Speakers vs Headphones

Which would you suggest and why?

  • Total voters
    16
Kwaai

Kwaai

Finally Have An Avatar And Signature!
Hi, I'm deciding between speakers or headphones as a replacement for my current speakers that are now faulty.

Will be using it for gaming and music mostly, any suggestions?
Budget would be 500-1000
 
Depends do you play online games in team format where you use things like skype or teamspeak or vent?
Do you have people that complain about noise when you play games late at night or listen to music?
Do you live alone?

that should make your choice
 
Headphones for gaming...but I also have a long cable that goes to the hifi so that I can blast some music when I'm cooking/whatever away from PC.
 
You see, when buying a headset, you lose out on a great deal of audio quality. That's just how it is and I highly doubt it will change any time soon.

If you go for a decent set of headphones and add a clip-on mic, you have a vast array of options to choose from. Bear in mind that going this route allows you to use your headphones independent of the mic).

a) You could buy some DJ-style headphones (extended lows and highs giving a smiley face EQ)
b) You could buy hi-fi style headphones (the lows are pushed back but is still very open whereas the mids are pushed to the front along with the highs)
c) Or you could buy studio headphones (completely neutral EQ with controlled lows, mids and highs)


Option A
If you listen to a lot of bass-heavy music, options 'b' and 'c' are completely out of the question. The downside with this is that you will struggle to make out the finer details in games like Battlefield 4 (footsteps of soldiers will be completely overshadowed by explosions).

The game is still greatly enjoyable though as the explosions make you feel as if you're right there and adds a lot of immersion.

Option B
If you have a very broad taste in music, option 'b' would be a good one to go for. Well rounded for most musical styles and also makes watching movies quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, headphones like these are usually open-back to create that large soundstage, so you'd have a lot of background interference.

Option C
I, personally, use option 'c' and own a pair of studio headphones. I find them to be great for gaming as nothing has been extended. The explosions in Battlefield 4 are not too loud and I can able to hear a pair of footsteps while explosions are going off in the background.

The downside with studio headphones is that the neutral EQ can be very off-putting to most. The sound that comes out is the sound the engineer wanted when he mixed and mastered the music. To most, the music might seem very dull or bland.

Now, as you can tell, most headsets come in a 5.1 or 7.1 variation. A good pair of headphones will be 2.1. For FPS games like Battlefield 4, that is not ideal. However, you ca use software like Razer Surround to create that 5.1 effect. This is what I use and I am able to pinpoint, with ease, the direction of any sound.

I would highly recommend going for quality and versatility over a headset with one intended purpose.
 
DuckKnuckle said:
Option C
I, personally, use option 'c' and own a pair of studio headphones. I find them to be great for gaming as nothing has been extended. The explosions in Battlefield 4 are not too loud and I can able to hear a pair of footsteps while explosions are going off in the background.

The downside with studio headphones is that the neutral EQ can be very off-putting to most. The sound that comes out is the sound the engineer wanted when he mixed and mastered the music. To most, the music might seem very dull or bland.

Now, as you can tell, most headsets come in a 5.1 or 7.1 variation. A good pair of headphones will be 2.1. For FPS games like Battlefield 4, that is not ideal. However, you ca use software like Razer Surround to create that 5.1 effect. This is what I use and I am able to pinpoint, with ease, the direction of any sound.

I would highly recommend going for quality and versatility over a headset with one intended purpose.
Click to expand...
I'd go for Option C, what would you recommend?

Would rep but can't :p
 
DuckKnuckle said:
If your budget is R1 000, this is what I'd recommend:

Sennheiser HD 215 - R1 099 if you can stretch your budget
Samson CH700 - R626.18
Samson SR850 - R516.86
Shure SRH240 - R629.4
AKG K99 - R677.89



Very many thanks :o
Click to expand...

+1 for AKG, those are so hardy you could put them under a truck and they will still work fine, I have had pairs at work after people listening to them at maximum volume for well over 5 years they died. That is pure quality in my opinion.
They have since been replaced by Sennheiser (exact model number has escaped me).
 
I'm getting one of these:
img_1129_5_796_400.jpg


My brother has a pair and they are awesome.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top