DT 990/250ohm or PRO 900 for gaming?

I can't speak much about the Beyer option, having only owned the DT770 Pro 80 version, but I can say that the Pro 900 is a solid choice for gaming.

Not as comfortable as I would expect the Beyers to be, but for some intense imaging, explosive bass, and ease of drive, the Pro 900's have yet to let me down in a gaming session of BF3.

While I believe the Beyers, from my experience, have a better soundstage, I find the Pro 900's a bit more musical, easier to drive, and they have as much low end as anyone could ever want, which makes gaming nothing short of incredible and dramatic. I attribute them for me being ranked ~8500 in the world in BF3 (360).

Nothing is quite as intense as hearing someone crawling on the ground and engaging them before they even knew what hit them, or nothing is as incredible as hearing jets roaring above your head and being able to trace them solely by ear.

Hopefully someone can chime in on the 990/250 option, but I can only speak highly of the Pro 900's.

Note- If you enjoy EDM, Trance, Techno, and anything of that category, the Pro 900's will definitely please. Hip-Hop of course sounds incredible, and Rock sounds decent. Most anything else would probably warrant a different pair if you wanted more enjoyment from other genres.

Hope this somewhat helps!

I can speak for the 990/250 version, though I cannot compare it to the Pro 900. The 990 definitely has a very punchy and clear bass, not so recessed mids and good highs. I imagine they can be better than the Pro 900 in terms of locating sounds, since the Beyers are open-back designs and the Pro 900 closed-back. A great plus of the Beyers is the comfort: you can wear them for hours and hours without any kind of pressure or headache.

I have both the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro and the Ultrasone PRO 900.

Here are my impressions:

-DT990 is more comfortable and lighter

-Pro900 has better bass and a flatter (perceived) overall frequency response but it can also get more edgy and piercing than the relatively well-behaved DT990.

-Soundstage is better on the DT990 but imaging is better on the Pro900. This is due to the S-Logic technology that has unfortunately been known to not work for a lot of people. Works for me though, and it gives a pretty good idea of the location of a sound.

-Pro900 tends to be more expensive unless you're willing to buy second-hand

-Pro900 is far easier to drive than the DT990 

-Pro900 isolates from outside noise, while the DT990 doesn't (at all, its as if they weren't even there)

My final opinion? I don't really know...

DT990 would be better for long gaming sessions, where huge sound effects don't play that much of a role. For example, playing Skyrim or Dark Souls with the DT990 on my head was a quite pleasant experience (well, as pleasant as Dark Souls can be). They never got fatiguing and I basically forgot they were even there after 15 minutes or so. 

The PRO900 is a bit more fatiguing and forward. I think it is far better suited for fast action games with lots of sound effects and a busy soundtrack. The extended low-end really works great with explosions and the superior imaging helps to locate enemies in FPS games better. The PRO900 is not as comfortable though and their consistently forward, detailed and edgy presentation might be too much for relaxing gaming sessions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by South 

Since I cannot afford a high quality amp, the headset will be paired with either a E11 or ZO2. (Maybe PAV2) and my Xonar DX. 

If you choose the DT990, I think the PA2V2 might not be the best option, as it is a relatively weak amplifier (you could just as well use the Xonar DX directly). I have no information about the ZO2, but the E11 should be more powerful than either the PA2V2 or the Xonar DX (E11: ~30 mW@250 Ohm, <1 Ohm output impedance, DX: ~7.5 mW (at lower distortion, though), ~100 Ohm output impedance). Unfortunately, the E11 is a portable amplifier, that can only be powered by batteries.

I'd go with the DT990 either way for long gaming sessions either way. Wearing the Pro 900s for extended periods of time would drive me crazy. But if you're really into FPS and bombs going off all over the place, the comfortable might be worth it on the Pro 900 just for the bass response.

Quote:

Originally Posted by South 

How would you guys rate the 880 compared to the 900 in terms of isolation (semi-open) and sound quality?

The DT880 does not have much isolation, it is basically closer to an open than to a closed design. I cannot compare the quality to the Pro 900, since I never heard that, but it probably sounds quite different. The 880 (at least the Pro version I have, but the others are similar) is mostly neutral, with a slight hump in the lower mids/upper bass, slightly recessed around 1.5 kHz, and has some (not large) peak in the lower treble.

Quote:

Originally Posted by South 

Do the DT880s do good for gaming or is it just for mixing and professionals?

It is a decent headphone for gaming, due to the accuracy of spatial imaging and the balanced frequency response (details like footsteps are not overpowered by heavy bass). The DT990 is more immersive, though, and overall also good for competitive gaming.

I have the Pro 900 and e11 (plus a HiFiman ef5 to be delivered today).

They are an outstanding combination.

The 900s are very easy to drive. You probably won't "need" an amp for them. However, the sound with an amp improves dramatically.

In particular, the e11 is surprisingly quiet for a little $60 portable. I can crank it up to full volume and not hear any hiss at all. Plus, the 3-position bass eq and gain switch add a great deal of distortion-free emphasis in the bass and mid ranges. 

So, if you like those booms, blasts and rumbles, the e11 will increase them in a very enjoyable way. 

The Xonar DX is not ideal for driving the Pro 900, because of its high output impedance (>100 Ohm, vs. the ~40 Ohm of the headphone). Therefore, I recommend the E11.