Hey guys,
I'm currently running a setup with Condenser Mic and Wired closed-back headphones. The mic has a pop filter and boom arm and pretty much has to be in front of my face, which I think hinders my gaming performance in fps games like CS:GO. I also have Closed-Back headphones (m50x, bought into the hype) and no DAC or anything. Right now I've been surfing the interwebs and trying to find some good alternatives to my setup but have come to a dead end after watching the recommendation videos for 50-150$ budget solutions with modmic. My current budget I'm willing to spend is around 100-150€ (Germany).
Necessary:
* Open-Back (I wanna be able to hear my surroundings and of course hear the birds chirping in battlefield 4)
* Wireless (20m reach maybe more, I wanna be able to cook n talk with my buds)
* Mic (that doesn't deafen my comrades)
* Sound Control/Mute Function
Bonus(isn't too big of a requirement):
* Some form of pre-packaged charging (station or maybe chargeable batteries with charger... not too necessary tho)
* Comfort
* Sound Quality (I have good pair of headphones for music already, I think that these would be solely for gaming so I don't need too much immersion)
I just want to add, that I am open to suggestions for better or more affordable solutions(don't look at the list of things as a must-have criteria, I'm open to different opinions) this is just what I have settled for after reading on the internet. I find the Tek Syndicate videos a bit outdated (Autumn 2014) so I am hoping maybe somebody on the forum who's more knowledgeable could help me out. I was weighing a DAC in the past but I am very insecure in making that decision. My goal with these headphones/-sets would be as described, for gaming and mobility, I wanna be able to talk with my buddies on the fly, in the toilet, in the kitchen etc.. I would appreciate even a nudge in the right direction, since I haven't come across this type of information too much.
"The mic has a pop filter and boom arm and pretty much has to be in front of my face" - If this is the case you have a VERY poor condenser microphone as mine doesn't have to be in front of my face AT ALL to still sound amazing. The main thing you achieve by having it in front of your face is the deep voice effect (Assuming your microphone is cardioid). What microphone do you have?
Going by your criteria one by one:
- Easy to provide
- Easy to provide as long as open-back is dropped. I cannot think of a single PROPER set of wireless open-back headphones
- I don't know any wireless headsets that are open back
- Shouldn't be too difficult
The issue is your combination of desired features is one that I have never ever seen before so it might be impossible to fit in all features. For wireless headsets with good range the Corsair Void had good range and I liked the bass-heavy G930 from logitech for battlefield (Explosions were so satisfying :D) but unfortunately you're going to have to loosen a bit on the requirements as there are VERY few good wireless headsets.
Samson C01U Hypercardioid. The reason it's in my face is because I have a mechanical keyboard with brown switches and I prefer people not hearing too much of me typing. Yeah I have come across G930 myself... seems like the best option overall. Thank you.
Brown keys aren't terribly loud, you should be able to position it so that it doesn't pick up the noise. What mic do you use? If you have a mic that can change the pickup pattern, or you at least know the pickup pattern, that would help. Also, a pop filter might be over the top for gaming audio - it's not as though you're recording a studio album hehe. You could build a shield around the side of your mic facing the keyboard.
What I ended up doing with my Yeti on a boom was to have it come up from underneath, pointed upright (not hanging down) to be near my chin pointed up at an angle, set to a pickup pattern that had it ignore all sound generated from behind (keyboard, mouse, etc.) and only pickup in a tight sliver directly facing it.
As others said, your list of features is kind of impossible. There aren't wireless open-backed headsets, modmics are all wired. You're probably best off with some open-backed headphones + modmic and just take them off to go cook.