[Yethal]

   
 
HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset ($80) - These seem very solid based on reviews, but they are only stereo and don't seem to have the best positional audio. Plus they are very new and don't have much in terms of reviews or any long-term owners to speak of their quality over time.
 
SteelSeries Siberia V2 ($63) - Time-tested, good reviews overall but only stereo (non-USB version, at least, seems USB has virtual surround). Also earcups are leather (or close to it....) so sweating may become an issue. Some people also have problems with the mics after a few months (stop working and what not). Some reviews praise its positional audio, others slam it, but reviews are mixed between USB and non-USB versions.
 
Turtle Beach Ear Force X12 ($41) - Another time-tested headset. Tons of reviews with a large majority of them high ratings. Cloth earcups but again only stereo with no comments on positional audio.
 
Razer Tiamat 2.2 ($90) - Excellent positional audio reviews but leather earcups and a bit above my price range. Being a Razor product, I'm also worried about durability, I've owned various Razer products before and they have almost always died within a year.
 
 
Again my total budget is only about $80, I'm currently leaning towards the Siberia V2 but haven't decided between the USB or 3.5mm version yet (USB would give me virtual surround). Would it be more beneficial to buy a cheaper headset (with surround) and buy a cheap sound card? My main priorities are positional audio (surround sound of some form), a mic (I only use it for voice chat, so I don't need a professional quality mic) and good sound quality (I'm not an audiophile, but obviously the best quality I can get for my budget and other requirements).
 
Anyone have any recommendations based on what I am looking for? Or any comments to add about the headsets I'm currently looking at?

If You really need a headset instead of headphones + external mic go with Sennheiser or Audio-technica headsets, these guy know audio much better than gaming headset companies
 
I used siberias for quite some time and apart from extreme comfort there really is no reason to buy them

 

[Stillhart]

Why do you need a built-in mic?  It sounds like you're playing on a PC, which allows you a lot more freedom to use things like desktop mics.  Other than that, just get a cheap ass clip-on mic... the one I used was 3 for  $6 on Amazon -- I'll let any of the regulars in this thread tell you how it sounds.  If you get a cheap clip-on mic, that allows you to get much better headphones.  
 
The Creative Aurvana Live is $70 on Amazon and probably your best bang for the buck in that price range.  It's also closed, which you wanted.  
 
If you can stretch your budget, the Asus Xonar DG is pretty well-liked around here and it's $26 on Amazon.  A real sound card with Dolby Headphone surround will blow your onboard sound out of the water.  No, you're not giving up sound quality with surround processing.
 
Between the Mic ($6), the CAL ($70) and the DG ($26), you're spending about $100 on a setup that will sound better than any of the ones you listed and allow you much more room to upgrade as your budget allows.
 
That's my recommendation.  Good luck on your decision.

 

[Nagisan]

Despite mentioning needing a headset, I think after reading the last few posts and considering the options, headphones and an external mic might be the better options.
 
I initially wanted a headset for convenience, but I can confirm I am using this setup on a desktop computer, so there are no issues on needing portability or anything that might arise with a mobile setup. Even further expanding, I do not use my mic extremely often, anywhere from a couple hours a week to a few hours a day (longer periods would be a couple hours a day for a few days at most).
 
 
I think my best option may be something like the Stillhart suggested, buying the CAL headphones and a clipon mic, then maybe sometime later when I have a bit of extra spending room (wasn't planning on buying a headset anytime soon) pick up an audio card. I'm sure the audio card would make a huge difference but I'm also pretty certain the onboard audio + the CAL headphones will have better sound than my Corsair 1500s (looking it up, my motherboard claims to support 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel audio).
 
That being said, any other recommendations in the $80 price range for headphones + mic or does the CAL headphones + a cheap mic seem like the most solid combination (adding in an audio card, probably around Christmas or something)?
 
Thanks for the quick responses.

 

[PCunicorn]

They both have a V-shaped sound signature, so both of them are tailored to listeners who prefer to pay more attention to bass, drums, and cymbals and less attention to vocals and guitar. The HE400 is just a bit better at it.

Well that's fine. Mostly I listen to electronica. How is a V shaped sound signature for gaming?

Also, off topic: What is a U Shaped sound signature?

 

[Stillhart]

  Despite mentioning needing a headset, I think after reading the last few posts and considering the options, headphones and an external mic might be the better options.
 
I initially wanted a headset for convenience, but I can confirm I am using this setup on a desktop computer, so there are no issues on needing portability or anything that might arise with a mobile setup. Even further expanding, I do not use my mic extremely often, anywhere from a couple hours a week to a few hours a day (longer periods would be a couple hours a day for a few days at most).
 
 
I think my best option may be something like the Stillhart suggested, buying the CAL headphones and a clipon mic, then maybe sometime later when I have a bit of extra spending room (wasn't planning on buying a headset anytime soon) pick up an audio card. I'm sure the audio card would make a huge difference but I'm also pretty certain the onboard audio + the CAL headphones will have better sound than my Corsair 1500s (looking it up, my motherboard claims to support 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel audio).
 
That being said, any other recommendations in the $80 price range for headphones + mic or does the CAL headphones + a cheap mic seem like the most solid combination (adding in an audio card, probably around Christmas or something)?
 
Thanks for the quick responses.

 
FYI, just because your on-board sound supports 5.1, doesn't mean it will do stereo virtual surround processing.  You will most likely just be using it in stereo until you can get a real sound card.
 
And on that point, when you do finally grab one, I'd personally recommend the SB Z or SB Omni over the Asus.  But that's mostly because I prefer the SBX processing to the Dolby Headphone.  You can do more research on that stuff when the time comes.

 

[Yethal]

Well that's fine. Mostly I listen to electronica. How is a V shaped sound signature for gaming?

Also, off topic: What is a U Shaped sound signature?

V shaped, it's when headphones have louder highs and basses and quieter mids (not exactly volume thing, just that these tones are more pronounced)

 

[Nagisan]

   
FYI, just because your on-board sound supports 5.1, doesn't mean it will do stereo virtual surround processing.  You will most likely just be using it in stereo until you can get a real sound card.
 
And on that point, when you do finally grab one, I'd personally recommend the SB Z or SB Omni over the Asus.  But that's mostly because I prefer the SBX processing to the Dolby Headphone.  You can do more research on that stuff when the time comes.

Good to know, I suppose I could use something like http://www.razerzone.com/surround to simulate surround sound until I get a proper sound card. Guess I have more research to do on the subject.
 
Until now I've always just bought a USB gaming headset and went with it, but spending $80+ on a headset to have it fail after awhile, requiring replacement of the entire thing (mic and headphones) is getting annoying. Most of the time its the headphones that go out on me, but being able to replace just the headphones and not the mic will be a major benefit, and when I can afford to upgrade to some higher quality headphones I can do so without worrying about the mic.

 

[jaysins]

Is it worth getting the Zxr over Zx sound card for gaming when I bypass it completely for music and already have an external amp?

 

[Stillhart]

Is it worth getting the Zxr over Zx sound card for gaming when I bypass it completely for music and already have an external amp?

No, it's not.  Just get the plain Z, unless you REALLY need that volume knob.

 

[Nagisan]

Quote:

   
FYI, just because your on-board sound supports 5.1, doesn't mean it will do stereo virtual surround processing.  You will most likely just be using it in stereo until you can get a real sound card.

After some more research into my motherboard (Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R if anyone is interested), here's what it says about the onboard audio:
 

• Realtek ALC889 codec
• High Definition Audio
• 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
• Support for Dolby^® Home Theater

 
Looking up Dolby Home Theater, it says: "Dolby Home Theater v4 elevates PC audio and delivers a surround sound experience through a PC's built-in speakers, any pair of headphones, or a connected home theater system."
 
Based on that I should be set in terms of getting virtual surround sound with stereo headphones from my onboard audio until I can get a dedicated sound card.
 
Thanks for all the help straightening me out and getting me started towards an actual audio experience (as opposed to regular gaming headsets). Gonna see when I can get this stuff ordered and hopefully soon hear everything I've been missing from a (more) proper setup.

 

[Stillhart]

  Quote:
After some more research into my motherboard (Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R if anyone is interested), here's what it says about the onboard audio:
 

• Realtek ALC889 codec
• High Definition Audio
• 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
• Support for Dolby^® Home Theater

 
Looking up Dolby Home Theater, it says: "Dolby Home Theater v4 elevates PC audio and delivers a surround sound experience through a PC's built-in speakers, any pair of headphones, or a connected home theater system."
 
Based on that I should be set in terms of getting virtual surround sound with stereo headphones from my onboard audio until I can get a dedicated sound card.
 
Thanks for all the help straightening me out and getting me started towards an actual audio experience (as opposed to regular gaming headsets). Gonna see when I can get this stuff ordered and hopefully soon hear everything I've been missing from a (more) proper setup.

I've been looking into DHTv4 because I haven't heard it discussed yet.  I haven't really round any comparisons of the two.  I honestly don't know if it'll be any good or even do what you expect.  But you know, the price is right.  Check it out and let us know what you think!
 

 

[Evshrug]

Well that's fine. Mostly I listen to electronica. How is a V shaped sound signature for gaming?

Also, off topic: What is a U Shaped sound signature?

Well, it's still a bit of emphasized bass and treble, and a de-emphasized mids. A U-shaped frequency response is basically a gentler coloration of the V-shape, a little more balanced. A frequency response graph has a curve/line on it, the left side of the line covers the bass frequencies, the middle of the line is mids, and the right indicates treble. As the curve goes up from the center line, the frequency at that point is emphasized, de-emphasized if the line dips below the center line. The freq curve of the HE-400 looks pretty much like a V.

Quote:
After some more research into my motherboard (Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R if anyone is interested), here's what it says about the onboard audio:

1. Realtek ALC889 codec
2. High Definition Audio
3. 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
4. Support for Dolby^® Home Theater

Looking up Dolby Home Theater, it says: "Dolby Home Theater v4 elevates PC audio and delivers a surround sound experience through a PC's built-in speakers, any pair of headphones, or a connected home theater system."

I've been looking into DHTv4 because I haven't heard it discussed yet.  I haven't really round any comparisons of the two.

I love Gigabyte motherboards.
Dolby Home Theater is used in the Asus U7 too, basically it has Dolby Headphone folded into it but also has some other do-dads for speakers.

 

[theragekage]

So when I got my q701s a month or two ago I never did a back to back comparison with the AD700x that they replaced. The other day I decided to and was blown away at the differences. While the AD700x is still awesome for competitive FPS, I still couldn't believe how bass deficient they truly are. It sounded like I had tin cans on my ears (tin cans with a truly great soundstage). It was pretty interesting switching back and forth mid game between the two. Even though the Q's are not known for their bass, it made me want to go back and play some of the games that I used the AD700's on, like LoU and tomb raider.

 

[iamjonathan31]

hmm, did some digging and realized that open cans are not something I can get due to sound leakage (mostly I game while my girlfriend sleeps)
 
Does anyone have good experience with closed back headphones specifically for FPS gaming?  I've got a pair of momentums right now..will anything out there be significantly better for 300$ or less?

 

[Stillhart]

  hmm, did some digging and realized that open cans are not something I can get due to sound leakage (mostly I game while my girlfriend sleeps)
 
Does anyone have good experience with closed back headphones specifically for FPS gaming?  I've got a pair of momentums right now..will anything out there be significantly better for 300$ or less?

How close does your GF sleep while you're gaming and how loud do you game?  I find sound leakage to be pretty overblown at times.  Unless your GF is a spectacularly light sleeper and needs absolute silence, she won't notice.  If you have a fan on in the room, it'll be louder than your sound leakage.
 
EDIT - DT770, CAL, HP100/HP150