So how much better are the M50s vs a gaming headset?
Dec 24, 2013 at 2:43 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 17
hisagishi

hisagishi

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As the title says I am wondering how much better the M50s would be than a gaming headset?
 
So for instance, I have a pair of Vengeance 1500s, if I buy the M50s, would it be worth it? And how is the bass on the M50s in particular? Anyone have any frequency response graphs of the 1500s?
 
Dec 24, 2013 at 5:44 PM Post #3 of 17
Dec 24, 2013 at 5:55 PM Post #4 of 17
The other problem is that VERY few headfiers know anything much about gaming headsets because they're all busy using high quality headphones for gaming. 
 
The few I have auditioned have all been absolutely dreadful. 
I did try an old discontinued Turtle Beach USB headset once which sounded OK, and it wasn't that old, but was really showing many signs of wear and tear and I could tell wasn't going to last much longer. 
Not sure what the general consensus is (because there really isn't one) but I think they're mostly consumer driven garbage that we resign ourselves to because they come with a microphone and go-faster stripes.
 
 
Dec 24, 2013 at 6:18 PM Post #6 of 17
Gaming headphones aren't as bad as some people make them out to be. The Sennheiser PC360s I have are quite nice. The only real problem is you're paying a very large premium ($75-$100 or so) for the mic. In general, it would be a better idea to get a nicer pair of headphones, then spend like $35 and get an Antlion ModMic. The other advantage is, if you ever upgrade from the M50s, you can pay just a few bucks for a new base clamp, and move the mic over to any new headphones.
 
Dec 24, 2013 at 7:15 PM Post #7 of 17
velgus said:
  Gaming headphones aren't as bad as some people make them out to be. The Sennheiser PC360s I have are quite nice. The only real problem is you're paying a very large premium ($75-$100 or so) for the mic. In general, it would be a better idea to get a nicer pair of headphones, then spend like $35 and get an Antlion ModMic. The other advantage is, if you ever upgrade from the M50s, you can pay just a few bucks for a new base clamp, and move the mic over to any new headphones.
Click to expand...

 
I think those are one of the few exceptions.  When I think of a gaming headset, companies like Razer, Steel Series, Corsair, Turtle Beach, and Astro come to mind.
 
Dec 24, 2013 at 9:55 PM Post #9 of 17
Personally I believe it depends on what you will be using them for. If your using them for music then ath-m50 would probably be much much better and totally worth it.
 
If you mainly use headphones/headsets for gaming or movies I would definitely stick to the gaming headset as it has a mic + most of them have surround sound.
 
Alternatively you could spend a little more and get a nice open back like the sennheiser hd 598 headphones which would be good for all 3.
 
Possibly the other 5xx sennheiser headphones would work too and the 518 are near your budget. The only problem with those is the fact that they are open back so if your in a noisy environment they wouldn't work too good but if you game alone in your room or something I would recommend them over both.
 
Dec 24, 2013 at 11:44 PM Post #10 of 17
If you want a good headset thats actually good, check out the Skullcandy SLYR for $70, otherwise the next best thing headset-wise would be the Sennie PC350/360.

The AT M50, unless you get it for the sale price of $80~ there are better options IMO, have you looked at other options available? Such as the CAL! for $60 or CAL!2 for $110 (closer to M50 pricing), there are of course other options but aside from the M50's obvious build quality, I feel the M50 is the HeadFi go to for entry into audiophile gear when there are plenty of others to check out.

Purely my opinion as I feel the $60 CAL! offers a more well rounded set of cans than the more expensive M50, and of course there are other options aside from the CAL!.
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:02 AM Post #11 of 17
Just get a good open back pair of headphones and a stand alone mic. Closed headphones are fine too, but I find that having open makes it easier to not yell when you're in a voice com. It has the added benefit of (generally) holding a larger sound stage as well. Something along the lines of the AKG Q701 or Beyerdynamic DT880 with a $40 Blue desktop microphone.
 
This is of course sitting more in the range of $240. I'm sure someone else can chime in with a cheaper but effective open back headphone as well. Perhaps one of the lower AKG or Audio Technica models.
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 1:28 AM Post #13 of 17
I think something semi-open from Superlux would suit you. They sound great and have good soundstage. Not to mention dirt cheap, around $40 where I'm from. The money you save can go towards a new video card and maybe an amp.
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I have CAL!s for music and switch over to my Superlux HD681B when playing Hawken and HD681 EVO when watching movies.
 
I had the Vengeance 1300 and it was the most lifeless thing I have ever heard. I sold it after a few days and got myself a Superlux after reading about them here on Head-Fi.
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 3:01 AM Post #14 of 17
Wow thanks for all the responses. Anything over say 130 is really out of my price range.
 
I noticed someone has responded with the HD 518s, what do you guys think about the HD 558? I can get them used for cheaper than the M50s new. (about 95 bucks)
 
And bacon, I'll look into CALs but I haven't heard many good things about creative in a long time.
 
Lifeless... Yup that pretty much sums up the 1500s aswell as the 1300s
 
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