What headphones are you using for AI?

[PCgamerbydefault]

Title says it all. I just picked up a set of Logitech G35 gaming headsets for just under $100 (replaced my bose stereo headset) and im still torn on them. Audio seems decent but they really shine in games especially AI. What headphones are you using and if you have experience with the G35's would you recommend another set over them in or around the same price range as im still on the fence about them, I still dont know how I feel about the virtual 7.1 surround sound so maybe you guys can chime in and give your 2 cents as well.

I am using the 8.40 drivers since they allow me to increase the preamp and thats made things a little better.

[zorlag]

Of course it is subjective, everyone has different set of ears and brains.

But nor you or I know what kind of hearing our thread starter has. He is asking for suggestions and you already gave yours. If he is an "average joe" in hearing department something like 668-B:s would be perfect since it sounds good but does not break a bank. If he can`t hear the difference, that`s fine anyway in that case.

[SenSx]

DT990 PRO on a X-Fi Titanium.

Always use good Hifi headphones with good sound cards if you can afford it (the sound card will emulate the 5.1 or the 7.1).
Gaming Headset are always inferiors.

[Outkast_IRE]

Currently Using Turtle Beach Z-60 - which have 7.1 surroound sound. Must say these are very impressive in some games where a lot of work was put into the sound. In alien isolation they work great, plenty of bass, crystal clear sound, and you can instantly tell direcitons of footsteps, which way they are moving, above or below you etc.......... Excellent for gaming, but only ok for music and movies. I would prefer my Sennheisers for music and movies.

[Old Fox]

Using Medusa NX 5.1 from Speedlink. I think they are German made. They have 8 speakers in each earpod and they are excellent.

[PCgamerbydefault]

So I returned the G35's and got the Steelseries Siberia V3 Stereo headset and im really enjoying these very much. Im going to look into a set of sub $200 senniheisers in the month of May when my B-day comes around. I wish I could get them right now but I got a 2nd MSI GTX 970 otw (3 day shipping) and just picked up the G502 gaming mouse as well so the $500 ive spend has my wifey's fuse running shorter than I like.

[PCgamerbydefault]

Another Q, does anybody notice a difference in the audio setting in Alien Isolation? Ive gone back and forth between "headphone" and "full dynamic range" settings to not hear the difference. "Speaker" setting is crap of course.

[redfblack]

Nice one Walter! 

You may be able to pick up a second hand set of HD600's for around $200! That's a set of cans you can keep for the rest of your days.. replaceable cable, headband and ear pads. They're also an open ear design which I find far superior to a closed design, especially for low end representation. The amount of times I've taken my HD650's off because I thought the sounds I was hearing were coming from beyond the headphones...

In the Sennheiser consumer range the Momentums are also very nice and should be under $200 new!  :)

[redfblack]

I'd personally recommend full dynamic range. As long as you don't have lots of background noise that is..

[Dicehunter]

Originally posted by Red:

Nice one Walter! 

You may be able to pick up a second hand set of HD600's for around $200! That's a set of cans you can keep for the rest of your days.. replaceable cable, headband and ear pads. They're also an open ear design which I find far superior to a closed design, especially for low end representation. The amount of times I've taken my HD650's off because I thought the sounds I was hearing were coming from beyond the headphones...

In the Sennheiser consumer range the Momentums are also very nice and should be under $200 new!  :)

This right here, Open air design is far superior to closed design, Gives a much broader sound stage.

[I'm Ant]

I use AKG Q701 These were made for making and mastering music. Might be a bit boring for some people they have a flat EQ which is essential for making music. The sound detail is incredible and the bass is really tight. They Kill your head after a while if you have very short hair.

Sony are great at getting the balance right for music and price. I use the in ear ones for jogging the MDR-EX650. I would be happy with these for making music and gaming too. But not in the same league as the AKG Q701. The bass is tight and like thunder.


Open headphones allows the sound from each side to bleed into the other creating a better stereo 3D effect. Both open and closed designs bleed sound from one side to the other by passing sound through the skull and flesh.

Open headphones have better stereo 3D but let in unwanted outside sound.

Closed headphones have stereo 3D too just not as good and they are more private so better for traveling or room sharing. Closed designs cut down more on unwanted outside sound such as computer fans.



Problem with Bose is they spend around 40% of their profit on marketing instead of research. Some other brands are like this too.

AKG, Shure and Sennheiser and a few others spend most of their profit on research and it shows thats why they are popular in studios. Proper Studio headphones have a flat EQ and great detail which means they are better for audio production but you may find them to have weaker bass to cheaper headphones or expensive rip off brands . Some bad brands will slap the studio badge on thir products even though nobody in a studio would use them. Stonger bass is a marketing trick for some and many peopel like that.

[Andion]

I use a pair of older Bose around-ear headphones... I can hear the low bass and they cancel any noise from outside the game. While there are plenty of better ones out there, I'm fine with it. As long as they're not earbuds or anything without bass...

[Egoist]

Sennheiser HD 202 II EAST. Nice headphones for this game. Atmosphire of the year)

[Snowpiercer]

I use a Sennheiser Momentum Over-Ear model in general, and so also for gaming.
I like this model for being very light in weight and clear in sound.

I sometimes have a little issue with sound, but that might be due to my on-board-soundcard.

While in mission 7 at Seegson Synthetics, I managed to get around the group of marauders on the down floor by stepping up the ladder to the first floor. Arriving there I went ahead and suddenly someone spoke directly into my left ear, as if it was standing next to me. I checked the motion tracker and saw that some stood next to my position but under me on the downfloor.

Did anyone else had such an issue, that the sound-system cannot "see" a value on the Z-Axis?

[Bass]

I'm using Gamecom 780

[Bru741iX]

Originally posted by Outkast_IRE:

you can instantly tell direcitons of footsteps, which way they are moving, above or below you etc..........

Yeah, that's not because of the headset's magical "surround sound", but because your senses..
Our brain uses a combination of sight and hearing to determine were things are coming from.

If you hear and see something, then ot's coming from within the "frontal zone", hear something from the side, it comes from the side etc, yada yada yada, bla bla bla...

If you really think a pair of $100 headphone can do what a $600 surround sound home theatre system can, where one has two speakers, and the other has 8....
Then, to put it bluntly, you're an idiot because you fell for a marketing technique called "lying".
For this to work, the headset would have to have an insane amoun of speakes in each cup, which btw is highly impractical, and also very expensive.

There are "true" surround sound headsets out there, but no mortal can afford them.

And no two speaker headset, even with fancy drivers, can ever become a surround sound system.