Headsets!

[Eagle_Eye]

So, it's about time I got a new microphone. My current options are a stand up mic (this one) which sounds fine when I test it in teamspeak, but apparently not so great for everyone else. I also have a pair of these bad boys that I gave a try last night, but things didn't seem a whole lot better.

So, with a quick google, it seems that this guy, the HyperX Cloud, is one of the best around. (and for €70, which is about all I'm willing to spend)

I would be tempted by the HyperX Cloud 2, which is the newer version, if I could be sure it was worth it. So, does anyone have a pair of these? Or can anyone recommend me a better/alternative pair, bearing in mind that I am looking for a decent quality microphone in the bargain. Alternatively, does anyone use a good quality stand-alone mic that could be purchased for relatively cheap, because I have no problems with my headphones at the minute.

[wolfenswan]

I've been using a Steel Series Siberia v2 for a good while now. Can recommend it. The black ones appear to go for the same price as the (reduced) HyperX atm on amazon.co.uk

[Sparks]

I was planning on these based on lots and lots of very positive reviews and a nice price point, but they went EOL before I got the new job and had my spending spree. So instead I went with the Razer Blacksharks, mainly because I love the David Clark headset boom microphone design:



The headphones are pretty good, the whole rig is quite light, the only thing I'm noticing is that the bass is less warm than my Sennheiser HD-290Pros (yeah, warm is an imprecise word, but I don't have a better one - the HD290s just make you feel like you're more surrounded by the sound). But honestly, it's a small difference, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything (especially since I'm playing with my sound effects at 10% in the game anyway so I can fly helos and still hear radio comms - I really must sort out that push-to-hear mod...)

The mic does have a caveat - I'm used to putting those mics right up close to my mouth because that's what you do with them normally, but if you do it while recording with OBS, your breathing destroys your audio (and you only have the one audio track with OBS so it's not really recoverable). No problems in-game if you're not hot-mic'ing, but youtube will just see the game with a heavy breather phone call superimposed on it Stick your balled-up fist between the mic and your mouth when positioning the boom and it'll be fine.

BTW, you do have a third option - I used my Sennheisers for years with a Zalman mic clipped to the lead. The Zalman has shockingly good audio for a $7 microphone (it's as good or better than most gaming headset mics, you really have to go to broadcast quality mics to find something better), and if you already have a very good pair of Sennheisers or something similar, it's $7 for the Zalman or $200 for the Sennheiser microphone, and you get the same audio quality from both...

Also, a good pair of Sennheisers will give you a better audio experience than a cheap gaming headset. But, if you do head-tracking, you do wind up with a lot of wires, and if your headset lead is one of those coiled ones, you get a horrible tangle 0.23 seconds after plugging everything in... which is why I got the blacksharks.

[Eagle_Eye]

Cheers guys.

I'm not a big fan of the look of the Siberia v2, so I think if i go for that pricepoint I might try the HyperX Clouds.

Those Razer ones look nice sparks, and although I do use a razer mouse and keyboard, my aural budget is a little low for those guys.
On the other hand, that Zalman mic is exactly what I am looking for. I already have a few nice pairs of Sennheiser HD201s that i generally use and would like to keep if possible. Judging by reviews of the zalman it looks to be just what I am looking for, hopefully better than my current set up. I think I might take a chance and order that anyway because its so cheap along with the HyperX ones and then can be sure to get something good and have a backup.

[Sparks]

I'd order the Zalman's first - find a UK source (I used ebay for mine), you'll have it by the weekend and can try them on Sunday. If it's not up to snuff (though nobody's complained about mine so far in Folk), get the HyperX's.

[audiox]

here i was thinking i would make it through payday without ordering something from the net....

I just thought i'd chime in here and say that i have discovered that i've been put off by large headsets in their entirety. I have a set of Beyerdynamic 770 Pro's that used to be my go-to headset for gaming, but having them on for long periods of time can be really really taxing. My ears end up too enclosed, and my brain slowly, but surely melts away after a couple of hours.

When the beyerdynamic plug went haywire i started using a set of standard iPhone earplugs as an emergency substitute, and i have to say it feels much more comfortable, and it doesn't really feel worse sound-wise for gaming. Now i can play all night without my brain slowly cooking. The only real problem is that most earplugs only come with 1.2M of cable, which is a bit on the short side.

but yeah, this was perhaps a bit on the side of what you were asking, and i haven't tested how well the mic on the thing performs for TS/A3VON. i should probably test it at some point.

[Bodge]

I've been using a Steel Series Siberia v2 for a good while now. Can recommend it. The black ones appear to go for the same price as the (reduced) HyperX atm on amazon.co.uk

I second this, had mine for ages and no complaints. The things work great and are nice and lightweight.

[boberro]

As person with quite a big (but proportional!) head, and probably big (compared to Korean pro starcraft player everyone makes peripherials nowadays) ears, I was having problems when getting a headset.
Logitech G430 happens to be comfortable enough for me:
http://gaming.logitech.com/en-us/produc ... ng-headset

One problem I could find with them, is that they are gaming-oriented when it comes to sound, and they're terribly over-bassed for my liking. But again, these are gaming headphones, so for music, I can grab my head monitors plugged into audio interface.

[SuicideKing]

Is the Siberia good for music? I listen to lots of different stuff, mostly instrument heavy, and mainly 60s/70s hard rock/heavy metal/blues/progressive stuff - though I do listen to rock and roll and reggae as well (and other things too lol). If it's as good as my current thing I'll be happy, really. 50mm drivers would be really bassy I suppose?

EDIT: Is it just better to get a cheap pair of headphones for gaming and another for music?

[boberro]

IMHO that's the case, as gaming headsets like bass much too much.