Should I invest in a Blue Yeti or get a simple Zalman Clip-on?

the m50s are a pretty good set of headphones considering the price. the dt770 may be a bit better suited towards gaming due to a supposedly better soundstage but having owned m50s for years i can say that overall they are very impressive. much better quality than headsets. if you havent bought anything yet i'd also look at the dt770. any of them are better than some "gaming headset" in terms of audio quality.

as for microphones, the blue yeti and blue snowball are highly respected however i cannot guarantee that they wont pick up your mechanical keyboard. if you are worried you might be interested in getting something like the antlion modmic which adds a boom mic to your headphones. better quality than a zalman clip on but not as good as some desk mics. another option is to buy a 3.5mm detatcheable mic meant for headsets which include a detatcheable mic (a replaement part) and to use a 3.5mm female to male cable and zip tie it to your headphones (essentially giving you somewhere to plug in the extension). instant headset (the antlion solution is a bit prettier looking though).

honestly its your money, your choice. i personally tend to agree with your friend in that there are better products available however that doesnt mean a simple gaming headset wouldnt work.

if all you want is something not too expensive that works and is all one unit (or if you want something USB not 3.5mm) then a gaming headset works fine. they might not be the highest quality mic or headphones however are more than enough for average users and certainly get the job done.

however, if you want the best sound and best mic quality then studio headphones and a seperate mic really cant be beat. typically this is a more expensive option (unless you were going for the highest end gaming headphones) and the quality level is going to be better than even the better gaming headsets.

something like a dt770 or ath-m50 would blow away gaming headphones in terms of sound quality. they are stereo headphones though which is something to think about as well. they arent surround sound models. however, quite a few so-called surround sound headsets only have 2 drivers and in fact are fake virtual surround with only a minority having actual multiple drivers. you might be able to get virtual surround working with any stereo headphones however i've played a few games with my set and to be honest i was able to tell where sounds were coming from without any fancy software like that. many games with 3d audio sources are set up to play nice with 2.1 speaker sets which translates well to headphones. sounds are louder in front than they are from the back (which is how you tell front/back easily) and of course telling left and right is easy.

i just looked at the price of the blue yeti.. in that price range you could get an audiotechnica at2020 which is considered excellent and an upgrade to the blue lineup of mics. its a bit of money to spend on a microphone but i'm not sure how important that is to you.

however, if you really didnt want to spend that sort of cash... the blue snowball isnt bad for a desktop mic and the antlion modmic isnt bad for a boom mic. i do realize that getting a modmic can be hard though (as they are very popular and sell out often). from what i've heard sound quality isnt bad one the zalmans however i've also heard that they dont last all that long.

another thing to mention is that if you use something like the at2020 many people mount them on a boom off to the side of their face with a pop shield. one more thing to note is that it is a cardioroid microphone so picks up sound on one side of the microphone so its possible to place the mic where it would only pick up you and not any other sounds.

again this is your money, your choice.

if you want cheap & functional then you could go with a headset.
if you want quality then i'd go seperates

just my 2 cents worth....

no, i do not work retail. my first job may have been working for a retail store warehouse but its been many many years since i've done anything of the sort. i just like explaining the WHY behind recommendations instead of just suggesting it and i throw in a few alternatives since there is no clear cut one-product-fits-all typically.

agreed. the at2020 is a bit pricey, however considering that this is starting to enter in on the professional level of microphones the price really isnt all that bad and you do get what you pay for. i've thought about getting a desktop microphone for my own personal use and if i did that would likely be my first choice (as i'm opposed to boom mics). remember that there are two versions: a usb version and one with a 3pin connector (you want the usb one)

while i dont have a cardioroid mic that theory does seem to hold some water. my first choice would be for it to be on a boom mount or possibly up on the shelf by the other monitor (if it fits) as being in front of the keyboard might get in your way. that desk does look a bit small for your computer and seeing as you appear to have some more width available it might be possible to pick up another desk which is a bit more suitable. i've seen half decent desks go for dirt cheap at some local auctions & flea markets so perhaps you could give yourself a more comfortable space if you so wanted as well. again, just a suggestion.

the reason i tend to make it explicitely clear that its your choice and your money is that some people tend to think that rather pointed recommendations come across as being pushy towards a certain product. a few feel pressured into buying something and a few just give up their own research and believe everything somoene tells them. while everything i say holds merit i openly encourage people to double check me and/or do even more research on what i've said. my thoughts are that its better to have an informed buyer who knows what to look for who may have a couple ideas in mind which were suggested instead of just telling someone to go out and buy XYZ product because i think its great. just because i like a product doesnt mean everyone will.

in addition... i also think virtual surround sound is a bit gimmicky (i couldnt get razer virtual surround to even work) and since stereo sounds fine i'm okay with that.

how much you spend and what you buy should have alot to do with why you want a mic, how long you want to keep it and how much it matters to you. in the cause of audiophiles its more of a want than a need. in the case of recording artists its more of a need. in the case of upcoming youtubers its more of a case of peer pressure (since they get backlash from viewers if they use a bad quality mic)