[amneisac]

I'll begin by saying I'm not an audiophile, but I respect the opinion of those who are and I humbly ask for your advice in my current situation.
 
I've had a set of Klipsch ProMedia 5.1's for more than 12 years or so, and the amp died last year so I got it fixed, and it was recently killed again in a power surge. I'm looking at about $150 to get it fixed again, or I could buy something new. The way I see it I have 3 major choices and I'm curious for your input:
 
1.) Fix the amp and keep using what I've got
 
2.) Get a new amp and keep using my existing speakers
 
3.) Buy headphones
 
It's worth noting that my computer is also hooked up to my 7.1 home theater setup in the den, and so I'm really just looking for a decent quality setup for my office. This is going to be 95% gaming and 5% music, so sound quality for music isn't that important. Voice chat is essential and I currently have a mic that I can keep using with whatever setup I go with. I am currently using the onboard sound device on my motherboard, and I wouldn't be against a cheap soundcard if that would make a noticeable improvement.
 
I'm not completely against headphones, and I understand that they're very popular, but I've never found a set of headphones that I can wear for more than an hour or so without getting very uncomfortable. I also don't like being 'deaf' to things happening in my house while I'm playing games, so I'm mostly considering speakers -- but should I keep trying to find a comfortable set of headphones? Are there headphones that will be comfortable (#1 concern) and also not be completely noise-cancelling?
 
My budget is ideally under $150 for everything, and I realize that limits my options, but I've seen a lot of information about some value studio monitors in that price range, but is that really want I want for gaming?

 

[PurpleAngel]

How is the computer connected to the 7.1 home theater?
What is the make and model of the receiver?
You could get some Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250-Ohm headphones and plug them into the receiver.
Use an extension cable between the receiver and the DT990s.
 
 
Or get Sennheiser HD558 (open) headphones ($90-$123)
And a Asus Xonar DG or DGX sound card ($20-$40).

 

[cel4145]

While you could reuse the speakers, I don't know how you would reuse the Klipsch sub with a different amp. So you'd need an audio/video receiver and a subwoofer. $150 isn't going to do that. Here is the best deal on a receiver that I know of: http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavr1513/denon-avr-1513-5.1ch-home-theater-receiver-3d-ready/1.html A sub would run you about another $100.

Otherwise, if you want surround sound for gaming, the HD558 and Xonar soundcard that Purple Angel recommended seem your best option.

 

[amneisac]

I have an HDMI cable run under the house into the den where my TV and Onkyo TX-SR605S receiver is setup with 7.1 speakers. I use that more for Big Picture mode with Steam, and local co-op games, but when I play most games I sit at my desk. I went ahead and bought a pair of Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II speakers to keep at my desk, but I'm still entertaining the idea of headphones. 
 
I bought an Asus Xonar DG - should be here the same day as my speakers.
 
I currently have this set of headphones: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8883099&CatId=6090 - Some Sennheiser HD 360 Pros. I'm sure they're not great, but when I bought them they were on sale with a rebate (which I've already gotten back) so they cost me $10 by the time it was all said and done. They really aren't very comfortable, though. I also bought a cheap set of Klipsch KSC75's to see if the clip-on style would be more comfortable, and I don't really like them either.
 
Are the HD 558's going to sound noticeably better than my HD 360 Pros?