Headphone recommendation for HTC Vive - $200-$250 CAD

[dalekphalm]

Hey Guys,

 

At work we recently bought an HTC Vive, and are in the process of building a computer to go with it. However, we need a recommendation for a good pair of Headphones to go with it.

 

The budget is $250 CAD max, before taxes.

 

I'd be interested in both Closed Back and Open Back headphones, but the primary desired features are:

1. Comfort - over hear headphones that are comfortable for extended periods - especially with people who wear glasses

2. Sound quality - obviously, the best we can get!

3. Easy to drive with onboard audio (We won't be using a dedicated DAC or AMP in the foreseeable future)

4. Preferred Merchant is Amazon.ca, but will accept any major Canadian e-tailer that accepts Credit Card, if the price and service is good.

 

The headphones don't need to be particularly portable. They don't need to be wireless (As the Vive has 3.5mm Passthrough). And they don't need any sort of Active Noise reduction technology.

 

What do you suggest?

[kirby99_2016]

I would recommend any company that you have already had good experience with such as Sennheiser or AudioTechnica are my best picks but since you're on mobile I probably think that you would like a pair of earphones so maybe jaybirds bluebuds because they have a pretty good recommendation from Linus and they're bluetooth!

[dalekphalm]

1 minute ago, kirby99_2016 said:

I would recommend any company that you have already had good experience with such as Sennheiser or AudioTechnica are my best picks but since you're on mobile I probably think that you would like a pair of earphones so maybe jaybirds bluebuds because they have a pretty good recommendation from Linus and they're bluetooth!

Absolutely, 100%, no bluetooth. As I specifically mentioned, portability is not a concern, as long as the headphones sit nicely and aren't too loose.

[Dackzy]

some sennheiser RS headphones might be perfect for you, no wires, no shitty bluetooth, pretty damn high audio quality for the price and for them being wireless.

[kirby99_2016]

Then sennheier hd598 special edition.

Pros:

Very comfortable with lots of leather padding and it has very good structural qualities also it has a sweet black colour scheme rather thn that poop brown one that is not special edition

It may have a 6.3mm plug but it comes with an adapter for 3.5mm plugs for compatibility

It is open back

12-38500hz frequency time for that sweet bass

and sennheiser has a remarkable reputation for quality sounding headphones

Cons:

They're kind of expensive  160 british pounds (or 230 CAD)

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Sennheiser-HD-598-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0126HISOO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478201224&sr=8-1&keywords=sennheiser+hd+598

[Murdoch]

Sennheiser HD 558 or above, would be much first thoughts, pretty damn comfortable and as clean a sound as you'd expect from Sennheiser, they're open back with a wide sound stage. I've been using my 558s with a Modmic (for gaming) for a few years now, they're solid. Although they're not the best to clean if that will be a concern given there will be multiple users.

 

You can blow as much of your budget as you want with the HD range, up to the new HD 579s https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01L1IIF1K/ref=pd_sim_sbs_23_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=B8C967P2QQR2TDXPGWQP

 

 

[Guest]

Philips SHP9500 got the comfort but arent a flagship competitor sound wise. 

[dizmo]

I really enjoyed a pair of AudioTechnica M30's for almost a decade. So their line would be worth looking into.

As for your "not loose and sit nicely" requirement, that's much harder to foresee as it's different for everyone.

I used one with some form of very high end Turtle Beach headphones, and it was ok; however I found the headphones too loose if you were moving side to side. I'd almost suggest some on ear as apposed to over ear headphones.

You'll get fatigue from the Vive itself long before the headphones.

[dalekphalm]

9 minutes ago, kirby99_2016 said:

Then sennheier hd598 special edition.

Pros:

Very comfortable with lots of leather padding and it has very good structural qualities also it has a sweet black colour scheme rather thn that poop brown one that is not special edition

It may have a 6.3mm plug but it comes with an adapter for 3.5mm plugs for compatibility

It is open back

12-38500hz frequency time for that sweet bass

and sennheiser has a remarkable reputation for quality sounding headphones

Cons:

They're kind of expensive  160 british pounds (or 230 CAD)

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Sennheiser-HD-598-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0126HISOO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478201224&sr=8-1&keywords=sennheiser+hd+598

I actually have a pair of the original "puke brown" HD 598's, that I love. Do you know if the SE's fit the same as the originals? I think they'd probably fit well enough to not fall off accidentally. I'll have to bring my own pair in and test on the Vive once we have it setup.

[kirby99_2016]

They are pretty much the same except for the colour scheme

[kokakolia]

4 hours ago, HydraGaming said:

Philips SHP9500 got the comfort but arent a flagship competitor sound wise. 

Pssshhttt!!! If they were priced higher they would be...

 

They're the comfiest and they sound that good. 

[FourCorners]

12 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

I actually have a pair of the original "puke brown" HD 598's, that I love. Do you know if the SE's fit the same as the originals? I think they'd probably fit well enough to not fall off accidentally. I'll have to bring my own pair in and test on the Vive once we have it setup.

 

I'd wait for American Black Friday weekend to spring on a new set of can as I got my blackout HD 598 SE from Amazon for ~$110 CAD last year and I even saw the puke brown colourway that you have the on sale the previous year's Black Friday sale.

Other options I've seen other recommend (but haven't owned or used) would include

• Sennhiser's new 500 series lineup refresh that includes the HD559, HD569 (closed back), HD579, HD 599 which are basically improvements over the HD518, HD558, and HD598
• I'd also give Beyerdynamic's DT line a shout as well. Massdrop have a blackout version of the DT990s for $240 right now
  • https://www.massdrop.com/buy/beyerdynamic-dt990-600-ohm-all-black-everything
• Another Massdrop option would be the AKG k7XX that massdrop partnered with AKG to produce the Massdrop edition- $199 on Massdrop
  • https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-headphones
• Massdrop are also partnerning with Sennheiser to do another collab and launch a Massdrop edition of the HD650 and calling them the HD 6XX, the HD 650 is definately a step up from the HD500 series in Sennheiser's product lineup so it might be worth the wait as it hasn't dropped yet at $200
  • https://www.massdrop.com/talk/739/something-big-is-coming
• Another tried an true set of can are the Audio Technica ATH M50x, some say they are over rated and the M40X is the better deal but I've never personally used them so I can't really comment.

 

[porina]

I like the Sennheiser HD600 which is way over budget, but I'm mentioning that as I went with the much cheaper AKG K702 which sounds as good but is also more comfortable. The Sennheisers have more clamping force which I find uncomfortable after a while, whereas the AKGs feel lighter. Both of these are open back with a flat frequency response. The sensitivity of these are down compared to closed backs, but I don't have a problem driving them directly from a PC.

 

If you prefer something with more bass, I also have a pair of AKG K550 mk2, which can be very low cost. These are closed back and do have elevated bass.

[jreid]

Look for audiophile headphones.

[dalekphalm]

5 hours ago, FourCorners said:

 

I'd wait for American Black Friday weekend to spring on a new set of can as I got my blackout HD 598 SE from Amazon for ~$110 CAD last year and I even saw the puke brown colourway that you have the on sale the previous year's Black Friday sale.

Other options I've seen other recommend (but haven't owned or used) would include

• Sennhiser's new 500 series lineup refresh that includes the HD559, HD569 (closed back), HD579, HD 599 which are basically improvements over the HD518, HD558, and HD598
• I'd also give Beyerdynamic's DT line a shout as well. Massdrop have a blackout version of the DT990s for $240 right now
  • https://www.massdrop.com/buy/beyerdynamic-dt990-600-ohm-all-black-everything
• Another Massdrop option would be the AKG k7XX that massdrop partnered with AKG to produce the Massdrop edition- $199 on Massdrop
  • https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-headphones
• Massdrop are also partnerning with Sennheiser to do another collab and launch a Massdrop edition of the HD650 and calling them the HD 6XX, the HD 650 is definately a step up from the HD500 series in Sennheiser's product lineup so it might be worth the wait as it hasn't dropped yet at $200
  • https://www.massdrop.com/talk/739/something-big-is-coming
• Another tried an true set of can are the Audio Technica ATH M50x, some say they are over rated and the M40X is the better deal but I've never personally used them so I can't really comment.

 

Thanks for the suggestions! Lots of good info.

4 hours ago, porina said:

I like the Sennheiser HD600 which is way over budget, but I'm mentioning that as I went with the much cheaper AKG K702 which sounds as good but is also more comfortable. The Sennheisers have more clamping force which I find uncomfortable after a while, whereas the AKGs feel lighter. Both of these are open back with a flat frequency response. The sensitivity of these are down compared to closed backs, but I don't have a problem driving them directly from a PC.

 

If you prefer something with more bass, I also have a pair of AKG K550 mk2, which can be very low cost. These are closed back and do have elevated bass.

Great suggestions. Do either of you know how the HD650 and HD600 compare?

2 hours ago, jreid said:

Look for audiophile headphones.

No offense, but your comment was 100% utterly useless...