MasterDex Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 So, for a long time now, Excel_excel and I have been pining for new headsets and I think it's about time we figured out what to get. Just five minutes into looking and I see this: Steelseries Siberia I've heard a lot of good things about the Steelseries range but before I set my mind on it and convince Excel to do the same, I want to hear from the rest of ye. We're looking for something in the €50 range that's good quality and long-lasting. So, what say ye? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 I currently have a Plantronics... something something (G77?) Was recommended by RPS and it's pretty good. Really big ear cups so my ears aren't crushed under the padding, the volume control is a nice chunky well made disc thing, and the mic folds out quite well. Good price too. edit: 367 edit2: 377 that I have. Slight difference in the type of speaker. The one I have has less sound dampening, so not good if you're wanting to be quite (I'm on my tod, doesn't matter) but get richer sounds. RPs recommended the 777 but that was a fair bit out of my price range and I'm still sceptical of 5.1 surround headsets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luftwaffles Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 Just looking at your link I assume you mean headphones + mic, but correct me if I'm wrong. Are you 100% sold on headsets? I'm a bit of an audiophile myself so I went with a combination of these Shure headphones plus a $30 USB Logitech desktop mic and I'm actually really surprised at how good the mic is. Even leaning back in my chair and mumbling at about 2.5 feet from the mic I still come through crystal clear on the other end. It's actually surprisingly good with the TV in the background as well. I don't actually have any headset suggestions if you are dead set on one, but I definitely wouldn't rule out good headphone + microphone combos either. I feel like a lot of headsets skimp on the headphone set of them and sound quality isn't great because of it. If you're actually looking for just headphones, well, disregard that I guess but I'd highly recommend those Shures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 On 8/27/2011 at 3:00 AM, Sporkwaffles said: Just looking at your link I assume you mean headphones + mic, but correct me if I'm wrong. That would be what a headset is As for a headphones n desktop mic set-up I know Johnny is pretty dead set on that combination over a headset anyday. Says built-in mics are crappy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luftwaffles Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 On 8/27/2011 at 3:04 AM, Deanb said: On 8/27/2011 at 3:00 AM, Sporkwaffles said: Just looking at your link I assume you mean headphones + mic, but correct me if I'm wrong. That would be what a headset is As for a headphones n desktop mic set-up I know Johnny is pretty dead set on that combination over a headset anyday. Says built-in mics are crappy. Right I was just wondering because what he linked was just headphones, no mic included. I'm definitely all for the headphones + mic as well, but more for headphone sound quality and less for mic quality. I know pretty much nothing about mics honestly, but that cheapass Logitech has worked wonders for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDex Posted August 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 (edited) Gah! G'damn! Shows how well I actually looked at the product before linking it. I thought that was a bit on the cheap side for a SteelSeries headset. But yeah, headset is what I'm looking for, my desk is always pretty full so not sure a desktop mic would be my best option. I'm not looking for anything top of the line but a nice headset with decent quality at a fair price. My biggest factor is durability. Every headset I've had so far has eventually went due to the wires. @Dean: That looks like a nice headset but the cord looks very small in that picture. Is that an issue? Edit: Just checked out the prices of the Plantronics headset on Dabs, seems very reasonable. Even the 777 is just a scratch over €50. I think we have a contender! Edited August 27, 2011 by MasterDex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 The cord is small in the picture so that it can fit all in the picture. It's called photoshop. It's about *gets out tape measure* 8 feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDex Posted August 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 On 8/27/2011 at 3:32 AM, Deanb said: The cord is small in the picture so that it can fit all in the picture. It's called photoshop. It's about *gets out tape measure* 8 feet. Haha, yeah, I figured it was a photoshop job. The 777 has the cord at 2.9 metres so that's plenty long for my needs. Until anyone comes up with a better alternative, I think I'll be sticking with this (Sorry Spork, I like my all in one's). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 There's a few things you need to know about buying a headset. The first is that you shouldn't do it. You're paying insane prices compared to buying an equivalent pair of headphones and separate mic. Yes there are cheap headsets, but they are still bad value for the money. The price is higher than you should be shooting for if all you want is something to chat around on, and the sound quality is not good enough for professional productions - unless you've got a seriously deep wallet. Plus there's the whole "Replacing the whole thing if half of it breaks" with headsets. Now that we've established that you don't want to buy a headset, you need to figure out if you're getting a new pair of headphones, a mic or both. For headphones, my personal recommendation is the Sennheiser HD555. Great all-round headphones, does gaming and all forms of music well. A tad expensive for many, I know. I see it as an investment. For mics, I doubt any of you have use for anything fancy. If you want to conserve table space, I suggest a Zalman Mic1. You can probably find it cheaper than this, I just took the first english-language result I found on google. If taking up some space on your desk isn't a problem... Honestly, most mics above 10 dollars will do fine. It's not like the 90s and early 00s where you were likely to pick something up that would make your friends ears bleed. On 8/27/2011 at 3:04 AM, Deanb said: As for a headphones n desktop mic set-up I know Johnny is pretty dead set on that combination over a headset anyday. Says built-in mics are crappy. I see word of my arrival precedes me. Stop stealing my thunder, you ass But more important than any of that, even if you disregard my advice and go for a headset, never buy a sound product marketed to gamers. "Gaming" class sound does not mean good. Gaming class sound is when they take a 20 dollar headset, paint it black and red, and sell it for 40 or 50. This isn't like mousepads or gaming mice in that it's an industry focused on gaming devices. Razer, Steelseries and such companies are not good headphone manufacturers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDex Posted August 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 (edited) Sorry Johnny but I'm pretty set on a headset. I'm sure that buying separately would mean better quality in both departments but all I want is one half-way decent headset that I can put on and chat away with. Edited August 27, 2011 by MasterDex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faiblesse Des Sens Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 Ideally when I upgrade I want to get a nice set of cans that I can also use for music/on the go and then just get a mediocre mic. When you separate the two you seem to be able to get higher quality for less. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 @MasterDex: May I ask why? There's nothing about having a separate mic that makes it any less simple to just start skype/vent/mumble/etc. and chat away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDex Posted August 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 (edited) On 8/27/2011 at 6:18 AM, Johnny said: @MasterDex: May I ask why? There's nothing about having a separate mic that makes it any less simple to just start skype/vent/mumble/etc. and chat away. True but I know for a fact that I'd remove the mic at some point, put it somewhere and lose it, like my 360 and PS3 mics. When it's all together, I can just hang it over a speaker and I know it'll be there. I know I'm being kind of illogical but I just like the idea of a headset more than a seperate mic and headphones. That said, I will take a look at what I can get for my price range and who knows, I may even change my mind. Edited August 27, 2011 by MasterDex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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