I've had Turtle Beach, Astro and Tritton and Astro are leagues above the rest. I've had the top models from all three and once you try the Astros there's simply no turning back. The engineering and attention to detail is simply second to none, the whole thing feels well made and well engineered. The Trittons were closest in terms of price and couldn't hold a candle to the Astros, they were decent but still felt flimsy, not loud enough and the quality although great when new, really didn't age well (as Euan has also discovered with his).
They are eye wateringly expensive (I paid £250) but to me they're worth it. The amount of hours I play on a good night meant that with my Trittons I was getting sore ears and the plastic cups made my ears sweaty but the Astros I can play with for hours. The Trittons had most of the features of the Astros but the interface was clunky. With the Astros for example, you simply fold up the microphone and it turns off, whereas with the Trittons you have to locate the switch every time. No biggie on its own, but the Astros have loads of these little things which make using easier and these all add up to a much more pleasant experience in general. Another good one is that the Astros only use USB for power, whereas the Trittons need a separate socket.
They are loud. Like properly loud, I could probably kill my ears if I wanted to. The Trittons don't come close in terms of sheer volume. The Atros have a rocker switch on the side which you simply press either side of to determine the balance between chat volume and game volume, it's very easy to use and extremely convenient.
I can't comment on the Golds but people seem to love them so I'd go with that, or if you really want to treat yourself, grab a pair of A50s - you will never game the same again.