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Buying a Headset for my Computer

TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEONRegistered User regular
edited July 2007 in Help / Advice Forum
So up until now I've always used speakers with my computer. I'm moving in with a couple other people though, so as a courtesy to them and because I've always kind of wanted a headset I'm going to buy one. This is a brand new computer I'm building, too, so it's not like I'm dumping the speakers in the trash. They'll stick with the old computer which will stay with the rest of my family.

My headset requirements are rather simple.

1. It must have a microphone. I don't care if it's a crappy microphone. It's not like I have to listen to myself over VOIP.

2. I would like the headset to sound really good, or at least not like crap. Audio's almost as important as graphics, and there's no point in spending a lot of money on a 3d card and monitor just to get crappy sound. I'll be playing games, listening to music, and watching movies. The normal PC stuff. It'll be plugged in to an X-Fi if that means anything.

3. I don't have a ton of experience wearing headphones, but I think I like the kind that go on your ears (circumaural) more than the ones that totally encompass your ears (superaural or something). The second kind makes my ears all sweaty and claustrophobic.

I think I've narrowed it down to 3, mostly by the highly scientific process of deciding to buy a Sennheiser headset off of Newegg, which automatically narrows the field quite a bit. This is the comparison of the 3. It is not very helpful because every stat except the price is exactly the same.

One part of me wants to buy the PC150s. They have many many more reviews, which means more people are buying them, which must mean something good, right?

Another part of me (the less stingy part I guess) wants the most expensive ones (PC161) because, well, if they're more expensive, they're better, right? There has to be something different! Right?

A third part of me wants to take the wimpy route and just buy the ones in the middle, the 151s, but that's probably dumb.

Also, the PC150s are out of stock. I do not know when they are going to be in stock. I'm building the computer from scratch and the headset is the last piece of the puzzle. I don't want to go without sound for a while but if the 150s are my best bet, I'll wait.

So I need you guys to be decisive for me or something. At least some good advice. All the other headphone threads are either outdated or don't have much information. Do the 161s, or even the 151s, sound better than the 150s? Is there some reason other than price that everyone buys 150s? Is there some non-Sennheiser headset that will fit my needs better? Any help is appreciated. I am clearly unfit to make this decision.

TychoCelchuuu on

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    HewnHewn Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    I can't comment on the headsets you linked specifically, but I was in your situation, and ended up going a different route.

    Rather than buy a dedicated PC headset with mic, I purchased studio headphones and then picked up a stand-alone desktop mic. The result of this combo is that for about the same price as a decent headset combo I got much better quality headphones (that I also use with my ipod and other audio stuff) with a respectable mic.

    I'm really glad I went this way, as I don't use the mic nearly as much as I thought I would, but I use the headphones constantly. Just food for thought.

    Hewn on
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    altmannaltmann Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    After going through 3 pairs (yes, really) of plantronics integrated mic/headsets i decided to pony up:

    http://www.steelseries.com/int/products/audio/5hv2

    They've never given me a single issue. There is a headphone cord extender, they split into 3 parts and they sound great. The integrated mic can be pushed in to make them like normal headphones. I love em.

    altmann on
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    TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    I dunno... they're 100 bucks and they encompass the ear. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me; I'd rather something that doesn't try to smother my head to death from both sides, so to speak. Does anyone have hands on experience with the 161s or the 151s?

    TychoCelchuuu on
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    CycophantCycophant Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    Haha how very weird, I just went through this EXACT same decision process a few weeks ago. I had started using VOIP a lot more, plus I occasionally used my mic in games, so I decided to buy a decent headset for once.

    I have previous experience with regular Sennheiser headphones, so I wanted to see what their headset lineup was like. I ended up trying to decide between the same three you're looking at. I ended up going with the 161's, mostly because they were on sale at the time.

    But so far I'm quite happy with them. They're comfortable, the mic seems to work quite well, and the headphones themselves are up to the usual quality of Sennheiser. I can't remember what the features of the other models were, but I'm quite happy with my purchase either way. From your OP, I'd definitely think you'd be happy with them.

    Cycophant on
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