Speakers vs headphones

[Laudas]

I recently built a system around an Asus A8V-Deluxe motherboard and do not have any speakers. I intend on doing a lot of gaming, but the computer room is smack between my two kids' rooms. I was thinking about getting the Logitech X-530's but have recently started to think about buying a good pair of headphones. I have NO experience with headphones, and would have no idea what to purchase. Can I get a set of headphones that will let me enjoy gaming??

Thanks!

 

[fierydemise]

a couple companys make surround sound headphones, you might want to look into those

 

[alcoholbob]

Sure you can, it all depends on how much money you want to spend, and how you prefer your sound--more laid back, or brighter (more high frequency sound/detail can be heard at the expense of listener fatigue).

If you do end up getting good headphones from reputable companies like Sennheiser or Grado, you may find it will sound better than any computer speakers for the comparable (I might even say any) price on the market (although this is not true of bookshelf or floorstanding speakers of the same price range).

For the surround sound headphones, although you might get decent localization, they might not sound very good and comfort might be a concern.

 

[thespeakerbox]

Beware, your wallet will hate you for clicking. Head-Fi

 

[SonicIce]

HeadRoom
the headphone advantage

 

[cygan]

Want a real piec of advice. Go in for the Labtec Elite 840 headphones or the Altec Lansing ATP-3 2.1 speakers. Woth your spend, because the headphone magents are rare eart. The speakers can deliver much above what can be expected without distortion.

 

[alcoholbob]

I had the ATP-3s...about 6 years ago.

I would have to say the Z-680s I upgraged to were a lot better

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: thespeakerbox



Beware, your wallet will hate you for clicking. Head-Fi

 

[delroy]

you can even go for some nice wireless headphones. There are some ive seen that have a recharger and are good up to about a 750 ft range

 

[Valkerie]

altec lansing XA3021

 

[Laudas]

Thanks all, I will look into all of the recommendations!

Laudas

 

[Sushifiend3000]

Great headphones thread on another forum from Jan-Feb 2004. User gsferrari is the expert:

http://www.notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=14575

 

[imported_ArtVandalay]

If the computer is between your kids' rooms, keep in mind that any speaker system with a subwoofer will probably disturb them; those low frequencies go through walls like nothing. Even at low volumes they'll be able to hear the sub easily. You get a lot more per dollar when buying headphones vs. speakers. While you don't necessarily need excellent sound quality for gaming, a nice pair of phones is a good investment, and you may find you really enjoy the quality.

 

[Br0k3nman]

Search refurbished sennheiser on amazon and the hd-600s and hd-590s are an excellent bargain for some really excellent headphones.

Edit: if you're just going to be gaming you can go even lower with the quality, but if Music is a big deal to you then I would go with something nicer.

 

[Laudas]

I intend on just using them for gaming, as we have an excellent Hi-def theater downstairs. Has anyone heard of Medusa 5.1? I read an article at Tomshardware.com on these and was surprised they rated better than the Sennheisers....

Laudas

 

[imported_ArtVandalay]

I definitely wouldn't suggest 600s, and probably not 590s, unless you'd be ok with getting a separate amplifier for them. At 300 and 120 ohms impedence respectively, and being Sennheisers, you'll have a hard time driving them without one.

5.1 headphones seem extremely gimmicky to me, and many people who own them have confirmed this. I wouldn't trust a single site's review on anything - for instance PCWorld magazine recently found the Bose Triports to be good headphones for their $150 pricetag :laugh: - Link.

Anyway, I've found that quality 2 channel headphones provide excellent positioning in games.

 

[alcoholbob]

If you have a SOUND CARD.

You can drive Senns to ear bleeding levels.

At 10% THD

 

[imported_ArtVandalay]

Originally posted by: Astrallite
If you have a SOUND CARD.

You can drive Senns to ear bleeding levels.

At 10% THD

Perhaps the ones made for PCs such as the px line, but their higher impedence audiophile lines are meant to be amped. Without one, they'll be limited on volume and sound muddy, especially on bass. Sound cards don't make good headphone amplifiers, they supply the juice to drive normal headphones, which are usually 16 ohms and don't have the same voltage requirements, or a very clean signal, for that matter.

 

[imported_thomase]

Audio Technicha A500 or A900 for closed headphones. They are from Japan and only be bought at www.audiocubes.com or ebay.

Sennheiser HD280 Pro is also a good closed headphone, but some people say it clamps your head too tightly.

Sennheiser HD555 or HD595 are good open headphones.

All 5 of these are popular choices for gaming by head-fi'ers.

That Tom's article was pretty crappy, BTW.

 

[imported_thomase]

When its available, you may want to look into the new X-Fi based soundblaster card for its supposedly much improved headphone surround effects. At the moment, an Audigy 2 is your best bet for gaming - its headphone surround effects are pretty decent too.

 

[alcoholbob]

Most AV receivers don't provide a very clean signal either ArtVandalay, I think we are all under the same circumstances for both speaker and headphone amplification ^^