best non gaming headphones for gaming

we can do without the caps lock. try to type normally. with that said, a few answers...


...features virtual surround sound, which is important for gaming...

not true. this is highly circumstantial and based on preference. it can be helpful in some scenarios and some people may like it but its not required. games which are coded well will already have good audio elements and visual cues which make virtual not as needed. virtual will add some ambiance and the effect of a more 3d sound but its not going to fix poor quality game coding for audio. this is why counterstrike sound is so horrible and not much can be done to completely fix that.

...it isn't that different from open back headphones, that sometimes sound actually better...

its not the same thing. what open headphones can give you is called soundstage. this is in laymans terms how well distance to sound source is portrayed. for instance, if the sound is close does it sound close? if its far away does it sound far away? generally an airy sort of sound signature is also common. closed headphones or ones with small soundstage sound more boxed in with sound that seems to always be at your ears. positional audio is also a similar term which refers to how well in a 360 radius the sounds appear. such as does it sound like its from behind? the side? some odd angle between the two? part of this is game coding, part of it is the nature of headphones. generally headphones with wide soundstage are suggested.

...gaming headsets use their own sound card, while regular open back headphones depend on my onboard sound card...

not all gaming headsets use a soundcard, only usb models. analog headsets still use your system. both headphones and analog headsets can use your onboard audio, a slot based soundcard, a usb soundcard or external dac+amp option. you are not limited to just using your onboard.

... I also want the headphones to be good for music...

generally what are considered good gaming headphones (wide soundstage without much bass impact) are not as ideal for music (which benefits more from v-shaped heavy bass/heavy treble or flat (neutral) sounding headphones) so you might need to make some decisions on what is important to you. a flat shaped signature is a good "all in one" type headphone but may be a little less vibrant and fun sounding than something with a v-shape.

yes, as described before open back has wider soundstage generally but will leak some sound in and out. normally not an issue unless you live in a loud environment or have people who sit/sleep close to you and you enjoy having volume levels high. closed has less soundstage but more passive isolation against sounds leaking in or out.

for $150...

you could go with an ad500x or ad700x if you want bass light. if you want neutral then an hd518 or hd558. both are open. the first will have wider soundstage but not much bass. the second group will be a bit more flat and neutral. neither need an amp specifically so you can use them with onboard or get a cheap soundcard like a xonar dg. there is budget to do so.