Question Gaming Headphones.

I like to listen to music as well as game, so I have some Beyerdynamic DT Pro 770's which I attached one of these too


I used to have the headphones in that bundle I linked and the sound quality was as good as what I have now, except they were a bit less comfortable. That will depend on your head shape though. I fully recommend the Antlion Modmic, I've had it a couple of years and the sound quality is excellent and its easy to attach.

Of course, whether that set up will suit you depends on whether you need positional audio, whether you need closed or open backed, if you listen to music or anything else on them.
 
I got DT 900 PRO X: Mixing studio headphones | beyerdynamic for US $200 and very happy with them.
Best I've ever had...

You can get a 250 ohms version too but I got the regular ones.

They are too tight at first but after repeatedly and very carefully stretching every time you play - they get soo much better.

That said - like any quality Over-Ear (don't get on-ear unless you want to get hot, sore ears and headaches!) headphones - they are heavier than I'd like and all of these kinds of headphones have a fatigue level where you only want to use them for so long before you need a break!

These are excellent cause they are semi opened/closed back so you get the best of both worlds (eg real and natural sounding bass and brighter detail and sound stage/space).

You want to try to get headphones with detachable cables so you can use a longer/shorter one, or better quality or just replace something that's broken. Could save you having to buy a whole new pair.

I would suggest you get an audio interface if you get nice headphones.
They don't need to be expensive as they're really common these days and you can get loads dirt cheap second hand.

If you have a pretty nice Motherboard with good sound/sound inputs/outputs - it might not be soo necessary though. For laptop though - I would definitely go for an audio interface.


I got mine specifically cause they are wired (read this as proper headphones!) and I want them for Audio with recording/mixing music. So if they're killer for that - then they'll be awesome for gaming.

I bought Dolby Digital (atmos for PC) and that's great for all pc use.
I leave it on Music/Balanced when not gaming, and set to Gaming when playing games in general, and set to positional accuracy mode when doing fps type things where it helps more for locating sounds/directions.

They don't have a mic, but there's lots of ways you can fix that problem.

Currently I don't use mics much for games or skype etc, so I just use a vocal mic with my audio interface when playing fps online etc. I might get something like @Kaamos_Llama suggested but that seems a little pricey for me cause I just don't care that much about the mic part.

Also I worry about exactly how they connect to the headphones as I'm really recluctant to use anything sticky/or that would damage/mark them.

While it's unlikely - I may want to sell them one day and get something new so that might matter then. But honestly - I see no reason to do that ever.

I know you can get podcast type mics that you just click on to your shirt - either wireless or not - that might be better for me, and I wonder if you can just take a hands free kit and somehow isolate the mic part only using a special plug to bypass the audio outputs?

Anyway - I'd highly suggest decent high quality over-ear open or semi-open backed WIRED heaphones if you can afford them. They're worth the money as they should last a very very long time compared to cheaper 'gaming' headphones.

BTW, I've also got some high end wireless in-ear Active Noise Cancelling headphones.
I've bought Bose Quiet Comfort II, Sennheiser MOMENTUM 3, and Sony WF-1000XM4 - all wireless buds.

I got them all with Amazon Prime and/or eBay Plus so that I can rotate trying them out wiht a new one each day to see what I like best and return the rest. So far only tried the Sony's with Just Cause 4 and it seemed to work pretty well. But I'm on the lookout for issues with lag with the wireless.

I think i'll try switching to one of these wireless ones for a bit when I need a break from the big ones, then switch back and forth etc whenever I need too.

Also - if I'm playing a game where I really don't need positional accuracy or if it's the kind of game where I just don't care that much about being surrounded by sound - I'll just use speakers. Especially if I'm just not in the mood to wear over-ear headphones (eg if I already have a headache etc).

So for games like Portal 2 or a racing game I might use my speakers with Dolby Digital as always.
I scored some Presonus ERIS E-8's - very nice Studio Monitors (totally different from PC speakers in case you don't know)....

I can't recommend quality Studio Monitors enough for everything and anything you do on your pc - or even just for playing a digital piano etc!

They are not at all what you might expect, mine are soooo god damn heavy, like filled with lead - and it really translates into hq sound. Sounds way bigger than you'd expect.

If you want really critical mixing for audio go for 4.5-6 inch speakers (that means they will sound AWFUL - tinny, no bass, harsh... but that's what you want for that).

But if you want to actually 'enjoy' listening to them - don't do that - get 8 inches or bigger.
And read the actual specs for the full size as I had just no idea how huge they really were until I picked em up. I can barely fit them on my pc table.

There are loads for half price secondhand so go get some.

I bought some large 'stupidly pretty crafting/gift' boxes from a cheap store and filled it with scrunched up newspaper to try to stop the cavity becoming like a bass-y speaker cabinet. I haven't had any problems so I guess it worked?

You need super super strong and a pair of identical boxes (even though cardboard - it's insane how strong they are)... and I put my speakers on that (it's not ideal - should get stands - but I'm cheap).

That stops the speakers vibrating the pc table and making it too bass-y.

If you have room on either side of your table and/or behind it.... get proper Freestanding - stands. Eg stands that aren't sitting on a table etc or touching anything. That's the ideal situation and they need to be spaced right for your room/table (see online for guides).

So yeah - those are my recommendations.... 3x different ways to go depending on your activity, your mood, and your fatigue levels.

Make sure you match your choice to the activity and you're golden.


Let us know if you have more q's.



ciao
 
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I started with some Creative gaming headphones which sounded great but fell to pieces. So for wired just use some high end Audio Technica headpnones. Great build, easy to replace ear pads.

For noise cancelling I also have some Sony WH1000XM3 which can be bluetooth or wired. But do feel a bit tight if worn too long.

But yesterday after reading a post on Tom's Hardware went down a rabbit hole. I read that many gamers prefer RF 2.4Ghz earbuds. I also use RF 2.4 GHz headphones connected to my streaming device, and they do seem superior to the Sony bluetooth over distance.

So now trying to find out more about JBL Quantum TWS earbuds(I like many options and back ups) which seem to offer dual connectivity via bluetooth or 2.4Ghz.
 
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Those JBL Quantum earbuds do sound good based on a review I watched(also similar to Uhura's earpeice).

The reviewer said they will virtually connect to anything, give good surround sound and she even tried them on a plane, no music and noise cancelling(ANC) saved her from a screaming baby on the row in front.

I think if you are a competetive gamer and travelling a lot they would be good, + that seems to be why competetive gamers prefer wireless mice.
 
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