[SOLVED] Good Headphones.

[thewizardred]

So Heyo, not sure if this is the right place to post it or not. Kinda new here, but here goes anyway.

So I recently broke my cheap 20 dollar headset for gaming and am looking to replace them with a new one and wanted some suggestions. I already have an actual microphone and dont want one on the headset at all because it tends to get in the way of other things. I really have a budget of 150$ but and willing to go up to 200$ for a good set of phones. I just need a few requirements

1. As stated before I dont really want a headset with a built in microphone, I would perfer it to be not on at all but i will take one with a detachable microphone as well
2. Im looking for a headset that has good hi-low because i was planning on using these for music and videos.
3. It needs to last me a few years so that i dont have to spend more money later down the line until these have given me a good run
4. It needs to be good for gaming (of course)
5. I would prefer closed back due to having a large household and gaming at night is hard with an open back.
6. I would also prefer over ear headphones because I have some sensitive ears and having the headphones on my ears for hours on end isn't as comfortable as I would like.

I have been looking at the Seenheiser HD4.50BTNC because they look to be what im looking for but I have read reviews that they aren't the best for gaming so if anyone has had any experience with these how did they work out for gaming and music?

Thanks for your time and your recommendations!

 

[Mezoxin]

you wont find a better guide than this

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/best/by-usage/gaming

 

[Frag Maniac]

I've had Sennheisers before, but had issues with durability, comfort, and bass/midrange.

Since switching to Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm cans, I have been thoroughly impressed. They hit on the main priorities for me, which are comfort, durability, and of course sound quality, and are great for gaming, music, and movies. The velour ear pads are very comfortable even in hot summer weather, and over glasses.

These are wired, but the cord is a durable and easily manageable straight one, and there's no worries about wireless transmission interference. Got loud neighbors or worried about being too loud yourself at times, these are the answer, and the closed back also helps distinguish where enemies are.

Note that Beyerdynamic has a fairly extensive list of authorized dealers, but one place I saw selling these (ProAudioStar.com), is selling them for about $30 cheaper than you can get them on Amazon, but they are not on Beyer's authorized dealers list, which could mean no warranty, if not worse.

I got mine in store at Guitar Center a few years ago on sale for $150, and have never regretted it. Money well spent.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm
https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-770-PRO-Studio-Headphone/dp/B071XKQQ57?th=1

Beyerdynamic Authorized Dealer list (just choose your country)
https://north-america.beyerdynamic.com/service-support/dealer-finder

 

[Mezoxin]

I've had Sennheisers before, but had issues with durability, comfort, and bass/midrange.

Thats an over generalization for a top tier acoustics manufacterer like sennheiser
I would also not reccomend an 80 ohm headphone without making sure that the OP has the necessary equipment to drive it

 

[zdking]

Im not very into the technical stuff etc, but I can 100% reccomend the HyperX Cloud Flight (at least for gaming). I used to have the Corsair Void Pro, and after swapping for the HyperX a new world opened up! I could actually hear everything! I was in awe for a moment! Not sure if thats the kind of headset youre looking for, but look it up and check it out

 

[Frag Maniac]

Thats an over generalization for a top tier acoustics manufacterer like sennheiser
I would also not reccomend an 80 ohm headphone without making sure that the OP has the necessary equipment to drive it

I speak from experience on Sennheiser, and I WAS comparing like price ranges. At the $150 price point Senn gives you plastic vs steel yokes, which are not only more vulnerable to cracks (or catastrophic failure from accidents), but annoying creaks while wearing them.

On sound quality it's obviously more personal preference, but in that same price range the Senns are quite often known to emphasize clarity in the high end (at the tradeoff of being too bright), while lacking a bit in bass and midrange, and that's right on par with my assessment after using them for some time.

And the DT 770 Pro comes in 32 Ohm, most suitable for portable use, 80 Ohm, which work well for general use, and 250 Ohm, which are intended for high power amplifiers. It's hardly outlandish to assume the portable or audiophile grade solutions would not apply to a PC gaming setup.

If anything it sounds like you are the one speculating here. The key takeaway here, especially on impedance, is Beyer recognizes the importance of offering not just 2, but 3 choices to suit various needs on their more popular model. They also have a knack for knowing what parts to beef up, and it pays off in the long run. Even their ear cups are a more solid, braced thermoplastic material that's tougher and less vibration prone.

The Senns he linked to can be had for only $98 on Amazon, the ones I suggested cost $149 at the same vendor and have a 4.5/5 rating on over 1400 reviews. It's a choice between a fold up novelty set of cans, and something substantial that will long outlast and sound much better doing it. In short, you get what you pay for, especially in something like headphones.

 

[Mezoxin]

Sure motherboards have gone a long way in terms of onboard audio but i dont know which motherboard he has or if he has laptop or desktop
What I am concerned with is that the OP is comming from a 20$ headphones , so it would be safer to make sure he has the necessary equipment to drive an 80ohm headphone , I remember when I tried my HD380 pro on my laptop andalthough they were 54ohms they sounded very weak compared to my DAC/AMP combo

I speak from experience on Sennheiser, and I WAS comparing like price ranges. At the $150 price point Senn gives you plastic vs steel yokes, which are not only more vulnerable to cracks (or catastrophic failure from accidents), but annoying creaks while wearing them.

When put like that I agree with you on build quality

 

[Frag Maniac]

What I am concerned with is that the OP is comming from a 20$ headphones , so it would be safer to make sure he has the necessary equipment to drive an 80ohm headphone

I've used my 80 Ohm ones plugged straight into the PC. It can take a bit of volume adjustment in Windows and in game, but it's still doable. Better that than assuming he needs the 32 Ohm ones, which are only suitable for portable use really.

You're really worrying about nothing here.

 

[thewizardred]

I see you and Mezoxin are talking about 80 Ohm and 32 Ohm and i was wondering if you could explain to me what this was. I am not too into the technical side of audio and am not sure what this was, I was also wondering if you could share the difference between the two and other levels of Ohm.

 

[thewizardred]

Thanks for the guide, I had looked at a few of these and this really helps me understand the options that i have available to me

 

[thewizardred]

I was also wondering if you have used or know someone who has used Arctis Steelseries headsets, I like the what the Arctis 7 looks like and what it gives you as features but wanted to get another opinion on it

 

[Mezoxin]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFTdtyRxBUs


Anyway The DT770 pro is a headphone not a Headset and Since you are looking for a replacement for you "Headset" I imagine you want something with a microphone so your best bet is checking out the Rtings link for best gaming headsets and chose the one suitable for your budget

 

[Frag Maniac]

Since you are looking for a replacement for you "Headset" I imagine you want something with a microphone so your best bet is checking out the Rtings link for best gaming headsets and chose the one suitable for your budget

Seems you missed the part where he said...

"I already have an actual microphone and dont want one on the headset at all because it tends to get in the way of other things."

As for RTINGS.com, I used to think they were a good review source, until I tried one of the TVs they rated highly and had to return it due to being horrible at displaying brightly lit scenes without looking completely washed out. Fortunately I didn't have to pay any return shipping due to a phone recording of a Crutchfield guy claiming I wouldn't have to before sale.

No matter the source, you really have to be careful whom you listen to these days. We're pretty much on our own regarding policy interpretation and what is and isn't a good product. Hell, the Crutchfield guys didn't even know how the HDR settings worked on that TV, and it was a brand they said a sales rep briefed them on a lot.

 

[Mezoxin]

Seems you missed the part where he said...

"I already have an actual microphone and dont want one on the headset at all because it tends to get in the way of other things."

As for RTINGS.com, I used to think they were a good review source, until I tried one of the TVs they rated highly and had to return it due to being horrible at displaying brightly lit scenes without looking completely washed out. Fortunately I didn't have to pay any return shipping due to a phone recording of a Crutchfield guy claiming I wouldn't have to before sale.

No matter the source, you really have to be careful whom you listen to these days. We're pretty much on our own regarding policy interpretation and what is and isn't a good product. Hell, the Crutchfield guys didn't even know how the HDR settings worked on that TV, and it was a brand they said a sales rep briefed them on a a lot.

I havent read their TV reviews before but Rtings do get carried away at making their tests and scoring too scientific and objective that they miss out on things that can be easily noticed subjectively , but they have made good progress in their methodology for reviewing Headphones , although I wont rely on their reviews alone if I am buying Top Tier expensive headphones as they miss out on some important aspects such as Cumulative Spectral Decay , But for Gaming headphones or even reasonably priced headphones their current methodology seems quiet sufficient

 

[thewizardred]

So after all this talk what do you recommend is the best set of headphones that is close to what I am looking for? Also what do you personally use?

 

[thewizardred]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFTdtyRxBUs


Anyway The DT770 pro is a headphone not a Headset and Since you are looking for a replacement for you "Headset" I imagine you want something with a microphone so your best bet is checking out the Rtings link for best gaming headsets and chose the one suitable for your budget

Thanks for the information, Video explained a lot to me

 

[Mezoxin]

the suggestion Frag maniac made seems really good , What is your system components btw ?

 

[thomas4204]

I was also wondering if you have used or know someone who has used Arctis Steelseries headsets, I like the what the Arctis 7 looks like and what it gives you as features but wanted to get another opinion on it

My friend uses steelseries and he loves them. Personally I love the razer nari series, I currently have the nari essential and I love it cause the bass is there, the treble is there and it’s just all around a nice headset and it’s wireless. I usually get 2 weeks out of it before I have to recharge. If your not fond over that headset another really good choice if the hyperX cloud 2. This has great audio and a detachable mic ( Btw this mic isREALLY good and clear) it is light and portable and has not overpowering bass but is not bad. ( both of these are great for gaming).

 

[Frag Maniac]

I havent read their TV reviews before but Rtings do get carried away at making their tests and scoring too scientific and objective that they miss out on things that can be easily noticed subjectively , but they have made good progress in their methodology for reviewing Headphones , although I wont rely on their reviews alone if I am buying Top Tier expensive headphones as they miss out on some important aspects such as Cumulative Spectral Decay , But for Gaming headphones or even reasonably priced headphones their current methodology seems quiet sufficient

Yeah it's easy to get sucked into thinking they must be trustworthy with all the tech they put into their testing, but what it comes down to for me is they are overly biased to the point of leaving out key info. They only ever rave about very high contrast/brightness TVs, but what they won't ever tell you is the VA panels that typically have such spec are usually prone to washing out badly in bright scenes, and a lot of times not even overly bright ones. Moderately lit desert scenes are bad enough, but a room like a kitchen with white paint and/or cabinets can look look like a glowy glimpse after death effect.

They base far too much of their ratings on bells and whistles features vs basic performance. Being as headsets are much about features vs basic sound quality, I have to think the same flaw to their methodology would apply there.

the suggestion Frag maniac made seems really good , What is your system components btw ?

Yeah I can't say enough about my DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm cans. I never have to worry about them becoming uncomfortable (even with glasses), wearing out, creaking, or not sounding good for what I use them for. They don't have the convenience of wireless, but wireless comes with unacceptable tradeoffs IMO. You also won't need noise canceling with them. Trust me, I live in a neighborhood where sirens have this deafening shrill echoing between buildings. When I talk on the phone sometimes I can't even hear what the person is saying when there's sirens. With the cans on, it's no problem watching TV shows, movies, listening to music, gaming, etc, even if sirens are going off, including the loud fire alarms in our apts when they test the alarm system. If anything I worry about not being able to hear my watch alarm when it's time to get my laundry out, take food out of the oven, etc.

 

[Mezoxin]

For headphone testing they use a modified Harmon frequency response curve , which is based on a well established research on how a headphone should sound to be close as possible to stereo speakers in an acoustically treated room . their reviews so far are a good indication for how a headphone would sound like and received well by most of the audiophiles online communities , their methodology may be lacking but it will only affect the reviews of really expensive headphones

 

[Frag Maniac]

the suggestion Frag maniac made seems really good , What is your system components btw ?

...their methodology may be lacking but it will only affect the reviews of really expensive headphones

Regarding overly expensive items, I find they are pretty much reviewing like elitists. For instance they always rave about OLED picture quality, but never really admit to the nightmare they can be with burn in and losing brightness over time, which is inherent with that tech. OLED is still a rich man's tech with relatively short lifespan, and they don't portray it as such.

The average consumer is mostly uneducated about home entertainment tech, and RTINGS.com only exacerbates that problem. They claim they buy every item they review, as if not biased, but they are biased enough to make me think they're getting kickbacks somehow. I just don't trust them at all anymore.