Headphones for computer gaming?

[hobojoe]

I've recently decided that I would like to get a pair of headphones to use while im playing various computer games. I would like a set of headphones that can block out the outside sounds very well ( the fans on my computer are extremtly loud ). I would also like the headphones to offer surround sound.

I don't know of a whole lot about most brands, my only experience with quality headphones are when I used my buddy's Sennhieser's, which were very comfortable.

I really don't want to spend more that $200, but if there is a set that is substantially better than other sets of headphones, that $200 budget is flexible.

These headphones will not be used for listening to music, so I am looking for a set that will be best for gaming.

I would appriciate any recommendations you guys can give me. Thanks!

 

[monkey19]

Sennheiser PC150 or PC155

They have a pretty big difference in price, but the PC 155 comes with a built in soundcard that has a USB attachment. That means you don't need a sound card for them to have huge sound. The PC155 has been labelled "the best gaming headphone there is"

PC150's are cheap, and are exceptionally good for the price.

If you don't want to spend a whole lot, PLantronics Audio.90s are good, I got mine for about $30 CDN, but they break easily. And by break I mean I rolled over the wire a few too many times and the mic got busted.

If you have a good set of headphones right now, and don't use any type of mic to play, just use thew one's you already have. If you do use a mic, go buy a $15 stand-up mic and use tyour normal set. YOu'll probably get better sound from those than most of the lower line PC headsets out there, anyway.

 

[chia-pet]

Personally, I'd recommend the Sennheiser hd600s. I own a pair of Ultrasone HFI650s, along with an abundance of other, cheaper headphones, and none of them provide the accuracy of positioning or range of being able to hear the enemy as the Senn hd650s. Also, I don't find it a coincidence that all of team SK uses hd600s or hd650s (I know at least 3/5 used HD600s before, and I saw a pic of SpawN with a pair of HD650s on recently)...

You can find the Senn HD600s new for $245 shipped at www.meier-audio.de . I haven't actually heard the Sennheiser HD580s, but I hear they use the same drivers as the HD600s, so it's probably almost identical for usability with games (though you'll have to confirm with someone who owns them), and just under $200.

i used to be a hardcore 1v1 quake 3 dueler and i've been playing cs for years now in cal-main.

 

[dthiep]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chia-pet Personally, I'd recommend the Sennheiser hd600s. I own a pair of Ultrasone HFI650s, along with an abundance of other, cheaper headphones, and none of them provide the accuracy of positioning or range of being able to hear the enemy as the Senn hd650s. Also, I don't find it a coincidence that all of team SK uses hd600s or hd650s (I know at least 3/5 used HD600s before, and I saw a pic of SpawN with a pair of HD650s on recently)... You can find the Senn HD600s new for $245 shipped at www.meier-audio.de . I haven't actually heard the Sennheiser HD580s, but I hear they use the same drivers as the HD600s, so it's probably almost identical for usability with games (though you'll have to confirm with someone who owns them), and just under $200. i used to be a hardcore 1v1 quake 3 dueler and i've been playing cs for years now in cal-main.

I thought that progamers dont use open cans ?

 

[MuzlL0dr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dthiep I thought that progamers dont use open cans ?

Several of us did at a company I used to work for. It was where I first learned the word "Sennheiser." My wallet curses the day.

 

[bLue_oNioN]

I'm surprised the Audio-Technica ATH-A500/A900 has not been mentioned yet.

 

[chia-pet]

Gamers prefer open cans to closed cans. Having a pair of closed cans myself (as I mentioned) is horrible for gaming, because not being able to hear all the cool sh!t going on around you at a LAN sucks. Besides, a can being open doesn't really impede your ability to hear--you can adjust the volume and you'll always hear sounds over the roar of the crowd.

As I addressed before, progamers using opened headphones--they don't get more pro than SK|SpawN:

http://img100.exs.cx/img100/5894/spawn.jpg

As I recalled, heaton, potti, and at least one other also used hd600s (before hd650s were available). who knows if they've upgraded or not--i do believe sennheiser sponsors them, so why not?

EDIT: for those of you who don't know, SK is the #1 counter-strike team in the world.

 

[andY.fRa]

I got a pair of MS1 and wondering if the positioning with the Sennheiser cans is much better. What do you think?

Greetings

 

[chia-pet]

Quote:

I got a pair of MS1 and wondering if the positioning with the Sennheiser cans is much better. What do you think?

I'd say your best bet is to just try a pair. All I can say is, since i got my senn hd650s, my teammates think i cheat now, because I can hear the enemy from VERY far away with VERY good precision. the senns were a huge improvement over the ultrasones in every aspect except cost--but i would argue the senns are the better quality to cost ratio too. i got the hd650s purely for music, but to my pleasant surprise, it had a remarkable difference on my cs game.

 

[Rodent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chia-pet I'd say your best bet is to just try a pair. All I can say is, since i got my senn hd650s, my teammates think i cheat now, because I can hear the enemy from VERY far away with VERY good precision. the senns were a huge improvement over the ultrasones in every aspect except cost--but i would argue the senns are the better quality to cost ratio too. i got the hd650s purely for music, but to my pleasant surprise, it had a remarkable difference on my cs game.

Wow, I thought the Ultrasones where the best.
How much further away do you hear the enemy, assuming your using the same actual volume?
The bad thing with the HD600s is that you probably need an amp for them to do any good(I don't know, haven't heard them).
I wonder how SK's HD600s sound, I dont think theyre amping them.
I know one guy, Nebb, who had a really hard time getting proper sound out of his 600s at an event at a café.


http://www.fragbite.com/img.archives...7/PICT0471.JPG
http://www.fragbite.com/img.archives...7/PICT0462.JPG

 

[ReasonablyLucid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobojoe I would also like the headphones to offer surround sound.

5.1 headphones are 100% garbage.

They were almost painful for me to listen to.

 

[bassd00d]

Audio-Technica A900. $200 at Audiocubes.com.

I can't say much about their sound quality, because the pair I bought recently was defective and I have sent them back for replacement. But I did try them with Unreal Tournament for a while, and they were NICE. I was able to judge distance and location much better than with my Sennheiser HD25.

They are also closed, so they will block out sound...but they don't block it out all that well. The HD25 does a better job of blocking out sound. But they do a good enough job that my computer doesn't bug me....and it's pretty loud. Lian-Li case with 4 case fans, 2 power supply fans, cpu fan, and video card fan.

One thing though...if you plan on attending lan parties, these might not be the greatest. They are SUPER DUPER HUGE, and people will laugh at you

. And like one person said, you won't be able to hear everything that goes on around you, which isn't any fun. But if you don't plan on attending a bunch of lan parties, these are good.

 

[EyEPoD]

I recommend the Beyer 250-80s in every one of these threads. I prefer them to all the aformentioned headphones for gaming.

 

[sp1N]

If you are looking for a set of open cans I would recommend the HD570s, the HD555s, and I've heard Grados are alright.

If you are looking for a set of closed cans I would recommend the HD280 pros, MDR-V6 (not the V600s), from what I've heard the DT770/80ohm are good, and I would imagine the ATH-A500/A900s would be good as well.

All of those cans you should be able to power just fine off of your sound card.

 

[Enverxis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobojoe I would appriciate any recommendations you guys can give me. Thanks!

Surround Phones: Speedlink Medusa 5.1 (dont listen to music in them please)

Price/performance cans: Beyerdynamic DTX900

Closed Cans: Beyerdynamic DT770 (Darth Beyer recable)

have a nice day