Need recommendations on Headset/Headphones to pair with ASUS ROG Xonar Phoebus

Purely for gaming, I assume you want a balanced sound headphone as opposed to the DT990s as stated in the thread?

Firstly, I known my reply is long, but you should read all of it.

Secondly, GET A ASTRO MIXAMP PRO. Your awesome phoebus does a lot of things, but the mixamp adds Dolby headphone surround and Dolby 7.1. No matter what headphones or headset you choose, the mixamp adds amazing sound positioning, as well as letting you use whatever headset or headphones you choose with Xbox, PS3, and PC. Another choice is the Mixamp 5.8, but since you're a PC gamer there probably isn't any reason to go wireless. Out of all the other amplifiers there are (which you should definitely look in to) I recommend the Mixamp since you said you mostly play BF3, and having perfect sound positioning definitely makes a rediculous difference in any FPS. That's my choice for amp.


For the headset/headphones, it's all about what your going to use them for.

Firstly, I'll look at Sennheiser. Sennheiser is a 60+ year old German worldwide company, that provides some of if not the best sound quality and clarity in the world (Google Sennheiser HD 800 - pretty crazy). Also I'm kinda biased towards them.
It looks like your options are the PC 350, PC 360, and HD 595s. I'll look at each one.
The difference between the PC 350s and 360s is mainly that that the 350s are closed, while the 360s are open. This mainly means that the 350s will be more noise cancelling and the people next to you won't be able to hear what you're hearing. This is better for tournaments, LAN parties, and events. Because the 360s are open headphones, this mainly means that they will have a slightly larger soundstage, and a more natural and "open" sound (if you can imagine that difference). These would be better if you're mostly gaming by yourself, due to the lesser noise isolation and cancelling. You can do more research on closed vs open yourself, but that's it in a nutshell. Lastly though, I found that the 360s have actually a less sturdy/quality build than the 350s, but DO have slightly better sound quality that you would expect with the large price difference.
However, if you don't play multiplayer as much or don't care or use voice communication as much, DEFINITELY the HD595s. The 595s have even better quality than the PC360s, but that's what they're made for. Because they don't have a mic and they aren't specifically made for gaming, though, the PC350s and 360s have better positional sound, but that's what they're made for. It comes down to voice communication vs. no voice communication, great sound quality vs. awesome sound quality, and decent sound positioning vs awesome sound positioning. However, as a final note to Sennheiser, if it looks like the HD595s are better for you but you still want the sound positioning, that could probably be solved with the Mixamp, though I don't know of anyone that has that setup, so I can't testify. Also, there's the price difference of the HD595s.

Next though, is music and bass. While the PC350 and 360s are great for sound quality and locational positioning in games, they both aren't too good for music (they're good, but there's much better). Then while the HD 595s are awesome for music, they definitely don't have as much bass compared to some good Denons. And even though you said the headset will be used strictly for gaming, you might find the bass small at most. If you care more about bass than quality/positioning, then do some research into te Denom line.

Also, there's the Astro A40s. According to nearly every owner of a A40 and people that have tried them, they're really the most comfortable headset around, and they have a detachable mic, which, again, depending on your needs for the headset you're getting, might be a huge plus. However, they are much more expensive than most Denons and Sennheisers, and according to many professional reviews, the tiny difference in sound quality and positioning is not worth the extra money, when you can get some Denons, Sennheisers, or some other brand with equal or better quality and positioning, at the cost of some comfort and features, for MUCH less.

I discarded the Razer headsets because of their terrible sound quality compared to the other headphones/headsets mentioned. While I absolutely LOVE my DeathAdder mouse, their audio competiton is too good.

It's all about your needs and uses. I could make more exact recommendations if you wanted to give more details on tournaments/events and bass preference, but in the end it's your research and your money. Any high end headset will sound amazing especially with a Phoebus and Mixamp, but details matter.

Tell me any more thoughts or questions you have, or tell me what you've decided on!
Edited by Ghov - 5/12/12 at 12:49am

Actually, one final thing: this is all from my personal experience and research. There's plenty of other awesome headsets and headphones available, these are just the ones I'm familiar with and know stuff about.

There's zero point getting the mixamp as the Xonar already has Dolby Headphone.....

nononononono, that's the DT990s in which the treble can sound 'harsh'.

I'm using some HD595's I got off of a member here with a cheap Asus Xonar DG and they are fricken awesome! The sound is incredible coming from any sort of "gaming headset"

Oh, the Phoebus does? That's cool then. But I still think some kind of amp would make a huge difference.

Everything I hear is that the AKG Q701 are great headphones for FPS.
Just need to add the mic of your choice
Check the website Head-Fi for headphone recommendations.