the best gaming headsets around. You can extend your budget a little and get them. I have seen a comparison somewhere between the Astro A50s and the Sennheiser momentum. The momentum is a little cheaper. The guy said the momentum had clearly a better sound quality than the Astro.
 
One thing you can do is buy a professional headphone, a microphone that you can attach and a mixamp, so you can control voice volume, etc. It would be the hardest and more expensive path, but would give you a better quality overall.
 
This guide could help you: http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-update-7-9-2014-ultrasone-hfi-15g-added

 

[lars330]

In terms of the BEST headsets, I'd certainly recommend any of the Audio-Technica or Beyerdynamic headsets, but they come at a price of course.
 
I think getting the Sennheiser HD598 with a modmic would be great if you could afford it.

 

[jodgey4]

For pure gaming purposes, an open headphone with an added mic will probably beat a 'gaming' one 9/10 times. For gaming, I use the AKG Q701 + the AntLion ModMic. For a headset with more bass, consider the Phillips X1, Soundmagic HP200, and Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro + a mic. The HD598 has a warm mid-bass hump, but it doesn't go that deep. The HD558 is said to maybe go a bit deeper, is cheaper, and you can do a simple mod to make it sound more like the HD598's. I highly recommend reading/skimming Mad Lust Envy's guide! Feel free to ask any more questions!

 

[HarryOMalley]

Ok thanks for all the answers, whats all if your opinions on the akg k550? I can get that mega cheap from amazon, but i find it difficult to believe its better than sennheisers.