Best 7.1 Headset?

[Henleyz]

What's the best headset to get for gaming? I was looking at the Razer Tiamat with the Asus Xonar DX Soundcard, is there anything better than these?

[Verne]

Yeah, neither. Get proper stereo headphones from a proper audio company (such as Sennheiser HD518). You won't need a sound card unless your mother board is ancient, and even then an external solution would be the best (such as the recently refreshed Fiio E10k). If you need a microphone, you can get something like Zalman ZM-MIC1 or ModMic and attach it to the headphones, or buy a desktop mic such as Blue Snowball.

[Nick Paviour]

I find my Logitech G35's to be a good balance for music and emersive audio during gameplay. I've had them for 3years and never looked back, not bad for the money after all this time either.

 

http://gaming.logitech.com/en-gb/product/g35-7-1-surround-sound-gaming-headset

[Henleyz]

Yeah, neither. Get proper stereo headphones from a proper audio company (such as Sennheiser HD518). You won't need a sound card unless your mother board is ancient, and even then an external solution would be the best (such as the recently refreshed Fiio E10k). If you need a microphone, you can get something like Zalman ZM-MIC1 or ModMic and attach it to the headphones, or buy a desktop mic such as Blue Snowball.

Have the VI Hero Mobo right now, I'll have a look at your recommendations! Oh and yeah I would like maybe a mic with them too

[Henleyz]

Yeah, neither. Get proper stereo headphones from a proper audio company (such as Sennheiser HD518). You won't need a sound card unless your mother board is ancient, and even then an external solution would be the best (such as the recently refreshed Fiio E10k). If you need a microphone, you can get something like Zalman ZM-MIC1 or ModMic and attach it to the headphones, or buy a desktop mic such as Blue Snowball.

Which is the better mic from the 2 that you mentioned? Not looking for a Blue Snowball at this minute

[Verne]

Which is the better mic from the 2 that you mentioned? Not looking for a Blue Snowball at this minute

ModMic is easily better but also much more expensive.

[Henleyz]

ModMic is easily better but also much more expensive.

Would I be best with a Soundcard for the headphones you said too? I've the VI Hero Motherboard by the way

[Verne]

Would I be best with a Soundcard for the headphones you said too? I've the VI Hero Motherboard by the way

That motherboard has a great audio chip. A sound card would not improve anything, really. Only if the on-board chip is broken or causes a ton of interference (in which case a sound card would not always help either). 

[ForsakenLive]

7.1 or 5.1 systems have different speakers set across a room, they play different channels that mix over your room and have a realistic positional audio. 

When we go to the headset side, we see both virtual and real 7.1/5.1. The virtual ones use software to simulate that same positional feeling, using only 2 drivers.

Real 5.1/7.1 headsets, have that actual amount of drivers inside the earcups. To make them fit, they use smaller drivers (bigger = better in most cases), and the environment inside the cup, doesn't feel as real as the sound mixing and bouncing over a room, well executed virtual surround with a standard headphone (2.0) ends up being far superior, with bigger and better sounding drivers inside.

The Asus Xonar DX will sound very similar to the onboard sound of the Asus Hero, which is pretty good.

 

My recommendation for you, get a good pair of headpones (2.0) and a standalone mic, if you want it as a headset, get an Antlion modmic, which is basically, the best addon out there for a headphone. Something like a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M40X, Sennheiser HD 518, Beyerdynamic DT 860, this are all made by audio companies, that make products for sound enthusiasts and professionals. 

[Henleyz]

That motherboard has a great audio chip. A sound card would not improve anything, really. Only if the on-board chip is broken or causes a ton of interference (in which case a sound card would not always help either).

Nice, that's good to hear. Any other headphone recommendations? Another thing is that the Tiamat has a passthrough thing that allows me to use both headphones and speakers whenever I want without pulling out the jacks...

[Henleyz]

That motherboard has a great audio chip. A sound card would not improve anything, really. Only if the on-board chip is broken or causes a ton of interference (in which case a sound card would not always help either).

I've just been looking at reviews, ant there all saying the HD 518 is just good for music, noting really abut gaming? I'm not really a music guy, I would want mine for purely gaming purposes

[creatip123]

7.1 or 5.1 systems have different speakers set across a room, they play different channels that mix over your room and have a realistic positional audio. 

When we go to the headset side, we see both virtual and real 7.1/5.1. The virtual ones use software to simulate that same positional feeling, using only 2 drivers.

Real 5.1/7.1 headsets, have that actual amount of drivers inside the earcups. To make them fit, they use smaller drivers (bigger = better in most cases), and the environment inside the cup, doesn't feel as real as the sound mixing and bouncing over a room, well executed virtual surround with a standard headphone (2.0) ends up being far superior, with bigger and better sounding drivers inside.

The Asus Xonar DX will sound very similar to the onboard sound of the Asus Hero, which is pretty good.

 

My recommendation for you, get a good pair of headpones (2.0) and a standalone mic, if you want it as a headset, get an Antlion modmic, which is basically, the best addon out there for a headphone. Something like a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M40X, Sennheiser HD 518, Beyerdynamic DT 860, this are all made by audio companies, that make products for sound enthusiasts and professionals. 

 

We really need this copy-pasted to other threads about the multi-driver headset gimmicks vs regular but 'real' headphones....

[creatip123]

I've just been looking at reviews, ant there all saying the HD 518 is just good for music, noting really abut gaming? I'm not really a music guy, I would want mine for purely gaming purposes

 

Think of that in a logical point of view. Gamers usually don't really care about sound qualities. As long as they can use it to play games, decent sounding enough, then it's all good. Mostly because they're too busy playing games anyway, to really criticize the sounds itself. Music-enjoyers on the other hand, are looking for satisfactions from the sounds itself, so they would judge and criticize more harshly about the sounds of headsets and headphones.

 

Put it simple, good headphones for music are almost surely good for gaming, but not the other way around....

[EmoRarity]

I've just been looking at reviews, ant there all saying the HD 518 is just good for music, noting really abut gaming? I'm not really a music guy, I would want mine for purely gaming purposes

Sound is sound, headphones dont care if its a game sound or music or moives, a better headphone will reproduce better sound regardless. Though I do think it would be amusing if legitimately good headphones refused certain playback because "that isnt what they are made for!"

[ForsakenLive]

I've just been looking at reviews, ant there all saying the HD 518 is just good for music, noting really abut gaming? I'm not really a music guy, I would want mine for purely gaming purposes

Music is different sounds put all together. If there is a good pair of 'music' headphones, then it will make those different sounds more accurate, clear and colorful.

'Gaming' headsets have innovative designs, mics and come with features that are supposed to enhance the experience. The game client itself and software make the positional audio and virtual surround experience happen.

If you want a good gaming audio experience, a pair of good headphones will reproduce the sounds the game developer added to the game, the way that there are supposed to be. Sound and Music is going to be part of the gaming experience, and there is nothing a good pair of 'music' headphones can't do on a game.

[Henleyz]

Music is different sounds put all together. If there is a good pair of 'music' headphones, then it will make those different sounds more accurate, clear and colorful.

'Gaming' headsets have innovative designs, mics and come with features that are supposed to enhance the experience. The game client itself and software make the positional audio and virtual surround experience happen.

If you want a good gaming audio experience, a pair of good headphones will reproduce the sounds the game developer added to the game, the way that there are supposed to be. Sound and Music is going to be part of the gaming experience, and there is nothing a good pair of 'music' headphones can't do on a game.

I understand completely now There is hardly a good pair of headphones that actually have a mic with it instead of buying an extra part and actually sticking it to the headphone itself, I'd like less wires really, in my mind it seems that it would just get tangled up a lot

[EmoRarity]

I understand completely now There is hardly a good pair of headphones that actually have a mic with it instead of buying an extra part and actually sticking it to the headphone itself, I'd like less wires really, in my mind it seems that it would just get tangled up a lot

Then get a desk mic like a snowflake...

[Henleyz]

Then get a desk mic like a snowflake...

I don't really want to go that direction, I'd actually prefer the modmic over a desktop mic but Id also prefer a headset over both of them if you understand

[EmoRarity]

I don't really want to go that direction, I'd actually prefer the modmic over a desktop mic but Id also prefer a headset over both of them if you understand

I do, but Ill only recommend quality and smart choices, if you understand.

[Henleyz]

I do, but Ill only recommend quality and smart choices, if you understand.

So I'm guessing no headphones with a mic attached then?

[EmoRarity]

So I'm guessing no headphones with a mic attached then?

MX300's, 1R with boompro, really nothing for under a hundred...

Sorry the like, seven inch tab still to small.

[Henleyz]

MX300's, 1R with boompro, really nothing for under a hundred...

Sorry the like, seven inch tab still to small.

It's no biggie, thanks!

[EmoRarity]

It's no biggie, thanks!

really zip ties or the like could help with management

[Henleyz]

really zip ties or the like could help with management

I suppose, I'll have to go over my options, is there anything higher then the 518 that is a good bang for the buck? I'm in Ireland and for the 518 it's going to be over 100 already...

[EmoRarity]

I suppose, I'll have to go over my options, is there anything higher then the 518 that is a good bang for the buck? I'm in Ireland and for the 518 it's going to be over 100 already...

SE-A1000, if they are 50-60ish, SRH440 maybe for 100