[156219]

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[156219]

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[Jibbie]

An amp for the K701 would allow the headphones to bring out all of the micro-details in music.  Soundstage will increase, as well as bass response.  This is most noticeable when listening to music.
 
While gaming, however, footstep location will not drastically become more accurate just because you have an amp.  It will increase the overal tonality of the headphone, not necessarily its precision in online gaming.  
 
Having said that, I would not buy the K701 just for gaming.  With the right amp, its a beauty for music, and thats the primary reason I bought mine: music.  It doubles well as a gaming headphone, but I wouldn't recommend you buy it if thats the main reason you are searching for headphones.  There are much cheaper headphones that will give you plenty of positional precision for gaming.  AD700 has one of the largest soundstages, not just in its price range, but out of headphones 2-3X its price. Its recommend constantly in these forums as one of the best gaming headphones.  In turns of online competitiveness, you aren't missing much by using the AD700.  If you want bass for a more immersive single player experience, look into the Beyerdynamic DT 990s.  They also require an amp, but should be more than enough for gaming without one, as long as you get the 32ohm version. 

 

[Jibbie]

If you like the AD700, but want something a little better, try its big brother, the AD900.  It does everything a little bit better than the AD700, and has more bass.  It is also only 280 dollars on amazon right now.

 

[156219]

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[padam]

A used Sony CD3000 gets my vote.

 

[SJB610]

Quote:

 
Hmm...
 
Thanks for that...
 
What do you think about the ad700 vs the sony mdr-f1?
 

i have them both....the F1's give me a better advantage. The AD700's have more weight to the sound, but somehow, sounds sound like its coming from a tin can. The F1's don't have this problem. If your a pro gamer...bass is the least important sound, bass covers up the more important footsteps. Here's the thing though....the F1's retail for $300....the AD700's under $100. The AD700's are a BEAST for that price....unbeatable really for under $100.

 

[Mochan]

The K701 requires a good source for music. For gaming this is not a big issue. I use the K701 for gaming straight out of a soundcard, no amp. Stereo sound just doesn't do it for me for gaming FPS, though. The positional sounds are just wrong. CMSS Headphone effect is the best for me in terms of putting the sound cues all around me, and the K701 is the best at displaying them for my ears to pick out.
 
Quote:

Thanks for your opions on the headphones...
 

Does anyone else think the Akg k70` requires a high quality source?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The K701 does not need any powerful amp to use with the Mixamp, with console gaming. The Mixamp drives them just fine when gaming, AS LONG as you don't use voice chat, and have the voice/game knob turned to 100% game, meaning no voice chat. If you plan on using voice chat however, the K701 becomes severely underdriven if you so much as turn the voice/game knob even a little bit off 100% game. This is when I whip out my Creative Aurvana Live.
 
Without voice chat, the K701 is the best headphone I have used and is even better at positioning than the DT880/32 I had, and this is just with the Mixamp. The soundstage is still huge, the sound is balanced, and they even have bass! I would take the K701 over the AD700 every single time, but their main drawback is that they definitely need an extra amp if you plan on slapping on a mic.
 
This is with Dolby Headphone enabled, and YMMV if you plan on gaming in regular stereo.
 
When you game, you're not so critical about every particular nuance in the overall sound, and if you seriously feel you need an amp with the Mixamp when not using voice chat, you deserve an award for being the most anal listener ever. The K701, as underdriven as you all think it is, does even better than the easy to drive DT880/32 when gaming. The DT880/32 had a distinct lack rear positional accuracy, even if the overall sound was slightly more to my liking than the K701, if mainly because they have more bass than what is normally considered good. Positional cues takes top priority for me, and the K701 has it in spades. They didn't sound anemic, bass light, or underdriven.

 

[Coupe]

See I find the K701 to give false cues.  Many times people sound much closer than they are.  Perhaps it could be a case of being too used to the DT-990.
 
Maybe, if you are a professional gamer this might be the best alternative.
 
I will say that I have only used these cans with CMSS-3D and not Dolby Headphone.  That may be a difference maker or it may not.
 
Perhaps the sense of garble is just the mind trying to adjust to a different sound stage.
 
I will try to use the K701s exclusively for a time and allow adjustment, and report back with reviews.

 

[SJB610]

Quote:

If you plan on using voice chat however, the K701 becomes severely underdriven if you so much as turn the voice/game knob even a little bit off 100% game.

 
That's a deal breaker for me. Is the K702 just as hard to drive as the 701?

 

[SJB610]

 
Quote:

Perhaps the sense of garble is just the mind trying to adjust to a different sound stage.

 
Could it be that the 701's actually do have an artificial soundstage and your mind has to get used to it? When switching from the DT880/AD700 to the F1, I noticed a significant improvement in positioning and soundstage. My mind didn't need to adjust at all. This headphone stuff is too individualistic.....the smart thing to do is try them all, lol.

 

[SoSpecial]

Quote:

 
 
Could it be that the 701's actually do have an artificial soundstage and your mind has to get used to it? When switching from the DT880/AD700 to the F1, I noticed a significant improvement in positioning and soundstage. My mind didn't need to adjust at all. This headphone stuff is too individualistic.....the smart thing to do is try them all, lol.

Which hits the nail on the head, you really need to try them for yourself to understand how you feel not just how we describe it.
 

 

[Kitling89]

I own the AD-700 as well as K701 w/amp and I would say that even with the amp (a CMOY DIY job), I still prefer my ad700s for gaming. While I much prefer the 701 for music (usually), and it may sound even nicer with a better amp, it still is hard to deny the balanced, openness of the AD700s which are perfect for non musical audio monitoring, i.e. gaming. I actually much prefer them to speakers for gaming (maybe that's why I'm on this site). While I am mostly a RTS player, I can see how the AD700 is particularly good for FPS where sound is an important part of performance.
 
On another note, while I have not personally tried the AD900s, for GAMING I don't see them being worth the cost over the 700s simply because they are not as balanced. Games have enough bass as it is. Monstrous thundering explosions are not going to help you game better.

 

[IDK]

In all honesty there is no Best Gaming Headphone, all the ones described have their pros and cons.