Gaming headsets

[Lone Coyote]

@Jumpy To follow up with @Madmick advice, I suggest that, unless you're stil invested in your gear, stay away from high impedance headphones (150 ohms at most, 80 ohms preferred).

Depending on what do you game on, you will be needing at least an Amp, the budget option is 100 usd.

If a mic is needed, the only option is the modmic that goes for around 80 usd.

If you game on a PS4, you will need a DAC, to convert the signal, plus an amp, to drive the headphones, plus a mic to talk that you cannot connect to your amp and you need an specific piece of equipment that costs a bunch of money.

For a complete setup for a 300 ohm headphones, you end up spending around 500 USD, more than double of your original budget:

200 for headphones
100 for amp
100 for DAC
80 for modmic
20ish for assorted audio cables

If gaming is the only concern, stay with low impedance headphones, preferably with an in line mic and replaceable cables, you should be able to drive them with a 100 usd DAC amp combo (fiio, schiit fulla 2).

Don't read too much on this, just get one and run

 

[Jumpy]

@Madmick @Lone Coyote Thanks guys, I appreciate it.
I game on a PC, and have recently started streaming. I am going to get one of these guys
https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UM...37532772&sr=1-3&keywords=aUDIO+interface&th=1
and something like this as a mic
https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Techni..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=V50CE192GT2C742X7PXA

My current headset is an older Razr Kraken, and honestly, it's shit.

 

[Zer]

I just got my first ever 7.1's. Sades SA-903. I know I sound poor because I guess they're Chinese but they were 60% off and were decently reviewed on NewEgg and Amazon. They seem to do the job for me. it's the first time I've had surround sound and it's pretty handy. I tried it in 7 Days to Die where you always have zombies and shit creeping on you while you're mining or whatever and they saved me from a few nasty exchanges

 

[Madmick]

I just got my first ever 7.1's. Sades SA-903. I know I sound poor because I guess they're Chinese but they were 60% off and were decently reviewed on NewEgg and Amazon. They seem to do the job for me. it's the first time I've had surround sound and it's pretty handy. I tried it in 7 Days to Die where you always have zombies and shit creeping on you while you're mining or whatever and they saved me from a few nasty exchanges

So long as you have sound in both earcups in several months you should be golden. That's one of the major issues with those Chinese knock-offs, but the Sades have sold thousands of units, and they tend to be better reviewed than these other ersatz brands.

 

[90 50]

I bought a set of these Asus Ceribus a while back on sale after my g/f destroyed the cord on my old set as a quick get by set.

I’ve had them for about two months and don’t use them all that much(I don’t often game with a headset, only in MP when needing to squad converse) or if I’m in the office and need to have headphones on for some reason.

So far I’ve really liked them for the price I paid.

The sound is exceptional for thier price point imo, and they are comfortable.

I had planned on buying another nicer set a little later on and really can’t see myself doing it now.

They are “good enough” for me, to the point where I really like them.

If anyone is looking in this budget case I highly recommend these.

You can find them cheaper than this amazon link but it’s just to show which exact ones I’m talking about.

https://www.amazon.com/Headset-Headphone-Cerberus-Arctic-White/dp/B01GJZOC0I

I haven’t watched this review yet but thought it might be worth a watch.

I’ll watch it in a little bit and report back if i agree with it or not.

Was gonna watch it before posting but got to do something else right this second.

 

[erhnamdjinn]

I'm currently looking for a mid budget headset and I'm down to 3 choices.

The Hyper X Cloud 2 and the Hyper x cloud alpha

and a slightly 3rd choice Sony Gold Wireless.


Anyone have these? From youtube reviews they say the Hyper X have the best bang for there buck based on price.

 

[Madmick]

I'm currently looking for a mid budget headset and I'm down to 3 choices.

The Hyper X Cloud 2 and the Hyper x cloud alpha

and a slightly 3rd choice Sony Gold Wireless.

Anyone have these? From youtube reviews they say the Hyper X have the best bang for there buck based on price.

Cloud Alpha has superior sound, Cloud II has onboard 7.1 audio, but the list of games that offer true 7.1 support on Sony (where the headphone's sound card isn't just automatically converting a stereo signal to a virtualized 7.1 output) is incredibly limited. Still, some really like forced 7.1 no matter what:


HyperX II would also require the nuisance of the firmware update to run properly with the PS4. It requires a PC to install:
https://www.hyperxgaming.com/us/sup...ame=HyperX_Cloud_II_Firmware_Updater_Rev_0010

Rtings head to head:
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/hyperx-cloud-ii-vs-hyperx-cloud-alpha/502/627

Amazon comparison sheet:

You'll see comments online suggesting the Alpha is too high impedance to be driven by the PS4 controller, but that argument makes no sense in favor of the HyperX II, because they are both too high impedance to be ideal for connecting to the PS4 controller itself (Alpha= 65 ohms; II = 60 ohms). If you want to connect directly to the PS4 you probably would get better voltage, but that would be a miserable wired anchor for most, and that would only be an option for the II out-of-the-box. I find this theoretical argument nitpicky because I've used the original HyperX Cloud via Controller with the PS4, and it's plenty loud. If you want to get hardcore you can just buy an external Amp/DAC combo, but once again, you're dealing with an anchor issue, and aren't just free to move about with the controller in your hands. Still, it's a fair argument. These headsets aren't really designed for this limited power source.

Thus, Kingston has come out with a version of the HyperX Cloud designed specifically for the PS4 with a lower impedance (41 ohms). If you only intend to use these with a PS4 this is probably your best option as a matter of sound. Sony Gold is really a bit of a different beast. It's truly wireless, and isn't a cross-platform headset. The HyperX headsets are really PC-focused headsets that are versatile enough for compatibility across platforms. So if pure PS4 I'd suggest the Hyper X Cloud PS4 for sound, and Sony Gold for the convenience of true wireless:
https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-Entertainment/dp/B07FFK13RY

If you bounce between PC and PS4 the Cloud Alpha is my recommendation.

 

[Madmick]

BTW, just posted earlier today by Linus:



Electrostatic earbuds? FFS...

 

[erhnamdjinn]

Thanks @Madmick so both cloud headphones are not good on the ps4? I tried checking the one specifically made for the ps4 and it seemed cheap.

I dont really have a gaming pc and will only use this on my phone or ps4

 

[Madmick]

Thanks @Madmick so both cloud headphones are not good on the ps4? I tried checking the one specifically made for the ps4 and it seemed cheap.

I dont really have a gaming pc and will only use this on my phone or ps4

No, they're all very, very good. It isn't that they aren't good. It's just that they aren't ideal because they aren't designed to be driven by the PS4 controller. They are designed for higher-end setups with a more stable power supply; not that 60-65 ohms is terribly high impedance. Don't expect that to mean the Sony Gold to offer better sound on the PS4 platform because it's a wireless $100 headphone. They are all great options, but for different reasons.

The one made specifically for the PS4 is quite similar to the HyperX Cloud and HyperX Cloud II. The difference between those was the expanded audio control box, USB input, and 7.1 onboard sound card in the latter. Otherwise they were identical.

The PS4 version is just a variant they engineered specifically to run more optimally with the PS4 & its controller. Thus, it has a lower impedance, and understandably a lower sound pressure level (95db vs. 98db). It offers stereo sound like the first variant of the HyperX Cloud, and also the Cloud Alpha. Beyond that: same detachable mic, same construction with an aluminum frame, same dynamic 53mm drivers, same frequency response, same THD. It's actually a bit heavier than the II (337g vs 320g).
https://www.hyperxgaming.com/us/headsets/cloud-gaming-headset-for-ps4
vs.
https://www.hyperxgaming.com/datasheets/HSCP_en.pdf

Press release for the PS4 variant:
https://www.hyperxgaming.com/us/company/press/article/45011

HyperX Announces Its First Licensed PlayStation®4 Gaming Headset
New HyperX Cloud for PS4 Brings One of the Most Comfortable Headsets to Console Players

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. – August 6, 2018 – HyperX, the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., today announced the HyperX Cloud for PlayStation®4 (PS4™) gaming headset. Officially licensed by Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, the new headset is designed specifically for PlayStation 4 gamers with complementary PlayStation 4 blue color accents, and HyperX comfort.

HyperX Cloud is platform compatible with PlayStation 4, while offering 53mm drivers for high quality sound, and an aluminum frame for durability. It also features a detachable microphone for in-game chat while gaming and can be removed for mobile music, games and video. Meanwhile, competitive gamers can enjoy HyperX’s Signature Memory Foam, soft leatherette cushions, and an adjustable headband for ultimate comfort.

“HyperX is excited to work with an industry leader to deliver our first PlayStation 4 licensed gaming headset as we seek to expand our support for the console gaming market,” said Andrew Ewing, console products business manager, HyperX. “Now is a great time to engage a massive console audience that plays on millions of PlayStation 4 consoles across North America and Europe.”

HyperX Cloud for the PS4 system is now available at Best Buy and on Amazon for $79.99 MSRP. For more information on Cloud for PS4 headsets and updated availability, please visit the HyperX webpage.

North America Launch: HX-HCLS-BL/AM - Americas
European Launch: HX-HCLS-BL/EM - EMEA, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, India

Specifications
Headphone

• Driver: Dynamic, 53mm with neodymium magnets
• Type: Circum-aural, Closed back
• Frequency Response: 15Hz–25,000 Hz
• Impedance: 41 Ω
• Sound pressure level: 95dBSPL/mW at 1kHz
• T.H.D.: < 2%
• Weight: 325g
• Weight w/ mic: 337g
• Cable length and type: Headset (1.3m)
• Connection: Headset - 3.5mm plug (4 pole)
• Microphone
• Element: Electret condenser microphone
• Polar pattern: Noise-cancelling
• Frequency response: 50Hz-18,000 Hz
• Sensitivity: -39dBV (0dB=1V/Pa,1kHz)

About HyperX
HyperX is the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the world’s largest independent memory manufacturer, with the goal of providing gamers, PC builders, and power users with high-performance components. For 15 years, the HyperX mission has been to develop gaming products for gamers – high-speed memory, solid state drives, headsets, keyboards, mice, USB flash drives, and mouse pads – to the gaming community and beyond. The award-winning HyperX brand has carved its name atop the leaderboard by consistently delivering products that deliver superior comfort, aesthetics, performance, and reliability. HyperX gear is the choice of pro gamers, tech enthusiasts, and overclockers worldwide because it meets the most stringent product specifications and is built with best-in-class components. HyperX has shipped over 5 million headsets worldwide.

If you intend to use your headphones with your smartphone you don't want the PS4 variant, or the Sony Gold. Of these, you probably want the Cloud Alpha. It is cross-platform, but unlike the Cloud II, it has a 3.5mm input for mobile, not a full-sized USB, so it will play nicer with phones that still have a headphone jack. The HyperX headphones don't have bluetooth, though, and mobile platforms are an afterthought. I don't see any companion apps on those platforms for any of these headphones, either. Trust the 3.5mm jack for reliability.

It takes more guesswork to place the sound quality of the Sony Gold, since it is wireless, but if I had to predict and rank their sound quality on an absolute scale if in their ideal environments:

Cloud Alpha > Cloud II > Cloud PS4 > Sony Gold

But hooked into a PS4 controller I'd estimate (I can't intelligently place predict the Gold's placement):

Cloud PS4 > Cloud II > Cloud Alpha

 

[erhnamdjinn]

No, they're all very, very good. It isn't that they aren't good. It's just that they aren't ideal because they aren't designed to be driven by the PS4 controller. They are designed for higher-end setups with a more stable power supply; not that 60-65 ohms is terribly high impedance. Don't expect that to mean the Sony Gold to offer better sound on the PS4 platform because it's a wireless $100 headphone. They are all great options, but for different reasons.

The one made specifically for the PS4 is quite similar to the HyperX Cloud and HyperX Cloud II. The difference between those was the expanded audio control box, USB input, and 7.1 onboard sound card in the latter. Otherwise they were identical.

The PS4 version is just a variant they engineered specifically to run more optimally with the PS4 & its controller. Thus, it has a lower impedance, and understandably a lower sound pressure level (95db vs. 98db). It offers stereo sound like the first variant of the HyperX Cloud, and also the Cloud Alpha. Beyond that: same detachable mic, same construction with an aluminum frame, same dynamic 53mm drivers, same frequency response, same THD. It's actually a bit heavier than the II (337g vs 320g).
https://www.hyperxgaming.com/us/headsets/cloud-gaming-headset-for-ps4
vs.
https://www.hyperxgaming.com/datasheets/HSCP_en.pdf

Press release for the PS4 variant:
https://www.hyperxgaming.com/us/company/press/article/45011


If you intend to use your headphones with your smartphone you don't want the PS4 variant, or the Sony Gold. Of these, you probably want the Cloud Alpha. It is cross-platform, but unlike the Cloud II, it has a 3.5mm input for mobile, not a full-sized USB, so it will play nicer with phones that still have a headphone jack. The HyperX headphones don't have bluetooth, though, and mobile platforms are an afterthought. I don't see any companion apps on those platforms for any of these headphones, either. Trust the 3.5mm jack for reliability.

It takes more guesswork to place the sound quality of the Sony Gold, since it is wireless, but if I had to predict and rank their sound quality on an absolute scale if in their ideal environments:

Cloud Alpha > Cloud II > Cloud PS4 > Sony Gold

But hooked into a PS4 controller I'd estimate (I can't intelligently place predict the Gold's placement):

Cloud PS4 > Cloud II > Cloud Alpha

Thanks for the great breakdown @Madmick , I'm really leaning now towards the Alpha or cloud 2 . The PS4 Hyper x one I dont think is on sale here although I think they sell it in one of our local brick and mortar stores, while the Alpha and Cloud 2 will be on sale online next week so I might make my purchase then.

 

[erhnamdjinn]

was browsing for more info and saw this

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-ps4-headset/

 

[Madmick]

was browsing for more info and saw this

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-ps4-headset/

Wirecutter writes good stuff. That review precedes the launch of the PS4 variant, but if they like it even more than the original, then that would be enough to settle my mind, and go with the Alpha. That's the best headset, here, after all, on an absolute scale, and with the 3.5mm jack, more immediately universal than the II. It also scores the Tom's Guide recommendation for the best headset under $100 in 2018.

If there's anything the gaming community has learned over the past half decade it's that you can't go wrong with a HyperX headset.

 

[erhnamdjinn]

Wirecutter writes good stuff. That review precedes the launch of the PS4 variant, but if they like it even more than the original, then that would be enough to settle my mind, and go with the Alpha. That's the best headset, here, after all, on an absolute scale, and with the 3.5mm jack, more immediately universal than the II. It also scores the Tom's Guide recommendation for the best headset under $100 in 2018.

If there's anything the gaming community has learned over the past half decade it's that you can't go wrong with a HyperX headset.

Thanks again i'll keep that in mind should be buying next week.

 

[Strychnine]

Been mulling this one over... What say you all?

 

[erhnamdjinn]

the Alpha's finally arrived after 2 weeks, Havent tried them out as its for Xmas, I just found out you can buy the 7.1 sound card separate and use it on the Alpha basically making it a better Cloud 2.

 

[Madmick]

the Alpha's finally arrived after 2 weeks, Havent tried them out as its for Xmas, I just found out you can buy the 7.1 sound card separate and use it on the Alpha basically making it a better Cloud 2.

You can do that with any headset. This is why among the headfi enthusiasts you see chatter of external DAC/Amps combos to power the headphones. The DAC functions effectively as an external, high-end discrete sound card, and the amp is a mediator which also delivers more stable power which is particularly important to high-impedance headphones.

This is what Ninja does with his Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro headphones, for example. He runs them through Creative's flagship soundcard which they have combined with a powerful amp in a discrete DAC/Amp combo: the Creative X7. It runs $300.

Spoiler: Creative Sound Blaster X7

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-X7-...6280&sr=8-3&keywords=creative+soundblaster+x7

But this tends to popular with PC gamers, not Console gamers, and the explanation for why is the downside: drivers. Everything depends on drivers. The HyperX 7.1 dongle is poor man's surround:

THE BAD
Let’s get the negatives out of the way first.

This doesn’t show up as a 7.1 device in Windows, so many games will only send it stereo. And the PS4 also only sends it stereo, as all USB devices are limited to stereo on that system.

Here’s photographic proof from my Windows machine:

Now, it’s possible for games to take a different route in Windows 10, and send 7.1 channels through software instead of looking at the hardware. This is how the handshake process for Dolby Atmos and Windows Sonic works. But not every game supports this.

And from what I can tell, the HyperX dongle doesn’t do this at all.

So you’re basically scaling up stereo to 7.1, regardless of what game you’re playing…unless you’re playing one of the few games that allows you to force 7.1 output.

With a forced 7.1, the dongle doesn’t work that well. Surround channels are muddled and not placed all that well…once again leading me to the conclusion that this thing is designed to upmix stereo, and that’s it.

On the plus side, it does this pretty well.

Center channel information is untouched, leaving dialogue intelligible. Certain mid and low frequency ranges are boosted, and the further they are to the left and right, the further they’re pushed out into virtual side/surround channels. Basically, they’re taking critical game information like footsteps, boosting it, and then pushing it further out to the “sides.”

It doesn’t sound that great in music. You can hear the EQ profile dramatically change the nature of the music and overboost the mids. But in games…it’s pretty good, actually. More about that below!

What this means is the headset is taking input from the game, which is 2-channel stereo sound, and artificially breaking it up and re-routing it through 8 channels (7.1). That isn't genuine 7.1 sound, or what I'll call "source 7.1 sound". Instead, this is virtual 7.1 sound. This can be confusing, so let's parse something briefly.

There are almost zero "true" 7.1 headphones in existence, and the ones they made were a failed experiment. This is because unlike your room full of speakers, all of the sound in headphones comes from the two coils: one on each side of your head. You don't have a center speaker, 2 front speakers, 2 side speakers, 2 back speakers, and a subwoofer. You don't have 8 different physical sources of sound in your headphones. So all 7.1 sound for headphones is virtual in this sense.

The desirable 7.1 headphone sound is "source 7.1 sound". This means the source signal-- the game's audio-- is being delivered to your headphones in 7.1 channels. It was designed by the game developers with the deliberate intent of creating a virtual 7.1 surround effect using your headphone's intrinsically stereo physical setup. That's what the Reddit list I copied in post #208 for the official Sony Gold headphones tells you. Those are the only games currently on the PS4 designed with source 7.1 sound. The effect is virtual, but the source is not.

The undesirable 7.1 headphone sound is "virtual 7.1 sound". The effect is virtual, and so is the source. This is what the Medium article is describing for the HyperX 7.1 driver. It's artificially, on the fly, chopping up 2-channel sound and trying to deliver it in the same form as the source 7.1, but this tends to deliver muddled sound that is worse than if it just kept it in stereo. If it wasn't designed in a specific and careful way to create the virtual 7.1 effect it is just a mess. Furthermore, there are better and worse ways to achieve this virtualization creating a new virtual source signal depending on the raw source, and the better methods involve uncompressed raw source audio. Again, the consoles lose.

This is a great reason to choose stereo headsets when buying high-end. If the 7.1 is built-in you can't choose not to implement it, and it tends to be a gimmick. If your headphones are stereo you can choose to add 7.1 when it is appropriate.

As you can see from the above article the HyperX 7.1 dongle doesn't even play nice with Windows. PC are more likely to prefer these DAC/Amp combos because:

1. PC games are much more likely to support 7.1 sound
2. PC games and WIndows are more accommodating to the drivers in third-party sound cards; the PS4 will tend to accomodate aftermarket products designed specifically for the console, and usually only for the lucky few major manufacturers who have strong working relationships for them (ex. Turtle Beach)
3. When there isn't source 7.1 audio the uncompressed PCM sound on PCs will virtualize much more cleanly than for Consoles where everything is compressed to Dolby Digital
4. PC gamers are more likely to own high-end headphones

The PS4 supposedly added support for 7.1 with the HyperX Cloud II last October, and this should mean it casts source 7.1 sound properly to the headphones for those games in the Reddit list just as it does for its own in-house Sony Gold 7.1 Wireless headsets. Assuming this sound card is identical to the Cloud II's this should also go for it. Additionally, for other games not on that Reddit list, you still might get better positional cuing. Ultimately, the upside if that you can choose whether or not to use that $30 dongle on usage basis, and you couldn't do that with the HyperX Cloud II. So you're sitting pretty.

 

[Madmick]

Been mulling this one over... What say you all?

@nhbbear owns those. He sold his GSP 300's, and last we heard in the thread, I think he was still waiting on the GSP 600's to arrive because they were on back order.

 

[Strychnine]

@nhbbear owns those. He sold his GSP 300's, and last we heard in the thread, I think he was still waiting on the GSP 600's to arrive because they were on back order.

Oh wow! I had better get on the ball!

 

[nhbbear]

@nhbbear owns those. He sold his GSP 300's, and last we heard in the thread, I think he was still waiting on the GSP 600's to arrive because they were on back order.

I have the gsp600s. They are among the nicer gaming headsets I have owned. The turtle beach elite 800, Astro a50/40, and the rig 800s were the best that I tried of all the gaming headsets. The gsp’s Have really nice sound, my biggest issue with them are that the ear cups are too small and become uncomfortable after a time. The adjustable head band is nice, has sliding adjustable tension releases to try and make them as comfortable as possible. I just wish the earcups were bigger.




Out of all of them, my favorites are probably the rigs. The price is the most reasonable, and they are by far the most comfortable of almost any headset I have every owned, including actual headphones, with a few exceptions-hi fi 400, never dynamic, and sennheiser 598. The Astros are comfortable also.

My hifi broke as did my favorites, the phillips fidelios. They are both fixable, I just have not been able to do it yet.