Looking for help buying new headphones

[DuffCreeper]

Hey guys i'm looking for help in choosing a new headset to buy

Currently the one I had has been replaced once and has failed again due to the same issue involving the rear speakers. It's an ROG Centurion which I will be getting a refund on 

I suppose with the refund that makes my budget $350 AUD

 

Anyway with what i'm looking for I just want a good headset that has pretty good audio for music and good surround, either 5.1 or 7.1 is fine with me I suppose? I learnt that this $30 external mic I got off ebay has some of the clearest sound i've heard so I don't need a mic.

If it helps my motherboard is a ASUS Prime Z370-A so I shouldn't need an amp or sound card I hope

 

Uhh sorry for the mess of the thread, I don't regularly use forums so my formatting is absolute trash

[GoldenSound]

Firstly, just remember, that there is NO DIFFERENCE in terms of the actual headphones/hardware between a "normal" set of headphones and a "surround sound" headset. 
The only difference is that virtual surround sound headsets use some software modification on the pc to change the audio to trick your brain into thinking its surround.
How well this works is pretty subjective however, and many game engines have better stereo surround than the 7.1 virtual surround your headset will provide

(For example the HRTF surround in CSGO is WAYYY better than outputting to 7.1 on a "virtual" surround sound headset)

TRUE surround sound headphones like the ROG centurion are of course different in hardware though. But again, the difference is subjective.

If you want both good music and really good surround sound, get a good set of open-back headphones. Right now easily the best option you have is the massdrop HD6XX headphones

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-sennheiser-hd6xx

These are actually sennheiser HD650's, which are widely regarded as some of if not THE best headphones you can get in that price range (though you'll need a decent dac/amp to do them justice)

[DuffCreeper]

1 minute ago, GoldenOne said:

Firstly, just remember, that there is NO DIFFERENCE in terms of the actual headphones/hardware between a "normal" set of headphones and a "surround sound" headset. 
The only difference is that virtual surround sound headsets use some software modification on the pc to change the audio to trick your brain into thinking its surround.
How well this works is pretty subjective however, and many game engines have better stereo surround than the 7.1 virtual surround your headset will provide

(For example the HRTF surround in CSGO is WAYYY better than outputting to 7.1 on a "virtual" surround sound headset)

TRUE surround sound headphones like the ROG centurion are of course different in hardware though. But again, the difference is subjective.

If you want both good music and really good surround sound, get a good set of open-back headphones. Right now easily the best option you have is the massdrop HD6XX headphones

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-sennheiser-hd6xx

These are actually sennheiser HD650's, which are widely regarded as some of if not THE best headphones you can get in that price range (though you'll need a decent dac/amp to do them justice)

Thanks alot for the clarification, i'm a complete stranger to audio hardware and i've seen these headphones before, l though I'm slightly panicking at the fact I can't afford them right this moment and it only has twelve hours left

 

Aside from that time issue, what DAC/AMP do you recommend since i'll have $150 left over really

[GoldenSound]

Just now, DuffCreeper said:

Thanks alot for the clarification, i'm a complete stranger to audio hardware and i've seen these headphones before, l though I'm slightly panicking at the fact I can't afford them right this moment and it only has twelve hours left

 

Aside from that time issue, what DAC/AMP do you recommend since i'll have $150 left over really

If you miss them don't worry.

The HD6XX are a steal, but the drop is popular (for good reason) so if you miss it then you can jump on the next one.

For a decent DAC/AMP if you can stretch to a Schiit Modi + Magni combo grab that, but if not get a Schiit Fulla 

[DuffCreeper]

3 minutes ago, GoldenOne said:

If you miss them don't worry.

The HD6XX are a steal, but the drop is popular (for good reason) so if you miss it then you can jump on the next one.

For a decent DAC/AMP if you can stretch to a Schiit Modi + Magni combo grab that, but if not get a Schiit Fulla 

Shame it's only as limited drop then, I hope theres a next drop soon because the pair I'm using is starting to wear out too since the cord is one of those that somehow wrap around themselves and tangle despite not being moved much at all

 

With the Schiit Modi the problem I find is that I don't think I can get one in Australia with the right plug

[mxk]

The Sennheiser Game One headset is a really solid pick. Even though you have a mic, this headset has a really good mic and would serve as a good backup. It has 7.1 surround sound and should fall into your $35o aud budget. I believe it's on amazon australia.

[DuffCreeper]

4 minutes ago, mxk. said:

The Sennheiser Game One headset is a really solid pick. Even though you have a mic, this headset has a really good mic and would serve as a good backup. It has 7.1 surround sound and should fall into your $35o aud budget. I believe it's on amazon australia.

Mmmm.... if worse comes to worse I could always get that and we have it on our only mainstream game store anyway so it's easy to get

[mxk]

Just now, DuffCreeper said:

Mmmm.... if worse comes to worse I could always get that and we have it on our only mainstream game store anyway so it's easy to get

Were you looking for something more premium?

[DuffCreeper]

15 minutes ago, mxk. said:

Were you looking for something more premium?

I've just honestly never had a good experience with gaming headphones, just me being silly that's all

[mxk]

1 minute ago, DuffCreeper said:

I've just honestly never had a good experience with gaming headphones, just me being silly that's all

I guess Sennheiser isn't exactly the edgy "g4m3r" brand like Asus is. I understand the whole gamer thing and I kind of hate how companies brand "gaming" stuff, but I think you should look into some reviews. I don't own a pair myself and wouldn't be able to use it since my motherboards audio jacks don't work, but my friend's dad has been using them for 5+ years and he loves them.

[xtroria]

+1 for sennheiser game one

 

It’s essentially HD558 which is a decent pair of headphone with a great attached mic

[JabroniBaloney]

7 hours ago, DuffCreeper said:

Thanks alot for the clarification, i'm a complete stranger to audio hardware and i've seen these headphones before, l though I'm slightly panicking at the fact I can't afford them right this moment and it only has twelve hours left

 

Aside from that time issue, what DAC/AMP do you recommend since i'll have $150 left over really

The 6xx have been constantly available on massdrop for weeks. They'll probably continue to be available.