[Wolfram521]

Hi everyone, I'm a complete layman when it comes to high-quality sound setups, but I've been using a crappy-ass headset with a top-of-the-line gaming rig for about a year now, and the lack of sound quality is really starting to become noticeable.
 
What I'm looking for is a setup that provides a nice balance of treble, bass, and mids (maybe a little extra bass to get those 'thumps' when a grenade blows near me, but not enough to drown out the rest of the sound and turn my room into a localized earthquake).
 
Preferably something that's easy to set-up, in other words the less accessories needed the better (I've noticed a lot of people on these forums using amps and other smaller devices whose function are completely unknown to me). I wouldn't mind having to set up one amp if the change in quality would be considerable, however.
 
My target budget is around $300-400. I could go for 400-500 if it makes enough of a difference to be worth it.
 
So, any ideas?

 

[mtkversion]

How about replacing that ' crappy ass headset ' with a good pair of headphones?  I find gaming much more immersive with headphones because of the ambient noise being blocked out and you're ' in the zone ' instead of dealing with annoying noises that you'll hear when using speakers.
 
If you do any late night gaming, headphones are the way to go.
 
Because you want a balanced sound but a nice low-end, I'd recommend the Beyerdynamic DT770 ($200).  They are a closed pair (less sound to leak in/out) , have a nice soundstage so positional audio will be more effective and are well regarded for their bass. (Some people find the bass to be too much though ... )
 
They can be driven off your soundcard fine but will only improve with a separate amp/DAC if you wanted to go that route.  
 
You could pair it with the Astro Mixamp Pro ($130) or something similar to take advantage of the surround sound features. (Note: I've never used the Astro and have only heard things here/there about it, I'd look more into if it interests you. )

 

[Wolfram521]

Heh, those sound fantastic, dude. And for 200 bucks I think I might actually get a pair of those AND a speaker setup!

I do a lot of late-night gaming, so yeah, thise are really nice, but I also tend to have friends over and it's been getting annoying to have to pass the headphones around in order to watch a video/movie/trailer, as well as the fact that cutting off ambient sound means I can't hear my buddy talk either...

So I'll probably buy a pair of those for late night solo-gaming, but I still need a decent speaker setup.

 

[Wolfram521]

I just realized, I need a microphone for communication too; I tend to Skype a lot, and I'm a hardcore progression raider in WoW.

is there an equivalent pair of headphones with a built-in mic? If not, are there any workarounds?

My original plan was to use the speakers in conjunction with my current headset, and set it up so that the only sound being handled by my headset would be player voices, and let my speakers handle the rest.

 

[NamelessPFG]

That's what the ModMic is for.

 

[Wolfram521]

That's nifty!
 
Alright, ignore my previous post. All I need now is a nice set of speakers. 

 

[Wolfram521]

bump
Does no one have any suggestions?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80-ohm headphones (used $150)
Asus Xonar DG sound card ($25)
Used ($200) Logitech Z-5300 speakers (5.1) or new Logitech Z506 ($80) 5.1

 

[Wolfram521]

Those speakers look good, but do I need the sound card to make them function properly? I have no clue how to install a sound card in my computer. The closest I ever get to its interior is my monthly dusting of the interior, and even then I try not to touch any of the cables.
Are there any layman's guides on installing a sound card (both hardware and software)?
 
Also, if there are any speakers about a tier or two above of those, I could probably spare the extra expense. $80 would leave a lot of left over money in my budget, so I wouldn't mind going the extra mile for some improved quality.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Those speakers look good, but do I need the sound card to make them function properly? I have no clue how to install a sound card in my computer. The closest I ever get to its interior is my monthly dusting of the interior, and even then I try not to touch any of the cables.
Are there any layman's guides on installing a sound card (both hardware and software)?
 
Also, if there are any speakers about a tier or two above of those, I could probably spare the extra expense. $80 would leave a lot of left over money in my budget, so I wouldn't mind going the extra mile for some improved quality.

It might be better to buy a 5.1 home audio system, run and HDMI or optical cable from your computer to the 5.1 home audio system.
Chances are you would not need to add a sound card to your computer.
If your using headphones, I recommend a Yamaha home audio system as they usually come with headphone surround sound.
Might find something used for a good price on Craigslist.

 

[Wolfram521]

A home audio system would hypothetically be the best alternative, but the problem I have with it is that my room is quite spacious, and my desk is tucked into one of the corners of the room; therefore, a system where the sound is spread out across my room would not be the best case scenario. I need a speaker set-up that is situated on my desk and with the sound being focused onto my chair rather than the whole room.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

A home audio system would hypothetically be the best alternative, but the problem I have with it is that my room is quite spacious, and my desk is tucked into one of the corners of the room; therefore, a system where the sound is spread out across my room would not be the best case scenario. I need a speaker set-up that is situated on my desk and with the sound being focused onto my chair rather than the whole room.

There are some used Logitech Z5500 computer speaker systems for sale on eBay.
I believe they come with a digital input (optical) or just run 3 wires (analog) from your motherboard's built in sound card to the Z5500.
 
You could also get the Polk Audio RM6750 (5.1) speakers for (new) $180 and buy a separate receiver (used? off Craigslist).
The Polk Audio RM6750 comes with small speakers.