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- Mar 20, 2010
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edit: Update on my next post...
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Pro 900
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.
Having spent a bit of time just gaming with them, it is what has made me decide to keep them. I can't wear the D7000 that long when gaming, and the Pro 900 is a VERY solid back up for that purpose. I may not have been as happy with the Pro 900 for music, but considering how little I've been using headphones when gaming, I think it's a big win for the Pro 900. 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.
I was VERY close to giving up on them. It wasn't until I used them for gaming that made them invaluable to me.
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 a poor choice for it's exorbitant price.
For music: I want to mention how much I am enjoying the Pro 900 through the E9. Even though it's very hard to distinguish between it and the NFB5 at first, the NFB5 has the tendency to flesh out the sound a little, which is TYPICALLY a good thing. However, in the case of the Pro 900, I find that as a detriment to the mids. The E9 holds the vocals together more, with more focus. I think that has always been a strength of the E9. The E9 may make vocals sound thin with some headphones (in comparison to the NFB5 and it's full/organic sound), yet that is what makes it just a little clearer. It truly helps the Pro 900. Ironically, I thought the E9 was really bad with the Pro 2900, making that treble just really irksome.
Final scores:
Fun: 9
Competitive: 7.5
Comfort: 7.5
Isolation: 8
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I mean something like Ultrasone PRO 650 or Beyerdynamic DT 770 250 ohm or Audio-Technica ATH-W1000X
What do you mean? If I'll ever test other headphones? Lol,
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