Headset recommendations for TF2/General Gaming

[OmgOhnoes]

Alright, so my 2nd set of Razer Barracuda's crapped out (my head is too big apparently) after 3 years so i'm in the market for a new (primarily) gaming headset. Note that i do use it to watch movies sometimes but typically only when my speakers would be too loud for the neighbors.

I've narrowed it down to the Logitech G35 or the Corsair HS1(A). The "A" model standing for analog.

I'm looking for anyone who has either of these models and can give me their thoughts on it.

Most reviews seem to say the HS1 is much more comfortable but the mic is sub par for noise cancellation. The USB version, however, is better overall than their Analog model.

The G35 seems to be the more tried and true model but is less comfortable especially for prolonged periods of time due to the pleather ear covers.

Any thoughts? I can always spend more on a set but if i can get something on par or better than my Barracuda's then i will likely be happy (as long as it's not costing me an arm and a leg).

Thanks!

[Clay Pigeon]

I've been using the Koss QZ-99 headphones for around 5 years now. You'd have to buy a deskmic, but the qz-99s are very forgiving for people with large heads and/or large ears, and they have a metal frame, so their frames don't snap/crack like the cheap, overpriced plastic products some people are fond of recommending. They also have passive noise cancellation.


Addendum: I have a huge head, and I broke the three prior pairs of headphones I owned just from the strain of putting them on/taking them off.

[One_Medic_Army]

I'm using a Plantronics Gamecom closed ear headset, very comfy, good sound/mic quality as far as I can tell. Had em about 6 months now and no complaints.
$25 at amazon when I got them, so was a good deal.
Reviews say that eventually might have an issue with them mechanically, so I haven't used them to fend off any wild animals.

[TACOBELL]

I use the g930 which is the wireless version of the g35. no uncomfortable issues and mine are on 8-10 hours a day.

[EmbraceThePing]

If your after something that will give you surround sound on your movies/supported games then the turtle beach z6a's would rock.
http://www.turtlebeach.com/products/pc- ... e-z6a.aspx
At just a smidge over $80 they aren't too heavy on the pocket either.
http://www.amazon.com/TBS-2214-Headset- ... B0056L959K

I've currently got a pair of Plantronics Gamecon 777 open cup phones and I can't recommend them at all.
After about a year they broke (epoxy glue and 'lecky tape' to the rescue) as they rely on the flexibility of the plastic headband to fit your head in. The plastic only bends so many times. Other than that they were very comy and had resonable sound for gaming phones.

[Clay Pigeon]

>surround sound headphones

rage gorrila.jpg

No, just no. It's better to have 1 pair of good drivers than 6 pairs of tiny craptacular drivers.

I'd post the guide image regarding headphones, but it contains language that doesn't conform to the ville's rules.

[Checkm8]

I'm using a Plantronics Gamecom closed ear headset, very comfy, good sound/mic quality as far as I can tell. Had em about 6 months now and no complaints.
$25 at amazon when I got them, so was a good deal.
Reviews say that eventually might have an issue with them mechanically, so I haven't used them to fend off any wild animals.

I used these for awhile and then the microphone broke. It was replaced under warranty but I still upgraded to the Gamecom 777. They are opened ear with dolby digital surround sound. They are plastic though so durability may be an issue if you gots the big noggin. So far, I enjoy them. I literally hear everything which comes in quite handy in L4D2 and tank detection. You'd have to google them for pricing but I think I payed around 70 bucks a little while back.

[OmgOhnoes]

I use the g930 which is the wireless version of the g35. no uncomfortable issues and mine are on 8-10 hours a day.

You don't find the area around your ears getting sweaty etc?

I was looking at the g930 as well but figure there's no point on going wireless.

[OmgOhnoes]

If your after something that will give you surround sound on your movies/supported games then the turtle beach z6a's would rock.
http://www.turtlebeach.com/products/pc- ... e-z6a.aspx
At just a smidge over $80 they aren't too heavy on the pocket either.
http://www.amazon.com/TBS-2214-Headset- ... B0056L959K

I've currently got a pair of Plantronics Gamecon 777 open cup phones and I can't recommend them at all.
After about a year they broke (epoxy glue and 'lecky tape' to the rescue) as they rely on the flexibility of the plastic headband to fit your head in. The plastic only bends so many times. Other than that they were very comy and had resonable sound for gaming phones.

Unfortunately the z6a isn't available up here (no stock or ETA on new stock) and are priced at 100 (which isn't a major issue).

Am looking at other products in their line though, thank you for the suggestion.

[TACOBELL]

I use the g930 which is the wireless version of the g35. no uncomfortable issues and mine are on 8-10 hours a day.

You don't find the area around your ears getting sweaty etc?

I was looking at the g930 as well but figure there's no point on going wireless.

i dont have that problem at all. could be different for some people but i dont have that issue. biscuit has the same headset as me you should ask him if it does it to him

[Dirty Dan]

Headsets are such ripoffs. I have the sennheiser PC350, and while they do work and the mic sounds good the audio quality is absolutely terrible for the price point. You can get sennheiser HD280s for less than $100 (but they're just headphones) and they sound twice as good and have a much sturdier build. I tried my sister's high end $300 set and they still don't sound as good as $80 headphones, much less my high end Denon D2000s, which still cost less. /rant

[bluntspoon]

I had the usb version of the Corsair but I had to send them back because the mic would not play nice with my usb drivers. They sounded wonderful, but the mic never/rarely worked. This was Jan of this year. Perhaps the drivers have been fixed.

Then again, perhaps not.

http://forum.corsair.com/v2/showthread.php?t=93976

[Mortis462]

I also have the Logitech g930s and greatly enjoy them. I have no issues with sweaty ears at all and they are MUCH more comfortable than my old GameCom 777's. I would defiantly recommend the Logitech's.

[OmgOhnoes]

Thanks everyone for your feedback and recommendations/comments.

After a bit of research and excluding them and then re-including them i've decided to go with Turtle Beach DX11's hoping that the common complaint of "hissing" will not actually occur on a PC (seems to be Xbox oriented).

My shortlist changed to the DX11, DPX21 and AX720's after i decided i wanted the option for optical input (for hardware such as the ATV2).

DPX21's seem to have worse ear cups than the DX11 and comfort was more critical for long gaming sessions. AX720's seem to be a decent competitor but the proprietary amplifier was not something i wanted to get into. At least with the DSS add on for the Turtle Beaches i can technically use any headphone in the future and thus add optical as an option as well.

So yeah, picking them up today since they are on sale at NCIX and will post an update when i have done a few longer gaming sessions with them.

Thanks again!

[OmgOhnoes]

So i received a PM reminding me i have yet to make a "review" update to this thread.

Truth be told i haven't done everything i wanted to with the headphones yet but i have done some gaming sessions so i'll give you my thoughts on that area.

The headphones themselves are very light, especially compared to my old set.

They do feel like they are made of cheap plastic (texture wise) but seem to be very solid and i haven't had any issues on that front.


There are two things that bug me particularly:

1. When you speak into the mic it will echo it through the earphones. I don't particularly like this but it's not a deal breaker - just irritating.

2. This one is harder to explain. Anyone with decent hearing knows that when you turn on any type of speaker and there's no sound going through it you can still hear the speaker is on. This is basically the case with any set of headphones but i find it particularly loud with this set. You don't notice it once you are playing the game but i expect it will be irritating during movies and whatnot.

Other "issues" i've had with it are less of a problem but i'll mention just in case.

The design is such that the headphones swivel on the headband but will not lay flat. This could be an issue for people who like to lay them on their chest around the back of their neck or are looking for easy storage. The DSS digital amplifier also adds a lot of wires to the system so that could be an issue for storage as well.

The cup depth is fairly deep, about half an inch give or take (specs say the actual depth). I have had discomfort from pressure on my ears but it was after 8 or so hours of almost straight gaming. Pretty much any headphone set i've owned has caused this problem. I guess i just have large ears BUT i am certainly glad i didn't go with the TurtleBeach DPX21's because they have a shallower cup depth.


What i like:

They are light and comfortable.

I don't feel as though i'm going to break them.

The mic adjusts anywhich way you like and seems to be fairly clear from what i've heard. My team mates can pipe in here as to what it sounds like on their end.

I don't find my ears getting hot with them on.

There is a good balance between external noise muffling but still hearing what you need to hear in your environment. IE they aren't totally immersive and i can tell if my dinner is destroying my stove top.

The overall sound direction and quality is acceptable to me. It's on par with my old set and i can pinpoint where people are at which is what i was buying them for.



I should add that i am using the digital output from my motherboard even though i have a high quality sound card. I had sound quality issues with the sound card out and didn't find the 7.1 was very functional. The digital output was extremely easy to setup and provided a better quality sound.


If you have any more specific questions feel free to ask and i'll reply as best i can.

I'll update the thread again after i've tested it with TV and Movies