Best closed-back headset for gaming?

[peder2tm]

I am looking for a new headset for PC gaming (first person shooters).

It should be closed back to keep outside noises out. I already have Sennheiser HD650 for music listening.

So far the best suggestions I could find is:

Beyerdynamic MMX 300 2nd gen [Thomann link]
32 ohm headphones with cardioid condenser mic (requires 1.5-9 V supply).

I suppose the frequency response is similar to DT770. Even though I usually prefer a more flat frequency response I guess it might be ok for gaming.
I guess most sound cards and usb dongles output something between 1.5-5 V as phantom power?

Beyerdynamic DT-290/M200/H250 MkII [Thomann link]
250 ohm headphones with hypercardioid dynamic mic
This is the same as DT250-250 with a dynamic mic.
The good thing about DT250 is it's okay flat frequency response.
There is another option with condenser mic that requires 48 V phantom power.
Do you think the dynamic mic is better for this purpose than the condenser?
At the moment I do not have a recording interface so I would need to get one to use phantom power.
In principle the hypercardiod mic has a back lobe that could pick up keyboard noise, but maybe the higher gain main lobe would compensate for that.

At the moment I am leaning towards getting DT-290/M200/H250 MkII with the mini-jack cable K190.48 and just use it with the apple usb-c dongle.
The headphones are high impedance, but quite sensitive so I guess the dongle should be enough to get them to normal listening volume.

Any thoughts/suggestions are appreciated

 

[PierreV]

I got that one with a steep discount during Amazon Prime days

https://headphonereview.com/over-ear/audio-technica-ath-adg1x-review/

It's open back, but they appear to have a closed back version as well.

Disclaimer: I am definitely not a headphone guy but I own a Sennheiser 600HD and compared it, informally to the AT when I received it. That was a quick 20-30 minutes test, listening to a few tracks I like. I did not find the ATU to be deficient compared to the Sennheiser. I could live with it for music. As far as the microphone is concerned, I happen to play (Eve Online mostly these days) teaming up with a musician and sound engineer and he was really happy with my voice and the lack of environmental noise pickup compared to the Logitech I was using before. Comfort is the best I have ever had.

Again, remember I am definitely NOT a headphone guy

 

[josiah]

MH-751 (752 include a dongle) hands down. I have tried nearly all gaming headsets. The sound for the price is unmatched.

There is no headset more comfortable than it. I find myself switching to it if any of my other headsets start to cause discomfort. They seem to be selling out everywhere. Newegg still has some.

Z-Review also reviewed them, and liked them to my surprise.

 

[k3nb5t]

I gave up on gaming headsets, having been disappointed by all that I've tried over the years. I ended up using my HD800s with a proper mic and greatly appreciated the better quality on both the recording and playback sides. However, the monetary investment is much bigger too, so it's all about priorities

I don't have any experience with the headset models you've listed, but I would recommend staying away from condenser mics for gaming use. Dynamics offer much better noise rejection (in general). I have a Blue Yeti (condenser) and had a lot of issues with it picking up all sorts of room noises, despite being shock mounted to a scissor-boom very close to my mouth in cardiod mode. I like to leave my settings on "open mic" so I don't have to press a button to make call-outs. I couldn't even shift in my seat without my teammates knowing about it. This is pretty standard for full-size condenser mics, so I'd recommend sticking with dynamic mics instead.

That said, I've not tried a condenser in headset format. I wasn't aware they existing and I've no idea how they conquer the phantom power issue.

 

[peder2tm]

I gave up on gaming headsets, having been disappointed by all that I've tried over the years. I ended up using my HD800s with a proper mic and greatly appreciated the better quality on both the recording and playback sides. However, the monetary investment is much bigger too, so it's all about priorities

I don't have any experience with the headset models you've listed, but I would recommend staying away from condenser mics for gaming use. Dynamics offer much better noise rejection (in general). I have a Blue Yeti (condenser) and had a lot of issues with it picking up all sorts of room noises, despite being shock mounted to a scissor-boom very close to my mouth in cardiod mode. I like to leave my settings on "open mic" so I don't have to press a button to make call-outs. I couldn't even shift in my seat without my teammates knowing about it. This is pretty standard for full-size condenser mics, so I'd recommend sticking with dynamic mics instead.

That said, I've not tried a condenser in headset format. I wasn't aware they existing and I've no idea how they conquer the phantom power issue.

The problem with standalone mics is that they still need to be right in your face to avoid picking up keyboard noise. I do have HD 650 which I could pair with a modmic for example. I also have a handheld sennheiser dynamic mic, but I don't have an interface and it didn't work well with my motherboard (barely audible and lots of noise) and it didn't work with the apple usb dongle either.

Most cheap headset mics are condenser but designed for 1.5-9 V phantom power which is provided by soundcards and usb dongles as far as I understand. The mmx 300 is also a condenser mic with low voltage requirements.
The 48V phantom power is just the studio standard.

The cooler master gets good reviews. I think the biggest disadvantage is that the mic is omnidirectional.

Thanks for your inputs

 

[k3nb5t]

The problem with standalone mics is that they still need to be right in your face to avoid picking up keyboard noise. I do have HD 650 which I could pair with a modmic for example. I also have a handheld sennheiser dynamic mic, but I don't have an interface and it didn't work well with my motherboard (barely audible and lots of noise) and it didn't work with the apple usb dongle either.

Most cheap headset mics are condenser but designed for 1.5-9 V phantom power which is provided by soundcards and usb dongles as far as I understand. The mmx 300 is also a condenser mic with low voltage requirements.
The 48V phantom power is just the studio standard.

The cooler master gets good reviews. I think the biggest disadvantage is that the mic is omnidirectional.

Thanks for your inputs

I guess smaller condensers make for smaller power requirements

Let us know how your search turns out!

 

[peder2tm]

I ended up buying a second-hand Beyerdynamic MMX 300 for 200€ and use it with Apple USB-C dongle. It is fitted with very thick lambskin earpads instead of the standard velour ones.

Sound
The noise isolation is very good. I almost can't hear my keyboard while playing music at very low volume.
In comparison with my Sennheiser HD650 the frequncy response is more U-shaped with plenty of subwoofer bass and a bit of boosted treble. I don't think the treble is as pronounced as when I tried DT770 80 and DT770 250 ohm in a shop. I don't know if this is caused by the different earpads or if the headphones are tuned differently (its nominal impedance is 32 Ohms).
Sennheiser HD650 sounds a little boring when switching back to them, but I still prefer HD650 for long listening sessions. I guess the open back design avoids the resonance frequencies that makes the MMX 300 sound a bit more unnatural.

Microphone
The Apple dongle has plenty of amplification for the mic. At 100% gain in windows the mic is clipping when I speak. 92% seems to be the best.
I can set the right threshold in the VoIP app (discord) such that my very loud keyboard with cherry mx blue switches never triggers the voice detection and the voice always triggers. This was impossible with my old omnidirectional headset mic.

 

[ShiZo]

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-sennheiser-pc37x-gaming-headset

Easy, HD598's with a built in mic.

 

[peder2tm]

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-sennheiser-pc37x-gaming-headset

Easy, HD598's with a built in mic.

They might be good, but they are open-back.

 

[ShiZo]

They might be good, but they are open-back.

Haha woops. Audeze mobius

 

[lennard]

Perhaps a beyerdynamic MMX 300? The mh751 is pretty great, but the design could be a concern although I have not had an issue with mine

Something else might be the sennheiser game zero, as it has a good mic an pretty good sound

Audio-Technica BPHS1 or Audio-Technica BPHS2 would be a good option

 

[sniperguy]

Razer G Headsets are the best headsets especially for gaming. I am personally using it and it is very comfortable.