[LopsidedJaxter]

I'm in between these 2 gaming headsets and just wanted your opinions on which one I should get. Currently they are both the same price. Thanks!

 

[Darkseth]

My honest Opinion?
"Gaming" Headsets are Trash. They are filled with Marketing stuff like "5.1", "surround", "USB", "Gaming" (Yes, only because gaming is written on the package, you pay for that. Because that suggests, that its good for gaming, which is not true) etc.
Plus (and thats in my opinion the worst fact) The Build quality is mostly mediocre. They are not designed to last long. They shall break after the warranty is gone, so you buy another one. The big problem here: People (or "gamer") who dont know good Studio/Hifi headphone think, its absolutely normal, that you rebuy headsets every 1-3 years, like keyboards, mouses, graphic cards...
Also the microphone is mostly not very good. Its cheap, its enough to understand you through Teamspeak, thats it.
 
Some things you might understand better:
At least where i live, you can get Headphones for 28€ (Superlux 681 Evo for 28€ sounds better than most Gaming Headsets for 100-200€, and has a similar Build Quality.).

If you go up, to quality headphones for around 140-250€~ you might find a build quality, which makes the headphone last for decades.
 
So, to shortly answer your Question: Dont buy either, they are both pretty much.. Junk. And you will soon be here again to ask the same question with another pair, once this one broke.
 
How much you wanna spend?
Do you have a soundcard already?

 

[LopsidedJaxter]

Thank you for informing me this.I think i understand what you mean when you say they will break, as i am here because my current gaming headset just broke. I would not like to spend that much, considering the headsets I previously wanted to buy were around 60-80$. Would you recommend a headset that has a mic built in, or a pair of headphones and a separate mic? Thanks.

 

[Darkseth]

i personally would always recomment Headphones with a separate mic:
- Better Quality per dollar
- you are WAY more flexible. You can use a mic, attachable to the headphone cable, or a table mic, or anything..
 
For example, something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B007SP2CO2/?tag=pcgh-21&ascsubtag=forum
http://www.amazon.com/Reloop-RLP221943-RHM-10-Microphone/dp/B00195QDOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393363528&sr=8-1&keywords=reloop+rhm+10
 
That mic can just be attached, and voilá, headset
 
Or, also pretty nice (open cans) is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD-681-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00BWUHHYE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1393363657&sr=8-3&keywords=superlux
with this mic: http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_y
 
This Superlux sounds extremely great for his low price ^^ Its a no-brainer here where i live, idk if its popular somewhere else too

 

[LopsidedJaxter]

Actually, I have a gift card to my local computer store. I was really looking to buy a new headset from this store, so would you be able to tell me if anything looks good in my price range? The stores website is http://www.canadacomputers.com . Thanks!

 

[LopsidedJaxter]

Actually, I have a gift card to my local computer store and was looking to buy the headset from there. Do you think there is anything good in my price range? the store is Canada Computers (it won't let me post the link to the site). Thanks!

 

[hisagishi]

I have the vengeance 1500 v1 and TBH its not that great. I mean dolby surround is nice but it always feels like its congested and listening to it through cardboard tube.

I'm getting a pair of HD558s in the mail sometime this week (probably friday) so I can compare/contrast a bit if you can handle waiting.

I'm not the best person to ask as I will likely say simply the XX is better because I like the sound more.

 

[Darkseth]

i might suggest, maybe save for something like this: http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=16_1106&item_id=053064 (Or the white one).
With this: http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=16_709&item_id=064445
 
Its the absolute best Allrounder i know, of all headphones. Bass-slider, removable cable (which is only 1.5m long), customizable design, typical Beyerdynamic build quality (which will last you for 20-30 Years !), and you can buy pretty much all the spare parts of the headphone, in case anything should break.
 
Yeah, its like 3 times as expensive than you wanted to spend but... it can be bought in your favourite shop, AND the quality is just SO good, that its really really worth. Like, buy it now, and dont bother with anything else for decades.

 

[LopsidedJaxter]

Those do look like a very good pair of headphones but im just not looking into spending that kind of money at the moment and I cant wait too long as I have no headphones right now and use them daily. For now, ill wait until hisagishi gets the 588 and ill go from there. Thanks.

 

[Bansaku]

The problem is that the Vengeance 1500 is USB, meaning you have a pretty average DAC (C-Media) driving the headphones. I personally use the Vengeance 1400 (standard 3.5mm) paired with a Recon3D and must say they sound soooo good. Movies and games really come to life vs using the Realtek on-board audio. Compared to Dolby Headphone (I agree, gimmicky and sound like a cardboard tube) THX surround for headphones, while not perfect, sounds fantastic and a hell of a lot more realistic with full body and non-muffled sound. All in all, avoid USB headsets. Stick to 3.5mm coupled with a (high) quality sound card with a built in headphone amp.
 
Side note: Don't assume something is garbage just because of a bias you have. Over-ear gaming headsets have come a long way. While not audiophile quality, the sound, when driven right, may just change your mind. My Vengeance 1400 sound like **** on my iPod, and equally so using the motherboard's on-board audio. When plugged in to my Yamaha receiver or dedicated sound card the sound quality is night and day, almost as if I put on a different set of headphones.

 

[LopsidedJaxter]

Right now I have no sound card. How much are they and is it really worth it?

 

[Bansaku]

Short answer, yes! Even my current motherboard which has a headphone amp (ALC898) can't even compare to the cheapest PCI(e) dedicated sound card. Although the price range from $20 all the way up into the thousands, one of the most award winning, highest rated for not only sound quality, but value, is the Asus Xonar DG which can be found for $30. I owned a couple for years and would still be using it today If it was not for my crossfire setup blocking all PCI slots. Made my Denon and Sony cans go from "meh" to "great". With my current Vengeance + Recon3D set up, the sound quality surpassed that of my (sold) AKG K181 for PC gaming.
 
Just my 2cents!

 

[hisagishi]

Alright, I just got them in the mail maybe an hour or so ago. Been using them, heres what I think.

Pros:

I much prefer the bass on these
I can actually hear footsteps in BF4. Assuming not loads of explosions, or 64 players on a small map.
Light
Very comfy
Great separation
The plastic doesn't have an extremely loud POP when I move my jaw.

Cons:

Things with speech, such as podcasts or random youtube videos, compared to the vengeance 1500s the voices feel deeper on the 558s. A bit more muffled. No idea what thats about, if anyone knows please tell me.
Ear cups aren't really big enough for my ears, so I don't get a full seal.


In games I definitely prefer the HD558s, for generic youtube watching the voices don't seem as crisp. Perhaps I was just to used to the EQ settings of the 1500s.

 

[LopsidedJaxter]

Thank you for all the help guys! Ok so im thinking about picking up the Vengeance 1400 as they are on sale at my local store and they will be able to be used with a sound card. I will most probably be picking up the Asus Xonar dg because of the great reviews and price.

Hisagishi, thank you for the detailed reply, however I wanted these to be good for music and videos as I spend a lot of time off gaming.

Thank you all for the help, and let me know what you think about the Vengeance 1400 on sale for 60 $.

 

[hisagishi]

Agreed. Also thats a really good sale. I got my 1500s on a similarly priced sale about a year or so ago. Best 60~ bucks I have spent.

I disliked the HD558s for videos and voices so much I am sending them back and thinking of either just keeping my 1500s or spending about 50 bucks more on a pair of DT770 or cheap DT990s