Maximum PC

My first four Plantronics headsets have broken. Two of the headsets had the same problem--the wiring right by the in-line volume adjuster gave out due to repetitive stress. My beloved GameCom 777 broke at the plastic head part. So, now I've got to get a replacement pair. So far, the price to beat for an exact replacement pair is $54 on eBay. Turtle Beach HPA2 sell for around $64, and got decent reviews back in '07 (I couldn't find the actual review, just a reference to it in the review of the rumbly Ear Force AK-R8 Headset). Creative's WoW-themed headset is $75. Another expensive pair are the Logitech G35, at around $80. The 2005 9 verdict SteelSeries 5H run in the $24-40 range. Seems to me that something so ancient would probably have been one-upped several times over by now--it's not even a Dolby or Creative DSP, to boot. Took a look at sennheiser 333d, and found those to be upwards of $120, way out of my price range, and not a whole lot better reviewed than the GameCom 777s. The only other pair of headphones I've personally tested are the enh-worthy Microsoft LiveChat LX-3000 for $18, which are underwhelming from a gaming perspective, and don't have the RCA jacks you can unplug from an in-line DSP USB dongle. I'm also looking for comfort, so cushy pads are a plus. So, I've done my homework, now do you have any 'phones you've tried out that you can recommend?

My favorites currently are the Razer Orca gaming headphones. Pure comfort, amazing sound quality, and only $50. Only problem is that they don't have a mic. I rarely play anything other than single-player, so that doesn't bother me, but your case might be different.

Thanks gorkon5567! I play multiplayer, so a mic is a must. The Razer Cacharias are the exact same headphones but with a mic. I saw a pair for $50 on eBay. They are 3mm jack only, and to go to the USB model would fully double the price of the headset. I think I want to try for USB if I can get the 777 for almost the same price, and I'm not the only person looking for a good cheap headset, so keep the recommendations coming!

I have owned alot of headsets in the passed, including a Logitech G35's they are great outstanding sound, very comfortable have the option to mute the mic & also have the option to make it surround sound love the interchangeable headband in the G35's.

Yes, the Carcharias are the the same design with a mic, and if you can find one for $50, go for it! You won't be disappointed. They even make onboard sound seem pretty decent, and Creative has some amazing USB soundcards for just under $40 that you could use on all of your PCs, which should also prove to be a worthy investment if you can afford it in the near future.

Saw another pair of headphones by Creative for about $56 on eBay, but I've been burned by their gaming peripherals before. The Creative USB sound card is going for as little as $10, but the average price is about $30. I do wonder if a reviewer has put the different DACs up against each other to compare quality: there's the Carcharias', the Dolby (from the 777), and the THX TruStudio (from the Creative's). All hover in the same price range of around $54, excluding additional dongles.

EDIT: Went with the Carcharias. They were more comfortable than the 777s for long-term listening, but didn't have as good bass response and exterior noise blocking. They worked for about ten months before the wiring broke at the connector to the left earpiece. I'm now searching for a different pair that might last longer.

I'm on the search for a new pair. Are there any headphones or gaming headsets not listed above that have received positive reviews? I've been thinking of buying a mic and headphone set separately, since the headphones are usually the parts that have broken.

I too am in the market for a good over the ear headset, but like you I don't want to spend $100+.

Although, I've kinda been looking at the Plantronics Audio 995 usb wireless headset. A buddy of mine got one about 6 months ago for $40 and sounds fantastic. It's not completely over the ear so it doesn't fit that requirement, but its a decent wireless headset. It also has gotten good feedback from most places. Its $55 on newegg right now, but I might wait till my 4 year old sennheiser's die or find a cheaper deal.

JBaz, read the first post. My anecdotal experience is that I've had two of those break (the non-USB version, but it's still the same headset), they make my ears sore, and their bass response is not great. If it works for you, I'd say go for it, but I think I'm going to research dedicated headphones sans mic this time, maybe spend a little more than $54 total for the separate mic and headphones. I'd like to know where to research those, since headphones have been around for a long time and there are probably more reviews outside of the gaming-specific models of music-oriented models. I'd still be using them for gaming and podcast listening, but hopefully they'd be of a higher quality because of their wider applicability and corresponding larger consumer base.

yeah, but I figured the wireless version wouldn't have the same issues that you mention, plus when I tested them out, the lack of bass wasn't something that would shun me off. The thing I hate most is too much bass, and it seemed like a decent deal for $40, something to use for a while, but I'd be willing to spend 50-80 on a proper over the ear wired headset.

Most of my gaming friends use crazy $150+ pairs that I just don't care to spend for; they also have the stupid $150 keyboards, $80 pads and $120 mouse that is just so silly to throw money at and none of them are actually that good. I guess the only reason why I stick with them is that they are fun canon fodder for me to rack up my KDR.

Have you bought the wireless set you mentioned? I can see how without wires, it would be less likely that the wires that it does have would be less prone to breaking.

Ew wireless... what is your budget I generally steer clear of "gaming" headsets they generally perform poorly compared to a good set of audiophile marketed headphones. My personal advice, not knowing a budget, is to get MDR-V6 headphones and a desktop mic. The V6 will last you a few decades because they have excellent construction and desktop mics (like the ones from logitech) work really well.

I'm trying to fix the wiring on my Carcharias, but I don't know where to solder the wires back to, since they broke while disassembling the left ear piece. Can someone link me to a picture of how the wiring layout on the left earpiece is supposed to go?
http://www.overclock.net/t/1046260/raze ... n-need-fix

Here is an unlisted video that shows the current (broken) layout of the wires: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwo_dn32_t4

Someone I know got a voltmeter recently, so I'm wondering how I can use it to figure out where to solder the mic so I can get it working again. What procedure should I use to deduce when it is getting signal to the right connections? Also, how do I use the voltmeter?

Part of me is saying for a microphone it doesn't matter since it's an analog device. At worst you'll get an inverted signal (which shouldn't be a problem).

The sound quality I got from the Logitech G330 actually surprised me. I wanted a cheap headset to use on my laptop. I had one break on me but Logitech support is really great about sending you replacements if you keep your proof of purchase (I sent them the e-mail from my amazon purchase). If you're looking for a desktop mic I recommend Logitech's analog desktop mic 600 (I actually have it plugged into the G330 usb dongle). I have that paired with a pair of Sennheiser HD555's I did the soundstage mod on.

How's the DAC on that thing? I'm sort of weary of USB dongles that look like sound cards to the OS.

The usb thing that comes with the G330 is nothing special. It seems no better or worse than the ones that came with my steelseries headsets. I'm sure it's not as good as a real DAC like the audioengine D1 or something like that.

Steelseries 5h, one of the best headsets i have ever used.

No, I'm not being paid for writing this )

Gameaholic1337, did you buy them from Amazon, or a third-party on Amazon; I bought mine on eBay more than a year ago, and since I've taken them apart, bought them used, and some of the screws are lost, I wonder if they'd RMA them. I'll have to answer the other posts later. The Carcharias don't have a USB dongle, so it makes sense to pair them with an analog mic.