Need New Headphones for Gaming!

[HyperBlue]

 

Hello

 

I've been recently searching for some new headphones for my PC but finding it difficult to come by a set which satisfies my needs, the primary use of which will be used for 60% gaming (all types of games) , 25% videos on YouTube and 15% for music (mainly alternative rock, dubstep and pop).

 

Here is my current setup:

 

Asrock Z77 extreme4 integrated sound card and the Turtle Beach PX21.

 

I will be purchasing the Asus Xonar DGX sound card and will also be purchasing a new pair of headphones (£150 budget [i am from the UK so will be using Amazon UK to purchase these items]), I will also be purchasing a attachable mic.

 

I have been doing some research and came across the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 and the Audio-Technica ATH M50, these both seem like good headphones however are very limited to specific elements, I want a full immersive experience in games (such as in Skyrim and Battlefield 3), however I have heard the AD700 does not offer anything in terms of bass, however I also want to play competitively where the directional awareness is a huge factor, while I want to be immersed in the game.

I also want a competitive advantage, unfortunately the M50 appears to lack severely soundstage which is a huge factor for me as I want to be able to locate the enemy on the map.

So I want to compromise between the two, a good bass, but also good sound awareness (being able to hear where the enemies are coming from), while still maintaining the high sound quality from the mids, highs and lows which the AD700 offers and I need your help to find this.

 

Questions:

 

1) I have found some headphones called the Sennheiser HD 598, are they any good for my needs?

2) Is the AD700's bass really that bad compared to the Turtle Beach's PX21 which I thought had amazing bass?

3) Is the M50's soundstage really non-existant as people lead me to believe?

4) What are my alternatives considering I have a budget of around £150 but I can go up or down?

 

Thanks.

 

[denestmor3]

For sound go for a sennheiser!!! they have the best sound. But a good alterative is the Vengeance 2000, I prefer a sennheiser above all the others because of the build quallity and extreme good sound. (I have the gaming 350d which is perfect!!)

[banttu]

I'm nothing but satified with my Sennheiser HD 558s

 

EDIT: be sure to use the UNi Xonar drivers with that DGX available from here:  http://maxedtech.com/asus-xonar-unified-drivers/

[ddostella]

I use Astro A50's, and I LOVE this headset...

I highly recommend if you can afford

Others might disagree or agree but Ill kinda explain some pros and cons

 

Pros: 

Wireless(8 hours of heavy use)

7.1 Dolby Surround

5.8Ghz

48 Ohm of impedance

comes with headset stand

Works with pc, xbox, and playstation(including all new consoles)

Multi setting amp

AMAZINGLY comfortable

 

Cons:

Very short charging cable(but can upgrade)

Aux and spdif (optical) only

headset stand is kinda cheap and flimsy

short usb power cable(but can upgrade)

Price!!!! $300

 

Hope this helps a little

Also Astro makes other headsets for a cheaper price tag, but keep in mind they are not cheap either

You pay for quality

 

http://astrogaming.com/

[penguin_]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samson-Pro-Audio-SR850-Headphones/dp/B002LBSEQS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371393228&sr=8-1&keywords=Samson+SR850

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Audioengine-D1-Premium-24-bit-DAC/dp/B0079KWSF4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371393254&sr=8-1&keywords=Audioengine+D1

[Aphexx]

I use Astro A50's, and I LOVE this headset...

I highly recommend if you can afford

 

parallels can be made between astro and beats. for the price of that thing you can have an AKG 701 which competes with headphones twice or 3 times the price. 'if you can afford it' buy better

 

the bass on the ad700 is not that bad, on a flat EQ I love it for chillstep or big room (echo'ey) house. on a bass emphasized EQ it is great. that said they have no where the same amount of my ath ws or my dt770's which are basshead cans.

 

the audio technica ad series went through a revision recently which is denoted with an X  eg. ath ad700X or ath ad900X. the design refresh  added bass.I haven't kept up to date with what the revision did but feedback sounds promising so far. 

 

also the corsair vengeance 2000 which I have is terrible for positional audio. its on par with turtle beaches I had which did the job but no where near the audio technicas. 

[HyperBlue]

Is the Sennheiser HD 598's bass any good for an immersive gameplay experience?

 

[Cacti]

M50s are fantastic headphones for listening to music but they're not the best for gaming.

ALSO. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT GET GAMING HEADSETS.

They're basically overpriced subpar headphones combined with subpar mics.

I would personally get the AD700s since they're known to be the best headphones for gaming in that range.

[t0wer]

My hd595 were fantastic for gaming. Sounded great and very comfortable.

Only complaint I had was the build quality. It had cracks on the sides of the headband forming

[HyperBlue]

Stuck between the M50's, the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 ohms and the AKG K701's, thoughts please?
 

Please keep in mind that immersive experiece>tactical advantage but only by a bit.

[HyperBlue]

The HD598's don't have the punchy bass that I need for an immersive experience.

[dklhs90]

I am a DT990 Pro 250 Ohm user and I can say from experience that the DT990 Pro is little uncomfortable in the long run. I don't know if the death grip eases off as you use it more but just pointing out a fact there. But it doesnt mean the DT990 Pro is a lacky headphone. It is super good in sound quality!

[HyperBlue]

I'm not concerned about the comfort, only the audio.

[Aphexx]

Stuck between the M50's, the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 ohms and the AKG K701's, thoughts please?

 

Please keep in mind that immersive experiece>tactical advantage but only by a bit.

for me, my M50's seem too analytical for an immersive feel. the positional queues from the m50 are better than my old turtle beaches and corsair vengeance. AKG 701 all the way, they are probably the next headphones I'll get... perhaps next year because I've bought way too many this year already. 

[OddballMV]

Couple of other options for you would be:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-MDRMA900-AE-Home-Headphones/dp/B007I1QXX2/ref=sr_1_49?s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1371487144&sr=1-49&keywords=headphones

From Amazon and review very well.

 

If you don't mind going for a Europe import you could go for this - http://www.thomann.de/gb/akg_k_612_pro.htm

The latest from AKG, early reviews are very good.

[HyperBlue]

I shall be purchasing the DT990's thanks a lot guys, not to choose an amplifier (if anyone can help I have a budget of £80, I can stretch this to £100 if need be).

 

I have heard the O2 is a good amplifier, however, I cannot locate it anywhere for £100, any ideas?

 

Also the fiio 10 comes up a lot, not sure about this.

 

And finally people say I need an amplifier and a dac, what is the difference (if you can offer examples of products).

 

Thanks!

[LAwLz]

I would recommend the Audio Technica AD700 with the FiiO E10 if you are going to game. You can get it for less than 200 dollars and it will be very good for gaming (the bass is lacking in music though).
 

Stuck between the M50's, the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 ohms and the AKG K701's, thoughts please?
 
Please keep in mind that immersive experiece>tactical advantage but only by a bit.

Aren't those out of your reach? You said that you have a 150 pound budget but the K701/K702 will probably cost you about 200+, without a mic, shipping and the DAC.

 

Anyway I own a pair of K702 and here are my thoughts on them:

+The earcups are the most comfortable I have ever felt. They are so good.

+Huge soundstage. You will probably have a hard time finding headphones with better soundstage than these.

+Very clear and detailed sound. Especially vocals and acoustic instruments are wonderful.

-Very hard to drive. You are going to need a proper AMP to take full advantage of them.

-While the earcups are super comfortable, the headband is one of the worst I have ever felt. I can't use it for more than an hour or so, and if I go longer I can feel real dents after the headband (the bumps on the headband) in my head. I also get headaches from it.

-The bass is very detailed and accurate, but it lacks the "punch". If you like bass, then this is not for you, but that's not to say that the bass is bad.

*Worth noting: The burn-in time on them are very long. Some recommend 300 hours but that's exaggerated if you ask me.

*Worth noting: They are open, and I mean really open. If I put on a song on standard volume, take the headphones off and move into the room next to mine, then I can still hear the music and can almost distinguish the vocals from the instruments (assuming both rooms are empty). Be prepared that anyone in the same room will hear exactly what you do.

 

Here is how I fixed the terrible headband on mine. I taped bubble wrap to it. They are currently the most comfortable headphones I have ever tried:

[LAwLz]

And finally people say I need an amplifier and a dac, what is the difference (if you can offer examples of products).

DAC = Digital to analog converter. It takes the 1s and 0s stored on your computer and converts it to an analog signal which then travels to your headphones where it becomes sound.

AMP = Amplifier. It takes the analog signal from your DAC and increases the strength of it, basically. It is needed to take full advantage of some headphones because they require a lot of power to drive properly (headphones are passive devices so the only power they get is from the signal itself).

 

Which version of the DT990 did you decide to get? If it is the 250 Ohm version then you might want to consider the FiiO E10. I am fairly sure it would be a very good match for the DT 990.

[HyperBlue]

I decided to get the 250 ohms edition.