headphone & mic tips?

[sckyle2]

I'm going to get a pair of headphones with a mic - all I have now is headphones and a separate mic that doesn't work too well. Any suggestions for a particular type or online source? I figure I can just get something at Radio Shack or a game store, but is there anything I should look for that works best for RO?

[[VFD]HH]

I'd say look for something durable, that looks like it can handle wear and tear, and you probably want something pretty reasonably cheap. The more expensive ones I find usually come with functions I find redundant, and for me at least, headsets don't last that long (I always leave them on the floor and step on them it seems), maybe a few months, so I try and get one for 15 dollars range. That might not be possible, depending on what the store has.

[DONT_SHOOT]

The post above pretty much covers it. The only thing I could add is comfort. Make sure the headset you get doesn't hurt after a short time of wearing.

[[VFD]HH]

One last thing that I forgot to mention, pretty much all headsets will have a little notch on the cord to the headset (maybe a foot or two away from the headset on the cord) that adjusts the volume. This is very convenient, because it allows you to quickly adjust the volume (in comparison to adjusting either RO or system volume.) If your on a desktop thats always in the same place with the same noise level, its not as important, but if you play on a laptop that you move around, the often raising/lowering the sound to drown out background while not being way to loud, is often very important. Thus, check to see if they have a volume knob.

On issues of comfort, its a personal preference (you've probably have worn headphones and earbuds before, so you know what you like.) You will be wearing this for probably at least an hour at a time, so comfort is one of the first considerations.

[Floyd]

Plantronics makes some comfortable, nice sounding (voice and ear), and reasonably priced headphones with mics. Not for the true audiophile but great for gaming. Office Depot carries them. Maybe Radio Shack (I haven't seen any in Wal Mart that I recall). $12-$30 depending upon the model.

[NoxNoctum]

I got that $50 edimensional one. It's pretty cool, you can tell what direction sounds are coming from (like footsteps, which is a nice thing!) easier, and it's immersive because of the force feedback feature.

[[3.SA]Shchekurov]

Originally Posted by NoxNoctum

I got that $50 edimensional one. It's pretty cool, you can tell what direction sounds are coming from (like footsteps, which is a nice thing!) easier, and it's immersive because of the force feedback feature.

You mean hour head gets a jolt when a bullet stikes nearby or rattles when arty lands near you?

[NoxNoctum]

Originally Posted by [3.SA]Shchekurov

You mean hour head gets a jolt when a bullet stikes nearby or rattles when arty lands near you?

Yeah. At first it's mildly distracting, but then you get used to it and it makes battles a lot more intense (since you can actually *feel* bullets whizzing by)...and now I can't go back to a regular headset . It's also INCREDIBLY useful in pinpoiting gunfire, footsteps, the works etc... very good when you're playing cat-and-mouse with someone one-on-one in stalingrad kessel in the assembly yard buildings or the like. It's almost as good as a 5.1 surround sound system.

Don't get it for music though, the bass is overpowering and if you turn the force feedback off it sounds like crap.

[Murphy]

I have a headset from Labtech (which is actually Logitech but they sell it for cheap under a different name so they don't lose on those customers who don't buy expensive brand products) that cost only 10€ / 10$. I can recommend it. It works like a charm and has a good quality mic and good quality headphones.
Nothing overly special but its an A for communication and for anything more you need Speakers and a real mic anyway.

[melipone]

I'm quite pleased with my Plantronics DSP500. Nice 3d audio although hard to tell the height people are at, I can usually tell exactly where they are behind me though. Music sounds good to me but you can probably get better for that. Quite minimalist design very light and can be worn for hours comfortably. You just plug it into a USB port, no need for a soundcard because it uses its own built in one. There might be a better one out now which should be even better if its based on the DSP500. Got mine for about £30. A review:

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...nics_dsp_500/1

[odin1899]

I have the regular counterpart of the Plantronics mentioned above: the Plantronics GameCon 1 (regular as in it features 2 mini-jacks instead of USB).

I'm very pleased with it and it cost me some 25USD on E-Bay IIRC.