Gaming Headsets advice

[Matt]

I've been thinking of getting a gaming headset recently, and was looking for any recommendations.

90% of my gaming is at night and with the family in bed, I wear headphones. I have my machines connected via HDMI to a Sony STR-DG820 amp, and currently wear a very nice set of Beyer Dynamics DT770 headphones. They're "only" stereo but pack a great punch.

All well and good, until I game online. Ignore the PS3 for the time with it's bluetooth headset, most of my online time is with the 360. I wear the standard 360 headset under the headphones. Not very comfortable and quite stupid. Obviously I need the mic, and I'm not keen on the voice coming out of the Beyer Dynamics as it gets lost in the rest of the sound; I do adjust the levels on the 360 which helps a bit.

Recently, a mate has picked up some Turtle Beach headset (x something, wireless 5.1 sound) and says they're great. Got me thinking that 5.1 / 7.1 headphones would really help in game with sound positioning, plus the added bonus of intgerated mic. The thing is, I'm not willing to splash out on a headset that only works on one console. I'd want the headset to last a decade and be, as much as we can guess, cross generational, and work on all consoles. I'm guessing that means either a seperate decoder or line-outs from an amp.

Any recommendations are appreciated. I'm not bothered about wireless at all (I sit under the amp), and would prefer not to spend too much, of course.

Thanks

[Daragon]

Sounds like your mate has the Turtle Beach X41.

Designed for Xbox but PS3 compatible (you will need to clip a bluetooth headset to your clothes though for voice chat, costs about ?10)

The actual X41 can be had for about ?90 these days though.

[Matt]

Thanks. I'm going to find something with hdmi input, making it as futureproof as possible.

[smouty]

There was a good thread not so long back regarding the merits of 5.1/7.1 headsets.
I think the general consensus was stereo was adequate for positioning.

I have the low end Turtle beach 360 ones and think they are fine for the price.

[Matt]

Thanks. Maybe I'll just use what I have for the time and try a clip on mic.

[QualityChimp]

Sorry to bump, but I'm pretty much the same as Matt in that I'm tired of silent gaming when everybody else is asleep.

I mainly play 360 so I'd need the mic for that, but I sometimes play Blu-Rays and watch iPlayer on the PS3.

The room is fairly small so as long as there's a sensibly sized cable, that'd be fine, no need for wireless.

Do I need 5.1 or will stereo suffice? I doubt I'd notice the difference!

Pennies are tight at the moment, so a good balance between quality and price would be best.

Did you find an HDMI one, Matt?
Should I have the sound coming out of the surround sound system or the telly?
The telly talks to the surround sound via optical cable.

I like the look of these with a detachable mic, but the whole setup looks like a total faff and may require further adaptors to be purchased.

Does anybody have any other cheap suggestions and can somebody explain how I can get the sound from either the telly or surround sound box but I can speak to the 360?

Cheers team!

[prinnysquad]

My wireless headset - official MS one - has started to rot away. The foam that goes over the speaker is falling off, proper degrading away. It's not like I overuse the bast. Shoddy workmanship all round.

[mr_sockochris]

I got a Turtle Beach 7.1 headset about a year ago for ?70ish and I love it. The surround sound was something i was skeptical about but it works great in online FPS's for hearing footsteps accurately around you.

[stevie vip 99]

I have turtle beach and I'm really happy with them. I only have the cheap ?35ish ones which are more than good enough for me

[Matt]

Hey QC. I decided to give them a miss in the end. I have a brilliant pair of stereo headphones, and I didn't seem to be able to get comparable quality in a gaming headset.

If I ever get the urge again I'll get a pair of cheap Turtle Beach, rather than chase the perfect sound quality.

[QualityChimp]

Thanks for all your feedback, guys. It's appreciated.

Even Prinny managed some sage consumer advice!

[Baseley09]

The official PS3 wireless 7.1 headset is real nice, I use it as a stereo headset on pc typically.