Best USB Gaming Headset (also need one with a good mic for recording)?

[euphuistical]

I am looking for a good headset (USB highly preferred) that will be used primarily for gaming and recording audio for youtube videos. From what research I've done it seems like the Logitech G35 is perfect but it doens't look like it is mac compatible . The others on my short list are the Razer Megalodon, but I've heard a lot of complaints about the mic portion of and a persistent "hissing."

The Tritton AX PC Pro looks like my best bet so far: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001VMAYUC...B001VMAYUC&tag=cnet-2223-20#productPromotions

It seems mac compatible, and I've heard good things about it across the board, but when I checked the driver update on their site it seemed only to be for windows, so that had me confused / apprehensive about buying it.

So looking for any input on USB headphone/mic combos I haven't considered, or if anyone has had experiences with these? Having a good mic on it is key, as I don't think the built in one on my MBP and iMac are going to cut it for recording audio for youtube / podcasts, and I havne't tried it for gaming, but I am assuming it wont' be as good as a dedicated USB mic/headphone unit.

Thanks.

 

[apfhex]

This is what I read about the Tritton AX Pro.

Second, the microphone is just average. It’ll pick up extraneous noise from time to time and it’s not really adjustable once you plug it in to the headphones. I always felt like it was a little too far from my mouth so I ended up yelling. People on the other end of multiplayer games said I sounded fine, though. The mic just feels a little cheap while everything else is so nice.

I also read complaints about the "gauntlet of wires" but apparently they have USB-only versions so that's moot, but may be cause for Mac compatibility issues if it requires drivers. I think if you got the optical/analogue model (Newegg) it should work as long as something is decoding the surround sound. $100 more than the USB-only model though.

If the G35's aren't Mac compatible - googling returns conflicting reports - then I guess they're out. Every single review I read on them complained about them fitting too tight. My ears are very sensitive and I've had a hard time over the years finding headphones/headsets that I can wear for any substantial periods of time.

I haven't heard about hissing issues with the Megalodon and couldn't turn up much in Google. But after recently researching surround sound headsets I ordered the Megalodon based on reviews praising their comfort and sound quality, plus automatic Mac compatibility since they have a built-in sound processor/no drivers to install. Will report when I get it.

 

[gumbyx84]

Best USB headset I have found for recording at a decent price is the PS2/PS3 Logitech Headset (http://www.gamestop.com/catalog/productdetails.aspx?product_id=25803). Plug-and-play on every computer (Win,OS X, *nix) I've tested it on. Sadly it is a headset not headphones w/ mic (so you get one "speaker" instead of two), so unless you plan on outputting game audio to your speakers, you are out of luck.

 

[apfhex]

Here's my report on the Megalodon's:

• Very comfy. The padding is soft and velvety. The blue light-up Razer logos on the sides are neat. Overall feels well built.
• SL and W7 instantly recognized it as a 7.1ch audio device (in SL it even shows up as "Razer Megalodon").
• I don't know how to check the firmware version but had no problems in W7.
• I don't really have anything in SL to test the surround capabilities. Haven't tried DVD Player yet. In W7, none of the games I have seem to have surround sound support which kind of surprised me (Dragon Age is supposed to but it wasn't working, seems it's a common problem. The configuration app for it said 7.1 but in-game it sounded echoy like it's just stereo being upmixed). The audio test file I downloaded from Razer's site sounded good.
• Sound output quality didn't totally blow me away but it's good. It's been years and years since I owned a set of big over-the-ear headphones so I don't have a good frame of reference. My previous headset is the Logitech Premium Notebook Headset which I only used for voice and left game audio/music to my desktop speakers.
• The braided USB cable is the same as Razer's other products (or at least on my Mamba) and is just great. More flexible and slides across a desk easier. The control pod has a very long length running to the USB end, with a more sane length running from the pod to the headset so you don't have a mile of wires running across the floor and getting tangled on stuff.
• The mic test in Steam sounded awful, there was some weird echo reverb going on. But I made a recording in QuickTime Player in SL and it was clean with no echos. Had to turn the mic sensitivity and input levels down almost as far as they'd go. Need to do some more extensive testing. I'm not playing WoW right now or else that'd be the perfect test.

I'm left feeling about the same as with my Mamba purchase: very well made product that works well, but not so exceptional that it feels quite worth the price (but if you can find it discounted a little, a good buy). Yet, it's hard to say that without having tried the competition. The little things matter and Razer tends to get those right.

p.s. I think the Carcharias are physically identical minus the control pod and surround sound, making them a good deal if you just want stereo. Although my initial experience with surround sound gaming has been underwhemling due to it not really working right , I think once I get some games that DO use it I'll warm up to it a lot (I'm looking at you, Bioshock 2).