[kitkat12012]

I'm planning on grabbing a gaming headset as a present for my cousin for the holidays but I'm not really sure which one to get.
 
I've been reading around and the most common suggestion here tends to be "buy some nice cans and a cheapo mic" but since this is gonna be a gift, I would much rather prefer some cans with the mic on it already -> headset
 
Some more helpful info, it's gonna be used heavily for xbox live so SQ, positional sound, long hours comfort, mic, stuff like that would be great.  Something that looks nice would be a plus.  I'm also only looking to spend about $100 to $150
 
It doesn't have to be specifically for the xbox 360, but easy connection to it is definitely a must. I know some gaming cans only have usb or those 5.1 sound card specific cables.  I don't think those would work for this case.  Having a long cable would also be nice specially if it has to be connected to the back of the console.  I'm also trying to avoid cans that require a separate amp.
 
Quick google search gave me Turtle Beach, Trittons, and Astros but from what I've read from head-fi, most of these are just gimicks targetting gamers.   Also, the only "head-fi" brand I saw was the Sennheiser PC350 although I'm not sure if they're good or not
 
 
Any other suggestions guys?  Thanks

 

[alien3456]

I've used the Steelseries 5Hv2 in the past, but switched to stanalone mic+headphones. It looked nice, the microphone was great, and the sound quality was acceptable for games (very bright and lacking bass, both good traits for competitive games, not so nice for everything else). 
 
Seems they recently released the 5XB, which appears very similar to the 5Hv2 but is made to support Xbox 360. Only $85 at Amazon.
 
The most popular Xbox 360 solution is Astro Mixamp + Astro headphones... but it seems way more expensive than it's worth.

 

[Shaggy-FOO]

I'm a gamer as well, but use separate headphones for listening to music and gaming.  Anyway, back to the topic at hand....I have the Astro A40 headphones with the mixamp and for the most part as a gaming headset I'm satisfied.   Definitely not for listening to music, but they are one of the lightest and most comfortable gaming headset out there.  It doesn't isolate noise though because it's open backed design.  If the A40 is a bit too big, then you can try the A30 as well which is very nice.  They look pretty nice too imo.  The surround sound works pretty darn well and the quality of the mic is top notch as well.  But again, this is NOT for music.  I have tried listening to music on these, and they just sound very dry and unenergetic.  The highs are pretty good, but the mids are lackluster and the bass is clear and crisp but lacks the punch the deep extension of actual music headphones. 

I've also tried the steelseries siberia v2 and I would rather get the Astros.  The Steelseries are good, but the pads are a bit too shallow for my taste and not as comfortable.  The mic quality is good though.  Again, the Steelseries is open back design.  If you want some isolation, go with the Logitech G35...I haven't tried it but heard good things about it. 
 
I can't give you any opinions about the Sennheiser because I haven't tried it.  The problem with audiophile headphones being used as gaming headsets is that they can't reproduce the "surround sound" effect that gaming headsets are designed to do. 

 

[kitkat12012]

 
@alien3456:  Steelseries, I've heard of them but I havent actually looked at them before, that 5XB is also looking like a nice one.  Thanks for the suggestion
 
 
@Shaggy-FOO:  I was actually interested with the Astros A30 (no mixamp) but they're still kinda too expensive   as for the Logitech, I've been reading a lot of feedback on them saying something about a humming noise or something developing on one side? 
 
 
How about Turtlebeach X41?  anyone tried them yet?
 
 
Thanks for the suggestion guys.

 

[kitkat12012]

Any other suggestions guys?  Thanks