headset for gaming?

[vwj]

Do you wear headphones/headsets for gaming and why? Other than for its mic, why do you chose to wear them over speakers? This is a silly question, but I've always wondered why many gamers choose to wear headsets for gaming.

 

[V3NOM]

well the sound quality is usually better, as it doesn't need to be as loud when its right next to your ear :lol:

personally i don't like them or use them though, because even though they might be better quality, they hurt my ears after extended periods of gameplay. i prefer speakers.

 

[Dragane]

Not to mention that they are a must have for any first personal shooter player. Wearing a headset gives you a huge advantage in multiplayer, you can hear exacly where an enemy is located, number of them etc.

 

[dtq]

My preference is for big over the ear headsets, comfortable enough for extended use, far better immersion than speakers, the exclusion of other sounds really helps you get into the game, and when coupled with a game that makes real use of sound can really make you jump at times . As has been said you can listen to it with great volume without annoying others, but its more than just louder its better sound quality!

 

[vwj]

Other than the obvious reason that you can crank it up as loud as you want without worrying about disturbing others, I am surprise to hear that they offer better sound quality. Assuming that you're in a sound-proof room or there's no one around to disturb, wouldn't you rather play through a good set of speakers, say a 5.1 system?

 

[V3NOM]

Not to mention that they are a must have for any first personal shooter player. Wearing a headset gives you a huge advantage in multiplayer, you can hear exacly where an enemy is located, number of them etc.

I can do that with my 2.0 channel 7 year old speakers. seriously.

 

[dtq]

Other than the obvious reason that you can crank it up as loud as you want without worrying about disturbing others, I am surprise to hear that they offer better sound quality. Assuming that you're in a sound-proof room or there's no one around to disturb, wouldn't you rather play through a good set of speakers, say a 5.1 system?

Ive got a gigaworks 750 setup in a 100 year old stone built house (walls over 2feet thick at ground level) - hardly hear any noise from the street. I still prefer headphones for gaming. The gigaworks setup is able to provide as much loudness as you'd like (and far more than the neighbours would appreciate) but despite the 7.1 setup It doesnt match a good set of headphones for immersiveness in games! It is however very good for movies on the projector when you have a bunch of people around.

I would guess its to do with signal \ noise ratios and that fidelity and intricacy is easier to achieve when not using brute force! If you have a 12" speaker cone being used to pump air around fine control is a little difficult!

 

[gamerk316]

I'll put it this way: A high end 5.1/7.1 system beats everything when it comes to quality, although some headsets (such as the Razer Barracuda HP-1 I use) come really close...

 

[Onus]

I am deaf in one ear. I wear a mono headset when I don't want to bother others. I have yet to find a good one; I'm limited to essentially a customer-service style headset. I've asked about a good mono set, but such does not appear to exist. So far I've been unwilling to butcher a better headphone to combine the channels, but I probably should.

 

[vwj]

I still think that no matter how good a headphone may be, they can't beat a good surround sound system. I just think surround sound system produces a more natural experience, which in turn gives you a better gaming experience. I think there's nothing better than firing a big machine gun or having bombs explode and really feeling the rumble of the subwoofer. Plus, it offers true surround sound, unlike headphones where the surround sound is simulated.

I think the only time i'll ever wear a headphone is when I need to keep it down. Other than that, I prefer playing through speakers.

with that said, can anyone suggest a good, budget pair of headphones?