Right now I am using the bottom of the line Logitech headset (with mic) I got cheap at WalMart. The sound is better than some medium priced headsets I have had in the past. Its pretty light and sits on the ear (instead of over) so it doesnt get so hot and is easy to wear for a long period. I have never had a headset more than half your budget so maybe I dont know what good headsets can sound like.
I have a set of Sennheiser PC 155s I have had for about 3 years now and I still love them. They sound great and I can wear them for hours and not even notice I have them on.
These have a USB soundcard but it is detachable and they can also be used with normal 3.5mm audio/mic ports. The USB soud card is OK but not as good as my X-Fi.
They make other products to fit any price range from casual user to studio professional.
------------------------------EP-45 UD3R/ E8400@3.6 wZerotherm Nirvana/4gb Corsair DDR2-800/EVGA 9800GTX+/Corsair 750TX/2xWD Black AALS 640gb RAID 0+1 Windows 7/2xWD Cavier 250gb RAID 0 Windows XP Pro/Seagate 160gb Backup/X-Fi Xtreme Gamer/Logitech Z-2300/Samsung SynchMaster 906BW
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