headphones vs speakers

[spark29]

Trying to save money on sound, but i would like surround sound for that extra advantage and quality. Would surround sound headphones like the ones below be recommended? I will be using a headset anyways.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16826502007

 

[brett_monkey]

What kind of soundcard do you have? That will be a big factor whether or not surround headphones will be worth getting IMO. If you have the Creative X-fi then the headphones should sound absolutely great because of the processing capabilities of the X-fi. On the other hand, if you are not worried about bugging other people with noise a nice 2.1 setup such as the Klipsch 2.1 (112 bucks from amazon) I used to think that the sound card was just an extra 'perk' to a computer system. But once I save up to get my Creative X-fi card and some 2.1 Klipsch THX speakers, I was blown away by the clarity.

Anyhow, If you have onboard sound I would suggest saving up a bit longer to get an X-fi card with those headphones. The X-fi cards start at 45 bucks on newegg.com

I hope my long winded answer helped you out some.

 

[pidesd]

we need to know what you ll be using your setup for. Speakers are much better for all uses but you ll have to pay the price for quality of sound. if you really want surround sound i d recommend a cheap speaker setup as it s much better at positioning than any surround headphones IMO. i think you can very well combine sound quality and 3d positioning by having a nice pair of headphones with an x-fi which has a good surround sound immitation feature that will give you the most for your money. it all depends on your priorities. nice gaming/music headphones are ath-a900, beyerdynamic dt770 series and sennheiser the hd 595. there are other good ones but those are really good.

 

[lordaardvark2]

it does depend a lot on your usage... i personally love a nice pair of headphones, but haven't experienced with surround headphones yet... so maybe if you want surround, stick with normal speakers? they both have their advantages, and disadvantages... i guess the usage plays a big role in the recommendation.

 

[spark29]

I will be buying a sound card, possibly the x-fi. I guess I'm more interested in knowing how headphone surround compares to speaker surround. I thought that headphones would be a cheaper solution but i guess that's why I'm asking you guys.

PS i guess i forgot to mention but I need it to be a headset, since I'm going to be wearing one anyways

 

[pidesd]

allright, then i think taht a surround headset is a waste IMO( i got a 5.1 speaker system+surround heaphones+normal heaphones with x-fi). you are better off with a nice pair pf headphones with an x-fi. i suggest one of those mentioned earlier. you wont be disappointed. a nice investment.

if all you want is play game than a decent surround speaker system will be way better as it s more immersive with bass and positionning

you can have a good 5.1 for gaming for about 150 bucks( for instance logitech z5300e). the a900 headphones are about 170 bucks

 

[halcyon]

I'd say intended usage and budget are factors that you need to consider. If you want surround sound for games than I'd recommend a set of speakers, but I have no experience with surround sound headphones. If music is the objective than there's more questions:

Budget?
Roomsize?
Privacy?

A decent soundcard can drive some mild to normal headphones with better headphones ($150+) probably gaining benefit from a separate headphone amp. ...this is more of a consideration if music is paramount and gaming is secondary, IMO.

If gaming is the paramount use and audio privacy is not an issue a nice soundcard and decent speakers may give you more enjoyment and comfort.

There's a lot of considerations but it doesn't need to be a complex process, really. What's your budget?

 

[spark29]

Gaming is the primary thing and in general i guess I'm looking for the surround sound advantage for the lowest price. I move my computer around a lot - to other people's houses, different locations in my house, and I am basically looking for the CHEAPEST solution. I do have a fairly small location, so i don't think that 5 speakers all around would be possible.

 

[pidesd]

well if money is really a concern then get the cheapest x-fi( i think there are around 60$), get normal heaphones in your price range and use the surround sound imitation feature which works really well trust me( i heard the best headphones for 50 $ are the sennheiser px100 and for 170$ its the ath-a900 or beyerdynamic 770 80 ohm and the last two are supposed to be the best of the best for any price range for gaming). if you have 170 to spend for headphones then its they are defenitly worth it and they are great for music/movies too.

 

[djgandy]

who the fuck are tutle beach.

Buy anything with sennheiser and well...........