[robertclarke]

Hi. I am not a pro player, but I play enough to the point where I think I could be. Not long ago, I was using Direct Sound Extreme Isolation headphones for music creation and FPS gaming. They did the job, but they hurt my ears after long periods of use...until I eventually bought Turtle Beach's AK-R8 headset. The sound quality/performance was much better than I was used to....but after reading a few threads here, I am now aware that I was suckered into some 5.1 hype. (or maybe now I'm being suckered into some anti-5.1 hype, I dunno :\ ). The AK-R8 headset I own is useless now that my younger brother snagged the wire on a knob on the desk and exposed the inner wires.

Anyway, I have a $100 dollar budget and am clueless about what I should buy. It seems the more choices I can choose from, the harder it is to decide. I am worried about buying something and ending up being disappointed, naturally.

I do plan on continuing to use the Audio Advantage SRM USB soundcard that came with my AK-R8s. I'm very satisfied with it's software drivers.

I need a headset that will allow me to see with my ears. Sound is the most important sense in the game I play (Urban Terror).

Thank you for your time.

 

[kboe]

It may not work for you but I enjoy the Halo games using my Grado SR-80s. They match the budget, and for me at least, image well enough to know where sounds are coming from, (Flood sounds freak me out). I have also tried my Denons and Senns, but the Grados work best for me. Plus they are light weight and comfortable.

Kevin,
Sorry about your wallet!

 

[cswann1]

I game at least 15-20 hours a week with my Razer Carcharias headset. I really like it a lot but I don't know how it would perform in a FPS that is capable of delivering true 5.1 or 7.1 channel audio because I'm pretty much hung on a MMORPG.
Sound-wise, I was very pleasantly surprised with it. I'd say I enjoy listening to music on it more than my Grado SR60's. It's one of the most comfortable HP's I own now that I removed the foam doughnut from behind the ear pads. It just gives my ears a little more room.

 

[Gbjerke]

Play.com (UK) : Sennheiser PC 350 Stereo Gaming Headset : Computing - Free Delivery

Forget this headphone if you're gonna use it for music. They're for gaming only. I've tried all the Steelseries and some other mainstream stuff, and this beats them

 

[robertclarke]

5.1 isn't important to me anymore. The game I play is capable of outputting 5.1 sound through a third party sound engine, but the game's sounds were recorded in 2.0 so it isn't "true" 5.1 at the end of it...though there was a noticeable surround sound effect. Even without the 5.1 sound engine, the AK-R8s did a pretty good job at immersing me into the game with it's "Stereo to Multi-speaker" feature.....but after reading many posts here, I think I may be able to get better performance from a pair of stereo headphones.

How does the Carcharias connect to the PC/soundcard? Are there two separate jacks for the mic and ear cups?

EDIT:
Those Sennheisers look pretty nice, how are they as far as comfort goes? The ear cups look to be a good size, how deep/shallow are they? My biggest problem from most headsets is that my ears get painfully smushed to my head. I'd say about an inch would be the minimum comfortable depth for me.

 

[cswann1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertclarke /img/forum/go_quote.gif How does the Carcharias connect to the PC/soundcard? Are there two separate jacks for the mic and ear cups?

Yes they have separate plugs for the mic and phones.

 

[Gbjerke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertclarke /img/forum/go_quote.gif 5.1 isn't important to me anymore. The game I play is capable of outputting 5.1 sound through a third party sound engine, but the game's sounds were recorded in 2.0 so it isn't "true" 5.1 at the end of it...though there was a noticeable surround sound effect. Even without the 5.1 sound engine, the AK-R8s did a pretty good job at immersing me into the game with it's "Stereo to Multi-speaker" feature.....but after reading many posts here, I think I may be able to get better performance from a pair of stereo headphones. How does the Carcharias connect to the PC/soundcard? Are there two separate jacks for the mic and ear cups? EDIT: Those Sennheisers look pretty nice, how are they as far as comfort goes? The ear cups look to be a good size, how deep/shallow are they? My biggest problem from most headsets is that my ears get painfully smushed to my head. I'd say about an inch would be the minimum comfortable depth for me.

Well that depends on your ears. To me they fit just the same as my other Sennheisers,cant feel them on my ears. They will idd be large enough, but might just touch your ear where they stick the most out from your head. It's hard to pinpoint whether theyd fit or not.

http://syndicate.sellpoint.net/Sennh...pe-voip_502141

maybe that can help. Some more info and pictures, 360 angles and the like. Since Sennheiser has always been very good when it comes to comfort on full size, i doubt that theyd make a GAMING headset with a design that makes some people feel uncomfortable.
I have a feeling that the earpads may be replacable with the PXC450 earpads. Which are leather and feel so extremely nice. May just make them a tad bassier 2, which some, have complained about the lack of

 

[robertclarke]

thank you

 

[ear8dmg]

What FPS are you playing that doesn't have native surround sound?

 

[Gbjerke]

Was wondering the same thing... like TF Classic or Doom lol?

 

[Anonanimal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ear8dmg /img/forum/go_quote.gif What FPS are you playing that doesn't have native surround sound?

He noted it above- looks like it's called Urban Terror.

 

[robertclarke]

Yup good ole Urban Terror. It started as a Quake 3 mod but eventually became standalone.

So, I have thought about it all day, and I think I'm going to go ahead with the Sennheisers.

 

[jageur272]

Or how about an AD700. So long as you fit them correctly, they're extremely comfy. I used the AD700's actually to play Urban Terror a while back. Very helpful. Doesn't blow your budget out either.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jageur272 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Or how about an AD700. So long as you fit them correctly, they're extremely comfy. I used the AD700's actually to play Urban Terror a while back. Very helpful. Doesn't blow your budget out either.

This. This is a no brainer @ $100.
The Audio Technica AD700 by far for FPS gaming.
Combo here at Amazon for an Audio Technica AD700 + Zalman clip-on mic ($101.01) 'Frequently Bought Together':

Amazon.com: Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Headphones: Electronics

There are open headphone however so leakage in and out might be issue at LANs.

The PC350 is the biggest overpriced POS in the entire Sennheiser range tbh.

@ cswann: I think you'd be better off gaming with any of your other cans in your collection minus the Razer and Grado.

 

[weendex]

I assume you want a built in mic on the headset? That's pretty critical, for both you and for those who are trying to listen to you.

The Steelseries 5H I have has pretty terrible freq response for music. Music is almost unbearable on them. However the way they are tuned works pretty well for gaming (I have put enough hours on them with WoW, CS:S, L4D, etc). The biggest advantage is that they are super comfortable. Sometimes a little hot for those 6 hour marathons, but certainly a very comfortable soft fit.

I haven't compared them to many other headsets, but I would be willing to wager the Sennheiser gaming headset sounds way better... having done 0 research into the topic within the past year. How scientific of me!