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[Kadzar]

I didn't get much help from my thread in the Life Advice section, so I'll ask here: can anyone recommend a good headphone and mic set that's not too expensive but not a cheap piece of crap either?

[Flying Dice]

What's your price range? I dropped the cash for a pair of Sony MDR-V6es (around $80-100 US), and it was well worth it. They're somewhat old (being originally introduced in 1985, where they were initially popular with professionals--DJs, sound engineers, etc.), but they've got absolutely phenomenal sound quality, and are legendarily durable--when I was researching the buy, I came across dozens of stories from people who've used the same pair for 20+ years without needing any repairs beyond new earpads when the old ones rotted after a decade or so of wear.

They're a tad pricy, but they're marvelous in performance and will last a damned long time. The only downside is that they aren't good for on-the-go (i.e. listening to an ipod while running), as they've got an old-fashioned cord (if you are old enough to have used a corded phone, it's that same tightly wound expanding coil), which is a bit heavy for moving around in and will drag. On the flip side, that makes it more durable, easier to store, and gives a longer reach for stationary (computer) use.

edit: Whoops, just noticed the mic bit. No mic, but it's easy enough to buy a dinky mic headset with an adjustable stem and wear it around your neck. That's what I do, with a $10 or so thing.

[Kadzar]

Bump for more opinions?

[LordSlowpoke]

never buy headsets man

Ever. i'll even capitalize the e this shit is important

otherwise go with dicebro. if you have even more dosh to blow, sennhauser is a lovely brand.

[Virex]

Sennheiser makes some good quality mid-range headphones too, such as the HD215.

[Kadzar]

People are just recommending standalone headphones. Maybe I should change the title to more reflect the fact that it's the mic part I'm concerned about, not the earpiece.

[Morrigi]

I use Turtle Beach X12s. Never had a problem with them even though I've dropped them more times than I can count. And they work on both PC and Xbox 360, if you have one.

[Willfor]

I'm a fan of a the CAD family of microphones, and I've rarely had issues with them. As such, I'm going to recommend the CAD U37. Even though they're cheap compared to the pro brands like AT, they're well built. Though this is my experience with their professional mics (standard 3-pin connectors).

This is someone actually demoing it, with strengths and weaknesses displayed.

The only reason I wouldn't use it myself is that I already have invested a great deal in microphones, and I either use my pro-audio level gear when it's nearby, or a shitty $10 mic to communicate on the interwebs >__>;;

[Fayrik]

Depends what you want. I found a company called ProSound who sells surprisingly cheap powered stereo condenser microphones... I also have a really expensive pair of headphones from Audio Technica... So it really does depend on your price range.
Though if you've got money to blow, I think no one can disagree with Bose. They'll sell you whatever you want and it'll be amazing... But boy will it cost you an arm and a leg.

[Kadzar]

Anything really expensive is off the table. My mother was asking for gift ideas for me, since she never knows what to get me, and I thought about it and said I'd like a headphone and mic set, since there are times that I've wished I'd had such a thing and didn't and regretted it. So I'm looking for opinions about what is good or not so that she doesn't get me something and it turns out to be crap or it breaks after a short amount of time.