Looking for headphones under $300(Gaming/Music)

[dbednorz]

I need recommendations for what set of headphones I should buy that have a really good sound quality. I mainly play CS:GO and other FPS games as well as wanting to use them for music. I will buy the mic separately so please don't include that in the price. Also i'm not at all an audiophile so this would be my first pair of expensive headphones so please throw some recommendations down and I'll take a look. Thanks

[Shiv78]

HD598 or HD558 and a Schitt Modi 2

[Pomfinator]

6 minutes ago, Shiv78 said:

Schitt Modi 2

You can't plug headphones into that.

 

Besides, having a Schiit stack for the HD5x8 series is a waste unless onboard is really crappy.

[Spuriae]

If you're gaming primarily, consider the AD700X's for their great positional audio. If you want more bass and comfort with that, look at Beyerdynamic DT990's.

 

If you're worried about music more than gaming, what genres do you listen to? Are you annoyed by sibilance (the whistle of s's, cymbals, similar sounds)? What headphones do you have now, what do you like and dislike about them?

[dbednorz]

17 minutes ago, Nimrodor said:

If you're gaming primarily, consider the AD700X's for their great positional audio. If you want more bass and comfort with that, look at Beyerdynamic DT990's.

 

If you're worried about music more than gaming, what genres do you listen to? Are you annoyed by sibilance (the whistle of s's, cymbals, similar sounds)? What headphones do you have now, what do you like and dislike about them?

Currently I have the Hyperx cloud 2 which I enjoy as a headset but I just feel like they aren't great to wear outside of sitting on my computer playing games. Music wise I listen to Hip-hop,dub-step, and really enjoy music with fantastic vocals. Personally I'd rather have awesome vocals over a really strong bass. If you think it would be better to just keep the cloud 2 for gaming and have a separate set of headphones for audio I will gladly do that instead.

[Spuriae]

1 hour ago, dbednorz said:

Currently I have the Hyperx cloud 2 which I enjoy as a headset but I just feel like they aren't great to wear outside of sitting on my computer playing games. Music wise I listen to Hip-hop,dub-step, and really enjoy music with fantastic vocals. Personally I'd rather have awesome vocals over a really strong bass. If you think it would be better to just keep the cloud 2 for gaming and have a separate set of headphones for audio I will gladly do that instead.

Hip-hop and dubstep aren't genres I'd usually associate with vocals (usually for those genres you want emphasized bass and treble, while vocals need more midrange). Do you have any samples of specific songs you had in mind? 

 

If your current drivers support it, go into your Realtek equalizer and try music with and without the "live" preset. Which do you prefer? Which preset (none or live) do you think has the better-sounding vocals? If you haven't already, listen without the Cloud II's USB dongle.

[dbednorz]

@Nimrodor It's about 50/50 between artists like Halsey, Melanie Martinez, Alan  Jackson, Lukas Graham, paramore, and johnny cash with the other half being Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, NF, Dubstep, kid cudi , and chance the rapper. Also with the Hyperx plugged in to my computer I think the Live makes the Vocals stand out a lot more. Specific songs would be Hold me down-Halsey, Dollhouse-Melanie Martinez, 7 years Lukas Graham, Blessings-Big Sean, Till I collapse- Eminem, and Hello- OMFG

[Spuriae]

7 hours ago, dbednorz said:

@Nimrodor It's about 50/50 between artists like Halsey, Melanie Martinez, Alan  Jackson, Lukas Graham, paramore, and johnny cash with the other half being Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, NF, Dubstep, kid cudi , and chance the rapper. Also with the Hyperx plugged in to my computer I think the Live makes the Vocals stand out a lot more. Specific songs would be Hold me down-Halsey, Dollhouse-Melanie Martinez, 7 years Lukas Graham, Blessings-Big Sean, Till I collapse- Eminem, and Hello- OMFG

I want to recommend the Sennheiser HD650's. They're slightly bassy with extremely good vocals, and they scale very well with amplifiers so they're something you'll never replace even if you get into audio seriously. Soundstage is decent with very good accuracy, which is great for gaming. Only a couple of problems:

• They're pricey (~$250 used), and they really need a decent amplifier (more money).
• They don't do strong subbass and have toned-down highs, so they might not be as engaging as some other cans.

Overall, it'd run you ~$350 to get HD650's and a Schiit Fulla 2 to drive them, but I think that would be the best fit for what you want. 

 

If you're against buying used or your $300 is very firm, Hifiman He400s/i's might also be reasonable. Without an amp, they'd probably sound slightly better than the HD650's, though nowhere close if the HD650's have a good amp. They also don't have the greatest soundstage, so getting another pair of cans for gaming would be recommended. Used they'll run just under $200; new $300 on the dot. Those need aftermarket focus pads to really shine, though; that adds another $40 new or possibly free if you buy used. Middle ground would be buying used and using new pads; after all, that's probably the part of the cans you're most worried about being worn.

 

Overall, I'm thinking HD650's because they're the most versatile headphones I can think of; you have a collection of different tasks and some unique tastes, and although I'm sure there are headphones that could do any individual one better, nothing will do all of them as well as the HD650's. I should also point out that HD650's are usually not recommended for the types of music you listen to, but your preference for vocals over bass makes them more ideal. They're very... smooth... in a way very much unlike the engaging headphones normally used for popular music. For something more exciting, look at He400s's or perhaps even consider modding the HD650's to be more aggressive; because they're modular, you can get replacement parts should you screw up.

 

Sorry for the long disclaimer. Your preferences are just kind of hard to work with; preference for midrange over bass and treble for your genres isn't very common, and many headphones trade vocal richness for other things (K7XX's and DT880's don't have great vocals despite excelling at almost everything else you want). In a way, my response is a cop-out: you can't go wrong with the HD650's; you may enjoy other cans more, but you won't dislike the Sennheisers. Even in the off-chance you do, they're great reference headphones that will hold their value so you can move to something else with minimal loss and a better understanding of what you're looking for.

[dbednorz]

21 minutes ago, Nimrodor said:

I want to recommend the Sennheiser HD650's. They're slightly bassy with extremely good vocals, and they scale very well with amplifiers so they're something you'll never replace even if you get into audio seriously. Soundstage is decent with very good accuracy, which is great for gaming. Only a couple of problems:

• They're pricey (~$250 used), and they really need a decent amplifier (more money).
• They don't do strong subbass and have toned-down highs, so they might not be as engaging as some other cans.

Overall, it'd run you ~$350 to get HD650's and a Schiit Fulla 2 to drive them, but I think that would be the best fit for what you want. 

 

If you're against buying used or your $300 is very firm, Hifiman He400s/i's might also be reasonable. Without an amp, they'd probably sound slightly better than the HD650's, though nowhere close if the HD650's have a good amp. They also don't have the greatest soundstage, so getting another pair of cans for gaming would be recommended. Used they'll run just under $200; new $300 on the dot. Those need aftermarket focus pads to really shine, though; that adds another $40 new or possibly free if you buy used. Middle ground would be buying used and using new pads; after all, that's probably the part of the cans you're most worried about being worn.

 

Overall, I'm thinking HD650's because they're the most versatile headphones I can think of; you have a collection of different tasks and some unique tastes, and although I'm sure there are headphones that could do any individual one better, nothing will do all of them as well as the HD650's. I should also point out that HD650's are usually not recommended for the types of music you listen to, but your preference for vocals over bass makes them more ideal. They're very... smooth... in a way very much unlike the engaging headphones normally used for popular music. For something more exciting, look at He400s's or perhaps even consider modding the HD650's to be more aggressive; because they're modular, you can get replacement parts should you screw up.

 

Sorry for the long disclaimer. Your preferences are just kind of hard to work with; preference for midrange over bass and treble for your genres isn't very common, and many headphones trade vocal richness for other things (K7XX's and DT880's don't have great vocals despite excelling at almost everything else you want). In a way, my response is a cop-out: you can't go wrong with the HD650's; you may enjoy other cans more, but you won't dislike the Sennheisers. Even in the off-chance you do, they're great reference headphones that will hold their value so you can move to something else with minimal loss and a better understanding of what you're looking for.

Alright well thank you very much I will definitely be picking that combination up in all seriousness I really appreciate you taking the time to work around my needs thanks again

[dbednorz]

So in the off chance I dislike the Sennheisers would you recommend I get the  He400s, k7XX's, or the DT880's. Also get a schitt fulla 2 as my amp? Sounds good and I was guessing that it may be over $300 so I'm not worried about it. Again really appreciate it. @Nimrodor

[Spuriae]

Just now, dbednorz said:

So in the off chance I dislike the Sennheisers would you recommend I get the  He400s, k7XX's, or the DT880's. Also get a schitt fulla 2 as my amp? Sounds good and I was guessing that it may be over $300 so I'm not worried about it. Again really appreciate it. @Nimrodor

If you don't like the Sennheisers, I think it would be best to base your next headphone decision on what you like and dislike about them, as many people have used them before and will have something with which to compare your experiences with their own. 

 

And yes, would recommend the Fulla 2. It's in incredible value dac/amp that will work will with virtually any headphones. Like the HD650's, it'll keep its value well as a common reference box that always has demand, and because it can be used as a standalone DAC almost on par with the Schiit Modi 2, it's something that you can keep using even after you upgrade your amplifier should you ever go down that road.

[Spuriae]

@dbednorz

 

If you haven't bought them already, Renewlogic is selling used HD650's for $200 right now. 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Authentic-Sennheiser-HD-650-Silver-Open-Back-Over-Ear-Headphones-Good-Shape-/122455629862