Best Headphone / Desk Mic Combo for £280

[Scottland567]

Recently returned a pair of gaming heaphones after I realised I didnt care much for the immersive surround sound as it lacked in audio quality.  My personal taste would be to have a headset that had decent mids and highs rather than a bass focused one as I am not a fan of bass.  I am a fairly casual gamer playing games such as Dota 2 and Overwatch (some other games occasionally but these are my main two), I also listen to music frequently so I would like something that is suited to this too.  Regarding a desk mic I was looking at Blue Yetis with a pop filter and mount, but I wondered how compatible that is with gaming, seeing as it quite large and I wondered if that would block my view or draw attention away from my monitor.  Budget can be extended for the right combination.

 

Thanks in advance!

[MainDisco]

The mic will not block your view. Im using my Rode nt1a for 1 year now and had no problems. Its a bit odd in the first days when you only used headsets but after a short time you wont notice it while gaming.

[MainDisco]

Im using beyerdynamic dt990 pros (they are more on the bass and highs side), but i can atleast recommend you to try open backed headphones, since they help you locating your enemies way better than closed ones. Akgs are known for better mids. Depending on you region you might look for AKG k7xx on massdrop or for the dt990 pros

[bluefoxalex]

I would suggest staying the heck away from a blue yeti, if it's freestanding it'll pick up any noise that reverbs through the desk and when you've had enough and want to upgrade you're stuck in the yeti ecosystem with the only option being a shock mount as expensive as the mic and the rode boom arm because cheap ones won't hold that hefty weight! 

 

When I moved from the blue yeti I went with a blue spark, it came with a shock mount/pop filter and it was light enough to be sturdy on my awful 10 pound boom arm!  Stays in front of my mouth and out of the way, it's been pretty great!  Although, it forced me to get an audio interface for the XLR in but when shopping for headphones that turned into a blessing because it removed the cost of a preamp! 

 

And as for headphones I can say the best closed back ones I've used for all round performance have been Beyerdynamics DT 770s/990s although they felt very tight and got a bit sore after prolonged use.  For open backs the best I've heard have been AKG K701/702/7xx and with the self adjusting headband and the massive ear cups they are the comfiest things ever, I wear them 24/7 with no issues.

 

EDIT: Also if mic quality isn't a huge factor for you then maybe just look at getting an antlion mod mic with some even nicer headphones?

[Scottland567]

10 minutes ago, bluefoxalex said:

For open backs the best I've heard have been AKG K701/702/7xx and with the self adjusting headband and the massive ear cups they are the comfiest things ever, I wear them 24/7 with no issues.

 

18 minutes ago, Admiraldeamlich said:

Akgs are known for better mids. Depending on you region you might look for AKG k7xx on massdrop or for the dt990 pros

The AKG K7XX Red Editions are currently dropping on massdrop, only issue is that Ive never ordered from massdrop before and I live in the UK, worth the wait for the possible month delivery time?

[MainDisco]

13 minutes ago, bluefoxalex said:

I would suggest staying the heck away from a blue yeti, if it's freestanding it'll pick up any noise that reverbs through the desk and when you've had enough and want to upgrade you're stuck in the yeti ecosystem with the only option being a shock mount as expensive as the mic and the rode boom arm because cheap ones won't hold that hefty weight! 

 

When I moved from the blue yeti I went with a blue spark, it came with a shock mount/pop filter and it was light enough to be sturdy on my awful 10 pound boom arm!  Stays in front of my mouth and out of the way, it's been pretty great!  Although, it forced me to get an audio interface for the XLR in but when shopping for headphones that turned into a blessing because it removed the cost of a preamp! 

 

And as for headphones I can say the best closed back ones I've used for all round performance have been Beyerdynamics DT 770s/990s although they felt very tight and got a bit sore after prolonged use.  For open backs the best I've heard have been AKG K701/702/7xx and with the self adjusting headband and the massive ear cups they are the comfiest things ever, I wear them 24/7 with no issues.

 

EDIT: Also if mic quality isn't a huge factor for you then maybe just look at getting an antlion mod mic with some even nicer headphones?

the 990s are also open backed, but i agree with the mic. Maybe try to get a rode nt1a with arm and a behringer xenyx (1002, 802) or some other good thing that will provide 48v for mics. If you ever want to upgrade your mic it will be way easier than and also cheaper. (if you even need such expensive mics)

[MainDisco]

1 minute ago, Scottland567 said:

 

The AKG K7XX Red Editions are currently dropping on massdrop, only issue is that Ive never ordered from massdrop before and I live in the UK, worth the wait for the possible month delivery time?

You will probably have to pay taxes for the import. otherwise its worth waiting

[Scottland567]

9 minutes ago, Admiraldeamlich said:

the 990s are also open backed, but i agree with the mic. Maybe try to get a rode nt1a with arm and a behringer xenyx (1002, 802) or some other good thing that will provide 48v for mics. If you ever want to upgrade your mic it will be way easier than and also cheaper. (if you even need such expensive mics)

Im very naive when it comes to audio, so forgive me if this is a stupid question.  Is the mixer actually required for use of the microphone, I have no plans to ever upgrade further and this has already run slightly over my budget already.

[MainDisco]

Just now, Scottland567 said:

Im very naive when it comes to audio, so forgive me if this is a stupid question.  Is the mixer actually required for use of the microphone, I have no plans to ever upgrade further and this has already run slightly over my budget already.

No, but its nice to have and may improve your sound to certain point. You only need a device that can provide 48V phantom power.

[Scottland567]

Just now, Admiraldeamlich said:

No, but its nice to have and may improve your sound to certain point. You only need a device that can provide 48V phantom power.

Could you possibly recommend any USB or 3.5mm jack mics?  I was hoping this would be as simple as just plugging it into my sound card and starting straight away.  Thanks for all your advice so far though.

[MainDisco]

2 minutes ago, Scottland567 said:

Could you possibly recommend any USB or 3.5mm jack mics?  I was hoping this would be as simple as just plugging it into my sound card and starting straight away.  Thanks for all your advice so far though.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tbone_sc440_usb.htm

there are also samples on the page

[Scottland567]

43 minutes ago, Admiraldeamlich said:

https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tbone_sc440_usb.htm

there are also samples on the page

Would I need a pop filter with this mic?  Also would I need a mount or would it be able to pick up my voice fine when placed on my desk my desk?

 

[Scottland567]

Would an amp be necessary for the K7XX's?

[TVwazhere]

2 hours ago, bluefoxalex said:

I would suggest staying the heck away from a blue yeti, if it's freestanding it'll pick up any noise that reverbs through the desk and when you've had enough and want to upgrade you're stuck in the yeti ecosystem with the only option being a shock mount as expensive as the mic and the rode boom arm because cheap ones won't hold that hefty weight! 

 

When I moved from the blue yeti I went with a blue spark, it came with a shock mount/pop filter and it was light enough to be sturdy on my awful 10 pound boom arm!  Stays in front of my mouth and out of the way, it's been pretty great!  Although, it forced me to get an audio interface for the XLR in but when shopping for headphones that turned into a blessing because it removed the cost of a preamp! 

 

And as for headphones I can say the best closed back ones I've used for all round performance have been Beyerdynamics DT 770s/990s although they felt very tight and got a bit sore after prolonged use.  For open backs the best I've heard have been AKG K701/702/7xx and with the self adjusting headband and the massive ear cups they are the comfiest things ever, I wear them 24/7 with no issues.

 

EDIT: Also if mic quality isn't a huge factor for you then maybe just look at getting an antlion mod mic with some even nicer headphones?

I'm the current owner of a blue yeti, and I can confirm. THIS HEAVY MOTHER F****R IS A BITCH AND A HALF. (Though you can now find shock mounts for only $30, still not worth)

I've never used any AKG headphones other than the earbuds that came with my S8+ but I've heard (heh, audio joke) a lot of good things about the K7xx's

[Scottland567]

20 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

I'm the current owner of a blue yeti, and I can confirm. THIS HEAVY MOTHER F****R IS A BITCH AND A HALF. (Though you can now find shock mounts for only $30, still not worth)

I've never used any AKG headphones other than the earbuds that came with my S8+ but I've heard (heh, audio joke) a lot of good things about the K7xx's

I was considering buying the blue spark as suggested earlier, but it just seems so expensive once you've bought the stand, shock mount and pop filter.  Seriously conflicted on what to get as it needs to be USB for simplicity reasons.

[bluefoxalex]

22 hours ago, Scottland567 said:

I was considering buying the blue spark as suggested earlier, but it just seems so expensive once you've bought the stand, shock mount and pop filter.  Seriously conflicted on what to get as it needs to be USB for simplicity reasons.

If you were considering the blue spark it comes with a popfilter and a shock mount included, a cheap boom arm from amazon would do for a while and a scarlett solo is a good USB only (no mains power) interface with 1 XLR input, 1/4 inch jack for line in/intstrument in and a 1/4 inch jack for headphones (with direct monitoring so you can hear yourself speak with no delay).  If I remember correctly I got my mic from Thomann.de as they were the cheapest provider at the time but that was a while ago! 

 

Also i've had a truly 100% plug and play experience with the scarlett interfaces across windows, mac and linux so that's always nice

[IAR117]

Headphones Sennheisser HD598SR- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD-598SR-Over-Ear-Headphone/dp/B06WLGRYSF/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503591353&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=sennhesiier+hd+598

Mic+Free game Blue Yeti USB Blackout and free Watch Dogs 2. Actually getting the game makes it a little cheaper so no brainer there- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B071P9XD42?th=1

And you have money left over or you can get a FiiO E10K AMP to make headphones sound better but it'll go a little over budget- https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1503591147&sr=1-1&keywords=dac+amp

[AAJoe]

So first, you really do not want to place a desktop mic on the desk you're typing on/mousing on. It's just going to pick up any noise traveling through the desk. If you have some kind of setup where it can be freestanding and not on a surface you're touching you should be ok.

 

No to shill my own brand here but ModMic doesn't need a shock mount since it is mounted to your headset  You will need the USB adapter though since you don't have a 12v audio interface or similar. See my signature for info!  

[bluefoxalex]

On 24/08/2017 at 6:04 PM, AAJoe said:

So first, you really do not want to place a desktop mic on the desk you're typing on/mousing on. It's just going to pick up any noise traveling through the desk. If you have some kind of setup where it can be freestanding and not on a surface you're touching you should be ok.

 

No to shill my own brand here but ModMic doesn't need a shock mount since it is mounted to your headset  You will need the USB adapter though since you don't have a 12v audio interface or similar. See my signature for info!  

Not to shill his brand but mod mic is genuinely a great solution if you don't need studio level audio quality, if you're just going to be using it to chat to people on discord you can't go wrong with one  I plan on getting one as soon as I scrape some money together (or get a job, whichever comes first) because it removes the hassle of having a boom arm in front of me when I'm just playing games with friends!