Best Headset that doesnt cost more than $100

[dachshundfan]

im looking for a headset with great audio quality, but doesnt cost more than $100. i currently have a Razer carcharias headset. i care most about the quality of the speakers and i prefer headsets that use standard speaker and mic jacks. i dont really like usb headsets. can anyone recommend me some?

[crazyman64335]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...CBEMB5YWWWXYPS

Thats the headset i'm using, great mic quality, and very very comfortable, i picked mine up for like $40 on black friday, very nice purchase

[joemtnbike]

IMO Corsair Vengeance 1500

[Vonje]

Originally Posted by joemtnbike

IMO Corsair Vengeance 1500

+1. Dolby headphone is reliable.

[Drann]

Get a set of stereo headphones and a clip on. Most headsets are trash, I'd not touch them with a ten foot pole. You should be able to grab some Audio Technica ATH-AD700's for under $100, which are great for gaming. You can get a clip on for a few dollars at best.

If you want dolby headphone grab a Xonar DG for 20 bucks a few months down the line. You'll get a far superior experience to anyone using a headset, especially someone using a USB headset.

Edit: http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-A...7872248&sr=1-1

You can likely find them cheaper if you look around. The "bought together" list gave me a chuckle, however.

[cereal3]

+ for stereo headphones a clip on. Grado SR80i is a set at about £90-£100, or the SR60's which are still great.

I have a Zalman MIC1 clip on mic, great sound quality.

[NitrousX]

I am not an audiophile but my Siberia V2's sound incredible when it comes down to gaming and listening to music. The AD700's and HD555's are excellent choices as well. I would recommend steering away from the USB route if possible due to the fact that stereo headphones (3.5, 6.3mm plug) offer superior sound quality when coupled with a decent sound card.

[Drann]

Originally Posted by cereal3

+ for stereo headphones a clip on. Grado SR80i is a set at about £90-£100, or the SR60's which are still great.

I have a Zalman MIC1 clip on mic, great sound quality.

If you like Grado's you might want to take a look at Alessandro's Music Series.


http://www.alessandro-products.com/m...p?p=headphones

They're essentially tweaked Grado's. The Music Series 1 (2009) are SR80i's, but not quite as harsh (Although some claim them to be 125's, I'm not 100% on that). I recently imported a pair and they're absolutely fantastic, very highly recommended. Free delivery from the states to the UK - I didn't have to pay any sort of tax ontop. They came to about £63 and took all of a week to arrive.

Don't let the site worry you either, it's fully legit. Also, don't just take my word for it. They're very well recieved by the audio enthusiast community. Just thought I'd chime in as Grado headphones in the UK suffer from some pretty severe price markups.

Some reviews on Head-fi: http://www.head-fi.org/products/alessandro-ms1i/reviews

There's also a lengthy appreciation thread on their forums if you take the time to look.

[Vonje]

Originally Posted by Drann

Get a set of stereo headphones and a clip on. Most headsets are trash, I'd not touch them with a ten foot pole. You should be able to grab some Audio Technica ATH-AD700's for under $100, which are great for gaming. You can get a clip on for a few dollars at best.

Do you think it's worth the extra price to get a Sennheiser HD558 instead? I hear both are great for 3D audio, but the 700 lacks bass.

[Drann]

Originally Posted by Vonje

Do you think it's worth the extra price to get a Sennheiser HD558 instead? I hear both are great for 3D audio, but the 700 lacks bass.

If you're willing to pay the extra, by all means. I'd recommend finding a local store that lets you audition the sets before purchasing one over the other if you can. I personally find the AD700's the best cans for games until the DT770 pro's (80ohm unless you have a headphone amp, or a decent soundcard with one built in such as the Xonar Essence ST/X). Which I'd highly recommend as an alternative if you're willing to spend that little bit extra.

[EliteTemptation]

From a real gamer to a gamer: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826265065

[hotradish]

Originally Posted by joemtnbike

IMO Corsair Vengeance 1500

Corsair's good. But OP said he preferred headphone jacks (which I agree with), so the 1300 model would probably be his best bet.

[Glixzor]

I would recommend the Vengeance 1500 but it uses a USB port. However, the Vengeance 1300 is basically the same thing with a standard audio jack.

Here's a Tom's article about some different headsets.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...mark,3125.html

[fezlopez]

You want 7.1 for less than $100. Here you go:

http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-Ga...7917867&sr=8-1

[Drann]

Originally Posted by fezlopez

You want 7.1 for less than $100. Here you go:

http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-Ga...7917867&sr=8-1

That's a terrible headset, and honestly this "5.1 - 7.1" sound via a headset is pure marketing. It offers nothing better than dolby headphone, usually much worse sound quality - and postional that's simply not on par with a proper 5.1 speaker system. Pure marketing hype for no real return. Avoid at all cost.

I'm sorry if the above comes across as offensive, that's not my intent. But in my experience, people think certain headphones give 'good sound' because they've never heard better. Or they've listened to some entry level audiophile cans via an Ipod at best. There's people out there that will argue the toss with me that Bose sell the best audio equipment on the market, simply because they've not experienced better - often due to the assumption of ridiculously high prices for higher end gear. The same goes for 'gaming headsets' of almost every kind. Tomshardware is about as trustworthy for reviews of audio equipment as IGN is for reviews of Bioware games.