aspiring audiophile needs guidance

[manene]

hello! i'm currently interested in buying some high end headphones. I want to make the most out of my computer (which has mostly lossless audio files), and headphones seems to be the most reasonably-priced alternative. I also do a lot of gaming. So i was asking if anyone could recommend me some really, really good headphones and also to guide me in configuring a good setup (whether i need a headphone amp, sound card, etc )
 
i am willing to go a bit expensive on the headphones, but not too much (max. about $500) And also i don't plan on buying new ones in a long long time. I want to have a very decent setup that will last me for years.
 
 
 
 
 
P.S. my english is not very good so i hope you understood. thanks

 

[Chris_Himself]

Hey whats up man, shame to see this thread go unanswered for as long as it has.
 
I'm going to recommend Denon D2000's they're not power hungry, you won't need a DAC/amp to get good sound, but if you want to upgrade your computer's sound card to something nice, they'll sound very good.
 
Denon D2000's have a universally pleasing sound so they appeal to a wide variety of people. I prefer a headphone with a warm and upfront midrange combined with aggressive treble which is bright and these will make me happy and at the same time please a lot of bassheads and movie watchers/gamers.
 
Welcome to head-fi!

 

[macrocheesium]

For gaming I wouldn't recommend any closed headphone like the Denon. It does sound really great with music, but it just won't give you that soundstage that you need. I would get an Audio-Technica AD900 and a nice $100-150 amp.
 
It would help us if you give some more information on your music preferences though, like if you like a ton of bass or are sensitive to harsh highs. And also, what type of music you listen to most.

 

[manene]

thank you for your responses!
 
i like all kinds of genres, rock, pop, metal, old and new, a little classical music, i love pink floyd.   i like to have bass but probably not too much, most improtant for me is clarity and quality of sound.
 
what i am looking for is a great pair of headphones that i can use now, but that i can also upgrade over time (but keep the same headphones). I prefer closed headphones from a convenience point of view (so that i don't bother other people nearby) but i keep hearing that sound quality is better in open headphones.
 
also, i don't know much about amps or soundcards (but i would like to learn)... would you recommend to buy an amp or a better sound card

 

[macrocheesium]

The main reason you want an open headphone is because they have a huge soundstage, meaning you can hear each individual instrument exactly where it is is space. This is what you want for gaming, because you can hear things like gunshots and know exactly what direction they are in. With closed headphones, the sounds sort of blend together and it's harder to tell where they are coming from. Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of high-end closed options. This is what I would recommend with the new information you gave me:
 
Shure SRH-940
Musiland 02 (DAC)
Fiio E9 (amp)
 
This is almost exactly $500. If it's too much you could replace the Musiland 02 with a Fiio E7 DAC and knock off $25, but it wouldn't sound as good. And depending on how good your current sound card is, you may or may not even hear a difference with a DAC; I'd get the headphones and amp first, and try out a good source at an audio shop to see if there's a difference from your computer.
 
An amp is completely different from a sound card; the amp just adds power to the headphones, the sound card provides the music, and the better ones add more detail and clarity. Overall DACs are a better value than sound cards. Think of a DAC (digital analog converter) as an external sound card. You plug it into the computer, usually through USB, and plug the amp into that. With a DAC you will need an amp, as they can't control volume.

 

[HesterDW]

Take a look at this thread if you have some spare time. Some more gaming headphones to consider. http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107619

 

[manene]

Quote:

The main reason you want an open headphone is because they have a huge soundstage, meaning you can hear each individual instrument exactly where it is is space. This is what you want for gaming, because you can hear things like gunshots and know exactly what direction they are in. With closed headphones, the sounds sort of blend together and it's harder to tell where they are coming from. Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of high-end closed options. This is what I would recommend with the new information you gave me:
 
Shure SRH-940
Musiland 02 (DAC)
Fiio E9 (amp)
 
This is almost exactly $500. If it's too much you could replace the Musiland 02 with a Fiio E7 DAC and knock off $25, but it wouldn't sound as good. And depending on how good your current sound card is, you may or may not even hear a difference with a DAC; I'd get the headphones and amp first, and try out a good source at an audio shop to see if there's a difference from your computer.
 
An amp is completely different from a sound card; the amp just adds power to the headphones, the sound card provides the music, and the better ones add more detail and clarity. Overall DACs are a better value than sound cards. Think of a DAC (digital analog converter) as an external sound card. You plug it into the computer, usually through USB, and plug the amp into that. With a DAC you will need an amp, as they can't control volume.

thanks that's very helpful, i'll keep that in mind