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SpeleoFool
675
Oct 7, 2020
I much prefer combining dedicated headphones with a separate mic over integrated headsets. Mostly it seems that headsets compromise one or both halves of the audio equation. I'll have to watch your video to see the distinction you make between "immersion" and "entertainment" headsets; I tend to lump those ideas into the same category. But I do agree that competitive gaming has distinct needs that often calls for distinct hardware. As a general rule, I've found that neutrally-tuned professional / studio headphones tend to work best for competitive play. Those tend to support precise imaging and good separation of sound elements that leave the soundscape uncluttered while providing the necessary audio cues to hear what is happening and where. Larger soundstage can assist with discerning distance. Meanwhile, for immersion it's better to have a cohesive, cinematic, exciting sound. You want plenty of bass, punchy explosions, engaging score, forward dialogue, etc. Cost-no-object, the Sennheiser HD800S is my favorite headphone for gaming, period, because it manages to excel at both competitive and immersive needs. The large stage does a good job of feeding separation, imaging and conveying a sense of direction and distance, while close action is still exciting and immersive without overwhelming distant sounds. It's a picky headphone for music, but it checks every box for gaming. Further down the scale, I love the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro for competitive play, for reasons described above, and I converted a Focal Elegia into a gaming headset with a modmic. I use my Elegia for everyday immersive gaming--or at least I did until my wife stole it for Assassin's Creed, lol. I am currently using an LCD-GX, which sounds great out of an XBox controller. I'd still grab the 1990 for hardcore competitive play, but both the Focal and Audeze cans do a fine job for everyday play. Personal background: I play a huge number and variety of games on XBox and PC, spanning all genre types. I am currently closing in on 1000 games with 100% of achievements unlocked. PVP is not my favorite, though I have done it (e.g., Titanfall, Destiny, etc.). My favorite games tend to be 3D, open world adventure games where good 3D sound is important, but absolute precision and timing needs are less severe than in competitive gaming.
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SpeleoFool

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SpeleoFoolWe think alike! I definitely addressed the headphone+ mic option in the video, and I think you’ll be nodding your head in agreement at least two or three times in the video 😁
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Evshrug

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