Quality open air headphones for gaming and other media - Page 3

Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro are pretty Good. The sound makes it sound like a movie theater. It has quite a large soundstage just a bit less than the q701 and crazy bass for an open headphone. The bass is tight and controlled and never flabby.

The Soundstage on the hd598 is huge, but it's the imaging that's the killer. If a headphone has Gigantic soundstage but poor imaging, they are going to be no good for gaming. I Can't Say the Dt990 has better imaging but the soundstage is a bit smaller, but the immersion gained from the added bass is worth it.

I can sort of help on this. Nothing I have heard compares to the HD598 soundstage. It is weird, wondrous and speaker like.

Stuff like Portishead, Sigur Ros, LOTR Soundtrack sounds amazing on the Senns. 

I really enjoyed them but they didn't get the head time because of my DT990pro. The mids definitely sit behind the bass and treble that is there design not a whole lot can be done to fix that.

The bass on DTpros can be flabby and loose, but plug them into something as cheap as a Fiio E9K and they tighten right up. They just need a little juice. All the Beyer DT990s need some juice don't let the 32ohms version fool you.

I would also just cruise this thread for way more info then you could ever want.

 

Instead of the Creative wouldn't a Asus Xonar DG do the same thing for lower cost?

 

Welcome to the world of quality headphonia - my advice is to just make a tick box of what you're looking for and just jump right in. You can always upgrade at a later date (and probably will) but just remember that in the world of headphones it's a fact of life that you are going to require an amp and dac for most headphones of this calibre and also that headphones of this calibre cost a lot of money. But you'll come to know that in the end at this level it's money well spent compared to the cheaper options.  

 

In other words as long as you have some sort of amp, dac and headphone at this level you won't go too far wrong with whatever you choose. Other than that it's a case of taste and budget.

 

Headphones can be as complicated as you want them to be. :) They really are no different then speakers when you start looking at room dynamics and other insane audio testing and issues. But I fully understand where you are coming from.

 

From your post and your bit of a bass head comment, I just don't think the HD598 will satisfy you. I could be very wrong though.

 

Couple of helpful suggestions. Pick a headphone you like, pick a reputable dealer with a good return policy. Spend as much time as you can in your return period with your new purchase. It could take you up to 4 or 5 different headphones to find the right sound and fit for you. Then again you could find your perfect headphone first time too. Best of luck to you, kind of jealous I remember that first time spending the 200+ my very first headphone purchase. Very stressful exciting time.

I've had bad experiences with Creative soundcards. I'd recommend getting an Asus Xonar DX or a D1. Both are the same card, just that the DX uses PCI Express and the D1 is PCI only. Looks like both are about $83 new on amazon (http://www.amazon.com/PCI-Express-Channel-XONAR_DX-XD-90-YAA060-1UAN00Z/dp/B0017DJXG6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1351106393&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+xonar+dx) but I've seen them for $50-$60 used on eBay.

Yes the HD598's imaging is absolutely superb... even better than its higher number counterparts (HD600/ 650). Compare that to a Q701 which very poorly integrates left and right channel without having a focused center - a lack of proper 3D rendering. 

 

The DT990, I have never heard myself. But it is a very v-shaped sound that it produces. The treble is unnatural on that phone and will need serious EQ to compensate. I've heard the DT990's bass is sometimes a bit too much, and at times flabby. But this is all relative. Another person could say it is just the right amount and tight, depending on what they've previously heard. Certainly this is a very different phone from the 598. 

 

The HD598 has more bass than my "bass-heavy earphones" simply because it extends better. If you have never used a decent headphone before, you may feel that the HD598 has quite a bit of bass to offer. If not, a psychological "burn-in" will take place and you will get used to the 598's bass. 

 

 

It should suffice quite nicely. Technically speaking the Titanium HD is an amp. Though clearly not the best when put in the context of standalone audiophile headphone amps which cost the same or more. Obviously.

 

But it should do great for you. That plus the DT 990 Pro will be like working wonders compared to what you were using. 

Edited by Thommohawk - 10/24/12 at 2:31pm