Looking for gaming-oriented audio peripherals recommendations.

[mircomatto]

Hello everyone, new member here

If I had a budget of 400€, what would be the best way to spend them on audio peripherals?

Gaming is going to be the main concern (mostly FPSs and RPGs), but I'll probably go for music, TV and consoles (if compatible).

The only aspects I must have, no matter what, are:

- medium-to-big over-ear pads

- no desk mics (e.g. Blue Yeti)

I'm otherwise open to listening and evaluating anything.

Thanks in advance everyone, whether you're reading or answering.

Current list of candidates:

[with AMP, FiiO E11]

Sennheiser PC363 D

Audio Technica ATH-AG1

[without AMP]

Astro A40/A50

Logitech G633/G933 (when they release and if they turn out good)

[arronleeds]

pc 363D, please dont buy astros..... theyre the most garbage "gaming headphones" on the market.

 

or.... get the sennheiser hd600 and a modmic.

[STRMfrmXMN]

Hello everyone, new member here

If I had a budget of 400€, what would be the best way to spend them on audio peripherals?

Gaming is going to be the main concern (mostly FPSs and RPGs), but I'll probably go for music, TV and consoles (if compatible).

The only aspects I must have, no matter what, are:

- medium-to-big over-ear pads

- no desk mics (e.g. Blue Yeti)

I'm otherwise open to listening and evaluating anything.

Thanks in advance everyone, whether you're reading or answering.

Current list of candidates:

[with AMP, FiiO E11]

Sennheiser PC363 D

Audio Technica ATH-AG1

[without AMP]

Astro A40/A50

Logitech G633/G933 (when they release and if they turn out good)

Phillips SHP9500 with a V-Moda mic

[Thorium19]

Beyerdynamic dt990/880 or sennheiser HD598/650 with a modmic maybe? or even the Beyerdynamic custom one pros with the boom mic attachment. Then get an amp such as the Objective 2 or schiit magni 2 for example, but I'm sure others in the audio subforum would have better suggestions

[cortexcortex]

Sennheiser PC363D

[mircomatto]

Thank you for the prompt answers.

Besides the request for details to some of you below, it looks most recommendations are for open headphones.

Just for alternatives, any closed or semi-open sets I should look for?

@arronleeds

Weird...I thought Astro was actually fine enough, judging by the absurd user base I saw around. BTW, I'm not an audio wizard, but won't the HD 600 require a pretty good AMP to drive them?

@STRMfrmXMN

V-moda is unavailable in my country, at least without additional import taxes and (probably) extremely high wait times. Even mod-mics are hard to come by; the only thing easily available is a Zalman clip-on mic, and I'm not sure that's a decent quality one for less than 15€...

@Thorium19

TBH, I don't really like how those look...

Yeah, I'm nitpicking and not in the position to do that, I know, but I can't ignore it when I'm spending so much, sorry...

The custom pros look fine tho.

About the AMPs, are differences with those and the FiiO E11 so noticeable?

I'd rather have portable versions in case I'm on the go, and it seems objective 2 is out of my reach in terms of country, with magni requiring external power.

[arronleeds]

Thank you for the prompt answers.

Besides the request for details to some of you below, it looks most recommendations are for open headphones.

Just for alternatives, any closed or seni-open sets I should look for?

@arronleeds

Weird...I thought Astro was actually fine enough, judging by the absurd user base I saw around. BTW, I'm not an audio wizard, but won't the HD 600 require a pretty good AMP to drive them?

@STRMfrmXMN

V-moda is unavailable in my country, at least without additional import taxes and (probably) extremely high wait times. Even mod-mics are hard to come by; the only thing easily available is a Zalman clip-on mic, and I'm not sure that's a decent quality one for less than 15€...

@Thorium19

TBH, I don't really like how those look...

Yeah, I'm nitpicking and not in the position to do that, I know, but I can't ignore it when I'm spending so much, sorry...

The custom pros look fine tho.

About the AMPs, are differences with those and the FiiO E11 so noticeable?

I'd rather have portable versions in case I'm on the go, and it seems objective 2 is out of my reach in terms of country, with magni requiring external power.

oh yeh i forgot about the amp, the sennheiser hd598s will be a better choice then, theyre still very good, and no, astros are for fanboys who dont know about audio, i bought them thinking they were generally good and i was wrong, trash they are and you need a sound card for dolby digital live.

[STRMfrmXMN]

Thank you for the prompt answers.

Besides the request for details to some of you below, it looks most recommendations are for open headphones.

Just for alternatives, any closed or semi-open sets I should look for?

@STRMfrmXMN

V-moda is unavailable in my country, at least without additional import taxes and (probably) extremely high wait times. Even mod-mics are hard to come by; the only thing easily available is a Zalman clip-on mic, and I'm not sure that's a decent quality one for less than 15€...

 

For closed there's the ATH M30X bundle that comes included with a microphone here: http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M30x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00NLI87XK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1441760280&sr=8-3&keywords=ath+m30x

 

For semi-open you can save a bit and get the Superlux HD668s and get http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441760310&sr=8-1&keywords=hd668b and find a mic with the money you have leftover, note that the V-Moda wouldn't fit by default without a male-female adapter on the headphones themself.

 

As for the Zalman clip on, yeah it's "meh" and I don't recommend it. The Sennheiser or Audio Technica options on the first list are great but keep in mind that about 1/5 heads really fit those Audio Technicas.

[mircomatto]

The Sennheiser or Audio Technica options on the first list are great but keep in mind that about 1/5 heads really fit those Audio Technicas.

1/5 like...big heads? Or small heads? I've seen Linus' review of the ag1 (elastic band workaround) and no offense, if any, but his head looks relatively small compared to mine.

I pretty much broke the hinges on Roccat Kaves 3 times, so I was hoping they would fit nicely

[STRMfrmXMN]

1/5 like...big heads? Or small heads? I've seen Linus' review of the ag1 (elastic band workaround) and no offense, if any, but his head looks relatively small compared to mine.

I pretty much broke the hinges on Roccat Kaves 3 times, so I was hoping they would fit nicely

GIANT heads No offense taken, just note that you should try on the ATH-AD500X wherever you can as they don't fit most people's heads.

[mircomatto]

I'll try my luck at the local hi-fi shops, but I doubt I'll find anything. Most AT stuff sold here is about vinyls.

Anyways, I do have a huge head, so I may as well take the risk

I think I have enough information to make my mind up.

I've just got one thing unanswered a couple posts above. I shouldn't need a DAC or a soundcard for now (it seems), but Thorium19 recommended a schiit AMP rather than the FiiO I posted; are the differences worth getting the standalone magni rather than the portable E11?

[KaminKevCrew]

I'll try my luck at the local hi-fi shops, but I doubt I'll find anything. Most AT stuff sold here is about vinyls.

Anyways, I do have a huge head, so I may as well take the risk

I think I have enough information to make my mind up.

I've just got one thing unanswered a couple posts above. I shouldn't need a DAC or a soundcard for now (it seems), but Thorium19 recommended a schiit AMP rather than the FiiO I posted; are the differences worth getting the standalone magni rather than the portable E11?

The best DAC/amp for the money, if you have optical out is easily the SMSL SD793-II. It's amazing. I'm using it with my $1200 Custom in ears, and there is no noise floor to speak of, until I turn the volume past 12 O'clock (Which, by the way, would be enough to blow my ears out, I had nothing playing at the time that I tested that...), so it's great for in ears, although you have to be careful with not bumping the volume dial. 

 

It also has enough power to drive such power hungry headphones as the Hifiman HE-500 to above average listening levels, although you will experience clipping before it really starts to hurt your ears. 

 

It's a very, very good dac amp, and it goes for $65. 

 

For me, a standalone is worth it, if only for the fact that I don't have to lean around the back of my PC and plug/unplug things.

[thekeemo]

I vouch for the zalman clip on.

[mircomatto]

So, I pretty much made my mind over the current setup, as there's no way for me to try the ATs I want beforehand, or even the Beyerdynamic custom pro that were mentioned earlier.

- Sennheiser PC 363D (plus the PCV05 adapter, in case I want to go for console)

- FiiO E11K Portable AMP (same as the E11, but can be used while charging as well)

KaminKev's recommendation about the DAC/AMP looks nice, but I'd rather have the portable one, in case I'm on the go with my laptop [emoji14].

My ALC1150 soundcard seems nice enough already, so I don't think I need a DAC or another soundcard (albeit I'd like getting CMSS-3D rather than Dolby)

Any last words of recommendation?

In any case, thank you everyone for your support ^^