Looking for headset/headphones for gaming/music ~60€

[Guest]

Hello
Since my SteelSeries 5HV2 broke a few days back, I'm looking for a replacement.
After reading some reviews, it seems that headphones and separate microphone are better than headsets.
Anyways, my budget is around 60-70€, however, everything is more expensive where I live, compared to Amazon, Newegg and I rather buy from local retail store.
So far the headsets I have considered are:
SteelSeries Siberia v2 73€
Logitech G230 59€
Plantronics Gamecom 780 52€

I haven't really looked at headphones since there are like no cheap microphones in electronic stores near me, only "decent" I found was Speedlink SPAS clip-on mic for 8€.
But is something like Audio-Technica ATH-M20X for 51€ (+8€ mic) better than those headsets? Or is there better headphones at that price range?
Thanks

 

[ssddx]

since you have a rather low budget and since prices will be higher for you you might want to just stick with headsets.

the siberia v2 full size is generally a pretty decent headset for the money with decent sound quality.

the gamecom 780 is also known for decent quality however there was a software issue with them which i'm not sure is resolved.

the m20x is a closed headset and if its anything like its upper model the m50x it has a very small soundstage which makes it not so ideal for gaming and better for music. its certainly useable however i think you would be better off with a headset instead of that.

if you do not mind "stereo" sound and not having virtual surround then you might also like the sennheiser u320 which may be in your budget. sennheisers gaming headsets are known for good microhones and good sound however they tend to be a bit "bass light".

 

[Guest]

Sennheiser U320 costs 118€ which is way over my budget.
I don't mind having a stereo, surround is not that important since I don't play much FPS games.
Also, I don't have a sound card, just onboard audio if that makes any difference.
Anyway it's better to stick with headsets then?
Is Siberia v2 worth extra 20€ over Plantronics 780?
And what do you think of G230? I heard it has bad microphone.

 

[ssddx]

i saw the u320 for about 80euro when i looked on the german amazon site (since i wanted a rough price and have no idea where you live) so it looked like you might have been able to have it in budget. i suppose not.

for your relatively low budget... yes i think that might be the best. if you had more money to spend then you may have had more options but since you do not then i would not worry about it.

well, i havent used either of them personally but from what i've heard the v2 is generally a good headset and i've heard that its comfortable and the microphone isnt bad. sound quality is not bad for a headset. build quality is questionable but if you dont abuse them they shouldnt break.

the 780 is also not a bad option however i've heard that it has software issues. what i have read about it is that it has great build quality and sound for the price but many dont recommend it because of the software glitches it had. if you do want it then you may want to read up on some of those software issues (they may have fixed them by now).

from what i've heard... the 230 doesnt have bad audio quality however it seems that many complain that the mic volume is too low. if you turn gain all the way up to compensate you will get static sounds. the microphone may work for people who typically talk loud however might not work for people who talk quietly. if that is not an issue then it doesnt look like a terrible choice.

 

[Guest]

Alright, thanks. Just one last question.
I found Audio-Technica ATH-T400 headphones for 60€. They seem to have better drivers and soundstage.
Do you think they would be significantly better than M20X for games? If not, I'm going with either Siberia V2 or Gamecom 780.
Once again, thank you for your insight.

 

[ssddx]

hard to say really...

i'm not sure about the m20.... but it would be compareable to the m30.

but reading this http://versus.com/en/audio-technica-ath-t400-vs-audio-technica-ath-m30 and this http://www.head-fi.org/t/585816/anyone-have-experience-with-ath-t400

it sounds as if the two are similar. the m30 is capable of higher highs and lower lows. the m30 uses a standard headband while the t400 uses something which looks like a cross between a suspension style and standard style headband. i've personally heard the m30 (i gifted it to my brother) and its not terrible for a closed headphone but its soundstage is small even for a closed headphone. the t400 soundstage is a bit larger.

audio-quality wise either an m30 or t400 will likely beat out the v2 and 780 if you like your sound "bassy", "warm" with more focus on the treble/bass with recessed mids.

while perhaps not the most ideal headphones for gaming, you could certainly use the t400's if you like their sound profile. that 8euro clip on mic is likely junk though so if you dont mind so-so vocal quality it would work out.