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First high-end pair of headphones - help me choose

post #1 of 9
2/2/13 at 11:05am
Thread Starter 

Hey everyone! First off, I'd like to introduce myself; I'm new here and my name is Zac. I'm new to the world of audiophiles, but I've been a serious computer enthusiast for several years. The two go hand in hand on a frequent basis if you ask me.

 

Anyway, enough about me. I'm looking to make my debut into the wonderful world of high-end audio products. My maximum budget is ~$250ish. I will be using these headphones for listening to a lot rap and hip hop, a little dubstep, some other music, play a LOT of video games (PC, of course ;) ), and perhaps the occasional movie. We'll say 40% music, 40% games, and 10% movies, but that's simply a rough estimate. Anyway, after some research, I've found a few ideal headphones with great critical reception that are seemingly recommended often.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Ultrasone-PRO-Closed-Back-Professional-Headphones/dp/B003USCCFA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1359830874&sr=8-2&keywords=Ultrasone+750

 

http://www.amazon.com/Crossfade-Limited-Over-Ear-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B005HMBQR2

 

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Headphones-Accents/dp/B0042A8CW2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359830816&sr=8-1&keywords=HD+598

 

 

But before you ask, yes, I will be using a nice soundcard - it will either be Creative's new ZxR or their current Titanium X-Fi HD. As far as amps go, I haven't really put much thought into it, but from what I've heard from other audiophiles, you don't necessarily need one (even for high-end headphones). Keep in mind that while I'd be using these phones mainly for my PC, I'd also probably be using them with a mobile device some on the go - say a smartphone or ipod. 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks in advance!

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post #2 of 9
2/2/13 at 11:46am

Try some others V-moda, man, those are good, and the ath-m50 too

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post #3 of 9
2/2/13 at 11:59am

As a fellow PC gamer with experience with lots of closed-back mid-to-low grade headphones ($300 or less), I can say that other than comfort, different headphones aren't really going to change your gaming experience much.  Perhaps it will be different if you get a pair of open headphones, which generally tend to have a larger soundstage.  I would instead focus most on what you want to hear from your music.  If you're willing to up your budget by a few bucks, my personal favorite is the newest addition to my family, the Sony MDR-1Rs for ~300.

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post #4 of 9
2/2/13 at 12:42pm

Do you need open or closed? For gaming you can do way better than v-moda and the m50 imo.

 

Have you looked at MLE's gaming guide?

 

I see one obstacle here. With your genres you'd probably want a decent amount of bass, which isn't a favorable feature for competitive gaming. But I'd say you should go music preference first. Maybe look into some ultrasones?

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post #5 of 9
2/3/13 at 1:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidsh View Post

I see one obstacle here. With your genres you'd probably want a decent amount of bass, which isn't a favorable feature for competitive gaming. But I'd say you should go music preference first. Maybe look into some ultrasones?

 

I'd say HE-400, but that's out of his budget.

 

I have no experience with Ultrasone, unfortunately, which means no recommendations for or against them coming from me. I just hope the mids aren't as recessed as everyone says they are.

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post #6 of 9
2/3/13 at 11:35am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidsh View Post

Do you need open or closed? For gaming you can do way better than v-moda and the m50 imo.

 

Have you looked at MLE's gaming guide?

 

I see one obstacle here. With your genres you'd probably want a decent amount of bass, which isn't a favorable feature for competitive gaming. But I'd say you should go music preference first. Maybe look into some ultrasones?

I don't personally have a preference, but open leak sound bad, right?

 

No, I have not. Yeah, it's hard to find an all-around pair for my needs, but I'm sure there's got to be a pair that somewhat balances favorable features/aspects.

 

(Thanks for everyone who has given input so far)

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post #7 of 9
2/3/13 at 11:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackout621 View Post

I don't personally have a preference, but open leak sound bad, right?

 

No, I have not. Yeah, it's hard to find an all-around pair for my needs, but I'm sure there's got to be a pair that somewhat balances favorable features/aspects.

 

(Thanks for everyone who has given input so far)

They do leak somewhat much, yes. My HE-500 leak almost as much as laptop speakers playing somewhat quiet in the background, but the dt880 isn't that bad for instance. They will leak, though.

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-updated-1-28-13-k702-65th-anni-ed-added

 

The hfi-2400 is somewhat frequently recommended for gaming. They have a somewhat big amount of bass, but also a hot treble, eg. they can be sibilant from what I have heard.

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post #8 of 9
2/3/13 at 11:55am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidsh View Post

They do leak somewhat much, yes. My HE-500 leak almost as much as laptop speakers playing somewhat quiet in the background, but the dt880 isn't that bad for instance. They will leak, though.

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-updated-1-28-13-k702-65th-anni-ed-added

 

The hfi-2400 is somewhat frequently recommended for gaming. They have a somewhat big amount of bass, but also a hot treble, eg. they can be sibilant from what I have heard.

Would you recommend them over the 750s? They were recommended to me on Overclock.net by an audiophile and they are almost the exact same price.

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post #9 of 9
2/3/13 at 1:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackout621 View Post

Would you recommend them over the 750s? They were recommended to me on Overclock.net by an audiophile and they are almost the exact same price.

I don't know, really. But I suspect the 2400 might do better. But I have heard neither of them.

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