[LoveChunks]

Hi. I'm new. very new. I'm looking for an over ear headset for pc gaming as well as general use (such as listening to music on my ipod/phone or watching movies on my laptop) good isolation would be nice as it can get very loud when I'm gaming/listening/watching. a headset isn't entirely necessary, but is preferable. I'd like to avoid going over $100 if I can.
 
I've had a look around, and so far all that I can find that looks good is the Skullcandy SLYR and the Turtle Beach Z22. It may look like I've just gone straight for the most recognizable brands (something I like to avoid as much as possible), but I've tried out a pair of PX22s (which, from what I can gather are pretty much the same as the Z22s) that my friend owns,the isolation was good, and they were pretty comfortable and seemed high quality to me. I've seen good reviews of the SLYRs but I've never been able to use them myself. can anyone tell me anything about the quality and isolation?
 
Is there anything else you can recommend?

 

[LoveChunks]

Ah, I could have phrased that better.

When I say "it can get very loud when I'm gaming/listening/watching" I'm referring to outside noises that I would like to block out. I care less about other people hearing what's coming out of the headphones, as long as that is all I can hear.

 

[JoshHat98]

As a gamer and not an Audiophile myself I'm going to straight out tell you to stay away from Turtle beach unless your a console fan boy.

Skullcandys more of a fashion brand IMO, and shouldn't be look at as a headset or quality audio in anyway.

My few suggestions are the Razer Electra or the Razer Karken Pro. The Steelseries Sibeira are also a real nice head set.

I have the Razer Electra and they sound great and the inline mic is fine and sounds nice, they also have great portability with a cable that can unplug.

The Razer Karken Pro has the Microphone compared to the non pro version. This is kind of like a higher end Electra, without the great portability. The Karken is also know as the most comfy Gaming headset.

I haven't used a Steelseries head set, but they seem to be great quality.

 

[LoveChunks]

Hey thanks for the advice. I thought something along those lines would be said about turtle beach. skullcandy too, but like I said, I have seen good reviews. The Kraken pro looks good. How big are they around the ears though? (Just asking comfort-wise)

 

[money4me247]

lol you're on the wrong forums. most people here think gaming-specific headsets are overpriced garbage and you are better off investing in a regular pair of headphones w/ good sound stage + a mic. 
 
I think the Siberia SteelSeries v2.0 are the gaming headsets that get any respect from audiophiles. the problem w/ most gaming headsets is that they usually have terrible sound quality for regular music.
 
The good reviews are from the average consumer who aren't obsessing over the exact sound signature of their headphones lol. welcome to head-fi
 
here is something that might be worth skimming through: http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-updated-9-2-2013-sony-ma900-added

 

[b0000]

  lol you're on the wrong forums. most people here think gaming-specific headsets are overpriced garbage and you are better off investing in a regular pair of headphones w/ good sound stage + a mic. 
 
I think the Siberia SteelSeries v2.0 are the gaming headsets that get any respect from audiophiles. the problem w/ most gaming headsets is that they usually have terrible sound quality for regular music.
 
The good reviews are from the average consumer who aren't obsessing over the exact sound signature of their headphones lol. welcome to head-fi
 
here is something that might be worth skimming through: http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-updated-9-2-2013-sony-ma900-added

 
x1000 this.
 
also since you're gaming on the pc, i suggest you get a decent sound processor if you don't already have a good sound card. Get the creative go! pro for cmss 3d headphone. 
 
As for headphones, you ideally want an open headphone with good soundstage for the best results. Sadly, i don't know any phones under 100 that decent. you really need to go to the 200usd range for the best bang/buck. (sennheiser hd598 or sony ma900)

 

[money4me247]

   
x1000 this.
 
also since you're gaming on the pc, i suggest you get a decent sound processor if you don't already have a good sound card. Get the creative go! pro for cmss 3d headphone. 
 
As for headphones, you ideally want an open headphone with good soundstage for the best results. Sadly, i don't know any phones under 100 that decent. you really need to go to the 200usd range for the best bang/buck. (sennheiser hd598 or sony ma900)

I would have recommended open headphones to for better sound stage, but OP is looking for noise isolation... only achieved with closed headphones.
 
I am not very familiar with the sub-$100 headphones, but for $200, you can get the highly rated closed AKG K550 or closed/portable AKG K545 (from razer dog) that both amazingly great sound stage. The AKG K550 probably has the best sound sound for any closed pair of headphones. you personally might end up EQ the bass up for those because AKGs are tuned to be more on the neutral side (which audiophiles love, but it is a big change from people coming from consumer-oriented bass-boosted headphones).

 

[FlyingPigman]

Stay away form the Razer Electras. While they are ok for gaming at best, you don't get any idea where people (footsteps) are around you. Also, for music, they're terrible. They are all bass. Literally, they sound exactly like beats solo HD's, which I guess is good if you buy beats for the sound..... Anyways, they sound terrible for music, do NOT buy them.

 

[LoveChunks]

  lol you're on the wrong forums. most people here think gaming-specific headsets are overpriced garbage and you are better off investing in a regular pair of headphones w/ good sound stage + a mic. 
 
I think the Siberia SteelSeries v2.0 are the gaming headsets that get any respect from audiophiles. the problem w/ most gaming headsets is that they usually have terrible sound quality for regular music.
 
The good reviews are from the average consumer who aren't obsessing over the exact sound signature of their headphones lol. welcome to head-fi
 
here is something that might be worth skimming through: http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-updated-9-2-2013-sony-ma900-added

...that's one of the reviews I'm talking about.  The main one, actually. Did you read the review of the SLYR there?

 

[Braz33]

I tried the SLYR for a while they hurt my head too much. They looked nice, but didn't sound that great. It will be better if you go headphones plus mic you can get a solid decent quality headworn mic for like $15. If you are going for a headset still I would say stay away from RAZER in general as A PC gamer I was not to happy with some of the corners they cut in some of their other peripherals namely keyboards and that made me distrust them I've also been told of poor quality with their headsets. I have heard nothing but good things about the Steel Series SIberia V2 though all my friends that have them love em most sound really clear on that mic. I'd say go with them if your set on a headset.

 

[money4me247]

  ...that's one of the reviews I'm talking about.  The main one, actually. Did you read the review of the SLYR there?

lol nope, my eyes kinda jumped over that one. i guess it's kinda brand bias. while i'm sure skullcandy headphones are fine, I prefer brands that have more extensive background in headphone manufacturing & isn't targeting the children-teen market.
 

  I tried the SLYR for a while they hurt my head too much. They looked nice, but didn't sound that great. It will be better if you go headphones plus mic you can get a solid decent quality headworn mic for like $15. If you are going for a headset still I would say stay away from RAZER in general as A PC gamer I was not to happy with some of the corners they cut in some of their other peripherals namely keyboards and that made me distrust them I've also been told of poor quality with their headsets. I have heard nothing but good things about the Steel Series SIberia V2 though all my friends that have them love em most sound really clear on that mic. I'd say go with them if your set on a headset.
 

 
I've actually never tried the Steel Series Siberia V2, but when I was looking at gaming headphones, that was the one that stood out in terms of reviews about it's sound quality.
 
Razer makes great inexpensive high-performance mouses aka the razer death adder... but for headphones, I doubt their products would be good for critical music listening.