Hi, I've been lurking head-fi for a while now and cant seem to make my mind up for some new low/mid-fi phones. I know that ideally, one should have a few different headphones to cover different usage/sources, but at the moment my budget (~$200) doesn't allow this luxury.
Usage will be 55% music and 45% gaming
I play first person shooters, often in competitive ladders, and I know that soundscape and separation are among the most important factors for gaming (determining position and detecting sound cues). I will use a clip on mic (Zalman ZM-MIC1), as I currently do with my PX100s.
But the music I listen to makes the headphone decision kind of hard. Everyone on head-fi seems to listen to classical/pop/rock/jazz - which I barely ever (read: never) listen to and this makes it hard for me to make an informed decision. The place I live makes it hard for me to audition the headphones I have my sights on (only entry-level senns are available for auditioning locally). I have provided youtube links along with the music I listen to because I get the feeling most head-fi members listen to classical music and may not know the genres I speak of. I know youtube is low quality, but its just to get an idea:
(50%) Drum and Bass (techstep/darkstep/neurofunk):
It seems to me that good (soundscape+separation) and a decent low-end/bass do not seem to appear together in the price range I'm looking at? hence my dilemma for a single headphone solution.
Comfort is a high priority. The audio source is an unamped PC. Also, I'm looking for a slightly more airy/laid back sound than a '100% in your face'/bright sound - i.e. something that doesnt cause fatigue too quickly and supports long listening sessions. My budget is roughly $200 - but flexible upwards if it is really worth it. I'm considering AD700, MS-1, SR80i, HD595 - but dont let that limit your suggestions.
I'm also considering stretching my budget to the next tier if it is warranted (i.e. if the AD700 is 95% of the AD900 and you can barely tell the difference, then its not worth it for me, but if the difference is like night and day, then I may take the plunge). The AD700 sounds like a good starter headphone, but it seems like the lacking bass would hold back the kind of music I listen to?
Also, keep in mind that my audio source is very modest (PC, unamped, Realtek HD builtin soundcard, mainly MP3s @ 320kbps CBR and some FLAC via foobar)... yes, you can stop cringing now. I wouldn't mind getting soundcard advice too (entry level please, and dont factor it into the ~200 budget, gaming features take priority over music for the soundcard - I'm thinking X-Fi Xtremegamer?).
All suggestions would be appreciated
Usage will be 55% music and 45% gaming
I play first person shooters, often in competitive ladders, and I know that soundscape and separation are among the most important factors for gaming (determining position and detecting sound cues). I will use a clip on mic (Zalman ZM-MIC1), as I currently do with my PX100s.
But the music I listen to makes the headphone decision kind of hard. Everyone on head-fi seems to listen to classical/pop/rock/jazz - which I barely ever (read: never) listen to and this makes it hard for me to make an informed decision. The place I live makes it hard for me to audition the headphones I have my sights on (only entry-level senns are available for auditioning locally). I have provided youtube links along with the music I listen to because I get the feeling most head-fi members listen to classical music and may not know the genres I speak of. I know youtube is low quality, but its just to get an idea:
(50%) Drum and Bass (techstep/darkstep/neurofunk):
- Concord Dawn - Chloroform : YouTube - Concord Dawn "Chloroform"
- Noisia - The Tide : YouTube - Noisia - The Tide
- Black Sun Empire - Arrakis : YouTube - Black Sun Empire - Arrakis
- Lostep - The Roots : YouTube - Lo Step Feat Lior Attar - The Roots
- Sudaka - Play : YouTube - Sudaka
- The Crystal Method - Bad Stone : YouTube - The Crystal Method - Bad Stone
- Matt Darey - Nocturnal Delight (Sandler Remix) : YouTube - Matt Darey - Nocturnal Delight (Sandler Remix)
- Kai Tracid - Trance and Acid : YouTube - kai tracid - trance and acid djsincity
- Fear Factory - Descent : YouTube - Fear Factory - Descent
- Deftones - Needles and Pins : YouTube - Deftones - Needles and Pins
It seems to me that good (soundscape+separation) and a decent low-end/bass do not seem to appear together in the price range I'm looking at? hence my dilemma for a single headphone solution.
Comfort is a high priority. The audio source is an unamped PC. Also, I'm looking for a slightly more airy/laid back sound than a '100% in your face'/bright sound - i.e. something that doesnt cause fatigue too quickly and supports long listening sessions. My budget is roughly $200 - but flexible upwards if it is really worth it. I'm considering AD700, MS-1, SR80i, HD595 - but dont let that limit your suggestions.
I'm also considering stretching my budget to the next tier if it is warranted (i.e. if the AD700 is 95% of the AD900 and you can barely tell the difference, then its not worth it for me, but if the difference is like night and day, then I may take the plunge). The AD700 sounds like a good starter headphone, but it seems like the lacking bass would hold back the kind of music I listen to?
Also, keep in mind that my audio source is very modest (PC, unamped, Realtek HD builtin soundcard, mainly MP3s @ 320kbps CBR and some FLAC via foobar)... yes, you can stop cringing now. I wouldn't mind getting soundcard advice too (entry level please, and dont factor it into the ~200 budget, gaming features take priority over music for the soundcard - I'm thinking X-Fi Xtremegamer?).
All suggestions would be appreciated
. I think my first post was a bit long winded. I suppose what I really should of asked is:
