I know its a lot, so please bear with me and I'm sorry for the wall of text. I have an idea of what I want, but first what im looking for in a headset;

Budget - 100 is my limit unless theyre REALLY good for my specific needs.


Source - LG phone, MP3 player, Desktop Computer, Laptop

Isolation - Preferably yes, if it can block out most things id be happy. I plan to use them at home, and if i can on the bus, public, but not much or nothing extreme like working out or running. My house however has a lot of sounds going on around it.

Preferred type of headphone - Full size, but I'm ok if they aren't, i am however looking for one with a mic or where i can attach a mic. If it doesn't have one well ill just need to find a mic as well.

Tonal balance - Honestly, I don't know, I love bass, but sometimes in certain things bass is too much and prefer balance or where i can hear all instruments.


Past Headphones - Philips SHE3590BK/10 (15 dollar), Creative Fatal1ty(got em when I just didn't care but now I do)

Music type - I like any kind, ranging from Rap, Metal, alternative, Pop, Dubstep, Trap, grunge, electric to Classical, smooth jazz, Big Band, Instrumental, Orchestral, Swing, Ska. I dont discriminate. But I do like listening to every instrument in a song, and i love a good bass.

Location just in case: Cali.

Prefer not to buy a AMP/Dac, at the moment money is tight.


I need headphones that are good for gaming/listening to the music i posted/movies, action, thrillers, horror, etc.
I know its a lot so its hard to pinpoint a tone as well as me being very inexperienced in Audio.

I also wear glasses, so some may not be too good for me and I might use them for long sessions.

Based on links provided by this sub and my own research here are some I've been looking at and have my interest with reasons as to why(based on just reviews and that guide and personal):

• [Creative Aurvana Live!] (http://www.amazon.com/Creative-EF0060-Aurvana-Live-Headphones/dp/B000ZJZ7OA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346741568&sr=1-1&keywords=creative+aurvana+live) I read it has good bass, good for gaming, and good all around. However the noise leakage pointed out is a bit of a problem, but I don't know how bad it is. If it had a mic that'd be great, but the price is great. However if theres a better headset that someone could recommend I'd love to know.
  
  
• [Audio-Technica ATH-M50S] (http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B000ULAP4U/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346741797&sr=1-1&keywords=ath-m50) I have seen a lot of great review on this everywhere, but are they good for me? In the guide posted for gaming headphones it was stated that it wasn't very well for gaming. The price is also fairly higher than what i can get for others.
  
  
• [NuForce HP-800] (https://www.nuforce.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=311:nh-800&Itemid=194)
  I don't particularly know enough but it did look good considering it has good bass. and faily ok with gaming.
  
  
• [SkullCandy Slyr] (http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/gaming/slyr?icid=245) Great all around, low price, mic, and i love the multiple cables. But im not sure how these go up against better brands and other headphones.
  
  
• [Sony MDR7506] (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E) It's really well liked and often said its great, price is good. But I don't know much or enough about em to compare with others.
  
  
• [Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X] (http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-AD700X-Audiophile-Open-Air-Headphones/dp/B009S332TQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1385979471&sr=1-2&keywords=ad700) that price doe..a little too high, but if i can find a sale for them i wouldnt mind. The comfort was rated low, and I dont know how this would go with me, also bass was low. but for gaming they look great.
  
  And last but not least...please don't kill me...
  
  
  
• [SkullCandy Crusher] (http://www.amazon.com/Skullcandy-Crusher-Over-Ear-Headphones-Amplifier/dp/B00E1CSEMO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1397118298&sr=1-1&keywords=skullcandy+crushers) i found these at 80 in another store, and they look fairly nice, but I don't know enough about them. I do know, theyre popular and in some places unliked. I read the bass is great and its a nice gimmick they have, but is it really worth it..also has a small mic, which i dont know how good it is.
  
  I know there are many options and I'm open to any other suggestions.
  
  
  I game a lot, and listen to all sorts of music depending on my moods which are variant throughout the day, but I also love a good film score and bass on certain music. I also would like a mic with it.
  
  Thank you for reading all of it, if you did.
  Sorry for all the info that might be useless. I just want the right pair of headphones, its ok if they don't come with a mic but if they did that would be great.
  
  Please tell me if I'm wrong about something I said about the headphones and please tell me why the headphones are good. I try to do my own research but I'm having less and less time.
  
  Please, help! And thanks again.

If you want to have a popular youtube channel, you have to work hard at it my man. I can tell by watching a few of your videos that you are relatively young and I have to tell you by being young and posting here desperately looking for attention or views it will rub people the wrong way. Because to some, It just seems like from an outsiders perspective you're just looking for an easy way to get subscribers or views. Being young doesn't help either because there are many people who will be pretty mean to you because of your age or your voice.

As far as tips go however? There is a lot that can be said.

Point one: Increase the quality of your videos. Download a better recording program and learn how to use it.

I watched a few of your videos and I just have to be frank the video quality isn't very good but don't fret! There are programs that can help with this.


There are many to chose from but these are the main three:

http://www.fraps.com/

http://exkode.com/home-en.html

https://obsproject.com/

two of these are not free however. OBS is a free alternative that many use and it is pretty good!

If you do not like the fact that fraps or dxtory are not free, you can torrent or pirate those programs however, some people might think negatively of you claiming it is stealing. (But that doesn't matter anyways because pretty much everyone torrents or illegally downloads these two programs but don't tell people they do)

Anyways, to learn how to use these recording programs there are tons of tutorials on youtube to help you learn how to use any of those three, so good luck finding one that works for you.

Point two Now that you've downloaded an recording program, you should learn how to use an editing program to edit and compile the videos you recorded!

There are many editing programs but the main two I see being used are:

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegaspro

http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html

Like before, these programs are not free and are more on the pricey side so if you don't think spending a lot of money is worth it (and I do not blame you) Just download them for free like everyone else who makes youtube videos basically does but they don't tell people that they do.

learning these programs will take some time and effort and it might be a little challenging especially in after effects for a beginner but if you really care about improving your youtube channel you should practice using these programs, how will you do that though?

Well like I said before there are a number of youtube channels that have tutorials to help you with learning about those two programs. Just find a program that suits your needs.

Sony vegas is a little more easy to understand and pretty much can suit the basic needs of creating videos.

But after effects has a lot more to offer on the effects and editing side but is a little less easy to understand.

Point Three Buy some new equipment to be able to record your videos at a good quality.

You could make an entire thread out of the best microphones or the best audio equipment or the best PC setup.

All I'm going to say about this though is, invest in a computer set up that you can record comfortably with.

Today, you can actually purchase a desktop computer for about 500 dollars that can record videos surprisingly well!

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Slash687/saved/ZhkFf7

for example, this build is 520$ and can handle recording videos amazingly well!

as for recording equipment? if you want to sound professional when recording videos, I highly recommend getting a studio quality microphone because I watched a few of your videos and your microphone and audio quality is kind of, subpar. So here are a few beginner microphones that are cheap and can make your audio quality sound better!

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0006H92QK


http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-C-1-BEHRINGER/dp/B000CZ0RLK/ref=pd_pgd_B0006H92QK_B000CZ0RLK?pf_rd_p=2435182122&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0006H92QK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0RYH88NBCZGCPQBVY0MK


http://www.amazon.com/MXL-770-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0007NQH98/ref=pd_pgd_B0006H92QK_B0007NQH98?pf_rd_p=2435182122&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0006H92QK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0RYH88NBCZGCPQBVY0MK


These microphones are relatively cheap and offer amazing sound quality for their price.

Now you need a pair of headphones to compliment your microphone because why would you buy a gaming headset if you purchased a microphone already. so here are a few I suggest, a few of these are more on the pricey side but I highly recommend them.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1463810110&sr=1-4&keywords=audio-technica+ath-m50x


http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=pd_pgd_B00HVLUR86_B000AJIF4E?pf_rd_p=2435184362&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00HVLUR86&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0GDVMZJNTK63SMPGS8TT


http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1463810155&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=Senhessier+HD+280


It's all about fitting your price range and preference.

Find a set up that works for you.

Point four don't forget to be yourself, have fun and keep making content!

Having a personality an audience can relate too is great and all but you should just stay true to yourself and remain genuine when creating content.

There are many people trying create and make TF2 content like you. So having too many copy cats of the same content creator or personality can just seem boring. Why go to someone who creates virtually the same content of someone else? That's redundant and doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

And you should also try to always make content. Never stop making content, making content is the way you get your name out there. Just keep creating content and be dedicated, never give up making stuff.

So, try to have fun with it and think of creative ways to attract an audience to your content. What new fresh idea and creative content can you offer that nobody else does?

If you can do that while remaining true and genuine to yourself your audience and you don't give up. I feel like you would be able to grow as a creator.



That is all the tips I can give you, I'm not much of a content creator myself but from an outsiders perspective I hope this helped you in anyway.

Good luck and have fun with it man.

No sound cards are not a great investment.

A good pair of headphones is the main source of good quality audio.
Headphones and headsets are 2 different things.

• Headphones = no microphone.
  
• Headset = with microphone.
  
  Adding a microphone to a headphone makes it a headset, it generally increases the price but also often equals in worse audio quality.
  Also most "gaming headsets" are terrible. Razer, SteelSeries, Corsair, Logitech, etc..
  So most people that know anything about good quality audio, always recommend a headphone with a separate microphone.
  There are a few exceptions for decent / good quality headsets. I will list them down below
  
  ---
  
  Your motherboard actually got good on-board sound. So you won't see a big improvement when you get a sound card.
  this long video talks about sound card myths. No need to listen to everything, but I would say the first 8 minutes are fairly okay and good to know. This should make you turn away from sound cards.
  
  Good sound absolutely starts with a good pair of headphones (or headset).
  If you buy a $500 sound card or $2000 DAC/AMP and use a $15 amazon basics headphone, it will not sound amazing at all. Sure it will probably sound a bit better, but I hope that you'll get my point.
  
  "budget" quality headphones generally start around the $100 mark. With the slightly better ones hovering around the $120-200 mark and above this you can find some awesome stuff, but also some pretty.. not amazing stuff.
  
  Audio is also very different for every person.
  First off all; what music, games, movies do you listen to / watch?
  A hardcore, drum&bass music style, action game/movie type of person will prefer a much different pair of headphones compared to..
  A classical, rock, metal music style, MMO/adventure games/movie type of person.
  
  Some people prefer bass, while others rather prefer clear mids (vocals) and highs.
  So I can't pick out a headphone/headset for you until I know what you prefer.
  
  ---
  
  

  A couple of solid gaming headsets:
  

  
  

  Model|Review|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  

1. Kingston HyperX Cloud | Review | $76/78
   
2. Sennheiser PC G4me One | Review | $150 (Price went down a lot!)
   
3. Logitech G633 | Review| $120
   
   ---
   
   

   A couple of amazing headphones:
   

   
   

   Model|Review|Price
   

   ----|:----|:----
   Sennheiser HD518 | Review A bit more bass. | $69 This is a steal..
   Sennheiser HD558 | Review More balanced | $94 Also a steal..
   AKG K240 semi-open | Review | $69
   AKG K240 MK II open | Review | $109
   Audio Technica AD700x | Review | $100
   
   These are all amazing headphones as well as headsets.
   
   Headsets:
   I listed them in order, this would be my picking order if I was forced to decide between a headset.
   Note that the Kingston Cloud got different color options. The Cloud Pro is the exact same headset but black and red.
   The Cloud II got somewhat the same color options. Black & red, Black & grey, White & pink.
   The difference between the Cloud I & II is 7.1 virtual audio. This is a feature I personally never really recommend. You have 2 ears, when you place a headphone on your head you'll have 2 positions where sound comes from. Your brain actually is very cool and complex.
   If you've got some earbuds or a 2.0 headset/headphone.. Listen to this virtual barber shop & close your eyes! This sound clip is amazing and also a bit educational.
   
   Headphones:
   I personally am a fan of Sennheiser, because the music that I listen too works very well with these headphones. I've got the HD598s.
   But Audio-Technica, Beyerdynamic, AKG & a few other brands are also capable of making very high quality headphones.
   Honestly, I can talk a lot about headphones here, but I will spare you this.
   
   Here is a great source list with awesome headphones. The # numbers behind the short explanation gives you a review.
   
   ---
   
   ####Sound cards / DAC&AMPs:
   
   As the video explained in the above video. Sound cards is something you want to avoid.
   When you want to increase the audio quality. We have to start spending a bit of money.
   
   

• Sound cards, DAC & AMPs explained
  
  A external DAC/AMP (Digital to Analog Convertor / Amplifier) is the next step into great quality sound!
  
  My currently favorite company for DACs & AMPs is Schiit. Yes that really is their name. Their Schiit is bananas!
  They are absolutely not the only good audio guys in the industry. But I just love them. They're a small start-up company that started over on head-fi. The website I used a lot for reviews.
  
  Their entry level DAC/AMP combo will cost you about $240. The Schiit Stack. They've upgraded and revised this stack a couple of times already since the review. They're now selling the Uber 2 versions, which costs $150 each. I hope to be able to actually obtain this stack this year.. I hoped to get it in 2015, but well.. I don't schiit money sadly xD.
  But yes, I know that this is expensive. Luckily this company created a less expensive DAC/AMP combined unit.
  The Schiit ..Fulla. Yes their naming is hilarious, please reverse the brand + model name when you refer to this product!
  It's an impressive device and will destroy ALL sound cards that you can pretty much get. Here is a detailed review.
  
  ---
  
  Gosh, sorry for the bomb of information again!
  Hopefully this answered your questions.

If you ask a question, and someone answers it correctly, reply with a thank you, but include this checkmark: ✓ ( or if you cannot enter Unicode, use !check instead )

This will score the user whose comment you replied to a 'point'. Currently the points will unlock special flair that will show in all Daily Simple Questions threads.


In case you missed it, click here for yesterday's Daily Simple Questions thread.
There may be some questions still unanswered! Below are a selection of questions with no replies. See if you can help them out.


If you don't want to see this comment click the little [-] to the left of my username to collapse this comment.

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> I am looking for a circumaural (over-ear) headset in the 30-50 euros price range (I live in the Netherlands and would like to buy from Afuture.nl or from azerty.nl with mic, preferably connected via 3.5mm but if there is a better product which uses USB that is also fine. I would like the cord to be at least 1.2 meters.
>
> I dont need the best of the best sound quality, but I also like to listen to music (Electro, Dubstep, DnB and Neuro mostly) a lot so I would like it to have decent quality bass. I don't know anything about headsets, so thats why I'm asking here!
>
> I don't have a soundcard.
>
> Thanks in advance

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9x4z0p

----

> Which xeon cpu would be a good to handle server and gaming setup, with a 2x Socket-2011-3?
>
> 2x Socket-2011-3 supports Xeon E5-2600 v3-serie, Xeon E5-1600 v3 series, Xeon E5-2600 v4 series, Xeon E5-1600 v4-serie.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9x3t0o

----

> Not sure if this is the best place to post, so if there's a better subreddit that you can recommend I'll be grateful :)
>
> I'm looking for a pair of earphones that are great quality that'll last for sometime
>
> Budget is up to AU$100 but less would be better
>
> This place has a decent range of earphones and it's all in Australian prices
>
>
> Thanks for your help :)

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9x1n3a

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> Thinking about new computer speakers, I've had the Z2300 but one speaker is acting up and I think I could use an upgrade. I like the idea of the Razer Leviathan but am hesitant for anything with the word gaming.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9wvdmd

----

> Right now RIGHT THIS INSTANT, fuck pcs. Im trying to get BF1 to work and its been a colossal pain in the ass to deal with. i just found the latest fix for the getdeviceremoved reason error and hopefully that fixs it until dice gets off there collective asses and fixes this.
>
> Just frustrated.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9wusrn

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> Does anyone have any recommendations for footrests? I'm using a WiiFit board in the meantime, but it feels kinda ghetto and I'd love an actual foot rest that I can benefit from. It would be on a tile floor by the way.
>
> edit: I also would prefer it to be friendly for bare feet.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9wt54x

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> Is there any app that allows you to use your Android cellphone as a mouse when your PC uses wired Internet?
>
> Every app I've seen needs both the devices to be on the same Wi-Fi

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9wmoxl

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> When playing certain games with a wired Xbox One Controller on Windows 10, I get extremely poor performance, sound issues and the game becomes unplayable. I couldn't find any solution that would fix it. I'm coming to you for help. Thanks guys.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9wmk9g

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> Good headphones for ~C$100 or less? Heard the Sony MDR-7506 are good (recommended on the wiki and elsewhere), but would love to know if there are any better for the price!

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9wlh5q

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> Looking at getting a new mouse, specifically the corsair saber or their new harpoon. I currently use the ASUS gaming mouse that came with my laptop and was wondering if it's worth upgrading or if it won't really make a difference, both comfort and performance wise.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9wg6zo

----

> I am looking for a new mouse and keyboard, I am currently using a Logitech G500 and the keyboard from [Logitech MX550] (https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Cordless-Revolution-Bluetooth-Keyboard/dp/B0011FQUQG) Bundle. I was thinking of getting the Proteus RGB since the old one is discontinued and like $110 - 120, and I have no idea on a keyboard I want reds or browns and I want a back light, except I don't want it to be red I, care little about RGB I would prefer a white back light honestly and be able to dim it when I go to sleep, if it ends up being a RGB keyboard that is fine but I do want a dimming function. I do appreciate any help that is provided.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9wfp2l

----

> Hello brothers and sisters!
>
> I ascended last year after Christmas, I had some extra cash and decided to see what I could build as a rig on-the-cheap and pit it against my PS4 for shits and giggles. Well, it's been almost a year and I pretty much only use my PS4 to watch blu-rays now.
>
> Anyway, I bought all my components on Boxing Day because of deals - I left myself lots of options to upgrade and now I want to ask : when do you think the best deals are to be had on CPUs and GPUs? Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Christmas / Boxing Day?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9w8j0w

----

> I'm currently using 2 LG 34UC88-B 34, on a single R9 290 Tri-X OC, which only has 1 DP port.
> The question i got is, if i can use both displays on 1 port,
> toenable Freesync on both Displays, or if it's impossible.
> The 2nd monitor is connected via hdmi, which only enables 50Hz, which kinda sucks. Would be glad to get some help.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9w4o6b

----

> Anyone know why Windows is under-reporting the amount of RAM in my GPU? http://i.imgur.com/tIN9My4.png
>
> [Edit] never mind, figured it out - the difference is 4 GB, apparently Windows doesn't know how to report anything over 2^32 in this particular place. ✓

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/5cen3v/daily_simple_questions_thread_nov_11_2016/d9vy577

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A real Avid employee?!?! Tell me your secrets, oh wise one. Can I pray to you to make PT HD stop crashing once a month? And no worries about endorsements, I'm not sponsored or endorsed by any brand. I was briefly for Sennheiser, but that's just because I love their headphones. That ship has long sailed.

Consumer grade, products made for the general market? Almost nothing out there, with one exception. Blue's Yeti and Yeti Pro. They are really the only Blue mics I've been impressed with thus far, and offer a capsule with what I look for, namely a decent frequency response, sensitivity, and max SPL.

I usually steer people to the same setup for home recording, and that's affordable pro-grade gear. It's really become a large market with the explosion of musicians and artists looking to record their own sounds.

Microphones

Shure. I LOVE Shure microphones. They have a familiar sound to them, rugged design, affordable price point, and are versatile.

Vocals: I can't get enough of their SM7B, Beta 58, and SM87.

I usually go case-by-case for instrument microphones, but I own a mix of their SM instrument and drum mics and a few of the Beta instrument mics, and use my discretion.

Interfaces

Focusrite wins here. They have plenty of options for the average consumer, and their Scarlett series couldn't be easier or better. I personally own two 2i2's and one 8i8 for my portable recording setups, and their Clarett 8Pre for my home setup. But you can get a 2i2 for $150, and it's certainly pro-grade at that price point. Nothing else beats it at that kind of coin.

Headphones

My absolute favorite headphones are the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's. I listed my full headphone and amp collection here, but these are by far my favorite for sound, construction, and ease of use. Plus, for $100, it hits that sweet spot for me. I don't think you have to spend thousands of dollars when tens of dollars gets you 90% of the way there. And I abuse my gear, take it on flights, get it wet. I need stuff that I don't have to worry about. I personally own 4 pairs of 280's.

For earbuds, I can't recommend Sennheiser's IE 60's and IE 80's enough. For custom molds at an affordable price, Alclair Reference IEM's are the way to go. And they come in wood trim, which is pretty neat.

Software

For top dollar, nothing beats ProTools HD. I can't get enough, and at home, it's my favored program. It's also so ubiquitous that, barring plug-ins, you can usually share mix session files and transfer them between computers.

For a cheaper DAW, I tell people to go for Logic Pro X on the mac. Also, get a mac.

It's very streamlined inside of the Mac OS, doesn't crash for me EVER, and has all the features and customizations that are needed in a pro DAW without a lot of fluff or clutter. It isn't as versatile as PT HD, but most of the time is more than good enough.

For FREE, I tell people to get Reaper. As someone who worked in pro audio, go check this thing out. It's on every platform, open source, pro level, has the best MIDI interface I've used so far, works with all pro plug-ins, comes with a huge bank of VST's and other plug-ins, is versatile enough for pro use, and has the best interface for cutting audio I've ever used. It's not resource-intensive, doesn't ever stutter for me, and is a small program relative to what it does.

It comes with a long (read: technically unlimited) trial period, and a personal license is $60.

Free, then $60? Nothing else beats it, and it blows Audacity out of the water as far as the free option goes.

Free Version of ProTools worth it?

The free version of ProTools is great for one thing: learning to use ProTools. It's just limited enough that a user will run into a wall at some point, and for something that is free, Reaper beats it as a free/cheap option, since even the trial has no limitations.

However, for someone looking to see if Pro Audio is what they want to do, the free version of ProTools is great. A teaching tool it is. A decent audio editor it is not. It loses to other free or affordable options. It's not useless by any means, but those limits it has are pretty gnarly. Especially the export limits.

Hey, I'll try and answer as best I can, but others may have better or more accurate descriptions than me.

1. Many people will argue about this one, and I don't think there is really a right and wrong answer. You can make a great looking movie on an Iphone if you know what you are doing.
   
   But as for what makes a camera better? I would say control. The more functions you can control on a camera, the better. This is why DSLR filmmaking is so popular currently, because they have access to functions that many cameras don't have. Focus, Aperture, White Balance, Lens choices, etc. Being able to access all of these gives you more options as a filmmaker, which is what we all want, creative freedom, we all hate when we are limited by technology.
   
   Now many people talk about shooting Film vs Digital, or whether or not you are recording in RAW format for digital. A lot of this has to do with preference vs quality of camera.
   
   So I would say that a camera that is easy to control is the best. Hopefully I mostly answered that, if you want a more specific answer, just let me know and I'll try my best, otherwise hopefully someone else jumps back in here and describes it better.
   
   
2. This one is again up for debate. Here is what I think would be best. Get a camera first. Like many independent filmmakers, a DSLR might be the best option, I found a camera from Panasonic called the AG AF-100 that to me has been an amazing camera, and a few steps above the DSLR without costing that much more. But Canon and it's DSLR lineup is great! Grab a couple decent lenses with that too.
   
   I would recommend a small light kit, you can spend as much as you want on film lights, but don't feel ashamed to buy a few lights from Lowes or Home Depot. Lighting is a very important piece to making movies. I would also look into getting some reflectors, there are some really cheap ones on Amazon. I have found these to be helpful when shooting outdoors, since lower end lights are almost unnoticeable in the sun.
   
   Here is the one that many early filmmakers ignore, Audio. Grab a nice microphone and get some good sound with your video. The Rode NTG 2 is a pretty good mike. It's cheaper while still getting good sound. The ME 66 is a bit more expensive, but it's a hotter mike and gets better sound. Both are really good options. To go with your mike, if you have a little extra spending money, I would completely advise getting a Blimp. This Rode Blimp is great! If you want to shoot outdoors in the wind at all, this is the best option, otherwise you may have to re-record all the voice over in post.
   
   ~
   
   This post is getting a little long here, so I'll throw a summary at the end with a couple more items.
   
   Camera: Get a Camera, Lenses, Case, Tripod.
   
   Lighting: Get a couple Lamps, Reflectors, Filters, Light Stands.
   
   Audio: Get a Microphone, Boom, Blimp, XLR Cable, Recording Device, Headphones.
   
   There is always more, but these would be a good starting point. Not everything I recommended is needed to get started though.

Let me first say I'm not interested in IEM's! And so far I'm considering the Koss PortaPros, but I'm not sure I'm in love with them.

Budget: <$100, but flexible if bluetooth/wireless

Source: Samsung Galaxy S4 cable or bluetooth

Isolation: Would be nice if not much noise leaked out. I'll be using these in a gym environment but would also like to use them on a quiet train.

Type: prefer closed back, on-ear; though I'm willing to try over-ear as long as they don't look clunky and imposing.

Tonal balance: I'd like a medium bump in bass with punctual highs. I really do enjoy a neutral sound, but the HD600's I use at home already achieve that pretty well. I'd like something more hedonistic for use at the gym and out in the real world.

Past headphones: Jaybird Bluebud X (I like the neutral sound but these are too painful on my ear canals and slip out too easily, even after using the recommended replacement ear tips); Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear (first generation, fabric was too nice and I was worred too much sweat from a workout would ruin them. otherwise, I loved the look, loved the bassier tone, and the comfort; these are the closest I've tried when it comes to my IDEAL TONAL BALANCE), Sennheiser HD 600 (my neutral at-home / in-studio headphones), Sennheiser HD555 (most comfortable headphones I ever owned. Big soundstage. Ears felt like they were in their own perfect environment. The reason why I've been buying Sennheiser ever since.)

Preferred music: Must play well with electronic music without bloating/muddying the low-mids. Also, I'd like if music involving microsamples was clear and punctual in the high/midrange, so much so that I can hear the difference between several different sounds playing in quick succession. Hope that came out right. I've heard Sennheisers aren't particularly good at pronouncing the highs. Prog House music, bass music, glitch-hop, industrial, future garage, tech house, dark techno, spoken word audiobooks. If the soundstage of Weird Fishes Arpeggi by Radiohead is wide and clear, I'll fall in love.

What would you like to improve on from your set-up: Headphones that won't get ruined from sweat. More than anything, if I can enjoy the music and wear them for 8 hours with zero discomfort, I'll buy you a beer. I suppose owning a set of Non-Sennheiser cans would be nice, as long as I enjoy them.

Thanks for your suggestions!

So I woke up and these are the links to the videos and some pointers and what not.

ALL LINKS IN THE BOTTOM

Here is the first video for 150 dollars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dj5G0isn9Y

These are the 50 dollar headphones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fD-M1F6L4g

These are the really high end for 200-1000 dollar sets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgTnJ3JQQ0E

Open vs Closed

Closed

Closed which is what I use right now but am looking to get an open pair for 150 bucks. Now closed is where the sound outside your headphones do not come in, as much. Now some are completely noise cancelling then others and some you can still hear but not too well. It has a less of a sound stage so it is harder to know where somethings is by hearing it.

Open

Open is where the vibrator (forgot the name) is directly exposed with little noise cancelling materiel and sometimes none. The offer a much larger sound stage where you can tell where hostiles are, where the birds are, tanks, etc. They also are much better sounding. However, if you live in a loud place with a lot of things going on, get closed. Open also allows for people to hear what you listen to, from 2 or 3 feet away but not behind a closed door.

Microphones

One of the things that you need to be weary about is desktop mics. They are good sounding, great everything. However if you have a small desk get an attachable arm. If you have a mechanical keyboard or hit your table a lot get an arm. But arms can be expensive 20-40 dollars or even more. The solution is getting a Antlion Modmic 4.0 for 40 bucks, great sound, nice and clear and noise cancelling so it won't pickup outside noise. Desktop mics I'd get is a Blue Yeti, Snowball, Audio Technica 2020 is also great, Snowflake microphone, etc.

Ad-dons for audio

So if you want to get better audio, louder, etc. Get an AMP/DAC mix. They are a DAC/AMP connecting VIA USB plug to the PC and then the headphones connect to the DAC with a quarter inch with some 3.5mm connectors but not recommended. These offer a much better experience but at a cost for 80-200 dollars for good ones. Some pads too add bass or take away from treble, mids or bass or add to. But not that much but it is always great to get better pads then stock ones on some stuff for more comfortable wearing.

Headphones

Probably why you are here reading this. Now if you have 80-100 dollars here are my recommendations

Takstar HI 2050 open back headphones and a modmic 4.0 come in at just 100 dollars, they are great headphones. VERY comfy pads from Bererdynamic, honestly I don't know how they aren't losing money they sound like 200 dollar headphones.

Superlux 668B's they are good headphones, they sound high end, are very tough, etc. However they are semi-open and have a fairly large sound stage. My biggest 2 problems are, they are very treble heavy and uncomfortable for larger heads and ears. If I got these I'd need the velour ear pads Amazons sells for them because the stock are hard plastic. The other problem is they aren't very big either and I have a very large ear and head so they is a minus for me. Which is why I love the Takstar HI2050's.

Now if you want to drop more money then get these AKG Q701's which are VERY open. They offer the largest sound stage in the price bracket and more then almost all 500+ headphones. They are very comfy and big for big ears. Very good sound.

For some alternatives in that price bracket for open are DT 990's pros for 150 dollars, they are a bit treble heavy but still are very great. They are 150 on Amazon for the 250 OHM one which can be used in quarter inch and 3.5mm plugs by unscrewing the quarter inch adapter. They have very deep ear pads and very comfy ones too.

Now if you want closed for 30 bucks and still good audio get these Monoprice 108323. Now these earpads aren't very good IMO so I'd get Brainwavz replacement pads for 20 dollars. They are deep, comfy and overall nice. Sound I don't know too much about but they still beat gaming headsets.

For the last pair of closed backs I can think of are DT 770s, bass heavy, VERY big headphones from Beyerdynamic and overall good but not a good sound stage get these for 170 on Amazon.

Another honourable mention is Audio Technica M50x's, they are ok. Better then gaming headsets but don't offer much compared to 990's or 701's but still good. They are 160 I believe.

Now get a modmic or whatever mic you want with these, I'd get a desktop mic w/ arm personally but modmic is nice.

Links

• http://www.modmic.com/collections/modmic Modmic
  
  
• Blue yeti http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S I'd recommend a pop-filter too.
  
  
• Snowflake http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowflake-USB-Microphone/dp/B0012AUHXW
  
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Razer-Seiren-Elite-Digital-Microphone/dp/B00QXT5M3C This isn't much more then the Blue Yeti, in fact a bit worst and very expensive. I'd stay away but worth a mention.
  
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
  
  
• AT2020 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AS6OYC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944687582&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0006H92QK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ZVM8GGV5TDXFE02QPWP
  
  
• DT 990 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0011UB9CQ/ref=twister_B00WU2V08C?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• DT 770 http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-770-PRO-250-ohms/dp/B0006NL5SM
  
  
• ATH M50x http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457973618&sr=1-1&keywords=m50x
  
  
• Takstar HI2050 http://www.amazon.com/Takstar-Monitor-Headphone-Gaming-Computer/dp/B009PIQUB6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457973640&sr=1-1&keywords=Takstar+hi+2050
  
  
• Superlux 668b http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457973655&sr=1-1&keywords=668b
  
  
• Velour pads for 668B's http://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Velvet-Replacement-Cushion-Headphones/dp/B00KLPRQMO/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Z33W5JHBVD65A9T5YGD
  
  
• Brainwavz pads http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=pd_sim_23_36?ie=UTF8&dpID=41vuwIZESZL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=14DP2XANDMR7AFMC1QMY Make sure these fit I am postive but check /r/headphones to know.
  
  
• Monoprice headphones http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-108323-Headphone-Gold-Plated-Accessories/dp/B007SP2CO2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457973687&sr=1-1&keywords=monoprice+8323
  
  
• http://www.amazon.com/AKG-Signature-Reference-Class-Premium-Headphones/dp/B004444OFK
  
  Make sure to look at reviews.
  
  Feel free to ask any questions too.

There will probably be a lot of different answers, but I just can't recommend Steelseries Syberia V2 enough.

There are several reason why I love them - they have great surround sonud, fantastic sound quality for music, a good microphone...

But most importantly - they feel like heaven on your head. I have never in my life found a more comfortable headset than Syberia V2.

That band on the top... Dude, I have no fucking clue why more companies don't use them. I kid you not - go to a store that has them, and as to try them on. They feel soooo comfortable. They sit perfectly on your head. It doesn't press too hard anywhere. You don't get tired of wearing them. They stay comfortable for years. They look fantastic, if I may say so myself.

I just can't sing enough praises. A fantastic headset. And better than any other headset with just a plain softened plastic band, like the Razer and Logitech stuff.

Seriously, just try them on. You'll instantly understand what I'm talking about.

Razer also make good headsets. In fact, they also make great computers, laptops and other peripherals. But they are overpriced. Razer is the Apple of the gaming scene - no doubt about it. You'll be getting a good product, but you'll pay 30% of the price for the little logo on the side.

Logitech bring good stuff, but they aren't exactly long lasting and they aren't very comfortable all the time.

I suggest staying away from Roccat stuff. It looks really pretty, but the ergonomics and especially the durability sucks shit. I once bought a mouse from them (Roccat Kova) - broke down a month later. Not a good experience at all.

Finally... As a complete sidenote, and not exactly fits your requirement, but if you care for great, clear sound, good quality and a fantastic company (which includes a lifetime guarantee) - I just can't stop talking abotu Koss PortaPro. They are in the cheap category of headphones, but the sound quality is just unparalleled. They are comfortable. They have great sound. Great and crystal clear highs, nice and rumbly lows (VERY surprising for an open-ear headphone). And I tried gaming with them. I switched to them as my main driver. I kid you not. The games just sound so crystal when in them, because they are actually open-ear. This really lets the sounds of some louder games get on another level.

Might not be the best choice if you're playing competitive CSGO, though.

If you want, I can copy-paste the response I usually give to people asking about gaming headset. Hope it will help you.

Wall of text ahead. Please, read only if you are really interested...


What I usually recommend when someone ask for advice about gaming headsets is: Gaming headset are crap 99% of the time. They provide very poor sound quality, and any good headphone (literally, even 40$ ones) will sound far better than expensive 300$ headsets. The question is not if headphones are better than headset (the answer is “Hell, YEAH”). The question is, are they better for you?


What are you planning to use your headphones for? Just for gaming, or for gaming and music listening?


If the answer is “just for gaming”, then ask yourself if a Hifi headphone is what you need. Usually games don’t really need high quality headphones, since they provide low quality sound, and you will be more concentrated gaming than listening. In that scenario, everything will serve you, and gaming headsets have the advantage of the integrated microphone.


So, if you want something good for gaming, and just for gaming, with integrated microphone, then the only two headsets with good enough quality sound (aka don’t suck) are:


HyperX Cloud (70$)


Sennheiser G4me One (170$)


Both are good choices. Or go with any fancy RGB headset you find (Logitech, Razer, Corsair, Steelseries, etc), you will most probably don’t notice the difference while gaming.


BUT, if you plan to use them for music listening besides gaming, then keep reading.


About the microphone problem


Hifi headphones for gaming have the disadvantage of having to deal with the micro thing. None of them have microphone incorporated, and you must find a workaround to the problem. Options available are:


1- Use a desk microphone like this


2- Some headphones have detachable cable. If the connector is a 3.5mm jack, you can substitute the cable with this V-Moda micro. That way you can have a microphone attached and still use a single cable. Main problem is that you must use this cable, no matter what, and if you end buying an amplifier, you can no longer use this microphone, as amplifiers don’t have micro input. Also, not all headphones are compatible, as not all use 3.5mm jack connections (Audio-technica and Sennheiser headphones are NOT compatible with V-moda Boom micro, cause they use 2.5mm jack)


3- use a modmic like this one or if your budget is tight, something like this.


The first option requires desk space and it’s expensive. The second one is not compatible with every headphone, and forces you to use this cable. The third one are detachable micro, with an extra cable you’ll have to deal with. Any of them are a nuisance. Any solution is annoying. All of them are an extra expense that must be accounted. If micro is a must and you are not willing to bother with this solutions, please, go back to HyperX Cloud or G4me One.


Ok, so, you really want some damn good headphones, that also can be used for gaming! Keep reading, please (are you bored yet?).


You can choose Closed back headphones (the classic ones you have already used. Closed back models offer good isolation and do not leak sound. This is your choice when there are people around you, or you want isolation from noisy a environment.) or Open Back headphones (Open back models offer next to no isolation and will leak sound -and allow you to hear what happens around you-, but they are the best sounding models). Open headphones achieve the best sound, soundstage (feeling that sound is coming from around you) and imaging (ability to locate the source of one sound).


If you are here because you want to get a replacement for a gaming headset, I would recommend you Open back, but since they don’t isolate, you must choose. If isolation is required, get closed back, if that’s not a concern, go open.


Some closed back cans:


Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. 100$. Balanced headphones, very good feedback from lots of people. Typical entry level headphones to the rabbit hole.


Sennheiser HD 598Cs. 125$. Balanced, very very detailed, great instrumental separation. Comfortable as hell, very recommended.


Beyerdynamic DT770. 160$. V-shaped signature (lots of bass and lots of treble). Amazing soundstage (for a closed headphone). Great for explosions, movies, and rock. Treble can be harsh if you are sensible. Get the 32 ohm version, as the 80 (may) and 250 (do) need an amplifier to work properly.


Those are some examples of entry-mid level of closed cans. There are lots more, depending of your budget!


As for open cans:


Superlux HD668b. 40$. Those are THE CANS. The best quality for low budget you can get. Hands down. Great soundstage, Bass light. They are not too comfortable, but pads can be changed for a deluxe comfort (extra expense). You are not getting anything better at this price. For gaming in a budget, this are the headphones you were looking for.


Philips SHP9500. 80$. Mid-forward signature. Good soundstage, great comfort. Very detailed. Another amazing quality for the budget headphone. Due its popularity, they’re getting harder and harder to get.


Sennheiser HD 598 SR. 170$. Very similar to the HD 598Cs, but with open back. Wider soundstage, a little less bass. Very balanced headphones. Super-duper comfortable. Great for long gaming sessions.


Philips Fidelio X2. 250$. V-shaped signature. Those are in another league. Build quality is just.. OMG. Extreme soundstage and imaging. More comfortable than the HD 598. Bass is BOOOOOM!!!. A little pricey, and can be somewhat fatiguing to listen if you are treble sensible, due to high treble.


Well, that’s all. I have selected only headphones that don’t need an amplifier. Now is your turn to research, watch some Youtube videos, read some reviews, and give them a try.


All this headphones are GOOD. No trash here, and all them will make you open your eyes when listening your music if you are coming from standard headsets. You will notice sounds, instruments, that you never realized they were there, even if you had listened this song a thousand times before. Try them, and be amazed.


Welcome to the rabbit hole.

I actually don’t see the need for surround sound. That’s more of a marketing gimmick really, as the usb 7.1 dongles suck. If you really need surround sound, get Dobly Atmos on your computer.

But I don’t think you really need either. Most games have really good audio, and some games like rainbow six siege literally say don’t use surround sound because it’s broken. You need a headset with good soundstage.

What’s soundstage? Well it’s being not only able to tell the direction of your enemy, but also the distance. That’s why I recommend open back headsets for gaming, though they do leak sound and your mic may pick that sound up. Don’t worry about it though, because what I recommend is omni directional and will basically only pick up your voice.

I recommend the Philips SHP9500/SHP9500s. They are to same thing but the s has a little bit more bass. You also might have trouble getting the 9500 because it is discontinued and not many are left. I recommend these because:

Great soundstage

Very comfortable

Has a lot of treble which is good for hearing footsteps.

Has a detachable cable Incase the wire breaks and so you can use a mic

It is extremely well priced at 80USD. It’s probably the best for gaming under 150 USD. And most importantly it will definitely fit you.

For mic, I recommend the Vmoda BoomPro. You just unplug the cable from the headphones and replace it with the BoomPro which is just a 3.5 mm cable with a mic attached. This is a super good mic.

I also highly recommend an amp both for gaming and music. The one I recommend has a switch with T D and B. T is treble boost (for gaming), d is flat, meaning it won’t change anything, and B is bass boost. Which you want if you listen to music because the 9500 has little bass.
I recommend the Syba Sonic DAC/AMP. Link at the bottom. This will definitely help sound quality as it bypasses your pc soundcard.
IMPORTANT: DON’T use the included usb cord in it as it will cause a short in your computer. You’ll need a different mini usb cable as the provide a really bad one.

To use the amp: This is a usb amp, so plug the usb into your computer and the mini USB port into the DAC/amp. The will power it so it will drain laptop battery with a laptop. Then all you do is is plug your headphone jack into the big 3.5mm headphone jack. Don’t use the one for a split cable because your headset isn’t a split cable.

That’s it! The total is about 150 bucks and will surpass anything for the price.

Don’t get a gaming headset. They just use cheap divers and RGB and day gaming to trick you, as they are way overpriced.

Z Reviews on YT (total audiophile geek) recommends this as well. I invite you to spend more time researching on his channel and other places to understand the mic and amp better. He has a best gaming gaming headsets video from a year ago. This setup is at the very front and one of the first things he talks about. Also goes very in depth on the whole subject of sound for gaming at the beginning. Here are the links:

9500s-https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW

Vmoda BoomPro Mic - https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Communication/dp/B00BJ17WKK

Syba Soni DAC/amp - https://www.amazon.com/Syba-Digital-Headphone-Amplifier-Coaxial/dp/B009WN7QT4

Remember you need a different mini usb cable. I’d throw the one it came with away because it’s garbage and possibly a fire hazard.

Please watch Z Reviews Gaming Headphone guise from a year ago. The first 25 minutes are all you really need to hear. They explain audio in-depth and talk about the headphones and this combo. Good luck!

Feel free to reach out to me as I can help with the setup or usage, but r/ZReviews is probably a better option. You’ll get help ASAP from a whole hutch of audiophiles who know their stuff.

Yes it would be, I just asked because it would sense to invest in what you would use more, no sense pouring money into something you won't use all that much. And not necessarily, but some of the prices of my "go-to" gear has increased a little bit, which did make this just a little bit harder.

Okay so, this is what I came up with. Speakers are usually $40 but they are $50 right now for some reason, so that is why it's about $8 dollars over. also if you had any of these cables lying around it would definitely put you under $100.

Speakers - Dayton Audio B652 Amazon | Easily the best ~$50 book shelf speakers out there. Loud, with great sound quality, good imaging, and just all around outstanding for the price. They are kind of big though, so take into account desk space.

Amplifier - Lepai 2020A+ Amazon| You will need these to power the speakers, connected with speaker wire. It's a great little amp. It's buit out of metal, which is great given it's price tag, and the knobs feel great. Has tone controls that has a button that lets you toggle between using them or bypassing them. Provides ample power for speakers in this listening situation. It isn't really made for "party level" volume so just be careful, as you CAN blow speakers if you crank it too high on the AMP/computer. I personally use this and works great. Price is also a little higher than what I've seen them go for ($15).

Cables/Wires Amazon, cable Amazon, wire- A standard 3.5mm male to male cable that will connect the amp to the computer, and 50FT of 16 gauge speaker wire to connect the speakers to the amp. If you have a 3.5mm cable already you won't need to buy another.

Headphones - Sennheiser HD201 Amazon | Sennheiser makes great headphones, from their $1000 HD800 right down to the $20 HD201. Great headphones for music, and okay for gaming. They are closed back, which means the sound stage will not be as broad, but they will isolate outside noise. $10 dollars more will get you these Superlux HD681s which are open backed, which will result in a bigger sound stage, which is helpful for the directional aspect of audio while gaming. they sound pretty good too! Both headphones will perform well for music, and gaming when you use them. Not the best but they're better than most "gaming headsets".

Mic - Zalman Clip on Mic Amazon | A basic mic that clips on to your headphone's cable. what's great about this is you can use them for any pair of headphones, or when you're not even using them! the clip can also hold it to your shirt.

Total cost is about $108. If you are diligent/patient the speakers may drop back down to $40 sometime.

Overall this is great value for a little over $100, and will offer you much more all around than an $100 speaker set. The great thing about this is that everything is modular. If you want to upgrade your speakers you don't have to buy a new amp, and vice-versa. If you want to add a sub down the line, you don't have to ditch everything and get a new set; you just add it into the "chain". Headphones broke? No need to buy a new mic. Want nicer sounding headphones? No problem! Mic broken or lost? Don't need to buy a whole new headset. As you can see it is very flexible, and very easy to upgrade things as you go, which I feel is completely worth the $8 over your budget you gave me.

Sorry this took a while to get to you, lots of writing, linking, and searching! Hope this helps!

> I'd say anywhere from $50-80 pretty flexible here. The game he wants to play the most is a shooter that requires very good sound location.

Oof. Sometimes I forget how hard it is to buy headphones in Canadollars. I'll do my best, here, but that's a pretty tall order - the cheapest of the iconic good shooter headphones is a good $60~ above that budget.

>A mic is required but I know I would get annoyed by a clip on mic. Can it just sit on the desk/monitor?

Standalone mics tend to cost a little more and pick up more environmental noise, but it's possible. Kinda pushing the budget even with the ZM-Mic1 though.

>Sound isolation isn't a huge deal, if it could block out regular talking with the volume on that would be fine.

Open headphones can block out speech volume noise when played at safe volumes, so I'll put that down as "not needed".

>He likes rock/blues and some rap too. He didn't really plan on using them for music much, but if we get him a decent pair I'm sure he will change his mind.

Well, here's hoping. Good headphone can change music fer ya. Incidentally, if you ever want to get a taste of audio bliss for yourself, there's a lotta up left to go from those G930s of yours...

Depending on what you can find a suitable mic for, you might be able to fit a [Takstar HI2050] (http://www.amazon.ca/Deep-deal-Takstar-Monitor-Headphone-Computer/dp/B00JNN3ENK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1448998004&sr=1-1&keywords=takstar+hi2050). Honestly, this is probably one of the best sub-$100 headphones (that'd be more like sub-$160 for you Canadians) I've ever heard. The HI2050 has a clear sound without being too bright/shrill, with fairly solid mids and not terribly rolled-off bass, which is atypical of open headphones this cheap. Pretty well-built, too - feels about as good as Sennheiser's HD5x8s to me, which are twice the price.

If more money must be left for mics, however, [Superlux's HD681] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/superlux-hd-668b-and-hd-681-headphones) [is a cheaper alternative] (http://www.amazon.ca/Superlux-681-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B002GHIPYI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1448997934&sr=8-6&keywords=samson+sr850). To be entirely honest, the HD681 sounds like a cheaper headphone than the HI2050: it's got a shrill character to its treble, and the bass is pretty limited. Ergonomics aren't as good either. Still, for that much less, some sacrifices have to be made, I suppose. The Superluxes are still fairly good at positional audio, at least for their price, and their sound is relatively clear and airy, which is a nice contrast to the muddy sound of many cheaper headphones.

Another option you could aim for - though your odds of hitting it are...iffy - would be Philips' SHP9500. Dubbed the "SuperHypePhone" on /r/headphones for the cult following it attracted, the SHP9500 packs a mean sound for a headphone you can find for $55-70...if you're lucky. Since the hype train got rolling on it, the SHP9500 has been $150+ most places, so you need to monitor /r/headphones for the inevitable "SHP9500 $70 again!!!!" post if you wanna hit it for that money. I, personally, prefer the HI2050, though I will say that the SHP9500 has two features I suspect your friend would like: 1, the pads are huge (albeit not deep), which is a pretty big ergonomic plus for a lotta folks, and 2, it has a detachable cable that makes it compatible with V-Moda's BoomPro cable, which basically turns any headphone with the right kinda detachable cable jack into a headset with a pretty nice mic, no clipping-on and second cable required.

If I were you, I might do it a little differently.

Steelseries makes good keyboards and they're very customizable. r/mechanicalkeyboards might throw a hissy fit at me for saying that, but they're good all around boards. Every key can be customized with macros and stuff if he so chooses, right in the Steelseries software. No need to mess around with AHK.

Mice are a very personal thing. Does he know you're getting him PC peripherals for Christmas? If so, knowing the size of his hand, and if possible, how he grips a mouse would be super helpful. I spend a shameful amount of time on r/mousereview and would love to help you out! The Xtrfy M4 is very popular at the moment if he has medium or small hands. Right here you can see how to measure hand size properly.

If you can't get a precise measurement or grip style that's fine - could you maybe compare his hand to yours (a simple "Hey, which one of us has bigger hands?" should do), measure yours, and estimate roughly how different they are.

If he's got the space for a setup, he'd be much better off with a dedicated set of headphones and a dedicated microphone than with a headset, and it'd be cheaper too! I personally recommend the Superlux 668B headphones with a set of replacement earpads (these ones are amazing, but these ones are still very good while being much cheaper). Then grab yourself a Fifine microphone and something cheap to hold it and you've saved yourself a lot of money while getting him a much better product!

Oh, those headphones will let in a fair amount of background noise, and they'll leak a bit of the sound playing through them. If your house/apartment is often loud or you share a space and don't want to hear his games, these Takstars are shockingly good for the price. If you wanna save a few bucks and not go for a separate microphone, this CM headset is based off them but has an attached mic!

Good luck and I hope he enjoys his gift! Feel free to ask any questions you've got, PM if you want :)

Weird the link worked for me. I just copy and pasted the post below, hope it's useful!



This is a guide that recommends headphones with an added mic and does not recommend gaming headsets (I'll explain what that means). I'm posting this because I found lots of info on headphones for gaming but not a proper setup for a console like the PS4.

If you're looking for a great quality headset for gaming, you might run into some trouble like I did. I define quality as being made with solid materials and having awesome audio while having a decent mic to chat with other players.

Options within the quality gaming headset category are both limited and expensive. Take a stroll over to r/headphones to get their two cents on how and why gaming headsets are often overpriced and actually underperform their ticket price. This post in particular was very thorough and linked out to other really useful resources like Z Reviews

When my old headphones broke I started exploring options for a new pair of cans. I wanted to get something great and didn't mind spending a buck on it. As I researched I began to learn more about different types of headphones and what they offered in gaming. The problem I ran into is that the best pair of speakers you can put on your head are almost all headphones, not headsets (meaning headphones do not have a mic equipped). But I'm playing on a PS4 so that changes the game some, PC might have some different avenues. The PS4 dualshock controller (as of 2016, possibly earlier) has proprietary restrictions as to what headsets can plug-in and work with it so creating a DIY headset (independent headphones and mic) was tricky. I tried a workaround with getting an aux plug-in adapter that had "4 poles " to use with the DS4 controller but it didn't trick the controller nor did unplugging and re-plugging in headphones with a mic. Others have had success with it but not me.

I ended up getting a USB to headphone and mic input adapter. This way you can buy whatever headphones you want and whatever mic you want and pair them together by plugging them into your PS4 USB port. You are tethered by a wire but I have read that there is lag with basically any wireless setup so I wouldn't recommended them, especially if you're into online FPS.

My setup is:

---Open air headphones: Audio Technical 900x ($130)

There are other versions of these headphones like the 500x for around $75 as well as the 2000x for $600+
-I would also explore the Superlux HD668B Semi-Open Headphones ($40) as they are relatively inexpensive have replaceable ear pads and have glowing reviews.

---Attachable mic I haven't gotten comments on how I sound which can only be a good thing. I have asked how it sounds and "fine to me" is usually the answer I get.

---USB adapter w/ headphones + mic auxiliary inputs

-Also you might want to get a USB cable extender if the phones and/or mic you go with don't have long cables.

I would venture a guess that most any version of the above 3 components would work together. I am really enjoying my setup and have been using it for about 2 months now. The “soundstage" on open headphones is a really different experience, instead of being closed off by noise cancelling headphones it now feels like everything is happening around me. I had a pair of beats Studios (gen 2) that were pretty good but I would definitely recommend giving “open” style headphones a try. The beats seem puny in comparison, not just in physical size but also in output quality.

I hope this is of benefit to you. I spent a lot of time researching, reading and watching reviews, figuring out what would work on a PS4 and deliberating on what pieces to buy. I am by no means an audiophile so this is just the research of a lay person that wanted great sound and is enjoying what they found.

TL;DR Don't buy a gaming headset if you want awesome sound. You can get a great, probably better, setup on your own and likely save a bit of money in the process by DIY.

Hi all, I've not really owned any headphones and only purchased "gaming" Headsets when I was younger. I'm looking to upgrade my sound setup and experience better sound!

I've considered a few headphones but never know which one to go for as there are always pro's and con's for each headphone.
Initially I was going to go for the HD650/HD600 as the more i read on them the more tempted I am in buying one of these. Would these work with gaming also as I've read they don't have the largest sound stage?

Currently, I'm considering - DT990 PRO - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyerdynamic-DT990-PRO-Headphones-250/dp/B0011UB9CQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
I could also consider the 990 Premium (possibly the 600Ohm one however unsure if my Soundblaster Omni is good enough for it) - Also looked into the DT880's but read that DT990's provide a bit more bass but that the 880s are more clear with vocals.

Also looked into these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AKG-Reference-Open-Back-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B00DCXZY1W however, read that they are light on bass. I like my bass to be quite stronger than neutral but nothing overkill, for movies/music so maybe these might not be for me.

Finally this was last on my list as I'm able to go both open and closed - https://www.amazon.co.uk/HiFiMan-Open-Closed-Back-Headphones/dp/B01EJZHCQQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1503143202&sr=1-1&keywords=Hifiman+Edition+S however, read how the build quality is not that great.


Mainly will be using the headphones for 85% gaming, 5% music, 10% movies.

 


Budget - Preferably under £200 but flexible

Source - Creative Soundblaster Omni - USB Sound Card with 600 Ohm Headphone Amp -https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-omni-surround-5-1 - I'm hoping this is powerful enough to power most headphones without any problems?

Requirements for Isolation - Will only be using headphones at home, I don't mind less isolation but I plan on attaching a mic (ModMic) and don't want my microphone picking up the sound, even at reasonbly loud volumes.

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? Nope :)

Preferred Type of Headphone - Do you want IEMs, full-sized, or on-ear? Full-sized/Over the ear

Preferred tonal balance - Are you a basshead, particularly fond of a smooth midrange, strong highs, or do you want an overall balanced pair of headphones? - This part I'm not really sure on, I like a decent amount of bass but nothing overkill. I'm looking for something with possibily a good sound stage that works well mainly for gaming/movies and movies, tough to balance all i suppose but in order, Gaming>Music>Movies. Main reason I want decent/good bass as it feels as if it adds to my immersion when gaming/watching movies.

Past headphones - What have you used in the past, what did you like about them and what didn't you like about - Steelseries Siberia Elite - For me, has a great level of base and overall sound and the best sounding headphones I've ever owned, but it's time to step up my sound game now and looking for something a lot better :]

Preferred Music - What do you listen to? If your music tastes are very esoteric, providing some examples (Youtube links work well) may be of some assistance to your helpers. - Music taste varies from time to time, but often listen to house music, electronic dance music, any new music popular music (Global Top 50 etc.)

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - What are you looking for going into your next headphone? More bass? More detail? More treble? - Hopefully, an upgrade in my listening experience in gaming/music/movies, sound in general. Prefer that the bass feels slightly stronger than neutral to help with immersion in games such as Battlefield titles. A good sound stage and clear sound.

Location - UK


Thanks guys.

Many people consider Sennheiser to be one of the the best right now. Some even believe it's THE best at the moment. They are definitely a superb choice for headphones.

That being said, there are a lot of variables in headphones that cater to different people. For one, there are 3 sort of blanket headphone types: In-ear, On-ear, and Over-ear. In-ear are basically ear buds, On-ear are headphones with small cups that sit on your ears. Over-ear have larger cups that surround your ear. Personally, I'm a fan of Over-ear, as they are the most comfortable to me and tend to have higher quality headphones (Over-ear don't make headphones sound better, but companies tend to make more Over-ear than On-ear of various price ranges).


On top of that, there are two kinds of cups: open back and closed back. For some background, headphones play sound both towards you an away from you. Closed back means the back of the headphone cup is closed (duh), blocking the sound going away from you. Basically, it's you and whatever you're listening to. A band in your head. Open back means that the cups are open to an extent. These headphones often look like they have a grate on the cups. This means sound goes out, and also sound goes in. These headphones make it so the music sounds more lively. Instead of the band being in your head, think of you at a concert for that band. Open back headphones make it so the music blends with the environment around you. Be wary, because people around you can hear what you're listening to pretty clearly. If you're using headphones for every day use, I'd recommend closed back for yours and everyone else's sake. You get to listen to what you want without distractions, and everyone around you won't be disturbed by you either.

Not sure which headphones you have, but these are the Sennheiser HD 280s. Over-ear, closed back, $100 dollars. Pretty good sound for the price, not so stylish. As far as audio quality, they're definitely worth the price.

If you're willing to go a little higher, I'd recommend the Audio Technica M50x. These bad boys are some of the best headphones I've used. They are the complete package to me. Sound quality is great, the build is good, the ear cups are comfortable, and you can replace the aux cord if it breaks, all for $150. I've heard better sound from headphones, but for $150, these are a steal. You really won't find better anywhere in this price range. Once again, over-ear, closed back.

If you're a guy that likes in-ears, I can't really help much. Almost every in-ear I've listened to are low end (less than $50), the exceptions being Beats in-ears ($100, meh), and Shure SE425 ($300, pretty damn good, mostly used for monitoring during music performances). If you're an on-ear guy, you're the first I've met. Regardless of your preference, I think it's worth taking the leap to over-ear and trying them out.

Either of these options are good. If you want to look for yourself, I'd highly recommend Amazon. You can find a lot of headphones here for cheaper than retail. The brands I'd recommend are Sennheiser, Audio Technica, and Beyerdynamic in that order. Keep in mind the different types of headphones and open back vs. closed back if you do decide to look around.

Sorry for the long read, best of luck!

Not OP, but I very much enjoy the sound of the HD600's. super easy to listen to and not harsh at all. Kind of expensive, since you need an aplifier to get the best sound of them, which just adds to the price. I have a few recommendations for under 150 dollar headphones.

If you're looking for some great open back headphones, I recommend the AD-700X. Very open, with an airy sound. I enjoy them the most for vocals. not much bass, however. I also really enjoy these for gaming. the design of them is a odd for headphones so they might not be the best fit for your head.

Another option is the SHP9500. also open and similar to the HD600's in that they handle almost all music well. Can't really complain on how they handle most things, except for maybe bass heavy music. All around good headphones. Super comfortable to wear too.

If you want some closed headphones, I recommend the DT-770's 80 Ohm. not as easy to drive as the 32 Ohm version, but still should be fine with almost anything. If you plan on getting an amp, get the 250 Ohm version. I love these because the bass response is absolutely fantastic. If you enjoy EDM, hiphop, or any genre that is bass heavy, these are a no brianer. these have fantastic sub bass that doesn't muddy up the vocals. Maybe not the best for all genre types, as the higher frequencies can be fatiguing for some people.

If you're looking for a AMP to start off with, I recommend the FiiO E10K. cheap, and powerful enough to drive most headphones, unless they're very power demanding like the HD600's. If you want to go all out, getting a Schiit Stack like OP, or an ODAC combo works too. that's gonna be like 200+ though, so I recommend starting with something smaller.

Also, be sure to use Amazon's warehouse deals to get a "used" pair of any of these if you can. save some money on it, and if they're broken or damaged, amazon will gladly refund you. really is a money saver.

Mic or headset?

🔊 MICROPHONES

• Antlion ModMic 4
  
  Attaches to headphones using a clasp system and is easy to attach and remove. Is compatible with all headphones. Comes with and without a mute switch.
  
  
• Massdrop Minimic
  
  Attaches to headphones using a clasp system and is easy to attach and remove. Is compatible with all headphones. Has a mute switch and is modular. Is only available via drops on Massdrop.com. I recommend requesting it if you want to wait for it.
  
  
• V-MODA BoomPro
  
  Connects to the headphone's jack, replacing the headphone cable. Is compatible with Philips SHP9500 and Status Audio CB-1. Has a mute switch and a volume control.
  
  
• Neewer 3.5mm Clip on Mini Lapel Microphone
  
  Clips onto your clothing. Has no in-line controls.
  
  
• Sony ECMCS3
  
  
• Clips onto your clothing. Has no in-line controls.
  
  
• Zalman ZM-Mic1
  
  Clips onto your clothing. Has no in-line controls.
  
  
• Blue Snowball
  
  Has various placement options. Has no in-line controls.
  
  
• Samson Go
  
  Has various placement options. Has no in-line controls.
  
  

  
  

  
  You can use various audio controllers for volume control and mute toggle:
  
  

• Fosmon
  
• Insignia
  
• Lucid Sound AdjustR
  
  

  
  

  
  To connect the ModMic, Minimic, clip-on mics and other 3.5mm mics to DS4 or an audio controller, you need a TRRS / 4-pole Y-splitter (three black rings on the connector). The BoomPro doesn't require a Y-splitter. USB mics are plug-and-play.
  
   
  
  🎧 HEADPHONES
  
  

  
  

  
  

• AKG K52
  
  Sound: Has a wide and deep soundstage, good imaging, clarity and detail retrieval and decent separation. It doesn't over- or under-emphasize the bass or treble. The bass can sound a little muddy in e.g. blasts and explosions.
  
  Build: Is closed-back and over-ear. Durable and very lightweight. The cups tilt and pivot, so they should adjust to the shape of your head nicely. The earpads have decent quality and are soft and removable, but they're shallow.
  
  
  
• Philips SHP9500
  
  Sound: Has a soundstage with medium width and depth. It has good imaging, separation and detail retrieval and very good clarity. It doesn't over- or under-emphasize the bass or treble.
  
  Build: Is open-back and over-ear. Durable and lightweight. The cups tilt and pivot and the cable detaches. The earpads have good quality and they're soft and removable, but they're very shallow. Replacing them requires modification or buying/making 3D printed rings that the new earpads attach to. Modifying is very easy and quick to do and doesn't require special tools or extra parts. I've made a tutorial. 3D printed parts can be bought from Mod House Audio and Thingiverse. The clamping force is very light, so I don't recommend the headphone for children or if you frequently move your head down and have an average sized head. For aftermarket earpads, I recommend Shure HPAEC1840. These tighten the clamping force for a little, and personally, I love the comfort and fit with these.
  
  
• Superlux HD668B
  
  Sound: Has a wide and deep soundstage, I'd say 50% bigger than SHP9500. It has very good imaging, separation, clarity and detail retrieval. It has emphasized treble and a small boost in the mid-bass.
  
  Build: Is semi-open-back and over-ear. Sturdy and lightweight. The cups tilt and pivot. The cable and earpads are detachable. The earpads have bad quality and are shallow, so I recommend replacing them with earpads from HiFiMAN.
  
  
• Superlux HD681 EVO
  
  Sound: Has the same soundstage as HD668B. It has very good clarity and good detail retrieval, but has poor imaging and separation. It's warm sounding with deep bass.
  
  Build: Is semi-open-back and over-ear. The cups tilt and pivot. The cable and earpads are detachable. The earpads have decent quality and are soft and detachable, but they're shallow and the drivers stick out quite a bit, so I recommend taking out the loose felt inside the cups, unless you're sensitive to treble, and replacing the earpads with earpads from HiFiMAN, or earpads from Brainwavz if you want much more depth. These are expensive, but they have great quality, they are made of memory foam and are very soft and roomy, and the sound quality is absolutely worth it.
  
  

  
  

  
  I also compare to AKG Q701, Audio-Technica ATH-AD700x, Beyerdynamic DT990 (600 ohms), HiFiMAN HE400i, HyperX Cloud, Philips Fidelio X2 and Sennheiser HD700, which I got for gaming, except for HE400i, but it's great for gaming. I don't recommend HyperX Cloud / Cloud II / CloudX. I strongly advise against them if you don't need closed-back. My evaluations derive mostly if not only from gaming (so take it with a grain of salt for music entertainment listening). I can't emphasize enough that perceived performance in headphones is relative.
  
   
  
  Glossary | ℹ️
  ---|---
  Closed-back x | Cups with solid shells that largely isolate sound from passing in and out.
  Open-back / semi-open-back | Cups with perforations/grills that allow outside sound to freely pass in and sound from the drivers to freely pass out. How loud you hear outside sound and how loud people around you hear the sound from the headphones depend on the volume, of course. The sonic benefit to open-back is generally a big soundstage.
  Soundstage | Perceived space and environment of sound. It can be compared to virtual surround sound; both attempt to produce the same spacious, three-dimensional effect. VSS can sound more ambient and immersive, which depends on the processor you use (CMSS-3D, Dolby, SBX, etc.), but it degrades the sound quality and diminishes detailing due to compression from digital processing. You might also experience less accurate imaging and separation if the headphone already has good imaging and separation. Note that a deep soundstage is equally important as a wide soundstage.
  Imaging | Accuracy of sounds/objects positioned across the soundstage. And I mean where they are positioned -- not merely what direction they come from. This distinction is important because being able to tell only what direction objects come from isn't good enough to me when playing against people. Imaging is inherent to the audio content, so if the game is recorded or mixed poorly, a headphone with good imaging won’t improve the positional audio, so don't judge the headphone before using it in games you're very familiar with. I test mine mostly in Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
  Separation | Separating individual sounds from a range of sounds. Good separation makes it easier to filter out or discern overlapping sounds from other sounds and track them.

Spend BIG on your tripod, lighting and audio if you're looking at narrative work. ESPECIALLY tripod. I have the Sachtler Ace M and it's excellent, especially for a lighter setup. IMO avoid manfrotto "fluid" heads. Most of them within your price range are not fluid. Their legs are excellent though! Also look at a used Miller or Sachtler kit. For narrative work, chances are that 80-90% of your shots are going to be locked down, tripod shots or pan/tilt shots. The G7 is NOT a camera that you want to be using for the "handheld" look. (I also have a horrible bias against unnecessary camera movement, especially handheld or shoulder rig shots in narrative work). As a rule, NEVER take your camera off the tripod unless you have very good reason to do so.


I put a good $300 into my G7 kit so it's hard to say what $1500 will get you, but you should be able to get a good start, especially since you already have some lenses.

----------
AUDIO - Audio is arguably more important than video quality for low budget work. Audiences will forgive slightly out of focus/unsteady and grainy footage, but poor audio will IMMEDIATELY make your work seem amateurish,The boom mic is king for narrative audio, and truth be told, mic placement is often far more important than the hardware. I'd take a boom op who knows how to mic, with a $400 setup, over a guy with $$$$ of equipment who doesnt know how to mic talent. A solid entry audio kit can be put together for under $450. Pick up a decent shotgun (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/495302-REG/Audio_Technica_AT875R_AT875_Short_Condenser_Shotgun.html) and a recorder. A boom pole and shock mount are necessary. If you're on a real tight budget, a painter's pole with a shockmount can be used. Shop monoprice for any audio cables. I recommend the following on a budget: Mic Kit ($200) https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/563843-REG/Audio_Technica_AT875_Short_Condenser_Shotgun.html, Tascam Recorder ($150) https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/821259-REG/Tascam_DR_40_DR_40_4_Track_Handheld_Digital.html, Used Sony MDR-V6 ($40) https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00001WRSJ/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all, Painter's pole ($20-30)

------------
LIGHTING - LED panels are cheap, portable, and convenient. The Yongnuo YN-300III is excellent for the money. Pick up two of those and a reflector (as well as a couple $30 light stands), and as long as you have some daylight or even practicals, you have a very decent light setup as long as you're not trying to light an entire room or scene super bright. Very portable as well. Eventually you'll want to save up for heavier stuff like maybe Arri Fresnels or Kino Flos. LEDs are pretty viable these days also...you can pick up 2-3 nice Aputure panels for under $500. If you're very cheap and need more light, shop lights can be useful if you dont care about modifying the light. Clamp lights or Halogen work lights can help.

------------

LENSES... there's a couple routes you can go. You've already got a decent start. The vintage lenses are great but you wont be able to get fast, wide legacy glass for the G7. Wide focal lengths are VERY important for narrative work, as they're used almost any time the camera moves and for wide/establishing shots. Your canon 17mm will be roughly 40mm at the widest without a speedbooster, which IMO isn't wide enough for narrative. As far as i'm concerned a Metabones Speedbooster is required kit if you want to shoot with Panasonic mirrorless, IF you're planning to stick to one system. For example, i have a Nikon one, and thus i can use my Sigma 18-35 as well as my old manual Nikon glass. If you only have one Canon i don't know if the price tag is worth it quite yet. Maybe just get a couple of dumb adapters for around $20 for the time being. You can also pick up something like a Rokinon 12mm f2.0 for around $300, which will be around a 27mm on the sensor of the G7 at 4k.

--------------

SUPPORT - Dont worry about cage, rail system, mattebox, follow focus, dolly for now. Dont worry about external recorder or monitor. That is stuff that you should invest in and spend big to get good stuff. If you can fashion a DIY dolly., by all means do that. If you want to be taken seriously, a great tripod is number one priority. How can you expect to shoot great video if your gear isn't even capable of smooth pans and tilts? A $3000 camera body is essentially useless on a cheap tripod. A $500 G7 on an $800 tripod will result in much better movement than an a7sii on a cheap one. And no, a $200-300 tripod will NOT get you smooth movement. Keep in mind that a dolly is pretty useless without proper lights and a fast wide lens. Any dolly movement (especially a push) typically involves a wide lens and you need to throw plenty of light at the scene to ensure you can stop down enough to keep the subject in focus while you're pushing into them. And for $23, there's no reason why you shouldnt pick up one of these: https://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-Shoulder-Support-Camcorder-Camera/dp/B0036NMQ7S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479589459&sr=8-1&keywords=shoulder+rig+cowboy

------------------

BAGS: The Canon "Gadget" bags are excellent. I have the Canon 200DG https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/351537-REG/Canon_9320A003_200DG_Deluxe_Gadget_Bag.html. Picked it up in B&H used section for like $23. It should hold your camera, all your lenses and have room for additional things. Ebay is also a good place for bags.

---------------------

I would look at a glidecam type stabilizer or slider as a first upgrade past your initial purchases. You can get very decent ones for around the $200 mark. I've heard very decent things about the "off-brand" glidecams. Or find a used one. A slider can do more than you'd think. Especially for narrative work, usually all you need is just a tiny bit of smooth camera movement, which a decent sized slider can allow. Truth be told, you can spend YEARS studying cinematography just using well composed tripod shots with proper lighting, blocking, and staging. There's really no reason to be moving to camera movements until you have shot quite a bit on sticks.

--------

Here is what i would suggest for a little over $1.5k:

-----

Tripod - $800


Audio - $400


Lighting - $200 (two cheap panels, two stands, and reflector)


Remaining ~$200: Bag, Batteries, SD cards, slate, cables

Okay. What I am going to recommend is two sets of headphones. One for nice, comfy, multi-hour home listening in front of the computer, and another set for when you're on the go. All of these sound good without any amplification.

Full-Size, Home Listening

• Audio Technica ATH-AD700 - nice, mid-level offering. Wonderful, open sound and definitely the #1 most comfortable headphones I have ever owned. These are fairly large, this is what they look like on me. They are reasonably light, and the design is completely open. You will hear sounds around you and if someone is sitting next to you, they will hear some of your music (or all of it, if you have the volume cranked). The pads are fuzzy and comfortable. Highly recommended for electronic music, chamber pieces, acoustic guitar and piano... well, just about everything. (~$100)
  
  
• Sennheiser HD-280 Pro - These are the heavyweight champions of the $50-$100 price range. Headfi (a major audiophile community) loves these things. So do I. Comfortable, with fantastic bass response and great isolation. Built like a tank - I DJ'd for quite awhile and my set is still going strong despite being dropped, stepped on, thrown in road cases, etc. The ear cups also rotate reasonably freely to allow them to fold "flat" and be tossed in a backpack. The pads on these are that pleather material which could cause a little bit of sweat, but nothing to really complain about. Excellent sound, overall, but particularly suited to drum n bass, dubstep, industrial, goa and other genres of trance and electronic dance music. My pair is actually in my lab at work, at the moment, so no photo of them, sorry! (~$90)
  
  
• Audio Technica M50S - Foldable, easy to toss in a bag. These are what I moved to after using the 280 Pro's for several years. Very smooth sound with a pretty surprising bass range. Definitely out-performed the 280's in some pieces of music when it came to the low range. Again, smooth, balanced sound overall. Great isolation on par with the 280's. The soundstage isn't as good as the AD700's, since these are closed headphones, otherwise I'd totally recommend these, flat out. These beat the Monster Beats Studio, hands down, for a third of the price. <3 Bass (~$120)
  
  Portables
  
  
• Koss Portapro - These things are classics for a reason. Very, very highly recommended by a ton of people. Comfortable, portable, built well, and excellent sound for the price bracket they are in. Unique styling. Those temple pads you see keep the pressure from the earpieces from becoming fatiguing on your ears. I've forgotton that I was wearing them on several occasions and tried to put on my hat over them. If you're cool with the style, I really recommend these. (~$40)
  
  
• Grado SR60i - I love Grados. They have a really classic look, they are very comfortable, and they have solid sound. More suited to articulate, dynamic music. Not a ton of bass. Would recommend these for home use as well, actually. If you want, you can step up to the SR80i, but I don't feel like you will hear too great a difference, out of an iPod or an onboard soundcard. (~$70-$100)
  
  
  Note: the Amazon links above are using my affiliate ID. What this means is that if you purchase a set through those links, Amazon gives me 4-6% of the purchase price as a commission. The price you pay is not affected in any way - that commission comes out of their end. You don't have to use those links, you can search Amazon for any of the models above. And by all means, you don't have to buy through Amazon.

TL;DR

Experiment with mic placement

GAIN STAGE

Arranging is the best mixing tool you have

When EQ'ing, always cut before boosting

----------

Experimenting is key! Don't be afraid to try new things, even if they may not make any sense.

In terms of recording, gain-staging is the first thing you should be looking at. Having as loud a signal as possible without clipping going to the front of your interface is one of the best things you can do to save headaches later on, as your noise floor will be much lower and you have a lot more free reign over dynamics in the song without having to worry about that dreaded buzz.

When it comes to micing up guitar amps in stereo like you want to do, I would say make sure you get two isolated signals. This will give you a lot of flexibility later on when mixing. If it's possible, mic the two amps up in separate rooms. If that's not feasible, just make sure the mics are pointing away from each other, not towards each other. If you want the phase-y sound, you can either mess with the phase switches in your DAW or you can just manually move one of the mic tracks out of phase with the other. Your choice :P

Experiment with mic placement on the cone. The mic should be right up on the grill. When recording cleans I personally like the sound of placing the mic near the outer rim of the speaker, but that is entirely a preference thing. Like I said before, experiment! In general, you get more bass as you move closer to the center of the cone.

The SM58 is essentially an SM57 with a different cap, so you'll still be able to get that nice dynamic sound that has turned into an industry standard. Since it is a dynamic microphone, I would recommend double-micing the amps with a pencil condensor (there should be a matched pair in your friend's drum mic kit) as they tend to capture more of the high and low end extension while the SM58 will capture a lot of the midrange. It covers a lot of ground, but can introduce a little more work when mixing them all together. Whatever works for you!

This is a general production trick, but just remember that the arrangement of the song has a huge impact on the energy and dynamics of the song. Leaving parts out in softer sections will really make those louder sections pop out more, and this is especially important in a dynamic genre like dreampop! It can be very easy to fall into the habit of adding parts that don't need to be there, and that will reduce the dynamic of the piece overall.

In terms of mixing (I'm just going into general mixing knowledge here) less is almost always more. For example, many people will open up a project and say "the bass isn't loud enough" and just turn up the bass. In reality, this will only muddy up the low end more, since it will be interfering with the low end of the guitars, etc. In general, it's a good practice to apply a high-pass filter up to about 130 Hz on EVERY track in the project EXCEPT for the bass guitar, the kick, and anything else that mainly sits in the low end. That frees up a lot of low-end headroom for the things that really need it (i.e. not guitars). You can apply this principle to basically anything else in the track, such as cutting high frequencies out of tracks to leave room for the cymbals, etc. When you feel the need to boost a track up in the mix, ask yourself whether you can cut frequencies out of other tracks first.

Oh, I almost forgot. Make sure that you have a good way to monitor your mixes. If you can't afford a decent set of monitors, get a decent pair of open-back headphones. If you're on a super tight budget, I would personally recommend the AKG k240 Studios (http://www.amazon.com/AKG-240-Semi-Open-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA). They're like, $60 now and they're the best bang for the buck headphones imo.

Mix in-the-box. You and your wallet will thank me later.

I could go on forever, but there are a plethora of great mixing resources out there. One that I really like is Recording Revolution (look it up if you've never heard of it). Just keep experimenting and never give up! There are no shortcuts to getting great mixes, you just have to practice! Good luck!

Yeah, those aren't really the best for gaming, I agree. But I suggested them just in case because I have definitely seen people use them for gaming before.

In general I don't think I'd recommend IEMs heavily for gaming. If you're gonna use 'em outside as well as inside, then yeah, maybe it would be better than a pair of open back headphones. But well, anyway, I've not heard much of that particular pair, and they don't seem incredibly well regarded from a quick check.

With IEMs for gaming it could get more expensive depending on how much soundstage you want or need. Imo, with IEMs, you should either go relatively cheap or just start plunging in, because there's not much amazing in the middle. There are some incredibly good cheap IEMs like the Xiaomi Piston 3s. I have this pair, and I can vouch that they do not sound like $20 IEMs in the least, there is $100 sound in these. The catch is they are often faked, so if you buy a pair, make sure they're real by checking online, but well, it's Amazon, so there should be no issue if they're faked if you buy fulfilled by them, you'll return em easy. But they sound really good, especially for the incredibly low price, and I've tried gaming with them and they do fine for it, though not as great as headphones.

In the middle there is an incredibly well recommended IEM called the Shure s215. Are they good for gaming, well, I've never heard them so I can't fully say. They should be fine, but not amazing.

What will really do you best is a pair of IEMs with incredibly good soundstage, but you'll unfortunately be paying a lot more for really good soundstage in an IEM. I recommend just plunging in and spending a lot if what you want is IEMs, something like the Sennheiser IE80s. These are well known for very wide soundstage and clarity, and they'd probably do you best for gaming because of it. But the price is up there compared to a pair of headphones as you can see.

For noise cancelling I don't know much admittedly. I think Bose is still well recommended for noise cancelling, but I also think I've heard cheap Bose headphones aren't amazing. I've heard of the Bose QC25s as being good I think? But again, you're paying a premium for the noise cancelling. I would suggest IEMs over noise cancelling personally.

Fidelio X2s need a headphone amp which will run you some good extra money besides the price of them alone, I don't recommend them unless you're willing to shell out at least an extra $100 besides their price. The HD 598s are amazing at their price point for everything, probably the single best all around headphones at the price range, and the best ones for gaming imo. They're the ones I recommend most.

I'm sorry I've written you a novel here by the way, but I hope I helped a little!

I'll recommend the three pairs of headphones that I use on a regular basis. I know you asked for over-ear, but even as an over-ear guy myself I've still gotten a lot of utility from all three of them, so they're all certainly worth considering.

--

MEE Audio Sport-fi M6P- These are my daily workhorse earbuds. I wear them a good 6 hours a day, and they stay fairly comfortable throughout; they wrap around the ear and fit quite nicely. Includes an on-cord volume adjustment, microphone, and pause/play button, if that matters to you. They run around $19, and they're far and away the best headphones I've ever used in this price range.

--

Sony MDR-V6- These were my first step into the world of "real" headphones. They've been industry standard studio monitors since the 80s, and for good reason. Sound is clean and crisp, with a fairly balanced sound signature and particularly good mids (seeing as classical music isn't particularly "bass heavy" having mids as a strong point is ideal; you definitely wouldn't want a bass-head pair of cans). They're foldable, and so I find them rather portable. They're over-ear and closed-back so they're not going to bleed sound all over the place, but they don't have the best isolation so if your daily traffic is particularly noisy (e.g.: downtown of large city or louder) that might be a bit of an issue for you, but if you're in areas a bit more quiet (e.g.: office, cafe, smaller city) they'll do you fine. They're not the most fashionable things and they also have a coiled cable, neither of which bother me but could be an issue for some. They run about $80, and if you're coming from cheap gas station quality headphones these will probably knock your socks off.

Sennheiser HD 598- Of the three, these are the best. Amazingly warm and rounded, with a spacious, open, and detailed sound. They have really good instrument separation as well, which obviously lend themselves quite well to listening to classical music. Extraordinarily comfy for an indefinite period of time. However, these are my "home" headphones, as they are open back and provide absolutely no isolation whatsoever- I can hold a conversation perfectly well with someone with these on and my volume at 70%, so they'd be utterly useless in any public space. The open back provides an excellent soundstage, but that's the price you pay. Speaking of price, they run at around $150, but they go on sale with some frequency for $99.

--

I personally would recommend getting the earbuds and the 598s, with one being an out and about pair and one for being a home pair. That's what I usually roll about with, and between the two of them I don't really use the V6s anymore as a consequence. That being said, if you're only going to buy one pair as your be all end all, the V6 is a great purchase- I used them exclusively for 4 years and was never disappointed. If these don't float your boat though, I'd recommend hopping over to /r/headphones or www.head-fi.org and see what they have to say- they're both extraordinarily helpful communities with huge and knowledgeable user bases.

What is your budget: 200 € that should include any potential Amp/Dac needed to run the cans

Source: pretty old Desktop PC. Integrated Realtek HD Onboard sound. Have a soundblaster. I don't know if it works properly though. Maybe I'll hook them to a PS4 too every now and then.

Isolation: Don't need to be totally isolated from exterior world. I'll use these mainly at night. Sadly I think I have to
dismiss open or semiopen cans because my wife will be at a 2-3 meters from me, sleeping. Maybe in the future can look into some open cans
for daytime use.


Used in Public? No, home office, interior only


Preferred type of headphone: Full size, circumaural.


Preferred tonal balance: I don't really know, and I'll explain. These will be my workhorse. I'll use them to play
music while working (work at home as an illustrator), skype with clients, discord with friends (I'll be buying the AntLion Modmic)
edit videos (not music videos though), Films, Youtube, Playing games...
So I guess they have to be a bit allrounder. That means neutral? Can't really tell, this will be my first pair of
"good" headphones, or the first pair I've done research instead of picking the first cans I saw on the shelf.

Past headphones: An assortment of cheap headphones and a couple gaming sets (don't even recall the names).
The ones I have now are a pair of Philips SHP2000. You can tell almost anything will be an improvement.

Preferred Music: I listen to almost everything, from classical to hip hop. Jazz, Blues, Rock, Metal, Folk. It really depends on my mood.
So not much help here either to go for a defined tonal balance I'm afraid.

Location: Spain, I have access to Amazon.es, Ebay, etc. Don't know much of this world so couldn't tell any place audio specific.

What would you like from your headphones? As I said I want them to be a bit of allrounder. I want to clearly hear the voices when I'm
voice chatting, Clear sound when playing music and Good sound when gaming. And since I'll be wearing them several hours a day, they should be comfortable.

I have an average (towards big because of hair) head and average ears but I do wear glasse so maybe that's a concern if the grip is too tigh.
I know all this "requirements" mean they won't be the best at anything but I'm not an audiophile either....yet, I guess.

I've been researching a lot of reviews, videos, forums and I've seen a lot of recomendations, and situations similar to mine.
So I thought asking here with the template would help me to nitpickc and better tailor the buy for me, since I'm spending that much (for me anyway, I know this hobby can go pretty crazy pretty fast).
In fact in my initial research I wanted to spend max 200€ inclusing the modmic (so that left 130-150 for the headphones) but looking and researching had me raising the dough destined to the cans by a bit everytime
just in case "this new ones they recommend maybe are much better".

I have a list of what I found after a lot of research. I don't even know if any of those will be any good for my situation. There are two "leagues" of cans there as you'll see,
but those really cheap ones I included because I see them recommended a lot as "sound as headphones double or triple their price". Maybe that's BS but... maybe not and I can save me some money

The ones over 200€ I might consider them if they are really, REALLY much, much, much better than any of the other options.
Since going over 200 would have me waiting a bit more to get the cash.

Here's what I have:

• Superlux HD681 and HD668B - 31€ & 38€ respectively at Amazon. These are the ones people recommend as "above their league" so I included them here. I know they're Samson ripoffs?
  
  
• Beyerdynamic D770 Pro - 125€ at Amazon. Another ones with a lot of recommendations, along with the M50X. Some say better, some say equal...
  
  
  
• Audio Technica ATH M50X - 135€ at Amazon. Seem people either love 'em or hate 'em. Youtubers favourite (not that that's a valid reason to pick a pair of cans for me anyway). I know there are way better options, they're here just because they fit into my price range
  
  
• Soundmagic HP150 - 150€ at Amazon. Seen a few recommendations for this ones.
  
  
• Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro - 150€ at Amazon. Seen them recommended here
  
  
• Sony MDR-1A - 185€ at Amazon. Late addition from a few reviews I read
  
  
• Audio Technica MSR 7BK - 185€ at Amazon. The bigger, better, improved brother of the M50X?
  
  
• Audio Technica ATH A900x - 219€ at Amazon. Seems these run for more than that, and people love them, but at that price they're out of my budget. May consider waiting for them if they're absolutely the best for my situation
  
  
• B&O BeoPlay H6 - 238€ at Amazon. Same as the A900x. These are also damn sexy looking like everything Bang & Olufsen does (but that doesn't count towards my decision ;D)
  
  Of course this is only a list of what I've found during my research, but feel free to recommend me anything you feel can be better for me even if not on the list.
  
  
  Thank you very much.
  

You sound like a female version of me.

I've got a few little solutions. These are things I try to do when I want to be in a better mood. They work best if you build habits around them - well, some of them - you'll see what I mean as you're reading. Also, most of them can be mixed, and work well together! :-)

1. Music, music, music! Put on a good tune. Build a playlist with all your favorite, happy, upbeat songs. Listen to the songs that make you feel good, no matter what other people say about the songs or the people who sing them. If Friday by Rebecca Black gets you pumped, then listen to that shit! I myself tend to go through phases when I get bored with the music I've got... Right now I'm on a Coheed and Cambria kick. If you drive a lot, buy or make CDs and listen to them when you drive - the radio just doesn't cut it anymore, not for me. Maybe consider investing in a decent pair of headphones or other gear - I bought some Sony studio monitor headphones like these, and I swear by them. They sound amazing, but I also hate earbuds which is another reason that I really like them. People say they look tacky because they're so big, but fuck 'em. And I'm not a sound buff by any means, but they're leaps and bounds better than just listening through computer speakers. Be careful, though, because it works both ways - you can use music to accentuation your negative emotions as well as the positive ones, so you want to try not to do that... Not too much, at least. There's nothing wrong with a good soul searching song now and then, but every so often I find that I have a tendency to listen to sad songs just because I'm feeling sad. If that happens and you recognize it, try to snap out of it and go back to happy songs.
   
   
2. Exercise and general wellbeing. This is something I really need to work on myself. Try to do things that get your heart going, and try to do them outside when you can. A good jog on a nice day can do wonders. You can even do this while you listen to music if you like... but sometimes soaking in the atmosphere can be helpful, too. Oftentimes I find that I just need to go outside the house and get some fresh air, and it's always nice. I like to drive with the windows down at every chance I get. If you find that you're often couped up, in your house or at work or whatever, make it a point to get some fresh air at some point in your day. Just five minutes will help. Sometimes a walk around the neighborhood can calm your nerves. Any time I find myself annoyed or angry, I almost always go outside to think, or go driving or something. Fresh air is your friend! Also, as others have already mentioned, make some changes in your diet. Eliminating caffeine is a great idea, and something I need to implement, as well. Try to cut down on fast food, and take your vitamins if you don't already.
   
   
3. Do things. That probably sounds vague, but it's pretty straightforward. People tend to be crabby when they're bored out of their minds. My job is boring, and then I come home and be even more bored, and all that boredom piles up until you just want to explode. Try to make plans, even if they're plans with yourself. Set goals to be accomplished, maybe chores around the house or something like that... Go shopping for things you need. And of coarse, making plans with other people is always great. You mentioned a boyfriend... Make it a point to do something with him as often as you can, even if it's just watching a movie. Basically this boils down to keeping yourself busy, but not to the point of stress. Try to have something to put your mind to. If you have a hobby, try to practice it as often as you can. If you don't, consider finding one. Read. Do homework... keep yourself busy!
   
   
4. Alcohol and other drugs. Before I say another word, keep in mind: all things with moderation! And this one's totally up to you, if you don't feel comfortable, but for me it's simply true - but it affects different people in different ways. First, a nice buzz can always be relaxing. I don't like to get drunk much anymore, but having a few drinks or one particularly strong drink does a number on my nerves. I find it easier to interact with people after a drink or two. Alcohol eliminates a lot of those annoying thought processes that cause you to over-analyze everything, like what you say to people and what they say to you. It's a +1 to charisma, if you'll excuse my nerdy video game reference. Again, this is a little alcohol, not shitfaced drunk. Don't look to alcohol as a means to drink your problems away... That's when you run into problems. This is just a method for calming your nerves and culminating your thoughts a little. Also, this might help with your sleeping problem for that very reason... Just a thought. Secondly, there's a certain plant that, when smoked or otherwise ingested, may help you become a more calm individual. Sadly, this plant is not legal in most of the world. So... Just gonna leave that there. And let me be frank - you can't ever rely on drugs or alcohol to fix you. They're simply there to help, should you decide to utilize them, but you ultimately have to initiate the change yourself. Be responsible and everything should work out fine.
   
   Well, that's all I got. Hope there are some helpful nuggets in there for you.

I'm not a total expert but this is what I would recommend.


Headphones:


Cheap and good for noisy-ish environments - Status audio CB-1 $79


If you live in a noisy environment, These will give you the best reaults. A lot of getting the most our of this album is isolation. Direct Sound EX-29 $107


Super good closed backed headphones, but impedance is very high - Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro $160


Very good open backed headphones, impedance is relatively low -

Audio Technica ATH-AD700x $109


Super good open backed headphones, but they have a very high impedance - Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro $179


Amps/DACS:


Honestly this is where I personally would spend most of your money, any really good pair of open backed headphones are going to make albums like phwoa sound amazing with the wide sounds stage but a good amp and DAC will make a world of difference. For the price the Mayflower electronics Objective2 is best bang for your buck. I' don't have a ton of experience with amps and DACs but the O2 is properly good, and for $250 you can't go wrong.


Other than that you could look into a tube style Amp but you'd need a separate DAC in most cases plus I personally don't find the tube amps to be a whole lot better unless you spend a shit ton of money on them. They do look cool as balls though.


Favorite setup: California Headphone Co. Silverdos  or Audio Technica with my LG V20 and its beastly DAC and equalizer tuning. Although I wouldn't recommend the California headphones because I personally only paid $15 for them and $200 seems a bit steep for them tbh.


Note: I've owned or at least tried everything I've listed except the CB-1 but I've heard from a lot of well respected sourced that they are pretty damn good especially for under $100

I'm not the guy you asked, but I ALSO have the G930s. They're nice, but I won't be buying them again. I find the wireless to be flaky when my wife uses HER wireless headset (another Logitec, but not G930s), and the battery is nearly worthless after 2 years of ownership (though I do a fair bit of gaming, so YMMV). Next headset I buy is gonna be a pair of these bad-boys, and I'm gonna slap some of these on 'em. If I need a mic, I'll grab something like this. Won't be wireless, but I've got a cheap bluetooth headset if I need to move around the house. Since my HMD is tethered ANYWAY, I don't mind the headphones being so as well. :)

Hope that was somewhat helpful! :)

EDIT: OK, so here I am, nearly a month later. My G930s finally gave up the ghost, and I went ahead and bought about what I describe above (haven't picked up a mic yet (doesn't make sense at this point, with the Vive so close), but I've got the Superlux cans and 3rd party earcovers), and I'm LOVING them. Nice sound, though quieter than expected - I've not dealt with anything but USB headsets for a while, so I'm pretty sure I need an amp, which I can't fault them for, I knew it was a possibility going in. In any event, though a bit quiet at this point, it's not to the point of unhearability or anything. I just can't make it annoyingly loud if I want to. I'm also irked at the tiny male jack hardwired into them - I'd rather have a flush female jack, but what 'cha gonna do?

Beyond those two TINY issues (the first is only an issue due to my not realizing they'd need a bit more juice, and the second is annoying, but not at all a dealbreaker), I'm LOVING them for the price. Reproduction sounds pretty good (good enough for mixing with, anyway), and comfort is GREAT (they feel VERY light). YMMV, but I'm a happy camper with my Superlux HD668B semi-open cans (just don't forget the (<$10!) 3rd party covers - they REALLY improve on the default comfort).

EDIT #2: I'm a jackass. I had them plugged into line-in. When I found a second line-in (this one actually labeled and recognized by the OS as a headphone jack), the softer sound issue went away.

Gaming headphones are a pretty weird market. None of them are actually that good for anything but games, and other headphones can usually do games better. Instead of buying a gaming headset, It's better to buy a less expensive pair of headphones that preform better and add a mic. Gaming headsets may have all sorts of cool features, but you'll find that you don't really need them once you don't have them. The most important thing for gaming headphones isn't preset EQs or bass response, it's all about having a positively massive soundstage. That's how you can get your system sounding something like a surround sound setup (although headphones just can't do the same things that speakers can at any price range). Depening on your price range, you could get the Sennheiser HD558, the Audio Techinca AD700X, the AKG Q701, or the Philips Fildelio X1. As for mics, you can get the Zalman ZM1 clip on mic, or the Antlion Modmic, if you're a fan of boom mics and quality. On top of being able to play games with them, you'll also be able to listen to your music collection rather comfortably, which is the main place where gaming headsets fall short, as they're equalized and tuned specifically for games.

I'm sorry to do a huge info dump on you, but getting a nice sounding pair of headphones doesn't just improve your games and music, it improves your life :) Eventually, you'll be more comfortable wearing them than not.

Whichever way you go, though, I hope you enjoy whatever you buy to the fullest, and most importantly, enjoy Destiny's phenominal sound design with your headphones! And if you need more suggestions, I'd be happy to help!

EDIT: I didn't really mention prices because I'm from the UK and pricing over here is weird, some things are a lot more expensive here than they would be in the US for example.

Good heaphones generally aren't also affordable. For headsets I'd say the best headset as in, also with a mic attached, the Sennheiser PC360s are probably the best I have used. I don't think I've ever heard a headset that is has as clear directional cues and with such a large soundstage. It's pretty well balanced too so nothing is too overbearing, as an example I used to have Turtle Beach....

I forget which ones exactly, I think X11s? Those had really, really overbearing treble and made every sound like it was in a tin can. That's great for picking out the higher pitched footsteps in a game like CoD. Bad for movies and music though. I assume the newer versions are better in that regard because it was a pretty common complaint.

Anyway, the Senns also have pretty decent front and back positional cues, which isn't something you really find too often. It's definitely the hardest part of directional cues to nail down. They are super clear as well, if I'm listening to something like a live recording of an orchestra, it's really easy to pick out the location of each instrument (assuming the room acoustics are okay) and tell them apart rather than them kind of blending too much.

The only complaint I have about them is that the bass isn't really too punchy (which I like) due to the open back nature and their focus on a balanced audio spectrum. Still by far the best headset I have ever used.

-

If you want something specifically for FPS these are pretty amazing. They don't come with a mic so you'd have to buy a clip-on mic or something but those are fairly cheap and it's nice to be able to take it off when you don't need it.

The highs are nice and pronounced, and mids on these from what I remember (I never owned them, used at a friend's place for a few days at a LAN) have excellent detail to them. The soundstage is huge too (in Dolby Headphone mode) which is great because obviously a bigger soundstage makes it easier to discern the direction of audio.

I wouldn't recommend them for anything other than tryhard FPS though, the bass is honestly not good at all, so it isn't going to be good for movies or music, and because of the focus on the higher end, they sound... Nothing will sound 'real' through these. They definitely aren't good for immersive audio.




Since I'm pretty tired and don't want to write any more I would say check out this buyer's guide from /r/headphones. Specifically I can recommend the Audio Technica M50Xs. They are really popular. I've never personally used them but I don't think I've ever heard anyone have much to say negatively about them. They might require a bit of an amp though so if you don't already have a headphone amp they might not sound as good as they potentially can. Also, they are apparently a little bassy, so if soundwhoring is what you're after they might not be perfect for that. Also, closed back, so they will have a tighter soundstage but from everything I've heard about them, they still sound great. Some people even prefer the sound of closed back headphones, I don't personally, but audio is a fairly subjective thing at the end of the day. What I used to do was order headphones from Amazon, try them out for a day or so, then return them and rinse and repeat. Not sure if Amazon would still allow you to return as often as I did these days but it's possibly an option. If it is possible to try out headphones before committing I'd definitely say you should.

Budget ~150-200$

Source - Pixel 2 / Macbook Pro

Requirements for Isolation - Some. Not a huge priority, but nice to have for public transit.

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? Yes

Preferred Type of Headphone - IEMS or portable over-ear. Possibly bluetooth if there are good options.

Past headphones - MEE audio M6 PRO Liked the sound quality, but they didn’t fit very nicely in my ears, despite trying all of the tips that came with the box.


Brainwavz Delta Black IEM
Again, liked the sound quality, but the buds themselves seemed to be too fat to fit into my ears, even with trying all the tips they gave me.

[Panasonic RP-TCM125-K] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E4LGVUO/ref=psdc_172541_t1_B00L2459ZO) Really liked the fit for these. If possible I’d love to find something similar to these in fit, but perhaps a higher quality build or sound quality.

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Cs-Headphone/dp/B01JP436TS Also really like these, but I’ve found that they are too bulky for general portable use.

Preferred Music - Wide range. A lot of quiet female vocalist indie music, as well as a lot of fast and loud ska/punk music. I also listen to a fair amount of spoken audio, such as podcasts and audiobooks. I listen to hip-hop as well, but not as much as the above.

What would you like to improve - As stated in the past headphones section, I am looking to improve the fit of the IEMs that I get. The panasonic ones fit so well compared to the other IEMs I’ve had in the past, so I am looking to get something with a similar fit, but with a better sound stage. Also, I’m looking to try Bluetooth IEMs if anything comes to mind with these requirements, but if not, regular IEMs / over-ears are fine for me.

____

I’ve been eying these: https://www.amazon.com/Jaybird-Bluetooth-Headset-iPhone-Android/dp/B01M7NCT5O and these: https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Bluetooth-Headphones-Controller-RP-HJE120B-W/dp/B071R6VX9Q for bluetooth iem options, but as far as I can tell the reviews for them do not seem completely stellar.

I was also looking into ATH-M40Xs as a portable over ear option, but I’m not sure if I want to sacrifice having a microphone on my main pair of portable headphones.

After I finished building my PC, I still wanted to build but had nothing else to put into it... so I went a little buck with the peripherals.

Mouse: Cyborg R.A.T 9

I got this mouse for two reasons: it's extremely ergonomic, versatile and comfortable to use and it looks like it could probably transform into a Decepticon.

Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow 2012 Ultimate

The keyboard was actually a gift, I have really enjoyed everything about it though. Besides the glossy finish that does get really mucked up, I have no complaints.

Mousepad: Razer Goliathus Extended; Control Edition

I wanted my mouse and keyboard to both be on my mousepad so I opted for this giant ass thing. It's worked really well for me, besides collecting crumbs when I snack and game...

Speakers: Audioengine A5+ Bamboo Edition

Picked these guys up for a steal, they sounds completely phenomenal. Owning these speakers kind of pushed me into the world of high end audio, which eventually lead to me getting my DAC and my headphones.

DAC: Audioengine D1 DAC & Integrated Amplifier

Got the DAC here on Massdrop for like 40% off or something, I've found that it really rounds out the low end of the speakers and gives them more transparency overall.

Headphones: Sennheiser HD598s

I can't speak highly enough of these headphones. If you're into electro or metal, these probably aren't for you merely because of the fact that they are a very neutral sounding set of cans. The low end is definitely there, but it's not pounding and overpowering like many other headphones I've owned. I still swap over to my old HD408's for anything I want to rattle my skull with.

Headphone Stand: Cheap Knockoff of the Seivking Omega stand

Same thing, off Massdrop for a good price. It's a cheap Chinese version of a very high end stand but it has actually been really nice to keep my headphones on and compliments the speakers really well.

Headset: SteelSeries Siberia v2 Frost

Very comfortable headset, and really good surround effects on them. I could always tell where Elizabeth was in Bioshock Infinite because they have great directional sound.

I'm also running 2 of these fans on my desk to keep everything nice and cool during those hot summer days. Throw some LED accent lighting, a couple of USB hubs and some monitor mounts and you've pretty much got everything that sits on my desk.

Oh, and I almost forgot the best part! It probably gets the most use of any of my peripherals =]

Hope this helps your decision! I would certainly recommend a mechanical keyboard, you'll never go back after you've tried one out and there's many inexpensive options for them out there!

Jesus, this turned into a really long comment...

i have a few recommends!

http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=8323 it seems insane, but these cans honestly outperform every other pair i've used under $100. i use them a ton for work and leisure. easily my most used pair. the only downside is that since they are closed and isolating, while they have wonderful bass response for working in the sub frequencies, the sound stage is also a little bit tight. i recommend replacement pads: http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=11949 (they come in grey, white, and red as well) as they're a bit better quality and easier on the ears/head.

next in line: http://www.amazon.com/AKG-240-Semi-Open-Studio-Headphones/dp/B0001ARCFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449285605&sr=8-1&keywords=k240 the akg k240s are a standard for work and leisure for many people. huge, wide sound stage and a great flat frequency response. they're pretty open, so you will hear everything around you, and everything around you will hear you. but they do kick a lot of ass.

aside from those, if you want something strictly to listen with, http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Buckle-Headphones-microphone/dp/B00FBNAD7Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449285685&sr=8-1&keywords=polk+buckle the polk buckle is a wonderful pair of headphones with HILARIOUSLY overblown bass response. a joy to relax and dig on some bass-heavy audio with. great for watching films too!

hope this helped! if you can try cans before you get em, try em! everybody has hearing preferences. but i think the monoprice closed-back cans and k240s combined are a great and affordable way to work and have nice flat audio reproduction. love 'em. i almost entirely work on headphones and will end up referencing whatever i make on my hifi and any other speakers i have in the house once i'm done. i have cheap m-audio monitor speakers hooked up to my work machine, but i don't use them for actual work all that often.

Budget - £100 Hard Limit

Source - My computer, asrock z97 pro4 onboad audiocard. I'll probably buy a better one soon, also, I'm not looking to buy an amp.

Requirements for Isolation - Little, I'm only going to be using these at home but I don't mind if there's none, or a lot.

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? - Not likely.

Preferred Type of Headphone - I would like on or over ear. I really want to try open back too.

Preferred tonal balance - Ideally I'd like a balanced set of Headphones but I'd like a fair bit of bass.

Past headphones - Nothing worth noting. Just some Sony, HTC and Apple IEMs.

Preferred Music - A lot of Rock, Post-Hardcore, Music with a lot of Screaming, Metal, Hip-Hop, a bit of Chiptune and music like Crystal Castles, You Love Her Coz She's Dead and Kap Bambino

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - I'm not sure where I'm going after this, this is my first step into better headphones and potential audiophile territory. I will use the pair of headphones recommended to figure out what I will look for next.

I've already done a bit of research and have found a few sets of headphones that I am interested in but I lack the knowledge of if they're good or not.

Grado SR80e - From what I've heard, these headphones are very well received and liked but lack good bass which concerns me. I also LOVE the look of these headphones, they are probably my favourite.

AKG K240 MKII -
These headphones are my second favourite however, I'm concerned that I may need an amp to make these work to their full potential. I was also looking at the regular 240s but heard these were an upgrade.

Finally, the AKG K271 MKII - As with the K240s I've heard a lot of glowing reviews on these pair but I'm worried that I require an amp. I also really love the fact that the two sets of AKGs have detachable wires.

I'm open to recommendations, but if any of the headphones I'm interested in would be good for me then all the better! Sorry if this has been long winded!

Last update 11/27 1:36am pacific || Removed bold from some items, pruning of dead deals coming.

If the first field is bold it is a new deal

Note, I've hit the text limit so I'm limiting extra text.


 


Headphone | Price | Store | Notes
------------------ |-------|--------|-----------
BeyerDynamic DT 1770 Pro | $416 | Amazon | Available for $405 shipped via 3rd party
BeyerDynamic 990 250 ohm pro | $109 | Amazon | Lowest price ever on Amazon. Thanks /u/Jedi_Pacman!
BeyerDynamic T1 Second Gen | $1099 | BuyDig via ebay |
Sennheiser HD600 | $260 | Amazon | Thanks /u/aasteveo!
BeyerDynamic DT 880 600 ohm | $169 | Amazon | Lowest price on record for both Amazon and 3rd party.
BeyerDynamic DT 770 80 ohm | $118 | Amazon | Thanks /u/ASpaceman :)
Chord Mojo Amp / DAC + NVX XPT100 Studio Headphones | $549 | Sonic Electronix |
MrSpeakers ETHER C Flow | $1620 | MrSpeakers | Thanks /u/MrSpeakers !
MrSpeakers ETHER Flow | $1619 | MrSpeakers | Thanks /u/MrSpeakers !
Samson SR950 | $24 | Adorama
Sennheiser IE80 | $179 | Amazon | Thanks /u/LOMOcatVasilii Also available at Sonic Electronix
Stax SR-L500 + SRM252S | $1009| Shenzhen Audio |
DUNU DN-2000J | $269 | Shenzhen Audio |
TFZ Series 5S | $69 | Shenzhen Audio via Amazon |
Fanmusic E6 | $39 | Shenzhen Audio
Simgot EN700 | $69 | Shenzhen Audio
FORREST FLC8S | $269 | Shenzhen Audio
Audioquest NightHawk | $349 | Crutchfield | Also available from Needledoctor
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x | $27 | BuyDig | Add to cart for final price
Beyerdynamic DT 880 32 ohm includes $50 newegg gift card | $159.99 | Newegg | Also available at BuyDig for $139 add to cart to see discount
Beyerdynamic T90 Chrome Limited Edition 250 OHM| $279 | BuyDig| Also available at Newegg for $299 w/$40 gift card
Sennheiser PC360 headset | $99 | Amazon
Monoprice USB DAC Headphone Amp | $49.99 | Monoprice |
BeyerDynamic DT 770 16ohm | $100 | ebay | Also available at BuyDig for $109
BeyerDynamic A20 Amp | $294 | BuyDig | Use code "DIGTURKEY5"
Westone UM Pro 10 | $99 | Amazon
HiFiMan Edition X | $1299 | Music Direct | Thanks to /u/boombap33 for pointing this out
V-Moda Crossfade M-100 Black | $176.54 | Musician's Friend | Includes free Boompro mic. Use code "blackfriday"
Sennheiser PC350 Headset | $78 | Newegg |
Sennheiser Momentum In Ear | $70 | Amazon | Android or iOS versions
BeyerDynamic DT 1350 | $119 | Adorama
BeyerDyanmic DT 880 250 ohm Chrome version | $149 | BuyDig via ebay
Superlux HD668B | $25 | Gearbest |
Audeze LCD-4 | $2999 | Adorama
Audeze LCD-3 | $1349 | Adorama
Audeze LCD-XC Limited Leather | $1299 | Adorama
Audeze Sine | $299 | Adorama
Audeze Sine w/Lightning Cable | $359 | Adorama
Audeze LCD-2 Rosewood w/Lambskin | $749 | Adorama
Audeze LCD-2 Bamboo w/Lambskin | $699 | Adorama
Audeze LCD-2 Aluminum w/Lambskin | $699 | Adorama |
Hifiman HE-400i | $249 | Headamp | Use code "HEADFI10" thanks to /u/Chillindude82Nein for the better deal!
Hifiman SuperMini DAP + iFi nano iDSD + Fiio Cable| $394 | BuyDig | use code "DIGTURKEY10"|
Audeze 2015 EL8 Open | $404.10 | HeadAmp | Use code "BF2016"
Audeze 2015 EL8 Close| $404.10 | HeadAmp | Use code "BF2016"
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x includes $25 newegg gift card| $224 | Newegg |
Fostex TH-900mk2| $999 | Adorama |
Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 Black| $189 | Amazon
Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 Gun Metal | $189 | Amazon
Philips SHP9500S | $50 | Newegg |


 


General Discounts | Discount | Notes
------|---|---
Earphone Solutions | 25% off | Store Wide use code "CYBER" -- they offer discounts for trade-ins as well.
Master & Dynamic | 20% off | use code "MD20"
Meze | 25% off select headphones
NeedleDoctor | Various |
Monoprice | 20% off | Use code "BF2016"
Audeze | B-Stock| Dedicated thread here. Thanks /u/kangaroo_steak!
V-Moda| 10% | Free Boompro Mic with order of on-ear/over-ear headphones.
Brainwavz | Various | Thanks /u/robotlabs!
Addicted to Audio | Various | "For the aussies" thanks /u/KingJie!
Shenzhen Audio | Various |
Decware | Various | thanks /u/Elnrik!
HeadAmp | Various | Use code "HEADFI10" for 10% off (most?) products
Brainwavz Canada | Various | Thanks /u/custardbun!
Violectric Audio USA | 25% | Code "BLACK-25" thanks /u/novicez!

I am torn between two choices. I kind of want to replace my headphones both on the go (bus to and from work) and at work itself (desktop, barely any interaction).

A reminder I am not an audiophile, but I still want great quality and comfort. Since I listen to a lot of podcasts and some music, I wanted great mids to hear the vocals and a closed-back design so I can hear what's being said without having to share that with anyone nearby. I'd also like to not have to deal with heat issues, but I understand if that's unavoidable with that style of headphones.

At the moment, I'm using a pair of Panasonic RP-HJE120-PPKs on the bus and on the go and a pair of Monoprice Headphones.

Here are the two headphones I'm split between:

HD 598 Cs - I wanted good, comfortable closed-back headphones that are worth every penny and are a popular choice. I figured I'd go with the most recent iteration of these since both the Purchase Assistant and the recommendations section say that they are a popular choice.

LucidSound LS30s - My brother says they are the greatest, most comfortable headphones he has ever worn. I trust his opinion, but that doesn't necessarily mean he knows the most about headphones. Since they are also apparently good as gaming headsets, I could use them whenever I do decide to go down that route, but I could just as easily wait and get an external microphone.

If anyone could help me make the choice, or have a better option for me that doesn't include these two but fits my needs, I'd really appreciate it. Since I know quality headphones are an investment, I'm willing to spend between $75-200 on a pair, unless someone convinces me enough to spend more or less.

I'll go up the price ladder with my recommendations.

Skullcandy - Hesh 2: Probably the only pair I'd recommend in the line aside from the durable metal TiTans in the earbud range, the sound quality is very good, and fairly flat for its price of around 60 USD. The Hesh 2 has pretty good build quality for a mostly plastic pair at this price.

Sony - MDR-7506 Also another good choice, this is the more modern reboot of the older MDR-V6. The only real change that I can see is that the sticker on the earcup is now blue rather than red from the older one. Slightly treble forward, but still a good deal. It's also very easy to find replacement parts for this 100 USD pair of headphones. Warning - cord is a very long coiled 'studio' cord. Might dissuade you from buying it.

V-Moda Crossfade LP While it was 70 USD from Amazon last year around Christmas time, it goes back to its price of around 130 - 200 USD, This is for if you want good bass, awesome build quality, a cool looking pair of headphones, and warm, smooth sound to tie it all together.

Sennheiser HD-25-II You really can't go wrong with this pair. Albeit being full plastic, this design is fully modular and replacement components are available from Sennheiser's website, from earcups, to cords, to headbands and drivers, It's a very good 'lifetime' pair. The sound is almost 'clinical' for lack of a better term. For 250 USD, it's a really good pair with good noise isolation achieved by its tight fit.

V-Moda Crossfade M-100
If you REALLY want to go that far, the M-100's offer unbeatable bass quality layered with surprisingly flat mids and highs. For 310 USD, you can't go wrong with this pair. With its signature V-Moda look and durability, you're paying premium for a very good reason. Ultimate comfort, good sound isolation (Even with the V3 Bass Vents), deep, rich, warm bass with clean sound all around, it's my favourite pair out of all.

I think you might get pointed towards /r/headphoneadvice, looks like purchase requests are supposed to go there, but if I can spent the time telling you that I can spend the time giving you some recommendations too!

If you're looking for something you can use while working out, you're probably going to want to avoid over-ear headphones. These are typically designed for relaxed listening or sitting still, so not an ideal choice for the gym or a jog. In case you're curious about over-ears however, or you want a dedicated pair that you won't use for working out, an exceptional choice right now is the Sennheiser HD 58X from Massdrop, currently available for $135. Just know that those are going to be fairly large headphones, and they're "open-back" meaning they make no effort to keep outside sound out, or inside sound in. They're designed to be used in quiet rooms. An office-mate may hear what you're listening to if they're close enough. The sound quality from a good pair of open-backs however can't be beat!

For working out, I'd say something within either the on-ear or in-ear categories would suit you well. On-ear headphones are typically much lighter and smaller, which makes them far better suited for working out. The same goes for in-ears, their size and the nature of the fit make them almost impossible to knock out of your ears.

For on-ears, you might look at something like the Koss KSC75x, 14 bucks on Amazon or the Koss Porta Pros, 25 bucks on Massdrop. If you make a new account for the "20 dollars off orders of 30+" coupon and choose 5 dollar shipping, you can manipulate the price down to 10 bucks. It's honestly probably the best deal in audio right now! I just jumped on that deal myself actually! Both are solid for working out since they're so light, and both are known for their surprisingly good audio quality despite their price tag and retro look.

Now for in-ears, you might check out the Tin T2s, $35 on Massdrop right now. They're widely regarded as the best IEMs below 200 bucks if what you're looking for is quality neutral sound. If you prefer a little more bass, you can always perform the very simple "vent mod" which just involves taping up a small hole. They have excellent isolation, and use what's called an MMCX connection, so you can replace the cable if yours ever breaks or you want a different one. I've owned a pair of these, and I loved them.

So all in all, you're looking at well below 50 bucks for a pair of good headphones that you can work out with, but also use at home or work. If you want to really step into high-end audio, you could grab a $10 pair of Porta Pros for working out and the HD 58X for $135 for really high quality office/home listening/gaming/whatnot.

> However, if the closed back headphones offer significantly superior sound, I would go with the closed back ones, or at least that's what the logic was. Sound wise, is there anything that a closed back model would improve, such as reducing the treble for example, or would the closed back not affect anything?

I don't think they are superior, just different. They are better for environments where you need isolation, though - recording, airplanes, transit, etc. Imagine closed-back being like ear-buds that seal really well. That's the best explanation I can give.

> Final question I promise. Do Amp's actually help the sound quality, and would they be worth the investment if I'm primarily gaming, watching movies, and listening to movies?

The first thing my dad bought me for college was an amp and two bookshelf speakers. He's always had an amp because he used speakers, but even older headphones had high impedance, so he needed an amp.

Today? You don't need an amp, IMO, for phone use. Those have pretty great DACS in them.

For quality audio from a computer? I'd say most system's built-in DACs I use don't fully drive the headphones to a volume I like most the time, or if they do, they distort. Most desktop speakers nowadays just amplify the sound out of the 1/8" jack.

So, in short, yes, I found having a little USB DAC/AMP to be very useful. Is it worth $100? I don't know, depends on your budget, but you can get a solid state DAC/AMP for as low as $20 nowadays:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PCM2706-CS4344-TDA1308-Parallel-Output-Protable-USB-DAC-headphone-Amplifier-/121425659280?hash=item1c45888590

For $80, I love my Schiit Fulla.

> EDIT: ONE MORE THING: I plan to get the 681 EVO's. Could you tell me the difference between the 681 evo's soundwise to the standard 681's? Are there any improvements? I heard that the treble on the 681's were extremely high.

I liked the classic 681s because they are an AKG K240 rip-off. I also have a pair of the AKG K240 600ohm headphones to compare to. As you can see they both have a very simple 'two bar and pad' headband. Their earphone pads are interchangeable, etc.

I like the 681s because they are great for both everyday listening and bass/treble heavy music - jazz, hip-hop, and electronica. I can't attest to the 681EVOs other than that they are $43 vs. $28, have a 'newer' design to them and may have a different sound curve, as you mentioned. I don't have a problem with the 681s (red), but the 681Bs (black) are the ones that were treble heavy. Check me on that though.

Hope that helps!

Ok, so you need a mic as well. Alrighty. I'm going to suggest you go a different route than pretty much what everybody else is suggesting. I personally dislike the all in one headsets, especially if they're marketed as "gaming", double especially if they are 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound.

If your priority is actually hearing things in game, and determining direction and such, you are better served with a stereo set that emphasizes the mid range and high end frequencies while de-emphasizing the low end. Low end boosting is an inexpensive way for manufacturers to make a cheap set of cans "sound" expensive, and while it can make movies and some music sound great it's not amazing for gaming.

Here we go with a 100 budget. I'm going to give you a buying list for a standalone set of headphones paired with a separate mic setup:

• Headphones: Superlux 668B - $38. https://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=superlux&qid=1568577791&sr=8-1
  
  • Open headphones provide a larger soundstage compared to closed back cans. These particular headphones share the same large drivers as the excellent AudioTechnica AD700's, which means you are getting a frequency response targeting the high end and mid range. The directional ability of these headphones can't be beat for under $50, and will challenge $100 to $150 cans.
    
• Microphone: Pyle-Pro PDMIC58 - $14. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GEBGA0/ref=emc_b_5_t
  
  • I would rather suggest the Behringer xm8500, but that mic's availability hasn't been great recently. If you can find it for regular price (around $20), it's worth the extra few dollars. The Pyle-Pro mic is more than adequate for gaming voice chat though. It will be miles better than any headset mic regardless. And it's also a dynamic mic, which means it will refuse sounds from your room or keyboard or mouse.
    
• Microphone boom arm: InnoGear boom scissor arm - $14. https://www.amazon.com/InnoGear-Microphone-Suspension-Adjustable-Snowball/dp/B01L3LL95O/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2ZTQGVRG0AY74&keywords=mic+boom+arm&qid=1568578206&s=musical-instruments&sprefix=mic+boom%2Cmi%2C174&sr=1-7
  
  • It's a desk mic boom. It stays out of your way while holding the mic in your face. What else do I need to say?
    
• USB XLR audio interface: Two options...
  
  • Inexpensive USB to XLR cable: https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-Tanbin-Converter-Microphones-Instruments/dp/B079DQ9ZPT/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=usb+to+xlr&qid=1568578338&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-4
    
    • This will work just fine and keeps you well under your 100 budget. Which leaves you room for a better mic or different boom arm if you rather. Or maybe even a step up to the AudioTechnica AD500x headphones if wish.
      
  • Behringer UM2: https://www.amazon.com/BEHRINGER-Audio-Interface-1-Channel-UM2/dp/B00EK1OTZC/ref=sr_1_21?keywords=usb+to+xlr&qid=1568578338&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-21
    
    • This is not necessary, and puts you just over your 100 budget. You do get a bunch more flexibility with it. For instance... you can plug your headphones straight into it. These interfaces tend to have great stereo separation and low noise floor compared to on board motherboard audio. You also get an extra input and nicer mic pre amp. Again not necessary, but well worth the extra $$$ in my opinion.
      
      There you are sir. A flexible solution that can come quite a bit under your budget. You get way better headphones than the gamer marketed ones and a way better and more flexible mic solution as well. Have fun!

• Budget: $200 preferred ($300-350 if it's significantly better for price/performance)
  
  
• Location: US
  
  
• Source: PC w/ ALC889 and very rarely potentially my Yamaha RX V765
  
  
• Isolation: None (Home use only)
  
  
• Preferred Type: Circumaural - Full-Sized Over Ear (OPEN)
  
  
• Preferred Tonal Balance: overall balanced
  
  
• Past Headphones: Steelseries Siberia V2 (With USB Vitual 7.1)
  
  
• Preferred Music: Gaming and music - I seriously listen to everything except dubstep unless someone on twitch is streaming it :P - I generally listen to hip hop and rock, but also enjoy classical and other easy listening.
  
  Background/My Thoughts
  
  I generally prefer to invest slightly more in my things for better quality and longevity. I'd happily invest more in things if I knew it was more likely to last or if the quality is significantly higher for the cost.
  
  The left speaker in my siberia just stopped working. I am very close to grabbing the Sennheiser G4ME ONE's used from Amazon because I have a $50 gift card waiting to be used and I'm a sucker for great price/performance.
  
  I figure either $200 for a headset OR $300-$350 for Headphones + whatever else.
  
  Option 1: Headset w/ Mic
  
  I don't necessarily need a headset w/built in mic, I'm aware of the modmic option, but if I'm not mistaken the G4ME ONE essentially an HD 558 just with the added microphone which will be very nice for me due to how much I'm on vent/Teamspeak when I game. I don't see the point in investing much more than 150-200 for an all-in-one because as I understand the quality doesn't go much higher from here anyways.. so to get more quality I'd look at option 2 and by that point it seems to be very costly to compete with the HD 558. And since I can get the ONE used for 150-50=$100 that seems like a great option.
  
  Option 2: Headphone + Soundcard OR DAC/AMP + ModMic
  
  Unless someone knows something that I don't, this is where I'd be spending more than the $200, and hopefully only if it's actually going to be 50-100% better. I considered the AT-ADG1's in option 1 above, but I don't believe they offer $100 more in value over the G4ME ONE (White/red new is $200)- please correct me if I am wrong.
  
  Here are of the products I considered for option 2:
  
  
• HD 598
  
• DT 990
  
• AKG Q701 (Or K701 - but I like the Q design)
  
  I am assuming I'll need to add another 100-200 on top of the headphone to drive them.
  
  
  If there are any options that let me gradually upgrade/add on the DAC/Amp I'd consider that, but my impression is that certain headphones need to be driven properly from day 1. I realize that any headphones, even the G4ME ONE would benefit from a better amp or soundcard, but if I go for them then I don't plan to get another soundcard or external DAC/AMP anytime soon.
  
  Any advice/thoughts on this or anything else would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the wall of text. :D

I'm finally ready to take the plunge.... I am going to buying a portable DAC/Amp and new headphones.


Budget - $200 total with DAC/Amp and headphones. I will also be selling my gen 1 Dre Beats Studio's (B+ condition) in case anyone is interested.

Source - These will be daily drivers. I will be wearing them at work, plugging the DAC/Amp into my work computer, as well as on transportation to/from work using a DAC/Amp plugged into my android phone.


Requirements for Isolation - Not that necessary. I currently listen to music at work at a decent volume without issues and my walk home won't bother anyone. I don't fly or ride the bus very often, but I'm sure I may regret open headphones when I eventually do haha


Preferred Type of Headphone - Full sized. At this point, I don't care how big they are, I just want them to sound amazing. I'm not a huge fan of "on-ear" headphones, as I've had issues with long term listening because they tend to clamp on my head.


Preferred tonal balance - I love bass, don't get me wrong, but I don't listen to much Hip-hop or EDM. I would say mids but honestly, I'm not 100% sure.


Past headphones - I have only ever had Dre Beats studios (first gen), and a shitty $15 pair of Sennheisers.


Preferred Music - I like to listen to a pretty wide range of music. Anywhere from classic rock, electronic, progressive metal, world fusion, to trance.


Some of my favorite artists:

• Tool, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer
  
• Opeth
  
• Nine Inch Nails
  
• Beats Antique
  
• Mastodon
  
• Pink Floyd
  
• Gramatik
  
  
  What would you like to improve on from your set-up - For years now, I've just been rocking my Dre Beats studio's and they've served their purpose. I am now finally getting into downloading and listening to higher quality audio. I want to be able to listen to these high quality songs that Trent Reznor and others put out and hear the little details that I know they spent the time on. I want to listen to Pink Floyd flac files and be blown away. I have also been doing some home recording as of late with a Presonus Audio box and various pedals. It would be an added bonus to have better headphones for that as well.
  
  CONSIDERATIONS:
  
  So far, I've been leaning towards the Fiio Q1 portale DAC/Amp and either Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones or maybe Sennheiser HD 558's. I will also be selling my current gen 1 Dre Beats Studio headphones so if anyone wants those for a quick sale let me know before I post them on ebay then I will have more money for even BETTER headphones. Special reddit discount.
  
  EDIT - Holy crap I just found AudioTechnica's what appears to be ATHM50X's with extra interchangable ear cups on Massdrop for $124! They look like ATHM50's and the description says that it comes with three interchangable cables so wouldn't this be the ATHM50X's? If so, these are my top contender atm.

Blue snowball is certainly the best for good recording, while the Samson Meteor is great too. Usually the Samson is a lot cheaper than the blue snowball, but seems like it's not the case here.

Go with the Blue snowball. It'll last you a long while for sure!

Another thing, why would you get an headset if you already are using an Mic? That is now-a-days the only benefit over an headphone.

Headphones have overall much better specifications for better prices. Here are a few to check out:

• Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro. It's a great headphone for gaming. It has an open back, which gives you a much better soundstage, which you want for gaming.
  
  
• Audio Technica ATH-M50(X) is another good option although it is more of a bassy headphone. So hearing clear footsteps will be harder, but listening music on this thing is a lot more enjoyable for sure.
  
  
• Takstar HI 2050. this is not a known headphone and I haven't personally used this headphone. But seeing from specs and topics from other poeple this headphone has very clear and detailed tones with a decent soundstage, which makes it a good choice for gaming. Not so much for music.
  
  
• AKG K240. Is another decent option although the more expensive K550 would be more enjoyable to listen to.

• Budget: ~$150 USD
  
• Source: PC (Gaming), if they rock maybe my phone.
  
• Isolation: Unsure, usually I use closed headphones. But I hear the ATH-700xs are great for CS:GO and are open. Wouldn't mind trying open ear.
  
• Public: Probably not.
  
• Size: Full sized over ear headset.
  
• Tonal Balance: I like my bass in music, but these headphones are for CS:GO almost exclusively, was seeing good things about the ATH-700xs being light on the bass and it helping not drown out footsteps. I'd prefer more bass for my music but CS is the priority.
  
• Previous Headphones: For gaming I have had SteelSeries Siberia v2, didn't like the sound quality. Comfort was good. HyperX Cloud 1s sound quality quite a bit better, comfort about the same. Currently using the clouds. I have had Beats in the past, they were alright, on par with my $100 pair of Klipsch headphones. I quite enjoyed the Klipsch over ears, not sure what type specifically.
  
• Music Taste: Almost exclusively hiphop, with some 80s rock and a little folk/pop mixed in.
  
• What I want to improve: I want a better headset for CS:GO. My Cloud 1s were pretty solid but the quality has deteriorated over time.
  
  My three main considerations now are: ATH AD700x, Sennheiser GAME ONE, Sennheiser PC363D. Although I do not have USB 3 will that matter at all? I do not need 7.1 sound. The AKG K612 Pro seems around my price range and is reviewed quite well. It seems like the ATH-AD700xs are the headphones to go for as they are about half the price as the rest of the options I suggested. Is it worth spending the extra money on any of those headsets? Also do I need to consider an AMP of any sort for these headphones? I was recommended something such as the FiiO E10k earlier. Not sure if I need an amp or not, I would be willing to purchase one if it allows for me to unlock the full potential of my headset. But not just to spend money on another toy and eek out another 1% or 2% of performance.
  
  Thanks a ton for reading! Any insight is more than welcome.

1. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Great over ear headphones, more bass driven, but pretty well rounded sound. Good for being submersed in your music.
   
2. Sennheiser HD 598 Awesome open ear headphones, nice and roomy sound. (open back headphones allow outside sound in.) Great for acoustics and softer music.
   
3. FiiO EX1 My daily driver, which are surprisingly really nice. Great balanced sound for In ear, super comfortable too. Punchy bass when needed and handles light and relaxed music with good highs.

As a lot of people have mentioned, you don't need a lot of fancy gear. I would suggest a small midi keyboard and a decent pair of headphones. Those two things are the only thing I use every day. Once you get familiar with production and decide it's something to really invest your time/money in, then you can branch out with more gear.

After you decide to get more gear, I would suggest the Komplete 9 Bundle which will have pretty much everything you'll ever need forever.

Aside from the Syntorial you mentioned on learning sound design, I would look into doing Hooktheory's daily challenge for ear training. I highly suggest doing this every day until you can 100% the beginner one and do pretty good on intermediate. Learning how chords and intervals sound in relation to a melody is absolutely invaluable when composing quickly.

Additional learning can be found on Coursera for free. I highly recommend you take these courses when they are available.

Introduction to Music Production - Discusses the signal chain, how to work in a DAW, and the basics of synths and effects.

Developing your Musicianship - I am doing this one right now. It's basic music theory and ear training, very informative! It's super light on coursework and the videos aren't long so I recommend jumping in and catching up if you can.

Songwriting - This might not be in your wheelhouse, but it focuses on writing lyrics and creating a song holistically: making sure every part means something and reinforces the main thoughts of the song.

Fundamentals of Music Theory - I haven't taken this one yet, but it's coming up in a few weeks. I'm very excited about it.

Seriously, if you have any questions about anything I would be happy to help. I've been writing music for over 15 years now and I love teaching. Feel free to PM me with anything, whether it be related to gear, theory, composition, arrangement, finding creativity. It's always fun to help a newbie along :)

Best of luck!

• Budget
  
  $100-$300 flexible
  
  
• Source
  
  3.5mm jack on a laptop
  
  
• Where you mainly will use your headphones
  
  At work and perhaps occasional flights. Office doesn't have much chatter but has very annoying drone sounds from HVAC and buzzy fluorescent lights
  
  
• Requirements for Isolation
  
  The sweet spot would block out droning sounds but not people trying to get my attention without raising their voice
  
  
• Will you be using these Headphones in Public?
  
  Just at work and perhaps occasional flights. It's important to me that sound doesn't leak out to others.
  
  
• Preferred Type of Headphone
  
  I think full-sized, but on-ear may be OK too if comfortable for all-day use
  
  
• Preferred tonal balance
  
  Overall balanced
  
  
• Past headphones
  
  At home I've used in the past Sennheiser 280 pro (too busted up now and were never comfortable to wear for more than a couple hours) and currently Sennheiser HD 598SE. The latter in particular I love, very happy with the sound and they're terrifically comfortable to wear for hours on end. I'd probably just buy a second pair of these for work if I had some reason to believe they'd block/cancel the drone sounds well and they weren't open-back.
  
  
• Preferred Music
  
  Electronic, classical, jazz, talk radio
  
  
• What would you like to improve on from your set-up
  
  Currently I'm using cheapo in-ear buds at work and it's awful. While they're fairly comfortable for extended use, even at louder volumes they don't mask the drone sounds very well. Probably what I would value most in a set of headphones for this office would be noise-cancelling, comfortable for all-day use, and no leakage (closed-back). An attached microphone would not be a deal-breaker but doesn't matter either way.
  
  
• Things I don't know
  
  I've never owned a pair of active noise cancelling headphones. Is it a gimmick? Are they effective for something like this? Can I get a quality pair at this budget that meets my needs and has this feature? Or is it better to forget it and instead focus on something that (without too much bulk!) "muffles" well?
  
  Thank you!

I would say that if you want to commit, you need to spend some money on gear so you don't just quit in a couple of months (nothing keeps you motivated like knowing you will have just wasted a couple hundred dollars if you give up).

Here is the minimum professional-quality kit you need (these are brands that I've seen being used by the Chemical Brothers, Orbital, and others) to buy in order to start playing around with enough equipment to keep you learning for at least a couple of years:

• 110$ MIDI Keyboard + Controller - Novation LaunchKey Mini
  
• 100$ DAW Software - Ableton Live Intro (FL Studio is also good, but the basic version costs 200$)
  
• Free Subtractive Synth VST - Tyrell N6
  
• Free Effects package VSTs - Melda Plugins
  
• 60$ Monitor headphones - AKG K240
  
• 270$ Total, for a high-quality basic kit.
  
  Ableton Live Intro is a fantastic DAW to learn: It has enough features to give you a year or two of productive learning before you might want to upgrade to the standard version. 16 tracks is enough to make a lot of good music.
  
  And don't be fooled by the price of the Tyrell N6: It's a full-featured professional synthesizer that's in the same league as the Minimoog, Prophet 5, and the Jupiter 8. It can make all of the same sounds of any of those synths, and you could spend a few months mastering its use.
  
  Once you get the hang of using those for a few months, you might want to upgrade your audio output quality, and also start recording real-life sounds, such as vocals and musical instruments. In that case you'll need an audio interface and a microphone:
  
  
• 200$ Audio Interface + Microphone - Focusrite Scarlett Solo bundle
  
  And one thing to keep in the back of your mind: Professional music production is complicated There's a lot more to it than hitting record and playing some nice notes. Here is a list of all the different skills that are required to become a great musician. If you want to make and sell music, you'll need to either get good at, or get someone to help you with, the following:
  
  
• Instrument playing (keyboard, guitar, drums, flute, etc)
  
• Rhythm (beat, timing, syncopation, etc)
  
• Music Theory (chords/scales, melody/harmony, etc)
  
• Arrangement (song structure creation, progression, tension/release)
  
• Effects (ambience, reverb, compression, filters, guitar pedals, etc)
  
• Mixing (EQ, compression, pan, volume)
  
• Mastering/Recording (EQ, compression, limiting, tape transport/splicing [analogue], or copy/paste and file management [digital])
  
• Releasing (album compilation, performance, DJing, music distribution, etc)
  
  You could honestly spend at least a few months learning each of those skills. And the following two skills are necessary for some types of music:
  
  
• Instrument/effect construction, modification, customization, VST programming
  
• Writing lyrics
  
• Singing
  
  Good luck! And may the god of music be with you!

On headphones, There's a lot of ways to research.

​

Such as

• C-NET - Advertising influenced Professional reviews
  
• Consumer Reports - Unbiased Professional reviews
  
• Amazon reviews - A metric crap ton of amateur crowd-sourced reviews, and some occasional products with massive amounts of fake reviews
  
  For me I like to use the amazon reviews but I always put the item listing into fakespot. Using Fakespot lets me know the reliability of the ratings because a lot of the lower end earbud listings are completely faked.
  
  My research led me to two separate products I loved. Wired Sony "Studio Headphones", these sound great to my non-audiophile ears. These are sturdy, to me they feel good wearing them and they sound great. Included in the box was an exploded parts diagram with a parts list. These are not break and throw away headphones, these are designed to be serviced. It had great reviews was within my budget $80 and fakespot said the reviews were legit. These are solid, sturdy, designed to be serviced. I freaking love them.
  
  The other product I really like is the Avantree Wireless 40 HR Blue Tooth headphones. The ratings were good, and legit per fakespot, my complaints about my other wireless blue tooth was that I never seemed to have them charged when I wanted them and the range sucked. I double checked the tech specs and the 40hrs wasnt marketing BS. These legit have much higher battery capacity than the other wireless headphones. When I first plugged these in I played them side by side in wired and wireless mode next to the Sony Studio headphones. The bass was deeper, and the mids were better represented, at first I was really happy. These were out performing the Sony Studio Headphones, but as I played more songs side by side, I found I liked these better on most songs, but on some songs it didn't sound the way I remembered them. Then it occurred to me, I plugged the Sony Studio headphones back in, and adjusted the equalizer, I was able to adjust the equalizer such that my Sonys sounded exactly like these, then I figured it out and I was pissed off. These weren't better at reproducing the bass and the mids. They simply have a built in bass boost that can't be turned off. I'd give this product 7 Stars if I could for battery life, but only 4 for bluetooth range, and 2 for the bass boost I cant turn off I get why they do it, if you had to listen to headphones side by side in a store a consumer would hear more bass out of the boosted ones, and think they were better at reproducing bass.
  
  ​
  
  TL;DR lots of ways to research, Fakespot is awesome, some headphone manufacturers use dirty tricks. Beats uses what are basically fishing weights to make their products feel heavier and sturdier, and some manufacturers include a bass boost that you cant turn off.
  
  
  Edits - lots of spelling and grammatical mistakes.

Hi! I'm by no means an expert on the subject but I did learn a few things while pursuing a quality audio experience and its kind of turned into a new hobby.

Simulating surround sound was something I wanted to achieve as well when shopping for headphones a while back. Something I learned is that the headphones themselves can't really do this. The right kind of headphones (and sometimes software) can help this effect but you can't magically turn 2 channels (I.E. right and left) into 4 or more to get multi-directional sound. In gamery types of headphones, the marketing makes all kinds of claims that its the total fault of the headphones but it's simply not true.

The only real way to get a simulated surround effect in your headphones is if the source had this in mind from the get go. And after that good quality headphones can help a bit further. This can be easily demonstrated with this video. Plug in ANY pair of headphones in your house and for added effect? Close your eyes. Seriously even 3 dollar earbuds from the dollar store will work. And what you'll notice is a full high-quality multi-directional, surround sound experience from just youtube and whatever headphones you happened to try. Neat! But how?

Games and movies ect need to have an audio engineer design the sound with this concept in mind known as binaural. In games, this is usually the "headphone" mode in options settings. Or it'll just be on by default. There are times where a game simply won't have it and no amount of software can change that going into your headphones. Software can't magically know that the bullet was supposed to be behind you instead of in front of you.

What does this mean? That you can get virtual/simulated surround sound from pretty much any pair of headphones? Yes! Learning this concept to me was the beginning of something new. I started looking at simple high-quality headphones that could help make the effect even more dramatic.

I learned about open vs closed back headphones. Closed back headphones make you feel like the sound is sort of coming from inside your own head. This is fine especially if you want to block out other sounds from your room or house ect. Open back headphones let sound in your headphones from the outside, allowing for a more natural 3D effect in most cases. I did a lot of research on open back headphones. I ended up getting the AD900x's. I know this might be expensive-ish but there's a good option for optimal sound on a budget.

I got this combo deal for my fiance. You'll get an open back experience to help further the 3d effect you're after and ontop of that these headphones sound fucking GREAT for the money. Seriously makes me mad that I was buying gaming headphones for all these years leading up to what I learned. Check it out.

• Headphones
  
• Replacement earpads. (optional) The stock ones made me and my fiance's ear sweat like crazy. Not comfortable.
  
• Microphone.
  
  Now, this is just a suggestion. Just use whatever you thought sounded better when it came to your logitech's or Beats after making sure headphone mode was on in the game you're playing. Hopefully, I've given you enough to do your own research on the subject. But. For the money? I found this combo to be amazing for gaming and surround sound. Just make sure you always turn on "headphone mode" in games and you'll get the 3D experience you're after. Learn more at https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/
  
  ----------------------
  
  TLDR; Some audio nerd info. I'd personally just use whatever you thought sounded better when it came to your logitech's or Beats after making sure headphone mode was on in the game you're playing. Seeing as the surround sound effect is mostly due to the source. If you ever want to try and make the 3D effect more dramatic I linked a suggestion on a budget.
  
  

Just keep in mind that the Scarlett 2i2 - while overall a great interface has no -10db pad. A -10db pad is for use when you have a really loud (hot) instrument. Typically electric guitar.

With acoustic it's not nearly as important but you are a bit pigeon holed on what you can record in the future.

The 2i4 version has a -10db pad.

> I've been considering getting a Scarlet 2i2 (she will only ever use mic and a quarter inch jack at the same time), an MXL 770, and a Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 ohm. It would all total to $350, which is what I want the budget to stick around. Are there better options for my needs?

Overall this is pretty good 'best bang for the buck' beginner gear. Just a few notes on it:

For recording guitar AND vocals at the same time you really should be using 2 mics. The MXL 770 is fine as one of them (another good option in that price range that I prefer over the 770 is the AT2020, the AT2020 handles 'overly loud' sounds better than the MXL 770).

So if she's singing and playing at the same time plan on either buying 2 mics up front or keep in the back of your mind that this needs to be your 1st upgrade.

The 2i2 has great preamps and is widely regarded in the industry. As I said earlier only the lack of -10db pad is the somewhat of a gotcha. It doesn't have legacy MIDI DIN in/out but if you don't have or plan to buy legacy MIDI gear this is no big deal.

The Beyerdynamic DT770 are great headphones but keep in mind the 250ohm version won't work on 'consumer' equipment very well. It probably won't work on an MP3 player or Smartphone. The 250ohm means it needs a high power headphone amplifier to run properly. The Scarlett 2i2 (or any professional audio interface) is fine, but the onboard soundcard may not work well with these headphones. Anything that is running off a battery (like smartphone, tablet, or MP3 player) won't work with these headphones.

Personally I think the headphones are a bit expensive and not where I'd spend my money early on. There are other 'best bang for the buck' headphones you can buy. The other two items on your list are 'best bang for the buck' but the DT770s are kind of like 'beginner premium' headphones.

I think you are better off with buying $99 Sennheiser HD280 pros or $79 Sony MDR 7506 headphones and using the extra money on buying a second mic like a $99 Shure SM58

Honestly, I wouldn't buy either of those. I don't know what your particular monetary situation is, but I made the mistake of buying a cheaper set of cans when I set out to DJ which broke in less than 5 months going to gigs once or twice a month. I then bought a pair of ATH-M50's and haven't looked back. I strongly suggest that you save up to buy a pair of these as there is a good reason that they're touted as one of the best value entry-level DJ headphones. The fact is, if you pay less, you're likely gonna end up with another pair that will break, and even if they don't break, most of the headphones in the <$60 range will not offer isolation good enough for anything but really small gigs. To be fair though, I recently played a show with my ATH-M50s where, even blasting them full volume, I had to strain to hear them over the speakers we were using. Regardless, the sound quality is impeccable for that price and they're pretty durable. That said, if you absolutely cannot put up the money for them, I can give you a few other options:

These are supposedly pretty good and only a little out of your price range. They're the better version of your MDR-v55s, and while I haven't used them myself, I've personally seen several really good DJ's use them on pretty big sound systems to great effect.

You might also try these Sennheisers which are still a little out of your range but evidently not too bad.

I definitely would not buy either the Pioneer HDJ-500 or HDJ-1000 which are both notorious for breaking.

Ultimately, you get what you pay for. If you're just a bedroom DJ, you can probably get away with either of the choices you've listed, but if you plan on ever doing anything outside of your bedroom, you're going to eventually NEED a better set of headphones. If I could go back in time with the knowledge that I have now, I would definitely pony up the extra cash for the ATH-M50's (you might even look into getting a used pair if you have to) as they really do sound leagues better than the $100 headphones I had before them and are far more comfortable and durable.

My main headphones recently stopped working properly so I'm looking for a replacement. I would use them for gaming with a priority on immersion, and as I already have a modmic I don't need a headset. I do watch a lot of videos and sometimes films, so them being good for that would be nice as well, but it isn't strictly the priority.

Budget - I'd like to spend no more than £100 but if necessary I'm willing to go a little over.

Source - My computer, a DAC/AMP would be nice but that would likely be outside of my budget.

Requirements for Isolation - Only going to be used at home, I can use some other headphones when quietness is needed.

Preferred Type of Headphone - Full-sized

Preferred tonal balance - I think I'd want balanced?

Past headphones - Well my headphones that just broke were the Creative Aurvana Live! and I'm currently using Koss Porta Pros until I get a replacement. I can't really say what I like about them.

Preferred Music - Lately I've been listening to classical, and I would say it's my favourite, but I do also listen to Rock and occasionally Electronic.

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - Can't honestly say I know, I felt like something was lacking with my old headphones but I don't have the technical knowledge to pinpoint it.

Location - UK, mainly use Amazon Prime for purchases but if I can get it somewhere else for cheaper then I will.

Other - So I spent a fair bit of last night researching this and the headphones that got mentioned a lot were the SHP9500, the Audio Technica AD series, HD558/598 and sometimes the DT770/990.

The annoying thing is, while the SHP9500 are fantastic value over in the US, like $50-70, they're equivalent to $155 here, at least on Amazon. Now, I could get the 990 for about the same price (£109 for 9500, £104 for DT990) but I would have to get a DAC/AMP to power them, which would put it way over my budget, and the SHP9500's have a detachable cable, which sounds fantastic right now. However, I don't want to be spending money on headphones that are worse than others I could get for the same price.

I've seen the 559's but I don't know what the difference between those and the 558's is, but if they're the same, then I could get them for £89.99 from Amazon.

I've heard mixed things about the AD series and the cheapest ones are still expensive for my budget at £119, again on Amazon.

Trying to decide between these is honestly difficult considering that most of the reviewers and resources are from the US and so they're basing the "bang-for-your-buck" value on the prices of the items over there, where they're a lot cheaper. I'm not saying I'd only pick from these, just that they're the headphones that are mentioned the most when trying to find good open-back headphones for gaming on a small budget. If any of you guys can suggest headphones that are just as good, if not better, but at a better price for my region then I'd happily consider them. Thanks.

----------------

Next up is the high quality solution - with a price point that reflects its equipment:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $279.99 @ Microcenter
Motherboard | Asus GRYPHON Z87 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $161.99 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | Crucial Ballistix 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $124.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $219.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $219.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $85.98 @ Outlet PC
Video Card | PowerColor Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card | $314.99 @ Newegg
Case | Rosewill BlackHawk ATX Mid Tower Case | $73.50 @ Amazon
Power Supply | Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $89.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive | Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer | $58.98 @ Outlet PC
Monitor | Asus VH238H 23.0" Monitor | $129.99 @ NCIX US
Monitor | Asus VH238H 23.0" Monitor | $129.99 @ NCIX US
Keyboard | Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard | $64.99 @ Microcenter
Mouse | Logitech G500 Wired Laser Mouse | $44.09 @ Amazon
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $1999.45
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-08 21:37 EDT-0400 |

We're going with an i7. It's pretty much top of the line, as long as we're not taking into account an infinite budget. Let me put it this way - with this CPU, you're not going to need an upgrade for a long time. Once again we're going with the stock cooler, you shouldn't need to overclock it and it will increase build simplicity which is important for your first build. I also went with the improved architecture here with the new Z87 chipset.

The RAM chosen is low latency, has a low voltage requirement, and can overclock quite nicely. Overclocking may seem daunting but it won't be too difficult, especially with the high-quality motherboard we've chosen which comes with easy to manage BIOS software. Crucial is also a well-regarded company and their customer support is pretty good, so if you do get a unit that's DOA it won't be a huge problem to get it taken care of. See here for more information on overclocking memory or ask your friendly fellow BaPC-ers. Also take a look at the user feedback on Newegg for speed and timing guidelines of other users. 9-9-9-24 seems popular. Even if you don't want to overclock, at least double-check the BIOS to make sure it isn't defaulting to 1333 MHZ, which it has been reported to do, as that seemingly minor difference is going to lose you 2.1 GB/s in memory bandwidth, possibly causing bottlenecking in this otherwise beastly rig.

For storage, I've got you 2TB of backup/media storage and 2 256 GB SSDs. Some people will tell you to put the SSDs into RAID 0 and that is one solution to use, but I prefer to have one C:/ drive that holds my apps and is my boot drive and then the other drive as a game drive that holds my Steam library and other games. That way you get the performance increase of the SSD for your games but don't risk data loss because of the RAID striping. It's up to you though, is the almost negligible speed increase (noticeably-wise, not on paper; on paper it will show higher speeds) of RAID 0? If so, just mount it as a second drive and store your games on it separately. These are Samsung 840s - an extremely reliable and relatively fast SSD from a reputable company.

For graphics I've chosen an Asus 7970 - since this rig has 2 monitors the two DVI ports this card is sporting will come in handy, it also is a common model which will make buying a second to Crossfire later much easier on you.

The increased power of your components requires an increase in your PSU as well - I picked another Corsair, this one with more wattage and a Gold rating which will mean it runs more efficiently so your components are in less danger. The amperage on the +12V rail is also really high so this is a great choice for this build.

I added a Blu-Ray drive and an extra monitor for you, but kept the same peripherals as that's a more personal decision that is based on personal preference and feel.

An often overlooked peripheral device is also a nice set of headphones. I've enjoyed my set of Sony MDR-V6s for a long time, I would recommend them to anyone - regardless of music tastes. They're responsively flat, so it doesn't mud up the sound with too much bass, and accurately represents all frequencies. They're also not too expensive, a great set of entry-level cans. I bought mine at ~$60, so keep your eyes open for a sale.

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro Edition. Make sure you get the pro edition and not the "consumer" edition; MUCH cheaper and slightly more clamping, not all that much though. Cheaper than nearly every single other pair of headphones on the market that produce the same quality. German engineering, so this sonuvabitch won't break anytime soon. All the same, I obviously don't recommend stepping on them, although I have dropped them and sat on them plenty of times. Still the exact same quality as the first time I took them out of the box.

Some overview: MASSIVE soundstage, with unbelievable clarity. As such, they are an open pair of headphones; that is, you can hear nearly everything around you, and people that are within ~15 feet of you can hear what you're listening to if it's cranked up.

With the proper amp settings and a decent media player, they can also have throbbing, very present bass(I recommend Foobar2000, free download, with the graphic equalizer add-on; it makes a huge difference). Even without any sort of amp, this pair of headphones still delivers thumping bass (as long as your device has a decent soundcard; don't expect an RCA MP3 player to produce the same output). Rest assured, the bass isn't even close to overwhelming (think Audio Technica ATH-PRO700MK2, which are basically subwoofers strapped to your head), but can really pound if you truly desire it.

As for comfort? The product review states the Pro has higher clamping power than the normal version, but this is almost completely negatable due to the price difference and the fact that it barely clamps at all. The cups are fuzzy and warm; not so warm it makes you sweat, but it feels... nice. Like cuddling! It comes with a 1/4" adapter that screws on to your standard 3.5 mm adapter, and the cable is coiled, which is much more convenient to me than wrestling around with 4 feet of cable when I'm sitting 1 foot away from my computer.

Overall, they're incredible. They blow my fucking mind every time I load up Foobar2000. I just can't get enough of them, and cannot in one lifetime recommend them enough. Love 'em love 'em LOVE 'EM!

EDIT: It sounds like the actual music group is in the room with you. They're right there playing, on each side of your head. The sounds really sound like they're right there.

250?! Okay then, this will be fun :)

Just remember though, that higher number in headphones series does not always mean better. eg DT880 > DT770 is not always true. Yours focus more on bass and treble, while the middle ground is left out, Also called V shaped headphone. While the 880's are neutral on most areas, while emphasizing mostly on the treble. Two completely different things, all comes down to taste :)


*****

• Audio Technica ATH-AD500X Open Back [$79.95] Permanent cable.
  
  *****
  
  
• Audio Technica ATH-AD700X Open-Back [$94 on sale.] Permanent cable.
  
  *****
  
  
• Audio Technica ATH-AD900X Open-Back [$138.94] Permanent cable.
  
  *****
  
  
• Audio Technica ATH-AD1000X Open-Back [$293.99] Permanent cable.
  Over budget I know, but this is also where we reach a new level. You can look at the Z-Reviews of the AD series headphones. He's missing the 700x's, but has most others :)
  
  
  All AD headphones are fantastic, they do get increasingly better up untill 900x. Where the 2000x, 1000x and 900x can come down to taste. I prefer the 1000's over the rest as they contain a bit of midbass, while the 2000's are super clear and analytical, where those who listen to classical music will absolutely orgasm over them.
  I've specifically bought AD velour earpads over the standard leather pads on my own headphones, because of the amazing comfort.
  
  
  
• Beydynamic DT990 Semi-Open-Back [32 Ohm] [$146.97] Permanent cable.
  
  
  *****
  
• Philips X2/27 Fidelio Premium [$254.18] Detachable cable. Replaceable earpads.
  Often compared with Sennheiser HD600 [$400]. People have complained that the sound of the X2's has been bad, but it turns out the headphones are actually exposing poorly mastered/rendered music. It also has a massive soundstage, this is a winner for games where listening matters. You can see impressions over at Head-Fi, these are people who own multiple headphones in the $1000 zone, so don't be afraid of a mediocre rating.
  30ohm, so even a phone can power them fine.
  
  *****
  
• Philips SHP9500 Open-Back [$75.95] Detachable cable.
  Said to be among the most comfortable objects one can place on the head. Also a very good soundstage, not in the X2's category, but still good.
  
  *****
  
  
• Z-Reviews: What makes Good Gaming Headphones? He also debunks surround headsets' marketing. It's not better.
  
  *****
  
  I know there is a boatload of things here to pick from, but promise me to research into these things and maybe find something else I haven't mentioned. Headphones or headsets for that matter are an investment and should last +5 years.
  
  Happy listening! :)

Here's a few options. Depending on where you are in the world some might be more feasible than others. I'm talking from a UK perspective, YMMV.

• Sennheiser HD598 + Antlion ModMic. Can't speak for the quality of the modmic but I own the HD598's and adore them, they're almost unbeatable. The ModMic is essentially a headset mic with velcro pads included so that you can stick it onto pretty much any set of headphones that has space for it.
  
  
• Phillips Fidelio X2 + V-Moda Boompro mic. This is a good option because the Fidelio X2's have a standard 3.5mm port meaning you can plug any 3.5mm mic into it, including the V-Moda Boompro which is essentially a headset mic that can be unplugged (though of much better quality imo). Again, can personally attest to quality as I own both. The X2's are £130 on Amazon rn which is a goddamn goddamn steal in my opinion, but they're better for music than gaming (again, my opinion, it's slightly subjective). They'll still thrash any headset but they don't quite compare to the HD598's for competitive gaming.
  
  
• Speaking of Phillips and 3.5mm ports, a cheaper option than the X2's would be the Philips SHP9500/00. Same benefits as the X2's, but in this case they + the V-Moda Boompro will run you about as much as the X2's alone would. Can't speak for sound quality, haven't tried them, but I hear they're very good.
  
  
• Another option would be the Audio Technica AD700x; from what I have heard this is pretty much the end game for gaming cans. They're legendary, beating out the HD598's by a small margin; small enough that really it's personal preference as to whether you go for these or the Sennheisers. Both will do you proud. Again, an Antlion ModMic would be your best option here, you won't be able to fit a V-Moda Boompro as like with Sennheiser, the AD700x uses a proprietary port.
  
  
• Finally, if you got the cash, you could go for the Audio Technica ATH-ADG1X; essentially Audio Technica have cut out the need for a third party mic by adding their own; it's a headset. The downside to this is that it's expensive for what it is, and you probably leave yourself open to the kinds of issues you'd have with standard headsets (more likely to fail, harder/more expensive to fix if they do). Not really sure how much you'd have to worry about this since it's genuine quality; not the £15 of components stuffed into a £100 headset that passes for "gaming headsets" these days. TimTheTatMan uses one of these on Twitch if I'm not mistaken.
  
  So that's what I recommend. Any option you pick here will theoretically last you a great many years, if not a lifetime, and will outperform any gaming headset. This is because manufacturers of these headsets will spend a tiny amount of cash on the components and a large amount of cash on marketing them, meaning when you buy a gaming headset you're really paying for them to sell it to you. Stuff like I've listed above is all word of mouth; passes the savings onto the consumer who gets a quality product at a good price.
  They're all open backed, meaning they leak sound out and allow outside sound in; the benefit of this is that you get a wider soundstage, which in regard to gaming essentially means better 3D positioning. You can pick out things like footsteps and locate where they're coming from with a great degree of ease.
  
  HD598: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD-598SR-Over-Ear-Headphone-Black/dp/B06WLGRYSF/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1521973971&sr=1-1&keywords=HD+598
  
  Fidelio X2: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-X2-Headphones-Over-Ear-Cushions-Black/dp/B00MRUPSHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521974003&sr=8-1&keywords=Fidelio+x2
  
  Phillips SHP9500/00: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-SHP9500-00-Headphone/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521974021&sr=8-1&keywords=shp9500
  
  Audio Technica AD700X: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audio-Technica-ATH-AD700X-backed-Hi-Fi-headphones/dp/B009S332TQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1521974053&sr=8-1&keywords=ad700x
  
  Audio Technica ADG1X: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audio-Technica-ATH-ADG1X-High-Fidelity-Open-Air-Headset/dp/B01AYZZP5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521973470&sr=8-1&keywords=audio+technica+headset
  
  V-Moda Boompro: https://www.amazon.co.uk/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Communication/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521974126&sr=8-1&keywords=v-moda+boompro
  
  Antlion ModMic: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone-Uni-Directional-Muteless/dp/B00R98O6R4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1521974091&sr=8-2&keywords=antlion+modmic

I'm looking to move up from my HD 428s.

My budget is set at about $200, but I've seen many recommendations fall well short of that.

My source will be either my S3 or iPod Touch, but the main use will come from my 2010 13" MacBook Pro.

I am looking for closed cans and I'm hoping for a reasonable amount of isolation. While most of my time spent will be at home on a desk studying, I will be venturing out to the library for hours at a time and I'd like music or audio from lecture videos to stay close to me and not interrupt others.

I would like them to be on-ear headphones, much like the 428s I'm moving up from.

My past headphones have been iPod/iPhone earbuds and now the Samsung ones with my phone. And then the HD 428s, of course.

I listen to hip hop, classic rock, and trance. Some of the hip hop I listen to is with a focus on lyrics and some hip hop I listen to is solely for the beats. I love bass, but I also prefer the bass to not be exaggerated and stay true to original. I'm not sure if that contradicts myself, but I want deep bass, but as natural as possible. I feel the same goes for my preference on trance.

As for the classic rock, I just like it loud and clear. I have no preference on bass.

I have been suggested a few pairs by friends and some reading around here.

The cult-favorite ATH-M50s. I was hoping these would drop to $100 or less after the M50x came out, but looks like balking on that MassDrop deal was a mistake. Prices are still $140-160, and I am hesitant to spend that much when many people have suggested that there cans were cheaper before they became big. I think they said anything over $100 was overpaying for them.

The other pairs I've looked at were the two Sony MDRs. The V6 came highly suggested but sites like Wirecutter suggested the 7506. The difference between these two, for me, seems to just be the price. I am not sure what rHeadphones verdict on these two is, other than both are good.

The ones that I am most enamored with are the aesthetically-pleasing AKG 550/1. I think they look fantastic but the reviews on these are also 4+*. Right at $200, it would be pushing it, but I wanted to know if the value was still there at $200. MSRP seems to be $320+ elsewhere, other than Amazon.

I've done most of my research on the above sets of headphones. I have been recommended the VModas. Both the LPs and the M-100s. I have no aversion to them, but I just haven't done much research on them.

Which one will fit my needs the best? I should also mention that I do not wish to amp these, and I don't feel like my MacBook Pro will have trouble powering them.

I mentioned the music I listen to, but it would only be 3 hours of it, max, on a daily basis. Because of obvious reasons, movies and TV shows would be even longer. So I would like something that does well with TV/movies too.

I only deal with open headphones so here's what I'd recommend. You can skip an amp with any of these and be fine.

Audio-Technica ath-ad900x - I have these with the exact setup you want. The modmic was a little annoying to get to attach right but it hasn't fallen off. They sound great but not a ton of low end. The head suspension thing is comfy but kinda fiddly. Steal a worn out hair tie from your girl and put it between the arms and then forget it's there. Recommended without hesitation.

Sennheiser HD598 - warm sound, comfy. Not much to say, they're easy to listen to, easy to drive, and they're reasonably priced. Also recommend without hesitation.

I'd advise against the DT-990s unless you can return them if you don't like them. The v-shape sound is very polarizing and you'll either like it or you won't. I found the highs to be like an ice pick to the brain with most things I listened to. Some well produced stuff sounded great but they're fatiguing to listen to. They are also the most uncomfortable headphones I've ever put on my head, ymmv. I returned them.

If you feel like hitting the top of your budget I LOVE my Philips Fidelio X2. These actually replaced my Audio-Technicas as my daily driver. Great bass, good mid range, little grainy on the highs but it isn't harsh and how much depends on the recording. They're really comfortable but also a little on the heavy side. Again, recommend you buy from somewhere you can return just in case.

Any other questions let me know.

I recommend making sure you have several items:

• Hamper (foldable or collapsible is best for college students.)
  
• Laundry bag (Just in case you don't want to carry your hamper to your laundry facility, or your hamper isn't carry friendly.)
  
• Desk lamp (any kind should be fine, so that way if your room mate is sleeping you don't have to have the entire room lit up)
  
• Power strips (you never know when you're going to need to plug something in, and you might run out of wall plugs)
  
• Change jar (spare change is always useful especially when ordering food, so you can give exact change. Don't forget to tip! You can make one of these yourself for basically free minus the cost of a bottle)
  
• Desk organizer (To keep your class syllabi in, as well as any returned papers. It's very easy to lose all of that stuff, and you never know if you might need it again during the semester.)
  
• Flip flops/shower shoes (keep them cheap because they're only for the bathroom, chances are that bathroom will be shared by you and several others, and most likely won't be the cleanest place)
  
• Healthy (ish) snack foods (whatever foods appeal to you really, but that's a start for some ideas, trust me healthy food is good, you don't want that freshman 15 to catch up to you too quick now!)
  
• Alarm clock (or you can use your phone which is what I ended up doing last year, but make sure it doesn't die!)
  
• Headphones (so you don't annoy your roommate with your choice of tv/music/movies/etc.) Here's three more headphones for variety, all of which are great for the price range. Klipsch, Vsonic, Sony(these Sony MDR-V6 go on sale every so often, they were literally just on sale for $54 and are absolutely fantastic for the price range)
  
  That's basically everything I either wish I had brought, or found very useful. Oh yeah, don't forget your cell phone, cell phone charger, laptop/desktop and appropriate cables. Also don't forget to do your laundry somewhat regularly, and that includes your sheets!
  
  Would you like a falafel with that?

I'm not really a headphone buff so I'm just gonna put everything that may be useful here because I'm not 100% sure what exact info you need. I know I won't find anything dead on to what I want so just fit it as best as you can.

I'm looking for a decent set of headphones to use primarily for listening to progressive metal like Dream Theater and Haken, as well as power metal such as Sabaton, HammerFall, and Blind Guardian. The gold standard of what I want a mix to sound like is Haken's album Affinity.

I also am a PC gamer, but gaming is less important in my headphones than listening to music. I also listen to audiobooks, and the only thing headphones affect there is being comfortable over a long period of time, ie 3-4 hours with occasional short breaks.

Budget <$100, though I don't care if I get a $90 pair of headphones or a $50 pair of headphones and a $40 amp, whatever is gonna sound best. Also, I don't need to spend $100, I'm good with $40 or $50 ones.

I prefer leather pads, synthetic is fine. I hate felt pads.

Full sized, over ear headphones that will fit over my large ears.

Leaning towards bass, but with bands like Blind Guardian and HammerFall and sometimes even Dream Theater too much bass causes the whole thing to sound bad. I'm a bassist myself and would like at least enough bass to be able to hear the low end in most situations. Neutral or bassy are both fine though.

Leakage is a non issue. Open is great but whatever is fine.

Will remain stationary at my desk. Will sometimes be plugged into things other than my PC, such as my phone while it is on the desk or a CD player.

I'd like it to be decently durable. I'm not looking to get into headphone collecting as a hobby but do want a solid pair that will hold up for a good while.

I'd also like them to fit snugly to the head so that if I need to headbang I don't have to worry about them falling off.

I'd like a detachable cable, but this is secondary.

I don't really want to mod them.

What I've been looking at are the Superlux HD668B and HD681 EVO. Brand doesn't matter but from what research I've done these two seem the best two options so far.

Thanks for the help!

PC

• AMD a8 6600, not really recommended but gets the job done.
  
• MSI GTX 960 4GB version
  
• 8GB of generic ram i got years ago.
  
• Mouse is a Gigabyte THOR, probably the most durable $10 (now $30?) mouse I've found out of the myriad of mice I have owned. Keyboard is a wierd Azio keyboard that was cheap, not really that great.
  
  Recording stuff
  
  
• AudioTechnica AT2020, frequently goes on sale on amazon for $50
  
• Behringer Xenyx Q802USB, the best thing ever.
  
• Superlux HD668B headphones, amazing quality for $40. Definitely reccomend over anything else sub-$100
  
• Oneplus One as a $200 stopwatch
  
  Software
  
  
• Audacity, nice piece of software Noise reduction is a blessing with a condenser mic.
  
• Blender, for rendering out thumbnails in Orthographic 3D mode, rendering videos out in it's video editor, and various other things. CUDA is a godsend, rendering 20min videos in 45 minutes. With practice it's as good or better than some programs you can pay money for.
  
• OBS through NVENC encoder in CQP mode at CQP=20 (about 20mbps). Recording to MP4 with 2 audio tracks.
  
• Notepad++ for notes and stuff.
  
• Krita for anything I can't do in blender, which isn't much.
  
  Everything I would recommend to another person has links. The processor is pretty weak for recording, but would be great for a media centre PC or something. I've been using blender for about 9 years now, so its interface is easy for me to understand, but I would completely recommend it for its price of $0 and its fast rendering times.

Depends on some things.
Do you want virtual 7.1 simulation/EAX support? If yes, a standard Xonar DS soundcard for around 30-40USD will suffice. That will help with some of the more expensive headphones too, which will need a bit of extra power to drive.

Pretty much every gaming headset uses rather cheap mics and so can we. All voip comm will get heavily compressed, be it with TS, skype or ingame voice, so you really don't need a high quality mic for gaming. Many gamers are using a Zalman mic for around 10USD, but any cheap, sturdy clip on mic will do.

This left us with around ~150USD for a good headphone. There are plenty of alternatives in the <150USD range, I can give you a couple of often recommended options.

The favorite right now in hi-fi circles is the ATH-m50 at around 130USD.

A very comfortable pair are the AKG K271MKII at the same price level.

To complete the our maxing out the budget trio we have the Ultrasone HFI-780.

All three have superior drivers with very good sound characteristics, very decent isolation and are fun enough to listen to for gaming, music and movies.

But we don't really have to max out the budget to get superior sound quality. There are some very decent headphones under 100USD too, which can more than compete with any high budget gaming headset.

Some examples: Sony MDRZX700
Creative Aurvana Live, especially for Europeans where the price is better
similar famous like the ATH-M50 are the ATH-AD700. It's a open headphone though, so gone is any decent isolation in exchange for a better soundstage.

I could go on for a bit, but those mentioned above are pretty well known and tested with the hi-fi community. You should find plenty of reviews and user experience for them. While some of them are a bit more analytical than most users are used to, they are all pretty fun and warm and not so boring like traditional studio monitors.

Even if we look at the lower budget gaming headsets <100USD, many without any 7.1 simulation, we can find plenty of better sound headphones, especially if we don't need a soundcard.

Funny you mention, I have a pair.

They are very accurate and relatively flat monitoring headphones. They have a slight bump in the midrange that accentuates vocals a little harshly, which I had to get used to (great for recording, a little annoying for listening). Otherwise they are a joy to listen to.

One thing I'd recommend is a good source. These will let you discern the difference in DACs pretty easily, though the amp is less important since they're fairly easy to drive. I enjoyed mine far more after I got a USB DAC.

My verdict: they're good for the price, more emphasized toward studio listening, but if you like really accurate sound, so much that it accentuates any flaws in the music, then they're great. If you prefer a smoother sound and more enjoyable musical sound, then there are better alternatives. Simply put, they're not a $50 replacement for the ATH-M50's. The M50's are better.

If I had to buy another set over again in the same range, I'd probably get the Sony MDR-V6 instead. The sound signature on the AT's, while good, is just a little off for listening and the Sony's are better as well while still being a great value.

Anyway, here's my review on Amazon for more info.

Gotcha.

I'll give you three different options.

The first would be the Roland Cube 80. Sweetwater has these on sale right now for $220 (I know, I know) -- but this is a legit amp. You can gig with one of those. In This video Captain Lee has 250 pounds (~$325USD after factoring in tax) and goes with the cube 80 to keep up with Rob's all-tube Fender Bassbreaker 15. his tone is pretty fantastic as well.

Option 2: Yamaha THR5. These are killer amps for the price. not as loud as the roland, but maybe a bit more versatile. It can even run on batteries, so you can just grab it and play anywhere.

Option 3: headphones. Your Zoom has some pretty damn decent models in it. Unless you're going to go play gigs or with others (which I'd recommend doing as soon as you think you might be ready), You'll do best to just plug your guitar into the zoom, run a good set of headphones to it, and jam away.
Couple of options here. if you're not sure you want to commit to this route, These Superlux headphones are a phenomenal buy anyway. They're the same ones that come with most of the $2-300 "home studio" bundles, so you can easily use them for recording down the road if you change your mind and go with an amp. But they're nice, loud, clear, and comfortable. If you want to spend a bit more, You literally can't go wrong with the Grado SR80e

Note that both of these headphones are also great for listening to music through your phone/computer/whatever as well.

Headphones on Drop are a good place to start like the HD58Xand 6XX. Both are considered great first-time hi-fi headphones for a very reasonable price considering the performance matchs headphones double the price. What you need to ask yourself is what you want. More bass (More fun)? More accuracy (as intended)? I own the HD58X, an open back pair of headphones that offer an accurate sound signature but have a bit more bass than their older brother the 6XX who has a bit less bass but is more accurate in sound reproduction. Watch some youtube videos on different headphones, figure out if you prefer open or closed back. Theres a lot to go over before we can figure out what you'd like.

I started with the HD598cs Closed back headphones and upgraded to open back HD58X for at-home listening with FLAC files, I mention this in-case you haven't become wise to flac file, which tl;dr are just high-quality music files that sound better given you have the right equipment, say a new pair of mid-fi - hifi headphones like yourself potentially. The 598 are fairly accurate and have admirable bass. I've owned them for 2+ years and they have been my daily commute/travel headphones and they have worked brilliantly. I Stayed with Sennheiser products mainly because they are consistently ranked among the best headphone companies and are just beautiful to look at as well listen too.

Side note, some headphones need extra equipment to run them like an amp. Some headphones need more power, like the 6XX, and so it needs an amp to run properly and to let them shine. Headphones like the 58X Don't need an amp and can run right off a phone, but even with the use of an amp can help the sound quality.

Hi, I'm looking for comfortable wireless headphones and the purchase assistant only suggests one pair of headphones that fit my needs, and I can't find those anywhere in my country. Maybe some of you can help me with suggestions.

• Purpose: I want comfortable headphones that I can use for gaming and for listening to music/podcasts for hours on end. I value comfort over anything else.
  
• Budget: I'd like to stay within ~60€ (Germany) if at all possible, but I can go up to 100€ if I don't have any cheaper, half-decent alternatives. If literally nothing broadly fits my criteria then non-bluetooth headsets for up to ~60 would be fine as well.
  
• Source: PC and phone (both capable of bluetooth and have a regular headphone jack)
  
• Requirements for Isolation: None. I'll mostly listen at home, and when in public I don't mind ambient noise.
  
• Will you be using these Headphones in Public?: Regularly, but only in short bursts (therefore not of importance to me).
  
• Preferred Type of Headphone: Anything but in-ear.
  
• Past headphones Creative Aurvana Live!, imo very crisp, clear and vibrant sound quality at a cheap price, but the usability was horrible. Comfortable at first, they start putting noticable pressure on the edges of my ears after 30 minutes. An hour into playing games/listening to music and I subconsciously start taking them off. Together with daily annoyances caused by its short cable, I just want decent-enough wireless headphones that are very comfortable to wear for longer periods now.
  
• Preferred tonal balance: I don't know. Something that gets the job done for games, music and podcasts, I suppose.
  
• Preferred Music: Bass-heavy house music, mostly, but also some rap and metal.
  
• What would you like to improve on from your set-up: DEFINITELY more comfort. Over the past ~2 years I realized that there's not much point to having really nice headphones if you never want to use them because they hurt after a short while. I barely even use my current headphones to listen to stuff, I just use my speakers when I'm at home.
  If there's literally no decent, comfortable headphones with wireless capability available in that price region then I'm willing to look at regular headphones too, just tell me if you thik that that's the case.
  
• Location: Germany. This site is really great to scan the German market: https://skinflint.co.uk/. Please be aware that this page shows you offers from UK by default. Please change that to Germany to check the German shops!
  

I took a second look at the Head-fi purchasing guide (I find it confusing) and also bought a pair of headphones suggested to me here, the 598s. However, I hate the way they sound and want to return them, and I was wondering if anyone could make a suggestion for a replacement. I'd love to go somewhere to hear any set of headphones for myself, but no such place exists within an hour's drive for me.

Budget Originally I wrote $100 as a flexible limit, but ideally $150, flexible, but no more than $200. If it's necessary that I need an amp to make them sound good, I'd rather not buy them. I don't have the extra money to get an amp.

Source Case-integrated input/output hub.

Requirements for Isolation None.

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? No

Preferred Type of Headphone Preferably full-sized. On-ear makes my ears hurt.

Preferred tonal balance Unfortunately I'm not entirely sure what specific things the terms used here reference, despite the the reading I've done, but bassy and tinny sounds give me a headache.

Past headphones - I wasn't very specific the first time but here's a comprehensive list now that I'm on PC and can look for everything:

[Current problem] Sennheiser HD 598 - I didn't order from Amazon, and also yes they're authentic. They're shipped from Sennheiser but I didn't order from Sennheiser. I don't like how muffled everything sounds. I messed around with EQ and while I can make voices sound clearer, any more silky sort of sounds sound tinny.* I noticed that cymbals tended to sound clear, but guitar and synth sounded like it was played through a towel.

Skullcandy UPROCK S5URDZ-074 - Everything sounded tinny or muffled. Everything.

AxentWear - Felt like listening to music through a pillow or in a box. Everything sounded distant and heavy. Also they're heavy headphones and made my neck hurt like all hell. I still own them. I still don't like them.

Various pairs of Gummys, more Gummys, and Skullcandy Ink'd. They all sounded fine, aside from bass sounding nearly non-existent. They were clear and I liked that at least. But I want to upgrade in hopes of doing my hearing some justice and lessen the chance that I'll give myself extreme tinnitus.

Preferred Music - I listen to most genres, but there's a specific sound that I enjoy.* Specific examples, some with time-stamps:

The synth roll sounds at within the first 10 seconds

The synth alternating note sound. Sort of like ABCBCBC. Sorry, I don't study music so I don't know what they are

The synth in the beginning

All of this song. Everything sounds muffled

The beginning sounds here

The guitar at any point in this song

Sorry I can't use proper terms for anything.

It's nice that I can finally hear the bass in many songs, but I hate that I have to trade in clarity. Also, the bass can be a bit thumpy and excessive. I want to hear it, but I don't want my brain to be rattled in the process.

The sounds I like the most tend to be very synthy. I actually love the sound of violin for example. My absolute favorite sound is the first two seconds of this song. Currently listening on the 598s. Sounds muffled.

*The silky sound that violin has or that sharp, sort of bouncy sound that synth has. I also love electric guitar, especially that within Djent. I'm a sucker for that sort of complex/conflicting sound.

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - If detail is all those synthy and violin sounds I like, then more detail?


^^^I ^^^hope ^^^I ^^^don't ^^^sound ^^^demanding. ^^^I'm ^^^just ^^^really ^^^specific ^^^about ^^^what ^^^I ^^^like ^^^in ^^^sound, ^^^but ^^^unfortunately ^^^that ^^^don't ^^^do ^^^too ^^^good ^^^with ^^^my ^^^lack ^^^of ^^^knowledge..

Hey guys, before I start I just want to thank you for taking the time.

Budget: $200 (whatever cheaper than this for same quality does the trick

Source: Desktop, laptop, phone, ipod

Isolation: None required. Comfort is more important

Type: Anything but IEMs and buds. I have cheap ones.

Tonal Balance: I honestly don't know what I want here as I'm new to this concept. But some booms and bass without losing mid and highs would be nice

Past Experience: Skullcandy {Skullcrushers, Hesh, Lowriders, Smoking Buds, Jackets, cheap buds} Bose { 1 closed over ear active noise isolation} Steelseries {Siberia V3 and some neckband model I can't remember} and I borrowed some gaming headsets.


Music: I listen to everything but I'm going to be mostly focused on EDM, DnB, Trance, Indie/Altern, R&B, Jazz and Hip Hop. So something like the bass on this
I'm going to be listening to stuff like this:

Roosevelt

Arctic Monkeys

Cruz

Miike Snow

Diplo

Subformat

Improvements: The comfort of the Siberia V3 but hopefully with a less mediocre sound and something better than my Skullcandy experiences. Though I must say my cheap $20 dollar Skullcandy IEMs sound better than the V3.

Location: Northern Virginia, US.

I've read the guides (that are 4 month old) and I came with these options:

Sennheiser HD 558

Audio-Technica ATH-M50

Sennheiser HD 598
I'm more inclined to this because of looks

AKG Q 701

Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pro Headphones (250 Ohm)

Grado Prestige Series SR225e

If anybody has any recommendations on which one I should pick out of this or even recommend something else that'd be nice, since the guides are 4 month old and lots of things come out in 4 months. I also noticed nobody mentioned Shure.
In a future I'd love to learn more about DACs and buy stuff to build my setup.

• Sounds great, I think you'll be happy with the 6700K
  
  
• This sounds like a good idea. Both the headphones and mic you listed are great. Just to give you another option for headphones, Sennheiser HD 598 would be a great option too.
  
  
• I think you'll like the G502, but its hard to be certain. Razer can be good, but I've heard that they have poor QA and often break down after a short time. The Steel Series Rival 300 is my current favorite mouse, but it might be a little small for your liking.
  
  
• You won't be able to add a second M.2 drive, but you can add a larger one. You can, however, add SATA drives. A 500GB or 1TB 850 Evo would be great depending on how much storage you need. As for video files, I'd definitely put those on a HDD (no need for those to be on a SSD).
  
  
• IKEA desk tops can be good for whatever you need, there's a lot of customization you can do. I recommend getting a dual arm VESA mount for the monitors, this will save a ton of space and it'll look great.
  
  
  As for the compatibility flag on PCPartpicker - this just means that you'll have one less active SATA port when you use a M.2 SSD. This isn't a problem, but you need to be mindful that one of the SATA ports (which is where you plug in HDDs, SATA SSDs, optical drives, etc.) will be disabled, so you can't use that one for a SATA drive.

I'm going to assume you're talking about electric guitar, and you want to record on to your computer.

We'll go with the simplest/cheapest way (Note, you won't want to run an electric guitar directly into a computer, it'll generally sound like crap)

First off, you'll need a microphone. The Shure SM57 is an industry standard for recording many things, from guitar cabs to snare drums, and more. It's only $100, too! There's a knockoff of that mic, for half the price, that's supposed to be just as good (some people even prefer the sound), the GLS-57. Both of these mics are "dynamic" mics, and either of these mics will work.

You'll need to get a mic stand to place the mic in the proper position on the amp, which is a separate lesson in and of itself.

Next, you need a way to get the mic signal into your computer. The quickest, cheapest, but least featured way to do so would be something like the Blue Icicle. You would plug it into your computer, plug an XLR cable into it, and plug the mic into that cable.

For software, the most basic, and free software is Audacity. It really is pretty basic, but you can plug your stuff in, hit record, and it'll record. If you want something more powerful, check out Reaper. It's really good, and pretty cheap (and has a more or less unlimited trial period if you're that kind of person). It is somewhat complex though, and it'll take a decent amount of time to get comfortable with. If you have a Mac, Garage Band is just peachy.

inally, the last important part is hearing what you're recording. At the low-end, you're probably better off with headphones. I recommend either the Sennheiser HD280s or the less expensive Sony MDR-V6s (mostly identical to their professional MDR-7506s). If you want to get some actual monitors, check out the Behringer MS16s.

Unsurprisingly, you can spend a hell of a lot more money on any of these things. Feel free to ask any questions!

Bonus advice! If you want to record an acoustic guitar, instead of the SM57, you'd want to get a small diaphragm condenser (SDC) mic, like the MXL 603S.

As a long-time audio tinkerer who just got into video the past few years, seeing someone giving solid advice about audio makes me happy. I'd like to add two recommendations of my own:

There's no sale on it right now, but for $100, I'd personally put my money onto the Audio Technica AT2020. It has a very nice, neutral frequency response that doesn't get too extreme anywhere, and I can verify from personal experience with its big brother the AT2035(Basically the same mic, same diaphragm, same polar pattern, etc., etc., but with a few options that are useful for recording music, not as much for recording audio for video), that it's a great little mic for spoken voice. Even used it outside on a windy day with a lawnmower going in the background during an interview, and neither one gave it much trouble.

If you're willing to spend a little more money on your headphones, I can't recommend a set of Sennheiser HD280 Pros strongly enough. Very responsive and articulate for the price, very even, neutral EQ to let you figure out how to get the best sound from your audio track, great sound isolation to keep outside noise from bleeding in, comfy, breathing, don't squish your ears, durable and reliable as hell, I've used mine on professional recording sessions and mixes to great effect. They're a little more expensive than a lot of people will probably want to spend, but they're well worth a hundred bucks.

Also, please please please learn how EQs and compressors work. They can look intimidating when you're unfamiliar with them, but they're really simple tools at their core, and those two alone give you amazing control to manipulate your audio tracks, as well as clean up and save a less-than-stellar recording. If you can, also learn about how to use reverb, matching your voiceovers and audio tracks to the room they're supposed to be in can give them a really nice touch.

> isn't much more latency than what you get over a cable

If my ears can't notice a latency, its good enough right ?

> Do you answer phone calls on the toilet too?

Yeah I speak to my friend while I'm in the bathroom, I make sure to mute the mic when I flush :)

> I doubt your headset works when you're microwaving your hot pockets.

I don't eat hot pockets but just went downstairs to check, and yes pc is on the 3rd floor, and microwave is on, headphones still playing music no issues. Went down to basement and they still worked, very impressed.

> you must look very professional in your gamer headset while receiving pizza

These headphones look great, whenever anyone comes over they always ask "what are those , they look cool "

> at this point you're not gaming, you're doing something else and talking

Your right, sometimes I get a work related email and have to head downstairs to send a email reply or finish a report, it's nice that I can still talk to my party of friends while I do this .

> so realistically only inside your room

Just tested the range and was amazed, got all the way to the basement and it still worked. Went outside and it lost connection.

These headphones meet my needs and sounds great. I own a pair of Sony MDR-V6/7506 from my college days for when I want to listen to some music but use my g930 more because of the freedom.

For some of us out there we prefer wireless over wired :)

Trying again, since yesterday no one could help me :)

I kind of feel like spending some money on me which I didn't do in a a while and I feel I listen to so much music, it'd be worth to upgrade here :) (also feel like I have the most potential here).

My current setup is the following, and basically I'm looking for the best upgrade for my buck:

• On-board sound on my pc
  
• EDIFIER C2X 2.1
  
• Sometimes I plug in the headphones, especially during the later time of the day: Creative Aurvana Live
  
  Budget - Optimally I'd like to spend around 100 EUR, my hard limit would be 150 EUR. No idea if there's an upgrade within that budget that's worth it.
  
  Source - My setup is described above. The question is, would I profit more from a DAC/AMP, new headphones? Or nothing for that money?
  
  Requirements for Isolation - as described above, primarily at home, sometimes someone watches YouTube on a phone/tablet, but generally isolation is a secondary factor
  
  Preferred Type of Headphone - Well, since I'm looking for something for the PC, I'd like some full-size.
  
  Preferred tonal balance - Balanced, since I listen to all kinds of stuff on my PC (see further down)
  
  Past headphones - Currently on the PC I use the 2.1 linked above and if I use headphones it's the Aurvana Live. I like about them price and that I feel that I get a good value for what I've paid. The headphones are also light so it's not tiring to wear them.
  
  Preferred Music - I listen to all kinds of music, primarily electronic music, but not necessarily bass heavy. Throw in some classic music, some OSTs and some Hiphop here and there, and you know what I listen to. Other than that I play video games, but nothing with a special requirement. I also watch series/movies on the PC with DTS. I'd say that means it should be rather all round than bass-heavy or something.
  
  What would you like to improve on from your set-up - This is the question. Basically I want to improve my setup without spending like 500 EUR, if there's anything I can do. There's the FiiO E10k that my search lead me to a couple of times that's like 83 EUR, so within my budget. My question is, would I even notice a difference with my cheap Aurvanas? Could I put the DAC/AMP before the 2.1 and would hear a difference? If yes, is it okay to put the headphones in the 2.1 amp and it would still make a difference? Although the FiiO 10k has an output for the speakers and one for the headphones. As you can see, I'm lost and maybe it's not even worth to upgrade anything. Somehow I think I should invest more than 50 EUR in headphones and 90 EUR in a 2.1, if I listen to so much stuff all day.
  
  Location - Germany, preferred place to buy obviously amazon.de or you can check price comparisons on geizhals.eu
  
  Thanks a lot for your help and enlightenment :)

i'm rocking a set of senn 598SEs (now the 598SR or C[closed back, lower imp], but both are slightly cheaper feeling build quality, but still decent enough) paired to a presonus firepod (mostly because i prefer fulltime streaming vs packet protocols for audio, but to each their own) and my mic is an MXL 990 on an articulating boom arm. speakers are presonus eris e5's with an onkyo powered subwoofer run though a 2 channel 15 band eq.

i will admit i go a bit overboard with these things. :)

as side notes; presonus has many audiobox variants that tend to be a bit cheaper, and there's a lot of general things you can plug in a machine via usb or pci-e that will give you equal quality if all you care about is basic in/out but clear.

as for mics the MXL line has a bunch of other options including the 770 which is just as nifty, at 50-60 usd. its not quite as awesome for vocal recording if you're into proper production, but it'll suffice for anyone doing streaming/youtube/general gaming stuff where relative clarity is desired. there's usb variants as well, for those who wish to keep things as simple as possible.

speakers; i have no complaints with my eris e5s, but i will be the first to admit they aren't fully flat like a set of monitors should be. they suffice for my needs though. and at $200/set they were awesome with a nice full sound that really only lacked that really low end punch. if not getting a 'proper' interface for it, you'll need to get the right cables to hook up to a regular pc style sound card (either 3.5mm to rca cable or some of the higher end audio cards have rca outs, so the eris speakers will hook up with straight rca cables in those cases. i have no idea what ROKRs have for connections, its been a while.)

the sub is literally just some 10" powered sub from a thrift store run i had kicking around and is usually hooked to my av setup. if it sounds alright and has the relevant hookups (my eq has a set of unbalanced RCA outs, for instance, gotten specifically for the subwoofer hookup) then you're gold and can sort of cheap out. it doesn't go as low as i want, but i'll be building my own solely for the subsonic potential later on. if you're in an apartment, perhaps skip the sub if you wish to be nice to your neighbors :)

don't cheap out on cables, but don't drop the bank. avoid monster. any decent music shop will be able to point you to a decent ratio of good/cost. if you can afford it and know how to solder, make your own with mogami or similar quality (quality, not cost!) bulk cable and some neutrik ends. you don't have to get mogami, there are some good lower end brands, and i imagine the folks over at gearslutz forum could point you in the right direction for any and all cable needs, as well as anything else. there's probably reviews and testings of most of the gear you could want to know about as well.

cheers!

First let me say I use everything from the cheapo mono bud that came with my PS4 to a 5.1 headset to professional stereo headphones to custom IEMs for a myriad of different applications, and each do well in their respective applications. What's your budget? Unless you have $650 + tax + whatever it cost to go to an audiologist to have your ears 3D mapped (maybe your insurance would pay... I doubt it.) don't get IEMs. Anything less than custom fitted ones is a waste of money. That being said, I don't think I would use them for that. Good IEMs are meant to reproduce sound as it was intended in mastering (flat response), or as true to the original source; for example, a singer uses them in a loud venue to hear their voice. You can use them of course, but I don't think you would be getting your money's worth. Most people don't know it, but they probably prefer a little sound shaping in their headphones. Next, the thing to consider is what type of environment you are in. If youre not isolated from the rest of your environment, don't get open back headphones. They sound great in many ways, and the sound stage is more open, but you really need a quiet environment. It is also hard to get a good pair for cheap. Lastly, the good news is their are many great options for closed ear headphones. IMO spending a lot of money doesn't always mean quality headphones (Beats are fucking terrible for example), a pair of $60 headphones don't necessarily sound better than $30 pair, or $300 better than $150. Marketing goes a lot into how people think their headphones sound. Definitely go with a reputable sound company; i.e. Sony, AkG, Sennheiser, Shure. There are great high end hi-fi consumer companies, but I won't go into that here (if you want to spend insane money look more into it). For a stereo headset I would go with http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E They sound great. They are inexpensive. Every professional engineer, musician, and their mothers have used these, and still do. There is a reason they are still being made after 25 years. They cost $80. I use these all the time for mixing live sound. Hope this helps, sorry if I rambled, I just love talking audio. Cheers.

Hey guys! As a first-time buyer, I'd greatly appreciate any advice.

Budget + Source - $200 or so, more or less | iPhone 6s, PS4, Macbook Pro.

Requirements for Isolation - Not really any.

Preferred Type of Headphone - Comfort is king!

Past headphones - On-Ear Sol Republic Tracks HD are the only pair of recognizable headphones I've owned. I have no issues with the top part of the band, but my ears start hurting after about an hour or less, which makes them basically only good for the gym at this point.

Preferred Music + Tonal Balance - Pop, hip-hop, rock, and classical music are my favorites. I love bass, but love listening to classical as well.

What would you like to improve on from your set-up? - Anything that sounds better than my Sol Republics and is miles ahead in terms of comfort. Beyond using them for music, it would be great if they could be used when gaming on a PS4.

I've been considering the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xWH, the Sennheiser HD 598, the AKG Pro Audio K612PRO, the AKG Q 701 Quincy Jones Signature, the V-MODA Crossfade M-100, the Beyerdynamic DT line, and finally the Beyerdynamic 709093 Custom One Pro Plus which I was almost dead-set on buying, but figured I'd post here first. Thank you for taking the time to read this, any help (or suggestions) would be greatly appreciated!

I wouldn't recommend any traditional gaming headsets, you would do better to get a good pair of headphones and a separate mic. Gaming headsets have good mics, but the speakers are almost always lacking compared to similarly priced headphones.

I've used many headsets from Logitech, Steelseries, Razer, Turtle Beach, and a few other companies, and anything from Sennheiser, Audio Technica, Beyerdynamic, Denon, AKG, or the multitude of quality audiophile manufacturers, will give you far better audio.


Sennheiser makes the only really good headsets in my opinion, the PC350 and PC360, but they are expensive at around $200, and don't sound as good as the HD598's for about the same price.

Steelseries makes okay headsets, but are over priced for the audio quality. The 5Hv2 and 7H are incredibly comfortable, and the Siberia v2 are quite comfy as well (not if you have a large head though, I have 7 7/8 hat size and was fatigued in an hour). Also their build quality is very good. They produce very accurate locational noise, but be warned as Steelseries headsets have no bass at all at the cost of having very clear footstep identification.

I wouldn't even consider Razer products as their build quality is sub-optimal.

Check out: reddit.com/r/audiophile and reddit.com/r/headphones for all the info you want on good headphones.

Also www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide is a good place to start.

For gaming I use Audio Technica ATH-AD700 and Zalman Zm-Mic1. The AD700's don't have a large bass presence, so bass thumps don't interfere with footsteps and important locational noise (which they produce very accurately). These are by far the most comfortable headphones I have ever had on. The ModMic is also a very good mic option for any headphone.


Do a little research on the audio sub-reddits and you will find the perfect solution for your needs.

Performance wise, it looks pretty good! As others have said in this thread, the only thing that you can improve would be your cooling paste and removing your kind of pointless wired network adapter.

Now, for a bit of personal input on your pheripherals ;

Please, for the love of god don't buy the Devestator bundle. CM storm has really good products but the devestator isn't one of them. You'd better buy a CM storm Quickfire (I have the Ultimate one myself) and a mouse of your choice (G502 seems like a good option)

You may also want to have a mousepad but you probably have on of those. If not, just buy a Qck from Steelseries, they're very cheap & popular.

I also don't really recommend buying a headest ; all these popular 'gaming' brands are really pushing them recently but your best option is to pick some headphones and then attach a microphone on it yourself (HD668B and a ModMic/BoomMic)

However, there is one headset I know that's probably your best bet if you don't want to do all that, the HyperX Cloud II.

I realise these alternatives may be pretty costly to you, but either way I hope I helped!

Hey, r/headphones! I'm looking for a quality pair of headphones I can wear at home. I think I've narrowed it down to the Sennheiser 185s or the [Sennheiser 598s](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0126HISOO/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_ETiExb1F3K62Z]. I can't seem to find any reviews for the 185s, let alone comparison reviews. I like the idea of wireless headphones with a dock that plugs into my entertainment system, so I don't want to write these off just yet. What do you guys think? Is there maybe a better option for me that I'm missing?

Budget - I'd prefer to stay around $200, but I'm flexible. I have a $100 credit on Amazon, so they definitely need to be sold on there.

Source - I have two different sound systems I alternate between. In my living room, I have a ps3 set up that I put YouTube playlists on. In my bedroom, I have a smart DVD player and my laptop that both plug into my soundbar. Both rooms have optical and mini jacks.

Requirements for Isolation - Mild. I have less-than-great hearing, so I like the clarity headphones offer, and my boyfriend likes to play his own music/Skyrim on his side of the apartment. Bleeding is fine, but we can't keep competing with our sound systems.

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? - Nope.

Preferred Type of Headphone - Circumaural, no exceptions. I wear glasses so I already get headaches and supraaural headphones make it worse. My ear canals are small and I have piercings that make IEMs a nightmare.

Preferred tonal balance - Crisp, natural sound with a wide soundstage. I don't need a lot of bass enhancement.

Past headphones - Nothing of quality, I tell you hwat.

Preferred Music - Chillstep, zen, trance, acoustic, meditation music, binaural beats, etc. Pretty low-intensity stuff.

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - I want clear, detailed sound without ear fatigue. I have some different IEMs and I can't wear any of them for more than about 45 minutes.

I mostly sit in a variety of places to do homework, study or read, but I do like to cook a lot and would love something I could walk around in. The flexibility that comes with the Bluetooth headphones is really attractive to me, but unless I hear from someone who has them I just don't think I can commit.

• Budget: Around 60 CAD (flexible, but no more than 100).
  
• Source: The 3.5mm jack on my computer.
  
• Requirements for Isolation: Good passive sound isolation is important. I like to have my window open in my room and I live on a somewhat busy street; I don't like the idea of increasing the volume just to hear what someone in a video is saying. In my experience, active sound isolation is too big of a compromise on sound quality, especially at this price point (but feel free to prove me wrong).
  
• Will you be using these Headphones in Public?: No, desktop use only.
  
• Preferred Type of Headphone: Full-sized, circumaural (over-ear) for passive sound isolation.
  
• Preferred tonal balance: I actually don't really mind, but for my usage, a V shape would work well.
  
• Past headphones: I've had a pair of Shure SE-M390s for like eight years. I remember getting them for 45 bucks. The earcup on one side broke, so I fixed it by drilling a long screw into the plastic... and then the other earcup broke, so it was the end of these phones. Good times. They got uncomfortable after a while but otherwise they did their job perfectly. Since then I've been using these bad boys which my employer gave away at the end of an internship (they would've thrown them away for sanitary reasons). Sound "quality" is garbage and their on-ear design means they don't block out outside sounds at all. I'd like to keep them just for video calls (e.g. Skype) and replace them with something a little less crappy.
  
• Preferred Music: I know I really can't get picky with my budget, and honestly, I'll mostly be watching YouTube videos, so... I feel it would be kind of pointless to point to one song in particular. When I have more income, I'll get a $200-300 pair to actually enjoy uncompressed music with; only then will I worry about sound signatures and the like.
  
• What would you like to improve on from your set-up: See "Past headphones". I need a relatively cheap pair with good passive sound isolation, good comfort and great value overall in areas other than outright sound quality.
  
  I might end up getting something like these. Any thoughts on them, or something better to recommend?
  
  EDIT: I just noticed the section for budget headphones! These look like they would fit the bill... Would they suit my needs?
  EDIT 2: ...or these. Ugh, too many choices! Any recommendations?

All shipping accounted for, and it comes out to be $981. I'd probably buy extra guitar strings with the leftover cash.


$125 Onxy Blackjack interface - Best preamps in an interface in its class. Simple coreaudio drivers.

$30 GLS ES-57 - Compares incredibly closely to the sm57, I've heard several mic shootouts online and was impressed.

$6 xlr cable

$229 Rode NT1A kit mic, filter, mount, cable - This is just a steal considering everything it comes with. I once heard a shootout between this and a u87 in a multi-million dollar studio, and I could definitely tell the difference, but I would not hesitate to buy this mic.

$38 two mic stands

$0 garageband - Incredibly powerful for what it is. Great plugins, takes au plugins, automation, limitless tracks, great instruments. I don't use it anymore, but when I knew every keyboard command and every feature, it was actually a dream to work with. Keep in mind that is it better than nearly any reording setup from 20+ years ago.

$98 sennheiser hd-280 pro - While these might not be the best to mix on, they are the best to track on no doubt. That said, I have been listening to music through these almost exclusively for years now, so I know them incredibly well.

$130 m-audio oxygen 49 - Never owned this keyboard, I have a dinosaur of a 90's yamaha workstation I got off craigslist, but those midi controls look so tempting, and I'm not that good at keyboard anyway.

$120 squier strat - I play a squier now that I got for free from a friend, and I am sure that I haven't pushed it as far as it can go. With a little setup, tlc, and eventually new electronics, they are great tools.

$200 project reflexion filter - I plan on getting the pro version which is $100 more, but in this scenario I would settle for the project version. This and using headphones to mix are my way of sidestepping acoustics and room treatment. Not ideal, but pretty effective.

$5 Guitar cable

>Hello people of the PC master race

I'm not much of a representative, but hello to you as well.

>Firstly I'm looking for some headphones that connect to the computer via USB port

Please no. That will limit your quality to whatever DAC the manufacturer wants to put in, which is usually sub-par.

What I'd recommend is getting yourself a DAC on a budget, like this, or just simply plug a pair of cans into your built-in mobo DAC.

>separate volume sliders for chat and the game itself.

What? Like using a slider for one application and one for another?

>Secondly I just want the headphones to come with a good quality mic, and or course, pretty good quality audio.

You will get the better bang for your buck with a pair of headphones, and a stand-alone microphone.

>My budget ATM is $60

Might have to eat Ramen for another few weeks, then.


If you would like decent gaming gear, you might have to expand your budget a little bit.

A decent (^^as ^^in, ^^over-the-par ^^quality, ^^not ^^audiophiliac ) pair of headphones start at around $150, (like the HD598s on sale, which are a steal great for the price right now.)

If you would like a good mic with that, you might want to look at the ModMic.

Although the price right now is a tad bit high, it will really benefit you in the long run.




If I have misinformed information, or had missed something, please let me know.

edit: tfw I've typed up something large and someone else had posted something earlier. Maybe I'll recycle this later?

A own a few:

Sennheiser HD518 Amazon.com Link

Amazing headphones for games. Not costly at all but have fantastic range and are incredibly comfortable to wear. I have yet to see any headphones near the HD518's that are equally as good. I have worn these for hours on end day after day.

Sennheiser PC330 Amazon.com Lniky-poo

Tried to get into the whole "Headset" deal. Was not impressed, the earcups on the 330's are aweful compared to the HD series. I really should have gotten the next level up for the better earcups. The microphone is decent quality and comes through clear without any interference. So that's a plus.

AKG K40's McLINKATHON! - (amazon link)

Probably my oldest pair of headphones. Got these guys when they were hip. They are a fantastic set and are excellent to listen to all day, Although the earcups are kinda "flat" compared to the others. So I can feel the earcups against me. It creates a better listening environment but after long sessions you may get irratation on the sides of your ears


After Boxing day I will probably be hunting for another sale. The Sennhieser Game Ones use the same HD series earcup, The new corsairs Voids are out which I would love to try. Of course Audio-technica's are always really pretty.

Just a heads up, my suggestion is going to be double the upper end of your budget. I'll give you my reasoning for it though, but TL;DR: I own them and love them.

These are made by Shure. I absolutely love them. I have had them for a few years now (3 going on 4). The sound quality is a huge step up from the earbuds that come with an iPod, and when paired with triple flange sleeves they block out an incredible amount of sound. They are also great for running and working out because they literally will not fall out of your ear.

Why would I would suggest paying 100 dollars for these? They last. If they break, Shure is a great company with really great customer service. I've returned older models to them on a few occasions, and each time they have sent me brand new earphones, not refurbished, but brand new, in retail packaging earphones. If they are out of warranty and Shure won't replace them, the cable is detachable and can be swapped out for pretty cheap (20 dollars or so). So lets say you buy a new pair of earphones every six months, which isn't too unreasonable. That's 40 dollars a year- in two and a half, you're breaking even with a pair of Shures. Getting 2.5 years out of them isn't unreasonable either. Add in how much better the sound quality is and I really think it's a good deal. Like I've said, I've had mine for going on four now and haven't had any problems with them yet.

Awesome; then /r/JohannesVerne 's suggestions would be great...and you could upgrade to the umc22 (less self-noise, I'm told).

Also, you'll need better headphones. Your Logitech are probably fine for gaming and pleasure listening, but not mixing VO work. I'm learning that most gaming headphones really boost the bass, and you need headphones with a super flat response for mixing your VO work. Look up a video where they compare a raw VO track with a processed one and listen with your Logitech cans...you probably won't hear much of a difference. Then buy a pair of Sony MDR7506's and listen again. Wow...what a difference! You won't use the Sony's for "pleasure" listening, so keep your Logitech set for that.

A better mic could possibly give you *worse* sound quality, because it'll pick up *everything*. So you'll also need to tighten up your performance and your room if you want a better mic to help you sound better. "With more mic comes more responsibility", or something like that! :-)

All that said, I think it's awesome that you have a budget and a passion, and I say "go for it"!

One hell of a response!!

Your setup sounds scrappy but awesome! Reaper is super cool. You should check out Splice for a great database of cheap/free/indie/not-Waves plugins. Rough Rider has become one of my favorites. If you ever want a second perspective on mixing I'd love to try my hand on some of your tracks.

Also, if you find yourself in the market for new headphones, these were recommended to me by a producer/mixer that I've always looked up to. I couldn't believe it, because they've never been part of the recording conversations I've had/read online, but they're inexpensive and work amazingly well (provided you don't need the over-ear bit).

Anyways, great job on the album. I'm excited to dig back into it again tomorrow.

An overview of all submitted deals will be collected in this sticky comment. If you find that one of the deal has run out please let me know. Off-topic top level comments asking what to buy will be removed, deals that are missing some of the info will not make it to the list. I have changed the the suggested sorting to "new".

Official Manufacturer Sales

CIEMS

• 64Audio: 20% discount on selected custom In Ear Monitor models with code "BF2017"
  
• Alclair: 20% discount on (C)IEMs with the discount code "BLACKISBACK17"
  
• Cleartune: 20% discount on universal & custom In-Ears
  
• Empire Ears: 20% discount on all custom and universal IEMs
  
• InEarz: 25% discount on Custom In Ear Monitors with code "BF2017"
  
• Noble: 15% off all Custom IEMs
  
  Headphones
  
  
• hifiman: He400i for $219 and several other options
  
• beyerdynamic (GER/AU/CHE only): DT880/990 Manufaktur for the price of regular models 199EUR and several other options
  
• Status-Audio: 30% discount on the CB-1 with code "PREBLACKFRIDAY", Amazon.com deal with similar price
  
• V-Moda: Crossfade Wireless for $180
  
• Monoprice: Monolith M560 for $150 and Monolith M1060 for $250
  
• Audeze: Selling off B-Stock, all deals are 2nd hand factory refurbished units
  
• 1MORE: 30% discount on all models with code "HEARMORE30"
  
  Amplifiers and other peripherals
  
  
• FiiO: Special deals on selected DAPs and portable Amps
  
• Violectric / Lake People: 12% discount now 25% on headphone amplifiers with code "BLACK-25"
  
• Plussound: 20% discount BT cables on Massdrop and on everything from their store
  
• Bottlehead: Everything but parts, gift certificates and repair service will be on sale at 15% off on Friday, November 24th. Forum Announcment
  
• JDS LABS: Discounts on the entire line up of DACs and amps.
  
• WOO Audio: 10% Discount on all Audio Electronics and free shipping within CONUS
  
• Mayflower Electronics: 10-25% discount on all items
  
  

  Audio Stores
  

  
  

• Romania: AV Store 10-30% off of headphones, speakers and amps
  
• USA: Musictek 10%+ discount on various Shanling DAPs and high-end universal IEMs
  
• China:Shenzen Audio Black Friday 2017 tons of deals...FLC-8S for $269 and much more
  
• China: Taobao: Boeing 747 for $24000000 (only one left) self pick-up only.
  
• USA ALO audio: B-Stock sales of Campfire Audio universal models
  
• USA MusicDirect: Audioquest Nighthawk for $300
  
• Singapore: NullAudio has discount on cables and AAW universal IEMs.
  
• Canada: Hivemind Cables ZMF Atticus for $899(USD) and deals on all ear-pads and cables
  
• Ireland: Hifi Hut: Open Box Hifiman HE400S / He400i and He560 -50%
  
• Sweden: Inet has the Plantronics Backbeat Pro for 899kr
  
• China: Penon Audio tons of deals
  
  

  Online / Retailer
  

  
  USA
  
  

• Amazon: Brainwavz HM5 ear pads in various colors for $13
  
• BestBuy: Jaybird Freedom F5 for $50
  
• Various: Sennheiser HD4.40 for $99 at Amazon and for $99 at BestBuy
  
• NewEgg: beyerdynamic DT990 Limited Edition for $125
  
• BestBuy: Audio Technica DSR7BT for $130
  
• Amazon: Audio Technica ATH MSR7 for $149
  
• ebay (buydig): beyerdynamic DT990 (600 Ohm) Chrome Edition for $140
  
• buydig: beyerdynamic DT880 (600 Ohm) Chrome Edition for $150
  
• Amazon: Sennheiser HD1 (different versions) for ~$250
  
• Various: Sennheiser PXC550 for $300 at BestBuy, B&H Photo, Amazon
  
• Amazon: Sony MDR1000X for $228 and WH1000XM2 for $298
  
• Adorama: Shure SE535 Clear for $299 and Shure SE535 Red for $349
  
• Amazon: beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro for $499
  
• Adorama: Audeze LCD2 variants for $650
  
• Amazon: NAD Viso HP50 for $170
  
• Amazon: Beyerdynamic A20 for $299
  
• Amazon: Sony MDR-1A for $198
  
  CA
  
  
• NewEgg: Philips SHP9500S for $60
  
• BestBuy: Sennheiser HD4.40 for $100 see page 41 for all headphone deals
  
• Amazon: Sony MDR100AAP (black) for $126
  
• Amazon: NAD Viso HP50 (white/red) for $198
  
• NewEgg: Hifiman He400i for $282
  
• Amazon: Sony MDR1000X for $330
  
  GB
  
  
• Amazon Status Audio CB-1 for £42
  
• Amazon: Meze99 Classics (Maple) for £199
  
• Amazon: Sony MDR1000X for £250 now down to £190
  
• Amazon: Sennheiser PXC550 for £290
  
• Amazon: Audio Technica ATH M50X (gunmetal grey) for £99
  
• Amazon: Sennheiser HD579 for £70
  
  GER
  
  
• Amazon: Bose QC25 for 170€
  
• Amazon: Anker Sound-Buds (BL) for 15€
  
• Amazon: Audio Technica ATH M50X (gun metal) for 119€
  
• Amazon: Sony WH1000xm2 PREORDER for 299€ item will ship on Jan. 18th, 2018
  
• MediaMarkt: Sony WH1000XM2 for 299€
  
  ES
  
  
• Amazon: Sennheiser HD1 (Momentum 2) for 155€
  

Look for the original ATH-M50 for around $80 USD refurbished, or a new M40x. The newer models are awesome but rise above your budget by a bit, with not too huge of a performance difference. The Sennheiser HD419's are a great deal right now, and are nice, sexy, and comfy, albeit with a fragile headband. 439's and 449's are also good budget options, especially on sale like they are now. Sony's MDR-7506 is a phenomenal industry-standard pair but might be a little more clinical than she'd like, as they have a mid-range boost for monitoring pro audio. MDR-V6 is a tad warmer and more musical, but just as detailed. Also good to note that the sony's are pretty much indestructible, and fold and bend nicely while the sennheisers can't bend much at all.

The ones I listed are grade A.

Edit. Sennheiser may make some subjectively cheap quality shit, but it is going to be better than anything produced as a fashion piece, no debate or argument will change that.

That said, yes sound quality is subjective to the listener. Sennheiser has very many sound signatures depending on what you are looking for. Getting a pair of headphones that are designed for mastering audio will always be your best choice for the most versatile headphones for all types of audio.

How they feel when you wear them will always be the biggest issue with these types of headphones. Do you like leather, velour, leather substitutes or fabrics. Do you like a metal head band or plastic. Are the headphones secure or too tight? Those are the questions you need to go in to a store to find out.

Audio quality though.... If you are moving from a fashion brand or a regular mainstream brand like samsung, phillips, koss, or entry level "street wear" sony headphones then audio quality isn't a concern for you and anything I listed will blow the shit out of what ever it is you had been using previously. If you happen to be an audiophile then you are going to need to sit down and make sure that the sound signature is what you are expecting.

To be clear... Sony studio headphones are all fucking amazing and until the new models that recently came out, their studio headphones had remained largely untouched for something around 25 years. Those can be found on amazon for $99 Check em out if you are new to the audio community. These are honestly top notch and best in class at that price point.

Headsets almost always sound like absolute crap and you're better off just buying a good pair of stereo headphones and adding a mic to it, but, if you really want a headset the only two options you should consider as of now are:

The Hyper X Cloud I and II - These weren't made by Kingston. They are rebranded Takstar Pro 80s which are one of the best budget closed headphones you can buy. They are really good.

The Sennheiser's - They are based on non-gaming Sennheiser's and generally sound pretty decent.

All in all if you really want the best sounding experience, a good and cheap solution would be some type of open back headphones (better soundstage, makes it easier to pin point the enemy's location in game).

Superlux makes some criminally inexpensive sets of open cans, but the pads suck, so if you buy one of these make sure you buy good pads, like the Brainwavz HM5 pads from Amazon.

The one I use is the Philips SHP9500, it's a 300$ sounding headphone for 60-100$ depending on where you live.

Just wanted to give you my opinion since I happen to like headphones very much.

• Budget - ~$150 USD
  
  
• Source - Desktop, Laptop, Phone, MP3 Player - Also, I'll be using a V-Moda BoomPro Mic on the computers, so the headphones need to be compatible. (It seems like any 3.5mm detachable cable will do.)
  
  
• Requirements for Isolation- Open.
  
  
• Will you be using these Headphones in Public? No.
  
  
• Preferred Type of Headphone Around-Ear.
  
  
• Preferred tonal balance - Warm bass to neutral. The treble spikes on the DT 990's scared me away though I've never actually tried them out in person.
  
  
• Past headphones - V-Moda Crossfade LP (had these for 5 years; still using them to this day, but I want to get some open cans to go along with them), AKG K240 (I ordered these on a whim, and had to return them because they weren't compatible with my mic. Nice sound signature though), Turtle Beach Earforce X12 headset (These sound and feel fine. The mic works well, but the build quality was terrible. The plastic extenders snapped on both sides within a year of use).
  
  
• Preferred Music - Hip Hop, Rock, Indie, Instrumental, Classical
  
  
• What would you like to improve on from your set-up -
  
  

1. Open headphones (since I already own a good pair of closed)
   
   
2. Felt/velvet/velour earpads for extended use
   
   
3. Compatible with a V-Moda BoomPro Mic
   
   
4. I really liked the AKG K240's style and feel when I was wearing them. They felt very lite weight, like they were almost floating over my head. And using only one cup at a time felt very natural and secure. The individual arms felt very flexible. I liked that a lot, but this isn't a make or break requirement as I've been using Crossfade LPs for years and still love them.
   
   From my own (limited) research, I've got my eye on Sennheiser's HD 598 and HD 558, but I would have to buy an aftermarket 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter. I don't mind the price of an adapter, but I don't want it to be cumbersome. And are the HD598's better by $40? They seem to nearly be the same exact headphone.

• Budget - $100 max, but looking for great bang-for-the-buck mostly
  
• Source - Galaxy S3, desktop, laptop. Mostly 320 kbps mp3's
  
• Isolation - would prefer a pretty good amount, I'd like to use these for travel and walking about, as well as at home
  
• Preferred Type - closed
  
• Tonal Balance - balanced with a bias toward bass, especially sub-bass
  
• Past Headphones - nothing special, JVC marshmallow in-ear for music, Turtlebeach X-12 for gaming. Whatever I end up getting will be the best headphones I've owned so far
  
• Preferred Music - electronic, mostly dubstep (deep UK type, tons of consistent low frequency sub-bass, ex: Breakage - Rain) and hip-hop, some house and trance, but also metal, rock, indie, anything really
  
  The three cans I've been looking at, but I'm open to more recommendations:
  
  
• The Monoprice 8323 seem to be a great value, and I love the idea of a detachable/replaceable chord for travel, but I've heard these cans are insanely uncomfortable. I know I can replace the pads with velour pads, but I'm not looking to spend half the price of the cans or more on new pads, and I've heard you lose some bass from these when you do that.
  
  
• The ATH-M30 look like a great value, but I've heard they're a bit dull and may be lacking in bass.
  
  
• The Sony MDRV6 look like the most promising, but the massive chord length seems bad for traveling. Any home solutions to keep most of it wrapped up? Also, how is the bass on these?
  
  Basically looking for affordable, balanced but with good bass, isolated, comfortable for hour+ listening, and decent for travel.

*Please read before giving advice

I am currently trying to decide between Sennheiser PXC 250 sound-cancelling headphones, and Sennheiser 280 Pros. The both are on sale for $79.99 (250: http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-1-sennheiser-pxc-250-ii-collapsible-noise-canceling-headphones / 280: http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB) and I am curious as to whether or not the difference in $100 of standard price is considerable enough to get the 250s. I initially was looking for quality over sound-cancelling capabilities so I'm not sure if there is a sacrifice in quality between the two? Preferably I would like to get one of these two models but if you can suggest a pair of better quality for the price it would be seriously welcomed!

Budget -I am looking to spend $80

Source - Computer and Ipod

Requirements for Isolation -I will mostly be using these headphones in my dorm or in public so moderate isolation is nice

Preferred Type of Headphone - On-ear or full size preferably

Preferred tonal balance - Overall balance would be nice but a slight emphasis on bass would be welcomed (this may also be in part due to the fact that all previous headphones have been really weak with bass so any bass seems like a great amount)

Past headphones - I've used skullcandy IEMs (wires always got a short so I stopped buying them), on ears, which I am still using (sadly my best pair presently) and other cheap IEMs. I realize my past headphones have been...bad, to say the least so I'm looking to step it up a bit.

Preferred Music** - I listen to everything from groups like Disclosure (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93ASUImTedo), to Cake, to Justin Timberlake, to Macklemore, to Of Monsters and Men, and the like so a balanced pair will probably be best.

Thanks in advance!

Hey guys been lurking for a few weeks here now off and on, hopefully you can toss me some advice.

Budget - I'd say 150-200$~

Source - PC. Gaming, and music listening. (Many times both at the same time)

Requirements for Isolation - The idea in my mind is that I'm going to end up using these in my dorm/room during college. So sound isolation would be good so I dont disturb my roommates.

Preferred Type of Headphone - I honestly haven't experienced many quality headphones, but as long as they are comfortable for long gaming sessions + sound isolation then I'd be satisfied. That being said over-ear headphones seem to be pretty comfortable.

Past headphones - A couple cheap gaming headphones, and then 3years ago I purchased some Razer Megalodon's which are extremely comfortable. So I'm looking for a comfort level that can be on par with them (I think they use similar ear pads to the DT 770s)

Preferred Music -I listen to anything with a good baseline, but this mostly includes Electronic Music and Rap/Hip-Hop.

Preferred tonal balance Hard to say. Probably balanced for gaming +music, but I have been known to be a basshead

Amp? - Well to be completely honest the requirement of an external amp is still pretty foreign to me, but I'm willing to learn! Seeing as these headphones will generally be staying by my PC I wouldn't mind picking up a Schiit combo or something if its necessary.

One last requirement - I don't know the state of other headphones but one of the greater attributes of my current headphones is the virtual 7.1 surround sound. I've found them incredibly useful for gaming and hearing enemies behind me, so I would like the same or some similar feature in my next headphones.

Something from the Beyerdynamic line, one of these perhaps?

Thanks for your time.

Never had good headphones before, looking for a pair to use next year in med school for quality music while studying. Pretty set on Sennheisers just cuz I have friends who've recommended them. I like the style of the ivory 598s but wanted some general input before I bite the bullet. My friend specifically recommended the 598s but didn't give a reason as to why that particular sennheiser model

Budget: $500 USD MAX but preferably <$450

Source: MacBook and PC

Isolation: I'll be studying in coffee shops and quiet libraries both so some is preferred but it doesn't have to be like TOTAL ISOLATION

Use in public: Yes, so some with a travel case would be nice

Preferred Type of Headphones: I've mostly been looking at Sennheisers cuz they're the brand I know the most about. I like "woodsy" styles like the Sennheiser 598 ivory the most but styles like this are cool too (I'm all about aesthetics). I'll need to be able to attach a separate mic for when I game tho

ALSO I'm a small female with a small head so something that won't fall off every time I move my head would be nice. And I wear glasses 24/7 so headphones that won't make my head hurt after 4-5 hours of straight studying would be nice too

Preferred tonal balance: No preference

Past headphones: A $25 pair of Sades Spirit Wolfs bc I needed something ASAP and didn't want to drop $$$$ without a fair amount of research

Preferred Music: Electronic, indie/folk, rap/hip-hop

What would you like to improve on from your set-up: Something that's not cheap and doesn't suck and also looks pretty (again, I like the color/style of the Sennheiser 598 in ivory and also styles with wood)

Location: USA

• Budget: 250CAD/200USD (That being said I'm a teenager with his first job, if theres some god like headphones in the 200-300 range then lay them on me!)
  
  
• Source: PC/Phone (I'm not to worried about phone compatibility)
  
  
• Isolation: Isolation is always a nice feature but I play in a quiet room so it is not necessary.
  
  
• General Use: These will be typically used at home, but it would be good to be able to walk around with them.
  
  
• Type of Headphone: Over ear
  
  
• Balance: I'm a fan of bass but would very happily take a well balanced set of headphones
  
  
• Past Headphones: Nothing of note
  
  
• Music Taste: Crappy nightcore remixes / techno
  
  *Location: I'm buying in Canada
  
  I was one step away from pulling the trigger on some Logitech G933's before I discovered this subreddit. I already have a separate mic but would prefer to have a build in mic and the convenience of wireless appealed to me. After discovering this subreddit I looked through some posts on gaming headphones and two really caught my eye.
  
  
• Audio Technica ATH-AD700X
  
  -Noticed this after reading through Mad Lust Envy's guide to gaming headphones. The original ones reviewed are no longer on sale new and I've heard complaints about build quality and the 3M non detachable cable on the new ones. While it may be possible to modify the cable I'd rather not have to.
  
  
• Sennheiser PC 363D
  
  -I've been looking at these because they come with a very convenient mic as well as an attachable sound card for 7:1 Surround Sound. In terms of getting good positional audio Surround Sound is very appealing, although I may just be buying into the marketing.
  
  While audio quality for things like music and movies is important I am willing to sacrifice all round quality for good positional audio and a wide soundscape. These headphones will be used for fps games like CSGO and Arma 3 and I don't use my headphones for much else. These are pretty popular games so I'm sure that someone helpful on here could share their experiences. Everything I've seen of this community so far makes it out to be really good and I'm looking forwards to learning more. Thank you in advance!

idk what your price range is but ill name a list of headsets iive know are good.ive tried a couple and i personally own the astro a40 tr https://www.amazon.com/ASTRO-Gaming-A40-TR-PC-Headset/dp/B014LH5LH4/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1468999233&sr=1-2&keywords=astro+a40+tr

Razer man o war te edition Very comfortable and has a good bass response
http://gear.blizzard.com/overwatch-razer-manowar-headset

Logitech g633 amazing sound ive tried these i absoultely loved them but i was able to buy keep these at the time i had them
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Artemis-Spectrum-Surround-Headset/dp/B013P0K8OE/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1468999270&sr=1-1&keywords=logitech+g633

Hyper x cloud ii/revolvers basically an audiophile headset called takstar something idk remember the numbers with a mic
https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-PS4/dp/B00SAYCXWG/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1468999356&sr=1-2&keywords=hyper+x+cloud

https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Revolver-Headset-HX-HSCR-BK-NA/dp/B01CIEBU54/ref=sr_1_3?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1468999397&sr=1-3&keywords=hyper+x+cloud

If you want an audiophile grade open back headphones you can get the phillips shp9500 with a vmoda boom pro(replaces the 3.5mm cable from the phillips with a 3.5mm cable with a mic attached to it that actually works really good ive personally have used the vmoda boom pro, and these also dont have much bass since they are open back but will give you a good soundstage and a more flat overall sound which is great)
https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468999443&sr=8-1&keywords=phillips+shp9500

https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Gaming-Headset-Headphone/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RMHT9CZPCNN63DNKGWBC

Turtle beach elite pro pretty new but looks amazing
https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Beach-Tournament-ComforTec-TruSpeak-Technology/dp/B01EM9PLVC

Senheisser game one/zero one is a closed back and one is a open dont remember which one is which
https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-GAME-ZERO-Gaming-Headphone/dp/B00KNPYAEY/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1468999133&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=senheisseer+game+one

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GWU8FTK/ref=twister_B00OZP5HG8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Plantronics rig 500/500hd/500e(just little variations in between still the exact same headset one is just stereo,one is surround sound, and one issurround and comes with different sets of earcups closed and open. ive also personally used these they are fantastic but i wouldnt recommend if you have big ears normal to small ears fit inside the cups well)
http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/rig-500hc

http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/rig-500hd

http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/rig-500e

If anything is out of your price range i can probably recommend some other ones but these are the ones i can think of on the top of my head feel free to ask any questions

what is your budget? most "gaming headsets" are not very good. some would say they are crap really.

i recommend buying headphones from actual headphone companies like sennheiser, audio technica or beyer dynamic instead of companies that just started making headphones in the last few years. like astro, steel series, razer, etc. the real headphone brands of course cost a bit more, but in my opinion they are absolutely worth it if you can afford them.

i personally have the beyer dynamic mmx 300's and love them. super well made and sound amazing in game and for music/movies/whatever.

edit: from that forum somebody linked these that would probably be perfect http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-518-Headphones-Black/dp/B0042A68R8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407172333&sr=8-1&keywords=hd+518

price is good, they are supposed to be some of the most comfy headphones, and they're open design which are supposed to be better for gaming.

throw a $5 zalman clip on mic or an antlion mod mic and youre good to go under $100 and didnt buy plastic toy "gaming headphones".

DON'T buy "surround sound headphones". Invest in a good, quality pair of stereo headphones and buy a good soundcard that emulates a 5.1 environment with either Dolby Headphone or CMSS-3D (I prefer the latter).

I own and would highly recommend the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, but the DT 990 Pro can be had for less. The main difference is that the DT 770 is closed whereas the DT 990 is open. With a closed headphone, others will not hear sound coming out of them as easily, which is good if you like to play late at night with others in the house. an open headphone allows for a better "soundstage", which basically means that it will sound "better" (this is highly subjective). I haven't used open headphones before so I can't pass judgment, but I love my 770s. I'm still unsure as to why there's such a price difference between the two, though.

As far as sound cards go, you want something that will do "simulated surround sound". Dolby Headphone and CMSS-3D are examples of this technology. I prefer CMSS-3D over DH, having used both. For CMSS-3D, you have to buy a Creative sound card -- I recommend the Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium because it can be had for relatively cheap these days. They don't make it anymore, which is why you have to buy from eBay (they sell a refurbished one on Amazon, too).

If you buy the Titanium X-Fi, get the Pax Drivers. They are MUCH better than the stock drivers and make setup a breeze in comparison.

If you decide to go this route and need any help, shoot me a message, I'd be glad to help.

Hi! I currently have 2 pairs of Sennheiser headphones, namely Sennheiser 598 and the Sennheiser HD 360 Pro. They both have pros and cons, but as I'll be moving soon and would like to sell them both to buy a single superior pair, as I can't justify having two pairs for much longer.

My biggest gripe with the 598's is how much they leak noise. I know they're open headphones, but people could hear my skype conversations across the hall in another room at school when the doors were open... audio quality was fantastic though.

The 360s had okay audio quality, focused more on the low ends, and nice noise cancellation.

I think I'll be able to sell the headphones for a total of about $200-$300, maybe a bit more.

• Budget: $250-$400
  
• Source: iPhone/iPod or desktop PC.
  
• Requirements for isolation complete isolation is necessary.
  
• Will you be using these headphones in public? Yes. At the gym, at work, on the bus. Would be best to avoid noise leakage.
  
• Preferred size of headphone I definitely prefer full-sized headphones. On-ear is alright too, but not looking for IEMs at all.
  
• Preferred tonal balance A good, well balanced pair of headphones would be nice.
  
• Preferred type of music I listen to a variety, from hip hop to indie and alt rock, and sometimes a bit of classical.
  
• What would you like to improve from your setup? Like I mentioned above, the 598s leak like crazy, while having solid audio quality (a little light on the low ends though), while the 360s aren't as great in quality and focus more on bass. Something moderately balanced with improved sound isolation and no noise leakage would be perfect.
  
• Location I live in Canada, but I'm moving to the USA soon, so I can purchase from either location.