[Tech] Headset

[Ronin Storm]

I have a Speedlink Medusa 5.1 headset. It's been good but now the joint just over the left ear is cracked and failing, which has the added problem of meaning that the left headphone sits skewed at an odd and slightly uncomfortable angle.

Need new headphones, really. Got £70 unspent from my birthday so this would be a good use of those monies.

I could get the same headphones again but the bass quality isn't great and I'm not sure that I can really tell the difference between front and rear speakers so I'm not sure that the 5.1 aspect particularly matters.

I wear glasses to play games and I find that tight headsets press my ears into my glasses and are, as such, very uncomfortable. I've also got a fairly large hat size.

All this can be powered from a Creative Audigy 2 XS card, so I can do 5.1, or not.

Suggestions?

 

[Ronin Storm]

Just wandering the 'net doing some research of my own. Quite like the look of the following:

• SteelSeries Siberia v2 ~£61
• SteelSeries 5H v2 ~£58

 

[Ronin Storm]

Hmm, alternatively:

• Sennheiser PC 330 Gaming Headset ~£77

 

[elDiablo]

Or... Speedlink Medusa 5.1? In all honesty, the same thing happened to me (though it was due to headphones being dropped on the floor that cracked the link, not wear and tear), so I can see that you might not want it to happen again. But then I love this headset, so I was happy to get it again.

As for the Sennheisers, I've got a pair of the 250 (or something) ones without a mic for use at work, and the sound quality is very good. I'd except them to be comparable with the 330's, or at least I'd hope they are. So really just giving a thumbs up for the sound quality of those!

 

[thatbloke]

I have had a set of the Steelseries Siberia V2's (USB edition though, but no difference really) for some time now, (at least a year) and I think they are awesome.

Despite being slammed around a bit by me they are very durable and still show very minimal signs of wear, after a year. I also find them very comfortable for long gaming sessions, with no discomfort whatsoever

The main thing to get used to with them, is the pull-off microphone. Rather than being integrated into the left can and being part of the headphone unit itself, it is in fact an entirely separate thing. It's got a cable that's as long as the headphone's own cable, with that headphone cable having clips for the mic cable all the way down it, with there then being a bulldog type clip just beneath the actual mic that you can clip either directly to the cable a couple of inches below the can, OR, to your clothes (t-shirt just below the chin for instance), OR, can in fact be put somewhere entirely separate.

Mine came with a couple of velcro strips and a small L-shaped plastic bit that I could attach to, well, anywhere, but I put it on the side of my monitor and you can if you like have the mic clipped there or anywhere else too

In addition, where I have the USB edition, the surround sound works very well. Particularly in a game such as BC2 - if I'm being shot at I can normally tell in what direction it's coming from. I'm not sure how good it will be with just the "standard" (non-USB) edition as I guess that would depend more on the soundcard it's plugged in to...


After all that, however, like elDibbles says, if you are perfectly happy with your current set of headphones, why not get another identical set?



EDIT: Ok I lied - I don't have the V2's, just the regular Siberias

 

[Haven]

I got the steelseries 7H last week, they were b0rked (mic picking up speaker noise in a horrible echo loop) so sent them back for a refund. I know you've got a decent sized noggin (as have I) and I found the 7H very tight on my head so the 5H may have the same issue. I'm now considering upping my budget as I've been unhappy with what is on the market. I now have my eye on these instead.

To counter that I believe thatbloke has the 5H as does docbot and both seem happy enough so it could just be me being a picky bugger

 

[Ronin Storm]

Thanks for the thoughts so far. Much appreciated.

Speedlink Medusa 5.1?

They've done me well for maybe 2 (perhaps 3) years, which isn't bad, but I'm now more aware of their shortcomings too. Notably, I dislike the large inline control block; it's not heavy, but it is very slightly in the way. Also, I'm not convinced that the 5.1 in them is particularly effective and their overall audio quality is perfectly good but certainly not great. All in all, they're good value for money but I think I'm looking to improve a bit.

(Really wrote all that to be helpful to those who read this thread later with the same question.)

I have had a set of the Steelseries Siberia [strike]V2's[/strike] (USB edition though, but no difference really) for some time now, (at least a year) and I think they are awesome.

[...]

The main thing to get used to with them, is the pull-off microphone.

I had a pull off mic for a pair of Zalman headphones a while back. That bugged me a lot. However, the V2 has an integrated "slide away" mic in the style of the SteelSeries 5H, and the rest of the fit looks pretty attractive.

I got the steelseries 7H last week [...] I know you've got a decent sized noggin (as have I) and I found the 7H very tight on my head so the 5H may have the same issue.

Yeah, I was wondering that about the 5H. Stiff frames can be too small for me, especially wearing glasses. I think the Siberia should be a different beast, though, as it's more open.

I'm now considering upping my budget [...to...] these

Yeah, the Sennheiser 360 does look nice but it's roughly double my budget so I can't see that working. The 350 also look like they might be worth a look but at around £105-115 that's still a bit too much for me at the moment and I've been putting up with a damaged headset for a few weeks now so my wish to change is fairly urgent.

Currently, I think the SteelSeries Siberia V2 are topping my list but I'm wondering if I should hop up the extra bit and go to the Sennheiser 330... got a couple of hours to decide if I want to do an order today to arrive tomorrow or Saturday.

 

[Haven]

Yeah, the Sennheiser 360 does look nice but it's roughly double my budget so I can't see that working. The 350 also look like they might be worth a look but at around £105-115 that's still a bit too much for me at the moment and I've been putting up with a damaged headset for a few weeks now so my wish to change is fairly urgent.

If you want to drop your budget or get a very nice backup set of headphones, check out the Sennheiser PC150, they are a smaller set of headphones but very comfy and a surprisingly good sound for such a small driver. I'm using them atm until I sort something else out which may or may not happen before hell freezes over

 

[Ronin Storm]

check out the Sennheiser PC150, they are a smaller set of headphones but very comfy and a surprisingly good sound for such a small driver.

Surprisingly they don't show up on Amazon, but a Google search reveals this. They look like they bend back in quite severely; worried about ear pressure, especially when wearing glasses.

(Sometime, I'm seriously going to have to look at getting my eyes lasered... or laser eyes or something.)

 

[Ronin Storm]

On review, and after a little discussion with Iron Fist who agreed with me that the PC150's may not suit my head, I've gone with the SteelSeries Siberia V2 (in red) for the princely sum of £65 delivered.

I'll report on what I think over the weekend.

 

[DocBot]

Siberia v2 is what I'm using, since a month or two. I love them, they're brilliant.

 

[waterproofbob]

I've heard good things about the last version of the V2s. So I'd say you should be happy with those. Also I have a massive swede of a head and the V2s fit me fine.

 

[Nanor]

Also I have a massive swede of a head and the V2s fit me fine.

Aye, DocBot has a massive Swedish head too.