Audio upgrade

[suchamoneypit]

for audio with my system I currently use a Astro A40 with the included mic I got as a gift.

 

Im curious of the suggested "upgrade paths" for my audio. particularly my mic. How good is the mic included? would something like a mod mic be a worthwhile upgrade? Keeping in mind I like clicky mechanical keyboards.

 

What would be a good combo for a good pair of dedicated headphones and a dedicated mic if I were to get rid of my current setup, with a budget of around $150 (maybe $200 if its a big step up)

[z97]

Your biggest upgrade in audio would be a DAC/Amp

 

The a40 mic is pretty bad from the last time I used one.

 

Blue snowball is 50ish for a standalone mic 

 

Headphones, HD 598s are a nice pair and between the two that would be your 200.

[X1XNobleX1X]

for audio with my system I currently use a Astro A40 with the included mic I got as a gift.

 

Im curious of the suggested "upgrade paths" for my audio. particularly my mic. How good is the mic included? would something like a mod mic be a worthwhile upgrade? Keeping in mind I like clicky mechanical keyboards.

 

What would be a good combo for a good pair of dedicated headphones and a dedicated mic if I were to get rid of my current setup, with a budget of around $150 (maybe $200 if its a big step up)

I'v been using my Astro A40 mic for a while now, and it has been great. Obviously not the best microphone out there for headsets, but much, much better than most.

 

 

You could get a mod mic, but I really don't think it's worth it over the Astro mic.

 

If you're doing Youtube videos, I would get a Blue Yeti or Snowball, if not stick with the Astro.

[X1XNobleX1X]

Your biggest upgrade in audio would be a DAC/Amp

 

The a40 mic is pretty bad from the last time I used one.

 

Blue snowball is 50ish for a standalone mic 

 

Headphones, HD 598s are a nice pair and between the two that would be your 200.

You aren't talking about using a DAC/Amp with Astro's are you?

[z97]

You aren't talking about using a DAC/Amp with Astro's are you?

Lord no LOL

 

Was just giving OP some ideas to play with. 

[X1XNobleX1X]

Lord no LOL

 

Was just giving OP some ideas to play with. 

Hahahah, I thought so.

[z97]

Hahahah, I thought so.

Speaking of which.. mine are on the floor next to me... dunno what to do with them

[SSL]

Your biggest upgrade in audio would be a DAC/Amp

 

Can you elaborate on this?

 

I would suggest that unless spending about $1000 in total, there is little point in spending money on a DAC at all, and unless spending $150-200 total, there is no point in spending money on an amp.

[Statik]

The modmic is perfectly fine if you're just using it for gaming. If you're recording/producing, consider getting a Yeti/AT2020/Snowball. Those are all great choices, and combined with a cheap boom + shockmount are flawless.

 

For headphones, I'm going to do what I always do and recommend the HD 598s. I've had mine a little over a year and they get a 10/10 for comfort, reliability, and sound quality. You can always combine them with an AMP/DAC if you wanted, but that's totally not needed.

[Pomfinator]

Keep in mind that if you do go for a dedicated headphone and a dedicated desk mic, your friends will hate you if you don't use push to talk...just saying.

 

Anyway, if we go by your reach budget, you can grab something like a Blue Snowball ICE, and still have 100-150 to spend on a pair of headphones, what music do you listen to?

 

I'm tempted to recommend the Audio-Technica ADG1, unfortunately it's out of your budget unless you choose to go with the various Amazon warehouse deals for about $160 (Don't like the AG1, If the AG1 is anything like the Ax line of headphones it's based off of, it's going to be heavy and the elastic mod is almost required)

[iShad]

Keep in mind that if you do go for a dedicated headphone and a dedicated desk mic, your friends will hate you if you don't use push to talk...just saying.

 

Anyway, if we go by your reach budget, you can grab something like a Blue Snowball ICE, and still have 100-150 to spend on a pair of headphones, what music do you listen to?

 

I'm tempted to recommend the Audio-Technica ADG1, unfortunately it's out of your budget unless you choose to go with the various Amazon warehouse deals for about $160 (Don't like the AG1, If the AG1 is anything like the Ax line of headphones it's based off of, it's going to be heavy and the elastic mod is almost required)

I see no reason to pay $200+ for ADG1 when it's literally an ad700x with a mic attached.

[Pomfinator]

I see no reason to pay $200+ for ADG1 when it's literally an ad700x with a mic attached.

Which is why I didn't recommend paying full price for it.  The Amazon warehouse deal is $160, sure a 700x + a Snowball is still cheaper, but it creates the push-to-talk problem I mentioned.  It's a good compromise.  At 260 dollars for a new pair it's steep, I know, I don't have the AT fanboy name on top of me for nothing.  But if you're willing to get it used, $160 for a complete package (Headphones, Mic, and a USB soundcard just in case your onboard sucks), is a good deal.  At the end of the day, it's not just about saving money, we can't just regurgitate everything we say a million times, we have to look at the the situation and take into account what the OP is actually looking for.  My recommendation was based off of OP's prior usage of the A40s and OP's interest in the Mod Mic, and my educated guess that he's mainly going to be using this for gaming.

 

tl;dr, I know it's bad value to us, but I think my recommendation is sound nevertheless taking into account the situation.

[iShad]

Which is why I didn't recommend paying full price for it.  The Amazon warehouse deal is $160, sure a 700x + a Snowball is still cheaper, but it creates the push-to-talk problem I mentioned.  It's a good compromise.  At 260 dollars for a new pair it's steep, I know, I don't have the AT fanboy name on top of me for nothing.  But if you're willing to get it used, $160 for a complete package (Headphones, Mic, and a USB soundcard just in case your onboard sucks), is a good deal.  At the end of the day, it's not just about saving money, we can't just regurgitate everything we say a million times, we have to look at the the situation and take into account what the OP is actually looking for.  My recommendation was based off of OP's prior usage of the A40s and OP's interest in the Mod Mic, and my educated guess that he's mainly going to be using this for gaming.

 

tl;dr, I know it's bad value to us, but I think my recommendation is sound nevertheless taking into account the situation.

Not at all... Ad700x new is only $100 and with the modmic it's still cheaper than ADG1 used. And what push to talk problem? If you mean the mic would picks up noise from the open headphones, I see no reason why the ADG1 wouldn't have the same issue. Also, it is indeed about saving money if you're paying more for the same thing for no reason.

[Donk Quixote]

If you're asking about upgrade paths for mics, then you might want to look into getting an audio interface and an XLR mic.  Once you get a USB mic there is no more upgrading, you have to replace the whole unit.

Here's a video explaining audio interfaces.https://youtu.be/_sjZJ9i_mH0?t=235