Audio Gear Info and Buyer's Guide

[FanOfKOTOKO]

So basically I'm bored and I found the saved document of a thread I used to have on MMOHut before it was acquired by OnRPG, and I decided to update it lol :P

For anyone who wishes to skip all the TLDR and just go to the recommendations, click here.
For anyone who wishes to focus more on the gaming aspect of audio, there is a much more detailed guide on Head-Fi.org about it and it has its own recommendations for gear


Audio Gear Info and Buyer's Guide



About sound in general:

When you listen to music on most audio equipment, it's slightly colored and usually is not the same exact sound from what the producer did when he heard it because you mostly are hearing it on something different. Many headphones on the market nowadays attract potential buyers by being and saying it's bass (or lower frequencies) is good or whatever. However, headphones used in professional studios and sound booths around the world are relatively “flat,” or most frequencies it outputs are on relatively the same level in order for the listener to notice the differences. "True audio enthusiasts" tend to chase after gear and setups that reproduce a very neutral sound signature, though most people will obviously settle for something less than perfect.

This means that Dr. Dre's (or just about any other celebrity-endorsed headphone) claim that the Beats Studios by Dre is the sound he listens to is completely false unless you count the Beats Pro, which actually sounds somewhat similar to a pair of monitor headphones (well, more similar than the Studios at any rate). Instead, when they claim that a pair of headphones sound "like you're in the studio" is from their perspective of listening to loudspeaker monitor speakers, which is a very different experience and a very different kind of sound compared to headphones. That said, many celebrity-endorsed headphones is not exactly what you call a very good value for money anyways.



Headphones

Types

Open: Headphones that have been designed so that the back of their earcups are allowed for sound to travel freely, meaning that there is more sound leakage as well as more ambient sound while listening to them. Having open headphones usually means that the sound you hear from it is more “open” (hence the name) and airy; this sort of design usually feels more natural and provides a better perception of distance and location for the audio. Due to their design, open headphones do not have good acoustic support for lower frequencies as there is not a closed barrier that helps to reverberate the lower frequencies back to the listener. However despite this, most enthusiasts will agree on open headphones being the design of choice.

Closed: Headphones designed that the back of the earcups are acoustically sealed so the listener would hear a little outside noise as possible, and (usually) people near you would hear a little as what you're hearing as possible without requiring any sort of electronic sound-canceling. This creates a scenario where the listener will feel like as if the music is coming in from inside him rather than outside like what the open headphones provide. Because of this, closed headphones are naturally more “bassy” due to the lower-frequency energy not being able to escape the earcups as readily and thus more of it is focused outwards towards the ears while wearing them.

More than just if the earcups are sealed or not, headphones are also sorted by the size of their cups, whether they will rest on the ear of the listener or around it. This means that in addition to being open or closed, they combo into open or closed headphones with either a large earcup housing to rest the headphones around one's ears or one with a smaller housing that will rest them on the ears themselves instead.

Supra-aural: “On-the-ear” headphones; or headphones that sit on the ears of the wearer, is usually the most common type among many of the lower-priced models you would commonly find in many electronics stores. While they do nor provide the noise isolation that a provide pair of sealed, closed circumaural headphones would, they tend not to make the ears as hot as one either, despite having more sound leaks (which doesn't matter if you're talking about open headphones). Due to design, many supra-aural headphones may house smaller drivers, which could lead to a “whimpier” sound than many circumaural headphones. Supra-aural headphones are smaller, which makes them a better candidate for travel use alongside earbuds and in-ear monitors.

Circumaural: “Around-the-ear” or “over-the-ear” headphones; are headphones that rest on the side of the head instead of directly on it, in order to put less pressure on the ears. This means that circumaural headphones can afford to house bigger drivers which in turn are generally naturally louder-sounding and occasionally more bassy as a result. Compared to supra-aural headphones, closed circumaural headphones are more prone to hot or sweaty ears after a prolonged listening session due to little to no airflow between the inside and outside of the earcups. Similar to how some supra-aural headphones makes the ears uncomfortable after awhile, many closed circumaural headphones made for monitoring for professional audio work squeezes the head quite hard for someone not used to it in order to get a proper seal for acoustic purposes or otherwise.


Headsets:

Headsets are pretty much just a pair of headphones with a microphone attached to it. They come in many forms but the vast majority of headsets are closed, be it circumaural or supra-aural. Gaming headsets, especially, are usually closed circumaural headphones with an attached microphone as a result to eliminate as much outside noise as possible for the gamer while playing. Compared to the variety of headphones out there, most gaming headsets nowadays is more geared to have a strong bass and treble response with less of a mid-end to highlight explosions as well as footsteps and gunshots in many of today's shooters.

Surround Sound Headsets:

Within the last several years, there has been a stride to create headsets geared for gamers that provide some sort of surround sound in an effort to help the gamers pick out sounds better form a distance. The two main approaches to this problem is to either stick more drivers into the earcup (and as a result making the headset way heavier) in an effort to provide actual 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, or to use a software solution to re-encode surround sound into a stereo signal in a way to trick the brain that it's hearing sounds in more directions than it's coming from. Whichever method you choose, it's often dependent on the listener to actually perceive these surround sounds as the sound from either method essentially comes from the same place due to how close the sound comes from in a pair of headphones.



Speakers

Types:

Full-range Speaker: A full-range speaker, as the name implies, is a speaker designed to output the widest possible frequency range without the use of multiple drivers on the unit (though they occasionally employ an additional speaker for various purposes), and are commonly found just about anywhere.

Woofer: A speaker designed to output low-frequency sounds, and is generally a part of a multi-driver unit. A subwoofer is a type that is designed to output the lowest possible low-frequency sounds, and is a common part of many speaker systems.

Mid-range Speaker: A speaker designed to output middle frequencies. They are used to reproduce the widest part of the audible spectrum and is a central part to many speaker systems.

Tweeter: A speaker designed to output the high-frequencies in a speaker system. Like woofers and mid-range speakers, tweeters are commonly found as a part of a complete speaker system.

Crossover: Crossover systems are a speaker setup where the various frequency ranges are split and sent to different sorts of speakers individually. Many speaker systems are of the crossover design nowadays.

Enclosure: Also called cabinet speakers, they are speakers that consist of a set of drivers mounted onto an enclosed system that minimizes interference between the drivers.

While speakers are generally split between many designs and driver types, they all fall under two main categories, classified by how they are powered.Those with a built-in amplifier are called "active" speakers, meaning they require additional power in order for them to activate and give off sound. In many home theater or computer systems, the subwoofer is the only part of your speakers that is an active speaker. Passive speakers, then, are speakers that do not have a built-in amplifier, and must be amplified externally by the computer or other device's internal audio hardware or by a dedicated amplifier.



Surround Sound

While surround sound has become more and more common in the gaming world as a replacement for actual surround sound speaker setups, it is still generally accepted that a good speaker setup is both more accurate and more detailed in surround sound in headphones and headsets. While a surround sound setup is generally a pleasurable method of enjoying gaming and other media, it is commonly regarded as a less-than-perfect method to enjoy most music as the vast majority of music is a stereo experience, meaning that the optimal way of listening to most music is through stereo headphones or speakers, as a surround sound setup may split the signal or play the same signal throughout the entire setup.

Open vs Closed headphones + virtual surround sound vs “true” surround sound

A very specific topic pertaining only to the gaming scene, the vast majority of surround sound headsets (or gaming headsets in general) are of the closed variety. Having surround sound emulated digitally or via multiple drivers will create a sort of “open” experience, a phenomenon that less people experience with surround sound software on open headphones (surround sound headphones/headsets actually working is a very individual experience to begin with, some people will not feel as if there is surround sound in the first place). That said, some games will not feature surround sound in the first place, or is designed with their own algorithms with headphones in mind as to provide a virtualized surround experience within its own sound engines, causing external software or multi-driver headsets redundant or less useful.



Earphones

Just about everyone has had a pair of earbuds from their phone or portable music player. Lots of people bash them for generally not being as good-sounding as headphones, and they're true when comparing to the earphones one would find in any retail store. However, they're incredibly portable and handy to carry around in your pocket or the like so one would be able to listen to music just about anywhere they go.

Types

Earbud: Generally among the cheapest pieces of personal audio gear you'd find anywhere, are earphones situated on the outer ear. While portable, they are prone to a lack of acoustic isolation and leaves room for ambient noise to seep into the listening experience.

In-Ear Monitors (IEMs): Earphones that are inserted into the ear canal in order to increase isolation during the listening experience. While most IEMs one would find in any retail store be of the single driver design, there are multi-driver IEMs designed to reproduce very accurate sound signatures. Furthermore, there exists a market of custom IEMs, where the shape of the IEM in question is molded specifically for a certain individual; many musicians use CIEMs during concerts as both a defense against hearing loss as well as a way to listen to the track.



Microphones:

While many headsets come with a microphone attached (though some could also be detached and reattached for convenience), there are also the option of a dedicated desktop or studio microphone for various purposes (though for this, mainly for gaming and general voice chat). If you're currently on a pair of good headphones and have no interest in using a microphone, a desktop or studio microphone can cover the lack of one for talking on Skype or Ventrilo. When talking about microphones, though, there are two main types (though in many headsets the engineers might also opt for a simpler kind).

Additionally, many desktop microphones that are on the lower-end of the price spectrum come (usually only) as USB powered devices, excluding the very low-end microphones that come with 3.5mm jacks. This is beneficial for a variety of reasons, but the biggest of which is that there is no need for a mixer to power the microphone in question, and many USB desktop microphones will sound just as good as many of the XLR + mixer solutions out there unless you're ready to fork over a large sum of money or require multiple microphones recording for whatever reason.

Types

Dynamic: Dynamic microphones are usually good at producing a good signal on a certain frequency range and is more resilient to loud sounds. The design of their internals is also often more resilient to physical abuse as well as not requiring a dedicated power source most of the time, making them a good option for use in situations such as concerts or other events with many people (karaoke included).

Condenser: Condenser microphones are good at producing a high-quality signal on a wide band of frequencies, but are usually more sensitive to loud sounds, and require a consistent power source of some kind, making them more popular in recording studios.

Lapel/Lavalier Microphones: Generally what most would call the clip-on microphones as they are condenser microphones that are built to be very small and able to clip onto clothing. They are used professionally in scenes like talk shows, where they would have the hosts and guests clip one onto them for easier recording. Similarly, lapel mics have gained popularity in conferences and larger-scale presentations due to allowing the presenter(s) a much larger degree of movement.

Shotgun Microphones: Highly directional condenser microphones, they are special in the fact that they are designed to record in one direction and nothing but. While not as popular in home recording, they are used often professionally, from film sets to stadium recordings, to recording the audio from wild life.

Condenser vs Dynamic microphones

While their use in a concert or recording environment is well regarded to having dynamic mics in concerts and the other in recording studios, deciding between the two in a home setting tends to be a confusing decision for the more serious person. By design, condenser microphones can pick up audio from a relatively large frequency range very clearly and in varying degrees of volume due to the distance of recording, which means that as a side effect, they tend to be naturally more sensitive (though some are designed to be less so for various purposes) and may pick up unwanted sounds while recording (like your PC's fans, someone flushing the toilet right next to the room, etc.). Dynamic microphones, on the other hand, are less sensitive to sound and are generally more popular in a live setting because of that; they tend to capture mainly what is very close to them and mostly nothing but. You have condenser microphones used in places like theaters and churches where their large pickup range is perfect for the unique recording environment, whereas places like the White House has chosen a dynamic microphone to record their speeches for its consistent volume and recording quality despite the environment; in the end it's up to you to decide which type of microphone is right for you.


Headset microphones:

Headsets, too, come with different microphone designs, though most are designed as condenser microphones. Many microphones that come with gaming headsets nowadays also come with a basic form of noise canceling as an effort to eliminate repetitive outside sounds in order to for the speaker to be heard more clearly over voice chat.

Types

Boom: Boom microphones on headsets are the type that simply swing down from some sort of fixed point (though some boom mics are also of the detachable sort for different purposes), and is the most popular kind on headsets. They usually are able to afford housing larger drivers than the other kinds and thus usually are better at reproducing male vocals.

In-line: In-line microphones sit on the cord connecting the headset to the computer and simply picks up the sounds of its surroundings. Lavalier microphones as well as dedicated microphones that clip onto the cord of a pair of headphones or otherwise also fall into this category.

Retractable: Retractable microphones are the sort that can retract into it's housing inside an earcup of the headset, and as a result usually has smaller drivers that pick up a more limited frequency range. On the upside, retractable microphones are better at picking up vocals due to their positioning than in-line mics and are less cumbersome than many boom microphones.



Amplifiers and DAC's

Most (if not all) computers are already equipped with an amplifier and DAC (digital-to-analog-converter) where the computer's CPU does the audio processing. Sound cards, be it an internal solution or an external solution via SPDIF or USB, take that processing out of the CPU's hands and generally provides a better signal. Amplifiers, on the other hand are just there to amplify the signal by pumping more voltage or current into the output device so the listener can hear it clearer and louder.

Many sound cards provide 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound as an analog output, but most amp/DAC's that are meant to compliment headphones will only have a stereo output headphones (or speakers if you choose to amplify them). Among them, some sound cards are meant for gamers and as such provide features such as software for digital surround sound stereo headphones and headsets as well as provide more juice to them. Alternatively, there are also DAC's that provide just the processing and surround sound features without any of the amplifying features for the gamers that just want virtual surround sound or the sound of the DAC in general.

Amplifiers come into the picture when the output device (either the headphone of speaker) in question is rated at a rather high impedance, or at least higher than most other similar devices of its kind. The job of the amplifier is to feed more voltage into the device, and thus amplifying the signal and making a signal sound "louder" to a listener. Lower impedance (basically just about everything you would buy from a shop, or anything lower than about ~100 ohms of impedance as far as headphones are concerned) devices require more current than they do voltage to perform at similar volume levels. Headphones are especially affected by this trait as many headphones are designed to be highly efficient with low-impedance, and thus is harder to amplify or power properly if one wishes to have the best possible listening experience on a set. Alternatively, higher impedance headphones generally cope with different levels of amplification well compared to the lower-impedance models, but may sound somewhat weak and feeble until enough power is delivered to the unit.



Headphones vs Speakers

There's quite a large divide within the more involved community between the headphone and speaker users (I'm part of the former, if you can't tell by now, despite owning a pair of expensive speakers), labeling themselves and each other as “headphiles” and “audiophiles,” respectively. A big factor in this divide is that headphones just don't sound like speakers, or vice versa. With headphones a lot of the sound one would hear feels like it's in their head, even on open headphones. Listening to a very good pair of speakers feels more of a proper “listening experience” of sorts, as there's more directionality involved; it's the more natural form of listening to audio in general due to soundstage and just sheer presentation of the music. However, speakers, by design, will generally never have as natural as of a reproduction of a good pair of headphones in terms of the reproduction of the process itself, as well as how the recording process “abstracts” the real thing due to the acoustic properties of the listening environment. In this regard, headphones are the more “pure” listening experience as far as actual sound re-production is concerned, as very good headphones will deliver a far more accurate rendering of any given track than any speaker due to the speaker being reliant on the listening environment in question, leading to headphones being a more intimate experience with one's music. On the other hand, listening to very good speakers is very much more visceral, it's a physical experience where one would connect to their music in a different way in the same way that a concert is different from a recording.

In the end, the music in question comes from the same source, so it's up to you to decide what kind of listening experience you want. Obviously speakers and some open headphones will be less optimal for certain environments where one would be either in a loud area or does not want others to hear them for whatever reason, though in a properly isolated environment speakers and open headphones are concerned to be some of the best listening experiences one can afford at home. Closed headphones find home in portable use or in the recording studio, though with the popularization of headphones as an essential part of one's everyday setup due to celebrity-endorsed brands like Beats by Dr. Dre and Monster, closed headphones are finding themselves homes in the home environment more and more as well.



Gaming Audio

While a good speaker setup is considered to be one of the best experiences for gaming, the same goes with a good headphone or headset setup. Generally, headsets are considered to be inferior to headphones in just about every way possible as far as sound quality is concerned, and the only redeeming feature they have is that you don't have to go buy a microphone separately (that said, actual audio companies that have made headsets like Sennheiser's PC lineup are considered good for both listening and recording quality, however, products like those are generally far and few between). However, if you have enough desk space in your setup, getting the microphone and headphones separately allows one to have the best audio experience possible, as there is a wider range of options available and for better value. Furthermore, a good sound card, be it an internal solution or external is recommended for most people on laptops or lower-end motherboards that does not feature a great on-board solution. For the ones running with higher-end headphones, sound cards or even a dedicated amp is recommended unless of course the motherboard can provide enough power to the headphones in question.



Lossless Audio

While most audio enthusiasts will say that lossless audio is superior, many are also in agreement that high bitrate mp3 and AAC files are also suitable for many due to a lack of dynamic range in much of modern music (pop or otherwise). That said, the general consensus is that there is little difference between high bitrate music and lossless music in the first place for the vast majority of listeners anyways.

[FanOfKOTOKO]

Simplified Buyer's Guide
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Headsets:

Spoiler!

$0~$50

Yapster TM-YW100A (~$15 US) – Analog headset with a boom microphone; circumaural

Plantronics Audio 355 (~$20 US) – Analog headset with a boom microphone; supra-aural

Creative HS-800 Fatal1ty (~$20-30 US) - Analog headset with a detachable noise-canceling boom microphone; supra-aural

Logitech ClearChat H390 (~25 US) – USB headset with a boom microphone equipped with noise-canceling; supra-aural

Logitech G230 (~$30-$60 US) – Analog circumaural headset with a noise-canceling boom microphone, reasonably balanced sound but not the most detailed; comes with a DAC that supports Dolby's virtualized surround sound software for about $50 more

Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Alpha (~$45 US) – Analog headset with a detachable noise-canceling boom microphone with an optional USB connector for driver-driven virtual/digital surround sound via THX; circumaural, might be on-ear for larger ears

Thermaltake Tt eSports Shock (~$40-$60 US) – Analog headset with a noise-canceling boom microphone; circumaural

$50~$100

Plantronics GameCom 780 (~$65 US) – USB headset with a noise-canceling boom microphone as well as driver support for virtual/digital surround sound via Dolby; circumaural

Corsair Vengeance 1300 (~$50-$80 US) – Analong circumaural headset with boom microphone; neutral and relatively flat sound signature that lends itself well to equalization. Currently updated to Vengeance 1400

SteelSeries Siberia V2 (~$80 US) – Analog headset with noise-canceling retractable microphone; circumaural, elastic headband not unlike many of AKG's headphones for easier fitting; light-weight

Logitech G35 (~$65-$100 US) – USB headset with noise-canceling boom microphone and driver support for virtual/digital surround sound via Dolby

SteelSeries 5H V3 (~$70-$80 US) – Analog headset with a detachable noise-canceling boom microphone with an optional USB connector for driver-driven virtual/digital surround sound via Dolby; circumaural; sounds pretty good for the headsets around it's price-point

Logitech G930 (~$80-$110 US) – Wireless USB headset with noise-canceling boom microphone and driver support for virtual/digital surround sound via Dolby; circumaural; sounds similar to G230 but perhaps heavier due to battery pack

Corsair Vengeance 1500 (~$65-$100 US) – USB headset with noise-canceling boom microphone and driver support for virtual/digital surround sound via Dolby; same as Vengeance 1300 otherwise

$100~$200

Corsair Vengeance 2100 (~$100-$150 US) – Wireless USB headset with noise-canceling boom microphone and driver support for virtual/digital surround sound via Dolby; circumaural, sounds and feels similar to the Vengeance 1500

Sennheiser PC360 (~$200 US) – Analog open headset with a very good noise-canceling boom microphone; circumaural; sounds very natural with a good soundscape due to open design

Sennheiser PC350 (~$200 US) – Analog circumaural headset with a very good boom microphone; closed-back variant of PC360

$200+

Sennheiser PC363D (~$200-$250 US) – Analog circumaural headset with very good boom microphone; essentially the PC350 with an optional USB attachment with software included for Dolby's virtualized surround sound

Platronics GameCom Commander (~$250 US) – Analog circumaural headset with a good boom microphone; comes with optional USB attachment with software for Dolby's virtualized surround sound

Beyerdynamic 715565 PC (~$300-$400 US) – Analog headset with a detachable noise-canceling condenser boom microphone with an optional USB connector for driver-driven virtual/digital surround sound; circumaural; very good sounding, bass-heavy but does not dampen the other frequencies

Earphones:

Spoiler!

Philips SHE3590 (~$10 US) – In-ears with a “V”-shaped sound and strong bass.

Logitech UE500 (~$25-$40 US) – In-ears with a slight “V”-shaped sound signature, good clarity and definition for the price.

Sennheiser CX300 Mk.II (~$25-$40 US) – In-ears with a relatively smooth sound and punchy bass. Good clarity overall for the price.

AKG Q460 (~$50-60 US) – In-ears with pretty well-rounded sound, somewhat artifically-sounding trebles.

Klipsch Image S4 (~$60-$80 US) – In-ears with a punchy bass, very good sound overall.

Shure SE215 (~$100 US) – In-ears with punchy bass and strong mids

Speakers

Spoiler!

Logitech Z506 (~$50-$100 US) – 5.1 active speaker system, decent all-around but nothing significant of note.

Edifier e10 (~$50-$100 US) – Active computer speakers with good tonal balance with a slight edge on the upper midrange

Logitech Z623 (~$100 US) – 2.1 active speaker system with decent bass and decent sounding all-around.

M-Audio AV40 (~$100-$150 US) – Active monitor speakers, neutral sounding all around

Polk Audio R150 (~$100-$150 US) – Passive bookshelf speakers with a generally warm sound signature, slightly peaky treble.

Audioengine A2 (~$200 US) – Very neutral passive bookshelf speakers, good sounding all-around.

Corsair SP2500 (~$200-$250 US) – 2.1 active speaker system with a powerful subwoofer, very good sounding all-around with a good amp for the satellite speakers.

Polk Audio R50 (~$300 US) – Passive cabinet speakers with a neutral sound signature. Good extended bass and very good midrange detail.

Niles Audio Pro770FX (~$300-700 US) – Passive cabinet speakers a neutral sound signature. Good midrange, but lacks in bass (wanting for a good subwoofer).

Headphones:

Spoiler!

$10~$50

Philips SHS8200/37 (~$10-15 US) – Supra-aural neckband headphones, punchy bass and decent extension for the price; may be uncomfortable for some

Sony MDR-ZX100 (~$15 US) – Supra-aural closed headphones, decent sound for the price

Sennheiser HD201 (~$20-$30 US) – Closed circumaural headphones, neutral sound signature overall

Sony MDR-MA300 (~$20-$30 US) – Open supra-aural headphones, strong emphasis on bass

Tascam TH02 (~$20-$35 US) – Closed circumaural headphones, folds up to be more compact

Superlux HD681 (~$30 US) – “Semi”-open circumaural headphones; pretty neutral with bright highs

Monoprice 8323 (~$35 US) – Closed circumaural headphones with a detachable cable

Panasonic HTF-600 (~$35 US) – Closed circumaural headphones with decent bass and smooth highs

Brainwavz HM3 (~$35 US) – Closed supra-aural headphones meant for outdoor or portable use. Well rounded overall with good bass.

Superlux HD668B (~$30-50 US) – “Semi”-open circumaural headphones with a rounded midrange

AKG K77 (~$50) – Semi-closed circumaural headphones with a relatively neutral sound signature

AKG K518 (~$40-$60) – Closed supra-aural headphones with a relatively balanced sound signature; available in different colors

$50~$100

Audio-Technica ATH-M30 (~$40-$60 US) – Closed circumaural headphones with a slight "V"-shaped to it's sound signature (meaning it tends towards the lows and highs), otherwise neutral and clean sounding; one of the cheapest studio monitors you can buy new

Gemini DJ HSR-1000 (~$50-$70 US) – Closed circumaural headphones, neutral and flat but slightly artificial sound signature

Pioneer SE-A1000 (~$60 US) – Open circumaural headphones, relatively neutral and slightly rolled off trebles

Koss Pro DJ100 (~$40-80 US) – Closed circumaural (might be on-ear for some people with bigger ears ) headphones with a very natural sound signature and good vocal reproduction

Sony MDR V6 (~$60-80 US) – One of the most iconic studio monitoring headphones that's been in use since the 80's. Circumaural closed headphones that are very durable and produces a very clean sound that might be just a splash on the bassy side but barely noticeable

Sony MDR 7506 (~$60-80 US) – The "leaner" version of the V6, with a bigger emphasis on the mids and highs for studio monitoring use.

Philips CitiScape Uptown (~$60-$80 US) – Sealed circumaural headset. Good bass and highs, slightly “V”-shaped and not exceptionally sensitive compared to some of the other every-day “portable” headphones. Comes with an in-line microphone

AKG K240 (~$70-$100 US) – One of AKG's most iconic headphones, semi-open circumaural that produces very natural but slightly forward mids and somewhat rolled off highs

Sennheiser HD280 Pro ($80-$100) – Closed circumaural headphones with a smooth sound signature and and good extension both ways

Grado SR80i (~$100 US) – Supra-aural open headphones with very bright highs and good instrument separation

$100~$150

Audio-Technica AD500X (~$90-$130 US) – Open circumaural headphones that are quite neutral and relative flat with an good emphasis in the mids, wide soundstage (update to the AD500, may still be available at some locations for less than the AD500X)

Audio-Technica A700X (~$100-$130 US) – Circumaural closed headphones with a neutral and relatively flat sound signature, some emphasis in the mids; closed variant of the AD700X

Denon AH-D1100 (~$100-$150 US) – Closed circumaural headphones with punchy bass and good separation

Sennheiser HD558 (~$120-$150 US) – Open circumaural headphones, somewhat laid-back sounding and very neutral with a slight emphasis in upper-bass and vocal range

Audio-Technica AD700X (~$100-$150 US) – Open circumaural headphones that have slightly metallic highs and tight but not showy bass, wide soundstage; brother unit to the AD500X and update to the previous AD700

Brainwavz HM5 (~$110-$140 US) – Closed circumaural headphones, somewhat laid-back sounding and very neutral, surprisingly good soundstage for a pair of closed headphones

Sennheiser HD380 Pro (~$100-$140 US) – Closed circumaural headphones, neutral and smooth sound signature, bigger brother to the HD280 or the closed variant of the HD558 with mainly a larger earcup

Logitech UE6000 (~$150-$200 US) – Closed circumaural headsets with a smooth and laid back sound signature. Designed for portable use and features noise-canceling and a detachable cable.

AKG K240 Mk.II (~$150 US) – Semi-open circumaural headphones with a neutral sound featuring the mids and highs

Audio-Technica ATH M50 (~$120-$170 US) – Closed circumaural monitor headphones with a slightly “v” shape to the sound, with slightly higher bass and treble than it's mids; widely considered one of the best headphones for the price; non-coiled cord version also available

$150~$250

Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro (~$150-$200 US) – Open circumaural monitor headphones that are well regarded for their bass for an open headphone as well as overall clarity in sound reproduction

Beyerdynamic DT770 (~$180 US) – Closed circumaural that is well regarded for its bass as well as overall clarity

Philips Fidelio L1/28 (~$160-$200 US) – Semi-open circumaural headphones with a generally warm sound with good bass extension meant for general purpose use. Features a detachable cable.

AKG K612 Pro (~$200 US) – Open circumaural headphones; very clear and a tendency towards the mids and highs as with most of AKG's headphones; update to the retired K601 and the still continuing K701

Shure SRH840 (~$200 US) – Closed circumaural headphones, good bass and mids, somewhat rolled off highs

Sennheiser HD25-II (~$200 US) – Closed supra-aural headphones, good bass and neutral all-around; popular as DJ headphones

Sony MDRMA900 (~$200-$250 US) – Open circumaural headphones, very open soundscape and very lightweight

Sony MDR 1R (~$200-$250 US) – Circumaural closed headphones, forward midrange and good instrumental imaging

Audio-Technica ATHESW9A (~$200-$250 US) – Circumaural closed headphones with wooden earcups, neutral sound signature and somewhat forward mids

Sennheiser HD598 (~$190-$250 US) – Circumaural open headphones, sounds very warm and laid-back with smooth mids

Sony MDR CD900ST (~$200-$250 US) – Circumaural closed headphones, very fast sounding headphone with a strong emphasis on mids and highs

Audio-Technica ATH-A900X (~$190-$250 US) – Circumaural closed headphones, neutral and generally flat sound signature

AKG K/Q701 (~$200-$300 US) – Open circumaural headphones. Very detailed with a focus on the mids and highs and good-sounding all-throughout; widely considered one of the best headphones you can buy for your money

$250+

AKG K550 (~$200-$300 US) – Closed circumaural headphones meant for everyday "on-the-go" use; flat and very detailed sound signature.

Philips Fidelio X1 (~$200-$300 US) – Open circumaural headphones with detachable cable, very present bass and good vocal range

Beyerdynamic DT-1350 (~$200-$300 US) – Closed supra-aural headphones. Clean throughout and slightly bassy.

Sennheiser HD600 (~$400 US) – Open circumaural headphones, very good soundscape and sounds very smooth like many Sennheisers; considered alongside the K701 to be one of the best value headphones you can get for the money at the sub-$1000 price range

AKG K712 Pro (~$400-$500 US) – Open circumaural headphones, the "updated" K702 with improved sound quality; similar sound signature to the Q701 or K702.

Microphones

Spoiler!

$0~$50

Neewer Lapel Microphone (~$5 US) – Basic lapel microphone that comes with a clip; comes in a set of 3 from Neewer

Zalman ZM Mic1 (~$5-$15 US) – Clips onto a headphone cord; slightly high sensitivity and very good audio quality for the price.

Logitech Labtec Desktop Microphone 600 (~$15-$20 US) – Desktop microphone, analog, decent quality

CAD U1 USB (~$25-$40 US) – USB dynamic microphone, comes with a mount

Audio-Technica ATR2100 (~$36 US) – USB dyamic microphone; comes with a mount. This microphone includes an audio jack for those who wishes to monitor their recording in real-time, as well as XLR output for those who wishes to use the microphone with a mixer.

Samson GO Mic (~$40 US) – USB condenser cardioid microphone, mounts onto monitors similar to a webcam

CAD U37 USB (~$45 US) – USB condenser cardioid microphone, comes with mount.

Audio-Technica ATR2500 (~$50 US) – USB condenser microphone with a mount. Comes with an audio jack input for real-time monitoring.

Audio-Technica ATR2005 (~$50 US) – USB dynamic microphone, comes with a mount. Same as the ATR2100 but features an improved pop filter.

Behringer C-1 Studio (~$50 US) – USB condenser microphone with a swivel mount; microphone stand for mount required

$50~$100

MXL TEMPO-KR (~$50-$80 US) – USB condenser cardioid microphone with mount

Blue Snowball Microphone (~$65 US) – USB condenser cardioid recording microphone with mount, includes -16dB and omnidirectional options

Samson Meteor Microphone (~$60-$80 US) – USB condenser cardioid microphone, very compact and comes with it's own mount and an audio port for monitoring

MXL AC404 (~$60-$80 US) – USB omnidirectional conference microphone

AKG PERCEPTION 120 (~$60-$80 US) – XLR cardioid condenser microphone, requires mount and mixer; USB version available for a bit more

M-Audio Avid Producer USB(~$60-$100 US) – USB condenser cardioid microphone with mount; comes with recording software

Samson C01UCW Studio (~$80 US) – USB condenser cardioid microphone with mount

Blue Nessie (~$100 US) – USB condenser cardioid microphone with real-time monitoring and volume control

Audio-Technica AT2020 USB (~$80-$120 US) – USB condenser cardioid recording microphone, comes with mount

$100+

Blue Yeti Microphone (~$100-$150 US) – Cardioid microphone with multiple capsules like the Snowball, comes with a dedicated headphone amplifier and DAC for audio monitoring as well as options for different recording patterns; version with included XLR connections available for more

Electro-Voice N/D468 (~$150 US) – XLR dynamic cardioid microphone; mount and requires mixer

AKG Perception 420 (~$150-$200 US) – XLR condenser microphone with the option for multiple recording patterns, requires mount and mixer

Blue Bluebird (~$250-$300 US) – XLR condenser cardioid microphone, comes with shock mount and pop filter; requires a mixer and phantom power to work

Shure SM57 (~$300-$400 US) – XLR dynamic cardioid microphone, requires mount and requires mixer

Sound Cards and (Headphone) Amplifiers

Spoiler!

$0~$100

Asus Xonar DG 5.1 (~$30 US) – Basic internal sound card with software for virtualized surround sound and 5.1 surround outputs; on-par with some of the higher-end motherboard on-board audio solutions if not a little worse than the best of them

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Go (~$30 US) – Simple headset USB DAC, software includes THX-based virtual surround sound for headphones and headsets.

FireStone Audio Fireye Mini (~$40 US) – Basic portable headphone amp. Recharged through USB and comes in various colors.

ASUS Xonar U3 (~$40 US) – Simple USB headset DAC, software includes virtual surround sound for headphones and headsets

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround (~$65 US) – USB DAC and amplifier for most headphones and headsets. Software includes THX-based virtual surround sound for headphones and headsets

FiiO E10 (~$50-$80) – USB headphone amplifier and DAC for headphones rated up to 300 ohms

Creative Sound Blasters X-Fi HD (~$80 US) – USB amplifier for headphones and headsets rated for up to 200 ohms. Software includes THX-based virtual surround sound for headphones and headsets

Creative Sound Blaster Omni (~$50-$90 US) - USB DAC for headphones and headsets that can output 5.1. Software includes THX-based virtual surround sound for headphones and headsets

M-Audio M Track (~$100 US) – USB microphone mixer used to interface for XLR microphones with headphone port for microphone monitoring; can also be used as a dedicated audio output device

$100~$200

FiiO E09k (~$80-$120 US) – Headphone amplifier designed as a companion model to go along with the FiiO E17, but can be used individually as just a headphone amplifier

AUDIO TRAK Prodigy Cube (~$80-$130 US) – USB headphone DAC and amplifier with speaker switch and control

FiiO E17 (~$100-$150 US) – USB headphone amplifier and DAC for headphones rated up to 150 ohms; doubles as an amplifier for mobile devices

Objective 2 Headphone Amp (~$120-$150 US) – Analog headphone amplifier rated for headphones up to 600ohms. It is widely considered to be the best value audio amplifier for the money.

Focusrite 2i2 (~$130-$160 US) – USB microphone mixer used to interface for XLR microphones with headphone port for microphone monitoring; can also be used as a dedicated audio output device

HiFiMAN EF2A (~$130-$180 US) – USB headphone DAC and tube amplifier, can be used as just the tube amp

ASUS Xonar Essence STX (~$150-$200 US) – High-quality internal sound card and headphone amplifier dedicated for headphone output; includes software for Dolby's virtualized surround sound

ASUS Xonar U7 (~$180 US) – USB amplifier and DAC for headphones and headsets. Software includes Dolby-based virtual surround sound for headphones and headsets

Aune T1 (~$180-$200 US) – USB DAC or analog tube headphone amplifier

$200+

NuForce Icon HD (~$250 US) – USB headphone amplifier and DAC rated for headphones up to 600 ohms and a signal to noise ratio of 100dB

Schiit Valhalla (~$350 US) – Tube amplifier designed for amplifying headphones with a neutral sound signature

ASUS Xonar Essence One (~$500-$600 US) – USB headphone amplifier and DAC rated for headphones up to 600 ohms and a signal to noise ratio of 120dB

[rasudoken]

Will a Dynamic Microphone pick up whispering volume? The sort of volume you'd be speaking with in an environment where you can't be loud or normal voice volume?

[Mesniac]

Will a Dynamic Microphone pick up whispering volume? The sort of volume you'd be speaking with in an environment where you can't be loud or normal voice volume?

rasu wants headset to whisper to someone with

TIL what circumaural is.
Nice guide.

[FanOfKOTOKO]

Will a Dynamic Microphone pick up whispering volume? The sort of volume you'd be speaking with in an environment where you can't be loud or normal voice volume?

Maybe? Depends on how loud you are, and whether or not the mic in question is sensitive enough (or made it sensitive enough via the mixer or otherwise). Each microphone is different, so I can't really tell you a straight answer.

If you want something that'll most probably pick up your voice no matter what you can go the condenser route, but condenser mics will also pick up just about everything else, too.

[blankaex]

Nice guide :o
I read a bit and skimmed through the rest, looks great! One of my friends was actually looking for some audio equipment so I'll link this to him. ( ･ω･)ﾉ

[turles]

Nice guide, informative. Are you into ICE (in-car entertainment) at all?

[FanOfKOTOKO]

Nice guide, informative. Are you into ICE (in-car entertainment) at all?

Fortunately or unfortunately, I'm not, so I wouldn't know much about it :x

[FailFTW]

AUDIO EXPRESS
THE HOME HOME HOME of the ONE DOLLAR INSTALL

[FanOfKOTOKO]

Updated with more headphones, microphones, and sound cards :x