Headsets: Logitech, Plantronics, & Sennheiser

[Garfield3d]

Hi everyone. Admittedly I'm a bit of a novice at headsets, so I hope my question doesn't sound too trite and basic.

I've been looking on the interweb a bit for a new headset and I feel that I've narrowed it down to 5 choices:
Plantronics Audio 90: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16826106014
Plantronics Audio 100: http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=201992588&loc=111&sp=1
Logitech Extreme PC Gaming Headset: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16826106931
Logitech Premium USB 350: http://www.buy.com/prod/Logitech_Premiu...0_w_Microphone/q/loc/101/10402024.html
Sennheiser PC150: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16826106346

(These are also the retailers that I would intend on buying from.)
Price is a bit of an issue for me. While the Sennheiser PC150's have been getting rave reviews from Anandtech's readers, it's also on the fringe of my price range ($40 with shipping). Corrollary to that, the Logitech Extreme Headset gets a big mark from me since... well, it's so cheap. And, whereas the Sennheisers are considered to be "worth their price," the Plantronics Audio 90's seem to be characterized as "very good for the price" which sounds like a fair balance between price and quality. I'm not sure how to characterize the Audio 100's and the Premium USB 350.

I've read that the PC150s have a thin wire, and that sounds like something that I could rip up in a year's worth of time. Does anyone know how durable the other headsets are?

Also, I'm not an audiophile. I'm a gamer. The purpose of a headset, for me, is a good microphone with which I can talk to others with and servicable sound quality. However, I do like to listen to music and enjoy sound and I guess those sentiments are what keep my eyes on the PC150's. I know we have some acoustic enthusiasts on these boards, but while I can tell the difference between Sennheiser MX300 ear buds as opposed to HD555 headphones, I probably couldn't find a difference between HD5xx and HD6xx series.

I imagine that we get a fair amount of these "opinion" posts from time to time, so I apologize for putting yet another one into the world. I'm just looking for past user experiences, any general advice of any length, and maybe some input on exactly how much bang for the buck these headsets are.

Thanks for reading.

--Garfield

 

[003]

Allow me to redirect you here:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/

BTW, if you're a gamer, the best thing for you, would be an Audio-Technica ATH-A500, along with a zalman clip on mic. Most (not everybody, but most) people here don't know a hoot about good headphones. Also, a little tip for you, almost all headphones with a built in mic are of poor quality, you won't get an immersive gaming experience from them.

 

[Kromis]

I bought the Logitech Extreme PC Gaming Headset awhile ago for $12.99 each (limit 2) at ChiefValue with free 3 day shipping (came in 2 days). I would say that it is pretty damn good. Although you may have to adjust it to fit your head once it awhile and you may have to "press" on to hear things REALLY good.

If you are a HARDCORE gamer, go with the Sennheiser. I believe people use that at those big LAN parties and I hear its so very godly but the price is a little steep...

 

[Nohr]

The Logitech Extreme PC Gaming headset looks just like the free one that came with the UT2004 special edition DVD. I found it uncomfortable to wear for >1 hour play sessions. They'd dig in to where they sit on my ears and would leave marks if I played a while. I wear glasses so that may be a factor. The sound quality isn't all that great, the mic is acceptable. I used them very often, daily for about 7 months, and I didn't have any durability problems.

I upgraded to the Sennheiser PC150 in late 2004 and I've been happy with it. Sounds very nice, good for music. My teamspeak buddies commented on how much clearer I sounded as well. I do have some discomfort after wearing them for a while, nowhere near as bad as the Logitech. That may also be related to my glasses. I've had no durability problems with them so far.

 

[003]

Holy... You guys are discussing the possibility of getting a headset similar to the one that came with UT2004 (which I still have somewhere). Wow, that thing is an utter piece of day-old horse dung. I highly recommend you check out head-fi, to get some recommendations on, good affordable headphones that would be good for gaming. Most, if not everybody here dosn't know anything about good headphones. Like I said earlier, 99% of headphones with built in mics (this includes ones by logitech and sennheiser), are utter crap. I stand by the Audio-technica ATH-A500, with a zalman clip on mic you can get here:
http://www.xoxide.com/zmmic1.html

 

[Garfield3d]

Thanks for the input so far guys.

"003," the Audio-Technica ATH-A500 does seem very appealing, but I'm afraid it is far out of my price-range. I wasn't joking when I said that the $40.00 PC150's were the outer edge of my budget. I'm certainly willing to compromise on sound quality, and I'm not an audiophile so when I say "quality headphones," I mean it with respect to my price-range and not in terms of the greater scale of audio quality out there. I did a quick search and it seems like the average price of the ATH-A500 is upwards towards $100.

"Kromis":
May I ask how long you've had the Logitech Extreme PC Gaming headset for? Less than a year?

"Nohr":
Can you tell me whether or not the cord running to the PC150 headphones is detachable? When I'm moving things in the room around, it'd be a nice precaution to be able to detach the wire to avoid fraying any ends with accidental tugs.

I appreciate the input so far.

--Garfield

 

[003]

Hmm.... This is still out of your budget, but the Sony MDR-XD400 can be had for about $70 shipped if you use pricegrabber. However, I have another offer. I am actually selling a pair of XD400's, for $50 shipped, here:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=172084
They are lightly used, however there are no dents, nicks or bangs, and I do not smoke, no worry of them smelling like smoke. They have actually been for sale for a while, so I'd be willing to go down to $45 shipped. They make a great gaming headphone (thats why I originally got them), it explains more on why in the thread. Sound quality is not the only thing that makes a headphone good. You can view my feedback here:
http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=170892
And on heatware:
http://www.heatware.com/eval.php?id=48475

They don't have a mic, but you can always snag that zalman clip-on mic for $6.

 

[Kromis]

Yep, less than a year. A few months, actually. It was a Valentine's Day sale at ChiefValue. Its true, it CAN get uncomfortable after long hours of wearing and the sound quality is decent, but not really crisp. Its not for hardcore gamers. The microphone is pretty good.

 

[Nohr]

Originally posted by: Garfield3d
"Nohr":
Can you tell me whether or not the cord running to the PC150 headphones is detachable? When I'm moving things in the room around, it'd be a nice precaution to be able to detach the wire to avoid fraying any ends with accidental tugs.

No it's not detachable. I haven't been especially careful with my cord and it's in no danger of falling apart.