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post #11431 of 13683
1/30/13 at 7:18am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy View Post

Bass is important for immersion. A distinct lack of bass, detaches you from the action, IMHO. The 598 didn't immerse me nearly enough, and the mids were far too prominent and distracting for my ears.

Then which set would you recommend as a balanced set between "Fun" and "Competitive"? Q701? DT990? I'm still partial to the 598, since I tried on a 558 the other day. The comfort level for my particular head shape with Sennheiser's clamp design is closer to a 9.5 for me than a 7.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruuku View Post

Think of MLE's fun factor as a rating as to how immersive a headphone is. Does it transport you into the game? Do you feel as if you're actually there? I believe that's what MLE's trying to convey in his fun factor. Sure positioning and soundstage help, but so does a good amount of bass. Deep sub bass (for many) add to a fun factor in headphones.

I wonder how much CMSS-3D and Dolby Headphone differ. First time I heard CMSS-3D in game, it blew my mind how stuff sounded like it was coming from outside of the headphone. An AI enemy yelled at me from down a hallway. It sounded like I was there, with a voice coming off in the distance, the hallway giving the voice a hollow-sounding effect. (Note that this is just with the Creative Fatal1ty Headset MKII. http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-HS-980-Fatal1ty-Professional/product-reviews/B002BH3JDA ) That drew me in more than deep bass ever could.

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post #11432 of 13683
1/30/13 at 9:40am

Question for xbox users. Since now im gaming without adjustable voice and game volume knobs with my dss, how do i adjust voice levels to a decent volume. Ive tried going to preferences and putting voice volume to 10, but it is still in-audible 

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post #11433 of 13683
1/30/13 at 9:45am
BetaWolf,
Some people are more attracted to certain sound characteristics than others. That immersion created by a "soundscape" was huge for me, and one of the biggest differences made by the AD700 compared to any other headphone I'd heard at that point. I still love that headphone to this day, and feel especially impressed with it when paired with virtual surround. Others have told me that the AD700 is weak because the bass extension is very weak, a few others have flat out told me my opinion was wrong for thinking it was highly enjoyable to listen to.

As ruuku pointed out, there are many facets of what makes a headphone fun, and they all contribute, but personal taste creates different priorities. While I look for excellent comfort, detail/texture, and soundstage to "Wow!" me most, I have definitely enjoyed the increase of bass presence in my AKG Q701's amidst the satisfaction of my other "top" priorities.

In the end though, every review is a mix of personal taste, personal experience, and a mixture of both to analyze and draw conclusions. You have to separate these parts out in your mind. You also have to spend some time listening to various headphones/speakers to learn what characteristics appeal most to your tastes. Once you start gaining an understanding of all that, then you can read almost any detailed review and sort out how it fits your taste. Joyfully, sometimes you might hear something unexpected that will blow you (and your previous assumptions) away!

biggrin.gif
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post #11434 of 13683
1/30/13 at 10:00am
Ooh, I quite like what I just wrote, especially that last paragraph. biggrin.gif I'll have to save it for later.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnsonr520 View Post

Question for xbox users. Since now im gaming without adjustable voice and game volume knobs with my dss, how do i adjust voice levels to a decent volume. Ive tried going to preferences and putting voice volume to 10, but it is still in-audible 
Do you mean chat and game volume? That is a challenge, especially with (sadly) Halo 4 & reach. Normally, I would go to a game's "options" and turn down the game's master volume, and then turn up the volume of my system; this changes the balance of chat:game volume. Unfortunately some console games like Halo 4 don't have a game volume option.

The "voice volume to 10" in the Guide menu only works when someone speaks. If you have voice up to 10 and game volume down to like 5, the game will swoop down quieter when someone starts talking, then swoop back up when people stop talking for a second. Overall, Xbox was designed for speakers and a cruddy (uncomfortable) chat headset, so Microsoft doesn't have "real" headphone support or good chat controls. Even with a dedicated chat headset I had volume problems.

All that said, I usually do fine by turning down the in-game volume setting.
Edited by Evshrug - 1/30/13 at 10:02am
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post #11435 of 13683
1/30/13 at 10:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evshrug View Post
BetaWolf,
Some people are more attracted to certain sound characteristics than others. That immersion created by a "soundscape" was huge for me, and one of the biggest differences made by the AD700 compared to any other headphone I'd heard at that point. I still love that headphone to this day, and feel especially impressed with it when paired with virtual surround. Others have told me that the AD700 is weak because the bass extension is very weak, a few others have flat out told me my opinion was wrong for thinking it was highly enjoyable to listen to.

As ruuku pointed out, there are many facets of what makes a headphone fun, and they all contribute, but personal taste creates different priorities. While I look for excellent comfort, detail/texture, and soundstage to "Wow!" me most, I have definitely enjoyed the increase of bass presence in my AKG Q701's amidst the satisfaction of my other "top" priorities.

In the end though, every review is a mix of personal taste, personal experience, and a mixture of both to analyze and draw conclusions. You have to separate these parts out in your mind. You also have to spend some time listening to various headphones/speakers to learn what characteristics appeal most to your tastes. Once you start gaining an understanding of all that, then you can read almost any detailed review and sort out how it fits your taste. Joyfully, sometimes you might hear something unexpected that will blow you (and your previous assumptions) away!

biggrin.gif

 

All of this, so very much.

 

What everyone starting out on Head-Fi has to learn is that everyone else's preferences aren't necessarily their own, and that they might not even know what they're really looking for until they've sampled a few headphones.

 

Sometimes, you even find out that the one headphone you've had all along really is your favorite, but you're not certain of it 'til you try other headphone models and keep going back to that one headphone you were using before. In the process, you might find that you crave a particular thing in overall sound presentation that you didn't really know you were looking for at first!

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post #11436 of 13683
1/30/13 at 12:24pm

So Evshrug, does that just mean that Im doomed for halo 4 to not hear anyone unless I get a mixamp?

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post #11437 of 13683
1/30/13 at 1:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BetaWolf View Post

Quote:

Then which set would you recommend as a balanced set between "Fun" and "Competitive"? Q701? DT990? I'm still partial to the 598, since I tried on a 558 the other day. The comfort level for my particular head shape with Sennheiser's clamp design is closer to a 9.5 for me than a 7.

Quote:

I wonder how much CMSS-3D and Dolby Headphone differ. First time I heard CMSS-3D in game, it blew my mind how stuff sounded like it was coming from outside of the headphone. An AI enemy yelled at me from down a hallway. It sounded like I was there, with a voice coming off in the distance, the hallway giving the voice a hollow-sounding effect. (Note that this is just with the Creative Fatal1ty Headset MKII. http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-HS-980-Fatal1ty-Professional/product-reviews/B002BH3JDA ) That drew me in more than deep bass ever could.


I just picked up a DT990 pro 250 and I really prefer it to my HD598. I really think that the soundstage on the two is very similar. I also love the bass on the DT990. Thats the main reason that I wanted to try it out and its a nice step up in that area. I also don't find the bass to be too much. It doesn't appear to interfere with the mids imo. Its a very immersive experience. Gunshots and explosions sound much more impressive on the DT990.

 

As far as comfort goes I also prefer the DT990. The cups are huge and the pads are just so comfortable. I was also expecting a tighter clamp. Its not tight at all. I thought that the HD598 was the most comfortable pair of headphones that I had ever used until I tried the DT990.

 

Don't get me wrong the HD598 is a great headphone but I can't see using it over my DT990. 

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post #11438 of 13683
1/30/13 at 1:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger de Ceiba View Post


My apologies, I did mean the Pro900. I was actually thinking of something along the lines of the he-400 or maybe even a portable headphone recently. Hell, I might use the he-400 with my PS Vita when I go out.

Heh, you might get some funny looks... tongue.gif

If sound stage isn't a huge concern, the V-Moda M-80 make for excellent portables IMO... They still sound more spacious than harder clamping (though more isolating) portables like the HD25-1 II, but it's not really close to most of the open headphones discussed around here.

I really like their overall sound signature tho, a very nice alternative to my Beyers (part of the reason I got them) and the overall package and build quality makes them well worth the $150-160 IMO. For competitive gaming the CAL are though to beat tho, you can often find them near $70 or under... Although they're not the most durable or isolating so it depends on your portable situation or needs.

The Philips Downtown are a nice little bargain at $35 if you have a Marshall's or TJ Max nearby, I've been testing a pair recently... I wanna get a pair of Koss DJ100 later to compare since both of them are now available for $50 or under ($80+ originally).

Also, everyone should have a pair or two of Koss KSC75... I'm thinking of getting a second pair to permanently sew them into a beanie I bought (it's made for that but the headphones it comes with are meh). They bat well above the $12 they'll cost you.
Edited by Impulse - 1/30/13 at 1:49pm
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post #11439 of 13683
1/30/13 at 1:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evshrug View Post

Ooh, I quite like what I just wrote, especially that last paragraph. biggrin.gif I'll have to save it for later.

Very well put indeed (not quoting the post again tho since Nameless already did!).

Quote:
Originally Posted by BababooeyHTJ View Post


I just picked up a DT990 pro 250 and I really prefer it to my HD598. I really think that the soundstage on the two is very similar. I also love the bass on the DT990...

Same Bababooey from Hardforum? 'Sup?
Edited by Impulse - 1/30/13 at 2:01pm
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post #11440 of 13683
1/30/13 at 2:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger de Ceiba View Post


My apologies, I did mean the Pro900. I was actually thinking of something along the lines of the he-400 or maybe even a portable headphone recently. Hell, I might use the he-400 with my PS Vita when I go out.

Terrible, terrible idea. The Vita won't power the HE400 well enough to even get a moderate volume, and the severe lack of isolation on the HE40p makes it a terrible headphone to use anywhere but in the most quiet of places.
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post #11441 of 13683
1/30/13 at 2:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Impulse View Post


Heh, you might get some funny looks... tongue.gif

If sound stage isn't a huge concern, the V-Moda M-80 make for excellent portables IMO... They still sound more spacious than harder clamping (though more isolating) portables like the HD25-1 II, but it's not really close to most of the open headphones discussed around here.

I really like their overall sound signature tho, a very nice alternative to my Beyers (part of the reason I got them) and the overall package and build quality makes them well worth the $150-160 IMO. For competitive gaming the CAL are though to beat tho, you can often find them near $70 or under... Although they're not the most durable or isolating so it depends on your portable situation or needs.

The Philips Downtown are a nice little bargain at $35 if you have a Marshall's or TJ Max nearby, I've been testing a pair recently... I wanna get a pair of Koss DJ100 later to compare since both of them are now available for $50 or under ($80+ originally).

Also, everyone should have a pair or two of Koss KSC75... I'm thinking of getting a second pair to permanently sew them into a beanie I bought (it's made for that but the headphones it comes with are meh). They bat well above the $12 they'll cost you.
For a minute there I thought you were about to say you would sew them to your ears..:) And what makes the Koss so great?

 

And really though, I think I've decided to buy a portable pair of headphones. I want a quality set, it doesn't really matter whether it is open or closed back.

 

Also, you made a triple post... :)


Edited by Roger de Ceiba - 1/30/13 at 2:16pm
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post #11442 of 13683
1/30/13 at 2:28pm
The KSC75 are more detailed and lively than anything that cheap has a right to be... I think even Sears has them for under $15, I've seen them at Best Buy too along with the more retro Porta Pros. They're decently durable for the price, tho the foam pads can disintegrate (I've replaced them with slightly thicker PX100 pads).

They're open, which is part of what creates their great sound, but it also means they don't isolate for crap... They're ideal for when you actually don't want any isolation tho (or it doesn't matter either way), skiing, biking, etc. You gotta fiddle with the clips a bit to get the right fit but it's no big deal.
Edited by Impulse - 1/30/13 at 2:29pm
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post #11443 of 13683
1/30/13 at 2:33pm
Thread Starter 
The secret of the KSC75, is to get it to be it's tightest to your ears as possible. Out of the box, the clips may be too spread apart from the drivers, so when you put them on, it's very bright, with a lack of bass and lots of treble. Once you bend the clips inward with a much smaller gap between the clips and the drivers, the sound will be fuller and warmer. It's a bit harder to put on when with the tighter fit, but it's worth it.

In somewhat similar news, my KSC35 needs to be RMA'd as the wires are spitting from the cable sleeve. UGH. I don't even have this problem with the KSC75. Time to pay $8 to get it fixed. In the meantime, I've been using the KSC75 with the KSCX35's clips, as the very tight fit gives the 75 a noticeboost in warmth and bass, at the cost of some treble clarity.
Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 1/30/13 at 2:38pm
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post #11444 of 13683
1/30/13 at 2:41pm

That sounds cool, but I think I'll pass. I'd rather put those $20 towards something more worthwhile for me. The V-Moda m80 looks yummy, although I also need a headphone (or iem)/ with a mic to use with my phone (as well as Vita). I was looking into the seenheiser momentum. That and/or the audiofly a56.


Edited by Roger de Ceiba - 1/30/13 at 2:43pm
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post #11445 of 13683
1/30/13 at 2:44pm
Thread Starter 
You dunno what you're missing. The KSC75 should be in everyone's collection. If I didn't have the KSC35, the 75 would be my most used headphone. They get 90% more use than anything else, ever.
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