After the implosion of yet another Cooler Master headset (Great sound, but that only gets you so far when a pair is just riding solo on the audio front. My priorities, and the current equipment landscape have changed since my first post a while back (Pandemic life!)
I’d rather not just be another Blue Yeti buyer, and I know the Samsons are out there as well depending on how things go. I’d like to work toward getting a solid bang-for-your-buck dynamic when feasible as that’s the type of input I’m really needing in the long-term. Beyond just higher-end gaming, but Internet comms and some non-musical Internet comms and content production that could do without the nightmare road traffic outside my work area.
Headphones:
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 Ohm – Leaning toward this one, looking for something solid to drive for longer-term possible upgrade
HyperX Cloud (or one of their similar models as a much-less preferred stopgap)
Razer’s Blackshark v2 might do in a pinch, again just as standalone cans but this isn’t one I’m really considering – just tossing it out there if there are any opinions
Also, any thoughts on the current crop of wireless cans? Any reduction in cable clutter would always be a plus, but not with any appreciable dip in quality.
To complete the setup, I’m looking for some solid boxes to last for a while, namely:
Schiii Modi 3+
Schiit Magni
Drop THX AAA One (more research needed, but a solid price point)
The Fii0 E10k (again, seems more of a placeholder)
The Schiits have always come across as reliable in sound and reliability aside from fringe cases; I wasn’t sure what kind of reputation they had with you folks.
Further consideration will need to be pad to the mic:
Again, after getting burned by the Cooler Master (well-reviewd_ followed by it’s also well-received MH650 received as compensation for the previous set’s catastraphc failure of the headband and the internet pins and tension mounts. While I want to work toward a respectable
As a placeholder I had began looking into the Eglgato Wave… Trendy I lnow, but it’s more of starter’s / placehold as I wil not be producing professional online content. Usage will be personal / business calls, higher quality music, and higher end gaming that will required as much clarify and fidelity as possible.
Any further questions or insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.
As far is mic goes, I myself am rocking an SE Electronics X1 A.
It’s great build quality and excellent sounding. Of course, it being an XLR mic I couldn’t just use an XLR to 3,5mm and hook it up to my PC. I ain’t no caveman!
So paired with that I got the Behringer U-Phoria UMC22. It’s a cheap, no-thrills, clean audio interface which, in a pinch, can even drive some cans (not very powerful but a lot cleaner and more powerful than my PC’s 3,5mm).
For cans I’m not in the position to give advice. Rocking open back planars xD
Very helpful advice as more options to research is precisely what I’m looking for. Every little bit helps and I’ll get on checking the X1A and the UMC22 immediately. I just wanted to use the hardware I mentioned as a starting point and see what others had to say to move away from the good ol’ 3.5mm jack. In an ideal world (and living / working situation), open back cans would be the way to go in a heartbeat.
I would recommend getting a heavy moving blanket and a second heavy duty curtain rod to hang in front of the window where the noise is coming from if you’re going to be doing content creation regardless of using closed headphones. And if you get a good enough result you might even be able to use open backs but that’s probably just wishful thinking
Thanks for the reply, Pokrog, and sorry for my own delayed response. The real downside to trying to block the road noise (I do live on a major road so it cranks up by 6:30 AM) would be to spare my SO and any other nearby folks the urge to strangle me due to the sounds of explosions, screams, ridiculous music, and god only knows what else would bleed out from open cans. I hear you on the wishful thinking part though, it would definitely be ideal.
To those who may still have any tidbits of advice… I"m just trying to find a temporary solution while I begin either build a decent stack piecemeal or a slightly longer-term to get some gear to last a while. With the glut of gear on the market, it’s slow to research even with slightly older reliable equipment and folks like Z and the rest of you pitching in when needed. By no means am I looking to scrap the bottom of the barrel since I can appreciate quality sound: I jut can’t afford to get scalped in the process and I know it’s possible to grab some starter items as I save up for the longer-term keepers.
Again, a huge thanks to anyone who’s even given this a skim. It’s by no means an original predicament variations on this have been asked countless times. I’ve noticed quite often the people doing the asking are thinking they can get an audiophile’s dream set up at the drop of a hat when it doesn’t really serve their needs. I’ll continue watching videos and digging through forums to make sure I’m not leaving any gear out or dismissing quality value items without due consideration. It’s definitely not a process I want to half-ass. It’s been a while since I had any real access to a nice PC audio setup and I’d like to not only return to that but improve on it sooner than later.
