AD700s crunch my head, but everyone else says they're super comfy.

Great quality, can't go wrong with Audio Technica. Though, they might have the same issues as your ATH-M30s. I own the M50, love them, but they're pretty tight. I think you'd rather go for AD700 but they're open air so also keep that in mind.

What is open air?

http://www.digitaltrends.com/headphone-reviews/audio-technica-ath-ad700-review/

They weren't a fan of the comfort of the AD700s either...

But then I guess these guys loved the comfort: http://www.head-fi.org/t/586466/audio-technica-ath-ad700-review

I think it means don't watch porn and think no one can hear you, because the sound leaks from them :p

edit: Ah yeah, post below me, I guess that makes more practical sense

So depending on what you'll want to do, Open will mean that everyone around you will hear whatevre is going through your headphones which might not be ideal for riding public transportation or on-the-go use.

i use the thermaltake shock i think its nice, the microphone is a separate piece. apparently there is an HD version out

1. Headphones, NOT headset. I already have a good mic.

good start

2. 7.1 sound (that's supposed to be very high quality sound, right?)

7.1 software output downmixed to stereo is desirable since it has the most spatial information. However, you don't want headphones with multiple drivers in each earcup, because they are shit. Just get good stereo headphones and leave the surround sound effects to your soundcard and/or software.

3. Super Comfortable (able to wear for a few hours straight without any discomfort)

ad700, sennheiser hd650

4. Price is not a HUGE deal, but if I spend a lot of money, I want to get some serious quality out of it.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide

additional point to note about open-back headphones (AD700s etc) - because there is airflow involved, your ears will not sweat like they probably do after a while with the M30s or other sealed / closed-back cans.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826153060

These are the headphones I currently use. Very very light and have never hurt my ears after hours of playing. As long as your head isn't super tiny they will fit perfectly and you don't notice they are on. The pads are nice and are a cloth type not leatherish and breathable so yours ears don't get hot and it doesn't feel (stickyish?). Very good sound quality. No complaints, best pair of headphones i've had. Won't have the problems that some reviews had with one ear going out if you don't drop them letting them hang by the cord. My brother had to get a replacment pair under warranty because he did kept doing this though.

Sorry, but Razer audio is the "Beats by Dre" of gaming. Overpriced, and all about design. They offer meh specs for the price but you pay for the brand.

2/10 would not recommend, made me reply.

See atmo after class.

Those sennheiser's are too expensive for me, so at the moment I think I'm still gonna go with the AD700's. If 7.1/5.1 are shit, what specs should I be looking for for good audio quality?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106515

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106522

both are gewd

AD700s are comfy, but they lack bass. Pick these up if you stay gaming most of time, they're not very good for multimedia IMO.

I've got a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 pro 80 ohm, and they're the best headphones I've ever used. I use them for several hours every day and they've never been uncomfortable, and they sound great for anything I've used them for so far. They're closed so blocks out outer noise pretty well if you want that.

have a look in this thread for your best bet in terms of what soundcard to use (that is what will supply the binaural / surround sound rather than the headphones themselves.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/593050/

there aren't really "specs" to look out for when it comes to headphones, just sheer numbers of user reviews on head-fi. avoid reviews from gaming websites or consumer electronic sites because they typically haven't got a clue what they're saying or have extremely limited exposure to good audio equipment so do not have dependable reference points (see #10 for a good example).

I think I'd stay away from Audio Technica if you dislike the "clumpiness". Most of them will probably feel like that.

Audio-Technica ATH-AD900: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006OQY2S

Amazing sound quality and incredibly comfortable. It's at a good price now, too.

I'd argue that these are the best headphones for under $300.

the M and AD lines are totally different designs

This is entirely possible. I'm using M50s. Yes, my ears get sweaty and at first it felt pretty damn tight. I haven't had the chance of using the AD700s but I'll take your word for it.

AD700s ALL THE WAY

Normally I would probably agree with you, but these headphones are actually quite good. Razer does make some good products(deathadder anyone?) it's just kind of hit and miss with them. If you looked at the reviews for this it rated pretty highly with everyone saying it has good sound quality and is comfortable. The only issue might be with build quality of the connector, but I haven't had that in the year I've had these. The price is ok and usually it's at $40, which is a steal for headphones this nice.

8/10 would recommend

razer makes good mice, mediocre keyboards, trash headphones. People who write reviews for them aren't the people who have any idea what they're talking about.

I would get the ad700's or akg k240s if you're floating in the 100~ price range. I wouldn't say the ad700's are uncomfortable but their fitting is somewhat odd. They're more comfortable than a lot of other things I've listened to at least.

ath m50's and a lot of other headphones with that typical ~dj~ design are typically uncomfortable until you stretch them out for a while

Could somebody reccomend some headphones or a headset that are good at not leaking sound? I don't want my parents to know that I like to listen to SNSD christmas songs : /

If you love music and are planning on spending some good coin on cans, I would tailor your headphone choice more towards your preferred genres rather than gaming.

I ended up buying a great used pair of Denon AH-D2000 phones to listen to Jazz, Blues, old Soul, Rock, etc. They're fucking great for gaming but the time I most appreciate them, and the extra cash I spent is in listening to music. My brother has some "7.1 surround headphones" and I have more spacial awareness with my stereo phones than I do with his. Your soundcard should be able to handle that just fine.

Do your homework, read some reviews, and just about any nice pair of headphones will be great for gaming.

http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/ww342/graphicism/denon2000-display.jpg

Nobody can give you recommendations until you first give a price range and either your preferred music genres or what you prefer to listen to in your music. I could link you $5,000 headphones that do what you want but I assume that is out of your budget.

Thanks for the help, folks. After reading what you guys said and doing some research elsewhere, I ended up ordering the AD900's!

I have m50's because they're great all around headphones. I use them for music, movies and gaming all the time and they sound great. They are also extremely durable, fold up and are reasonably portable. However if you are leaving these plugged into your computer the whole time and have other headphones for walking around and listening to music on, open air is a good way to go. The additional soundstage is well worth it. The seenheiser's linked in #13 are stellar. My brother has a pair of 598's and they're well worth the cash.

Sorry for not being very descriptive. Rock/punk/alternative/metal sorts of stuff is generally my favorite. Im not super picky about the budget but im hoping for something less than 200 dollars, preferably around 150 maybe?

ATH-M50s should do the trick and they often come with a discount.(Got mine for $115)