fugluten23
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2012
- Posts
- 1
- Likes
- 0
Hey everyone,
I'm new to the forums. However, I have been using these forums for the last week or so as an incredible resource in researching headphones. You guys are great and really know your stuff it's as simple as that. I don't consider myself to be an audiophile since I don't really know too much about audio equipment but I care a ton about sound first and foremost. So excuse my poor use of terminology or lack of but I'll try and be as clear as I can in my descriptions.
For the last few weeks I have been wanting a great pair of headphones for a few different purposes. Above all else, I can't use my dedicated Onkyo 5.1 system as it is too loud for where I am. So needless to say a pair of headphones solves that problem. Open Back headphones are acceptable.
----------------------------------------------------------
For my xbox360 gaming, I needed a wide open sound stage with incredible clarity. I needed to be able to hear footsteps and be able to know where exactly those footsteps are coming from.
For my movie listening, I'm not exactly sure what kind of headphone I needed for this but I'm guessing it would need to handle bass and sound clear and undistorted at all volume levels and all ranges. I watch a lot of action movies.
For my music listening, I definitely wanted a headphone that could produce an incredible mid-range and keep the highs without getting distorted or shrilly. Bass isn't so important in this area. It'd be nice to have but clarity is more important.
-----------------------------------------------------------
So now that you have a somewhat decent understanding of my wants. Let me explain and describe what I bought in order to accommodate those needs and compare and review them. Hopefully this can help other people in similar scenario and taste as mine.
So after much researching I bought these headphones in this exact order.
ASTRO A40
I first went after my gaming needs and purchased a 2010/2011 Astro A40 with Mixamp. My father had a pair of Bose QC 15's that I find satisfying but nothing outstanding in sound quality - I used them to quickly compare the two but before I could even do that, I hated the Astro's. They sounded hallowed out in the mid-ranges and lacked any kind of directional audio. I couldn't hear voices of characters engaged in dialogue right in front of me. Footsteps were impossible to hear which was my main criteria for buying a gaming headset. I thought to myself, how can this be for professional gaming? Maybe I got a bad set?
Well I put on the QC15's and plugged them into the Astro Mixamp and although the sound didn't improve dramatically - it definitely improved in all of the areas I just mentioned. I started looking up reviews of the Astro and saw only a few negative complaints but those few negative complaints matched exactly what I said. So maybe this was a bad set? Either way, I returned the headset. I was not happy.
Turtle Beach XP400
When I returned the Astro headset I replaced it with a Turtle Beach xp400 wireless set. At first, it sounded so much better then the Astro's by a wide margin but I didn't have the Astro's to directly compare so this was based on memory. I still couldn't hear footsteps and directional audio seemed somewhat artificial (directional audio can be controlled on the base with a few presets so maybe that's why). But it was wireless (on the 5.4ghz frequency) and it had bluetooth to connect to my cell phone so I could take calls while still gaming or watching a movie which was the best feature IMO. I have a great girlfriend that likes to call a lot so this provided the best solution for me. During this time I received the Turtle Beach PX5 headphones as a gift. These have almost the same sound and functionality as the XP400 but with more EQ options that don't really help so these aren't worth creating its own paragraph for.
However, because I couldn't hear footsteps and couldn't make out the details I was really looking for in my sound I continued to do research and see if there were better sets out there.
I knew I needed extra power and Dolby Digital Processing before using any higher end headphones so I purchased one of the last Ear Force DSS unit's I could find. So for the rest of these comparisons and reviews, these headphones were used on the Ear Force DSS, an unamped iPhone for music and my Onkyo HT391 receiver for movies.
Audio Technica ATH-AD700
I came across this forum and a bunch of other resources that eventually led me to find out about the AD700's. They were cheap and seemed like they would work great with gaming considering it's reputation for an incredible mid-range and sound stage. So I purchased a pair off of Amazon.
Comparing these to the Turtle Beaches or even that first Astro set just seems silly. These blow them out of the water with regards to sound quality. I won't even consider Turtle Beach's for sound quality anymore. They fit their reputations just nicely with a great mid-range and incredible sound stage. I can FINALLY hear footsteps and every other sound I can possibly imagine and I can hear them and know exactly where they are coming from. This headset at first seemed like the crown jewel that I had been looking for. This headphone could reach those highs very clearly as well in my opinion.
The only two things this headset lacks that are kind of deal breakers and why this will not be my main gaming headset anymore - Comfort and Bass. If you've done any research on this headset I'm sure you've seen these two complains before. I believed all the people that said these were nothing be worried about and as long as you can get over the headphone's lack of bass and lack of comfort (if you have anything other then an extra large head) then these were great. Well I couldn't get over the comfort issue. These things are just not comfortable for my headsize. They don't adjust really in anyway although they claim they do. They also don't have any bass at all. It really doesn't exist in this pair of headphones. not a problem for those who don't care for Bass I guess but after a while I kind of lose that 3-D depth that good tightly packed Bass responses can give sound. Although these have an incredible sound stage and great mids, after a while it just can't hold its own without the depth needed from a decent Bass response. My ears would hurt after a while both from listening and from general discomfort.
The same applies for music listening.
For movies these headphones were able to handle the most intense action movies pretty well only because when Bass would get loud and thumpy, the headphones wouldn't even register the Bass allowing for the rest of the sound to come in super clearly. Some headphones with poor bass response will sound extremely shaky, tinny and distorted under intense action scenes.
Despite my two problems with these headphones, I'm going to keep them. The sound is just too good in the other areas and these can be definitely used for short competitive gaming spurts.
My search for my perfect headphone continues.....
Sennheiser PC360 G4ME
Now after reading unbelievable reviews about this particular headset I decided to pull the trigger and try it out. Reading reviews only gets you so far until you have to find a way to test them out yourself as I've found.
This headset was the biggest surprise. Keep in mind I never broke this headset in properly so I don't know how that could affect things. I put a playlist together and let it play loud overnight in my closet but I don't think that is enough.
Anyway, onto the headset. Comfort and style were the first two things I noticed. Hello BOSE and move over because this headset is the most comfortable damn thing I ever put on my head. They are lightweight, stylish and use the best cushions my ears have ever felt (not many sadly to say but enough for this review thread I guess). It was adjustable in all the right ways with a very handy volume knob located directly on the right ear cup (why don't all headsets have this?). The Boom Mic was perfect for gaming and the flip up mute option was so handy.
Now onto sound. Well this is the surprising part. The sound stage/directional audio was great but it didn't beat the AD700's. The sound was very crisp and very clear, but did not beat the AD700's. I could distinctly hear more sounds from more directions more clearly from the AD700's then the PC360. Don't get me wrong, the PC360 sounds incredible but it just doesn't beat the AD700. Like I mentioned before, the AD700 doesn't even attempt to handle any bass. This does attempt to handle it and I don't think it handles it well. Heavy bass makes the headphones sound distorted and shrilly and I don't think this headphone can handle the highs as clearly as the AD700 can. Again, this is all my own subjective opinion and without breaking the headphone properly.
I connected the headphone to receiver and got even worse results regarding Bass. It became more distorted and created a metallic sound out of all the ranges.
For the price, I was severely dis-satisfied with this headset. The comfort was great but it didn't surpass the AD700 in any noticeable area and although it attempted to handle Bass it did so very poorly. I don't know how these are considered to be a professional gaming headset but to each his own. I'm currently selling these along with the Turtle Beach headset's on Ebay.
Onto the next one.....
2013 Astro A40 w/ new Mixamp
So after purchasing those headphones on Amazon and resorting to selling them on Ebay I realized Best Buy has a very friendly return policy regarding headphones. You can essentially buy a headphone, try it out and then return it within 30 days for full money back. I wish I realized this sooner but the last two headphones couldn't be purchased in a Best Buy store anyway. So I decided to put aside $300 to keep in circulation at Best Buy. I planned on buying a whole bunch of headsets like the new Monsters, or a few of the Sennheiser and Beyer headphones they had available and just keep testing them and returning them until I found a pair that I liked for my purposes.
Well the brand new re-designed Astro A40 had just come out and I was particularly interested in acquiring the new Mixamp and using that for my games instead of the DSS. So I purchased the headset and all I have to say is Wow. I was very pleasantly surprised. If you had told me that two different companies were making the 2011 headset and the 2013 headset I would totally believe you. These sound so much better then the first A40 I bought. Hell, these even sound better for gaming then the AD700 and the PC360. I don't like them so much for movies or music because this headset definitely misses a lot of sounds that I could clearly hear in the AD700 but the sound stage is incredible and this headset can handle bass extremely well without distorting any sound. The highs also sound real crisp and clear. For gaming - I have certainly found the perfect headset in my opinion. Footsteps can be heard sooooo clearly. I can hear the concrete crumbling around me from bullet holes and can clearly know exactly where everything comes from, even better then the AD700 sometimes. Maybe it is the better bass response that gives it better depth. But either way, this headset definitely beats out the AD700 and PC360 for gaming, not by a longshot but definitely enough to give me a little more advantage then others to make it worth it. The listening experience never tires you or your ears out either. I couldn't use the AD700 for extended periods of time but I can for this headset. In fact, I find myself wanting to continue playing after many hours only because I want to continuously be satisfied by the amazing sound this produces. I really am in shock at how good this headset is for gaming compared to the 2011 version and these other headsets.
So for gaming, I think I found the one.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
However, for movies and music that is another story. I'm still on a quest for a great sounding headphone. I still own all of the headsets I just mentioned and have three of them up for auction on ebay right now. The prices are great so if anyone is interested in putting a bid in let me know and I'll send you the link to them.
But to solve my music and movie needs (maybe even be better at gaming then the Astro) I'm going to need another headset or two. For Christmas, my girlfriend is getting me the PSB M4U 2 Noise Cancelling headphones and I think I may get myself the AKG Q701. I've been looking at a few Beyer headphones as well but I'm still in the selection process. I know some Beyer's have a really high impedance rate which I think would require a nicely powered amp and I don't know if I want to go that route just yet.
I know noise cancelling headphones degrade sound quality but I definitely need a good NC pair for my travels that doesn't compromise sound quality as much as the Bose does. I think from reviews these PSB's might be the best in that respect but I'll make sure to post a review once I get them.
Any help or suggestions on the Q701 would be great. The noise cancelling headphones won't satisfy my music and movie needs but they will be needed for travel like I mentioned. So for my movie and music purposes I can have an open back headphone. The Q701 seems like it is right up my alley (I think it has better bass then the K701/K702's right?) but maybe you guys have other suggestions and opinions for me.
I hope this thread helps out some people and I will definitely keep updating it the more headphones I buy and compare.
Maybe you guys can help me decide on the Q701 or another headphone that might deliver what I'm looking for.
Cliff Notes -
-Direct Comparisons of PC360, 2013 Astro A40 w/ new mixamp, AD700 and Turtle Beaches.
-Memory comparison of the older Astro A40
-Soon will be getting PSB M4U 2's
-Want to get Q701 but not sure? help deciding?
I'm new to the forums. However, I have been using these forums for the last week or so as an incredible resource in researching headphones. You guys are great and really know your stuff it's as simple as that. I don't consider myself to be an audiophile since I don't really know too much about audio equipment but I care a ton about sound first and foremost. So excuse my poor use of terminology or lack of but I'll try and be as clear as I can in my descriptions.
For the last few weeks I have been wanting a great pair of headphones for a few different purposes. Above all else, I can't use my dedicated Onkyo 5.1 system as it is too loud for where I am. So needless to say a pair of headphones solves that problem. Open Back headphones are acceptable.
----------------------------------------------------------
For my xbox360 gaming, I needed a wide open sound stage with incredible clarity. I needed to be able to hear footsteps and be able to know where exactly those footsteps are coming from.
For my movie listening, I'm not exactly sure what kind of headphone I needed for this but I'm guessing it would need to handle bass and sound clear and undistorted at all volume levels and all ranges. I watch a lot of action movies.
For my music listening, I definitely wanted a headphone that could produce an incredible mid-range and keep the highs without getting distorted or shrilly. Bass isn't so important in this area. It'd be nice to have but clarity is more important.
-----------------------------------------------------------
So now that you have a somewhat decent understanding of my wants. Let me explain and describe what I bought in order to accommodate those needs and compare and review them. Hopefully this can help other people in similar scenario and taste as mine.
So after much researching I bought these headphones in this exact order.
ASTRO A40
I first went after my gaming needs and purchased a 2010/2011 Astro A40 with Mixamp. My father had a pair of Bose QC 15's that I find satisfying but nothing outstanding in sound quality - I used them to quickly compare the two but before I could even do that, I hated the Astro's. They sounded hallowed out in the mid-ranges and lacked any kind of directional audio. I couldn't hear voices of characters engaged in dialogue right in front of me. Footsteps were impossible to hear which was my main criteria for buying a gaming headset. I thought to myself, how can this be for professional gaming? Maybe I got a bad set?
Well I put on the QC15's and plugged them into the Astro Mixamp and although the sound didn't improve dramatically - it definitely improved in all of the areas I just mentioned. I started looking up reviews of the Astro and saw only a few negative complaints but those few negative complaints matched exactly what I said. So maybe this was a bad set? Either way, I returned the headset. I was not happy.
Turtle Beach XP400
When I returned the Astro headset I replaced it with a Turtle Beach xp400 wireless set. At first, it sounded so much better then the Astro's by a wide margin but I didn't have the Astro's to directly compare so this was based on memory. I still couldn't hear footsteps and directional audio seemed somewhat artificial (directional audio can be controlled on the base with a few presets so maybe that's why). But it was wireless (on the 5.4ghz frequency) and it had bluetooth to connect to my cell phone so I could take calls while still gaming or watching a movie which was the best feature IMO. I have a great girlfriend that likes to call a lot so this provided the best solution for me. During this time I received the Turtle Beach PX5 headphones as a gift. These have almost the same sound and functionality as the XP400 but with more EQ options that don't really help so these aren't worth creating its own paragraph for.
However, because I couldn't hear footsteps and couldn't make out the details I was really looking for in my sound I continued to do research and see if there were better sets out there.
I knew I needed extra power and Dolby Digital Processing before using any higher end headphones so I purchased one of the last Ear Force DSS unit's I could find. So for the rest of these comparisons and reviews, these headphones were used on the Ear Force DSS, an unamped iPhone for music and my Onkyo HT391 receiver for movies.
Audio Technica ATH-AD700
I came across this forum and a bunch of other resources that eventually led me to find out about the AD700's. They were cheap and seemed like they would work great with gaming considering it's reputation for an incredible mid-range and sound stage. So I purchased a pair off of Amazon.
Comparing these to the Turtle Beaches or even that first Astro set just seems silly. These blow them out of the water with regards to sound quality. I won't even consider Turtle Beach's for sound quality anymore. They fit their reputations just nicely with a great mid-range and incredible sound stage. I can FINALLY hear footsteps and every other sound I can possibly imagine and I can hear them and know exactly where they are coming from. This headset at first seemed like the crown jewel that I had been looking for. This headphone could reach those highs very clearly as well in my opinion.
The only two things this headset lacks that are kind of deal breakers and why this will not be my main gaming headset anymore - Comfort and Bass. If you've done any research on this headset I'm sure you've seen these two complains before. I believed all the people that said these were nothing be worried about and as long as you can get over the headphone's lack of bass and lack of comfort (if you have anything other then an extra large head) then these were great. Well I couldn't get over the comfort issue. These things are just not comfortable for my headsize. They don't adjust really in anyway although they claim they do. They also don't have any bass at all. It really doesn't exist in this pair of headphones. not a problem for those who don't care for Bass I guess but after a while I kind of lose that 3-D depth that good tightly packed Bass responses can give sound. Although these have an incredible sound stage and great mids, after a while it just can't hold its own without the depth needed from a decent Bass response. My ears would hurt after a while both from listening and from general discomfort.
The same applies for music listening.
For movies these headphones were able to handle the most intense action movies pretty well only because when Bass would get loud and thumpy, the headphones wouldn't even register the Bass allowing for the rest of the sound to come in super clearly. Some headphones with poor bass response will sound extremely shaky, tinny and distorted under intense action scenes.
Despite my two problems with these headphones, I'm going to keep them. The sound is just too good in the other areas and these can be definitely used for short competitive gaming spurts.
My search for my perfect headphone continues.....
Sennheiser PC360 G4ME
Now after reading unbelievable reviews about this particular headset I decided to pull the trigger and try it out. Reading reviews only gets you so far until you have to find a way to test them out yourself as I've found.
This headset was the biggest surprise. Keep in mind I never broke this headset in properly so I don't know how that could affect things. I put a playlist together and let it play loud overnight in my closet but I don't think that is enough.
Anyway, onto the headset. Comfort and style were the first two things I noticed. Hello BOSE and move over because this headset is the most comfortable damn thing I ever put on my head. They are lightweight, stylish and use the best cushions my ears have ever felt (not many sadly to say but enough for this review thread I guess). It was adjustable in all the right ways with a very handy volume knob located directly on the right ear cup (why don't all headsets have this?). The Boom Mic was perfect for gaming and the flip up mute option was so handy.
Now onto sound. Well this is the surprising part. The sound stage/directional audio was great but it didn't beat the AD700's. The sound was very crisp and very clear, but did not beat the AD700's. I could distinctly hear more sounds from more directions more clearly from the AD700's then the PC360. Don't get me wrong, the PC360 sounds incredible but it just doesn't beat the AD700. Like I mentioned before, the AD700 doesn't even attempt to handle any bass. This does attempt to handle it and I don't think it handles it well. Heavy bass makes the headphones sound distorted and shrilly and I don't think this headphone can handle the highs as clearly as the AD700 can. Again, this is all my own subjective opinion and without breaking the headphone properly.
I connected the headphone to receiver and got even worse results regarding Bass. It became more distorted and created a metallic sound out of all the ranges.
For the price, I was severely dis-satisfied with this headset. The comfort was great but it didn't surpass the AD700 in any noticeable area and although it attempted to handle Bass it did so very poorly. I don't know how these are considered to be a professional gaming headset but to each his own. I'm currently selling these along with the Turtle Beach headset's on Ebay.
Onto the next one.....
2013 Astro A40 w/ new Mixamp
So after purchasing those headphones on Amazon and resorting to selling them on Ebay I realized Best Buy has a very friendly return policy regarding headphones. You can essentially buy a headphone, try it out and then return it within 30 days for full money back. I wish I realized this sooner but the last two headphones couldn't be purchased in a Best Buy store anyway. So I decided to put aside $300 to keep in circulation at Best Buy. I planned on buying a whole bunch of headsets like the new Monsters, or a few of the Sennheiser and Beyer headphones they had available and just keep testing them and returning them until I found a pair that I liked for my purposes.
Well the brand new re-designed Astro A40 had just come out and I was particularly interested in acquiring the new Mixamp and using that for my games instead of the DSS. So I purchased the headset and all I have to say is Wow. I was very pleasantly surprised. If you had told me that two different companies were making the 2011 headset and the 2013 headset I would totally believe you. These sound so much better then the first A40 I bought. Hell, these even sound better for gaming then the AD700 and the PC360. I don't like them so much for movies or music because this headset definitely misses a lot of sounds that I could clearly hear in the AD700 but the sound stage is incredible and this headset can handle bass extremely well without distorting any sound. The highs also sound real crisp and clear. For gaming - I have certainly found the perfect headset in my opinion. Footsteps can be heard sooooo clearly. I can hear the concrete crumbling around me from bullet holes and can clearly know exactly where everything comes from, even better then the AD700 sometimes. Maybe it is the better bass response that gives it better depth. But either way, this headset definitely beats out the AD700 and PC360 for gaming, not by a longshot but definitely enough to give me a little more advantage then others to make it worth it. The listening experience never tires you or your ears out either. I couldn't use the AD700 for extended periods of time but I can for this headset. In fact, I find myself wanting to continue playing after many hours only because I want to continuously be satisfied by the amazing sound this produces. I really am in shock at how good this headset is for gaming compared to the 2011 version and these other headsets.
So for gaming, I think I found the one.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
However, for movies and music that is another story. I'm still on a quest for a great sounding headphone. I still own all of the headsets I just mentioned and have three of them up for auction on ebay right now. The prices are great so if anyone is interested in putting a bid in let me know and I'll send you the link to them.
But to solve my music and movie needs (maybe even be better at gaming then the Astro) I'm going to need another headset or two. For Christmas, my girlfriend is getting me the PSB M4U 2 Noise Cancelling headphones and I think I may get myself the AKG Q701. I've been looking at a few Beyer headphones as well but I'm still in the selection process. I know some Beyer's have a really high impedance rate which I think would require a nicely powered amp and I don't know if I want to go that route just yet.
I know noise cancelling headphones degrade sound quality but I definitely need a good NC pair for my travels that doesn't compromise sound quality as much as the Bose does. I think from reviews these PSB's might be the best in that respect but I'll make sure to post a review once I get them.
Any help or suggestions on the Q701 would be great. The noise cancelling headphones won't satisfy my music and movie needs but they will be needed for travel like I mentioned. So for my movie and music purposes I can have an open back headphone. The Q701 seems like it is right up my alley (I think it has better bass then the K701/K702's right?) but maybe you guys have other suggestions and opinions for me.
I hope this thread helps out some people and I will definitely keep updating it the more headphones I buy and compare.
Maybe you guys can help me decide on the Q701 or another headphone that might deliver what I'm looking for.
Cliff Notes -
-Direct Comparisons of PC360, 2013 Astro A40 w/ new mixamp, AD700 and Turtle Beaches.
-Memory comparison of the older Astro A40
-Soon will be getting PSB M4U 2's
-Want to get Q701 but not sure? help deciding?
