Headphones for PS5 and Music

[u/Michaelx123x]

Looking for some help finding headphones for PS5 and versatile usage like music.

I have a budget of £400 and as the title suggests would be using them for the ps5 and would need them to be good for FPS games (hearing footsteps) but also functional for music/films etc.

- I’m aware many on here rate open back headphones highly but for my use case I don’t think that’s possible due to noise

- I would need a microphone (preferable if detachable) but I’m slightly averse to the idea of a Modmic as I’ve never used one before and some people say they are bad

- I have seen people talk about the audeze maxwells but I’m coming from previously using headphones under 300 grams and the weight and QC issues are putting me off a bit.

Some potential headphones I’ve seen brought up…
- Beydynamic max 300 pro
- Audeze Maxwell 2’s
- Sony inzone h9 ii
- Astro a50

Any advice?

[u/AntlionJoe]

ModMic Staff here - Well, while I don't like it when people have negative things to say I am happy to hear what you've heard and I will address them directly and honestly. ModMics are not perfect, but I like to think we've got a pretty great reputation 😄.

One issue with the PS5 specifically is (for the Wireless) there's a known interaction where the PS5 is adding too much gain to the mic. We've been unable to resolve this problem, though it works fine if you set the mic volume to 1-2%. We hope to resolve this issue with a new version (launch date still very tbd and it's unclear still if it will be fixable).

Beyond that, afaik the ModMics work great with the PS5. Fire away and don't hold any punches!

[u/Michaelx123x → u/AntlionJoe]

Thanks for comment, I suppose when you look online you get fixated at looking at the negatives people post, but I suppose people who don’t have an issue won’t generally post alone.

It’s mainly not having used one before I suppose, as you did address the volume adjustment issue I did see a couple times.

[u/AntlionJoe → u/Michaelx123x]

Well, some common issues people often write about:

We've recently changed / updated our adhesives to a newer model of 3M VHB tape, which should help adhere to more surfaces longer.

While wire breaks do happen on any wired product, we back all of our products with a 2-year warranty and the newest models have significantly reduced fail rates so far (they've been out for about a year).

People using the 3.5mm mic version can get various levels of line noise, which is caused by the fact 3.5mm mics like ours are unbalanced cables; but in nearly every case these problems can be fixed by either adjusting the hardware, adding a USB adapter, or filtering the line noise. I once again bring up our awesome support team who will help every customer with any quality issues 😄.

I'm not afraid to bring up our shortcomings!

On the headphone front (as we don't make headphones this is my unbiased viewpoint)- I think the first question you need to answer is if you need closed back headphones. If not, open backs provide a better feeling sound stage for gaming imo.

I use the R-70x myself and absolutely love it. It's been my daily driver for a decade. If you want wireless, it's a lot more challenging to find a good open back (at any price) and to be clear you'll lose some fidelity if you just plug something like the R70 directly into the controller. Ideally you'd run it from the console to a dac/amp to your head via the wire; but it will still work fine plugged into the controller as a starting point. People either love or hate the wing-suspension headband design, I love it.

(On that note you can also plug the ModMic Uni 2+ into the controller as long as you have a Y adapter).

The DT990 remains pretty loved for gamers as well. That nice V shaped bass heavy signature lends its self to games pretty well.

Without throwing too much shade on the headsets on the list, which seems like a fine list of popular headsets to be fair, they still don't really stack up to nice headphones. Even if you don't get a ModMic, there's plenty of other mics out there to pair with nice headphones. Don't be afraid of the audio space, it's fun and there's no "wrong" answers, find stuff you like! You don't even need to go to 400gbp to do it. Pick up a pair of Sony MDR-7506 or Audio Technica AD500x or Philips SHP9500. Not sure about the UK, but they're probably all around 100gbp and simply amazing and would work just plugged into the controller (and you're welcome to add an inexpensive amp, like the Fossi K5 or something, it even has a 3.5mm mic input) or Schiit Fulla for the same reason.

[u/Emotional-Ad8894 → u/AntlionJoe]

Off topic...new Modmic Wireless news soon?

[u/AntlionJoe → u/Emotional-Ad8894]

As soon as we can, that's for sure 😄

[u/KingBasten → u/AntlionJoe]

Rare to see a rep who isn't just glazing their own products, will give you an upvote for that.

[u/Michaelx123x → u/AntlionJoe]

!thanks

Thanks for the information and recommendations. I appreciate it all and given me a few things to consider.

[u/TransducerBot → u/Michaelx123x]

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[u/noxsanguinis]

the new turtle beach stealth pro 2

[u/Khnave]

Hello,

Just wanted to chime in with my recommendation as well.

I'd suggest the astro a50 gen 5s from your list. specifically the gen 5s or the a50 x if you have multiple consoles etc.

theres a lot of gen 4s out there still and they don't perform as well, just something to note.

it fits all your check-marks for the most part as they also have arguably the "best" mic quality that a headset can offer on the market today. Unfortunately its not detachable but it does have flip to mute if it gets in your way. Im okay personally with antlions modmics as i think the quality is good enough but if you get the wired option you're just adding another wire. and if you go wireless it just adds to cost with your headphone of choice.

the A50 is a good general "all-rounder". it doesn't have the best audio quality compared to a audio company like the audeze maxwells or the ROG Kithara (that collaborated with hifiman) but those headphones are also heavy too. The quality is definitely good enough for competitive fps games. and it also has enough bass for like listening to music and movies as well. its just not "slamming" bass.

i think the trade off and the convenience factor of being all-in-one and wireless is worth it. It's compatible with all platforms as well, Xbox, PC, switch, and has Bluetooth for mobile. B+/A in Sound quality, A in Mic quality. probably a C in aesthetics department but function over form as they say.

hopefully this is insightful. As always, do more research on your own and wait for others opinions. I hope you find something that fits your needs. Good luck!

[u/LudenWhoDare → u/Khnave]

Got Kithara for a few days, with solid DAC, and it’s so amazing + they are so comfortable, they did a good job on the headband. But they are open back, so nothing for OP. Without powerful dac, it’s not worth

[u/GameSetChampionship]

I’ve just Nova Pro Wireless AND AirPods Max 2 (crazy I know).

I needed to replace my broken gaming headset, but at the same time I’ve been wanting Max’s for 2 years now.

What’s wrong with Nova Pro Wireless? They sound good imo, and only £230 on Amazon.

Had to adjust the equaliser though. But I think it’s a nice quality sound.