GRRR Squad Forum

Alright...so my trusty Zalman 5.1 headset has decided to give up on me. My right head-phone keeps cutting out. Its been good to me tho; think I had it for about 5 yrs now...

Anyhow, I'm obviously now in the market for a new headset and it just so happens a client of mine can get me 40% off market value of Sennheiser (spelling?) headsets. I def want another 5.1 headest. Does Sennheiser make one? What Sennheiser headset do ya'll recommend? Also, I can order for friends! So lemme know if ya'll want one too.

Awaiting anyone's advice!

Sennheiser don't make 5.1 headsets. They only make good heasdsets.

If you're set on the whole 5.1 thing, then get the Roccat Kaves - they're about as good as 5.1 headsets get )I'll happily explain why 5.1 headphones aren't worth it, but I'm not going to launch into a whole write-up here).

If you want high quality sound though, there are a few Sennheiser models worth looking at.

The HD 595's are probably the best headphones that you can get (that don't cost >R5000). They don't have a mic , but you can always buy a Zalman clip on mic that attaches to your headphone cable. This is what I use in CPT, except that I don't have the HD 595's, I have the HD 555's (not as high quality, but half the price of the 595's - still damn good quality though).

If you want a proper headset from Sennheiser, you have two choices. The PC-350's and the PC-360's. They are similar, the main difference being that the PC-350's are closed back, and the PC-360's are open back. Personally I prefer open back headphones, so I'd get the PC-360's, but your tastes may vary.

Sheri, I'd love to get my hands on a pair of PC-360's. If your friend can get a pair for me I'd be very keen. Could you find out the price?

Shadey, I can not comment on Seinheisser, but I can tell you what to look out for. Getting a pair of headsets is a lot about personal choice. For me, things like the weight and feel of the headset is far more important than the number of speakers it have.

The other thing that I have forgotten with my current pair is the comfort of wearing them around my neck and still hear the sound. My current headset (Corsair H1) has too tight a band, thereby allowing the earmufs to choke me if I try to hang it around my neck. Having noise cancelling earphones is very good on planes and what not, but not very good if you are actually trying to listen to people talking to you. If you and Lep are plaing in the same room, consider that as it does get frustrating. Hanging good quality noise cancellation hearphones around your neck, does allow you the best of both worlds if you get a comfortable pair.

My other problem I have with headsets is the volume, or the lack thereoff. There is always a trade off between the weight of the headset and the amount of volume it can produce. Most people don't realise that problem since they never turn it up full volume. However, as I am 100% deaf in my one ear, and almost 60% deaf in my other one, it is a major problem to me. And let me not even go into the fact that you can not find MONO headsets, nor adjust Windows 7 sound settings to produce mono sound. (That means, there are no way for me to hear if somebody sneaks up on my right hand side)

I have two pair of headsets at the moment, Corsair H1, and the Dr Dre Beats Studio, when I want to listen to high quality music, I'd go with the pair of Beats, for my general gaming the Corsairs. The reason for that is that I prefer the Beats quality, but they run on battery power, and the cable is too short for comfort gaming. As such, ensure your cable is long enough, at least 6 feet and ensure that the headphones don't use batteries. Those with batteries, or additional power sources, does tend to produce better quality sound. (in my humble, being almost deaf, opinion)

Seinheisser makes good quality headsets, my suggestion, do not buy a set unless you've played a full 2 hours non stop with them. If your neck is getting cramps, or your shoulders tighten up, ditch the set. Having to buy a pair of seinheissers, only to find out you don't like them, is not going to be funny at all. I.e. ask if you can not borrow a pair before buying it.

Any event, my 2 cents on the matter...

PPs, if anybody knows how to force Windows 7 to produce mono output sound, please let me know.

Roccat Kave FTW!!! End of story. Been through the Razers and Logitechs and they can't compare. Whowever Seinheisser are the bomb for pure audio quality.

Sheri, here's the retail price on those PC360s - http://www.takealot.com/electronics/sennheiser-pc-360-premium-headset-with-open-accoustics,10809595

If you can get 40% off, I would be interested.

Can you get 40% off these: http://www.expansys.co.za/sennheiser-hd598-headset-219943/ ?

*me jumps on the bandwagon*

I'll have a chat to my client tomorrow! Ta for the input all.

Some details from a recent Kave Headset review:

While the Kave looks very slick and has durability in mind, the sound quality isn’t at the same level. For starters, there was a noticeable amount of buzzing and background noise when the Kave was plugged in. It’s not enough to notice when you have the volume turned up in a game or movie, but it comes through at lower volumes and if there’s no audio being played – like when you’re checking email or browsing the web. The source of the noise was the USB connector, and it wouldn’t go away despite trying every USB plug on the desktop.

[Editor's Note: Before talking about overall audio quality, it’s important to note that the Kave was tested with onboard audio on a Gigabyte P55A-UD4P motherboard, not a standalone soundcard. The results might be different once the Kave is paired with a Creative or Asus card of some sort.]

Interference aside, the analog 5.1 audio experience isn’t noticeably better than any high-end virtual surround sound headset, like the ASTRO A40. The bass put forth by the Kave is impressive, but the overall audio quality was hindered by a lack of blending between the highs, mids and lows. Even after finding the best slider settings for BF3 on the desktop remote, the performance wasn’t at the level I was expecting. Some of that probably has to do with the Kave being paired with onboard audio and not a soundcard, however.

And from the conclusion:

The Kave 5.1 sits at a “maybe” for now. Like the Kone and Isku, the Kave has some great design and solid construction. The audio quality holds it back for now, but I’m willing to give the Kave another go once I get my hands on a dedicated soundcard of some sort. It’s worth noting that most gaming audio companies are going the virtual surround sound route for a reason, and it isn’t because of cost. Virtual surround has come a long way in the last few years, and some of my favorite headsets in recent memory have used one speaker in each can to emulate 5.1 or 7.1 audio. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for “true” surround headsets, but the Kave makes us question if the extra speakers and cables are worth the effort.

Sauce: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Roccat-Gaming-Isku-Kave-Kone,review-1733-6.html

subjective I rate - I find the Kaves to be very pleasant...top shelf