I would get the controller because you can do many more things with the controller than with the round puck. You cannot change some of the settings on the puck, you cannot pinpoint without the controller. I, myself, like the WS4 headphones because they're light and I can wear a full brim hat with them. As for coils, I would get the 11" coil for a bit more coverage over the 9". The reason for this, is, Xp is coming out with a 6"X9" coil. So, having a 9" round coil and the 6"X9' coil, if you were to get one, I think is unnecessary, IF you want to have both size coils, 11" and 9". If only one coil is wanted, I might wait, if you can, until the new coil and software is released. You can use any headphones you may like, but you need to use an adaptor to reduce the plug size to 1/8" from 1/4". Also, you cannot plug any headphones into the puck, you need the controller to use corded headphones. Hope this helps.