Best gaming headset/audio card combo?

After getting routinely owned by Sykes with his uber ears, I decided to buy a good headset and audio card combo. This is what I came up with:

Asus Xonar D1 soundcard
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EZQ8YC/ref=oss_T15_product

Sennheiser PC 350 Gaming Headset
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012XFDWO/ref=oss_T15_product

I think I am ok with the sound card, but I am unsure of the headset. The Astro !40 looks awesome, but it is really expensive. I also looked at the roccat cave solid 5.1 gaming headset. I think the one I ordered is about as good as it gets for 2 channel stereo headset, but would a 5.1 be significantly better? there seem to be quality control issues with the turtle beach, medusa, razor, and Fatality 5.1's... anyone have thoughts on this? I have a couiple of days before they ship.

Thanks in advance for your input.
- Abel/Able

Personally I would go with this sound card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102006

And then a lot of guys in KzN including me, killerkill, emerick, and like 4 others i cant think of have the Plantronics GameCom 377 or the 777. I have the 377 and it fits great, its comfortable and its fairly inexpensive

http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/products/computer/pc-gaming-headsets/gamecom-377

Best Buy and walmart have this one. its less than 50 bucks. The 777 is all digital and is around 75 bucks or so.

agreed. the xfi gamer is amazing i got it and its sexy

As someone who actually works in the world of sound and am studying to be a sound engineer, I have to say that Sennheiser and Audio Technica are the only way to go if you are looking for the best sound in the business. Their dynamics, build-in EQ, and supreme audio processing technology are second to none. Those 2 companies are the only way to go. (no one even better mention BOSE)

For your headset the specs are:
Min Headset Frequency Response: 10 Hz
Max Headset Frequency Response: 26 kHz
Sensitivity: 108 dB
Noise Canceling: Yes
Impedance: 150 ohm(s)


I'LL EXPLAIN. In terms of bass, these will go as low as 10hz which means that when a nade explodes by you, your head will shake and you will feel every wave. The 26khz response is nice because it will never squeak, the sound will be high enough in treble without being overwhelming and annoying. Sennheisers frequency response has always been amazing and their build in compression and limiters will ensure that you will have the best sound experience. As for the 108dB, well.... that's enough volume if you feel like going deaf, but no worries, the compression and limiters will ensure that you don't. Noise canceling is always great so you won't hear your girlfriend watching Grey's Anatomy (haha =]) and the 150ohm's will ensure that she won't hear what's going on with you in the headphones.

I say buy them, they will be the greatest thing you but on your head and you will absolutely love the sound and your music and gaming and movies will sound like real life.


As for sound card, go with pie's suggestion. All sound cards use EAX effects by Creative now as it has become the standard in gaming. Also, Creatives X-Fi chip is really really good. The 24 bit crystalizer is enough alone for it to be a great buy.

Combine that headset and that sound card and you will be in a sound nirvana.

Yea the sennheiser will blow the gamecom away but I was just suggesting a cheaper headset. If you have 250 bucks to spend on a headset go for it.

You can get that headset for about 120 now

Thats not to bad. I wish i had that kind of money to spend on a headset.

Personally, I don't like headsets. I buy my mic and headphones separate from each other. It gives me better selection for headphones as I am very picky about them.

I am only very pick about girls and cars lol

What dont you like about bose ink? I have a bose aviation headset. Its the best you can get.

iLikePie, where did you get adapters for your bose aviation headset? I have an aviation headset as well...

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will stick with what I have ordered, I guess. On the Xonar D1 - all the tech reviews I read put it and the X-fi extremegamer at about the same level. Out of general distaste for creative drivers, I will give the Asus card a shot.

On headsets, I was seriously giving this one a shot (until I realized it really is a bit over the top just to be able to hear as well as Sykes.)
http://www.astrogaming.com/products/detail/3/A40-Audio-System/
-but it does look cool, doesn't it?

Yea that xonar card is also very good. I looked at that astro probly 6 months ago but I couldnt justify spending that much money. I still want it though.


I am considering just buying the adapters needed to use my bose headset on my computer.

This is the one I have.

http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/aviation_headsets/aviation_headset_x/index.jsp

The mic on that sounds better than any other mic you could find. It sounds amazing.

@iLikepie: wow, that is much nicer than my Telex!

Its a great headset. I was using a 20 year old flight com until I got that bose. the cirrus Sr-20s we fly are actually pretty loud so I needed a better headset.

What do you fly?

172's. I haven't got my private yet - everytime I solo, I have to stop for work and I come back a few years later

Ahh nice. Im working on my private now.

I told you that pie knows what to use
I got the Plantronics 90 headset.. a bit old, a bit broken
But.. btw - bose is pretty exspenive, isn't it?
Greetings and good luck to find the best hs,
Sykes

Yea bose is really expensive. It was worth it for me though.

What do you guys think about the beats by dre studio headphones? I like them but Damn pie but i wish i had those. never used mine for call of duty, but theyre awesome to throw on and listen to some music and just smile and nod at what my girlfriend is trying to tell me pretending like i can fucking hear her haha.

Dre's headphones are not that great, they just stuck his name on it. Once again, the best sound in the industry is Sennheiser and Audio-Technica. Their headphones are the choice of every sound engineer and producer out there (at least those who know what they are doing)

how about that Dr DRE headset ? couse i heard they good

theyre not gonna be that good for gaming fokus i know that, but for just listening to music, especially with a lot of bass, i fucking love them haha. even the dre's tour earplugs sound really nice got a pair for cheap off my buddie then took them back to best buy and got 165 dollars store credit for them cuz i already had the dre studio headphones