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Mad Lust Envy's Headphone Gaming Guide: (Updated: 5/17/13. Skullcandy PLYR 1 added)

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post #1 of 13703

1/17/11 at 10:58am

Thread Starter

10,431 Posts. Joined 3/2010
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
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NO UNSOLICITED PRIVATE MESSAGES ASKING ABOUT GAMING HEADPHONES. PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS ON THE GUIDE.

I NEED TO STRESS THIS. DO NOT COMPARE SCORES FROM ONE REVIEW TO ANOTHER. EACH SCORE IS REFLECTING A HEADPHONE'S OWN MERITS, AND NOT COMPARED TO ANOTHER UNLESS I SPECIFICALLY STATE SO.

This quick guide is for Headphone gaming WITH virtual surround (I personally use Dolby Headphone). NOT stereo, so those looking at this guide as a headphone guide for stereo gaming will need to note that my reviews aren't based on stereo gaming. I ONLY play with Dolby Headphone virtual surround, so I CAN'T make suggestions to those who wanna play in plain stereo. That is all.

The Nameless Guide To PC Gaming: For PC Gaming Audio advice, I highly recommend you guys read this guide, which is written by NamelessPFG, and specializes in the PC related side of gaming audio, which I am 100% not knowledgeable of. I'd consider it a great extension to my own guide for those who aren't console gamers.

MY YOUTUBE ACOUNT: PLEASE SUBSCRIBE

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv5zwzyOSEBk7m6u5Y6npkw?feature=watch

Last Update: 5/17/2013

Skullcandy PLYR 1 added

4/30/2013

Koss ESP-950 added

4/22/2013

Stax SR-407 added

I found the video to demo Dolby headphone. EVERYONE can hear this, so try it! If you can't hear the surround cues at the time stamps I mention, then Dolby Headphone may not be for you, or your headphones don't pair up well with it.

NOTE: At 1:08, this is pretty much how Dolby headphone sounds on the Mixamp. The 5.1 DH: On section at 0:54 sounds like a weaker version, which honestly doesn't sound like the Mixamp's DH, but it still showcases positional cues. Now, if you didn't believe in DH before, you probably will now. Remember: At 1:08-2:00 is pretty much how the Mixamp sounds.

Mad Lust Envy aka. Shin CZ's Gaming Headphone/Headset Guide

Intro on how I came to start this guide and why. (Click to show)

Before I start, let me get a few things out of the way. Everything I say is PURELY personal opinion. If you don't like it, well... tough. I'm not a professional. I have clearly stated that is is all my opinion, with subjective preferences as well as objective ones. Okay, moving on.

Hello everyone. I wanna make an introduction on my journey into headphone gaming, and pretty much headphones in general. I myself actually got into this audiophile hobby BECAUSE I fell in love with the sound of the AD700 when I paired it up with my Mixamp. I first started this journey when I looked for a discrete solution for gaming during the night time, where my home theater at the time (Pioneer HTS-G1) was just too much for my roomates and neighbors. Being someone who reads up on the things he buys before making purchases, I read up about how good the A40+Mixamp combo was, and that it would be all I would ever need. It was $250, which was extremely expensive for me at the time (at least I thought such a thing was too expensive back then). I caved in and went for it, as long as it delivered as promised.

Once I got it, I have to say that I was somewhat underwhelmed. I was expecting something that mimicked my surround sound. I wasn't feeling dolby headphone in the least. I was so underwhelmed that I barely used it, and decided to just play my games really quietly, which to me hurt, as I like to be immersed, and concentrate quite a bit when I game online. Fast forward to a few months later, where I decided to give it another try. Much to my dismay, my practically brand new A40s (very rarely touched back when I did use it) had lost the right side audio. I was so peeved that I didn't bother contacting Astro. I tossed them... just like that.

So there I was back again, with a seemingly useless Mixamp, and no headset. I went back online and read up on ACTUAL headphones that worked very well with gaming and the Mixamp in general. I, like many of you, heard how grand the AD700s were especially for games like Call of Duty 4, which was my favorite game back in the days I got into this hobby. So what the hell, I went for it. When I got it, I was somewhat turned off by the color, and they didn't exactly sit well on my head. It was slippery as hell, and it just sorta pissed me off. I then did the rubberband mod and then felt it was good enough to try.

I then hooked them up to the Mixamp, and fired up Call of Duty 4... let's just say... my mind was BLOWN. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was hearing EVERYTHING. Sounds were coming from all around me. I could hear exactly where people were around me. A pin drop was easily distinguishable for me. I did notice the distinct lack of bass, but for this game, I couldn't care less. I felt like I had an unfair advantage against those who DIDN'T wear a headset. Bass was the last thing on my mind. My speakers sounded like pure crap next to this ridiculous soundfield I was suddenly enveloped in. Dolby Headphone and Headphones in general showed me what a miraculous combo they could be, and I told myself I would never seriously game without either of them ever again. I had converted. This was just but the first step into this disease called upgraditis.

Since then, I have somewhat gone through literally COUNTLESS of headphones, both for gaming, and for music/movies. I knew I'd have to own at least two pairs: One for direct hardcore gaming, where bass was on the lighter side so I could focus on the more important sounds like a grenade pin being released, footsteps, or claymores being placed. The other would be for more, non-competitive gaming where I could enjoy what audio as a whole has to offer. I wanted a nice boost in bass, to feel the explosions. Something to directly contrast the sound of the AD700 but still work well with the Mixamp. I was also a budget headphone hunter. I loved what cheap headphones had to offer: bang for the buck. So I have bought my share of garbage, and gems.

Enough of that, I'm now going to attempt to remember ALL the headphones I have bought and used since the beginning of my journey. One criteria HAD to be met at first: The headphones would have to work well with Dolby Headphone, or they were gonna be returned or sold. It was that simple to me.

Okay, I'm gonna list my share of WORTHY headphones, especially for gaming. By worthy, I mean worthy of being discussed (some may be added to let you know they are NO GOOD for gaming with DH). This list doesn't include headphones I bought/used that were never intended to be used for gaming (for example, my HAS700, ES7, ESW9, though I did try them with meh results, obviously). I couldn't begin to remember them all anyway. Also rating them based on how good they are for 'fun' gaming (anything not taken too seriously, where sound accuracy isn't a huge concern), and competitive gaming (where sound is incredibly important, specifically positional accuracy and ability to pick up the finer details). The scores aren't scientific. It's just MY opinion on how they score from a scale of 1-10 by their own merits, and not how they compare to other scores whether higher or lower, so don't whine about scores, lol.

INDEX, RATINGS, MY TOP CHOICES
Use this for quick searching (highlight/copy what you're looking for, Ctrl+F, then paste)
Lists (Click to show)

HEADPHONES

D: $0-$50

Koss KSC35
Koss KSC75
Koss UR40
Philips SHP2500
Sennheiser HD201
Steelseries Siberia V1 (*headset*)
Turtle Beach Z2 (*headset*)

C: $50-$150

Audio-Technica AD700
Audio-Technica M50
Creative Aurvana Live! (aka "CAL")
HiFiMAN RE0 (IEM)
Sennheiser HD280 Pro
Skullcandy SLYR (*headset*)
Sony XB700
Tritton AX720 (*headset*)
Turtle Beach PX21 (*headset*)

B: $150-$300

AKG K701 (K702)
AKG Q701
Astro A40 (*headset*)
Astro A50 (*wireless headset*)
Beyerdynamic DT770 (Premium)
Beyerdynamic DT770 (Pro 80 ohm)
Beyerdynamic DT880 (Premium)
Beyerdynamic DT990 (Premium)
Sennheiser HD598
Sennheiser PC360 (*headset*)
Skullcandy PLYR 1 (*wireless headset*)
Tritton AX Pro (true 5.1 *headset*)
Yuin G1A

A: $300+

AKG K702 65th Anniversary Edition
Audeze LCD-2
Denon D7000
HiFiMAN HE-4
HiFiMAN HE-400
Koss ESP-950
MrSpeakers Mad Dog
Stax SR-407
Sennheiser HD650
Ultrasone Pro 2900
Ultrasone Pro 900

Virtual Surround Devices

Astro Mixamp Pro (2013 Edition)
Astro Mixamp Pro (2011 Edition)
Astro Mixamp 5.8
Beyerdynamic Headzone (Base only)
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D USB
Tritton AX 720
Turtle Beach DSS (old version)
Victor SU-DH1

External Amps

Fiio E9K (aka E09K)
Objective O2
Schiit Magni

How to get Dolby Digital signals from DTS only Blu-Rays off your PS3

External Microphones

AntLion ModMic
DX Mini Clip-on Microphone (aka DealExtreme Mini Clip-on mic)
Labtec LVA7330

Final Notes

Ratings

10: Near Perfection
9: Amazing
8. Great
7: Good
6: Decent
5: Mediocre
0-4: Bad to worthless

I NEED TO STRESS THIS. DO NOT COMPARE SCORES FROM ONE REVIEW TO ANOTHER. EACH SCORE IS REFLECTING A HEADPHONE'S OWN MERITS, AND NOT COMPARED TO ANOTHER UNLESS I SPECIFICALLY STATE SO.

MY TOP CHOICES (for quick reference)

Competitive:

K701
Q701
K702 65th Anniversary Edition
HD598
PC360
AD700
SR-407
Pro 2900
DT990
D7000
ESP-950
HE-400

Fun:

D7000
LCD-2
DT990
Pro 900
HE-400
HE-4
K702 65th Anniversary Edition
SR-407
HD650
Creative Aurvana Live
DT770 Pro 80
DT880
Pro 2900
PLYR 1
SLYR
ESP-950

All-rounders (for both uses):

D7000
LCD-2
HE-400
K702 65th Anniversary Edition
SR-407
Q701
DT990
HE-4
ESP-950
Pro 900
Pro 2900
HD650
DT880
PC360
Creative Aurvana Live
Yuin G1A
KSC35
KSC75

HEADPHONES

Tier D: $0-50

Koss KSC35 / Sportapro (*clip-on*)

Sells for $45. Sportapro sells for $20-$25
Review (Click to show)

Okay, the more mature Koss clip-on that was discontinued and then brought back (only on the Koss website), for a pretty hefty $45. I'd say it's hefty because it honestly should cost just slightly above the KSC75 range, not 3x as much. They sound very similar to the KSC75. However, they are fuller sounding, with fuller bass approaching full-sized type bass, and the mids/vocals are very rich and forward. Treble is also quite neutral for me, not being too smooth, and not too sparkly. I actually am quite fond of their treble. The KSC75's treble is harsher, grainier, and more fatiguing. The mids on the KSC75 are slightly laid back, while the KSC35 presents them up front and more fleshed out. In all honesty, you can say the difference between the KSC75 and KSC35 is like the difference between the K701 and Q701. One is brighter, drier, and thinner sounding, while the other is more natural, and fleshed out.

How do they perform for gaming? Obviously, this is what you'd guys wanna know, and fortunately, they are pretty good performers, just the way the KSC75 is, but just a tad bit better. I played Black Ops for several hours today, and Dolby Headphone truly worked well together with the KSC35. There were sounds that would make me think were outside of the game. Soundstage with DH isn't huge, just like the KSC75, but it's not small either. It felt natural. Directional cues were quite easy to identify, so no complaints. All in all, it's a solid sounding headphone, that does work very well for gaming. Bass was strong but quick due to the open nature of the headphones, but slower than the KSC75. Based on sound alone, I'd say the KSC35 is a headphone you could use for hours without fatigue. Kind of like a smaller, more bassy PC360. Nice tonal balance that I don't think anyone would dislike.

My biggest complaint is the price. I'd put them at $25 at it's highest point. $20 would be perfect. For $45, I don't think I can recommend them since the KSC75 can be found for $15, are are just slightly inferior. However, if money is no object, and you want a great clip-on, the KSC35 is definitely worth the upgrade from the KSC75, and the difference between them with their respective stock clips is significant enough to warrant purchase.

Comfort-wise: compared to the KSC75, the KSC35 is quite noticeably lacking in comfort. The KSC75 has those very comfortable rubberized clips, that once you get used to, it's as if they weren't there. The KSC35 has some hard, slightly sharp plastic clips, that will never truly disappear off your head. At times, they can get bothersome, but with time, they're fine for several hours use.

Now, if you use the KSC75 clips on the KSC35 for comfort, you will lose a bit of SQ, and it will put them very close to KSC75 sound, with just a very slight hint of warmth (literally 90% alike). I'd say that it's worth the minor discomfort to use the stock plastic clips as it boosts SQ maybe 25% better than the KSC75, IMHO.

Update: The Koss Sportapro houses the same drivers as the KSC35, for less than half the price. You can literally buy the Sportapro, snap off the drivers, and snap the KSC75/35 clips on to the Sportapro drivers, and you have a cheaper KSC35. Ideal solution is getting the Sportapro and KSC75, putting the KSC75 clips onto the Sportapro drivers. This will save you $10, give you BOTH the KSC35 and KSC75 as a spare, and give the most comfort, IMHO. Just make sure to bend the KSC75 clips to place the drivers closer to the ears, as stock form may place the drivers too far, losing bass and overall sound quality.

Fun: 7.5/10 (Very Good)

Competitive: 7/10 (Good)

Comfort: 7.5/10 (Very Good), 9.5/10 with KSC75 clips (Amazing), 7/10 w/Sportapro headband (Good)

Koss KSC75 (*clip-on*)

Sells for $13-$20. Review (Click to show)

It belongs here. Most of you already know what a bang for the buck these are, and I'm more than happy to say that they are pretty good gaming headphones. Directionality is accurate, detail is fantastic for their price, and treble is sparkly and energetic. The bass is also no slouch, assuming you are in a decently quiet atmosphere. The KSC75 is very picky about what is around you, so the quieter the place you're in is, the better they perform. If you want to game on a budget, these should be not be taken lightly. I use them when I wanna relax and lay back, since I don't ever have to worry about them sliding off or out of position. They stay in place no matter what. I love them so much. You couldn't get me to give mine up unless it's for another pair. You get a lot of performance for the price, and everyone should pick some up.

edit (6/2/2012): Just want to add that the way to present sound is considerably different from full-sized headphones. They are like a bridge between IEM and Full-sized cans, in which they don't have a FULL sound that envelopes you the way full-size cans do, but they project farther out than IEMs.

Fun: 7/10 (Good)

Competitive: 7/10 (Good)

Comfort: 9.5/10 (Amazing. After initially getting used to clips, they are just amazing)

Koss UR40

Sells for $25-30.
Review (Click to show)

Tried two of these... both were so ridiculously bloated and congested in bass, and everything sounded like pure muffled nonsense. Hated EVERYTHING about them. Of course the HD650 fans actually like this thing, so I'll chalk it up to me hating that ridiculously warm/smooth sound. Still, I felt the bass was ridiculously out of proportion, more so than heavy hitters like the XB700. It was giving me headaches. I'm not gonna mod anything. If it doesn't work for me as is, then I'll look elsewhere. They may use the same drivers as the KSC75, but they sound nothing alike. We all should know by know how different a driver sounds depending on housing and other factors.

Comfort-wise: Personally, I couldn't get them to sit right on my head, as they were too short. The net style headband didn't do anything for me either. This one is for small heads.

Fun: 4/10 (Bad. Give you an extra point for the obsecene bass... if that's a good thing...)

Competitive: 4/10 (Bad)

Comfort: 4/10 (Bad)

Philips SHP2500

Sold for $20 (discontinued?). Review (Click to show)

Very comfortable, and has a surprising decent sized soundstage for gaming. Not bad AT ALL for gaming with Dolby Headphone. Won't top the KSC75, but if you need isolation when gaming for the least amount of cash, this is a fine choice.

Comfort-wise, they are pretty comfortable, the only issue that even with their velour padding, they quite hot due to a very good seal. No air escapes = sweat galore.

Fun: 6/10 (Decent)

Competitive: 6/10 (Decent)

Comfort: 7/10 (Good)

Sennheiser HD201

Sells for $20.
Review (Click to show)

Another budget performer. Very well balanced sound signature. Closed headphone with a sense of depth and width. Not terribly exciting, but for $20, these are a pretty good alternative to the Philips SHP2500 when it comes to budget closed cans. Id still say the Philips SHP250 performs a little better with Dolby Headphone and is more comfortable. Still, if comfort isn't a priority, these are very. very good for the price.

Comfort-wise, it's not very comfortable. The pleather is cheap and plasticky, and the seal causes discomfort quite quickly. Like bad pressure to the head. Not as bad as the HD280 pro though.

Fun: 6/10 (Decent)

Competitive: 6/10 (Decent)

Comfort: 4/10 (Bad)

Steelseries Siberia V1 (*headset*)

Sells for around $35-50 (discontinued).
Review (Click to show)

The sound... hmm... a bit on the veiled side. To be honest, they sounded better with music than they did with gaming. It wasn't even impressive with Dolby Headphone. I wouldn't look at these twice. The Siberia V2 is known to be pretty good, but sadly, I didn't get those because she didn't want pleather pads, so opted for the inferior version with tiny velours and smaller drivers.

Comfort-wise... quite possibly the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn. Seriously. The self adjusting headband is just AWESOME. Very light, and very open, so your ears breathe quite a bit. Looks like a budget Sony MDR-F1. The only area they lack in comfort-wise is that the pads are a bit too small to give them a perfect score.

Fun: 5/10 (Mediocre)

Competitive: 5/10 (Mediocre)

Comfort: 9.5/10 (Amazing)

Turtle Beach Z2 (*headset*)

Sells for around $50.
Review (Click to show)

These come with 50mm drivers, has no inline amp, and is cheaper than the PX21. These MUST be good! Okay, so when I opened the package and attempted to adjust it... the right cup snapped off. Seriously. Just snapped. That goes to show you the kind of quality to expect. I couldn't even test the sound quality properly. Not to be unfair, I asked for a replacement on Amazon, which was shipped to me within 2 days. Knowing the durability issues, I took RIDICULOUSLY special care on not snapping one of the cups off when adjusting them on my head.

The sound: Hmm... not good. Really. it's weak. Now I will tell you why I think that is: the pads. It uses neoprene pads that don't isolate, and don't form any sort of seal. I'd think that some pads that seal properly would probably make the Z2 sound a little better. I'm not a fan of the neoprene pads. They lose the isolation of pleather, and the comfort of velour. Really, no reason why I think neoprene should be used.

If you really want me to tell you how it worked with Dolby Headphone, well... not even remotely good. Lack of soundstage and positional accuracy. Actually, I think it's the very worst I have ever used with Dolby Headphone.

Comfort-wise, don't remember, but as with the PX21, the neoprene pads weren't great.

Fun: 3/10 (Really Bad)

Competitive: 3/10 (Really Bad)

Comfort: N/A

Tier C: $50-150

Audio-Technica AD700

Sells for around $100 (more or less).
Review (Click to show)

Spectacular for FPS games. Great detail in the mids and energetic treble. Soundstage is the biggest of any headphone I have heard in Dolby Headphone mode (including the K701). Everything sounds just so crystal clear and sparkly. Directional accuracy is just bloody fantastic (2nd only to the DT770 Pro 80s for me). If you want a headphone that just murders practically everything else for FPS games, the AD700s is that headphone. They are really bass light. That is their biggest issue. Bass is so light, it sounds like a tin can attempting to sound like a subwoofer. Just no bass, lol. So for immersive, non-competitive gaming, these aren't going to impress. The treble can also be quite grating and harsh. They also sound somewhat artificial, so don't expect accurate and realistic sounds coming from this headphone.

Comfort-wise, the pads are super comfortable, but the cans are way too loose for some people, and your ears may touch the drivers which a shock prone person like me couldn't handle anymore.

Fun: 6/10 (Decent. The soundstage is it's own brand of fun, but soundstage and clarity aside, they're not going to wow you.)

Competitive: 10/10 (Basically Perfect. It ditches warmth, bass, and musicality for sheer performance and detail-whoring.)

Comfort: 4/10 (Bad. Awesome pads, terrible headband design, drivers press against ears, and slippery fit. The comfort on the AD700 is love it or hate it.)

Audio-Technica M50

Update: I feel that because the M50s are one of my fave headphones, they deserve a bit more in the listing.

Sells for $120 (more or less).
Review (Click to show)

Bass: The M50's bass is emphasized, but not by a lot. It's well balanced, slightly favoring bass over mids. The bass can go pretty low, and has a good thump to it, without it being flabby. Bassheads won't appreciate the quantity, however, the M50s can handle bass boosting like a champ.

Mids: The mids are ever so slightly recessed due to slightly more prominent bass and treble. However, the mids aren't THAT recessed, and is well in line with the rest of the sound.

Treble: the treble is emphasized, energetic, and sparkly, They can get harsh, but it's nothing too worrisome, compared to other headphones on the list. The M50's treble gives you a crisp sound overall.

Comfort-wise, the M50 is the most comfortable pleather-padded headphone I have ever owned. You have to do the stretch mod, but once that is done, they are just godly in comfort.

edit: HERE is my thread with how to do the stretch mod.

As far as isolation goes, the M50's do extremely well keeping sounds from leaking out, and a great job isolating from the outside.

Gaming: the M50s don't do very well with Dolby headphone. Their issue is their soundstage, which sound congested and doesn't give you a big enough virtual space to let Dolby headphone work it's magic. I feel that even the Hifiman RE0s (the IEMs) do it better. I'd say if you want a good headphone for plain stereo gaming (like say with a Vita, DS, phones, etc), the M50s will be just fine. Just don't take them seriously for console/PC gaming.

Fun: 7/10 (Good. Nicely balanced with a good emphasis on bass)

Competitive: 5.5/10 (Okay. Small soundstage depth and width really hurts positional cues for competitive play).

Comfort: 9/10 (Amazing. After the stretch mod, the M50s are absolutely stellar in comfort, even with it's pleather pads).

Isolation: 8 (Great. One of the better passively isolating headphones I've used.)

Creative Aurvana Live! (aka "CAL")

Sells for $100 (or less).
Review (Click to show)

Ah, the little Fostex driver that could. This is one seriously good headphone that works very well with Dolby Headphone. For a closed headphone, the soundstage is decent. Positioning is good, bass is excellent but not overwhelming, and the treble is relaxed enough to bring out the mids a bit more than the M50s, IMHO. I would directly compare them to the M50s. The M50s are more aggressive, with smaller soundstage, while the CAL is more laidback with a better sense of depth and width. If you're looking for a closed headphone under $100 for gaming, seriously consider the CAL. I had absolutely no problem using them during my more competitive gaming sessions in CoD4 and MW2, though in the end, they are warmer in signature than I prefer.

Comfort-wise, I love them. For a pleather padded headphone, they are AMAZINGLY comfortable. Those pads are very soft and feel wonderful. The discomfort comes from my personal distaste for non-velour pads, which is just personal gripes, due to the heat/stickiness it causes. I'll keep that out of the scores though, as that would bog down all pleather headphone scores. The pads however, aren't that deep and may cause an issue for those who don't like to feel your ears pressing against the driver padding. They may not be big enough for those with large areas, so it may feel like an on ear, instead of an over ear headphone to some.

Fun: 8/10 (Great. Full, warm, and bassy. Just immersive and entertaining)

Competitive: 7/10 (Good. Even for a warm and somewhat reserved sound signature, the soundstage and positional cues are good for competitive play).

Comfort: 7.5 (Pretty Good. Even for a small circumaural, I find them to be very comfortable, with the only negatives being that the pads are shallow and small and may crush other's ears. I didn't have issues with it though.)

HiFiMAN RE0 (IEM)

Sells for $79.
Review (Click to show)

Can an IEM truly be good for gaming with Dolby Headphone? Astrogaming just released the A*Stars to use with the Mixamps, so they believe so. My experiences with the highly regarded HiFIMAN RE0s leads me to believe the same. The sound signature is like a VERY neutral to slightly bright sound, lacking a little in bass, but being incredibly analytical. That to me, sounds like a perfect headphone to test for hardcore gaming. Being an IEM, the RE0 doesn't have any worthy soundstage depth and width to speak of even with Dolby Headphone. Everything sounds pretty much close to you. What they DO however, is accurately pinpoint which direction sounds are coming from, and pick up all the detail you could possibly want for gaming. No one will be sneaking up on you with the RE0s on. Still, you will be missing the soundstage, which helps in immersion. Still, when it comes to IEMs, this is a fantastic one to use.

Comfort-wise, I'm not a huge IEM fan, and these weren't notably superior or inferior to any other IEM in comfort. The stock tips weren't great, and they would constantly fall out of my ears. I much prefer the JVC Marshmallow's tips for comfort, but not sure what they'd do to the sound, as I didn't own them at the same time.

Fun: 5/10 (Mediocre. The RE0 is pretty analytical/sterile and not exactly engaging.)

Competitive: 7/10 (Good. Despite it being an IEM with very small soundstage, the clarity is absolutely top notch, making details pop out very easily. Positional cues don't have a lot of depth to do their work as well as they should, but they are easy to pinpoint which direction they originated from).

Comfort: 6/10 (Decent)

Sennheiser HD280 Pro

Sells for around $100.
Review (Click to show)

Needed to mention this one. Like the M50... these are NO GOOD for Dolby Headphone gaming. The soundstage is so miniscule, everything sounds pretty much like it's right next to you. No sense of depth or width. My RE0s were better at least.

Comfort-wise.... uhh, no. Just...no. Sennheiser loves it's clamp, and the HD280 Pro is a TORTURE device. It's a vice grip on your head, and the really 'perfect' seal adds heat and sweat on top of that painful clamp. Probably the worst I've used in terms of comfort.

Fun: 5/10 (Mediocre)

Competitive: 3/10 (Very Bad)

Comfort: 1/10 (Horrible. The clamp is unbearable after a few minutes. The airplane cabin pressure is also incredibly uncomfortable.)

Skullcandy Slyr (*headset*)
http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/slyr-black-yellow

Sells for $79.95
Review (Click to show)

Before I get started, I really want to thank Skullcandy for getting in contact with me and giving me the chance to review the SLYR, as well as the A40+Mixamp 2013 Edition, and A50s on their Astrogaming side.... They have been very communicative, and understanding. Can't thank them enough.

I'm sure that pretty much anyone interested in headphones know the Skullcandy brand. Their name is instantly recognizable, and their headphones can be found in many stores, ranging from their very entry level headphones, to their higher end Aviator and Mix Master headphones. They do not have a shortage of headphones, and as such, have been the target of a lot of criticism for not catering to audiophiles but to the domestic market. Personally, I can easily say that I do not have a lot of experience with Skullcandy products. My first pair of Skullcandy headphones were a pair of Ink'd IEMs that I bought ages ago loved. I didn't know a thing about headphones back then, but I do remember liking their sound signature, and their cheap price. The next product I had some time with was the Lowriders...a PINK pair, I had bought for my then girlfriend, hahaha. I have never been a fan of on ear headphones, and the Lowriders couldn't stay on my head. I honestly couldn't tell you if they were halfway decent or not. I have a slippery dome it seems, lol. I wasn't exactly pleased with them, and their build quality was quite lacking from what I'm used to today, but they were very inexpensive, and my girlfriend liked them well enough.

Anyways, my point is, I don't have a bias for OR against Skullcandy. What I DO know is that they have made great strides in improving their line and becoming more serious about the quality of their products. I can surely appreciate any company doing that. With the arrival of the SLYR, PLYR, and PLYR2 (with help from Astrogaming, which is well known in the gaming community, and which they now own), it's hard to not be curious about what Skullcandy has up their sleeves for us gamers.

So I'm approaching these headphones with a completely open mind. Okay, maybe not completely open. I do have ONE bias: I don't expect much from headsets. With as many headphones as I have owned and tested, gaming headsets have been, for the most part, disappointing. Save for the Sennheiser PC360 (which remains the best headset I have used, and still among the best competitively even among the amazing headphones I have owned), the next best headset for me was the Tritton AX720 which was decent, but not 'good' overall. They are excused as they come with a Dolby Headphone decoder box which more than makes up for their lack of pure sound quality. Everything else was borderline forgivable to 'blegh'. So, with that bad taste in headsets overall, the SLYR had an uphill battle, and that's before I even opened the package. Still, I was excited.

Hmm, the Skullcandy SLYR (pronounced Slayer). Upon opening the package and taking them out, I was still neutral. They were unassuming, and relatively stealthy in a dominantly matte black finish with sort of yellow/green 'windows' on the cups. From what I have seen of earlier Skullcandy designs, they tend to be fashion statements, with lots of urban/street flavors, etc. The SLYR is humble looking in comparison. I actually like this. I tend to prefer a more classy approach to my headphones, rather than ones that scream at you. The SLYR still has an edgy design to them with sharp angles, but it's not 'loud'. It's hip for the younger crowd, but still reserved enough for adults.

So that was my first impression on looks. Looks are not my top priority in a headphone. Comfort and sound first. How did they fare? Well, as soon as I put them on, I immediately thought: "Crap, these are on ear." I'm not a fan of on ears. Still, the pads were very soft, and they weren't pleather. Things I DEMAND in a headphone nowadays. I absolutely avoid pleather/leather like a plague. Then I realized, with a little bit of adjusting, the SLYR is actually circumaural/over ear! YES! Very happy about that. Certainly not the biggest cups, but they did fit my ears well enough (bigger openings than the Creative Aurvana Live, and much deeper pads). The SLYR is off too a good start, and I haven't even heard them yet.

As with every headphone I buy, my first listening test is ALWAYS music. Gaming comes later. I fired up some songs, let my ears adjust to their sound signature and soon after, I knew; Skullcandy meant business. These don't just sound like a good headset. They sound like a good headphone. PERIOD. I absolutely did not expect this sound coming from an $80 headset. The first thing that I immediately noticed was the balance between the bass, mids, and treble. I am not exaggerating in saying that headphones costing 3x the price of the SLYR can't manage to find such a great balance between fun and balance the way the SLYR does. I mean it. With the Sennheiser PC360, you get a really good and overall neutral-ish tonal balance, with not much sticking out of place, but not being exciting tonally. The SLYR on the other hand manages to sound balanced, with the right amount of bass emphasis and energy to make them exciting. They are forward sounding headphones, with not a hint of boredom in it anywhere. The Creative Aurvana Live sounds considerably more reserved in direct comparison, darker, and warmer. (which I had on hand at the time of review). While the CAL was still more refined overall, I have to say, I preferred the sonic signature of the SLYR. It was immediately more engaging and exciting. The SLYR isn't the fullest sounding headphone I've heard, nor the most refined, but they definitely got the balance right for my ears.

Bass: To be honest, I expected to have more bass than they did. I expected bloated bass. Bass that gets in the way of detail. This is NOT what I got. Instead, I got punchy, impactful, energetic bass that is quite present, but never overwhelming. It also has good speed and decay. Quite impressed with the SLYR's bass. A very good start. If I had to give the bass a quantity, I'd give them an 8. Plenty of bass for me. Not perfectly in line with mids and treble, but it's a GOOD emphasis.

Mids: I'm used to v-shaped curves, with bass and treble emphasis, and recessed mids. Yet, the SLYR has some pretty up front mids next to the typical v shaped can. Can't pinpoint if it's the smaller soundstage, or just the mids in general, but they certainly weren't what I consider really recessed. Maybe just slightly so next to the bass, but I'd say they're pretty in line with the treble. They are pretty forward in the sense that vocals are near you basically at all times unless a song purposely mixes them further back.

Treble: You either expect dull, veiled treble, or treble that is too sharp, too spiky, too peaky. Again, the SLYR surprises in it's sonic characteristics. The treble is energetic, but it's not harsh. It's very close in balance to the mids for me. It is RARE for treble to be in the safe zone between too soft, and too harsh. The SLYR is DEFINITELY in that safe zone. I honestly wish the DT990's treble had a similar line. That's right.

Amping: As to be expected, the SLYR is a very efficient headphone, and I didn't feel they needed any extra amping.

Soundstage: This is definitely the only aspect of their sound that I was personally not entirely happy with. Part of it is because I'm grown so accustomed to open headphones, with an airy, wide/deep soundstage, and going back to a closed headphone's soundstage and typical closed headphone signature is a bit jarring. After getting used to the closed headphone sound, I'd still say the SLYR's weakest aspect is the soundstage. It's relatively small even comparing other closed headphones. I have VERY little experience with closed headphones, and I feel that out of the few I have on this guide, the SLYR is near the bottom in terms of soundstage. Thankfully, everything else is so good, so this drawback doesn't hurt as much. Still, it is small, and everything sounds pretty packed together next to other headphones in direct comparison like the CAL and A40s (the two main headphones I had on hand).

Positioning: Now that we're getting into the gaming side of this review, the first thing to discuss is positioning. Since I feel that positioning is very dependent on soundstage, I feel they did suffer just slightly compared to my faves. That is the nature of closed headphones (with the exception of the D7000, and DT770s which have some truly large soundstages for closed headphones), and the Pro 900 which, with the aid of S-Logic helps give a sense of depth not typically found on closed headphones, though not by much. The SLYR does place positional cues properly around you, though with the lack of soundstage, there isn't much space between you and the virtual space to make pinpointing easy. Still, it does a good job. Not great. I was able to dominate pretty easily in Call of Duty 4, and didn't feel lie I was at all hampered by the SLYR's positional cues. I didn't feel like they gave me a huge advantage compared to some of my fave headphones, but they did their job well. Again, good. Bear in mind, the SLYR was definitely marketed as a stereo headset with a mixer that plugs into RCA cables. I'm fairly certain that those who play in stereo will have VERY little to complain about.

Clarity: The SLYR is a warm headphone, but with enough crispness to say that they are plenty detailed for gaming. The closed design hurts clarity again only compared to open headphones like the PC360 and K701. As a closed headphone, I found them to have a nice balance between fun and detail-whoring, so I'd say that if I had to rate clarity separately, they'd get a 7 (good). I doubt there will be any complaints about clarity, especially at their price range.

Comfort: Pads? Soft, deep, comfy velour. They could definitely be bigger as larger ears MIGHT make these on ear ear headphones. Clamp? Not too loose, not too firm. I find them just right. Weight? Very light. Check. They stay relatively in place at all times, with not a lot of readjusting needed. A huge win here.

Microphone: The microphone is permanently affixed to the SLYR, but like the PC360, you swing it upwards. Unlike the PC360, the mic on the SLYR tucks away nicely into the cup, and is relatively well hidden when not in use. it's also small, but sensitive enough to pick up my voice quite easily. My voice came through clearly on my PS3 device settings, so I have very little to say about it, other than it does it's job well. It may be just a little too sensitive for my setup, as I have a large, noisy fan near me, and the mic picks it up unless I sit further back than what I'm used to. Still, that shouldn't be an issue for most people.

Build Quality: The SLYR is made out of all plastic. The plastic feels sturdy enough for my taste, somewhat reminiscent of the PC360 plastic. I have more faith in tossing these around than I would the Creative Aurvana Live. Assuming you're not abusing the hell out of the SLYR, I don't see these breaking with normal use.

Accessories: The SLYR comes with a stereo mixer. Think of it as a stereo alternative to the Mixamp, with the ability to mix voice/game audio at your desired levels, with three different EQ presets. One bass heavy, one flat, and the other treble heavy. I personally don't have much use for the Mixer since I own the Mixamp and prefer gaming in Dolby Headphone surround, but I did test the mixer and found the presets to work relatively well, and the mixer to also work pretty well in mixing game and voice without a lot of distortion. If anything, the closest alternative to this Mixer is the Steelseries Spectrum Audio Mixer, which retails for $40 and is for the 360. The SLYR's mixer works for both the 360 and PS3 (as well as PC). I didn't find a need for the EQ presets as the SLYR already has such an agreeable sound signature.

The Mixer has a very lengthy cable terminated in RCA jacks with piggyback female inputs. The Mixer is powered by a standard USB plug, and comes with a 3.5mm input for ANY headphone, as well as the 2.5mm input for the 360's controller for chat audio. The SLYR comes with a detachable 3.5mm male/male cable (a bit on the short side, IMHO) that carries chat audio. You can indeed use your own 3.5mm male/male standard audio cables, though the entry on the headset side may not accommodate thicker plugs. I found that the CAL's extension cable fit, but the first gen Astro 3.5mm cables didn't. I used the CAL's extension on the headset side, and my own 3.5mm male/male cables on the female end of the CAL's extension cable when using the SLYR for music on my main headphone setup (non-gaming). Basically, you will want cables with thin 3.5mm plugs if you want a lengthy cable for the SLYR. I don't know where to get lengthy ones that also carry voice audio, unfortunately.

Value: $80 gets you a damn good headphone that just so happens to actually be a headset. Convenience, comfort, and a relatively forward, engaging, and still balanced tone makes the SLYR the very first headset in the sub-$100 bracket that I recommend to anyone who absolutely needs a headset.

Final Impressions: While the SLYR isn't perfect, and aren't as refined as to what I'm personally used to (hello "Head-fi standards"), I must say that even with my higher end tastes, I really, REALLY like the SLYR from the sound, all the way to the comfort. These are great for music, pretty good for fun gaming, and good enough for competitive use. Skullcandy's first serious gaming headset gets a solid B from me, and have made me a true believer. I can't wait to see what else Skullcandy has up their sleeve. If their $80 headset is this good, I have high hopes for their higher end models. One last thing that you will want to know: I prefer the SLYR over the A50s.

Final Scores...

Fun: 7.5 (Pretty good. They really did a great job in finding a great balance between fun and balance. Very impressive for this price.)

Competitive: 7 (Good. They absolutely do their job. I'd say stereo gamers will particularly love them, kind of like how I personally see the M50s if a little better in terms of positional cues. For us virtual surround gamers, I'd still say they are worth looking into if you absolutely need a headset.)

Comfort: 7.5 (Very good. Those with larger ears may have to use them as on ear as mentioned before, though they are still comfy in that way.)

Sony XB700

Sells for just over $80.
Review (Click to show)

A real guilty pleasure. I knew what I was getting into, and I LOVED it... for music that is. For gaming...well, let me give you an example. In Mass Effect 2, when you're on your ship, you CAN'T hear the dialogue, because the humming sounds the ship makes is SO pronounced, voices are pretty much completely drowned out. Needless to say, these are NOT ideal for picking up finer details. Pass for gaming. The 770 Pros do a better job at keeping mids intact, and that isn't exactly a strength for the DT770 Pro 80s.

Comfort-wise, the XB700 is a hit and a miss. The headphone is luxuriously comfortable...until all that padding makes the surface area it made contact with, incredibly hot and sticky. Then that comfort takes a large step in the wrong direction. Seriously, they get hot and sticky in a hurry. Considering how much surface area the pads take up... it's not a pleasant feeling at all. They'd be perfect for near freezing temperatures though.

Fun: 6/10 (Decent. The bass is something to hear once in a lifetime, though it is quite omnipotent and distracting.)

Competitive: 3/10 (Very Bad. While the XB700 isn't one of the most undetailed headphones I have heard, the bass is still way too strong making details hard to hear.)

Comfort: 5/10 (Mediocre. The comfort starts off amazing, but the large amount of pleather to skin contact is a bit too much. Causes sweating, skin reddening quite quickly.)

edit: XB500 info. The XB500 is even muddier and bloated in bass than the XB700. I'd give them similar scores, except the fun score gets a solid 3/10...

Tritton AX720 (*headset*)

Sells for $129 (Best Buy).
Review (Click to show)

My ex-roommate purchased the AX720, and I'm happy to say that it's a pretty decent headset. I find it better than what I remember the A40s to be, but the general consensus is that the A40s are slightly better than the AX720, which is why I can't really judge the A40s. The AX720's mic works fine, the amp is comparable to the Mixamp if slightly MORE powerful and sleeker and more practical (it's a set top box, which you don't need next to you unlike the Mixamp). The headset itself is closed and comfortable, with good positional accuracy, with a small but still decently spaced out soundstage. It doesn't come close to the headphones I have mentioned, but it's a great starting headset which you can consider FREE, as what you really want is the AX720 virtual surround amp. Many people wouldn't have an issue with the AX720 headset. It doesn't do anything horribly wrong, but doesn't do anything particularly particularly well either. It's just good enough to get you going.

Comfort-wise, I didn't find them bad or great. They do their job, though for a sealed headphone, they are comfortable.

Fun: 6/10 (Decent)

Competitive: 7/10 (Good)

Comfort: 7/10 (Good)

Turtle Beach PX21 (*headset*)

Sells for $80 (or less).
Review (Click to show)

Hey, do you like hiss with your sound? Yeah? Then the PX21 is PERFECT for you. There is an audible hiss blanketed over the sound due to it's proprietary inline amp. Yeah, if you hook this up to the Mixamp, you're getting a hissy, double amped (in a bad way) mess. If you can get over the hiss, the sound is actually pretty crisp and detailed. I actually LIKE the sound it has, hiss aside. However, due to the hiss, I won't go any further into trying to remotely going into the specifics. And yes, this is an innate issue with all PX21s. The inline amp is the problem.

All this tells me is that you should not use headphones that have in line amps, especially with another amp like the Mixamp.

Comfort-wise, don't remember much, but the neoprene pads weren't amazing.

Fun: 5/10 (Mediocre)

Competitive: 5/10 (Mediocre)

Comfort: N/A

Yuin G1A (*clip-on*)

Sells for $150
Review (Click to show)

The Yuin G1A. You can say that these are the most high end clip-on headphones in the world. That sounds like hyperbole, but it's true. Clip-ons don't really have much of a market for audiophiles, and are content with staying relatively on the domestic market, and/or for physical activities. With a small niche market, the Yuin G1A sits comfortably as the most expensive and highest regarded clip-on headphone.

I am a huge fan of clip-ons. They don't hurt my ears like IEMs. They stay in place no matter what I do, short of literally touching them. They are small enough to lay down with. After a few days of adjusting to how clip-ons feel on your ears, they may as well be the most comfortable headphone design ever made.

It helps that my first experience with clip-ons was with the Koss KSC-75, which for a mere $10-$20, should be in every audiophile's inventory. The KSC-75 hits well above their price range, is extremely comfy, pleasing, and just... legendary.

My 2nd taste of clip-ons headphones was with the rare and mature KSC-35. The KSC-35 is older than the KSC-75 and discontinued everywhere, but can be bought directly from Koss on their website. The Koss KSC35 sacrifices just a little comfort in place of more musicality and warmth compared to their cheaper, and more common sibling. It's also now sold for 3x the price of the KSC-75, though I personally don't believe they should be priced so high, despite my overwhelming love for them.

So how does the Yuin G1A stack up next to the budget conscious Koss offerings? Does the overall package justify the huge price difference? Let's find out.

The package is quite small. A nicely designed cardboard box, with a nice presentation. Doesn't look as generic as the Koss packaging. Upon opening the package I am greeted by the sleek Yuin G1A.

Build Quality: The 'cups' have a sexy, brushed metal finish to them, which immediately puts it well above the KSC-35 and 75 in aesthetics. With that said, that really is the only physical aspect I find superior to the Koss clip-ons. Everything else is so ridiculously similar to the Koss clip-ons, they may as well have been made by the same OEM. The cable's only difference is that the two sides merge further down the line, making it easier to wear the G1A behind the neck, so you can take them off and let them rest on your shoulders/chest, which isn't that easy to do with the Koss clip-ons due to how close the clip-ons are to where the cables merge.

The build itself is... well, it doesn't inspire confidence. The clips are plastic (a very comfortable curved plastic), which seem like they won't take a beating the way the KSC-75's silicone/metal clips, or the sharper, stronger plastic on the KSC-35 would. The cable is quite frankly, sad. It is essentially the same thin, flimsy cable found on the Koss clip-ons. My KSC35's cable is already pulling away from the drivers, and I have feeling the same would probably happen to the G1A's cables.

The good thing about the Koss clip-ons is that their ugly 'hubcaps' aren't luxurious, so I doubt you'd fear messing them up. They are rugged to say the least. On the other hand, you have the G1A with it's amazing brushed metal finish, which might be just as sturdy, but I'd be scared to just toss them in a bag in fear of scratching them or leaving any marks whatsoever. The fact they are $150 further enhances my fears of treating them with wild abandon like I'd do with the Koss clip-ons. In the end, they are expensive, yet very cheap feeling other than the back cover. Very disappointing overall. It's fine with the Koss clip-ons, NOT so with a product this expensive.

Comfort: If there is one thing that can be said, it's that the Yuin G1A is amazingly comfortable. They literally disappeared on my ears. The most important part of a clip-on in terms of comfort is the clips. If the clips don't feel good resting on your ears, that can be quite problematic. Thankfully, the Yuin's plastic clips are smooth and curved just right. They share a very similar form factor as the KSC-75's clips, which are both quite a bit better on the ears than the KSC-35's relatively sharp-edged clips. I also like that the clips are so smooth, they easily slide on my ears. The KSC-75's rubberized clips 'grip' on my skin, so it's a little harder to put on than the Yuin clips. They are both wonderful to wear, however. As mentioned before, the small form factor, secure fit, and super comfort make these practically unrivaled in terms of long sessions, relaxing, or physical activities. As usual, clip-ons may not be the best in comfort for those who wear glasses, as they have to share the same placement on the ears.

Accessories: The only accessories is a 3.5mm to 6.3mm (1/4") adapter (the same exact one found on the HE-400, coincidentally), as well as an extra pair of foams.

Isolation/Leakage: As with the Koss clip-ons, the Yuin G1A is open backed (though they actually LOOK closed). This means that they do not isolate well, if at all. External noise will come in with very little contention. I find this to be more good than bad for my Koss clip-ons, as I'd like to be able to hear things around me when I wear my clip ons at work. However, the G1A being hard to drive for such use (more on that later), as well as my fear of physically damaging them makes their very open nature not as beneficial, seeing as the GA1 is more content being used at home with a dedicated amp.

Amping: As I briefly mentioned, the Yuin G1A is a rare breed of clip-on, in that it has a relatively high impedance of 150ohm, and take advantage of that by being harder to drive than typical clip-ons (as well as lots of full sized headphones), which results in more refinement at the expense of versatility. They don't demand a LOT of amping, but amping is necessary nonetheless. I find that it sounds cleaner with an external amp than with the Mixamp alone. Soundstage and overall positioning didn't change, but I feel the improvement in audio fidelity warrants using an amp. Still, these can be used with the Mixamp alone without much drawbacks.

Sound Signature: Before I get started on it's sound, let me state that all three clip-ons I have used can easily swap clips with the others (i.e. KSC35 with Yuin clips, G1A with KSC75 clips, etc). The problem I see with this, is that the sound signature of the headphones change quite a bit just by whatever clip you have equipped onto them. The reason being that each clip places the drivers at certain distances from the ears, which greatly vary the sound signatures. Even with the same clips, just a light bending of them will alter sound quality (easily done with the KSC75's clips). The Yuin clips can bend just a teeny bit, but be prepared to possibly break them in the process if you attempt to. The KSC35's clips don't seem to have any give whatsoever, so what you hear is what you get. For the purpose of this review, I will be rating the G1A based off it's stock clips, which I found to give the most balanced sound signature.

Now on to the sound itself. Upon first listen, the first thing I thought of was that the Yuin G1A sounded like a mini Q701. Well balanced, relatively neutral, with just a hint of warmth. Obviously lacking in soundstage, as well as being lot smaller in presentation of sound, but mini-Q701s is the best description I can come up with.

Bass: Starting with the bass, I can say that the Yuin G1A has neutral bass. The bass is neither strong nor weak. It's present, but not emphasized nor lacking. The KSC35 has more bass impact and presence by quite a bit, and the KSC75 has a slight lead in bass impact.

Mids: Really nice, balanced mids. Not forward or recessed, they sound natural and full. Some frequencies are ever so slightly forward than others, but overall, I find it well integrated with the rest of the frequencies.

Treble: Nice and smooth. SOMETIMES has some sparkle, but overall, it's presented quite naturally. A nice improvement over both the Koss clip-ons which sound grainy and unrefined next to the Yuin, especially in the treble.

Soundstage: Like the other clip-ons, the soundstage isn't big, but it's somewhat airy and spacious, still not rivaling a full-sized headphone's soundstage.

Positioning: I find the G1A to perform very similarly to the Koss clip-ons. They do good. I didn't have a problem playing competitively, though there is room for improvement.
The positional cues don't have a lot of space to work with, but with what they have, they do a good job placing sounds around you. It helps that they are a bit more clearer and fuller sounding than the Koss clip-ons, so soundwhoring is easier.

Clarity: Very clear. Very impressed with how detailed the G1A is. Detailed, and full sounding. Just a lovely balance all around, making these very good for all around gaming.

Value: It's hard to judge the Yuin G1A's value. They deliver a rich, detailed sound which is noticeably improved on what the Koss clip-ons offer. On the other hand, the improvement doesn't justify the huge price jump, nor does the shoddy build quality on the cables. I would say these would make more sense being sold at $75, and even then, they could use some improvement on the cables and perhaps the clips, even though I love the clips.

Final Impressions: The Yuin G1A is a fantastic clip on, though overpriced when everything is taken into account. They won't replace full-sized headphones in either competitive or fun gaming, but they are great alternatives if you wanna lay back and listen without the feeling of having something on your head. If you are a huge fan of the Koss clip-ons, you may wanna give the Yuin G1A a chance, as it refines and fills out the already great sound found on the budget friendly Koss offerings. Just be prepared to pay a steep price for a fractional improvement. Do I recommend it? No. The only people who should look into the Yuin G1A are those who love clip-ons and want to see what the best sounds like. Other than that, $150 gets you close to some legitimate full-sized headphones that eat the Yuin G1A alive.

Final Scores...

Fun: 7 (Good)

Competitive: 7.5 (Very Good)

Comfort: 9.5 (Amazing)

Tier B: $150-300

AKG K701 (K702)

update: my impressions are for an older K701 (7 bump version). New K701s (8 bumps on headband) MIGHT sound close, or the same as the Q701. Too many conflicting reports to say who is right, and who is wrong. All I know is that my old K701 sounded different enough from the newer Q701s.

Sells for around $250-300.
Review (Click to show)

Remember how I felt the AD700 did something to me? How it completely change my view on headphones and Dolby Headphone? Well, I got that same feeling again with the K701. In fact, I felt like god had given me the secret to just out right smite my enemies with the hammer of justice. The K701 to me, is pure, unadulterated, SMACKDOWN inducing OWNAGE. The very first time I used them (Modern Warfare 2), I went 2 straight 25-0 games in Free For All. I mean, holy smokes. The K701 was like wearing x-ray vision goggles for my ears. Depth, width, imaging, complete detail retrieval... it had it all. These to me, are the very vision of the perfect gaming headphone (with Dolby Headphone). I'd still place the overall positioning behind the DT770 Pro 80, and AD700, but it's on par with the HD598. We're talking about them being maybe a 9.9 instead of a 10 (which is what the 770s and AD700s are to me). Those two have NOTHING on the clarity and detail-whoring the K701 has. The bass is light, but present enough for it not to be anywhere near a complaint for me. It just works. You want my top pick for a purely godlike hardcore gaming headphone? The K70x is it. Now if only they were easy to drive. Believe it or not, the Mixamp does a good job driving the K70x, as long as you don't mix in voice chat whatsoever. Talking about leaving the game/voice balance completely on the game side. Once you nudge the balance away from game, the volume takes a steep dive, and you will note how badly the things need an amp.

Now I already know how volume =/= driving force, but for gaming with dolby headphone, you WON'T think about that or notice. Trust me, the Mixamp is enough for the K701 if again, you don't add voice chat. If you do, you WILL need to attach an amp to the Mixamp's headphone out, just to juice the K70x and voice chat audio. Yes, they do scale with good amping, but for the purpose of gaming, I don't deem it necessary, asides from when you're in need of voice chat.

Comfort-wise, quite polarizing. A lot of people have issue with the headband's bumps. I won't lie, they take getting used to. However, once you've beared with it enough, your head will get desensitized by that particular sensation. The bumps no longer affect me in the least. I find them decent to good. My main complaint now is that I wish the headband extended just a little more. I have to fully extend them to fit me properly, and it's quite noticeably felt, though it's not a real discomfort.

Fun: 6/10 (Decent. There is SOME fullness to the old K701, though it is ultimately a sterile, and highly analytical headphone unless paired up with a very warm amp.)

Competitve: 10/10 (Basically Perfection. The meaning of God-mode is strong with this one. If you want a headphone to pick apart details from everything arround you, this one is pretty hard to pass up.)

Comfort: 7/10 (Good. The bumps may be a factor for a lot of people.)

AKG Q701

Sells for around $250 (more or less).
Review (Click to show)

Fun: I want to give them an 8 for fun, and they do deserve that most of the time, but there are times when you can tell that sub bass is lacking. Don't get me wrong, they can be bassy at times, but its leaning more towards mid bass (the quick hits), than the ambient/mood setting bass that I prefer. Still, they can get very fun at times, and anyone looking for a well balanced can that can perform great overall, these are better than the PC360 and DT880 overall.

Competitive: I can't directly compare the two for competitive use, but no one should pass these up for the slight decrease in score. They are essentially just as good, but the K701 lacks a warmth I deem necessary for overall use, so you end up really focusing on details, which is the main strength in the K701. The emphasis on detail retrieval is what makes the K701 just beastly. The Q701 is tuned for more enjoyment FWIH, though they are still detail monsters, just not as glaringly obvious. As far as positional cues and accuracy, they are every bit as good as the K701. Soundstage may be just a smidge smaller, but I attribute that to the fuller sound. Soundstage to me is bigger on headphones that lack a lower end, letting the space breathe more, if that makes sense.

Seriously, get the Q701 over the K701. Its just an overall better can. If you seriously just want detail whoring for gaming, the money is better spent/saved on some AD700s. The K701 is overkill for that specific need, as the Q701 can be just as good, and be enjoyable outside of gaming. I didn't like the K701 for anything other than competitive gaming. I like the Q701 for most purposes. I tend to use them over the D7000 when watching my favorite shows, due to comfort (love me open+velour pads), and voices are clearer, or playing games that aren't reliant on bass. My D7000 is mostly for music, action movies, and intense games.

As far as my second fave balanced can (DT880) compared the Q701, the DT880 slightly edges out the Qs in fun due to having a more appreciable amount of low end which makes them better to me for music and fun gaming, but falls short on competitive for the lack of positional accuracy. Still, for the uses that I need my balanced can for, the Q701 is still a better fit due to richer mids, better comfort (one of the few who doesn't take Beyers well comfort-wise), and just great all-purpose gaming cans.

Comfort-wise, quite polarizing. A lot of people have issue with the headband's bumps. I won't lie, they take getting used to. However, once you've beared with it enough, your head will get desensitized by that particular sensation. The bumps no longer affect me in the least. I find them decent to good. My main complaint now is that I wish the headband extended just a little more. I have to fully extend them to fit me properly, and it's quite noticeably felt, though it's not a real discomfort.

I need to mention that while the Q701 is a better overall can than the old K701 to me, the difference is not night and day. They essentially sound VERY similar, with a slight tonal difference. The difference was definitely enough for me to say it's worth choosing the Q701. Need to clear that up, in case people are expecting a big difference. Think of the Q701 as a very slightly EQ-ed K701, with added warmth and very slightly more bass. If anyone has ever used the Fiio E7, you can say the Q701 is somewhat like using the K701 with EQ-1. EQ-1 on the Fiio E7 is really just a slight nudge upwards for bass (slight), and a warmer/fuller sound.

Like the K701, they desire amping when using voice chat. The sound also scales with amping, but isn't really necessary.

Update 3/5/2013: So it seems that the K702 Anniversary and Q701 are essentially the same sound-wise, the difference being attributed to the K702 Anniversary having memory foam pads that alter the sound. The new sound gives these headphones a warmer, thicker body, with bass that now meets the mids, for an even more balanced sound, though not as immediately airy as the Q701 pads.

If you happen to already own the Q701, you might want to invest on some K702 Anniversary memory foam pads which will bring the sound to a new level, one I personally feel is superior in bass, balance, body, and fun. The Annie pads will still allow the Q701 to be very detailed, and amazing for competitive play, but with the added benefit of being more fun.

Which is better? Well, now that they're known to be essentially the same with different pads being what harbors the difference in sound, the K702 Anniversary still has the added benefit of a flat headband which is much more comfortable. They are also limited in quantity and aesthetics, if you are into that. Buying new, the Q701 + Annie pads will cost over $300, while the Annie is ready to go at $400 (when hunting for deals). If you are brave enough to mod the headband on the Q701, you can also pay for a K601 headband which will be flat and more comfy than the stock headband. Still, I have seen a thread on the mod, and doesn't seem easy. This will further bump up the price to perhaps about $50 less than just getting the Annie anyways. If you have owned the Q701 already, you can basically renew them for around $100 for the Annie pads and K601 headband, which is probably more appealing and cost effective than spending $400 to replace the Q701 for the Annie, barring selling your Q701 to fund for the Annie as some of us have done.

Fun: 7/10 (Pretty Good. More warmth, fullness, and bass than the OLD K701. Still slightly lacking a little in bass most of the time, but engaging in other areas.)

Competitive: 9.5/10 (Amazing. The Q701 is basically about 98% as good as the K701 for competitive use. The reason it gets a lower score is because it's not as competitive oriented as the K701, though ultimately, I would suggest the Q701 anyways, as it's more enjoyable all around and still god-mode inducing.)

Comfort: 7/10 (Good, The bumps may be an issue for some people, though I say they have to let their heads adjust to the feeling.)

Astro A40 (*headset*)
http://www.astrogaming.com/a40-audio-system-astro-edition

Sells for $249.99 (w/Mixamp 2013 Edition), $199.99 (headset alone)

Review (Click to show)

Fun: 7.5. Very Good. The innate sound signature has lively bass, with an enjoyable balance of the other frequencies.

Competitive: 7.5. Very good. Since people will undoubtedly pair the A40 with the Mixamp 2013 edition, the Mixamp has two presets (Media and Pro) that enhance clarity of details, greatly aiding calrity for competitive gaming. The positional cues/soundstage aren't the best, but they will perform quite well.

Comfort: 7.5. Very good. A pretty comfortable headset all around. No problem wearing them for hours on end, with just a few occasional times of re-adjusting them. My only complaint is that it could use a bit more extension for larger heads, as I have to wear it fully extended.

Astro A50 (*wireless headset*)
http://www.astrogaming.com/a50-wireless-system

Sells for $300
Review (Click to show)

Before I get started, I really want to thank Skullcandy for getting in contact with me and giving me the chance to review the SLYR, as well as the A40+Mixamp 2013 Edition, and A50s on their Astrogaming side.... They have been very communicative, and understanding. Can't thank them enough.

The Astro A50s. The first venture into fully wireless headsets for Astrogaming. Prior to the A50's inception, Astro released the discontinued, rare, and very sought out Mixamp 5.8. The Mixamp 5.8's main selling point was that any standard headphone or headset terminated with a 3.5mm plug could be attached to the Rx unit (receiver), essentially making them wireless. As you guys may know, I'm a humongous fan of the Mixamp 5.8, and it remains as my main gaming device when using my audiophile headphones. While it wasn't truly wireless (you still have your own headphone's wires to deal with), it did remove the tether always necessary between the console and yourself in wired setups, making it a more elegant, and cleaner solution than anything else before.

Unfortunately, Astro didn't find the Mixamp 5.8 to be a big seller, and sought out other solutions. This is rather unfortunate, as with more improvement and functionality, future iterations of the Mixamp 5.8 could have been a huge success in my eyes. Ah well, them's the breaks. So now Astro steered their focus away from the 5.8 and towards fully wireless headsets, the first being the Astro A50s.

Upon opening the freshly designed package, you are greeted with the A50, the transmitter (that shares the same body as the Mixamp 5.8's Tx unit, though different inputs/functionality), parts of a headphone stand (which is VERY nice of Astro to supply), and the necessary cables (which I will edit into this review later, as I have a mess of cables from 3 products at the moment).

Now onto the headset itself. Upon first listen, I was immediately attacked by a relentless assault of bass. Seriously, it absolutely surprised the hell out of me. My prior experience with an Astro headset was the first gen A40s, which was anything but bassy. For a $300 headset, I EXPECTED a well balanced, competitive oriented headset with nowhere near as much bass as the A50s have. In truth, I was quite put off by it.

The A50 has 3 presets:

Preset 1: Media (Bass enhanced)
Preset 2. Core (Balanced/flat)
Preset 3: Pro (Enhanced details in the mids and treble)

In reality it sounded more like:

1. Boomy, muddy, and completely useless.
2. Boomy, and veiled
3. Bassy with extra detail

No, I'm not kidding. I found the only preset worth using was the Pro Preset, which wasn't bass light to begin with, but at least I could actually hear the details, and it was quite decent sounding, though ultimately catering more towards fun than competitive, and not exactly sounding balanced. It's honestly not even worth mentioning the other two in this review past this point, because quite frankly, they're quite terrible sounding. In my future review of the Astro A40s (w/Mixamp 2013 Edition), you can see Astro's presets CAN be useful and maintain some clarity. Just...not here.

I'm not even sure whether to fault the presets, the fact that it's wireless, or if it's the A50's drivers themselves. I plugged in the transmitter to my PC in which the transmitter functions as a USB dac/amp (as well as microphone). The presets as well as Dolby Headphone are disabled, allowing you to hear the drivers work at their most natural state. Well, it seems to be the drivers. They are quite bassy. I am quite literally confused as to why Astro decided to use such bassy drivers for their most expensive gaming headset.

The A50s weren't down for the count yet, though. While 2 of the three presets left a really bad taste in my mouth, I still had one functional preset. Firing up CoD4 (and later on MW2) revealed that the A50s were decent gaming performers albeit on the disappointing side in terms of sound quality. It does perform fine when getting down to the nitty gritty, with a little more bass than I'd prefer out of competitive gaming cans. While the audio quality isn't great, positional cues and details were decent to good. The problem is that it's a closed headset, and everything sounds congested. The A40s sound more open, airy, and balanced, even with the speaker tags on. As far as the wireless capabilities, I find it to be great, where it takes quite a bit of distance for the A50's to drop the audio. I didn't notice and snap, crackles, or pops, nor did I get any hiss until you crank the volume quite a bit past the point where I'd say it's humanly necessary.

I'll get to the specifics in the break down.

Build Quality: The Astro A50 shares the same body and aesthetic design of the A40s, which is to say, they look/feel great for a headset. There are a few key differences from the A40s.

1. The microphone is permanently affixed to the left earcup. The A40's is removable.
2. The cups are closed, and unlike the A40s, can't be removed for a semi-open design. They are now fully closed.
3. The right cup can be pressed on the sides to adjust voice/game volume, similar to the Mixamp's voice/game knob, with the exception that it's two hidden buttons you press, not turn. Once you go completely towards the game or voice side, a chime will play, letting you know you're at 100% game or voice.
4. On the rear of the right cup is where the power button, preset slider (EQ), and volume adjustment is placed.
5. On the rear of the left cup is where the mini usb input (for charging), and the 2.5mm controller input (for the 360 controller) is placed.

Build-wise, I felt the parts used were pretty high quality. Astro made a pretty reliable looking headset here. Nothing looks or feels cheap. The plastic used looks high-grade, and looks like it can take a beating. I'd still handle it with care, however. The only area of 'weakness' that I'd be wary of, is the headband padding piece which sort of 'floats' in the center of the headband. Doesn't look like it'd be a problem, but it's the only area I can see that would probably be the first to give out with rough treatment.

The A50s swivel inward, so you can lay them flat if you need a breather. I find them very comfy letting them rest on my shoulders/neck area, which is rare compared to the vast majority of audiophile headphones which have huge cups, won't swivel, etc.

Comfort: I must have a ginormous head, as I have to wear the A50's fully extended. That, or they don't have enough give. On the opposite side of the size spectrum, the PC360 has enough extension to fit the head of a giant. I wish more headphones allowed that much freedom in size. The A40/A50 is comfortable, but they are at their limit with my head. It could use just a bit more extension, in my opinion.

The pads are made of cloth/velour-like material, which is to say, they are quite comfy to my ears, and won't be heat building/sweat-inducing like typical pleather. I've felt better, but they do their job well.

Microphone: While I'm not too experienced with microphones, I didn't have any issues with my tests. It picks up my voice well. The microphone is long, pliable, and one of the better mics I have used. I don't see anyone having issues with this mic. The microphone is muted when placed upright,m similar to the PC360. Much better than having to press a button.

Accessories:

Headphone stand: also has space for the Tx unit.

Tx unit (transmitter): optical input, optical output (passthrough), USB input (to pair and charge the A50), 3.5mm auxiliary input (for future accessories, mp3 players will not work.)

Cables: Optical cable, 2 mini USB cables. One for powering the Tx unit. This one will also feed the voice chat from the PS3 (has to be hooked up to the PS3 directly). The other is for charging the A50s. 2.5mm male/male for Xbox 360 voice chat capabilities, and the only cable you will need to constantly have attached if using voice chat on the 360.

Isolation/Leakage: In terms of letting sound in/out, I find the A50s to perform...decently. I do hear a fair amount of leakage, so I wouldn't crank these loudly if someone is near me sleeping. As far as keeping external noise out, I found that while using the A50s, it did a decent job overall. I wasn't truly bothered by external noise, though it's not particularly great at it. I blame the cloth pads, which sacrifices isolation/noise leakage protection for extra comfort/less sweat inducing.

Bass: As mentioned earlier, the bass is overly emphasized and boomy for a high-end headset. It's enjoyable on the bass light preset, but ultimately too strong to truly make this headset compete with the other, more balanced headsets like the PC360, SLYR, AX720, and Astro's own A40s. On the flat and bass heavy presets, the bass is loose, boomy, and sloppy. It mucks up the detail quite heavily, making these presets worthless. I'm seriously wondering if the default presets are causing this extra boominess, but I feel that if/when the custom presets become available, a lot of bass reduction is needed to compensate.

Mids: Due to the heavy bass emphasis, mids are drowned out a bit. The mids are distant, but not lost. For the purpose of gaming, the mids are fine, but ultimately not forward. The Pro preset brings out the mids a bit more, which is helpful. For the other two presets, the mids are heavily recessed.

Treble: With the good preset, treble is crisp and bright. It can get sibilant, but not many instances where I see treble being problematic. Again, the Media and Core presets place too much emphasis in bass, drowning out everything that isn't bass.

Soundstage: Somewhat closed in. It's not going to win anyone over based on size.

Positioning: Due to the closed sound, and not so large a soundstage, positioning isn't great, but it's not bad. It's passable, and sometimes even good.

Clarity: To repeat what I have already mentioned, clarity is decent on the Pro preset with sparkly details, albeit somewhat artifical sounding. Clarity is just plain lacking on the Core and especially Media presets. The sound turns overly warm and bass heavy, and all details are sucked out.

Amping: No possibility of being amped, as the transmitter can only take a digital signal, with no way to attach an amp. The A50 is fairly sensitive in either case.

Value: This one isn't hard. It's $300. That's a hard number to swallow. The main benefit of the A50 is that it's wireless. You do get everything you'll ever want in one headset, but sound quality is clearly lacking. I prefer the sound quality of the SLYR, A40, AX720, PC360 by a considerable margin. The A50s are left behind on sound quality. If sound quality is important to you, I'd advise you get something else. It's that simple. In good conscience, I can't recommend the A50s based off it's sound quality. For the purpose of worry-free wireless gaming, the A50s are good enough on the Pro preset if being untethered is absolute top priority, though you will be making some sacrifices for the benefit of going wireless.

Final Impressions: The A50's quite honestly make a better stereo headset than a Dolby Headphone one. I find it enjoyable for music off my PC, but not so much for gaming w/Dolby Headphone. Whether it's the drivers, or the internal amp in the headset, or the presets, the A50s put out bass oriented, and muddy sound for gaming.

Final Scores...

Fun: 6.5. Very decent. While the bass is strong, the only preset worthy to be used is the Pro preset, and ends up sounding heavily processed, which detracts from enjoying non-competitive games to their fullest extent. Bass adds to the immersion, but when you can't hear details, it sucks away from the fun factor, so I don't recommend the other two presets even if just for fun.

Competitive: 6.5. Very decent. Again, the Pro preset brings out the detail which helps quite a bit, but the headphone is still on the bass heavy side which detracts from focusing as much as I'd personally like. The soundstage and positional cues aren't great, and the sound overall feels closed in, but for most gamers, the A50s would be at least, passable.

Comfort: 7.5. Very good. A pretty comfortable headset all around. No problem wearing them for hours on end, with just a few occasional times of re-adjusting them. My only complaint is that it could use a bit more extension for larger heads, as I have to wear it fully extended.

Beyerdynamic DT770 (Premium)

Sold for around $200-300 (DISCONTINUED).
Review (Click to show)

Hmmm... this one is a tough case. There are a few versions out there. A bass light version, and a bass heavy version. In my case, I received the bass heavy 600ohm version. And I will state right now, that the bass was RIDICULOUS. It had a disorienting amount of bass... but it was weird... I could still pick up the other sounds, not like the 770 Pros. However, I felt that it added bass to every little thing. More than I could ever want for my always maturing ears. Let's get into the gaming aspect. Positioning, soundstage, and front/back positional accuracy were all there. Maybe as good as the 770 Pros. However, the bass was just messing with my ears, so I didn't test it out enough. I returned them quickly. There was just way too much. Don't give me the burn in nonsense, because I doubt a million hours of burn in would tame it down to considerable levels. It was leaning too heavily on that side. I actually believe it may have been faulty, but it's too late to go back now. If one of you ends up getting one with tamer bass, I believe that the synergy it has with Dolby Headphone could be a potentially godly combo.

I'd like to try the bass light version at some point, assuming I can find one.

Comfort-wise: While the DT770 Pros feel very comfortable for me, the Premiums less secure fit in addition to the harder than 880 and 990 pads, make them considerably less comfortable if directly compared to the 880/990s. Again, same pros and cons.

Like all the Beyers on my guide, they require amping to truly being out their sound quality.

Fun: 7/10 (Good. Very rich bass, though a bit too heavy for my preference)

Competitive: 4/10 (Bad. Can possibly be a 9/10 if the bass is tamed. I was expecting a bass light headphone, but instead got gobs of bass. The positional cues were top notch, and those who were lucky to receive a bass light DT770 may find themselves with the best closed headphone for competitive use.)

Comfort: 7.5/10 (Pretty Good. The velour pads aren't as soft and comfy as the DT880/DT990's pads.)

Beyerdynamic DT770 (Pro 80 ohm)

Sells for $180-200.
Review (Click to show)

This is a heavy hitter. Very impressive for non-competitive gaming, especially if you wanna feel like you're in a movie theater. The bass is considerably super powered, and would make this a bad choice for competitive gaming. However, the soundstage depth and width is surprisingly large for a closed headphone. These also have the VERY best sense of distance when positioning sounds that I have heard. Nothing has toppled this headphone when it comes to that. Not the AD700, K701, or HD598. Too bad it's too wild in bass for hardcore FPS gaming. The finer details are pretty much sucked out because of the bass.

Like the other Beyers on this guide, they require amping to truly bring out their sound quality.

Fun: 8.5/10 (Excellent. This is easily one of those most immersive headphones I have used. The bass is incredibly full, but not obnoxious.)

Competitive: 6/10 (Decent. Positional accuracy is among very best, but the bloated bass makes it hard to pick up details, so it hurts it quite a bit.)

Comfort: 7.5/10 (Very Good. The clamp is a bit strong, and the pads aren't as soft as the amazing DT880/990 pads.)

Beyerdynamic DT880 (Premium)

Sells for around $250-300, though prices vary wildly by ohm version and depending on the day.
Review (Click to show)

Fantastic. Absolutely. Comfortable, durable, and prestigious. Best balanced signature I have heard. If you want a gaming headphone based off sound alone, the DT880 is that headphone. It's so good, the sound works well in both hardcore gaming, and when just enjoying a game. The bass is quick, unobtrusive, but can get deep when the game calls for it (for example: Mass Effect 2, when you warp from one place to another, there is a low end rumble that sounds pretty **** epic on the DT880. Lovely. They do have one possibly major drawback. Think of yourself being in the center of a clock. Sounds with Dolby Headphone pretty much come from any direction relative to the clock.

The DT880s had a problem accurately depicting sounds that come from between 5 o clock to 7 o clock. Pretty much everything behind you. It actually sounds closer to the center, as opposed to sounding like it's actually behind you. With practice you can LEARN the distinct signature a rear sound makes with the 880s, but it will take you a split second to register that it's coming from behind you. That split second is enough to get you killed in an FPS game. Trust me. This is an issue with all models of the Premium DT880s, as I have compared with a few of my AVS friends who have owned different versions. They all came with the same conclusion. Some others don't experience this problem, but they also don't have the experience I have with headphones that DO have a much better sense of rear sound pinpointing (like say the 770 Pro 80s or K701).

If FPS gaming isn't a priority, don't skip these. They are ABSOLUTELY wonderful for gaming.

Comfort-wise, they can be a hit or miss. One, the padding is pretty much the best I've felt on ANY headphone, ever. I love velour. The miss part is that the space for your ears to fit in isn't big and your ears will press against the padding protecting the drivers. It can be quite uncomfortable for some people. It didn't bother me, but I had another issue. The design has it where the pads will rest on my jaw, causing some pretty significant discomfort after a period of time. Hit or miss, really.

Like the other Beyers, they require amping to truly bring out their sound quality.

Before anyone asks about the DT880's competitive score going from an 8 to a 6.5, I had to directly compare the score to the HE-4 (again, this is a SPECIAL case... for everything else, scores should NOT be compared), as I felt they were very similar, though the HE-4 is slightly better for competitive use due to better positioning. That, and it just felt odd to give them an 8 for competitive when I've been quite vocal on their issues with rear sound placement.

update: This listing is for the Premiums. I'd like to try the DT880 Pro 250ohm, as the slight difference in fit may give it enough of a difference both positioning and bass. I also want to mention that like all the Beyers on this guide, they require amping. Don't bother if you don't have a decent amp for them.

Fun: 8/10 (Great. The DT880 has a very balanced sound with some great, accurate sounding bass. It may not be as powerful as other, bassy cans, but I find the sound as a whole to be incredibly impressive for fun gaming.)

Competitive: 7/10 (Good. The positional cues could be better. The depth of the soundstage lacks a bit compared to the DT990, though it's still an open sounding headphone).

Comfort: 8.5/10

Beyerdynamic DT990 (Premium and Pro)

Sells for around $180-$200 for the Pros, and $250-379 for the Premiums, though prices vary wildly depending on ohm version, and day by day price changes.
Review (Click to show)

These are GREAT for gaming. Probably easier on the ears than they are for music, as the treble's edge isn't as pronounced in Dolby Headphone mode. There is a greater soundstage, more fantastic bass impact than the 880s (super quick and tight, and unobtrusive still, but more lively), and the detail retrieval is on par, if not better than the 880s due to the more emphasized treble, and just as detailed mids (though the mids aren't as forward as the bass and treble). If you want a more fun oriented sound than the 880s have for gaming, the 990s are it. The bass isn't boomy, but more theater-like, which adds to the immersion. They also work very well for the hardcore gamers out there who wanna nitpick the finer details in games like Call of Duty. Imaging is excellent, and overall positioning is better than the 880s. The hole between 5 and 7 is no longer there, though it's still not as good at judging front and rear sounds as my other faves. However it does it well enough for me that I happily sold the killer K701s as I saw no need to own anything for gaming after the 990s at the time. The treble WILL be too much for SOME people, though I believe that is more of an issue with it's use in regular stereo. For gaming, I didn't ever feel it got up there...

Comfort-wise, they can be truly great a hit or a miss for some. One, the padding is pretty much the best I've felt on ANY headphone, ever. I love velour, especially ones as soft as these. The DT990 is very lightweight, and it will feel like pillows caressing the side of your head. The miss part is that the space for your ears to fit in isn't big and your ears may press against the padding protecting the drivers.

update: My original review was for the 600ohm. I have been using the 32ohm, 250ohm, AND 600ohm versions, and I must say, they're too much alike to consider them different headphones. There may be slight differences, but unless you have them side by side, they're very much the same headphone with different amping requirements.

Comparisons of the 32 vs 250 (Premium and Pro) vs 600 ohm:

The 32ohm is a lot easier to drive in terms of volume, though they scale quite a bit with amping, to the point that I thought they were just shy of the 600ohm. The 32ohm I feel is recommended for those who just want an amazing headphone to pair up with something like the Mixamp and possibly a portable amp.

As for differences between the higher ohm DT990, the 32ohm is slightly less refined, and the soundstage is slightly smaller in stereo mode. It also has a dryness to the sound compared to the 250 ohm Premium. One that wouldn't change my thoughts on it. The 600ohm is slightly better overall to the 32ohm, but to make it better than the 32ohm, you need a pretty good amp to bring out that potential. For most of us, the differences don't justify the hassle. Don't overlook the 32ohm, especially if you're not getting an ideal amp for 600ohm headphones. The 32ohm gets you 95% of the way there, with the benefit of being able to sound very good unamped, and better driven than the 600ohm on all but really good gear. You will still want an amp to bring out their sound quality, like the other Beyers on this guide.

The 250ohm Premium is also just like the 320hm and 600ohm, but it has a darker tone, fuller bass, and less mids than the 32ohm and 600ohm. The differences again, are very negligible, especially if you don't have all 3 to compare. The 250ohm is also more refined than the 32ohm, with a bigger soundstage, and the sound as a whole has more body/weight, but again, the mids aren't as forward as the 32ohm or 600ohm. The difference yet again, are slight. The 250ohm is harder to drive than the 32ohm in terms of VOLUME, and only on certain sources will a portable amp be enough. To be safe, you'll want a desktop amp for the 250ohm.

The Pro 250ohm model sounds just like the Premium 250ohm model, but it has a bit more clamp so the bass is raised slightly, and soundstage is slightly lessened, (though still very similar to the Premium 250ohm, and still bigger than the 32ohm DT990). Because the Pro model is the cheapest, if you're looking to save some money and don't mind the retro look and stronger clamp, the DT990 Pro 250ohm gets you 99.9% the same sound as the Premium 250ohm.

The 600ohm is the most refined, and shares more in common with the 32ohm than the 250ohm, but just barely. The bass is tighter with very slightly less impact than the 250ohm. Like the 32ohm, the mids are ever so slightly more forward than the 250ohm. The soundstage is like the 250ohm, which is to say, slightly larger than the 32ohm. The 600ohm deserves some real good amping to make it worthwhile over the 32/250ohm variants. If you don't plan on getting something in the realm of $250+ for a bonafied desktop amp, get the 250ohm instead, though recent comparisons using the E09K have shown me that the 600ohm is still the better can (literally by a micro hair).

Now, when using a Dolby Headphone device (also using an amp to help drive the Beyers), I found them all to sound almost too similar. virtual surround positioning, soundstage, and tone where all incredibly similar. Made the differences even harder to discern than when listening to music, etc, without the Mixamp.

Because they're all so similar, I won't be giving them different scores. They're all within a hair of each other for fun, competitive, and obviously comfort.

Fun: 9/10 (Stellar)

Competitive: 8/10 (Great)

Comfort: 8.5/10 (8/10 for the 990 Pros due to stronger clamp)

Sennheiser HD598

Sells for $200-250 (I was lucky enough to buy them for $170).
Review (Click to show)

You all know it as an improved HD595, which is a consistent fave among gamers, especially those who use virtual surround amps like the Mixamp. My opinion? The hype is well justified, at least when it comes to the HD598. They are incredibly well balanced. Somewhat bass neutral, mids are pretty up front and center, and neutral treble (never harsh) translates to a very promising headphone for gaming on paper. And I'm happy to report that they are ABSOLUTELY phenomenal for gaming. They belong right up there with the AD700 and K701 when it comes to my very faves hardcore gaming headphones. Soundstage? Check. Positional accuracy? Double check. Detail retrieval? Triple check. The trifecta. It's missing nothing for those needs. The bass may be a bit too laid back for those wanting some immersion in their non-competitive gaming however.

Comfort-wise: It's a hit or miss. The pads are huge and give your ears plenty of space to breathe. My issue is mostly with the clamp. Sennheiser just seems to design some pretty clampy headphones. Like the PC360, the only way I can find them comfy is to over extend them, and give them a loose fit.

Fun: 6.5/10 (Pretty Decent)

Competitive: 9.5/10 (Amazing)

Comfort: 7/10 (Good)

Sennheiser PC360 (*headset*)

Sells for $180-250.
Review (Click to show)

Seriously, if you want a headset, this is one is hard to pass up. Easily the best headset I have heard with a sound quality that doesn't make audiophiles cringe.

Clarity? Check. It lags behind headphones like the AD700, K70x, Q701, and HD598, but for gaming, it is NO slouch. I can say that it COULD be clearer as a whole in comparison to headPHONES in their price range, but as far as headsets go, I highly doubt clarity would ever be a complaint. It picks up subtle details with ease.

Balance? Check. There is no part of the audio spectrum that I felt was truly emphasized over the rest. Well balanced. That's all I can say. Treble is neither too smooth, nor too sparkly. It sounded neutral. Fantastic.

Soundstage? Lagging behind the monsters that are the K70x and AD700, but is indeed no slouch. I'd say it has a bigger soundstage than the DT990. Fantastically large sense of space and airiness.

Directional Cues? Check. What can I say? This may actually be as good as the best when it comes to overall directionality. Trust me when I say that I could EASILY tell where sounds were coming from with the games I love to test.

Easy to discern front and back? Check. Perhaps the main shortcoming of Dolby Headphone (as some games just don't do this well even with the best headphone ever), and the PC360 got it down masterfully for those games that do rear positional cues well.

If you're in the market for a wired headSET, this should be the top priority. If you're looking for clarity, the PC360 does a fantastic job.

Comfort-wise, it's near identical to the HD598. The pads are wonderful and huge enough for your ears, but the clamp can be bothersome. Extend them to fit loosely, and they'll feel pretty good. Your mileage will vary.

If these indeed sound exactly the same as the 595 (or modded 555s), then unless you really need a mic and volume control all in one package, you'll be saving money by going with the 555's and modding them for the 595 sound and attach a mic. However, the PC360 can be had for around $180, and brings everything in one very attractive package. I can't say anything about the 555 and 595, but the PC360 is definitely a gaming beast.

Fun: 6.5/10 (Pretty Decent. Well balanced, but not really matching the punch in bass I like from funner cans, though the bass is enjoyable at times).

Competitive: 9.5/10 (Amazing. I highly doubt you'll be complaining about anything as you're precisely locating anything and everything around you).

Comfort: 7/10 (Good)

Skullcandy PLYR 1 (*wireless headset*)
http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/shop-all

Sells for $180.

Review (Click to show)

Before I get started, I again want to thank Gernard Ferril at Skullcandy for getting in contact with me and giving me the chance to review the PLYR 1. This makes the 4th product I've received from them, which I'm absolutely thankful for. The PLYR 1 (pronounced "Player 1") is Skullcandy's flagship gaming headset with all the bells and whistles you'd come to expect from a top of the line headset. It's almost fully wireless (save the XBox 360 controller/chat cable), with Dolby Headphone 7.1 virtual surround decoding, and a base/decoder box that doubles as a headstand. Basically, this is an alternative to fully decked out wireless headsets like the Astro A50s.

I have an unboxing video posted up on my new channel, HERE. It will give you a solid idea as to what to expect.

PLYR 1 features:

Dolby 7.1 Surround (Dolby Headphone)
3 EQ presets: Bass Mode, Supreme mode (flat response), and Precision Mode (for extra air, treble detail)
Wireless Audio
Pivoting Boom Mic (non-removable)

The base/decoder box/headphone stand has:
Power
Dolby Headphone button
Aux In (for external devices)
Optical Out (passthrough)
Optical Input
USB input to charge the headset
Mini USB for powering the base.

The PLYR 1 headset itself has:

Power Button
Master knob with the voice/game volume balance, and volume up and down.
EQ preset slider with 3 settings
USB input for charging
2.5mm input for Xbox 360 controller/chat input
Non-detachable boom mic (flexible), mutes when flipped up

Build Quality: The PLYR 1 is made up of some pretty durable plastic, heavier, and more solid than the SLYR. The design reminds me a lot of the newer Denon line, but without the horrible 'lip' at the ear cups. The PLYR 1 is a very nice looking headphone. Not extreme in it's design, but not understated either. I prefer it's design over the Slyr's. It's cups are non-glossy, textured in a street style pattern. The underside of headband is padded with soft cloth-like material, plenty to keep the headband from being uncomfortable. The left cup houses the microphone which is long, malleable, and easy to position any way you'd like.

The right cup houses all your buttons/functions. The power button is quite easy to find. The EQ preset slider is placed on the front side and isn't the easiest thing to find, though with some time, I didn't have any big issues finding it.

The Voice/Game/Volume 'stick' is placed near the power button, directly on the face of the right cup. I'm not the biggest fan of the stick, as it feels a bit analog and can be harder to 'feel' if you're adjusting the volume up/down or the V/G balance, basically not knowing if I'm hitting up or right if I move it somewhere in between the two, etc. My solution (as I never use a mic) is to immediately adjust the V/G balance all the way to the game audio side (G), which the headset confirms with two beeps. from there, I adjust the volume. If you adjust towards the voice side (V) all the way, you'll get a single, higher pitched beep. You'll want to adjust for game audio first, just to make sure you're getting a signal. There are instances where the headset drops audio completely (usually when switching a source, or a game booting up), and if you adjust for voice first, you won't hear game audio either way.

I understand Skullcandy wanting to have all these functions in one 'stick' for simplicity, but in the end, I felt it would have been better off having some buttons to press to separate each function. It ended up being harder to use over simple buttons, personally. I guess with time, it'd be second nature, however.

The ear pads are made up of the same material as the headband padding. Very soft, with plenty of depth, but a bit on the small side, so bigger ears may need to 'tuck' inside to have a circumaural fit.

On to the base/decoder box/headphone stand. The base is incredibly light. I personally would've wanted a heavier base, so it wouldn't slide around so easily, but that's more of a personal issue, as I'm constantly having to readjust the cables (using various sources for testing). I also would have preferred the power and Dolby button to be placed on the front, since there are times when you'll be switching from Stereo (for music) to Dolby (for games and DVD movies). Dolby Headphone doesn't discriminate and adds it's processing to all signals, which isn't a good thing for music and other 2 channel sources. It's a minor hassle having to reach around the back to switch it on/off.

Comfort: The PLYR 1 is a pretty comfortable headset overall. It's not as featherweight as the Slyr, but it's relatively light. At first, it can be quite clampy, which makes the PLYR 1 lose out on points, but after leaving it stretched over my headphone amp, it loosened up. I think I overdid it though, as it was a bit TOO loose. I ended up placing a rubber band around the headband for a night, and it allowed the PLYR 1 to clamp to my head again. It's at a decent clamp, not as bad as it was when I first wore it.

The headband has a generous amount of extension, so it should fit all but gigantic heads. The pads are incredibly comfortable, and plenty deep, though they are a bit on the small side. They could stand to be quite a bit wider/longer to allow bigger ears to fit in without issue. The headband padding is just as good as the ear pads, and is an absolute non-issue.

Accessories: Headset, base/decoder box, optical cable, 2.5mm (Xbox 360 chat cable), two usb cables. All you will ever need with the PLYR 1, though if you want to use external sources, you will want cables that terminate into 3.5mm to plug into the base's AUX IN.

Isolation/Leakage: Like the SLYR, it's not the best at isolation/noise leak. It's not as bad as an open headphone, but I would expect better. Comparing it directly to Mr. Speaker's Mad Dogs, you can clearly tell that the PLYR 1 was lacking in noise control compared to the MD.

Microphone/Chat: I'm not very experienced with headset mic capabilities, but I personally didn't have much if any issue with the microphone on the PLYR 1. It's malleable design ensures that you can position it any way you'd like to get it to pick up your voice properly.

Sound: The PLYR 1 shares a lot with the SLYR. This was confirmed by Gernard Feril (Skullcandy rep) via email.

Quote:

Our aim was to offer the great wired SLYR acoustic experience but in a wireless format with Dolby Surround, so far it seems like we have achieved that.

I asked if they shared the same drivers and frequency response:

Quote:

Yes, we had to make some modifications to the PLYR sound due to the added mass in the ear cavities (batteries and PCBs), but our target curves were the same for both.

So, the strengths and weaknesses of the SLYR were more or less the same in the PLYR 1. The PLYR 1 is a lively, energetic headphone, with boosted bass, but not overly so. Unlike it's relative the Astro A50s, the PLYR 1 has less prominent bass which doesn't intrude it's mids or treble. It's a bassy headphone, make no mistake, but it doesn't hamper it's sound quality the way the A50's bass did.

Unlike the SLYR, I personally feel the PLYR 1 has less congestion, and a better sense of space. The sound breathes easier than the SLYR, which sounded a little more closed and two dimensional in comparison.

The wireless through it's optical input is incredibly silent, with no discernible noise/hiss/hum. My only other wireless experience came with the A50 which had some background noise. The signal on the PLYR 1 (save for audio drop outs when launching PS3 games, which I'll touch upon later) was constant, distortion free, and clean.

The 3 EQ presets are as follows: (confirmed by Skullcandy's Head Engineer)

Quote:

Preset 2 is a flat, true response EQ curve. That is how the headset was acoustically tuned. EQ1 and EQ3 flavor the sound. EQ1 has a significant (8dB) low bass boost (sub 200hZ), with some modifications to the sound elsewhere. EQ3 is more subtle and was meant to emphasize the gaming details. I added a moderate sub 200hz bass boost to emphasize explosions, but I wanted to avoid a “muddy” sound. I also added a moderate treble boost to highlight gaming details.

EQ1 (Bass Mode): It considerably recessed the mids, and gives the PLYR 1 a massive bass wallop. 8db is an overwhelming amount of bass, personally. I think 4db could have sufficed for bassheads, as the PLYR 1 is already bassy. I honestly didn't care for this preset. However, it is still better than the A50's bass heavy presets, which were just...not good at all.

EQ2 (Supreme Mode): The most natural of the 3, being mostly linear, though not completely. Like the Slyr, it's still bass emphasized, but as mentioned earlier, it's a nice bass boost that doesn't hamper the mids or treble detail.

EQ3 (precision Mode): This mode is slightly more v-shaped than EQ2, with a slight bump in bass and treble. The bass boost is subtle, and the treble boost adds a nice amount of air to the PLYR 1. The mids get ever so slightly pushed back, but it's benign, as the PLYR 1 still sounds relatively well balanced, despite the rise of it's higher/lower extremities. This mode has the most soundstage and air of the three, though ultimately, I still slightly prefer EQ2.

Before I get into the specifics of the PLYR 1's sound, I need to mention that I'm basing the majority of this review on the PLYR 1's EQ2 (Supreme Mode) preset, as that is it's inherent tonal balance without any EQ.

Sound Issues: I found EQ1 and EQ3 to have distortion embedded in the signal when running Sinegen frequency sweeps. EQ2 had no such distortion. The distortion/noise isn't noticeable while gaming, and I had zero problems playing in EQ3, but just take note that the noise may be there. It's mostly in the lower octaves (most of the bass) that distorts pretty noticeably on Sinegen. Again, it wasn't noticeable while gaming.

Another issue is that the Auxiliary Line In on the base has some background hum that gets louder as you raise the volume. Regardless of source or cable, the hum remained. It reminded me of the hum I had on my Schiit Lyr tube amp. Ultimately, it's not a big issue while gaming. The hiss off the Mixamp Pro (2013) and Mixamp 5.8 were more noticeable than the low hum off the Plyr 1's Line In.

The last sound issue I had with the PLYR 1 is that the signal would drop indefinitely when going from the PS3's XMB into launching a game. It never dropped WHILE gaming however. On those occasions when I would lose audio, I'd either press the DH button or powered off/on the base/headset, which would then get the signal back with no further issues. I'll have to do more testing to see if it's just an issue with the PS3 switching from LPCM to Dolby Digital which causes the audio to drop.

Bass: Like the Slyr, the PLYR 1 has a very full, lively, and fun amount of bass. I can't say anything I didn't already mention about the Slyr: "punchy, impactful, energetic bass that is quite present, but never overwhelming. It also has good speed and decay. Quite impressed with the SLYR's bass. A very good start. If I had to give the bass a quantity, I'd give them an 8. Plenty of bass for me. Not perfectly in line with mids and treble, but it's a GOOD emphasis."

Mids: Again, like the Slyr, the PLYR 1 has similar mids: I'm used to v-shaped curves, with bass and treble emphasis, and recessed mids. Yet, the (Plyr 1) has some pretty (decent) mids next to the typical v shaped can. Slightly recessed next to the bass, but I'd say they're pretty in line with the treble. The SLYR's mids are slightly more forward, though I'm sure it's due to the more compact and intimate soundstage.

Treble: Again, I felt the treble to be very much like the Slyr: "The treble is (ever so slightly) energetic, but it's not harsh. It's very close in balance to the mids for me. It is RARE for treble to be in the safe zone between too soft, and too harsh. The (PLYR 1) is DEFINITELY in that safe zone." The treble may be just a tad smoother than the SLYR, though it's close.

Soundstage: The soundstage on the PLYR 1 is decidedly closed, but it's pretty airy and spacious despite being closed. From memory, it has a better sense of air and space than the SLYR, and so it performs a bit better for competitive gaming. In direct comparison to the Mad Dogs (which at the time of this review I was re-reviewing), the PLYR 1 sounds more open and spacious, though the Mad Dogs have better depth. On EQ3, the PLYR 1 gained a subtle amount of air and perceived soundstage.

Positioning: The relatively decent soundstage for a closed headphone works better than the more congested SLYR's soundstage. Positional cues were relatively easy to pinpoint, though the soundstage depth wasn't stellar, and the imaging wasn't as clean and precise as some of the better headphones reviewed. If I were to score the positional cues, I'd give them a 7. Good.

Clarity: The PLYR 1 isn't the most detailed headset or headphone I've heard, but for the purpose of gaming, it's pretty good. The flat preset is somewhat on a tonally neutral to slightly warm side, and I found the perceived clarity to be better on EQ3, despite it being more V-shaped.

Value: For $180 MSRP, you get a solid wireless headset which includes it's own Dolby Headphone decoder and headphone stand. If you're a gamer and just want one very simple and affordable solution for ALL your gaming, music, movie needs, the PLYR 1 is going to be pretty hard to pass up.

Final Impressions: The PLYR 1, like the SLYR is a winner by Skullcandy. I was very pleased by it's sound quality for music, gaming, and movies. Have I heard better? Of course. However, the PLYR 1 has a tonal balance that just resonates with my particular tastes. There are almost no headphones I have reviewed outside of Skullcandy's own SLYR that has the bass/mid/treble balance that I deem near PERFECT for my taste. The higher end cans I have reviewed have better quality, but their tonal balance isn't as dialed in to my tastes as the SLYR and PLYR 1. Paired with the fact that the PLYR 1 is wireless (and a very good wireless signal at that) makes it a must have for those looking for simple all in one solutions, despite a few drawbacks/issues with it's functionality and EQ presets having some distortion.

Final Scores...

Fun: 7.75 (Very, Very Good. there's nothing I can say about the PLYR 1's sound signature except that it's incredibly fun to listen to with all forms of media.)

Competitive: 7.25 (Good. Due to a bigger soundstage, and sense of air that allows positional cues to stick out better than the SLYR, the PLYR 1 makes a better gaming headset overall. Depth isn't excellent, but overall, it does work quite well.)

Comfort: 7.5 (very Good. Initially a bit clampy, after some trial and error, the PLYR 1 is a pretty comfortable headphone, though some with bigger ears may have an issue with the small diameter of the pads.)

Tritton AX Pro (true 5.1 *headset*)

Sells for $170.
Review (Click to show)

This is my first and LAST 5.1 headset. I couldn't believe it was worth $189... I was peeved. The sound quality was absolutely mediocre, more on par with $30 headphones (KSC75 excluded). Now to the meat of the reason anyone would get this: The 5.1 speakers. If it's better than virtual surround, it sure could have fooled me, because I wasn't buying into that gimmick. There was a noticeable gap between the drivers when a sound switched from one driver to the next. Sure, you can TELL where sounds are coming from if you pay attention to which driver is currently putting off noise, but I'll take the complete 360 degree soundfield Dolby Headphone has to offer over the AX Pros. Anyone who thinks this is better in positioning than a pair of AD700s, DT770 Pro 80s, and K70x with Dolby Headphone is someone I'd call a bold faced liar. The AX720 is better, and cheaper, plus the AX720's amp can be used with other headphones. There is absolutely no reason to own the Ax Pros, unless you want to see just how inferior it is to a good headphone paired with Dolby Headphone.

Comfort-wise, I didn't find them bad or great. They do their job, though for a sealed headphone, they are comfortable. Same as AX720.

Fun: 4/10 (Bad)

Competitive: 6/10 (Decent)

Comfort: 7/10 (Good)

Tier A: $300+

K702 65th Anniversary Edition

Sells for $400-$500
Review (Click to show)

The K702 65th Anniversary Edition. Limited to 3000 units worldwide, sold at a premium, with a new headband, memory foam pads, gunmetal-like color scheme, and supposed retuning of the hand-picked drivers. I found the name to be a mouthful, so I decided to call it the K702 Annie, or just Annie. Thankfully, the name stuck on Head-fi. So from here on out, I'll be calling it the Annie.

Bass: Sound-wise, this is the most significant change coming off the older models. The Annie presents bass quite well. You can consider it slightly above neutral. Natural if the source doesn't have a need for bass, and quite full and involving when the need for bass is there. There were times where I found them to have more bass than even the HE-400. Overall, it certainly does not, but make no mistake, the bass can be quite full, layered, textured, and infectious.

What it improves over the Q701 is that the bass is no longer situational. It doesn't just hit with really bass heavy songs. It hits at all times, in a very natural way. Put on a bassy track, movie, game, etc, and the Annie WILL impress bass-wise. Make no mistake. I always found the Q701 and especially the old K701 to be slightly below neutral, bass-wise. The bass would decay too quickly, and wouldn't hit with enough energy to give a sense of naturality. No longer an issue with the Annie. Unless you're a basshead, I don't think there will be much to complain about here. If you like accurate, yet full bass, the Annie will impress. They are also absolutely stellar for movies in Dolby Headphone.

Mids: The mids on the K701/K702/Q701 have always been forward. However, due to the very large soundstage, they didn't come across as intimate. That large sense of space made the mids seem pushed back, even though they were actually forward in the mix compared to the bass and treble. The Q701's extra push in bass over the old K701 filled out the sound more, making the mids more natural than before. The Annie further improves on the mids by integrating them even more with the bass and treble. Due to the fuller, warmer sound signature, the mids are still forward, but not as distant due to a thicker sound. The mids are an absolute strength on the Annies. They remind me mostly of the HD650's mids, albeit with less intimacy due to the bigger soundstage. The HD650's strength is in the intimate mids due to a smaller, more closed in soundstage, placing the mids quite near you. The Annie's mids aren't HD650 special, but still fantastic.

The older models had some form of upper mid peak that caused some fatigue with certain music and the like. I personally have not heard any upper mid peak on the Annie, leading me to believe that the stronger bass, and warmer tone fleshed out and softened that peak to non-fatiguing levels. In this instance, the Annie shows what the Q701 would be like when perfected.

Treble: The treble to me, has been a strength for both the Q701 and Annie. Both are detailed, yet smooth, still packing energy without being fatiguing. As mentioned before, the fatiguing area of the older AKGs was in the upper mids, and not the treble.

Soundstage: Oh, that soundstage. The K and Q models have all been known to have some truly immense soundstage width, and good depth. The Annie follows suit with equally large soundstage, despite the overall sound being thicker which further integrates sound cues with the soundstage, making it not as apparently airy. Notice that I said 'not as airy', and not 'smaller'. This is both a pro and con. The thinner sounding K701 (old) had an incredible sense of air due to the thinner notes, which were't full sounding in comparison. This made notes easier to pick up, despite not sounding as natural as the Q701 and especially the Annie. What all this means, is that sound effects on the Annie occupy more of the space around you in comparison to the older models, for an overall meatier/weightier sound.

Positioning: Though I discussed the thicker body of sound making the soundstage not as airy as the old K701 and to a lesser extent, the Q701, positional cues were not hampered in any way. This means that you can expect god tier performance with Dolby Headphone. Lots of space for positional cues to do their magic, and I mean MAGIC. Surely among the best that I have reviewed.

Clarity: The Annie's warmer, less immediately detail oriented sound signature compared to the older models does not mean they lack clarity. The Annie is a very revealing headphone, just as the Q701 is, though it shifts the focus a bit more towards musicality. The Annie is in a place that reaps the benefits of both warmth and detail focus, though if you put it next to the old K701, then yes, it will come off as less detailed, as you're not assaulted with a mostly dry, and analytical sound signature.

Amping: As with the older models, the Annie is very sneaky in terms of amping requirements. It needs minimal amping to play loudly, but the AKGs are notorious for craving as much power as 600ohm headphones. The Q701 was the most amp reliant headphone I had ever heard, and changed the most out of any Dynamic headphone I ever heard and reviewed here. You will get away with moderate amping, but believe me, you will be doing a disservice to all the Ks and Qs by skimping out on amping. If you're gonna spend this much money on these headphones, you shouldn't feed it weak power, IMHO. They will reward you. The Annie is definitely the easiest of the models to power in terms of sounding good, but they still want power. Still, if you absolutely can't do with much amping, the Annie sounds quite full and refined off lesser equipment compared to the other models.

Build Quality: Made of a durable plastic, and well thought out design, I find the build quality to be quite good. I wouldn't toss them around haphazardly, but they'd definitely survive some abuse. The detachable cable is like the non-Anniversary models, which isn't the thickest I've seen, but certainly very malleable, flexible, and light. It certainly does it's job, though I would have expected a more rugged, or fancier cable for this very limited edition variant.

Compared to the non-Anniversary models of the K701/K702/Q701, the headband is thinner in width when viewed from the top/bottom, with a widening of the area where the AKG branding is located. The biggest difference (and it's incredibly significant), is that the underside of the headband no longer has the notorious (7-8) bumps, and is instead completely smooth. This basically turns the Annie from a torture device to a godsend in headband comfort. There is no padding, but it is absolutely unnecessary as the headband perfectly molds to your head, distributing pressure evenly across where it rests. The bumped headbands were notorious for digging into the scalp, especially on the center one or two bumps. Why it took AKG this long to rectify this issue the vast majority of people had is beyond me, but it's finally done.

The headband also has the added benefit of allowing bigger heads to fit due to less stiffness, and more space. Prior to the Annie, I basically needed the other models to be fully extended for them to fit my head. This caused a lot of tight, downwards pressure, which in addition to the hard bumps, didn't lead to the most comfortable headband design. It took me a few days to adjust to the older models, but I didn't find them as problematic as most people still do.

The pads are the second most significant change from the older models. They are made of memory foam inside velour. Very dense and molds to your head shape MUCH more than the older model pads. This causes a better seal, which is more than likely the main reason why the sound signature is warmer, and more bassy (though no consensus or proof that it either is or isn't what causes all the sonic difference between the older models). Other than those two main differences, the Annie is physically a rebadged K702.

Comfort: As previously mentioned, due to the new headband and new pads, the Annie has made a substantial boost in comfort over the older models. I would say that from what I've read, the K701/K702/Q701's comfort is hypothetically a 5/10 (for everyone else). The Annie, however would more than likely jump up to a 9/10 in comfort. Yes, the headband change is that significant. The removal of the dreaded bumps would basically satisfy ANYONE who had issues with them on the older models, and even those that don't have issues with the bumps.

The pads are arguable, as the older pads, while more firm, breathed a little easier than the new memory foam velours. In either case, neither are sweat inducing or uncomfortable, personally. I find the older models to be not as uncomfortable as most people would lead to believe, but the Annie provides a noticeable boost in comfort either way.

Accessories: Nothing but a 6.3mm adapter. Just the goods.

Isolation/Leakage: I don't know if it's just me, but even for a fully open headphone, I found these to not leak out as much as most open cans. I'm pretty sure it's due to the pads. The sound does not escape from the pads, but from the grills, and I find them to be pretty good at keeping sound in despite it's openness. I found the older models to leak out quite a bit more, more than likely due to the velour pads being a bit more breathable.

Value: At over $400, the Annie is a very tough sell, especially for those who own the later K702/Q701s (not sure on the newer K701). The non-Annies consistently sell for around $250. If you're fine with their sound signature and comfort, it's quite hard to recommend the Annie, despite the very obvious improvement in bass, comfort, and tonality. The Annie brings out what was lacking in the older models, for sure, but the jump in price may not be worth it to some. If you haven't owned any and can afford the Annie, I highly recommend jumping straight to the Annie, as they are clearly the best offering in the AKG lineup.

Final Impressions: In the Annie you have: very balanced, warm, detailed, spacious, god tier in positional cues, fun, engaging, and extreme comfort. If it sounds like I'm gushing about them, that's because I am. There is VERY little to complain about here. This is my idea of a perfected well balanced headphone. The only headphone I would prefer over the Annie is the D7000, which loses out on balance, in place of some truly awe-inspiring fun and musicality. Yes. The Annie is my 2nd favorite headphone ever, and due to it's comfort, musicality, and gaming prowess, the Annie would be my very first pick if I could only own one headphone.

Final Scores...

Fun: 8. (Great. The bass is mildly above neutral to my ears, while still maintaining good accuracy, giving it the injection of fun that the other models lacked without being too emphasized to hamper it's overall well balanced signature. The soundstage paired with it's tonality, give it a great sense of immersion for ALL manners of gaming and movies, etc. I base this value on overall package, and not just bass emphasis. The Annie is one of the most impressive and fun headphones all around.)

Competitive: 9.5. (Amazing. Like the Q701, these are basically god tier, with a slight trade off of pure analytical detail-whoring, for an overall better balance between fun and competitive. Positional cues are just as good. There will not be any missed important sound effects or directional cues here.)

Comfort: 9.5. (Amazing. A significant leap in comfort compared to the older models due to the flat/smooth headband which allows for more extension. The memory foam velours contour to head shape incredibly well, and aren't sweat inducing like pleather/leather. The Annie is a light headphone as well. The only problem I foresee others having is that due to the size of the pads (like the older models), the pads may rest on the jaw which may cause some discomfort.)

Audeze LCD-2

Sells for $995 (Headamp)
Review (Click to show)

Before I begin, I would like to personally thank Justin at Headamp for allowing head-fiers like myself to test out the Audeze LCD-2 at home for a few days. Without him and Headamp, I would have most likely never been able to demo these stellar, and extremely expensive headphones. The LCD-2 are one of the most popular, and highly regarded former flagships to date. Until the LCD-3's release, the LCD-2 was arguably known as the best headphone in the world in the $1500 or less price range. It's most popular and direct competitors in the price range are the Hifiman HE-6, the Sennheiser HD800, Ultrasone Edition 8 and Signature Pro, among some others.

Build Quality: I must say I'm not a big fan of the LCD-2's aesthetics. It has a very retro look to it, as if these were made in the 1940s. I'm sure there are many fans of it's look, but I'm not one of them. It looks clunky, way too large, and borderline utilitarian, in my opinion. The cups are made of wood (there are rosewood and bamboo variants, bamboo being lighter). I was sent the bamboo LCD-2, which I was hoping on, as the LCD-2 is quite heavy as is. The grills are black, with the Audeze grill design, with screws that protrude holding it in place. The headband adjustment is basically two long cylindrical rods, which look durable, but ugly as sin. The headband is padded with leather bumps, which aren't as offensive as the AKG K701/2/Q701 bumps. They aren't extremely soft, but get the job done. The cable input is a 4-pin XLR, which is leaps and bounds better than Hifiman's horrible screw-in type of connector.

The connectors are angled, which I'm a big fan of, as they allow the headphone cables to stick out a little in front of you, and not directly fall on your shoulders. The removable headphone cable looks straight out of 1940 as well, with small cables covering each channel and stuck together. While it's not the prettiest cable, I am a fan, as it's relatively flat, and should be mostly tangle-free. The termination is a very thich 6.3mm (1/4") plug, which screams rugged and durable. Unfortunately, there is no 3.5mm adapter of any kind, so you may want something like the Grado 1/4" to 3.5mm cable to connect to smaller devices. Due to the fact that the LCD-2 is actually pretty decent on lesser equipment (doesn't need a lot to sound good), you might wanna invest on such an adapter if you have a portable amp here or there. The LCD-2 is definitely not for portable use, but it can at least be transportable and enjoyable in that method.

The included pads are made of real leather (none of that pleather nonsense). They are angled, and VERY thick. Not the softest kind, but not hard either. I feel they are the right amount of firmness, personally. Audeze also sells vegan pads (which are more akin to something like velours) if you're like me, and prefer non-pleather/leather material.

As I briefly mentioned, the LCD-2 overall is a very retro, very heavy, very big, and of utilitarian design.

Comfort: The LCD-2 is not exactly what I'd call comfortable. The weight is definitely a factor. They also have some clamp, which can be a bit strong. I'd bend the headband out to lessen this, but as these are not mine, I've left them untouched. I don't mind it's clamp personally, but I would prefer a bit less. My biggest issue is that even for an open-design headphone, they have that airplane cabin-pressure feeling once you put them on. It's as if the pads find a seal, and you get that suction feeling. It's a bit surprising and unpleasant, but the feeling goes away after awhile.

As always, leather builds up heat and induces sweat, but the effect is somewhat better with leather compared to pleather which tends to add stickiness into the mix. Thankfully, as I demoed the LCD-2, Florida was going through a pretty strong cold front, so the pads didn't bother me much. I still would have preferred the vegan pads, but beggars can't be choosers. The headband on the first day of use put pressure on the top of my noggin, which was quite uncomfortable. After a day, I was able to get used to the feeling. Certainly not as bad as the AKG headband bumps which never disappear off the head.

Overall, I'd say the comfort on the LCD-2 is passable. Not the worst, but not great. It's between decent to good.

Comfort is noticeably improved with the vegan/leather-free version, as it allows the ears to breathe, no sweat inducing leather, and the headband's bumps is softer, though not as plushy as I would like. Even better than the vegan headband is if you acquire the foam padded headband. The headband is made of durable metal, but the underside is line with very soft and comfortable foam, boosting comfort even more. With the foam headband, there is basically no pressure/hotspots, and all the weigh is distributed evenly. This leaves just the pads/clamp/weight to potentially cause discomfort.

Accessories: You get the headphone, the cable, some stickers, and an AMAZING hard case. The case looks like it would survive a nuclear blast. Very impressive, to say the least. Not exactly something I'd keep in the the open, but it should offer extreme protection if you desire to use it.

Isolation/Leakage: As an open-ear headphone, the LCD-2 isn't exactly isolating. It lets external noises in, and leaks out a LOT. You definitely do not want to use this in a room with people, or even in a separate room with the door open.

Sound: To the meat of what everyone really wants to know. What does a $1000 headphone sound like? I must say... FANTASTIC. The tonal balance is quite warm, rich, creamy, and oooooh so seductive. The frequency response of the LCD-2 is VERY linear up until the upper mids, which then gently rolls off to a smooth treble range. This makes the LCD-2 like the HD650, in which is brings in a thick, musical, and non-fatiguing sound signature. In short, if I were to put the HE-400's bass with the HD650's mids and treble, with a pinch of refinement, the concoction would sound something like the LCD-2.

Is it all magical? Unfortunately, no. The LCD-2 has it's weaknesses. Number 1 being that the treble isn't what I'd consider natural. It's rolled off a bit. The smooth treble leads to very little airiness in the sound and somewhat congested and small-ish soundstage. Can't have it all, it seems. Let's get into the specifics...

update: The vegan LCD2 (leather free) no longer has this weakness in treble/congestion. It's slightly more open/airy, with a hint more treble sparkle. The downside is that it's not as velvety smooth as the leather LCD2. The difference is slight, and they're both quite warm/smooth, but it should be noted that there is SOME difference in tonality/treble section.

Bass: The bass. Dear god. The bass. Incredibly full, textured, and very, VERY deep. Due to the extreme linearity of the LCD2's response, I can't say the bass is emphasized, because it is PERFECTLY in line with the mids. Seriously, if you look at the published graphs, you'd see, there is absolutely no real emphasis anywhere. Does that mean the bass is neutral and not very strong? Yes and no. The LCD-2 has bar none, the best bass I have ever heard on any headphone. Not the MOST bass, just the best overall.

While I personally prefer the Denon D7000's fun fueled bass with it's emphasized and omnipotent sub bass, it isn't accurate, and doesn't have very strong mid bass. It also tends to add bass where there shouldn't be none. The Ultrasone Pro 2900's bass is incredibly agile, and sharp, but lacks quite a bit in the sub-region. The LCD-2's bass is full in all areas and not just certain frequencies. When a source demands it, the LCD-2 hits like Thor's hammer, and in all other cases, presents itself very naturally. There is absolutely no lack of bass here. Just accurate, and always involved in a proper manner.

The closest competitor (with very similar bass) is the Hifiman HE-400. The LCD-2 further improves on the type of bass the HE-400 is known for with even more texture and fullness. Headphones should strive to have the type of bass that the LCD-2 has. It's that good.

Mids: If you have read my HD650 review on this guide, you know how absolutely entranced I am by it's mids/vocals. What if I told you the LCD-2's mids are even better? That's right. The LCD-2's mids are incredibly intimate, haunting, and realistic. I have never heard vocals sound as if the singers were singing in the same room. This is as close as it's come to that. The best word for me to describe the mids is: NATURAL. Natural, organic, realistic, very detailed, and spine-chilling. Don't get me wrong, the HD650's mids are very, VERY close to this, but the LCD-2 just has that extra step that makes them stick out even more for me. Amazing. Absolutely.

Treble: The treble range. This is the LCD-2's weak point in terms of it's frequency response. In order to make the bass and mids as special as they are, something had to give. Unfortunately, it's the treble range. Technically rolled off and smooth. This gives the LCD-2 lose out on air and soundstage, which leads to congestion/stuffiness. The lack of air paired up with the incredibly full notes tends to clash sounds together in comparison to other headphones with more treble, which is the LCD-2's biggest shortcoming. Personally, the treble is the least important aspect of sound to me now, as most music is in the bass and mids region of the sound spectrum. Treble aids in perceived clarity with sparkle and air, but it's not essential or integral. The LCD-2 is not undetailed or veiled sounding. However, the treble does lack sparkle in comparison to more neutral offerings. That is undeniable. This is one area that it truly shares with the HD650. However, I feel the LCD-2 is quicker and more aggressive, so it doesn't sound laid back like the HD650.

Update: The vegan (leather free) LCD2 has treble quite close to the bass/mids, just slightly rolled off. This means, that the treble range is no longer a weakness. In order to gain that slight bit of clarity/treble, a hint of warmth/smoothness was lost, though the vegan LCD2 is still decidedly on the warm side of neutral. Good news is that the bass and mids sound just as I remember the leather LCD2 sounding like. What this means, is that vegan LCD2 has a slight hint of sparkle, whereas the leather LCD2 is quite smooth and warmer.

Soundstage: As mentioned before, the lack of air and the congestion due to it's smooth treble response leads to a soundstage that is more akin to a closed headphone. Like a closed headphone with a large soundstage, but disappointing for an open headphone.

I directly compared the LCD-2 with my K702 65th Anniversary which is also warm/smooth.

The LCD-2: It's midnight, the place is a small, smoky jazz lounge. There is a very sultry, seductive singer in a long red dress, glass of red wine in hand, who recently brought you up on stage and sat you on a chair. She sits on your lap and begins to sing her slow, romantic song directly to you.

K702 Anniversary: Instead of a smoky jazz lounge, you're in the front row of an open theatre, same woman, same song, but she's moving around while singing it to many people.

Make sense? The LCD2 is a lot more intimate and closed in, while the Annie has a much bigger sense of air, space and perceived clarity of notes. Both are so very good in what they do, but very different in presentation. What I recently stated was how I personally heard the LCD-2 for music, the LCD-2 for gaming (with Dolby Headphone) fared quite a bit better. Soundstage opened up, with a very good sense of depth and relatively decent width. Not very large, but there was ample space to allow positional cues space to do their magic.

Update: Having recently acquired a pair of vegan (leather-free) LCD2s, I have to say the suede-ish pads breathe easier, and gives the sound more space and air. It's no K702, but the soundstage is medium sized, with nice separation in comparison to the leather LCD2.

Positioning: Positional cues were surprisingly very good. I had zero issues locating sound placement, though lesser headphones with less thickness made it much easier to pinpoint sounds. The LCD-2 is one of the better headphones I have heard in terms of rear depth, which is incredibly beneficial for positional cues.

Clarity: Clarity for gaming is actually pretty good. That linear response in bass and mids gives the LCD-2 quite a detailed sound for gaming, even borderline analytical at times (like the HD650, which was also surprisingly detailed for gaming), while softening just the impact of the more annoying sounds like gun fire and glass shattering enough to reduce ear fatigue. You get fullness AND clarity. Not many headphones that do both.

Update: The vegan LCD2 (leather free) is even clearer than the leather pads, where the highest peak in the treble is just under the main bass/mid line. This in practice = very linear sound signature, which means almost all areas of sound are in line with verything else. For gaming, this means a very detailed sound. The leather LCD2 first reviewed had a bigger treble roll off, so it was a little warmer and smoother in comparison. They both sounded near the same, but the difference is there, albeit, very slightly.

Amping: The LCD-2 is surprisingly easy to power for a planar magnetic headphone, requiring minimal amping to sound good. I was able to use it with the Mixamp alone, though I would still recommend some amping to truly make this $1000 worth the purchase. No reason to skimp out here when you've aready spent so much money on the headphone alone. The LCD-2 is known to scale up quite a bit, as it can handle a ridiculous amount of power, despite not needing much to hit the ground running. It certain improved in refinement when I used paired the Mixamp up with my Compass 2 which does 2 watts at 50ohm. The LCD-2 can handle even more than that.

Value: Value is certainly questionable. It costs an exhorbitant amount of money, and you can get by with much, much less for gaming in particular.

Final Impressions: The LCD-2 is a truly stunning headphone with the best bass and mids I have heard to date. That being said, as far as gaming goes, there are headphones better suited that cost MUCH less. It however, a top tier headphone that will impress on almost all fronts with few weaknesses. You get lots of warmth, musicality, fullness, and truly organic sound. Treble, air, and congestion are it's weaknesses, but the overall package is so fantastic, you can forgive these faults once everything is taken into account. This is one headphone I suggest people use for gaming if you happen to own them, though I certainly wouldn't buy them with gaming as the top priority. It is certainly better for non-gaming needs, though hold their own for gaming, especially for casual/fun gaming.

Final Scores...

Fun: 9 (Fantastic. Incredible warmth, bass texture, mids, and fullness, for lots of immersion.)

Competitive: 7.5 (Pretty Good. Great clarity and detail, decent soundstage in Dolby Headphone with good rear positional cues.)

Comfort: Leather: 6.5. Vegan: 7.0. Foam Headband: 7.5 (Decent/Good/Pretty Good. Heavy, and clampy, but not completely offensive. It's passable. Vegan version is easier on the ears, with less heat buildup. The vegan headband doesn't dig in as strongly into the scalp as the leather headband. The foam headband is even better. Softer, and no pressure on top of the head whatsoever.)

Denon D7000

Sells for $600+ (DISCONTINUED)
Review (Click to show)

Normally, I wouldn't be recommending you spend anywhere near the price of the D7000 for gaming needs, but since I happened to own them, I'll go ahead and critique them. This may or may not be a surprise, but they are absolute gaming monsters. Despite them being closed, there is a ridiculously great soundstage, with plenty of depth and width. Pinpointing directional sounds around you is a BREEZE. Detail is in everything you can focus on. If you happen to own the D7000 and something with Dolby Headphone, you need not look further for your pleasureable gaming needs. The bass is so magnificently present without it smearing over the rest of the frequencies. The mids are rich though obviously taking a slight step back because of the bass and pronounced treble. The treble is sparkly but nowhere near the emphasis of the DT990s. They are also GREAT for hardcore gaming, but in all honesty, the bass is so good, you'll find yourself paying attention to it when you should be picking up the finer details, which is why I'd still choose something with quicker, and less present bass like the AD700, K701, HD598, and even DT990 for hardcore gaming. Still, yes, they can do it all.

Comfort-wise, the D7000 is very comfortable overall. The pads are soft, luxurious, and the headphone feels good on the head, for the most part. Personal distaste for pleather aside, the D7000 is damn comfortable. Personal gripe: The headband is big and can feel awkward as you move around. It's not the most secure fit.

Fun: 10/10 (Incredible)

Competitive: 8.5/10 (Pretty Great)

Comfort: 8/10 (Great)

HiFiMAN HE-4

Sells for $450.
Review (Click to show)

I feel I should add these to the list as I did own them for quite a bit and loved them almost as much as my D7000, and more than the rest. That being said, while they are my second fave music headphone I have owned, they are in the middle of the pack in terms of gaming either competitively or for fun. First, they are ridiculously illogical to use, as they require a substantial amount of power to drive properly. Seriously, nothing outside of powerful amps should even touch this. The E9 was driving them loudly, but MAAAAAN, the dynamics were non-existent. I've never heard a headphone sound loud, yet so inadequate, but there you have it. I specifically bought the Schiit Lyr for these back then. It was a huge difference. So yeah, imagine having to attach something like the Lyr to the Mixamp to give the HE-4 some Dolby Headphone love? But I'm a man of certain passions, so I did just that. You can forget about trying to drive these with the Mixamp alone. It was very, very low.

Now how did they perform? Well enough. The HE-4 distinctly reminds me of a cross between the DT880 and premium DT990. Seriously, take both of them, fused them together, add some good refinement, and you have the HE-4. What was lost in that fusion was a little bit of the soundstage. They even sounded halfway between the DT880's issue with rear positioning and the decent performance of the DT990 in that department.

They are VERY detailed headphones, with plenty of bass impact, but not nearing the DT990s in this regard, and energetic treble close to the quantity of the DT880. If I had to give the bass/mid/treble fictitious but numbers on a scale (5 being the neutral point), it'd be 6.5/4/7.

Comfort-wise, the HE-4 has the BEST headband style out of all the headphones I have owned/used, with the exception of the Steelseries Siberia V1. The HE-4 uses a Grado style headband which lays pretty flat on your head, and conforms to the shape of your head, so it distributes weight wonderfully. I wish all headphones had this style headband. The pads, hmm, the velour pads. They are wonderful. One the comfort side, they feel great. They aren't too soft, or too firm. They are just perfect. However, the issue is the point where the cushiony part of the pads meet the part connected to the drivers. There is a not so subtle hard texture there, and it HURTS if your ears touch it. It feels like hardened glue or something. I was able to rotate the pads enough to where I wasn't hitting the hard part, but YMMV.

In any case, my scores...

Fun: 7.5/10 (Very Good)

Competitive: 7.5/10 (Very Good)

Comfort: 9/10 (Amazing)

HiFiMAN HE-400

Sells for $400.
Review (Click to show)

Updated: 8/30/2012: The earlier impression was with the Mixamp alone. I didn't notice at the time, but after having used the E17 to help the Mixamp power the HE-400, they improved enough to warrant some pretty significant edits to this entry. Please read on to see the updated impressions, and score.

While I bought the E17 due to wanting the bass and treble control, as well as a portable DAC, those wanting the HE400 who want to help the Mixamp power the HE-400 only need something like the E11/E9/E09K (if you're not looking for a DAC for non-gaming use).

Before I start, let me clarify something: This impression is of the HE-400 Rev. 2 using the Hifiman velour pads, instead of the stock pleather pads. The Hifiman velours can be bought from Head-Direct for $10. Why the velour? It has been clearly documented, that the velour pads give the HE-400 a cleaner, more refined sound, with absolutely zero trade offs. The bass remains the same, the mids are pushed up, and treble is better fleshed out (the pleather pads give the HE-400 some pesky and uneven treble peaks). It has also been tested by many of us on Head-fi, myself included. The clarity is noticeably improved, as well as lifting the slight veil and darkness that the pleather pads have. Can't forget that velour is MUCH better than pleather in comfort, IMHO. No more sweaty, sticky pleather touching the skin. You all know how I feel about pleather.

Bass: This is what I'd consider one of the most natural sounding bass in terms of quantity and quality that I've heard. Is it bass light? No. Is it bass heavy? No. So what IS the bass? Well, the bass is just what it is... BASS. When a song asks for lots of bass, the HE-400 surely does not disappoint. It is NOT an aggressive bass like most bass heavy headphones that tend to impart bass to things that shouldn't have bass. For example: The D7000 (which has my fave bass presence in a headphone), still tends to sound bass heavy on bass light recordings. The HE-400 only adds bass if it's there to begin with. In reality, you can say that the bass IS emphasized, because bass neutral cans don't tend to have the power and impact that the HE400's bass has. So let's call it mildly bass emphasized, but just absolutely lovely in any which way. You put a bassy song, and you'll never think to yourself "Hmm, this could use more bass". It's that good. This is the type of bass that bassheads looking for actual quality can appreciate. I'd put the actual quantity between the DT880 and DT990. Like the HE-4. The quality of the bass isn't as clean as the Pro 2900 and Q701, but it's easily fuller sounding, and more realistic. Once I added the E17 to help drive the Mixamp, the bass became more present, and fuller. It really added some meat to the sound. I'd call it emphasized, but not DT990 level of strong.

Mids: Very natural sounding mids overall, but recessed in the upper range. They're well balanced mids for the most part. With certain recordings, the mids are right where they need to be, and with other recordings, the mids are intimate and hauntingly realistic. The mids are also not hindered by either the bass. Even with the E17's various bass boosts, they never hampered the mids in any way. Must be planar magic.

Treble: This is what I was most skeptical about when I read up on the HE-400. Many times I have read that the treble was too dark, too smooth, and lacking air. The previous HE-400 may have actually had that issue, but the current batches do not have this issue. The stock HE-400 with pleather has a tendency to be smooth in certain ranges of the treble, and peaky on others. Uneven treble that can be dark or bright. The velour pads lets the treble behave in a more uniform manner, being bright overall, but that's in comparison to the overall tonality of the headphone which is dark everywhere else. They sound crisp enough and sparkly. Due to how warm/dark the headphone is UP UNTIL the treble range, it's a bit jarring to have such lively treble. It can be fatiguing at times. I'd say this is the one biggest weakness in the HE-400 in an otherwise almost perfect headphone, IMHO. It's not a very fatiguing headphone overall, but the treble is out of place with the rest of the spectrum. Still, it's a minor gripe in a mix of greatness.

Soundstage: I'm not a soundstage nut when it comes to non-gaming purposes, and I find the HE-400's soundstage to be medium sized. Not small, and not big. I guess those used to something like the Q701's soundstage may feel the loss of sheer size, but I don't have a problem with it whatsoever. To me, what is lost, is gained everywhere else. The HE-400 sounds less like a headphone, and more like two speakers strapped to the side of your head. Literally haven't heard anything like it. It's airy, and sounds are place all around you, and less next to your ears like standard headphones. The depth wasn't exactly great off the Mixamp alone, but once I added the E17 to help amp the HE-400, the depth improved for sure, enough to truly help with the positional cues.

Positioning: How did the HE-400 fare for gaming? Well... it did pretty good. About as good as the HE-4 if not slightly better in terms of positioning. They both are both better than the DT880 in terms of positional cues, which is to say, they could do better, but will do their job. Not quite on the level of the AD700, Q701, K701, DT990, DT770 Pros, D7000, etc, but pretty good. So if you're looking for an amazing, fun, and competitive headphone, the HE-400 is a in a good place, assuming you help the Mixamp with an additional amp to open add some depth to the soundstage.

Amping : The HE-400 is unlike the HE-4, in that it doesn't require the power of Zeus to get it to sing well. A portable amp will make them sound great. A desktop amp would be even better. How did it do with the Mixamp? Honestly? It needs an additional amp to give the HE400 some headroom. The HE400 can be loud enough with certain games, and not loud enough for others. HOWEVER, they are clearly lacking in driving force. The dynamics were lacking. Bass was slightly reserved in comparison, mids were a teeny bit distant, the soundstage depth was constricted with the Mixamp alone. This was what gave them just barely better than DT880 performance in terms of positioning prior to this updated impression. Once I added the Fiio E17 to the chain (the E11 would be a cheaper alternative with simlar amp performance) after the Mixamp, the depth really improved, as did positioning. Not as good as the DT990, but good enough to be borderline great.

Playing Mass Effect 3, I had to literally max the volume out when using the Mixamp alone, and it was clearly lacking some oomph. So yes, you may want some amp on hand to give the HE-400 the energy it needs to truly bless you with some godly sound. I added the E17, and I couldn't believe how much better gaming with the HE400 became.

Comfort: I find them comfortable, a little behind of the HE-4 which is lighter, and the velours are softer vs the HE400. The stock pleather pads are actually pretty good for comfort, as they aren't going to cover your face in pleather, though they still get hot and sticky. The velours however are just the right amount of firm/softness and plenty breathable. You will notice that the HE-400 IS a pretty heavy headphone. Literally the heaviest headphone I've owned. It's a tank. However, due to the headband design (my favorite outside of the Steelseries Siberia), the weight gets evenly distributed, so it doesn't dig into your skull. I don't have a problem wearing the HE-400 all day. This is more than I can say about pretty much every other headphone I have used, with some exceptions. They also have some decent clamp, which I prefer on headphones like these. Not a strong Sennheiser-like clamp, but one that will keep the HE400 from moving around too much. All in all, not many people will have issues with the HE-400's comfort aside from how heavy they are.

Final impressions: The HE-400 is absolutely a must have for those looking for a fantastic all-rounder, with a slight tip towards fun. I'd rate the overall SQ to be top tier in it's price range, lagging behind the K702 Anniversary in balance, but besting it in fun. Other cans have more immediate fun factor (D7000, Pro 900), but long-term, the HE400 bests those as it blends ALL frequencies together to form an amazing, cohesive sound with very little to complain about. Usually, there is always something missing or hurtful, whether it's mids being recessed (Pro 900), treble being too edgy (DT990), bass not being impactful enough (Pro 2900, Q701), etc. The HE-400 is well balanced, EXCITING, full sounding, and an absolutely thrill to listen to. They're also highly detailed. For such a full sounding headphone, they can still REALLY analyze the source well, to the point where I thought my HE-400 was messed up. I then realized it was the files I was listening to that were less than perfect. That's how revealing they can be.

The detail, and clarity were absolute master class. They will do just fine overall. Positioning was very good while amped with more than just the Mixamp, decent without. The HE-400 impresses on pretty much ALL other fronts, that those looking for an endgame headphone shouldn't pass these up. For $400, the HE-400 is an absolute must have.

Fun: 9/10 (Amazing)

Competitive: 7.5/10 (Very Good)

Comfort: 8/10 (Great)

Koss ESP-950

Normally sells between $700-$1000
Review (Click to show)

Before I begin, I want to thank forum member jazzerdave for being kind enough to loan these out to me. He didn't even ask for anything in return. Stand up guy.

With my introduction to the electrostatic world via the SR-407 with SRM-252S amp, and it completely blowing me away sound-wise, I started looking to see what was sold new today for an affordable price range (head-fi affordable, not real world affordable, but I digress). The Koss ESP-950 immediately jumped out at me. Electrostatic headphone WITH an amp sometimes sold for less than $700? I HAD to check them out!

Koss is usually associated with headphones that are budget conscious, delivering great sound without breaking the bank. By now you guys probably know how much of a fanboy I am of the KSC-75 and KSC-35. I will always have at least one pair of Koss headphones in my lifetime. The Koss ESP-950 has been part of Koss's repertoire for a few decades, known for their incredibly linearity, well balanced, yet musical sound. The ESP-950 comes bundled with their E-90 electrostatic amp. It uses a proprietary headphone input, so it only works with the ESP-950. The great thing about Koss is that their well known Lifetime Warranty is also applicable here, so if for any reason these fail you, you can get them replaced/fixed by Koss directly. More companies should follow this type of business mindset. Standing behind their products for as long as you live!

Build Quality: Unfortunately, the build quality is without question, the worst build I have seen on a headphone costing more than $100. It literally feels like a $20 headphone to me. The internals could be made out of styrofoam, and I wouldn't doubt it.

Seriously, I don't know what it is, but electrostatic headphones seem to focus purely on sound quality, and not build or aesthetics (at least until you hit flagship level Stax headphones).

Starting with the cups, they seem to be the best area of the ESP-950's build. The grills look decent enough, and feel solid enough. It's all plastic, and not a very good feeling plastic at that. Seriously, it feels like this kind of plastic belongs on no name brand budget cans. The extension bars seem to be the only thing made out of metal, and yet, it still feels/looks a bit too thin for my personal taste. Unfortunately, the arms don't like to stay at the length you adjust them to, and I can almost guarantee that it will set itself a bit more loose than anyone may like. That is, unless you have a gargantuan head and wear these fully extended. The headband is made of some cheap feeling pleather that could stand to be a little more dense inside, but is ultimately quite comfortable, as the headphone is so light and loose, the headband feels like it practically just rests there.

The pads? Oh, the pads. They are made of incredibly cheap feeling pleather of the WORST kind. Seriously, pick out an extremely cheap over ear headphone, and I'm sure the pleather pads would be comparable to the ones on the ESP-950. Despite my absolute hate for these kinds of pads, they are actually not uncomfortable by any mean of the word. Due to how loose the ESP-950 clamps to the head, the pads don't really put much pressure on the skin, so it doesn't induce much if any sweat.

The cable is of the standard flat, ribbon-type cabling found on most if not all electrostatic headphones I have seen. This is a good thing. This basically guarantees no accidental tangling. It's a bit short of length, though it comes with an extension cable of decent length. Unless you sit right next to the amp, you're guaranteed to use the extension cable.

Now, I'm not sure if it's a build issue or just typical of electrostatics (didn't hear it on the SR-407), but the ESP-950 retains some static noise even if unpluged. You literally have to touch the contacts at the end of the cable to make the noise dissipate.

Comfort: As mentioned before, the ESP-950 is incredibly lightweight, and incredibly loose fitting (think AD700 type looseness). While the comfort overall is pretty good, the lack of secure fit makes it a little less pleasing than it should've been. The headband is very comfy, and the pleather pads, while of horrible quality, is a non-issue due to the loose fit.

Accessories: The ESP-950 comes in a very, very nice 'leather' bag, used to fit the headphone, the amp, a battery pack (without batteries) to allow the E-90 to be used on the go, a pair of RCA cables, and 3.5mm cables. If only they spent less time with accessories, and more time with the build quality of the headphone itself, but that's just a personal gripe.

Isolation/Leakage: As expected on open and electrostatic headphones, there is absolutely no isolation or passive noise cancelling. These are not to be used where noise control is important.

Sound: So to the meat of the review. As advertised, the ESP-950 is certainly a very linear, very balanced, and very well behaved headphone. These are among the flattest sounding headphones I have heard, where nothing really sticks out over anything else. The upper and lower ends are slightly rolled off, meaning there is no direct bass energy or treble sizzle. The sound as a whole was indeed quite neutral, with a hint of warmth. There is a very good sense of space and soundstage is decent, but not a stand out over what I've reviewed so far. The ESP-950 is soft sounding, a hint laid back, and polite overall. It's quite the contrast compared to the SR-407 which was quite fast, lively, energetic, and aggressive, while maintaing some amazing clarity and refinement. That's not to say the ESP-950 is muted or lacking in clarity. On the contrary. The ESP-950 is among the most detailed headphones I have ever heard. It's most evident during gaming, from what I experienced. The ESP-950 while not being the most musical headphone, is still very enjoyable. Not sterile/clinical, and not colored in any real way.

Bass: While the bass is slightly rolled off at the extreme lower end, it's not a steep roll off. With bass heavy music, the bass has a surprising amount of presence. It's a bit soft hitting and slow in the bass compared to the SR-407 which was very agile and punchy, but rolled off quite a bit faster. The ESP-950's bass overall is enjoyable and atmospheric, but doesn't bring immediate attention to itself. It could stand to gain a bit more speed and punch, but it doesn't 'sound' bass light by any means, just somewhat polite.

Mids: This is easily the biggest strength of the ESP-950. The slight warmth and linear frequency aside from the bass and treble roll off, ensures the mids are slightly forward and immediately engaging. Though not as sultry and intimate as the LCD2, it does have a similar organic tonal quality to it. Basically, voices sound very realistic/natural. If you have a lot of music that relies on vocals more than anything, the ESP-950 will not disappoint.

Treble: The treble is ever so slightly rolled off, but it's not veiled or muddy. It gives the ESP-950 a pleasing clarity to the upper range without any of the harshness found on headphones with more treble quantity. Among the most pleasant treble presentations I have heard. Not too rolled off, not too sparkly. It's in a good place. Trebleheads may want a clearer treble presentation, like that found on the SR-407 however. In this aspect alone, the ESP-950 takes on a more musical than realistic approach.

Soundstage: As previously mentioned, the soundstage while not being a stand out, is quite natural sounding in size. Depth isn't an exact strength, but there is an appreciable amount of width, with great instument separation.

Positioning: For gaming, the ESP-950 stepped it up with Dolby Headphone. The soundstage was a very good size, and while the depth still wasn't amazing, it was pretty easy to poinpoint directional cues. Space between direction cues was very good, allowing for no confusion or distractions.

Clarity: Again, like the HD650 and LCD2, the ESP-950 is slightly on the warmer side of neutral, yet like the other two, clarity for gaming was very, very impressive. Actually, if the soundstage was larger, and depth was better, these may have been right up there with the AKG K70x's in terms of god mode inducing clarity and performance. If I had to rate the clarity for gaming alone, it'd be an easy 9.

Amping: A non-issue as the ESP-950 comes with it's own amp, though people do take the extension cable and mod it to allow the ESP-950 to be used with more robust Stax amps. In any case, the E-90 drives the ESP-950 quite decently based on what I'm hearing, though the amp's volume control is an absolute pain as each side has it's own independent volume control, so you'll have to match by ear. To get around having to constantly re-adjust with different sources, I set it once, and controlled the volume with my Compass-2 (used it as a pre-amp). In terms of gaming, Mixamp owners will probably want to set the volume once (on a high decibel level) and adjust volume with the Mixamp (or other DH devices). The E-90 is also not the quietest amp, with some very slight background noise that occurs randomly.

Value: The prices fluctuate wildly, but if you can score them near the $700 range, they are an incredible value. Electrostatic headphone, amp, bag, portable battery pack. All your bases are mostly covered. The build quality doesn't not compliment it's price, however.

Final Impressions: Those looking for an incredibly well balanced, linear, and neutral-ish headphone, may find the ESP-950 to be a serious contender for your money. The ESP-950 favors it's balance and faithful representation of sound over musicality, but it remains a fine bridge between the two. For gaming, it is among the best for competitive gaming with very few faults, and it's full sound makes it a very good headphone outside of non-competitive use.

Final Scores...

Fun: 7.75 (Very Good.)

Competitive: 8.5 (Very Great)

Comfort: 7 (Good. While it's incredibly lightweight, and very inoffensive, it just doesn't clamp enough. It's incredibly loose fitting, and there is no real secure 'seal' around the ears. )

MrSpeakers Mad Dog
A huge thanks to MattTCG for loaning these to me!

Sells for $299.99 (w/alpha pads and comfort strap) (MrSpeakers website)

NOTE: I'M CURRENTLY RE-REVIEWING THE MAD DOGS DUE TO THEM BEING RE-TUNED, WITH FULLER BASS, AND MORE ENERGY. I WILL BE ADDING THE REVIEW SOON. SCORES WILL BE CHANGED.
Review (Click to show)

I know these should be placed in Tier B due to it's price, but I feel that they fit more in Tier A, so please bear with me.

The MrSpeakers Mad Dog. A fully modified Fostex T50RP making a huge scene on Head-fi for it's sound quality, price, and comfort. The T50RP is a budget friendly, planar magnetic headphone well known for being extremely mod-friendly. The LFF Paradox and Smeggy Thunderpants are well known modded T50RPs that preceded the Mad Dog. However, the Mad Dog is the first to hit a price point that warranted the attention of the masses, and with good reason.

Build Quality: The Mad Dog isn't cosmetically modified like the Thunderpants, so it is basically a T50RP on the outside, with the exception of a pad swap, an optional comfort strap, and MrSpeakers vinyl stickers on the ear cups. The ear cups are made of some pretty durable plastic. Not the most aesthetically pleasing ear cups, and a bit unassuming, but it has a retro-ish charm to them.

The headband is made of a very pliable material that looks extremely durable. Lacks padding underneath, but the optional comfort strap more than makes up for it. Headband discomfort is the last thing you would ever think of when wearing the Mad Dog+comfort strap. It's that comfortable on the head.

The extension bars are made of a brass/copper metal, and is the strongest part of the headphone. It's of a very, very generous length, which should fit comfortably even on watermelon-sized noggins. I'm a huge fan of headphones that allow that much freedom in terms of head-size. More companies need to follow suit. I can't comment on the cable as I was sent a very short, aftermarket cable.

The Mad Dog comes with various pads. Each with their own distinct sound signature and comfort. The Mad Dog being reviewed here came with the Alpha pads, which are the newest, most linear, and most comfortable of the bunch. The Alpha pads are leather, angled, and very soft. While you all probably know how much I don't care for leather pads overall, I have to give credit where credit is due: these pads are VERY comfortable on the head, heat trapping issues aside.

Comfort: As mentioned, the Mad Dog w/alpha pads and comfort strap is a very, very comfortable headphone overall. It's lightweight, would fit on any head, isn't oversized (*cough*LCD2*cough*), and doesn't clamp tightly (clamp can be adjusted by bending the headband, which extremely easy to due).

Accessories: As these were a loaner, I'm not certain what the MD came with out of the box. Will update once I find out.

Isolation/Leakage: It's been awhile since I've heard a headphone that seals/isolates as well as the Mad Dog. It's incredibly silent in terms of leaking noise to the outside world, and it does a very good job of keeping external noise from coming in. Very, very good passive noise cancelling. If you need a headphone in the most noise polluted environments or need a headphone that won't ever bother others, the Mad Dog is a very, very safe bet.

Sound: On to the sound. I did my homework on the Mad Dogs on more than one occasion, to the point of being one click away from ordering them prior to receiving these loaners. Basically glowing reviews all around, stating that they came very close to sounding like a closed LCD2, even down to having an incredibly similar frequency response. And all for a fraction of a price. Who wouldn't be interested in trying these out after all that's been written out there? So did the Mad Dog live to the extreme hype out there? Yes and no. Do they sound like a closed LCD2? Sort of. They do share similarities, but LCD2s the Mad Dog certainly is NOT. The Mad Dog is a very balanced headphone, although being decidely on the dark side of neutral.

Bass: The Mad Dog has a very accurate, if a bit too linear bass response. It sounds very well balanced and textured, but not immediately engaging. In comparison to the LCD2 and K702 Anniversary, the bass felt a bit flat. The latter two would feel quite lively when called for. Something I didn't quite get off the Mad Dogs. It sounds correct, but lacking in emotion and presence, IMHO. Still, it's not weak or overemphasized. It's a good, balanced bass that doesn't ever get in the way of the amazing mids.

Mids: This is the biggest area of strength in the Mad Dog. The mids are positively PHENOMENAL. Quite rich, warm, organic, intimate, and demanding it's attention. Being a closed headphone, the sound is 'boxed in' compared to open headphones, putting the mids quite close to you in the virtual space. They never come off as shouty or fatiguing (which is a personal gripe I had with the Sennheiser HD598). Although I prefer the LCD2, HD650's mids as they are forward and surrounded by more air and a bigger sense of space, the Mad Dog's mids are simply amazing. Vocals come off so naturally.

Treble: The treble will be either love/hate for everyone. The Mad Dog is a bit dark, making the treble quite non-fatiguing, but not the clearest I've heard. Due to the closed nature of the Mad Dog, the treble is hampered by it's lack of air. I personally don't mind the treble presentation of the Mad Dog at all. I feel they have enough presence to be considered natural, but I can see it being a concern for those who prefer a bit more sparkle/clarity.

Soundstage: This is an area I can't seem to agree with quite a few people in on the main Mad Dog thread. Personally, I feel the Mad Dog lacks quite a bit in air, size, and especially depth. That's the nature of closed headphones. Very few exceptions (i.e. D7000, DT770 Pro 80), and the Mad Dog is not one of them. It sounds decidedly closed and congested in comparison to the more recent open headphones I've compared them to, including the LCD2 which isn't exactly the most open sounding headphone itself.

Positioning: I'm not going to lie when I say that as enthusiastic as I was about the Mad Dog, none of that enthusiasm was for it's potential to be good for gaming. Prior to hearing the Mad Dog, I expected it to not be amazing for gaming. I expected something like the M50 in that it would make a much better headphone for music and stereo gaming than virtual surround/Dolby Headphone gaming. I feel that I hit the nail on the head. The Mad Dog doesn't project a good sense of air, and lacks depth and width, hurting the positional cues enough to consider them inferior to gaming headsets like the Astro A40 in this regard. It comes off a bit two dimensional in comparison to even the LCD2.

Clarity: The clarity for gaming is actually quite excellent. The Mad Dog benefits great from it's incredibly linear frequency response. Bass and mids are well in tune with one another. Bass never creeps up and masks details, so all manner of sounds are heard quite easily. Clarity is a strength for the Mad Dogs, despite it's darker than neutral tonality. It shares this with both the LCD2 and HD650: Dark, but still plenty clear.

Amping: Although I no longer have the Mixamp to truly test whether the Mad Dog needs additional amping for gaming purposes, I believe it does, as it requires more off my Marantz receiver and Compass 2 than my LCD2.

Value: At $300, Although I'm not a big fan of the Mad Dog for gaming, they are truly a great pair of music headphones, and possibly for stereo gaming. At $300, the Mad Dogs deliver an exception sound. Although I certainly don't put it in the same class as the LCD2 (which people loved to compare it to), I would say that it is clearly the best closed back headphone I have heard outside of the D7000 (which doesn't behave like a closed back overall). If gaming is secondary to music, and you need a closed headphone in the $300 range, the Mad Dog should be on the top of your list. It is a stellar performer for it's price, and I'm not usually a fan of closed headphones.

Final Impressions: I have a love/hate relationship with the Mad Dog, which causes an internal conflict in me. On one hand, the Mad Dog is easily the best closed headphone I have heard outside of the D7000, but on the other hand, it's decent at best for virtual surround gaming. If it's for gaming, I'm afraid I can't give them my personal recommendation. However, if music and/or passive noise cancellation is a priority, the Mad Dog is truly exceptional and worth looking into. Just remember, it's a well balanced, dark/neutral-ish headphone, so bassheads need not apply.

I know this will be asked often, so let me nip this in the bud: How does the Mad Dog compare to the LCD2, HE-400, HE-4, HD650, and K702 Annie?

Vs. HE-4: The HE-4 is technically the best headphone I've reviewed outside of the D7000 and LCD2 in terms of refinement and technical superiority. It's slightly v-shaped, similar to a DT880 in planar magnetic form. More open, clearer, and more detailed. However, it's the hardest headphone to drive, and the majority of people will no doubt hook the HE-4 up to amps that can't power them anywhere near to their potential. HE-4 > Mad Dog

Vs. K702 Anniversary: The Annie is more open, with a much bigger sense of space, clearly superior soundstage and positional cues, clarity, and bass. The K702 Annie is the only headphone I have reviewed that I honestly can't find one flaw in whatsoever. Not the best at any one thing, but great at basically everything. For $100 more than the Mad Dog, if you do not have a need for a closed headphone, I'd GREATLY recommend saving up for the Annie instead. K702 Annie > Mad Dog

Vs. HE-400: The HE-400 is clearer, more engaging, and livelier than the Mad Dog. I must say I slightly prefer the tonality of the Mad Dogs, but overall, the HE-400 is a better headphone. The HE-400 has an issue with the treble being a bit bright, which may put off some people. HE-400 > Mad Dog

Vs. HD650: The HD650 to me is the closest thing to the Mad Dog out of anything I've heard. However, it is still more open sounding, which I personally find more beneficial. The HD650 is more neutral sounding than the Mad Dog as well, though I feel the HD650 is slower and more relaxing in the upper range. HD650 > Mad Dog

Vs. LCD2: The LCD2 and Mad Dogs do share similarities in tonality, but the LCD2 is quite a bit more dimensional, clearer, and spacious. Perhaps a poor man's closed LCD2, but not quite. LCD2 > Mad Dog

So yes, out of all the planar magnetics, and dynamics I could compare them to in terms of similar characteristic/tonality, I feel the Mad Dog loses against each. To me, at near the Mad Dog's price range, there is only one choice I'd recommend to anyone looking for a well balanced headphone that doesn't need a closed headphone. The K702 Anniversary. Absolutely no question there.

Final Scores...

Fun: 6.75 (Very decent. The balanced sound is quite refined, but there is no real sense of immersion compared to other headphones reviewed. Bass presence could stand to be a bit stronger, and the lack of air/soundstage doesn't allow to get a great sense of immersion, personally.)

Competitive: 6.75 (Very decent. Clear and balanced sound, though with a lack of soundstage size and mainly depth, hampering positional cues in comparison to most mid/high level headphones.)

Comfort: 8.5/10 (Great. The Mad Dog is the most comfortable leather padded closed headphone I've heard outside of the post-stretched M50s. If leather isn't an issue for you, the Mad Dog should have almost no discomfort.)

Sennheiser HD650

Sells for $350-$500
Review (Click to show)

Oh, one of the most beloved and well known headphones in the audiophile community. These were my 'dream' headphone since the beginning of my audiophile journey. One I never thought I'd ever buy back then. It's also one of the few headphones that after I learned what sonic quality I wanted in a headphone, didn't think I would personally like. If I had bought them months or years ago, I'm not sure I would've liked them. I tend to prefer a bright, aggressive, bass and treble-centric headphone. The HD650 is known to be the opposite. Dark/warm, relaxed, and smooth, with dulled treble response. You can see why I was very adamant about not ever giving these a chance.

It wasn't until recently that I wanted to venture out and look for something a little different from my normal preferences. An alternative that I'd use whenever I wanted to sit back, and enjoy a soothing sound, with forward mids/vocals that I could watch my TV shows, movies, anime with. Ironically, my secondary can is considerably more expensive than my main can (DT990s) at the time. Lol, Head-fi logic. Well, I went and took the plunge, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. I thought I would hate them. Really. It was an experiment that would cost me, but one I needed to do at some point, as the HD650 was always that ONE headphone I was always curious about (more than any other).

So what happened? Did I like them? Hate them? To my surprise... I loved them for music, movies, TV, and anime, and liked but wasn't thrilled by them for gaming. Let's get into the sound.

Bass: The lows. Well, this is surprising. They are actually pretty bassy. Not DT990 bassy, but they have a nice, full, bassy sound. I'd say it's between the DT880 and 990 in presence. It's a warm bass, with medium speed. Pretty much ideal for all-rounder headphones with good bass that would please those that like balance and a fun signature. The bass quantity is enjoyable for all crowds, unless you're a pure neutral-head or pure bass-head. I didn't find myself wanting more bass, though they do roll off in the sub-bass, which is typical of most dynamic headphones, something the HE-400 has no problems with.

If I could score the bass, it'd be; Quantity: 7.5, Quality: 8. Just really pleasing bass all around.

Mids: This is the star of the show. And when I say star... I mean, it is absolutely one of the best interpretation of mids/vocals I have EVER heard on any headphone...EVER. I'm usually fine with mid recession as I tend to prefer bass and treble emphasis, but MAN... once I heard the HD650... it made me see mids in a whole new light. The vocals are so sweet, so upfront, so rich, so haunting! Based on mids alone, I recommend this headphone to ANYONE looking for a headphone that does vocals some amazing justice. The only other headphone that provides really sweet mids that I've heard is the Audio Technica ESW9, but the ESW9 is a closed on ear, with a considerably smaller soundstage, and overly smooth treble, and stuffy sound signature in comparison. The ESW9 is good, but not HD650 good.

The HD598 also has very forward mids, but I felt the lean bass, and thinner sound, made the mids sound unnaturally forward and shouty. The warmth and fullness of the HD650 basically destroyed any chance the HD598 had in a direct comparison. There was no competition. The HD650's mids demolish the HD598's in tone, realism, and richness. The HE400 is often compared to the HD650, and despite my preference for the HE400, the HD650 is clearly the king of mids here. The HE400 has great, INTEGRATED mids, that don't sound pushed back or forward with a realistic tone. That being said, the HD650's forward mids are special. The HD650 clearly wins here. As far as Q701 and HD650's mids, the HD650 wins again. The Q701 has forward mids, but they aren't nearly as full sounding, or as rich.

Long story shot, the mids are godly. If I had to score them: Quantity: 10, Quality: 10. That is perfection, because that's how I feel about the HD650's mids.

Treble: Oh the treble. This is single-handedly the ONLY reason I have put off getting the HD650 for so long. If you read about the HD650, the treble will always be discussed and debated on. Are they too smooth, rolled off, undetailed... veiled? This is a debate that will never end on Head-fi. As a fan of treble sparkle and some emphasis, I was absolutely mortified about hearing what people said of the HD650's smooth, laid back, dull, treble.

So how did they sound to me? Surprisingly, I REALLY liked the treble! I didn't LOVE it. I still do prefer some more sparkle, but as the relaxing alternative to my typical treble emphasized headphones, I didn't find the treble overly smooth or dull on the HD650. Trust me, when your main can is the DT990 which is known for it's SUPER treble emphasis, and compare it directly to the much more reserved and rolled off treble of the HD650, you would tend to notice a huge difference. In all honestly, I really thought the treble on the HD650s was right where it should be for the type of headphone that the HD650 is. Without that treble, I think the HD650 wouldn't sound as rich and 'creamy' as they do. Would I use the HD650s as my ONLY headphone? To be frank, no. They performed well in absolutely everything except genres that desired an aggressive signature. Stuff like metal, and EDM just didn't have the energy on the HD650s. So no, they aren't the perfect all rounders. However, through some vocal dependent tracks, and stuff like movies, TV, and most non-music needs (even gaming), the HD650s are indeed in a very good place. Unfortunately, I tend to listen to EDM and metal more than anything, so the HD650 lost a few points.

To score the treble; Quality: 7, Quantity: 7. If the treble is boosted by a bit, these could be what I'd consider very natural to neutral with a slight emphasis towards bass. I think they'd be less rich overall though, so I personally wouldn't want to touch what makes the HD650 what they are.

Amping: I have the HD650 paired up with the Audio-GD SA-31 which is much more powerful than pretty much any amp most of you use, or would use, so I'm not exactly sure how they'd sound with less power, but I personally felt that they aren't as hard to drive as people make them out to be. They need considerably less power than the DT990/600, and possibly even the DT990/250. I'd say they'd need about as much as the DT990/32 for at LEAST volume level. We know power =/= volume, but it helps. To be clear: they do not need a lot to be driven LOUDLY. I tested them with the Mixamp only, and they can be driven off it loud enough. I didn't test it enough to see how well they're actually driven, but they sounded good. They may be a little thinner sounding, which could actually be a good thing for gaming, as it makes pinpointing sounds a bit easier than the very rich, thick signature the HD650s have with the SA-31.

Okay, so how did they perform for gaming?

Soundstage: I haven't gotten to the specifics of gaming with the HD650s yet, but I'll mention the soundstage first. With and without extra amping the Mixamp, I felt the HD650's soundstage to be medium sized. Not big, and not little. However, I didn't find them to be stellar in terms of depth, so the sense of space for gaming, wasn't as good as I would have hoped. I was always expecting the HD650 to not be the greatest pairing for Dolby Headphone, and my fears were slightly warranted. The front/back depth isn't great. Let's get that out of the way. The width is good, but not close to being the best. The DT990 destroys the HD650 in both depth and width. So how's the air within the soundstage? Well, the problem with the HD650, is that it's a very full sounding headphone. Thick, warm tone tends to make the soundstage seems less airy and smaller. This is one of those times where a thinner/leaner sounding headphone has the advantage, like the AD700/HD598/K701. The HD650 isn't STUFFY like say the ESW9, but that rich tonality doesn't help gamers.

Positioning: Positioning and soundstage tend to go hand in hand, so if the soundstage isn't great, the positional cues will suffer. How did the HD650 fare positional-wise? Well, they were good. Not great, and could obviously be better, but they do their job. I could play something like Black Ops without any problems, though having used headphones much better for soundstage/positioning, I could tell they lacked a bit. I'd put the HD650 just ever so slightly above the DT880 positional wise, but they aren't that much better.

Clarity: You need clarity for soundwhoring in competitive gaming. Despite the laid back treble, I found the natural tone of the HD650 to be very detailed. The forward mids came off very clean and clear, and I felt I didn't miss any sounds. I've heard better overall (even the 990's are better for soundwhoring). The problem is that the HD650 is a very thick sounding headphone. Basically, the issues I explained in the soundstage section is what hurts clarity for gaming purposes.

Comfort: I mentioned that Sennheiser likes their clamp. The HD201, HD280 Pro (!), PC360, and HD598 all have some form of clamp. The HD650 is no different. They do clamp a bit more than I'd personally like, but it's a minor gripe overall. I find the HD650 to be very comfortable overall, and over extending the arms a little, to wear the HD650 slightly loose alleviates the clamp a bit. I've felt better, but not much better. The velours are great. Not too firm, and not too soft. The cups are huge and will fit ears very comfortably. I like the oval shape, which makes them easier to use while laying down compared to circular cups.

Value: The Sennheiser HD650 is a considerably expensive headphone. If your main purpose for getting a headphone is gaming, there are considerably better options for less. If pure audio fidelity, and non-gaming purposes is your main purpose, the HD650 is incredibly hard to beat. Their sound signature is just stellar for most things, save for a few genres, and they're competent for gaming, just not stellar. I personally can't justify owning both the HD650 and HE-400, so I stuck with the HE-400 which is a more energetic, and better equipped for gaming use.

Final Impressions: The HD650 has a very special place in my heart. It took years to finally take the plunge, but I'm VERY glad I did. They have quickly become one of my very favorite headphones. Though their gaming performance isn't as stellar as I would have hoped, it's better than I expected. I absolutely love the HD650 overall, and they have made me see the importance of mids, if even for just non-gaming, non-music use. Movies and TV shows are made for the HD650. Their incredible tonality, rich/full sound, perfect mids are an absolute blessing. Treble is definitely it's weakest aspect of sound, but they aren't veiled, just...reserved.

For gamers looking for all-rounders, these do put up a fight. They're better than the vast majority of headphones I mentioned on this guide in terms of audio fidelity, but in raw performance for gaming, they're outclassed by others costing considerably less.

Final Scores...

Fun: 8 (Great)

Competitive: 7 (Good)

Comfort: 8 (Great)

Stax SR-407

Sells for $575 (Headamp)
Review (Click to show)

Before I begin, I want to thank Justin at Headamp for loaning these out to me. If it weren't for Justin and Headamp, I don't think I would have become as interested in electrostatics as I am now. To drive the SR-407, I was also sent the Stax SRM-252S electrostatic amp (NOT the amp pictured above), which is also sold on Headamp for $495. The SR-407 is the very first electrostatic headphone I've demoed. I honestly did not know what to expect. Perhaps my assumption of 'stats in general was that they were mostly on the bright side with lots of air and detail, perhaps too analytical, sterile, and dry. I didn't read much into 'stats as they were a niche product in my eyes, being too situational, too expensive, and too picky with what you can use them with. They need their own specialized amps, unlike dynamic and planar magnetic headphones which work with most traditional devices. Electrostats just seemed too restrictive for my taste. I didn't like their looks (aside from the Sennheiser Orpheus, Stax Omega 007, and 009). I can honestly say that while they are indeed a bit restrictive, electrostatics are more than worth looking into.

Build Quality: The Stax SR-407's build quality isn't anything special. It has an extremely retro design, made of almost all brown plastic from what I can see. The cups are rectangular and aesthetically hideous to my eyes, but there is a charm to it's non-standard looks. The adjustment sliders are decent, and hold their place very well. I'd prefer a little more freedom in it's extension, but it fits me fine at full extension. The headband strap is absolutely the best part of the 407's build, the underside covered in extremely soft and comfortable suede-like material.

The earpads are made of brown pleather (I believe). There isn't a lot of surface contact area, so it's not horribly sweat inducing as other pleather-padded headphones. It could definitely stand to be thicker, though that may alter the amazing sound quality.

The cable is flat/ribbon-like and a very decent length. Seems to be tangle proof. It's a bit wide and strap like. I'm definitely a fan of this type of cable.

Comfort: The Stax-407 is passable in comfort. It's pretty lightweight, but the rectangular cup design will feel awkward at first. The 407 is lightweight. The pads don't have much contact with the skin, but it's pleather, and ultimately will induce sweat. As mentioned previously, the pads are a bit thin, and with a little force, you can feel the plastic housing so close to the skin.

The headband strap is soft, and perfectly forms to one's head shape. Quite possibly the most comfortable headband 'strap' I've ever felt. Literally no force felt on the top of my head. The clamping force is moderate. The 407 feels secure on my head. Not loose, not too tight.

Accessories: Bare essentials. Just the headphone.

Isolation/Leakage: It's an extremely open headphone, so don't expect any privacy in or out.

Sound: The sound? THE SOUND. If there was one word to describe the SR-407 (and I assume any 'stat worth their grain in salt), that word would be: EFFORTLESS. What I mean is that the 407 sounds like producing sound is the easiest thing to do in the world. It's almost problematic, because you can pump up the volume to louder than bearable levels, and it will happily sing with no perceivable distortion anywhere to be found. I found myself jamming out to music and realizing that it's a bit louder than I tend to listen to with other headphones. That's how clear, grain free, smooth, and effortless the sound quality is. This is indeed the first time I have felt that there is ZERO fault in the headphone if you ever hear distortions.

The 407 is a neutral sounding headphone. Quite linear, with lots of speed, texture, quick decay, air, and instrument separation in spades. There is basically NO harhness to be found despite it not being rolled off. I've heard smoother/darker headphones that can be harsh. I don't know how the 407 does it, but there just isn't any harshness to my ears, despite a bell like clarity. My only gripe I have with the sound signature is that it's slightly dry (coming off the velvety smooth, liquid, and full bodied LCD2), and mids while blended in perfectly well with the treble and bass, doesn't sound 'forward' so it doesn't bring immediate attention to itself. It's not the fullest sounding headphone either. More neutral than natural/organic, which is the planar magnetic's strength over electrostatics, from what I've read. Still, the 407 is not sterile or too analytical, keeping a great amount of musicality and enjoyment to it's sound.

On to the different aspects of sound.

Bass: I expected the bass to be weak and understated. While the sub bass is noticeably lacking in comparison to the LCD2, mid bass is tight, punchy and clearly present. I can listen to EDM or Hip Hop and jam with the 407. Not 'bassy' by any means, but the bass is nicely presented. It has more body and impact than the Q701, but not as much as the K702 Anniversary. I'd say it's basically neutral. However, if the source is bassy, these will surely please anyone not a pure basshead. It can be quite fun.

Mids: The mids are presented very, VERY cleanly, though they aren't forward or recessed. They are blended in with the bass and treble, not bringing a lot of attention to itself. If anything, it's not romanticized in any way. It's there, it's clean, and well balanced. Again, neutral. Does this mean that it's safe? Yes. Boring? Not at all. It sounds faithful to the source. Unlike something like the Sennheiser PC360 headset which is also well balanced, but lacking in energy. Energy is definitely not one thing the 407 is lacking.

Treble: The treble to me is the biggest strength in the 407. It's extremely clean sounding, yet completely grain free to my ears and no harshness. Even on sibilant tracks, I didn't feel any fatigue.This may sound like hyperbole, but this is definitely the best treble I've heard on any headphone. Sparkle and smoothness bundled in one, which isn't typically found on traditional headphones. No ringing, no harshness, no fatigue. You basically have to hear it for yourself to understand what I'm talking about.

Soundstage: My first taste of electrostatic soundstage. It's quite open and with plenty of space between sound cues, but it's a bit two dimensional and linear in comparison to the better dynamics and planar magnetics. So it has a very good soundstage size, but not the best depth. However, it still translates very well into gaming.

Positioning: The SR-407 performs very well for gaming in Dolby Headphone. The soundstage is a pretty decent size. Paired with the amazing clarity and slight dryness of the sound overall, sound cues come out very, very clearly. Soundstage depth isn't the best, but DH helps it out enough to make positional cues pretty strong.

Clarity: The 407 is easily one of the clearest headphones I have heard, if not the absolute clearest. Bass is quick, very textured, and tight. The mids are very well balanced and clean, though not forward in the same way the LCD2 and HD650's mids are. Treble, as mentioned earlier is the cleanest, most refined treble I've heard on any headphone to date. Smooth and sparkly at the same time, with zero grain, and no perceivable ringing to my ears. While other headphones like the K701 are emphasized for clarity, they can't compare to the overall refinement and effortlessness of the 407.

Amping: As stated, these demand an electrostatic amplifier. In terms of that, the SRM-252S is the cheapest 'desktop' 'stat amp in production, and to my ears drives the 407 just fine. I don't feel a lack of anything.

Value: Value is purely subjective, but I personally feel that for around $575 you get a headphone that stands toe to toe with the LCD2 (and exceeds it in certain areas like neutrality, and clarity). You do need to spend money on an electrostatic amp, the SRM-252S being nearly $500 itself. Considering the 407 is basically the same in sound as the more expensive SR-507 (with different pads and materials), which I've read as being on par with the HE-6 and HD800 (if not better) to certain people, this may be the best entry point into high-end audio for a price not in the realm of impossible.

Final Impressions: Call me an absolute believer of electrostatic headphones. So much refinement, clarity, and technical superiority over dynamics and arguably even planar magnetics. The Stax SR-407 makes a very compelling case for itself as the perfect starting point into electrostatic headphones (and possibly end). It's not perfect, with a slight dryness to the sound, wonky design, mediocre build quality, and okay comfort, but it's sound quality more than makes up for these shortcomings. For gaming, it's one of the better all-rounders on the guide, without question.

Final Scores...

Fun: 8 (Great. Though it's not as immersive as the K702 Anniversary or the more bass-oriented headphones on the guide, the 407 has it's own special sound that is fun in it's own way. Bass is very good for a neutral headphone, lagging a little behind the K702 Anniversary, but having more energy and presence than the Q701, and having a nice, fun amount of bass when it's called for.)

Competitive: 8.75 (Very Great. Though the soundstage depth isn't the best, the clarity and virtual space is so clean, it makes for a very solid and competitive gaming headphone.)

Comfort: 6.5 (Decent. It's not the most comfortable headphone, but not atrocious by any means. No pressure on top of the head is a large plus.)

Ultrasone Pro 2900

Sells for $400+.
Review (Click to show)

Surprise Review!

I can't thank calpis enough for selflessly sending me his pair of Pro 2900 to review and compare. So all of you Pro 2900 owners, or those who were curious about them, thank calpis! I owe it to him to be a little more thorough in my impressions.

Okay, I've spent the last few days abusing my ears with almost nothing but Pro 2900 audio, so if anything, I can say I'm quite acquainted with them, and they're very fresh on my mind. I was able to test them with a variety of games, including Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops, which are my go-to games for positional audio. Let me start with the build. Man, these are built like absolute tanks. Like seriously, it's plastic, but it's the strongest plastic I have ever felt on a headphone. The only other headphone that felt like an absolute tank was the M50, and these have those beat in just how ridiculously well built they are. You'd have to be a moron to break these.

Now for the sound. Let me break down the specific aspects of it's sound.

Tone: They are bright. The Q701 sounds like a warm monster next to them. They are VERY aggressive sounding headphone. The PRAT factor is incredibly high here. They are super quick, with tons of bite. This is NOT a headphone to relax and chill to. This is a headphone to jam out to. They are also very revealing, and dry sounding. The sound doesn't have the rich body of the Q701 or the D7000. The Pro 2900 is weird in that while it's notably a v-shaped sounding headphone, it is quite analytical. The speed of the bass is so quick and unobtrusive, the recessed mids come out highly detailed (but quite distant). The emphasized treble just bring a very clear sound. If I could compare the Pro 2900 to anything, it'd be the DT880 and HE-4. The DT880 and HE-4 however had a warmer tone, richer body, and slower, more present bass making them more fun, personally.

Bass: These are supposed to have the same drivers as the mid bass monster known as the Pro 900, right? Well, they didn't sound like that to me. They initially started out somewhat bass light. The Q701 had more bass presence. HOWEVER, I dunno when it happened, but that changed. The bass on these? AMAZING quality. Literally the most articulated bass I have ever heard. I'm not talking quantity. I'm talking about how incredibly textured and quick the bass is. Something about how the bass notes hit that just blew me the hell away. You know how some headphones tend to have a one note type of bass that doesn't exactly sound realistic? Well, the Pro 2900 just presents bass in so many layers, I can't help but feel in awe. That being said, it's not particularly emphasized or strong, but they are definitely more present than the Q701. I'd put them on a DT880 level of bass presence. I like a bit more bass emphasis from fun cans like the DT990, HE-4, and D7000, but these are pretty on par with the DT880s in terms of quantity. Quality definitely surpasses the DT880 (which is slower) which was probably the second bass in bass quality for me. Seriously though, give them a very bass emphasized song, and you will be absolutely blown away by that masterful quality. Just don't expect them to immediately please you if you like some form of emphasized bass. The bass is there when a song absolutely calls for it, so I'd say it's the most natural aspect of the Pro 2900's sound. With the right songs, the bass is simply breathtakingly beautiful.

Mids: This is their DEFINITE weak point. It's noticeably recessed compared to the treble. It falls shortly behind the bass, and quite a bit compared to the treble. Male vocals sound a little unnatural, but female vocals (due to mids going up to the treble) sounded quite unnatural. The Pro 2900 will not be one for female vocals, especially those who tend to bring out sibilance. They will murder your ears with the Pro 2900. On certain songs like 'Kaskade ft. Skylar Grey - Room For Happiness (Fire)', Skylar's voice was very metallic and unnatural sounding. When put next to the Q701... the recessed mids were quite obvious.

Treble: The showrunner. The treble is prominent. I can't compare directly with the DT990, but it's up there. It has no reservations about them being treble heavy. I'm guaranteeing this would be the deal breaker for a lot of people. That being said, while the treble while is prominent, it wasn't grainy. It was a very high quality treble. The DT880 and DT990's treble were grainier. The treble can be quite fatiguing, so take note if you like smoother treble.

Soundstage: I won't mention soundstage for music as I'm not too focused on it when I'm not gaming in virtual surround. For gaming, I felt the Pro 2900's soundstage wasn't exactly 'open'. It did spread out pretty far to the extreme left and right, but depth wasn't amazing. It felt like a cross between a closed headphone, and an open one. Considering the Pro 2900's are open, I was left a little disappointed in their soundstage. It wasn't airy like an open can. Felt like a closed can with a big soundstage.

Positioning: Okay, this is where they are indeed quite excellent. They are great at directionality. No complaints. Not the very best, but they won't bring any issues for gamers using Dolby Headphone. A solid performer, can't say anything negative here. GREAT. I had a 40-0 game on MW2 and a 32-0 game on Black Ops with these, so they are quite capable, I'd say.

Clarity for gaming: As stated before, they are actually revealing and analytical despite their v shaped sound. For GAMING, think of the Pro 2900 as a less bassy DT990 in terms of clarity.

Comfort: Ah yes, I was skeptical about them, because I've heard several complaints about them, especially the padding on the headband. Perhaps I was desensitized by wearing the K701 and Q701 for so long, but the Pro 2900's padding was quite literally the same as the PC360's headband padding which are non-issues whatsoever. The ear pads feel very similar to the Q701s. Lovely velour that is neither too soft, nor too firm. They were just fine, and cause no discomfort for me. As for clamp, yes, these have a mild clamp, so those who don't like clamp may be irked by it. I actually prefer it, because they stay in place. It's better than any of the Sennheisers I've used in this regard. The headband extension is great, and sturdy. Big heads shouldn't have a problem with the size.

Value: My biggest issue with the Pro 2900 is the price. It costs as much as the HE-4, and I honestly feel it competes more with the DT880/Q701 price range. The HE-4 is superior to me as a whole. The good thing about the Pro 2900 is that it easy fairly easy to drive and sounds great off the Mixamp. The HE-4 is most certainly the absolute opposite. The Pro 2900 sounds mid-fi to me, and not a bridge between mid-fi and hi-fi that the price seems to suggest. If these were price around $250-300, it'd be some serious competition to the popular Beyers and AKGs. As it stands, it's not good enough to warrant purchase over the Beyers, though if you happen to own them, they won't let you down.

Due to them being great for both fun and competitive gaming, those looking for all-rounders that just do all forms of gaming well, the Pro 2900 shouldn't be overlooked if you feel the price is justifiable. Better positioning than the DT880, and more analytical, while still retaining a healthy dose of fun.

Again, many, MANY thanks to calpis for sending them to me. You have my deepest gratitude.

Fun: 8 (Great. The Mixamp pairs up quite well with the Pro 2900, and the bass was satisfying, but not overly powerful. When the bass hit hard, that quality of the Pro 2900's bass really shined.)

Competitive: 7.5 (Very Good. Directionality was very good. Soundstage could've been bigger, but it was good overall. Pro 2900 owners shouldn't have any issues kicking ass at least when it comes to using these as their main headphone).

Comfort: 7.5 (Very Good)

Ultrasone Pro 900

Sells for $300-$330.
Review (Click to show)

So I gotta say, the Pro 900 is lethal with Dolby Headphone. They are stupid awesome for gaming.

The DT990 is it's closest sounding alternative, but you definitely trade off that open soundstage for a closed one, so if there are any DT990 fans looking for a closed headphone that bears some resemblance, but with lesser treble, and more focused/stronger bass, the Pro 900 is it.

Fun: You will be absorbed into your games with the Pro 900, make no mistake. The ambience won't come close to the D7000's, but it's damn good on it's own merits. There's something about the pulse the Pro 900s emit that really keep you excited every single minute you use them for gaming. The bass is strong as all hell, but very, VERY tight, making for an incredibly fun can that doesn't smother detail with it's bass. I'd say it does gaming bass better than the DT990, for sure. Not to knock the DT990, since it's open AND has that amazing bass. The Pro 900 is closed, which should make it's bass an obviously logical strength.

Competitive: I know that the Pro 2900 is less bassy, making it for more focus on detail, but the Pro 900's bass really, REALLY doesn't get in the way. Directionality was great (just as it was on the Pro 2900). Soundstage was also similar, despite it's closed vs open design. The Pro 2900 didn't ever sound open in any case. The recessed mids didn't truly rear it's ugly head when I was gaming, so I'll consider them recessed but clean sounding, not making them much of an issue. The Pro 900 is stronger in the fun category than competitive, but it is by no means weak for competitive gaming. You can and will maintain focus even with the addition of that lovely bass. I'd say even with the tip towards bass, the Pro 900's bass keeps you ever so slightly more focused than the DT990's bass, though I'd say the DT990 is better overall for competitive use due to it's expansive soundstage/open sound that keeps other details more spread apart and easier to pick up.

Comfort: Personally, I would say they are an 8 for me, and I can wear them all day long, but I know realistically, you guys won't find it as comfortable due to it's clamp grip, and whatnot. I honestly don't see why people have issues with the Pro 900's top padding. It's infinitely better than the Q701's padding, which was not really an issue after some time. The Pro 900's top padding is a lot like the Sennheiser PC360's. Can't see how that can bother anyone.

Isolation: I know I haven't done this with any other headphone, but that's usually because I prefer open headphones, which don't isolate well at all. Because the Pro 900 IS closed, I feel it necessary to mention how well it does. I feel that it keeps outside noises out well enough (certainly leaps and bounds better than the D7000), and does incredibly well keeping sound from leaking out, even with it's velour pads.

Value: Overall, the Pro 900 truly houses a resemblance to it's sibling, the Pro 2900, even down it it's soundstage. You trade off the Pro 2900's EXTREMELY articulated bass, for a more prominent, less articulate, but still very high quality bass. I can literally paste the review of the Pro 2900, and change the bass section, and voila. I gotta say, I prefer the treble on the Pro 900 to than the Pro 2900 by a little bit. They are both artificial sounding as a whole, but the Pro 2900's treble sounded more metallic to me.

I may not have been as happy with the Pro 900 for music initially, but considering how little I've been using headphones when gaming, I think it's a big win for the Pro 900 when I say that they MADE me wanna use them all day for gaming. They truly pulled it off in the bottom of the 9th, with 2 outs, man on 2nd and third, down by one, with a bass hit to win the game.

If you have just over $300 to spend on a headphone for gaming that you want to use for fun and some competitive gaming, the Pro 900 is a rock solid choice. It does favor fun more than competitive, but it won't let you down either way, with it's great positioning, unobtrusive bass, and clean sound.

I also want to add that if you were on the fence between the Pro 900 vs the Pro 2900, I personally recommend the Pro 900. The Pro 2900 doesn't have an airy sound, losing the main reason why I believe anyone would go for an open headphone. The mids and treble are similar, making the only real differing aspect being the bass. Considering that the Pro 900 is a ton of fun without sounding messy, it will impress you more than the Pro 2900. The Pro 2900 is more balanced overall, but even calling it balanced is a far stretch, due to mid recession, and more metallic treble. The Pro 900 may also have similar recessed mids, but that trades off for more bass, whereas the Pro 2900 doesn't really give you anything in return for those recessed mids. The Pro 2900 has remarkable texture and refinement in the bass, but is lacking in abundant quantity to make that bass really stand out. The Pro 2900 is also considerably more expensive than the Pro 900 (if you shop well), making it just tough choice in it's price bracket (which is full of amazing headphones, like the HE400, HE-4, D5000, etc).

Final scores:

Fun: 9 (Amazing)

Competitive: 7.5 (Very Good)

Comfort: 7.5 (Very Good)

Isolation: 8 (Great)

Virtual Surround Devices (devices only, console use)
(many thanks to forum member ruuku for typing most of this up for the guide)

Astro Mixamp Pro (2013 Edition)

Dolby Headphone Device

Sells for $129.99
Review (Click to show)

Pros:

+ Presets for customized sound, with 4 modes: Pro (boosted details, less bass), Core (relatively flat/balanced), Media (boosted mids and subtle bass boost), Sports (tuned for a more open virtual space, stadium-like)

+ Core preset is rich and warm, which is quite beneficial to most headphones. Not quite ruler flat, but not detrimental to sound quality.

+ Pro Mode lessens the bass considerably, to focus on details. This preset will be quite beneficial for boomy/muddy headphones.

Cons:

- Wired

- Hissy. About as much as the 5.8. It's not an issue, but the older Mixamp Pro had considerably less hiss.

- Does not decode DTS, so no virtual surround for DTS signals (which sadly, most Blu-Ray movies use).

Impressions:

I found the Mixamp Pro 2013 to be the best Mixamp in terms of functionality, though the removal of the digital coaxial/RCA inputs means less devices to hook up to it at once (the digital coaxial input on the older devices could be used in conjuction with a digital coaxial to optical converter to allow two game consoles at once).

I sincerely hope in the future Astro manages to add multiple optical inputs, as most gamers will have more than one console/device. That and HDMI input, and DTS decoding (like the SU-DH1). Hopefully, LPCM decoding will be added, as the Wii U uses LPCM. Wii U gamers are out of in terms of virtual surround because of the lack of LPCM decoding on current virtual surround devices.

The Pro, Core, and Media presets are all very functional and worth using.

Core: Core is basically flat/balanced, but not perfectly flat. From what I'm personally hearing, it seems to have ever so slightly more bass/warmth than neutral. Easy to tell when comparing to the Mixamp 5.8 which had no coloration when bass boost was off. Still, it's the best preset overall, and I personally like the subtle coloration with every headphone I've used so far.

Pro: Forum member Chicolom describes as "AD700 mode", which sucks out the bass to focus entirely on mid and treble detail. This essentially makes the A40 sound like the old A40. This may be quite beneficial to muddy/undetailed headphones.

Media: Enhances mids with a very subtle bass boost, which I really enjoyed for movies, as movies tend to suck out the mids a bit. I recommend using preset for mid deficient headphones.

Sports: I didn't personally like this one, as it sounds like the virtual space was made bigger, and sounds more processed and artificial than the other presets.

Despite the added hiss compared to the old Mixamp Pro, the 2013 edition is worthwhile unless you absolutely want the least amount of hiss, which then you'll wanna seek out the older 2011 or the even older 2010 edition.

Extra Notes:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruuku
Added EQ Fuction/Button on face of Mixamp
"Daisy Chaining" does not require red 3.5mm male to male "bar" adapter
"Live streaming integrates game sound with incoming/outgoing voice chat"
TOSlink changed to mini-optical (3.5mm optical), Removed RCA/COAX Inputs, additional 3.5mm "STREAM" port

Astro Mixamp Pro

Dolby Headphone Device
Review (Click to show)

Pros:

+ Lowest noise of listed DH Decoders

+ Ability to "Mix" voice back into headphone audio

+ By far the most amount of inputs (RCA, Optical, Coaxial, USB (for PC, however it can only do stereo through USB, no DH).

Cons:

- Wired (Not as streamlined as AX720)

- Expensive, with horrendous shippping charges from Astrogaming.

- Does not decode DTS, so no virtual surround for DTS signals (which sadly, most Blu-Ray movies use).

Extra Notes:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruuku

5.1 Wired Mixamp

Input: TOS Link, COAX, R/L RCA, 3.5mm Input (MP3/AUX), USB (power only)
OUT: 3.5mm (PC)

7.1 Wired Mixamp (2011 Version)

Changes from Mixamp 5.1 (2009):

TOS link now "doorless" Ships with a plug to prevent dust/damage
USB can now output stereo, default output is through TOSlink if avaliable
Master/Mix knobs now flat instead of tapered/rounded

7.1 Wired Mixamp (2013 Version)

Changes from Mixamp 7.1 (2011)

Added EQ Fuction/Button on face of Mixamp
"Daisy Chaining" does not require red 3.5mm male to male "bar" adapter
"Live streaming integrates game sound with incoming/outgoing voice chat"
TOSlink changed to mini-optical (3.5mm optical), Removed RCA/COAX Inputs, additional 3.5mm "STREAM" port

Astro Mixamp 5.8

Dolby Headphone Device
Review (Click to show)

Pros:

+ Wireless

+ Uses 5.8Ghz for less interference with wireless devices (other older wireless solutions use a more common 2.4Ghz frequency)

+ Sound quality is on par with the Mixamp Pro, despite having slight background noise, where the Pro has little to none

Cons:

- Can only be purchased in a bundle with the A30 or A40 headsets

- Only one input (optical)

- Slight noise though lower than AX720 and DSS solutions

- Does not decode DTS natively.

Extra Notes:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruuku

5.8 Wireless Mixamp (TX)

Wireless, 5.8Ghz band used to avoid interference with wireless devices, devices that emit signal noise (microwaves ect.)
Added a "Bass Expander" function
Input:
TOS Link (Door version), 3.5mm Input (For PS3/PC Chat function) 2 USB [USB A] Ports for "future accessories"
Output
TOS Link (Door version)
Face Buttons: Power, Dolby/Stereo

5.8 Mixamp (RX)

Input
Mini-USB [USB-B] (Power/Charge function)
3.5mm (Voice)
Output
3.5mm (Headphone)
Face Buttons: Power, Bass Expander

Beyerdynamic Headzone (Base only)

Virtual Surround Device

Sells for $1099.
Review (Click to show)

Pros:

+ Very good virtual surround emulation. Similar to Dolby Headphone, with a dead silent background.

+ Can decode both Dolby and DTS signals, so most content is compatible

+ Options to customize the sound. For example: changing the size of the virtual room, in effect, adding soundstage size and depth

Cons:

- Prohibitively expensive, and overpriced (IMHO)

- Very high (100ohm) output impedance, so most typical audiophile headphone's tonal balance may be affected negatively (For example, a low ohm headphone's bass may be boomier and less controlled, and treble can become grating and harsh, etc.)

- Virtual surround is great, but ultimately not too different from Dolby Headphone, which comes in devices costing much, much less

- Personally can't justify spending so much for this device (At around half the price, I'd recommend it, but not for it's current street price)

Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D USB
Many thanks to NamelessPFG for lending me this device!

Virtual Surround Device

Sells for $85
Review (Click to show)

Pros:

+ Affordable wired alternative to the DSS, with mic capabilities (which the DSS lacks for everything but Turtle Beach headsets)

+ Low noise floor compared to the competition in the affordable price range (excluding the Headzone)

+ Software (computer required) has many settings to tweak to your personal preference, including an equalizer, bass boost with crossfeed, which you can then import directly to the device with a press of a button

Cons:

- Virtual surround doesn't quite match Dolby Headphone processing, with slightly inaccurate panning, lack of rear soundstage depth (compared to Dolby Headphone), and strange distortion with certain sound effects.

- Does not decode DTS natively.

- Software program has several useless and confusing settings, best left off (i.e. Crystalizer.)

- Scout Mode hurts the surround emulation for emphasis on certain audio ranges

Personal notes:

I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is. It is indeed a viable alternative to devices like the Mixamp, DSS, and AX720, but it doesn't quite reach the performance sound quality-wise as those devices. It does deliver a clean, clear sound, with just a few hiccups (like odd, grainy treble distortion at times). I found the program to be mostly useless. Other than maxing out the Surround setting (default is at 65%), I left everything else alone. Bass boosting and EQ is best left to hardware, not software, though if you have no other choice, the option is there.

I'd personally put the surround emulation to be 75% as good as Dolby Headphone devices like the Mixamp. I found THX mode (the best mode), to be comparable to the Victor SU-DH1's DH1 mode. The Recon3D had better soundstage width and FRONT depth, but was comparable in rear depth, and didn't match the SU-DH1 in in positional cues (even in DH1 mode).

If you already own the Recon3D, no worries. It's a pretty good device, and you may not find the need to upgrade to a Dolby Headphone device, at least until you compare them side by side. The Recon 3D has a good sense of immersion and decent surround emulation. However, I find Dolby Headphone to be worthwhile over the Recon3D's surround emulation.

Tritton AX 720

Dolby Headphone Device

Sells for $129 with an included headset (Best Buy).
Review (Click to show)

Pros:

+ The "cleanest" wired Dolby Headphone set up

+ Included is a decent headset, not the best for gaming, but it should give you an idea of what you're looking for in an upgraded pair of cans, or it might be "good enough" to use for gaming

+ Selectable Modes of operation: Dolby Digital 5..1/(7.1 for newer model), Dolby Pro-Logic II, Dolby, Music, Movie, and Stereo

Cons (as tested with an older 5.1 decoder):

- Needs External AC Adapter to function

- low level noise while in use at all levels, not just higher volumes. Interestingly, switching to a headphone only setup resulted in a dramatic reduction in static/noise. It seems as if the static is directly affected by the attachment of a microphone.

- Wired (though not as cluttered as Astro Mixamp)

- Limited Connections: Optical (TOS) and USB (PC & Mac Renders decoder box and Puck controls inoperable, can only be used for stereo sound).

- Does not decode DTS natively.

To use a microphone, plug microphone (must have 3.5mm plug) into the right port on the "In Line Audio Control Module" (puck/the thing the plugs into the white box). If using Xbox360 use a 3.5mm to 2.5mm audio cable connect 3.5mm plug into the side of the puck, and 2.5mm end into controller. If using PS3 use the usb (a to b) cable from the decoder box to the PS3.

Turtle Beach DSS (old version)

Dolby Headphone Device

(DISCONTINUED)
Review (Click to show)

Pros:

+ Cheapest DH device for console use

+ Preset EQs

+ Can take two inputs (3.5mm in, optical in)

Cons:

- Wired

- No integrated mic input (can be resolved through the use of a direct mic input to the controller of a Xbox 360 and on the newer DSS 2 through the use of a usb soundcard dongle with 3.5mm out and 3.5mm in for PS3)

- Louder background noise than the AX720 decoder, which scales with volume (unconfirmed)

- New version, the DSS2 does not use Dolby Headphone, and only simulates 4 speakers. It is unknown (so far) how it compares to Dolby Headphone.

- Does not decode DTS natively.

Victor SU-DH1
Many thanks to NamelessPFG for lending me this device!

Dolby Headphone Device

(DISCONTINUED)
Review (Click to show)

Pros:

+ All Dolby Headphone modes: DH1 (smallest, least processed DH mode), DH2 (the standard DH processing used in almost all DH devices like the Mixamp), DH3 (biggest virtual room size)

+ Decodes DTS (converts a DTS signal into Dolby Headphone)

+ Small

Cons:

- Very, VERY rare.

- JVC version only works through batteries

- No mic/chat support

- Internal amp is weakest out of all Dolby headphone devices tested

Personal notes:

The Victor SU-DH1. Not many bad things you can say about it, other than it being incredibly rare, and that the only one worth getting is the Victor version, as it works through an AC adapter, as opposed to just batteries in the JVC version. having finally been able to test DH1 and DH3 mode, I see why DH2 is the most popular choice for virtual surround devices. It's the middle ground between audio fidelity, and an immersive soundfield. DH1 is the best audio quality wise (the least processed sound), but it has a small soundstage, and positioning isn't as clear as DH2. DH3 is borderline unusable, as it's just an extremely processed, echo chamber-like sound. Directly comparing the DH2 mode with the Mixamp 5.8's DH2, I found them to be very similar, but due to the weaker amp in the SU-DH1, the sound was slightly thinner, and soundstage was smaller. However, the benefit of DTS decoding makes the Victor SU-DH1 worth it over any other DH device (on the list), assuming you can find one, and you don't mind the lack of chat capabilities.

External Amps

Info, and how to attach external amps to a virtual surround device (Click to show)

This section is for somewhat affordable audiophile amps (by head-fi standards) that would help power those pesky harder to drive headphones like the Q701, DT990/600, HD650, etc. This is especially useful when using an external mic. Mixing in voice chat tends to really hurt the overall volume of the 'Mixamp', where you can no longer get a loud enough volume without an aid of these audiophile amps.

The method to attach these amps to a virtual surround device like the Mixamp is:

Console -> Optical/Toslink cable -> 'Mixamp' -> Headphone out -> 3.5mm male cable to 3.5mm OR RCA male cable (depending on amp used) -> 3.5mm input/RCA input on Amp -> Headphones

If using an external microphone:

Console -> Optical/Toslink cable -> 'Mixamp' -> Headphone out -> Y cable (one orange/microphone input for the microphone, one green/audio) -> 3.5mm male cable to 3.5mm/RCA male cable (depending on amp used) attached to the green jack on the Y cable -> 3.5mm input/RCA input on Amp -> Headphones

The Y cable SHOULD come with the Mixamp, if going that route.

You would then max out or nearly max out the 'Mixamp' on the master volume, and control the volume with the audiophile amp.

It is recommended that you get a DESKTOP amplifier, for the power they output over portable amps. It takes nearly 2x the power of an amp just to gain a few decibels in volume. This is why using a portable amp is not recommended.

Now for a few recommendations:

Fiio E9K (aka E09K)

Sells for $109, $20 less if you want the older E9

Review (Click to show)

Pros:

+ Clean, musical sound signature

+ Packing plenty of power for most dynamic headphones, and even some Planars like the HE400. Nearly 1watt at 32ohm and 75mw at 600ohm

+ Sleek, black brushed metal finish, with a dock on top for the E07K or E17, for audiophile DAC use

+ Plenty of versatility with an RCA Line In, Line Out, Pre-amp Out, and USB input for your E07K or E17 (while docked)

Cons:

- 10 ohm output impedance. Most headphones with less than 80ohm may have an altered sound signature due to not enough damping. Some exceptions are Planars and the Q701/K701 which aren't affected. However, you may want to look at another external amp if you plan on using low ohm headphones

- Treble range is very slightly on the brighter side of neutral, so headphones like the DT990 may be a bit harsh off the E09K

Personal notes:

I was seriously impressed with this affordable desktop amp, even next to the Audio-GD SA-31, which is many times more powerful and many times more expensive. Though it may have a less than universal 10ohm output impedance, I didn't find it to really mess up my low ohm headphones, though it's still a possibility to make bass more sloppy or treble more harsh if using headphones with less than 80ohm. I find the E9K and the older E9 to do their best with headphones in the 80-300ohm range.

Per Fiio, the best area of the volume knob is betweek 9-12 o' clock, so adjust gain accordingly to try to land between that sweet spot. I did feel that both low and high gain tended to land between that anyway, so I used low gain for the peace of mind.

Objective O2

USA buyers - JDS Labs Objective O2

UK/International buyers - Epiphany Acoustics Objective O2

Sells for $156 w/AC adapter

Review (Click to show)

Pros:

+ Very technical, very neutral, and highly regarded. The most neutral and technical amp available for the price

+ DIY kits available for personal builds and customization

+ Battery bay for portable use, or remove battery bay for built in ODAC use

+ Incredibly low output impedance for near universal compatibility with low/high impedance headphones

Cons:

- Lack of inputs and versatility

- Front power, and analog input alongside the headphone input, for a messy and cluttered front (really, why are those not in the back?)

- Due to the very neutral signature, may not be as musical enough for personal tastes, and may come off as mostly clinical/analytical/sterile

Personal notes:

I haven't heard the O2 personally, but those wanting the most neutral amp available at the price, may want to look into the O2. The front inputs are a major personal turn off, so I wouldn't personally get it, but if you want function over everything else, the O2 may be hard to pass up.

Schiit Magni

Sells for $99

Review (Click to show)

Pros:

+ Cheap, quite powerful (1.2watts at 32ohm, 120mw at 600ohms), small, and incredibly sexy. The steel body has a nice weight to it as well

+ Very clean, neutral sound

+ Pair up with the Schiit Modi, for one lovely, affordable AMP/DAC stack that may be all you need in terms of audio equipment

+ Incredibly low output impedance for near universal compatibility with low/high impedance headphones

Cons:

- Lack of versatility (one RCA input, no outputs, no gain control which is fixed at 5x gain)

Personal notes:

Schiit surprised the hell out of EVERYONE with the surprising release of the Magni/Modi stack. It brings power, technicality, aesthetics, and build quality all at an astonishingly low price. I couldn't pass it up and bought the combo as soon as I heard of it. I have not been disappointed by it, even next to my main setup. The Schiit Stack (Modi+Magni) is very similar to the Fiio E9/E9K in height, and basically swaps width for deep compared to the Fiios. The Magni or Modi alone are very short.

Unless you need the versatility of having a line out and pre-amp out, the Magni will be my future recommendation for those in the USA looking for an amplifier to hook up to their Mixamps. The only problem I see here is the constant unplugging of cables IF you also happen to have a Modi or any other DAC, as you'll have to share the single input. This isn't a problem for the Fiio E9K (if you use the E07K or E17 docked) and the O2 (if you get the O2 with the ODAC built in).

How to get Dolby Digital signals from DTS only Blu-Rays off your PS3

Guide (Click to show)

This is incredibly important, as it's the ONLY way to watch Blu-Ray movies with Dolby Headphone and other Dolby-related virtual surround processors. If you don't do this, you'll be getting stereo with reverb, or no audio at all.

Easiest method: (thanks to jasnmb on AVSforum for pointing this out to me)

1. On the XMB, go to settings
2. Go to Video Settings (this is why I didn't find it last time. I expect it to be under Audio settings, go figure)
3. Scroll down to 'BD - Audio Output Format (Optical Digital)'
4. Select 'Bitstream - Mix'

Alternate method:

1. While watching the DTS only Blu-Ray movie, hit triangle
2. Go to AV Settings
3. Scroll to the bottom, and change the 'Audio Output Format' to 'Bitstream (Mix)'.

Both methods will be saved, so no need to adjust every time you watch a BD.

That's it. Enjoy watching your Blu-Rays in Dolby Headphone surround!

External Microphones

This section is for external mics to be used with headphones that do not have a mic attached to them (aka Headsets).

I'd add the Zalman clip-on, but I absolutely do not recommend it. Yes, some of you have no issues with it, but I'm not going to recommend anything that I personally think is absolute garbage. Buy at your own risk. I bought it at the time when it was $30 or so, and it was a waste of money. I tossed it without even considering a refund. That's how badly I think of it. I'd take the DX clip-on and the long wait than getting the Zalman quickly.

AntLion ModMic
Notes (Click to show)

I have not personally heard this microphone, but everyone I know who owns it is extremely pleased with how sensitive it is, and how versatile it is with attaching it to your headphones. This one is a high quality, flexible microphone that will make headsets pretty much obsolete. Please note that at the time of this update, the Modmic is SOLD OUT. However, The new version is due out possibly in August which is supposedly an improved version of the existing ModMic.

DX Mini Clip-on microphone (aka DealExtreme Mini Clip-on mic)
Notes! (Click to show)

This is my baby. It is incredibly cheap ($2.31, and has a free shipping option!). It's a clip on, so it can be clipped on to your headphone's cable or your shirt. The sound quality is similar to the LVA7330, meaning bright, thin, but clear. It's shielding prevents it from picking up unnecessary outside noise (unlike the borderline horrible Zalman clip-on mic, which you need can really only use in a very silent room, picks up all noises, yet you have to scream at the damn thing to pick up your voice clearly). The DX clip-on picks up your voice very easily, and you don't even have to talk loud. Not as elegant as the Antlion, but it's a great mic for those wanting to save money, or as an alternative. For the cost cheaper than a value meal at McDonalds, this one should be ordered by everyone currently looking for a mic.

There is a catch. The DX mic takes a LONG time to reach your hands from the time you place your order. Seriously. It takes around a month's time. So I recommend you order it and forget about it, and then get surprised when it DOES come. Lol.

This is the only mic I own, and I'm 100% satisfied with.

UPDATE: IF you are having a problem with this mic not picking up your voice, clip the mic to the headphone's cable, and not your shirt.

Labtec LVA7330

Note: Can't put this entry in a spoiler tag for some reason. Oh well
Now, I personally purchased this one and can attest to it's sound quality. It sounds almost as good as the built in mic on the Sennheiser PC360, with just a bright, and thinner sound, but still very clear.

The problem with the LVA7330 is that it's not very versatile in that to attach to a headphone, you have to commit to it by sanding off the headband portion (the mic has a perfect area on it to let you know exactly where to sand it off to), and attaching the mic to the headphone permanently, or with double sided velcro. I personally went with the velcro option, and it wasn't pretty, and the mic was too heavy for the velcro and would somewhat come off a bit. While it is a great mic, it's more for DIY-ers, and pretty much has to be permanently attached to your headphones for the cleanest looking setup.

This is a well known mic and popular mic for head-fiers of yesteryear. I'd personally save up the extra cash for the Antlion modmic if you want a full-sized microphone, as it's not permanent, and easier to attach/detach.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruuku

Finally got around to writing the comparison/review of the Modmic V2 and the Labtec LVA 7330: Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Voice clarity: ModMic 9/10, Labtec 7.5/10 The ModMic was much, much clearer than the Labtec. To be fair, the Labtec is a noise cancelling (NC from here on) mic, so this rating is situational. I’m fortunate enough to game in a location with very low ambient noise, and I feel that there is enough of a difference between environments that it is necessary to put up this disclaimer. Many of you, while gaming with headphones, are seeking to block outside noise and a NC mic will extend this courtesy to those that you’re chatting with. Right now, we are experiencing cool (for Honolulu, Hawaii) temperatures of about 65°-68° at night. In a few months I’ll start testing with a Vornado fan on to see if there’s a noticeable change (I’m expecting there should be) but for pure sound clarity the Omni-directional non-noise cancelling seems to be the winner by and far. When chatting with my friends for the first time the first words were “Wow... what the hell did you do? You’re so much louder and clearer.”

Setup: Modmic 9/10, Labtec 6.5/10. Well this is just unfair for the Labtec, after all we’re repurposing a headset mic to become a boom mic to add on to headphones, but I’ll be honest, the Labtec clearly loses in this category. After dremeling off the headband portion of the mic, you're left with a crescent shaped portion to attach to your headphones. Velcro™ seems to be the adhesive of choice, and it works well enough, but I’ve found that after repeated removal the adhesive starts coming off, and furthermore the ball joint on my Labtec started to lose its rigidity and the boom arm would flail about. The ModMic attaches with a simple plastic base clasp that has a strong rare earth magnet in the center, and a 3M™ adhesive backing. Included in the purchase is an alcohol swab, a nice touch. There are also four triangles on both the mic and the base clasp that center and interlock/align the mic when attached. The wire attached to the Modmic is very flexible and moldable, so its not too bothered by imperfect placement of the base clasp. That being said I wish these was just a little more adjustment in the rotation of the base clasp/mic. I’m thinking more like gears than the triangles used.... This would lend more rotational adjustability, but this is fairly nitpicky.

Connectors: Modmic 8/10 Labtec 9/10. Here we can see the difference between an OEM/major manufacturer versus a small boutique shop. The Labtec comes with a pink plastic encased gold plated 3.5mm connector. It’s designed as a PC mic, and it shows through its color coded connector. The modmic on the other hand has a very simple, and very slim cable and silver 3.5mm connector. Points for having a very small diameter cable, but for the price I’d like to have a gold plated connector. It might be a placebo effect, but I seem to have better luck with gold plated connections lasting longer than their regular sliver counterparts. On the mic end of the cable the Labtec strain relief is pretty nonexistent or hidden beyond the plastic circle. The wire is wedged between two interlocking pieces of plastic and will not be moving at all. (I put quite a bit of pressure tugging on it and found no visible/tactile movement/give). The Modmic has a small diameter strain relief which goes from the inner steel wire to the cable and is made up of a sturdy plastic which terminates into a soft flexible strain relief for the cable. The fit and finish through the whole product is very good. At this point I have to admit that this is being a bit nitpicky, but that’s just my personality.

Price: Modmic $37.68, Labtec $15.00, DX Clip-on $2.31: Well... yeah. The numbers don’t lie. The ModMic is expensive. However, the value depends entirely up to you. I play almost every night, usually in a party of three to four, for about 2-3 hours a day... my mic gets a fair amount of use. Struggling with the Labtec was just not an option for me anymore, and I’m very satisfied with my purchase. Come summer, and the with the use of a fan through the night, if I get complaints of background noise I may just purchase the V3... we’ll see. I think this is a testament as to how much I enjoy using the ModMic.

Power Output Of The Various Decoders (Click to show)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruuku
One of the biggest mysteries of all these decoder boxes is how much power they deliver. Google searching turned up little information as to the actual power delivery of the different decoders. Perhaps the fact that the only manufacturer whose information was more or less easily attainable was Turtle Beach. I would guess the reason for this is the fact that since they don't pair the DSS with a specific headset (unlike the Trittons/Astro 5.8s which can only be purchased with the headset as a combo) the specs would be necessary to inform the consumer what headphones it can drive

Tritton AX720: N/A

Turtle Beach DSS: 53mW@???ohms (B&H Photo)

Turtle Beach DSS2: 90mW@32ohms (Turtlebeach.com)

Astro Mixamp Pro/5.8 Mixamp: 70mW@32ohms (Astrogaming.com)

Beyerdynamic Headzone: 100mW@250 ohms (Beyerdynamic website)

Final Notes (Click to show)

(the following was provided by forum member ruuku)

Cords/Connections:

RCA: The most common cable used to transmit audio signals (between components). Usually colored in white and red. This combination carries stereo sound.

3.5mm (1/8" / TRS) audio jack the most commonly used plug for headphones, most commonly used on portable devices.

6.35mm audio jack used on older/higher end headphones/components. Commonly used in Home Theater receivers.

Optical (aka: TOS-link, SPDIF) Fiber-optic line used in high-quality audio. Used to transmit (digital) Dolby/DTS/5.1/7.1 signals. Can be terminated in a TOS Link (Plug looks like a blocky "D") or
3.5mm plug

Coaxial: another digital cable connection, uses same plug style as RCA, but carries a digital (high quality) signal. Usually differentiated between RCA by an orange color and use of only a single cable (vs. RCA Stereo using two)

Terminology:

DTS: Surround sound codec used to transport multiple audio channels for surround sound.

DH (Dolby Headphone): Simulated (virtual) 5.1/7.1 surround sound. Processing is used to create an experience that simulates having multiple speakers despite using only two with headphones.

DH Decoders: In order for consoles to enable DH, the audio signal must first pass into a decoder, which "translates" the audio signal for your headphones. Computers can do this through the use of software and/or hardware (internal/external sound cards)

Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 5/19/13 at 6:39am

post #2 of 13703

1/17/11 at 11:21am

154 Posts. Joined 9/2010
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Awesome post mate :D

Do you suggest using the Dolby Headphone option in Asus Xonar DX's Audio Center or purchasing a separate Dolby decoder like the Mixamp and Earforce?

post #3 of 13703

1/17/11 at 11:31am

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I don't see any real benefit of using a separate Dolby Headphone amp over your soundcard. o_O I forgot to mention that I'm a console gamer, so YMMV. XD

post #4 of 13703

1/17/11 at 11:50am

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Have you tried Ultrasone PRO 900? People say they have a really good positioning accuracy.

post #5 of 13703

1/17/11 at 11:55am

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No I haven't. I have only posted the ones I have directly tested enough to make a considerable assessment. I did put some bad ones in there for reference.

Here's good rule of thumb: If a headphone has a spacious soundstage and generally balanced sound signature, it will more than likely perform quite well with Dolby Headphone.

Dolby Headphone can make even some craptastic headphones sound acceptable for gaming.

The reason soundstage is GOOD, is because it allows the sound to have some depth, making it a lot easier for gamers to differentiate between front and rear sounds, which is a MAJOR reason why anyone should even go into headphone gaming.

post #6 of 13703

1/17/11 at 12:03pm

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What about moving the speakers with the Dolby Virtual Speaker Shifter to correct this deadzone in the 880s? Would you move them further away since you say that it sounds like its coming from the center? I've read a post on game-fi from a user of the DT 880 600ohm and the essence STX saying to move the rear two speakers closer to the head (which would see counter productive if the issue is that the behind sounds like its in the center)?

post #7 of 13703

1/17/11 at 12:04pm

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I can't do that, I game on consoles. Probably a good fix for PC gamers.

post #8 of 13703

1/17/11 at 12:08pm

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So your suggestion would be to move the speaker away or toward the head?

post #9 of 13703

1/17/11 at 12:11pm

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Away from the center. O_O There's like no distance between the rear sounds and the 'central' contact point. Instead of a full circle, it's like someone bit into the bottom. Kinda like Pacman.... that's the shape of the sound I and a few other sorta get with the 880s.

post #10 of 13703

1/17/11 at 12:12pm

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Nice write up! The "fun" ratings really help to what I am looking for when gaming. The DT990's caught my attention but I'm not sure which one to get. I will be using it on my computer with a Xonar DX 7.1 soundcard (does this thing amp?). I'm really new to anything audio and I'm not sure what ohm is recommended for my setup.

post #11 of 13703

1/17/11 at 12:18pm

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I had the 600ohm 990s. All three need some amping however. A soundcard can amp relative efficient headphones, but I'm not so sure about the three Premium Beyers. Probably best off with the 250ohm as the 32ohm is more expensive and seems to be even harder to drive than the 250ohm...

post #12 of 13703

1/17/11 at 1:29pm

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amazing review!

i will wait for 6+ months to see if you still own d7000 and pc360 for a possible upgrade :P

glad my 2 cans are still among your favs :P

post #13 of 13703

1/17/11 at 1:44pm

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great write up Shin!

post #14 of 13703

1/17/11 at 1:50pm

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Great round up review of headphones and headsets...

Well done Mad Lust Envy, Keep it up!

By the way, in the review you mentioned that you have had played the COD series or at least had some prior experience( what do you think of the new Black ops?).

What system do you primarily play on?

Just a few thoughts...

post #15 of 13703

1/17/11 at 1:59pm

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Quote:

Originally Posted by maltar7

Great round up review of headphones and headsets...

Well done Mad Lust Envy, Keep it up!

By the way, in the review you mentioned that you have had played the COD series or at least had some prior experience( what do you think of the new Black ops?).

What system do you primarily play on?

Just a few thoughts...

I think he mentioned that Black Ops has a terrible audio somewhere I can't remember. He plays on consoles.

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