SOUND, headsets, headphones, microphones general

SOUND, headsets, headphones, microphones general

My autism took a new direction in the past few weeks. I became convinced that a new sound setup would brighten up my entertainment. I then proceed to buy a $1000+ surround sound system which was a complete overkill and sounds like a jet plane by the time I get it to satisfactory levels to hear things nicely. I'm going to get my money back on it.

Now I've taken my eye to good ol' headphones etc again. I've worn headphones/earphones for 10 years or so already, with wear time measured in years, tinnitus and the inevitable balding you get from such a thing. Took a turn 4 years back when I opted to go for a higher grade instead of cheap headset/phones and went with the Audio Technica AD700. They are extremely flat, no bass whatsoever, every instrument is crystal clear. These were the first open ear headset I had. Seemed cool at first but over the years lost interest and hair. Really annoying having to hear all the little sounds around you like other people, noises from my open window, PC noises, when trying to hear stuff, but it makes you great at detecting enemies in FPS. Currently using some earphones which feel better and more convenient.

So I'm looking into something new. Want to use them with my PC, 3.5mm or optical from my TV I guess (does optical output improve quality?). Not fussed on headset or headphones if the sound is right, still using a $10 broken clip on mic to talk to friends that sits on the neck of my shirt, so good mic would obviously be nice but from my imagination I would think all those mic headsets are built for –gaming– aka detecting enemies in FPS, aka not for movies, music and getting secluded in your game/entertainment.

The thing about picking headsets/phones is the price and there's no way to know before they arrive. I already have to return a giant surround sound system to get money back and returning other stuff is not something I want to do again. So you have to ask someone who's autistic enough to know, has tried a bunch of different devices and not someone who bought headset X, thinks they're great and recommends them without knowledge or comparison but it's nice to have opinions on invididual sets too.

Currently I'm thinking of buying the Sennheiser RS 195, wireless (forgot to mention wires won't really bother me but if it loses a lot of quality for wireless then maybe wired preferred), but I read some mixed opinions. Says they're geared for entertainment. Looks comfortable. Has optical connection. But is it $500 worth of tech, sound quality wise etc? I just want to be entertained and immersed, instead of dull and disconnected from my shit.

So what are you using for sound and vidya?

Other urls found in this thread:

en-us.sennheiser.com/high-quality-stereo-headphones-around-ear-hd-630vb
en-us.sennheiser.com/around-ear-headphones-stereo-mic-hd-569
twitter.com/NSFWRedditVideo

bump for interest, I have no knowledge of the subject

get a good soundcard and headphones.
thats it, there's nothing much you can do other than having headphones that sound just right like as if you're hearing its actually what you hear in the real world and then having a soundcard that produces some sound. most games dont have good surround sound, so you're not missing much.

I use a very basic setup, just a cheap pair of $25 speakers from wal-mart for my consoles and a pair of $14 headphones for my PC with speakers if I want to use them. I'm mostly interested in display technology (which took me down the rabbit hole of CRT), I don't consider audio to be incredibly important, generally you just want clarity and two speakers. I just know anyone trying to push surround sound is just trying to get more money from you. It's like nigga, you only got two ears.

I'd still be interested in learning more.

fucking first worlders reee

I'm using sennheisers hd215 like the desitute fuck I am

Some games that claim to have it also don't really have it. And those games that don't have it will sounds worse on a surround setup. Also, expect a lot of sound glitches and channel fuckups.

currently using shitty logitech 2.1 but want to get sonny mdr-v6 or one of its successors

you can throw that piece of shit away. My local store is selling them for 190€ or something like that because nobody wants those trash wireless headphones.

I own 3 headphones, the sennheiser hd598, the beyerdynamic dt 770 pro and my latest one is the dt 1770 pro.

I love the 1770 and hd598, I used to love my 770 pro too but the 1770 is just better in every way

any good wireless headphones that dont have rubbish software?

buy a set of 7506. no soundcard unless youre a musician, and then you dont want a sound card youd want an audio interface.

whoops disregard nvidia fire

I have those exact Sennheiser HD in OP's pic, I will probably never go back to any other heaphones since they are literally the comfiest fucking things I have ever used.

Usually I cant handle headphones and extended periods of a few hours they give me sharp pain on my ears.
Sens I usually forget i'm even wearing they're so fucking comfy and that they have pretty good fucking sound is a bonus.

There is a lot of misinformation when it comes to audio. People will even tell you that there is a difference between loseless audio formats and shit like that.

Good thread OP.

I've been in the market for a good pair of high quality ANC headsets for awhile, already ticked the tinnitus box, but I can't stand listening to other people being noisy and I live in a noisy house.

I've been checking out Plantronics, since they're a relative new comer to the high end market and, even if their backbeat series isn't as good as something like quietcomfort, it is much more reasonably priced.

When I set myself a budget I hate, HATE, going over it by anything.

HD598 reporting. Also very mad that games ignore sound and put it at the bottom of the priority list. That said I do recommend you try SOMA because it's the first game in a long time that actually had great audio.

Hopefully vid related will be good.

Fuck Creative for what they did to Aureal.

O well. It was always a case of how much money is wasted on the wireless side of things I suppose but I thought since they have an optical input it might be all fancy shit. Honestly I don't know much about sound tech except from things I've already crossed in my years.

Been looking around for hours today for other alternatives. 80% of headphones seem to be open which is not something I want again. There's a new pair of Sens, the HD569 for a reasonable price or the much more expensive HD630VB which are very much made for going outdoors. Don't really know if it's that much better. I was interested in the RS195's because they would use an optical input which I figured might improve sound, but with these other 2 pairs I would just be rocking standard 3.5mm on my PC. Not sure how much getting a good amp(? or whatever you use to power headphones) would cost or if it would improve these or other headphones that much.

I notice that the specs for 569 and 630 are way different for the frequency response at least. Do those specs matter much or is it bullshit like contrast ratios?

en-us.sennheiser.com/high-quality-stereo-headphones-around-ear-hd-630vb
10-42,000 Hz

en-us.sennheiser.com/around-ear-headphones-stereo-mic-hd-569
10- 28,000 Hz

do you happen to have the full pic?
Tinbot and google yealds nothing

It's an artificial restriction. You can use all the software EAX versions with onboard sound if you crack it.

yield*

nevermind

Hope you got the Beyerdynamic pads, because the MDR-V6 pads and its friends will deteriorate rapidly. It's another $20 for good pads, so I'd only get the MDR-V6 if it's on sale so you can cover the cost of the good pads. The headphones themselves are great, but the stock pads are complete garbage.

Someone is selling a used MDR-7506 on Amazon(USA) right now for $50, and it comes without pads. So, it'd be about $75 total once you include the Beyerdynamic pads.

You can get a good pair of sennheiser's for that much new.

I don't think those are closed, though. If you want closed, your options are limited.

For speakers I'm using Logitech x540s I bought at my old shop for about 50 bones, I've been using them for over 4 years now. Headset I use a Razer Tiamat that I bought when they came out, I paid something like 200 for those. They both work great and I haven't had a problem out of either.

Have you tried the HD 598s pictured?

Ive had mine for two years now, awesome set of cans. A little loud for use walking around town but other than that, they are soft and cozy on your head and grip just enough to stay there. The sound is crisp and clear, a lack of bass but not a big deal.

9/10 OP get them, try to get the special edition too since they are a little bit more subtle so you can wear em on the go

Probably what I should've bought. I became a madman and bought a receiver and dolby atmos speakers for my 4*4/5*5m~ room with neighbours on the other side of the wall, real overkill but I had never tried surround before.

Those are closed though user. I remember when I used to put on a pair of phones or headset, even cheap and just get lost in what I was doing because you cannot be disturbed by the things around you. I have dogs barking, family talking, the lounge TV blasting music or sports, heating/water systems, air outside, industrial buildings about 200m in the direction of my window, PC noise, creaking floors, kids screaming outside. The list goes on. It's just not the same. Buying the AD700's was a good idea at the time before I started balding after 2 years where they touch your head and the fad wore off.

I meant to say those are open.

The only reason I don't use headsets for gaming is the fact that the earpadding would make me sweat profusely–even in the wintertime.

Does anyone know of an IEM-with-microphone alternative that I could use, or if one exists?

I've been using the ones in your pick for maybe 2 years now. I like them a lot. They're excellent for games, although they don't have the best bass.

Sony MDR-7506 are clearly the best headphones.

Do people really spend thousands of dollars on a headset ? when i need one i just go to the closest electronic shop here and i pick one for like 15 to 20€ and it always works fine.

They're some of the best for games. When I would play CSGO matchmaking with friends at the time I would be the one telling them where enemies were coming from while I was dead. Won a lot of clutch rounds thanks to those phones.

It's not that a cheap one doesn't work. Just like a 17" LCD screen also works. It shows the picture, but it's not good quality.
You can use your phone as a speaker, and if you can hear the difference between your phone as a speaker compared to your current set-up, then you can understand why some people can hear difference in low tier headset compared to high tier.

I use a Pioneer HDJ 2200 myself, and I'm quite happy with them, but very limited stuff to compare too. Borrowed a Bose quietcomfort 25, and they also deliver good enough.

Looking into AKG K550 as a cheaper alternative from good reviews, but I read people say it has the qualities of open in a closed phones. This fucking obsession with open shit.

You're not supposed to hear every single note of music or sound, that's how your ears work, and it gets tiring when you do. That's my opinion.

You think HD598 are comfy? Try Fidelio x2

Fair enough, the open design can be kinda gay but I almost prefer it to closed just because I can be a bit more aware of my surroundings and dont have to remove the headphoens to see if i heard someone at my door etc etc.

you're not kidding on how comfortable the X2's are.

Closed cans just get to damn hot

If there's one thing I hated about closed it's getting zits and blackheads on my ears from the sweat.

Anyway I caved and ordered a pair of AKG K550's. They're tried and tested, middle range headphone with 4 years of good reviews so much so that they're still releasing the same model under a new name. Sealed, closed, good for people with big heads, not interested in how open they sound but people say the bass is alright. Missed my chance on the Sen HD630VB for a good price but I hear they can get uncomfortable, more for people strolling around/short session type thing where as K550's are for indoors. Even paid $30 to not have to wait an extra week to get these, I'm dying inside from not being able to get immersed in my shit. I need a fix asap. Can always return them within 30 days, or maybe scum and order a pair with the slower postage and return the first pair to get some money back.

Forgot to mention I'll have them by Tuesday so I'll give the thumbs up if this thread still exists and I like them.

You guys are memeing about headphones making you bald right?

I have worn headphones for so long that there's a noticeable dip across the top of my skull. They just don't make headphones for people with heads as big as mine and I wore them while still growing up. The baldness effect changes depending on the band on the headphones. You want something soft and cushion that spreads the pressure, or preferably not touching at all. If not touching you can end up with sore purple ears like I used to though. I've wore headphones for time measured in years of my life so I can tell you this much.

Sennheiser are pretty good as a company but be warned their headsets (i.e. attached mic) are rather overpriced. It doesn't look like you're going for one of them anyway but I always mention it.

I guess I'm a little late, but while the 550s are quite good the later models (551 and 553) fix some issues and aren't really more expensive. Also a lot of people prefer the k545, which are slightly lighter and more bass heavy. I personally feel the 545s give up a little too much clarity and are inferior to vmoda crossfades or whatever the Beyerdynamic model at that price point is if you want bass cannons.

I have this too after wearing headphones for 10+ hours a day, every day. I suspect that's more to do with hair being flattened rather than my actual skull but it's a problem if you've got a large head. I've also always got to go for over-ear because on ear or in ear gives me terrible pain.

I whipped out my old AD700's after using earphones for 2.5 years and having them in a box. God they sound so fucking great for music, just a shame I have to listen to everyone elses garbage, fireworks right now for Halloween. Solved the balding problem by sticky taping the 2 little feelers that touch your head to the frame, so the headphones sit in place just by pressing around my ears, my head is that big (people were saying these were too big for their heads). And now I hear a air plane landing at the airport. So you can see my woes. They're good for music here and there but getting lost in a film or game is not possible when you can only really enjoy them after midnight with nobody to fuck it up.

Well thanks fucker. I'm not really interested in bass, I just want things to sound fun and quality, not here the ttsssss in every word that starts with s and shit, or for instruments to sound like pieces of metal. So I guess I can look into those tonight. The item doesn't ship until tomorrow morning so not too late to cancel if I can decide on something different within the next hour or two. I just noticed the 550's were getting awards for the past years and there's now the MKII which I ordered. MKII might have some issues you mention?

The K553 are the K550's (different international names?) from what I understood.

I can get a pair of the K545 for cheaper than the 550's right now, which seems hard to believe, would there be fakes or something? If they're that much better I can change my order.

I have the 7506s. Fucking love those things. I got the Modmic as a gift to turn them into a headset. I've had them for 3 years now and they are just the best. The Beyerdynamic pads are a must for comfort.

No, wearing headphones, no matter how often you do it, will not cause hair loss.

This idea is tied in to the same popularly held falsehood that states that constantly wearing a hat can cause hair loss (and even premature baldness). This is, of course, completely untrue.

Here, from Health Central.com, is a particularly good rebuttal to this old wives’ tale, it deals with a case study of a man named Mark.

"One of the myths surrounding hair loss is that wearing hats will cause or contribute to premature baldness. Fortunately, for men like Mark, this is not true. There is no scientific research that shows wearing a hat contributes to hair loss. In order for a hat to cause hair loss, it would need to be tight enough to cut off circulation to the hair follicles"

The myth regarding headphones mostly consists of:
1. a tight headband flattening the hair across the top of the skull, making it appear thinner

2. certain headphone components "catching" hairs inbetween themselves and yanking the hair out when removed which, over a prolonged period of time, can lead to an entirely temporary balding effect in places.

3. poor genetics resulting in thinning of the hair as time goes on.

I use audio-technica MX50 which are amazing, the best headphones I've owned. They're closed and isolate sound very well, the bass is great as well.

For speakers I use some Logitech Z4, they're very good for their size and price and I'd recommend them for anyone wanting good sound on a budget. Still I think it's worth dropping a bit more on speakers than I did if you have the dosh. I've had these for nearly 10 years soon I think so might upgrade in the future but don't see a need to right now.

A warning about the ATH-M50 and MX50 – their build quality is absolute shit. At the point of highest stress concentration they have the entire load going through 2mm of plastic. If you have a big head, or if you just don't treat them like they're made of glass then they will eventually break, guaranteed. And when they break it is unfixable, because like I said it is right at the point of highest stress concentration.

No engineer ever looked at the physical design of the ATH-M50 / MX50, I guarantee you that. It's got all that reinforced metal and shit, but in the end it's all decorative because your loadpath is only as strong as its weakest link, and the weakest link in there is a strip of 2mm thick plastic carrying the whole load.

what are those amp things there?

...

Kek

The worst is buying tubeshit for digital audio.

I like my ATH-M50S's, but they aren't amazing or perfect. They are great for the price range, but they don't have a completely flat response, with a slightly elevated bass.

When I got mine, about 6 years ago, they were the best quality you could get in that price bracket (about $130), but I'd be really surprised if that was still the case. There's probably something else cheaper and better now.
I wouldn't base your opinion on a 10-year-old set of headphones unless you've been buying others along the way as well for comparison.

The cable length of the straight-cable variant of the original cable-connected line is pretty great though. Fucking shit I love being able to lay this shit across the room. I don't know why so many other headphones have such short cables.

I really like my Turtle Beach headset.

It works really well with my PlayStation 4 while I am playing Battlefield 1.

No complaints so far, and they really immerse me into the game.

bait

Is the audio supposed to sound like it is far away or not? I have to turn the volume up to 100% to make it loud at all and even then I cannot hear the bass all that well. This is a second-hand pair, so I'm afraid it might just be fucked somehow.

meant for

Why would you say that user?

Do you have a problem with the games and audio devices I enjoy?

Why would I post something like that as bait?

I do not understand.

Here are some pictures of 3 of my Turtle Beach® brand headsets along with my PlayStation™ with Battlefield 1© opened in the background.

I really enjoy all of these great products.

Atleast sleeping and focusing is easier, it's alot quieter now

Have you tried bone conductive headphones?

Schitt Uber Stack. Keep laughing fags, you think i dropped the money for DAC and AMP to listen to Youtube? Holy shit Holla Forums is filled with retards

I think be means bait in the sense that "gaming headsets" are overpriced for the quality sound they produce. Just think of them as Beats for comparison to anything else in their price range. Don't get me wrong, they do sound good, but once you compare them to something in their price range that isn't Boss/Beats you'll be surprised how much better headsets can be. Only gaming headset I liked a lot was the Sennheiser G4ME One. Which are damn expensive for a gaming headset, and for their price you can get Philips Fidelo X2, Sennheiser HD600/650, AKG K7xx/K701/K702/K712, Beyerdynamic DT990. etc

Don't you see that casual flag there? He is making fun of you guys and isn't even trying to hide the fact.

I doubt it is related to headphones, I think some people are simply better at telling where the enemy comes from than others.

I used all kind of headphones so far, from akg, sennheiser, bneyerdynamics and even some shit gaming headphones by roccat. I was always able to exactly tell where my enemies were unlike my teammates.

In people's experience, do good quality headphones tend to go on sale much? I'm wondering if I should wait until Black Friday to buy a pair, or just say fuck it and get one now. Seems to me like they sell more off branding than off price point, which would imply that they don't go on deep sales, but that's just a complete guess to be honest.

I bought my MDR-V6 for $50 two years ago. It's $100 right now.

Mid-range ones do periodically, Sennheiser in particular has the 558s and 598s on sale every three months or so.

How are 598s on noise canceling? I have to work in an area where there's background music on at all times at a decent volume.

I don't know what else has been said in this thread, but in my experience, the Logitech G633 is the best I've ever used, and not too expensive.
I am not particularly a sound whore though, so I can't attest to it being better per say than other sets on the market right now. But it's on sale for 100 down from 150 on amazon right now.

VIDEO
GAMES

Something I always see soundfags using is a headphone amplifier.
Objective2 seems to be a really decent one, or you can go super soundfag and get the vacuum tube ones.

...

...

>have to replace my dying mouse at the same time so waiting for sales isn't the best idea
>family likes to shame me every time I buy something even though they throw away money on clothes and makeup
>constantly implying I buy stuff just to have the latest and greatest when I only buy mid-tier hardware to replace failing components
I hate spending money.

well I just ordered a pair of AD900Xs, lots of good reviews and pretty cheap. Hopefully they'll at least be better than my shitty Siberia v2's which are falling apart.

But what about my bluetooth?!?!?!?!?!

How bad are the Xbox Deluxe headsets? I have looked into them, the mic folding away like that and the fact that they seem to be usable on anything are my main desires, but if there is a better option for around the same $100 price then i'd be open to advice.

Also if anyone is looking for nice wireless headphones, i'll throw my support behind the Avantree Auditions. They've lasted me 2 years now with no issues, and the battery lasts for ages, no real complaints.

Just make a tab on what they waste with clothes and stuff, then show how much you spend.

What do you do for money? I've gotten the same shit when I had things delivered to my parent's house.

I have the step below those headphones and they are fantastic

...

Same hear brother

I can't sleep when it's too quiet, going deaf would drive me insane.

Sennheiser G4ME One: Not comfortable for someone with glasses, for anyone looking to get them

How good are those Modmics? I want to add one to my current set, but for $60 plus the $15 for Y Adapter it might be better to get a seperate headset if the Modmic is chintzy.

AKG 550 MKII arrived.

Got jewed and the faggots mustve repacked this one because I had to place one of the earcups on myself. BUT FUCK, this is what I should've bought all these years ago. The audio definitely has bass, there's a little kick to it and you notice coming from AD700 which have literally no bass at all so I can't not notice what bass is now. Noise is isolated well enough. I can get indulged in things again without being disturbed much by the people around me. Love closed headphones. I wore them for all those years and didn't realise that's where the fun came from. Never ever buy AD700's. Now I'm interested in audio. Would getting a DAC improve things much? I can afford to splurge. I'm happy with the phones for now, good price and super comfy (even for my huge head though I pretty much have to push their size quite far) with the sound I want.

I am happy again and hope it lasts. Normally I sit here for days wondering why everything feels shitty.

What's a good sub-40 burgerbux headset/headphone? My current set snapped on the top and now I have to play a balancing game to keep them on my head. I know jack shit about any of this audiophile stuff so suggestions are appreciated.

I just use some HTF-600's

They're pretty gud, especially considering they were like $30