Desperately need help picking headphones for gaming and music

[bismarzk_zero]

Hey everyone.

 

I'm currently using a PC that has no soundcard, because I have no space for one due to my SLi setup. My motherboard is the Asus X99 Sabertooth which has decent onboard sound (I think).

 

I'm looking for a new pair of headphones to replace my very very old Sony MDR-XB500 over-ear headphones (Reference: http://www.cnet.com/products/sony-mdr-xb500-black/specs/ ).

 

I saw some reviews for the Logitech Artemis Spectrum G933 7.1 Surround Headphones (Reference: http://gaming.logitech.com/en-ca/product/g933-7-1-surround-sound-gaming-headset ), and I bought it yesterday because I thought the surround sound headphones thing was some new technology I'm missing out on in gaming. Upon trying it out at home, I was very disappointed with the lackluster sound quality. I also felt like the surround sound effect was a big gimmick that really muffled most sounds. I tried to play the latest Doom 2016 with the surround sound feature activated and realized the feature wasn't really adding much. Honestly even with the feature off it felt like the "surround sound" effect was already present, even with my settings set to stereo (I could tell if an enemy was behind me).

 

Also, I'm not sure if this is the fault of the headphones, but they were relatively much softer in terms of volume compared to my old Sony MDR-XB500. Even at max volume it felt like it wasn't loud enough.

 

I figure I don't want any part of this surround sound fad, but I really want to upgrade my sound experience and get the best. I would really like to have crisp and clear sounds, with strong bass.

 

Which pair of headphones would you recommend for a huge fps/moba/dark souls player who also enjoys the occasional music with strong bass? Will I need an external soundcard device (DAC) to support the higher end headphones (I can't use a sound card, my PC does not have the room for one)? Also, was I unable to experience the surround sound effect due to my lack of a sound card?

 

Thank you very much in advance.

[Dackzy]

What is yout budget? Where are you goint tu use them?

Oh and I think that it would be a good idea if you read this, so you can get cleared all that dac, amp and sound card thing.

 

[bismarzk_zero]

My budget is CAD$250-400. And I will only be using them at home with my desktop, and only ever connected to the desktop PC.

[Dackzy]

2 minutes ago, bismarzk_zero said:

My budget is CAD$250-400. And I will only be using them at home with my desktop, and only ever connected to the desktop PC.

Open headphones would might be a good idea for the bigger soundstage that will help you in FPS games, of cause only if you don't need sound isolation.

 

Open: DT 990 + mod mic or some lavalier microphone, HD 650 + mod mic or some lavalier microphone, HE 400s + mod mic or some lavalier microphone, HE 400i + mod mic or some lavalier microphone

 

Closed: Oppo PM 3 + mod mic or some lavalier microphone, NAD VISO HP50 + boompro mic, Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus + boompro mic, 

[StormEye]

5 hours ago, Dackzy said:

Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus + boompro mic, 

Beyerdynamics also has their own oiginal boom mic that goes with Custom One Pro. I use it myself if I happen to need closed back headset. The only downside is that it does not have physical mute switch.

[Dackzy]

7 minutes ago, StormEye said:

Beyerdynamics also has their own oiginal boom mic that goes with Custom One Pro. I use it myself if I happen to need closed back headset. The only downside is that it does not have physical mute switch.

Yeah, but the boompro is cheaper and I have heard people say that it is also better sounding

[bismarzk_zero]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll go with the Oppo PM 3 because I really need my headphones to be silent.

Edited June 11, 2016 by bismarzk_zero