Headphone versus headset for gaming

[patken007]

What would you recommend for excellent sound quality?

 

Headphone or headset

 

What brand do you recommend. Willing to pay for good quality.

[Stahlmann]

"Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition" are the go-to imo. If you don't have an amplifier go for the 32Ohm variant. If you have an amplifier go for the 250Ohm or 600Ohm variants depending on how strong your amp is. If you also need a microphone, go for a "AntLion Audio ModMic" and attach it to the DT990's.

 

Gaming-Headsets are just expensive bad headphones with a mic attached to it.

 

Beyerdynamic has all around excellent products. Once i accidentally broke my headphones while cleaning them and they repaired it for free. I didn't even have to pay for shipping. So the customer service is also excellent. Engeneered and built in Germany, so quality is also a no-brainer.

[patken007]

1 minute ago, Stahlmann said:

If you don't have an amplifier

what amp DAC do you recommend

[Stahlmann]

Just now, patken007 said:

what amp DAC do you recommend

I'm personally using the "DT 990 Edition 600Ohm" combined with a "FiiO K5 Pro" AMP/DAC combo and a "AntLion Audio ModMic". This combination is not beatable by any gaming headset.

[Stahlmann]

4 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

I'm personally using the "DT 990 Edition 600Ohm" combined with a "FiiO K5 Pro" AMP/DAC combo and a "AntLion Audio ModMic". This combination is not beatable by any gaming headset.

Keep in mind this headpone is open-backed, so it will not isolate sound coming in/going out of the earcups. But this is a positive point imo, as they don't clamp that hard and are extremely comfortable.

 

You can also personalize them if you want to pay a slight premium for it.

[shoutingsteve]

usually (not always, but most times) separate devices will have a better quality levels than combo devices.  A great pair of headphones and a great mic will be better than a top-tier headset.  I have a pair of sennheiser headphones I couldn't be happier with them.  I don't bother with mics, but if I did, I would absolutely do a dedicated mic rather than a headset.

[patken007]

1 hour ago, Stahlmann said:

Keep in mind this headpone is open-backed, so it will not isolate sound coming in/going out of the earcups. But this is a positive point imo, as they don't clamp that hard and are extremely comfortable.

 

You can also personalize them if you want to pay a slight premium for it.

I am unaware of this compagny brand. Is it avaible in Canada. 

1 hour ago, Stahlmann said:

If you don't have an amplifier

what amp DAC do you recommend

[patken007]

1 hour ago, shoutingsteve said:

usually (not always, but most times) separate devices will have a better quality levels than combo devices.  A great pair of headphones and a great mic will be better than a top-tier headset.  I have a pair of sennheiser headphones I couldn't be happier with them.  I don't bother with mics, but if I did, I would absolutely do a dedicated mic rather than a headset.

What model do you use exactly

[patken007]

So basically, there is no advantage in using a gaming headset over some very good quality headphone.

[Stahlmann]

10 minutes ago, patken007 said:

So basically, there is no advantage in using a gaming headset over some very good quality headphone.

No. Gaming headsets often try to justify their price with crappy virtual 5.1 or 7.1 integrations. Or noise cancelling microphones that make you sound like an alien. But all in all a good headphone + mic combo will outperform any gaming headset for cheaper.

 

11 minutes ago, patken007 said:

I am unaware of this compagny brand. Is it avaible in Canada. 

Idk if they ship to canada, but if they do, you should give them a try. They're very popular in europe and like i said top tier quality and service.

[Stahlmann]

So i've just VPNed to canada and it seems this is the version over there: Beyerdynamic 483966 DT 990 Premium 600 ohm HiFi Headphones: Amazon.ca: Electronics

Idk how it stacks up in terms of price compared to other headphones tbh because i have no idea about the canadian market.

[rice guru]

Headphones are generally better. Than a headset interns of pure sound quality. The 990 is pretty great but hard to drive. Personally I would reccomend a monoprice liquid spark paired with a cheap Samsung dongle dac which is a cheaper combo than a k5 pro but also a better pairing with a dt 990..I would also consider the DT 880 as well.  I seriously do not reccomend any if the 990's with black pads as they sharpen an already sharp sounding headphone. Other headphones to consider when you have this amount of power is the he400i 2020 edition by hifiman an excellent headphone and arguably a better headphone and better value overall than a 990 600 ohm though I do rate the 990 better for gaming but many would argue and say the 400i is better so it's a bit of a toss up.

[CTR640]

Headphones all the way! Headsets are crappy overpriced piece of scraps.

 

Rice guru is Canadian and if he can grab the DT series, you'll be able to grab one too. It depends on your budget too.

Beyerdynamic is very popular, they have many headphones and earphones for different categories like for portable, hifi, gaming and so on.

[The Flying Sloth]

Okay, so the other replies were coming from the headphone side to say that separate devices are better, coming from the microphone side it's much the same. If you care about mic quality (and it's okay not to) I would strongly suggest using separate devices for output and input, gaming headsets really aren't often very good. There are some exceptions from Beyer and Sennheiser but on the whole they tend to suck.

[patken007]

Just to keep you all up to date.

 

Presently I have a R.O.G. Crosshair VIII Formula and my speaker system is a 5.1 Logitech z5500. I was using a creative lab ae-7 for my main sound, but unfortunately I have to return it because for some unknown reason the sound card just keeps disable itself AND THERE IS ELECTRIC INTERFERENCE

 

Anyway I am now using the sound board of my Mother’s board.  

 

My question. To get the best out of my next headphone (still haven’t decided wish one to buy) do I need an external DAC and an AMP, or can I simply connect the headphone directly on the motherboard sound card or directly on the Logitech DAC (see the use guide below)

 

And speaking of headphones am I looking  for a USB headphone or a jack headphone.

 

What about the DAC, do I need a digital DAC or USB. MANY, MANY QUESTION

z5500_setup_installation.pdf

[rice guru]

2 minutes ago, patken007 said:

Just to keep you all up to date.

 

Presently I have a R.O.G. Crosshair VIII Formula and my speaker system is a 5.1 Logitech z5500. I was using a creative lab ae-7 for my main sound, but unfortunately I have to return it because for some unknown reason the sound card just keeps disable itself AND THERE IS ELECTRIC INTERFERENCE

 

Anyway I am now using the sound board of my Mother’s board.  

 

My question. To get the best out of my next headphone (still haven’t decided wish one to buy) do I need an external DAC and an AMP, or can I simply connect the headphone directly on the motherboard sound card or directly on the Logitech DAC (see the use guide below)

 

And speaking of headphones am I looking  for a USB headphone or a jack headphone.

 

What about the DAC, do I need a digital DAC or USB. MANY, MANY QUESTION

z5500_setup_installation.pdf 294.86 kB · 0 downloads

Depends entirely on what headphone you decide to buy and how bad your on board audio is. 

[patken007]

20 minutes ago, rice guru said:

Depends entirely on what headphone you decide to buy and how bad your on board audio is. 

Well i think it's good. Could it better maybe but i am unsure. 

[rice guru]

2 hours ago, patken007 said:

Well i think it's good. Could it better maybe but i am unsure. 

like I said depends on the headphone you end up getting. so a quick run down on headphones and source gear. your headphones are basically the thing that ultimately decides how good your gonna hear things like footsteps, and distant gunshots and how well directional audio is we like to call it sound stage, layering and imaging in the audiophile space. headset companies often try to emulate this by using headphones that are weaker and lower quality than many non gaming headphones and compensate for it with virtual suround sound like 7.1 surround and such. in many cases this helps but in most cases it's still worse than using a good headphone like the previously reccomended dt 990 just using standard stereo. as the game engine itself also is one of the big determinations on how good you can hear footsteps directionally. the hard part is this though. a dt 990 is a more expensive purchase than face value as you will also have to consider amps as the models that are recommendable is probably another $200 cad purchase on top of that which is a dac and an amp. so your looking at dropping over $400 CAD. don't let that scare you though from a good headphone setup. as a canadian though covid and recent tariff laws kinda fuck up our audio market a bit.

DAC and AMP wise. DAC stands for Digital to Analog Converter a lot of things can be considered a dac the little dongle you plug into your phone that converts usb to 3.5mm is a dac also powers some headphones so it some respects it can be considered an amp as well so can your on board audio. your motherboard is pretty decent and from what I remeber trying asus crosshair series has a bit of power in it as well so unless onboard is too quite, your headphones expose a blatant issue like noise,  or you can afford to drop a good amount of cash on a external DAC amp  setup I would recommend sticking with on board especially if this mostly for gaming.  

here are some recommendations I would look into getting if you want to be a bit more on the conservative side in regards to sticking with on board. 

the HD 599

really good imagingvery good for shooters nice for music will lack the bass Im sure your used to as it's what you call aiming for "reference sound" soing for a more profesional studio sound but really nice for gaming. it does go on sale a lot and I've grabbed a pair in the past to try for my self and ended up reselling it in favor of another headphone. 

https://www.crutchfield.ca/S-Tpd71sp0Kcu/p_143HD599/Sennheiser-HD599.html

 

HD 58x

this is the headphone I ditched the 599 for. it does for a smoother leaner sound. has more of a slight boost in the mid bass and has a more tonally calm treble. so the voices , snares and ssss sounds don't sound piercing. it is basically the hd 599 driver but retuned to sound very close the the $600 hd 660 chich it does fofr a fraction of the cost, gaming performance is very similar to the 599 for the current price plus shipping and customes the price should fall slightly above or at the same price as the hd 599. 

 https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-sennheiser-hd-58x-jubilee-headphones?utm_source=linkshare&referer=8RGECC

Fidelio x2hr

very good value at it's , well known for its bass extension a pretty fun smooth headphone. I really like this though I prefer other headphones for competitive I think it can hold it's own. this is a headphone we like to say has a wide soundstage. so basically it has a better ability than most headphones to put sounds further away so you sense of depth is kinda enhanced. @Tigerleonin his recent review has noted that he prefers this to the 990 he owns I believe in gaming. but he is free to correct me if I am mis remembering 

https://www.amazon.ca/Philips-X2HR-Over-Ear-Open-Air-Headphone/dp/B01N5VHLUG/ref=sr_1_14?dchild=1&keywords=hd+599&qid=1613431188&sr=8-14

 

if you want to get into DAC /amps

My default recommendation for Canadians is this guy. good value clean and should have enough power for almost anything you throw at it. currently on sale for $20 off msrp. in regards to DACs'  an apple dongle dac or samsung dongle dac for like $10 with a 3.5mm to rca adapter or just run the the adapter from your onboard to the amp.  https://www.amazon.ca/Monolith-Liquid-Spark-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B07JW7NSXT/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=liquid+spark&qid=1613432500&sr=8-2

 

with this you can power the following headphones. all headphones I basically reccomend over the  other's I've reccomended as I personally believe they are better in almost every regard in respect to gaming than the other's I've reccomended. 

 

he 400i 

excels in layering due to the planar technology , is pretty heavy physically but weight is pretty well distributed so still fairly comfy. soundstage is pretty wide and even so you get a good 360 around you and imaging capabilities is pretty great though not as good as the beyerdynamics I'm about to reccomend. 

https://www.amazon.ca/HIFIMAN-HE400i-2020-Version-Professional/dp/B08BC5CM9N/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=he400i&qid=1613432838&sr=8-1

 

Dt 990 250 ohm and 600ohm

This is my favorite in the sub $500 category for gaming very good soundstage wide but not as wide or even as the hififman, sennheisers, or fidelios as it has what I like to call an eggshaped soundstage  wide around the sides narrower in front and behind you. where these excele is their imaging capabilities and really decent layering. as a person who has used this headphone for years I can clearly distiguish where footsteps are coming from and specific angles and can just snap to an angle if I hear footsteps fo course comboned with map knowledge and general game sense. 

https://www.hifiheadphones.ca/beyerdynamic-dt-990-pro/

 

closed back options to consider 

 

no amp 

very fun very good, comfy budget gheadphones very hard to beat at it's usual price.

https://www.amazon.ca/Headphones-Headphone-Adjustment-Cancelling-Monitoring/dp/B00Z93PXCI/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=takstar+pro+82&qid=1613433449&sr=8-2

 

akg k371/361

both very similar heaphones known for their very distict tuning most audiophiles prefer the akg k361, I prefer the 371 but that is in regards to music not gaming. for gaming stick to the 361 . personally I prefer the taks tars to these 2 as imaging and comfort is better . (edit: the 371 is not for everyone. they are tuned to be perfect harman neutral which can sound odd with many genres. if you are interested in them I would recommend buying from a place with excellent return policy like amazon)

https://www.amazon.ca/AKG-Pro-Audio-Headphones-K371/dp/B07WZH7WM9/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=akg+k371&qid=1613433579&sr=8-1

 

one more triple drivers 

very cool V shaped headphones excellent for gaming better than takstars in every way in regards to sound aside from comfort. as these if you have large ears or ears that stick out or both they suck in the comfort department but if neither of those criteria apply to you they can be fairly comfy. https://www.amazon.ca/1MORE-Headphones-Comfortable-Tangle-Free-Smartphones/dp/B0798TVDVJ/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1P4DQ8A1YGCO3&dchild=1&keywords=one+more+triple+driver&qid=1613433683&sprefix=one+more+%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-6

 

and finally my favorite closed back for gaming sub $500 the dt 770 you don't actually necessarily need an amp for these I generally only recommend the 250 ohm these as to me aside from the rare 600 ohm  is ther only 770 that sounds good. the 32 ohm's bass is too loose and uncontrolled and the 80 ohm's treble sharp , kinda grainy and unrefined with it's bass a bit too boosted and loose. the 770 is the widest sounding closed back in this price bracket combined with excellent imaging and decent layering this is basically the best closed back for gaming and is one fo the top contenders for the title IMO https://www.hifiheadphones.ca/beyerdynamic-dt-770-pro-250/

 

[patken007]

1 hour ago, rice guru said:

250 ohm and 600ohm

can you gave me a brief explaination of the ohm

[patken007]

1 hour ago, rice guru said:

like I said depends on the headphone you end up getting. so a quick run down on headphones and source gear. your headphones are basically the thing that ultimately decides how good your gonna hear things like footsteps, and distant gunshots and how well directional audio is we like to call it sound stage, layering and imaging in the audiophile space. headset companies often try to emulate this by using headphones that are weaker and lower quality than many non gaming headphones and compensate for it with virtual suround sound like 7.1 surround and such. in many cases this helps but in most cases it's still worse than using a good headphone like the previously reccomended dt 990 just using standard stereo. as the game engine itself also is one of the big determinations on how good you can hear footsteps directionally. the hard part is this though. a dt 990 is a more expensive purchase than face value as you will also have to consider amps as the models that are recommendable is probably another $200 cad purchase on top of that which is a dac and an amp. so your looking at dropping over $400 CAD. don't let that scare you though from a good headphone setup. as a canadian though covid and recent tariff laws kinda fuck up our audio market a bit.

DAC and AMP wise. DAC stands for Digital to Analog Converter a lot of things can be considered a dac the little dongle you plug into your phone that converts usb to 3.5mm is a dac also powers some headphones so it some respects it can be considered an amp as well so can your on board audio. your motherboard is pretty decent and from what I remeber trying asus crosshair series has a bit of power in it as well so unless onboard is too quite, your headphones expose a blatant issue like noise,  or you can afford to drop a good amount of cash on a external DAC amp  setup I would recommend sticking with on board especially if this mostly for gaming.  

here are some recommendations I would look into getting if you want to be a bit more on the conservative side in regards to sticking with on board. 

the HD 599

really good imagingvery good for shooters nice for music will lack the bass Im sure your used to as it's what you call aiming for "reference sound" soing for a more profesional studio sound but really nice for gaming. it does go on sale a lot and I've grabbed a pair in the past to try for my self and ended up reselling it in favor of another headphone. 

https://www.crutchfield.ca/S-Tpd71sp0Kcu/p_143HD599/Sennheiser-HD599.html

 

HD 58x

this is the headphone I ditched the 599 for. it does for a smoother leaner sound. has more of a slight boost in the mid bass and has a more tonally calm treble. so the voices , snares and ssss sounds don't sound piercing. it is basically the hd 599 driver but retuned to sound very close the the $600 hd 660 chich it does fofr a fraction of the cost, gaming performance is very similar to the 599 for the current price plus shipping and customes the price should fall slightly above or at the same price as the hd 599. 

 https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-sennheiser-hd-58x-jubilee-headphones?utm_source=linkshare&referer=8RGECC

Fidelio x2hr

very good value at it's , well known for its bass extension a pretty fun smooth headphone. I really like this though I prefer other headphones for competitive I think it can hold it's own. this is a headphone we like to say has a wide soundstage. so basically it has a better ability than most headphones to put sounds further away so you sense of depth is kinda enhanced. @Tigerleonin his recent review has noted that he prefers this to the 990 he owns I believe in gaming. but he is free to correct me if I am mis remembering 

https://www.amazon.ca/Philips-X2HR-Over-Ear-Open-Air-Headphone/dp/B01N5VHLUG/ref=sr_1_14?dchild=1&keywords=hd+599&qid=1613431188&sr=8-14

 

if you want to get into DAC /amps

My default recommendation for Canadians is this guy. good value clean and should have enough power for almost anything you throw at it. currently on sale for $20 off msrp. in regards to DACs'  an apple dongle dac or samsung dongle dac for like $10 with a 3.5mm to rca adapter or just run the the adapter from your onboard to the amp.  https://www.amazon.ca/Monolith-Liquid-Spark-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B07JW7NSXT/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=liquid+spark&qid=1613432500&sr=8-2

 

with this you can power the following headphones. all headphones I basically reccomend over the  other's I've reccomended as I personally believe they are better in almost every regard in respect to gaming than the other's I've reccomended. 

 

he 400i 

excels in layering due to the planar technology , is pretty heavy physically but weight is pretty well distributed so still fairly comfy. soundstage is pretty wide and even so you get a good 360 around you and imaging capabilities is pretty great though not as good as the beyerdynamics I'm about to reccomend. 

https://www.amazon.ca/HIFIMAN-HE400i-2020-Version-Professional/dp/B08BC5CM9N/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=he400i&qid=1613432838&sr=8-1

 

Dt 990 250 ohm and 600ohm

This is my favorite in the sub $500 category for gaming very good soundstage wide but not as wide or even as the hififman, sennheisers, or fidelios as it has what I like to call an eggshaped soundstage  wide around the sides narrower in front and behind you. where these excele is their imaging capabilities and really decent layering. as a person who has used this headphone for years I can clearly distiguish where footsteps are coming from and specific angles and can just snap to an angle if I hear footsteps fo course comboned with map knowledge and general game sense. 

https://www.hifiheadphones.ca/beyerdynamic-dt-990-pro/

 

closed back options to consider 

 

no amp 

very fun very good, comfy budget gheadphones very hard to beat at it's usual price.

https://www.amazon.ca/Headphones-Headphone-Adjustment-Cancelling-Monitoring/dp/B00Z93PXCI/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=takstar+pro+82&qid=1613433449&sr=8-2

 

akg k371/361

both very similar heaphones known for their very distict tuning most audiophiles prefer the akg k361, I prefer the 371 but that is in regards to music not gaming. for gaming stick to the 361 . personally I prefer the taks tars to these 2 as imaging and comfort is better . (edit: the 371 is not for everyone. they are tuned to be perfect harman neutral which can sound odd with many genres. if you are interested in them I would recommend buying from a place with excellent return policy like amazon)

https://www.amazon.ca/AKG-Pro-Audio-Headphones-K371/dp/B07WZH7WM9/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=akg+k371&qid=1613433579&sr=8-1

 

one more triple drivers 

very cool V shaped headphones excellent for gaming better than takstars in every way in regards to sound aside from comfort. as these if you have large ears or ears that stick out or both they suck in the comfort department but if neither of those criteria apply to you they can be fairly comfy. https://www.amazon.ca/1MORE-Headphones-Comfortable-Tangle-Free-Smartphones/dp/B0798TVDVJ/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1P4DQ8A1YGCO3&dchild=1&keywords=one+more+triple+driver&qid=1613433683&sprefix=one+more+%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-6

 

and finally my favorite closed back for gaming sub $500 the dt 770 you don't actually necessarily need an amp for these I generally only recommend the 250 ohm these as to me aside from the rare 600 ohm  is ther only 770 that sounds good. the 32 ohm's bass is too loose and uncontrolled and the 80 ohm's treble sharp , kinda grainy and unrefined with it's bass a bit too boosted and loose. the 770 is the widest sounding closed back in this price bracket combined with excellent imaging and decent layering this is basically the best closed back for gaming and is one fo the top contenders for the title IMO https://www.hifiheadphones.ca/beyerdynamic-dt-770-pro-250/

 

Wow, your Knowledge with headphone are incredible. Maybe too much for me to chew   What about the PC37X?

 

Also not sure about open and close headphone

[rice guru]

12 minutes ago, patken007 said:

can you gave me a brief explaination of the ohm

https://www.headphonesty.com/2019/04/headphone-impedance-demystified/ this site can tell you more than I ever can about impedance(ohm). but generally speakeing the higher the impedance the harder to drive but don't take that as law as it's very easy to prove that statement wrong. but in regards to the 240 ohm and 600 ohm beyer dynamics they are very hard to drive but also are the better sounding versions of each respective model due to the nature of the drivers themselves. 

 

6 minutes ago, patken007 said:

What about the PC37X?

the pc 37x is a pretty excellent headset. awesome for gaming kinda sucks for everything else with a pretty decent sounding mic for a headset.

[patken007]

3 hours ago, rice guru said:

if you want to get into DAC /amps

My default recommendation for Canadians is this guy. good value clean and should have enough power for almost anything you throw at it. currently on sale for $20 off msrp. in regards to DACs'  an apple dongle dac or samsung dongle dac for like $10 with a 3.5mm to rca adapter or just run the the adapter from your onboard to the amp.  https://www.amazon.ca/Monolith-Liquid-Spark-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B07JW7NSXT/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=liquid+spark&qid=1613432500&sr=8-2

hummm there is no way i can plug this in my computer

 

[rice guru]

1 minute ago, patken007 said:

hummm there is no way i can plug this in my computer

 

Yep you can. Just use a 3.5 mm to RCA adapter

[patken007]

1 minute ago, rice guru said:

Yep you can. Just use a 3.5 mm to RCA adapter

Am a bit worried, aren’t rca cable obsolete. Isn’t it better to have optical or USB-c

[rice guru]

11 minutes ago, patken007 said:

Am a bit worried, aren’t rca cable obsolete. Isn’t it better to have optical or USB-c

that's digital. rca is an analogue standard rca does exactly the same thing your 3.5mm cable does just looks different. in audiophile  desktop headphone gear is most commonly used to transfer signal from a DAC like a schiit modi in an amp like a liquid spark. the liquid spark is just an amp.  by using a 3.5mm to RCA adapter to your motherboard we are essentially subbing out a eternal DAC like a schiit modi anmd using your motherboard as a DAC cause that is what it does converts digital to analog.  I also suggested the apple dongle dac or the samsung dongle dac. if you want the liquid spark dac you can difinitely get that here https://www.newegg.ca/monoprice-138965/p/2VR-001T-00351. or if you want a DAC /Amp combo heres the k5 pro which is pretty damn good for what it is https://www.amazon.ca/K5-AK4493EQ-decoding-Amplifier-Headphone/dp/B07WT7TYWY/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=k5+pro&qid=1613449158&sr=8-5