PC Gaming Microphone and Headset Recommendations

I am looking for a decent headset with a decent mic for playing games but I don't really know what to look for.playing Team Fortress 2 and other PC games, I have found one that's called Steelsound 5H V2 Professional Gaming Headset

Does anyone have experience with this Headset? Any Recommendations? I found them for 65 and 12 bucks shipping and I am really tempted to go for it.

They look really good and reviews are pretty good for them, but any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks

I've been playing with a siberia steelseries one thats pretty good for a month now.

I've got the Microsoft Lifechat LX-3000 and I quite like it. Good sound quality, nice microphone, adjustable volume and mute. Also the mouthpiece is quite long which is great for fatheads like me.

IMAGE(http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/im.php/width/640/im/3573_07_Microsoft_LifeChat_LX-3000.jpg)

It's also pretty cheap.

I have a $19 headset/microphone my wife got me at Radio Shack. Despite what you'd expect, it sounds terrific and people understand me fine on ventrilo.

(note- by "terrific" I mean by the audio standards of what you'd find with a I-pod, not what a high-end audiophile would call terrific listening to a CD or LP)

I've always been happy with my Logitech Internet Chat headsets. They run about $15. I recently got a little higher end Logitech set that was about $20-25, and it's great too.

I generally do fine. If you're playing stealthers or want perfect "position" sounds, they probably won't do the trick, but for TF2 and HalfLife, they're fine for me.

Lothar, i have the Steelsound V2, and it's very good. The only knock i have is that i think the mic is a little on the quiet side. It's very comfortable, and i like the separate volume controls on the cord. The mic is cool in the way you can slide it back into the earpiece so its out of the way when you dont need it. It's not great on the bass side, so music isn't its forte. But i'd recommend it.

I'm using the Plantronics .Audio 350 PC Ultimate Performance Headset, I love it. its great for music and playing games it also has the adjustable volume button on the cord and its not very pricey. around $30 definitely recommend it

Are you guys using the Steel Series Siberia Neckband headphones? Where did you buy them? I can only find them for sale in the UK.

Draco wrote:

Are you guys using the Steel Series Siberia Neckband headphones? Where did you buy them? I can only find them for sale in the UK.

No, I'm using the old Icemat Headset thst replaced by the Steelseries(not headband).

That site doesn't say whether it works with Xbox Live.

Isn't the thread about PC headsets? I don't think anything suggested so far will work with Xbox Live, unless you're talking about GFW Live.

Seconded. I've got one that is very comfortable for long sessions with or without glasses on underneath it. The sound quality is very good (I'm no audiophile, but I prefer these by leaps and bounds over the logitech internet chat set that came w/ UT2k4.

I just picked up an X-Fi card at a Compusa that is shutting down and I'm considering picking up a pair of low-end Grado cans when I can make room in my budget. I think it will be an interesting comparison. The Sennheiser PC-151, if I recall correctly, have a sound that is pretty similar to the Sennheiser 457: their entry level cans. Another plus about the PC-151 is that they are quite durable. I went through several sets of 457's a year, but these have lasted 3 years now.

I always thought the sound quality on headsets are pretty bad from my experiences. So here is what I do:

Headphones: Sennheiser Hd280 Pro
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...

Mic: Logitech mic
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...

Great sound + Noise cancellation

I became frustrated with having a surround capable sound card that I couldn't use because I was always using a headset to keep from annoying the wife, so I picked up this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...
The sound quality is good (the built in amp is a little noisy, but not really noticible) and the mic works well with TS. Having surround available in TF2 is certainly a plus.

But you do need a good sound card to drive it.

The Sennheiser Hd280 Pro's are awesome. I've had mine for over 2 years now.

I decided this was worth resurrecting for one reason: This.

Like Sennheisers? Want a headset? Done.

They're like 280 pro's with a built in mic. Yes please.

Someone posted them in another thread recently and I couldn't help but mention them in a thread that might get them more attention.

I need 280 dollars.

And a new pair of pants.

Sinatar wrote:

I've got the Microsoft Lifechat LX-3000 and I quite like it. Good sound quality, nice microphone, adjustable volume and mute. Also the mouthpiece is quite long which is great for fatheads like me.

IMAGE(http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/im.php/width/640/im/3573_07_Microsoft_LifeChat_LX-3000.jpg)

It's also pretty cheap.

Seconded. I bought this to replace a busted Logitec headset. The mic is flexible, has a good "put"-guard so you will not be heard mouthbreathing. The ear cups are large enough to go over the ears(not mashing your ears into the side of your head, and soft enough to be comfortable for longer stints.

The quality is also top notch. It is no DJ mixing set to be sure, but for similarly priced products for Turtle Beach, Plantronics, etc. This is a fine choice. The mic sounds great. It has a fast and easy mute/volume control button. This comes in handy if you are in the middle of a game, so folks do not hear you pay the pizza guy or talk on the phone.

My one gripe is that the chord is a good 6 inches shorter than most other headsets out there. So the location of your PC may pose problems.

Anyone have a USB one?
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-166-Multimedia-Headset/dp/B000H0IDUW/ref=pd_bbs_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1215635937&sr=8-3

How well is that supported by games? As in when I plug it in, suddenly, my system has 2 mics. Is it handled? My front panel audio ports are dead, but USB is working fine.

Is the quality of the sound better or worse than the onboard realtec stuff?

Thanks

That was the headset I originally bought. I really like the USB adapter for it.

You just plug it in, and you have another sound device in Windows; it has the drivers it needs already. Windows will default to using the new 'soundcard' for all audio, so you go into Sound and Audio Devices, and change your default Audio device to be your soundcard or motherboard, and your default Voice device to be the Sennheiser adapter. Your sound will work just as it has, and stuff that uses the native Windows voice chat facilities will automatically go through the headset.

With Ventrilo, I found I had to point it directly at the Sennheiser myself; it didn't pick up on the Windows settings. But Steam uses the Windows settings fine.

That headset didn't, unfortunately, last me very long; the cord pulled out of the headset after maybe six weeks. So I've been using other headsets since with the excellent USB adapter. I probably could have gotten it fixed for free, but a new headset was only $15.

Plantronics has a clearance section with a bunch of headsets that work nicely with the Sennheiser adapter for between $6 and $9.

found a Plantronics 770 USB for 50$

Malor wrote:

You just plug it in, and you have another sound device in Windows; it has the drivers it needs already. Windows will default to using the new 'soundcard' for all audio, so you go into Sound and Audio Devices, and change your default Audio device to be your soundcard or motherboard, and your default Voice device to be the Sennheiser adapter. Your sound will work just as it has, and stuff that uses the native Windows voice chat facilities will automatically go through the headset.

Think I want to go w/ the USB. Does sound still come out of the normal onboard as well? It works fine for normal use, and I just turn off the speakers when I have the headset on.

The Sennheiser PC 350's are on sale on Amazon right now for $170. If I weren't already hip deep in research for an entirely different large purchase or two I'd already have ordered a set.

Thin_J wrote:

The Sennheiser PC 350's are on sale on Amazon right now for $170. If I weren't already hip deep in research for an entirely different large purchase or two I'd already have ordered a set.

Just saw that. Great.

Might have to do more economy stimulation...

This is just pushing back the 360 purchase. Its ok I suppose. Barely have enough time in the day for TF2.

So I am also in the market for a new headset and I've narrowed it down to this Turtle Beach 5.1 headset recommended upthread and this Sennheiser PC166. I will be using the headset mostly for playing FPSes and listening to music.

Does 5.1 work well enough in a headset to justify buying the Turtle Beach one? That headset also needs an AC adapter which might be annoying. I don't need another cord in my life for my cat to chew on.

Thoughts?

5.1 headphones are pretty much pure marketing. Sure there's 5 little drivers in there, but that doesn't help you place sounds. A good set of stereo headphones give you positional cues just as well as any 5.1 set.

So it looks like a major diff between Sennheiser PC166 and the 350 besides the price is that the 350 is around the ears, while the 166 rests on them.

Assuming that there is something else as well, but hate having squished ears.

So I ended up buying the Sennheiser PC166. I'll report back to you all on how it turns out for me.

Thin_J wrote:

5.1 headphones are pretty much pure marketing. Sure there's 5 little drivers in there, but that doesn't help you place sounds. A good set of stereo headphones give you positional cues just as well as any 5.1 set.

QFT! If you think about it, we have two ears (stereo sound) and do a fine job of audio-location.

taer wrote:

So it looks like a major diff between Sennheiser PC166 and the 350 besides the price is that the 350 is around the ears, while the 166 rests on them.

Assuming that there is something else as well, but hate having squished ears.

The build quality and the quality of the transducters will be higher w/ the 350. You'll be able to hear details more clearly. I have a set of PC 150's that are very comfortable and sound great, but they pale in comparison to real headphones. When it comes time to replace them I'll be torn between the 350s and quality stereoheadphones + using my webcam mic for voice.

Well, I got the 350s. They'll arrive on my b-day. Perfect timing. Let you know what I think when they're attached.

I've always been happy with my Logitech Internet Chat headsets. They run about $15. I recently got a little higher end Logitech set that was about $20-25, and it's great too.

For anyone looking for a set of ultraportable headphones, stay away from the Logitech 'Premium' Notebook Headset. The set looks and feels great, but the sound is absolutely horrible.