Hey guys,
I finally decided to join the headset world and hear great sound. Oh and upgrade from some broken Phillips earbuds....
I'm looking for open ear, on ear/around ear/earcups that are about 100, I'm kinda broke so I cant spend anymore. I'll be using these at my house, no amps/DAC's, not going portable, and I'll mainly use them to game, listen to music, youtube videos, and just general usage day around. Any ideas?
Do you need a microphone? You would be better with headphones + aftermarket mic instead of a headset... I would recommend the superlux hd 668B, or akg 240, or Superlux HD681 Evo.
I have my own mic. I'm using a samson C01U if that's any good haha. How are they compared to things like SR08i's,a700x's, and the commonly recommended headsets online?
You mean the Grado SR80? These are all great headphones, but i was never a fan of the the style/comfortability of grados and audio technica's auto-adjust-pads. If you play for many hours with your headphones, then choose whatever you will feel it will be more comfortable. If listening to music is a big part of your life then, i would choose the grados SR80i, or the AKG 240. Also the best option in my opinion is the Sony MDR MA900 for 20-30 euros more (if you live in europe) http://www.amazon.de/Sony-MDRMA900-HiFi-High-Kopfh%C3%B6rer-Klinkenstecker/dp/B007I1QXX2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399350602&sr=8-1&keywords=sony+mdr+ma900
The MA900's are definitely out of my price range because theyre about 200 on amazon atm... I've seen the AKG's. Theyre not exactly open air but how are they? Sound,comfortable wearing time, and quality?
The AKGs are semi open, and have a nice and pretty strong bass and also some emphasys on the highs. There are pretty comfortable for most people, but i don't like anything that is auto-adjust but that's just me. There are pretty light, so that's always a nice thing.Also,keep in mind that it's not the easiest thing to drive, so if you have a really old motherboard i would think again about the headphones. If you are going to buy them from amazon.com then for 69$ is a great deal. Here in europe costs about (87 euros) 115$ :S Generally speaking i can't find anything wrong with these headphones (the leather pads maybe a problem in summer though) and is an easy recommendation. You can always look for reviews to see if they are the perfect headphones for you.
I'm mostly an audio noob so I usually follow the recommendations of the pros. I'm using the z77 GD-65 from MSI, quite recent, so I'd assume they're good enough right?
Well, i am not a "pro" but i spent many hours looking for headphones for myself, so i have some recommendations :P By the way, your motherboard will do the job :D Also,just before you buy the headphones it would be good to see some reviews. I hope i helped. :)
Thank you very much, you did help.
Edit: Forgot to ask, How is the sound stage on those things?
Not great, but good enough. Let's be honest. We won't find a great soundstage from a pair of headphones under 300$. Audio Technica's ATH-AD700X have the best soundstage out of these headphones, but they lack in the bass comparing with the other headphones and their sound might be fatiguing , which might be a problem in games.
Almost forgot about the sennheiser hd 558. If you want something more "premium" you should also check these. You pay more, you get a bit more. Not sure if they worth it for your usage, but that's up to you.
A700x's lack major bass from what I heard so they're pretty much a no go. I could probably wait a couple more weeks then get it, but are they worth it over any of the other headphones?
The sennheiser HD558 aren't bass heavy (don't worry, the bass is there ) but they are awesome headphones. Comfortable, open back, good soundstage and of course great sounding headphones. Probably the HD558 are going to please you for every usage (gaming, music, movies etc) and these are my favourite headphones out of the others that i suggested you, but remember that they cost almost 2x the price of the AKGs. The HD558 are entry level audiophile headphones, but they are obviously more expensive. It's up to you now... And your wallet of course :)
I'm currently using the HD558 typing this. I've tried the Beyerdynamic DT770 both 80 and 250ohm version, as well as the Beyerdynamic COP's. The oval shape of the Sennheiser is so much more comfortable. The fitment is perfect on and around my ears. I can go HOURS without even getting an ache, itch, or need for adjustment. The clamp force is perfection. I just cant get away from these. They're so comfortable.
Thinking about upgrading to the HD600's. As I would prefer a bit more high end frequency on sounds. I've been using the HD558's for years now. Powered off a Denon AVR. You can't go wrong with these.
I am using the HD600 and i love them. The clamp force is a bit strong, but overall its a great pair of headphones. I think the HD558 is the little brother of HD600 so i could easily recommend them. HD600 is a nice upgrade but keep in mind that their sound is going to be similar to the HD558 (but with higher fidelity sound).