Options for best headphone for $280 CAD budget for gaming

[FreedomDive]

Hello Linus Community , 
This is actually the first time I've ever used this website but it seems very helpful for the most part and I've been indecisive and need some advice from people who really know their stuff. All input and suggestions are greatly appreciated and i will look into all of them. 

*I have already looked into many of the related forums posts and haven't found a answer that i need and is up to date.

My Current situation/Problem:

I'm using the Razor Kraken 7.1 pro at the moment but after about a year I'm having trouble with the wires i assume as it mysteriously stops registering to my pc and stops working (audio wise, the light is still active) sometimes after i move even an inch from a position of it working already. 
So having to constantly re-plug and readjust myself and the cords every time i move in my chair is very frustrating as a gamer and just in general so i'm looking for a new audio setup. 

I will mainly use the headphones + microphone/headset for Gaming (mostly fps to listening to positions of gunfire and footsteps), watching videos/movies and listening to music daily on my PC(i listen to a lot of genres like rock,pop,country,jazz so it doesn't have to be super bass heavy or something) . I have already asked friends about this and they suggested me to buy headphones + a microphone as it is "high quality audio wise".

So i'm looking for suggestions of headphones/headsets and info if a microphone + headphone combo is better over a headset.

My preferences are:
- Excellent good sound quality all-round
-comfortable
-Good sense of position in fps games
-Wired, no Bluetooth
*don't mind open back or closed back

My budget is around (can be a little higher or lower) $280  CAD for a headphone + mic combo or around $150 CAD for a headset.

I'm also hearing a lot of stuff about DACs and Sound Cards, so if you have any suggestions for those too i'll take em.

Sorry for the barrage of text but it wanted to be informative to get the best feedback possible. If you have any questions feel free to ask as well.

Thank you very much for your time and feedback.

 

[Spork829]

Welcome to the forum, its an awesome community! It's generally a good idea to stay away from "gaming" branded headsets in my opinion and do a nice headphone + mic combo. I would personally recommend my headphones, the Audio-Technica ATH-M40X. They are technically studio monitor headphones but are truly amazing for gaming, VOIP and listening or music (or anything else really). They are tuned very flat but sound is very lively making them good for any genre of music, and they  have an excellent sound stage for closed back and provide some nice noise cancellation. They are also very comfortable with very nice pleather ear pads. They hurt my head a tad when wearing for long periods of time for the first week or so, but then adjusted and now they fit like a glove, they still clamp nice and solid to my head and I barely notice they're there. They come with a 3 meter straight cable and a 1.2 meter stretchy coiled one, which is very handy for use with a phone, and they have a low enough impedance that you don't need an amp/DAC to run them on anything at all. They also fold up nicely and come with a leather carrying pouch, and are very simplistic and stylish. Best part? They're only about $120 CAD. That gives you plenty of sway to choose a great mic to go along with it. Personal recommendation is a Blue Yeti, great sound, durable, flexible configuration and several different modes. Blue Snowball (the one I personally use) is also a great option if you want to spend a bit less. 

[FreedomDive]

Edit: Ignore this

[FreedomDive]

17 minutes ago, Spork829 said:

Welcome to the forum, its an awesome community! It's generally a good idea to stay away from "gaming" branded headsets in my opinion and do a nice headphone + mic combo. I would personally recommend my headphones, the Audio-Technica ATH-M40X. They are technically studio monitor headphones but are truly amazing for gaming, VOIP and listening or music (or anything else really). They are tuned very flat but sound is very lively making them good for any genre of music, and they  have an excellent sound stage for closed back and provide some nice noise cancellation. They are also very comfortable with very nice pleather ear pads. They hurt my head a tad when wearing for long periods of time for the first week or so, but then adjusted and now they fit like a glove, they still clamp nice and solid to my head and I barely notice they're there. They come with a 3 meter straight cable and a 1.2 meter stretchy coiled one, which is very handy for use with a phone, and they have a low enough impedance that you don't need an amp/DAC to run them on anything at all. They also fold up nicely and come with a leather carrying pouch, and are very simplistic and stylish. Best part? They're only about $120 CAD. That gives you plenty of sway to choose a great mic to go along with it. Personal recommendation is a Blue Yeti, great sound, durable, flexible configuration and several different modes. Blue Snowball (the one I personally use) is also a great option if you want to spend a bit less. 

Thanks for your warm welcome and input/suggestion, I will definitely look into the Audio-Technica ATH-M40X when i get a chance. I'm still open to suggestions and opinions so i can a broader knowledge of headphones and audio in general.

[Pomfinator]

HD558s and a Blue Snowball fits your budget.  Another option would be the Phillips SHP9500 with a Boom Pro mic.  

 

Wouldn't recommend the M40x for gaming.  If you can go open, its best to go open.

[Spork829]

3 minutes ago, Pomfinator said:

HD558s and a Blue Snowball fits your budget.  Another option would be the Phillips SHP9500 with a Boom Pro mic.  

 

Wouldn't recommend the M40x for gaming.  If you can go open, its best to go open.

This is true. I game in a room w/ 3 other people so open isn't really an option, and frankly I play CS:GO and I have no problems with sound location with the closed backs. But yes if you don't mind no noise cancellation and sound leak open might be a bit better.

[Pomfinator]

2 minutes ago, Spork829 said:

This is true. I game in a room w/ 3 other people so open isn't really an option, and frankly I play CS:GO and I have no problems with sound location with the closed backs. But yes if you don't mind no noise cancellation and sound leak open might be a bit better.

Well i did say, if you can go open, in your case you can't.  I still wouldn't recommend the M40x, IMO HyperX Cloud (aka Takstar Pro 80) is objectively better, but the M40x is sort of portable so theres that.

[Dackzy]

don't get a amp and dac, it most likely be a waste of money. For headphones well something like what pomfinator suggested and stay away from the ath m series, they have no soundstage at all, so they are not that good compared to headphones with a good soundstage for gaming.

[Spork829]

1 hour ago, Pomfinator said:

Well i did say, if you can go open, in your case you can't.  I still wouldn't recommend the M40x, IMO HyperX Cloud (aka Takstar Pro 80) is objectively better, but the M40x is sort of portable so theres that.

Haven't tried the Clouds but I've heard good things, this guy seems to know a lot more about audio than me so probably listen to him

[FreedomDive]

13 hours ago, Spork829 said:

Haven't tried the Clouds but I've heard good things, this guy seems to know a lot more about audio than me so probably listen to him

Same here, I heard alot of good things about the hyper x clouds but aren't they a headset? Also np, thank you for your input either way.

[FreedomDive]

14 hours ago, Pomfinator said:

Well i did say, if you can go open, in your case you can't.  I still wouldn't recommend the M40x, IMO HyperX Cloud (aka Takstar Pro 80) is objectively better, but the M40x is sort of portable so theres that.

Thanks for your suggestion, would you recommend the the Sennheiser HD 598 Headphones over the Sennheiser HD 558 Headphones? If so why? (both fit my budget)

 

[SuicideAnomaly]

6 minutes ago, FreedomDive said:

Thanks for your suggestion, would you recommend the the Sennheiser HD 598 Headphones over the Sennheiser HD 558 Headphones? If so why? (both fit my budget)

 

Sonically, there isn't enough difference between the two to justify the increased price.

[FreedomDive]

1 minute ago, SuicideAnomaly said:

Sonically, there isn't enough different between the two to justify the increase price.

Hmm, are there any other things that differ them apart like comfort wise or extra cables, extended cables, a case ect...

[SuicideAnomaly]

Nope.

[FreedomDive]

3 minutes ago, SuicideAnomaly said:

Nope.

Hmm, alright thanks. Definitely looking into the Sennheiser HD 558 Headphones, but as always still open to suggestions and opinions.

[SuicideAnomaly]

3 minutes ago, FreedomDive said:

Hmm, alright thanks. Definitely looking into the Sennheiser HD 558 Headphones, but as always still open to suggestions and opinions.

They are a solid pair of headphones, no doubt. There are a ton of options, but unfortunately, us Canadians get shafted on the price.

[FreedomDive]

21 hours ago, SuicideAnomaly said:

They are a solid pair of headphones, no doubt. There are a ton of options, but unfortunately, us Canadians get shafted on the price.

For sure  it's really killing me since i'm trying to upgrade my entire pc, (waiting for the gtx 1070 ) + audio set up right now.

 

[FreedomDive]

Does anyone have any opinions on the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X over theSennheiser HD 598 Headphones or the ad700x in general?

[Dackzy]

3 minutes ago, FreedomDive said:

Does anyone have any opinions on the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X over theSennheiser HD 598 Headphones or the ad700x in general?

HD 558 sounds 95% the same as the HD 598 and you can just remove some foam from the HD 558 and they will sound 100% like the 598. The AD700x has a much bigger soundstage, but less bass.

[FreedomDive]

1 minute ago, Dackzy said:

HD 558 sounds 95% the same as the HD 598 and you can just remove some foam from the HD 558 and they will sound 100% like the 598. The AD700x has a much bigger soundstage, but less bass.

How much less? would it still be good for listening to some house music or something of the sorts.

[FreedomDive]

1 minute ago, FreedomDive said:

How much less? would it still be good for listening to some house music or something of the sorts, i listen to everything so i don't mind if its less bassy

 

[Dackzy]

4 minutes ago, FreedomDive said:

How much less? would it still be good for listening to some house music or something of the sorts.

Depends on what kind of sound signature you are into.

Look here

The start of the graph is bass.

AD 700x(blue one)

HD 558

 

[Dackzy]

5 minutes ago, FreedomDive said:

 

Found a better pic

[SuicideAnomaly]

1 hour ago, FreedomDive said:

How much less? would it still be good for listening to some house music or something of the sorts.

Although they are excellent for gaming, they certainly wouldn't be my first choice if listening to house.

[FreedomDive]

Edit: Ignore this

Edited June 5, 2016 by FreedomDive