[Prpnnightmare]

I'd like to start this thread by thanking you members for visiting a thread that you quite probably get sick of coming into and answering, however I'd feel terrible for threadjacking some other member.
 
I am no audiophile, however I do deeply desire to achieve a high quality of audio when it comes to my games. Based on recommendations at a PC Hardware forum I am a member of, I bought myself an Asus Xonar D2X and a set of HD515's when I built this rig. I'm not so sure about the Xonar D2X, but I know the HD515's are utter rubbish, and I would really like to step forward with my gaming audio setup.
 
I have done a bit of research, and from what I can tell, the Audio Technica AD900's, Beyerdynamic MMX300, and Beyerdynamic DT880 all seem to be pretty good choices for gaming audio, however I am quite a noob when it comes to audio, and am concerned with a few things;

A. I don't believe my Xonar D2X can drive cans well, so how much should I set aside for an amp, and what is decent / recommended amp for gaming?
B. I LAN quite a bit, what precautions should I be taking to ensure my headphones don't get damaged?
C. Price.
 
I am an Australian, so we get some pretty jacked up prices here, so if anyone would like a good reference for pricing, http://headphones.com.au/ is where I would like to purchase from.
 
An enormous amount of thanks in advance to those of you that can help me!

 

[Ypoknons]

The question is entertainment/immersion or competitive gaming? For the former I'd prefer bassy phones for the shake, for the later you'd want less so you can hear more. 
 
Also, LANs are pretty loud, you should get something closed - which is not the AD series or DT880 (semi-closed, which for the purposes of isolation, is like, whatever). 

 

[Mr Joboto]

You could always buy my AD900! Which is brilliant without an amp too The DT880s need a grunty amp, and not sure about the MMX.

 

[Spasticteapot]

DT770/600s, perhaps?

 

[Mochan]

I was going to say get a DT770 myself. Since you LAN, you need a closed pair. 
 
To make sure your cans don't get damaged.... just get a bag and put them inside when you bring them about. Simple as that. If you get the DT770 you won't need to worry, they're built like a tank and are not going to get ruined from a little rough handling. Just buy a bag so they don't get nicks and scratches during transport.
 
For an amp..... if you don't mind bringing something big, you can try getting the new Little Dot Q which will be a head turner for sure. It's really cheap about $80 and will drive a DT770/250 easily. I actually don't know how it sounds yet (waiting for a set to arrive) but it should serve the purpose.
 
Otherwise you can just get an easier to drive can (like the DT770 Pro 32 Ohm) or look for a portable amp. Something like the FiiO E5, which is like $20, is enough to drive a DT770/250.
 
And people are going to massacre me for this, but you can actually be very happy with a Shure SRH750 DJ for your purposes, it sounds excellent and costs something like $100 to $130, and doesn't need an amp, is closed for LAN gaming, folds easily for transport, and looks spiffy to boot.
 
I actually also think that, for gaming purposes, you should get rid of the Xonar and get an X-Fi based card instead like the Auzen Forte. Much better for FPS gaming.

 

[Mr Joboto]

Stuff that, just buy my AD900s, bought them off Headphonic where you're looking, obviously I'll do cheaper  
 
All the other suggestions really need a decent amp anyways, you don't need one with the 900s Isolation, who needs isolation at a LAN

 

[Prpnnightmare]

Hey guys, thanks for the great replys. I'll clarify that I generally only LAN with mates, perhaps 4-8 at a particular time. I play FPS games, but definitely not a hardcore player of them, i play a few MMO's, some RTS, alot of RPG, so immersion factor is something i'm definitely looking for, however positional audio is something I want for when I am playing FPS games. Now that i think about it, most rpgs have beautiful music playing alot of the time, so I should probably factor that in. I really dont mind taking an amp around with me at all, especially if its relatively portable and is going to contribute decently to the sound quality. Also, how do i go about gettin Dolby Headphone or CMSS 3D? Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Mr Joboto]

Astro Mixamp + AD900 = Dolby Headphone = Win

 

[earerror]

The DT880's do a great job with games, very accurate soundstage. 

 

[Mochan]

Since we are on a headphone site people tend to overplay the role of headphones in the 3D gaming experience. You mentioned you want positional sound... like I said, scrap the Xonar and get a Auzen or other X-FI based card.
 
Positional Audio in games depends more on your sound card than it does your headphones, and in particular on the X-Fi based soundcards that sport CMSS 3D. Your Xonar doesn't have this; it's fine for 5.1 speaker setups but if you're using headphones they are not going to give you decent 3D Positional sound. For that you need CMSS Headphone, which only comes with X-Fi based cards.
 
Like I said, grab a pair of SHure 750s and a Forte or Bravura, and you're done. You don't *need* an amp (Bravura and Forte has a built in HP amp anyway) but if you still really want one we can talk other stuff.
 
I haven't heard the Mix Amp and its rendition of DolbyHP so I will not comment on that.
 
But I will reiterate my usual stance; for music Dolby HP > CMSS 3D
For Gaming, CMSS 3D > Dolby HP

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The Mixamp uses Dolby Headphone 2 mode, and it does wonders for headphone gaming. Unlike what Mochan posted, Headphones are a HUGE factor with the Mixamp. The right pair will sound amazing, the wrong pair will sound terrible with the Mixamp. I have an older Mixamp that didn't have USB DAC capabilities, so I can't use it with my PCs.

 

[Prpnnightmare]

 
Quote:

Since we are on a headphone site people tend to overplay the role of headphones in the 3D gaming experience. You mentioned you want positional sound... like I said, scrap the Xonar and get a Auzen or other X-FI based card.
 
Positional Audio in games depends more on your sound card than it does your headphones, and in particular on the X-Fi based soundcards that sport CMSS 3D. Your Xonar doesn't have this; it's fine for 5.1 speaker setups but if you're using headphones they are not going to give you decent 3D Positional sound. For that you need CMSS Headphone, which only comes with X-Fi based cards.
 
Like I said, grab a pair of SHure 750s and a Forte or Bravura, and you're done. You don't *need* an amp (Bravura and Forte has a built in HP amp anyway) but if you still really want one we can talk other stuff.
 
I haven't heard the Mix Amp and its rendition of DolbyHP so I will not comment on that.
 
But I will reiterate my usual stance; for music Dolby HP > CMSS 3D
For Gaming, CMSS 3D > Dolby HP

Hmm, I really am a bit overwhelmed, and also feel quite stupid, to be honest. The Xonar D2X is able to use Dolby HP, but unable to drive high end cans.. I'm really wishing I could hear the difference between CMSS 3D, and Dolby HP.

 
Quote:

The Mixamp uses Dolby Headphone 2 mode, and it does wonders for headphone gaming. Unlike what Mochan posted, Headphones are a HUGE factor with the Mixamp. The right pair will sound amazing, the wrong pair will sound terrible with the Mixamp. I have an older Mixamp that didn't have USB DAC capabilities, so I can't use it with my PCs.

The mixamp is definitely something I would be interested in getting, as it's relatively cheap, and provides me with what I'm looking for, however I'm unsure what cans would be pest paired with it..
 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The AD700s are quite a popular headphone to pair up with the Mixamp, and with reason. They may be bass light, but they do pretty much everything else just right for gaming. Apparently, the AD900s are slightly better at everything but soundstage when paired with the Mixamp.
 
Bear in mind, it's made for gaming. Music sounds not so great with them.

 

[Mochan]

Would like to clarify that I do recognize that headphones have synergies with different amps and soundcards/DACs.  What I meant was that if you are looking for positional audio, the sound processing unit (Mixamp, Forte, soundcard, etc.) plays a bigger role than the headphones. 

 

[Prpnnightmare]

Mochan, If I were to get an Auzentech X-Fi Forte, The Little Dot Q, and a pair of 770 Pros, would I be running CMSS 3D through them, or am I misunderstanding the process?