Headset/headphones for Xonar Phoebus

[Computer Steroids]

Alright, so I'm about as close as you can be to a soundcard virgin without actually having a seperate soundcard. I just... bought. A xonar phoebus. Because? Well, I just figured I'd get a soundcard. That was really the reason. Now, from what I've heard, if you're using something like this, it's a good idea to also get a proper headset, or at least headphones. The Xonar Phoebus has an amp that supports up to 600 ohms apparently.

So yeah, that's the soundcard that I have. I'd prefer to have a high quality closed headset or headphones and an external mic that is hooked up via 3.5 and doesn't need an additional power source (like a 9 volt battery). My budget is around 300-350 euros, which translates to roughly 450 dollars. However I'd also like to see if anyone knows of a nice headset in the 250 euros / 300 dollars price range.

Thanks in advance guys!

[Ekmod]

I'd go for the headphone + mic option personally. Headsets seem to be poorly made these days, and their sound quality and useful features are often lackluster. I've heard great things about Audio Technica's AT2020 but it is USB. Then you could get a pair of Beyer Dynamic DT880s, for a semi closed experience. Can I ask why you want closed headphones Normally for gaming and general use, open headphones are better, except they normally have weaker bass and they leak sound for others around you to hear.

[Computer Steroids]

Yeah, because I don't want to wake anyone :P

But yeah, if open is that much better, maybe I should just go for that. So if you have a nice open one that you could reccomend, please do tell :)

Also a seperate microphone if you know anything about that. Something I could use to talk to my mates over mumble or something like that. Doesn't have to be über quality, as long as it connects via 3.5, like anything else. Like I said, I'm looking to connect this to my Xonar Phoebus.

[Ekmod]

I'd head over to Head-Fi they have more knowledge over there than I can spit out from my infrequent skimming. Though search through already posted threads, as it is kind of a pet peeve to post what has already been answered. And trust me it's probably already been answered.

[cutting82lizer]

Is it a mic on the controller comes with phoebus? I use it for casual borderlands2 farming almost everyday. People never complaint :)

[Computer Steroids]

Yeah, I'm not using the mic on the controller of the Phoebus :p

And uh, that's nice and all, but I was looking for an answer to my question. Not a "here go look through this forum". Because I've looked and I can't find an answer, that's why I'm posting here. And I'd much rather not sign up to an audiophile website just for one question. (like I said, I can't find an answer)

[phantasml]

I recommend:

- Beyerdynamics DT880. Get the premium 600 ohms version if you can. This has great soundstage and accurate sound albeit rather weak bass. You might need an external Amp to power the 600 ohms version. Otherwise, you should be fine with the 250 ohms version.

- Alternatively, you can try Audio Technica AD900X. It's a great open-design headphone with more bass than DT880. Also great for gaming with its 53mm drivers and wide soundstage. The sound is more "airy" than DT880 so if you are against that you might want to stay away from it.

- If you prefer a more laid-back approach, you can try Sennheiser HD600. The sound signature is warm and easy to listen to. It also features really comfortable earpads for extended usage.

Also, I would advise against getting a headset and it would be better to invest in a good pair of headphones and a separate mic instead as you will get more out of your money.

[Computer Steroids]

I recommend:

- Beyerdynamics DT880. Get the premium 600 ohms version if you can. This has great soundstage and accurate sound albeit rather weak bass. You might need an external Amp to power the 600 ohms version. Otherwise, you should be fine with the 250 ohms version.

- Alternatively, you can try Audio Technica AD900X. It's a great open-design headphone with more bass than DT880. Also great for gaming with its 53mm drivers and wide soundstage. The sound is more "airy" than DT880 so if you are against that you might want to stay away from it.

- If you prefer a more laid-back approach, you can try Sennheiser HD600. The sound signature is warm and easy to listen to. It also features really comfortable earpads for extended usage.

Also, I would advise against getting a headset and it would be better to invest in a good pair of headphones and a separate mic instead as you will get more out of your money.

Thank you! that was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. My xonar phoebus states that it can drive headphones up to 600 ohms. You think I'd be fine with the 600 ohms version of the DT880? And I'm planning on wearing those headphones for VERY extended periods of time. Will I run into comfort issues on the DT880/AD900X as opposed to the HD600?

I'm mostly planning on gaming btw, but I'd also like listening to a bit of music. They need to plug in via 3.5 as well, if they by standard have 6.3, can i use an adapter without suffering adverse effects?

[phantasml]

I recommend:

- Beyerdynamics DT880. Get the premium 600 ohms version if you can. This has great soundstage and accurate sound albeit rather weak bass. You might need an external Amp to power the 600 ohms version. Otherwise, you should be fine with the 250 ohms version.

- Alternatively, you can try Audio Technica AD900X. It's a great open-design headphone with more bass than DT880. Also great for gaming with its 53mm drivers and wide soundstage. The sound is more "airy" than DT880 so if you are against that you might want to stay away from it.

- If you prefer a more laid-back approach, you can try Sennheiser HD600. The sound signature is warm and easy to listen to. It also features really comfortable earpads for extended usage.

Also, I would advise against getting a headset and it would be better to invest in a good pair of headphones and a separate mic instead as you will get more out of your money.

It should be fine to drive DT880. I know Xonar STX and DT880 result in good combination with lots of people who swear by it. Comfort-wise, it really depends on your head. If you have large head then you might find HD600 or AD-900X to suit your needs better for long usage than DT880 as they both feature full-open design which allows your ears to "breathe" as well as larger earcups. DT880 is semi-open so your ears might get sweaty after REALLY long time.

All the headphones have 3.5mm jack and all of them provide adapter to plug to 6.3mm. The jacks are all gold-plated so the sound quality should be more or less equal even with adapter. There's also some mods that provide third-party cables (especially for Sennheiser's headphones to remove the "veil" sound characteristics) if you're into that.

Lastly since all of them are pretty much open-design headphones, the sound out-of-the-box will be of less quality than after they've been burnt in. Just leave the phone looping with pink noise/white noise for few days at high volume before you try them out :).

[Computer Steroids]

I recommend:

- Beyerdynamics DT880. Get the premium 600 ohms version if you can. This has great soundstage and accurate sound albeit rather weak bass. You might need an external Amp to power the 600 ohms version. Otherwise, you should be fine with the 250 ohms version.

- Alternatively, you can try Audio Technica AD900X. It's a great open-design headphone with more bass than DT880. Also great for gaming with its 53mm drivers and wide soundstage. The sound is more "airy" than DT880 so if you are against that you might want to stay away from it.

- If you prefer a more laid-back approach, you can try Sennheiser HD600. The sound signature is warm and easy to listen to. It also features really comfortable earpads for extended usage.

Also, I would advise against getting a headset and it would be better to invest in a good pair of headphones and a separate mic instead as you will get more out of your money.

Thank you VERY much for your help :) Now I just need to pick one that I'd like. The DT880 600 ohm looks like a proper piece of work so far. I have relatively big ears and the only headset I've really had any luck with in terms of comfort is the G35. However the other headphones I've owned aren't exactly high quality works of art, y'know?

Regardless, all of these look like great headphones. I'll let you know once I've chosen something suitable. I'm veering towards the AD900X so far. But the HD600 is also a likely candidate. I'm just not entirely sure what sound signature I would enjoy the most. More than likely I'll get either a DT880 600 ohm and if I feel like it's lacking in what I want, I'd get an AD900X. But at this point, I'll think about what you've said, you've been a great help, thank you :)

Also, you don't just so happen to know a good quality level microphone that hooks up via 3.5 and doesn't require an external power source? Preferably one that I could use in conjunction with a proper stand and a pop filter since I already have those readily available.