[NapalmK]

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Yes, this seems to be a common response with the K701/K702 of how the soundstage is so large that enemies seems much further away then they really are. To me, I don't see how that can be useful for competitive FPS. And then you have the blind spot with the Beyers. But from what i have been hearing collectively, I guess it comes down to these for the best choices:
 
K701/K702
DT 880
DT 990

It was exceedingly useful as it gave me plenty of time to prepare for the enemy. In MW2, I combined it with Sit Rep Pro and it was freakish. It does take some getting used to but after you have it nailed down it's divine. I will say the AT AD2000 was very good for gaming too although some right/left cues were missed the soundstage was simply effortless whereas the K701 required some thought and time to get used to. It does seem to be different for everyone though so you could very well hate the K701s presentation.

 

[Foe-hammer]

i really need to try some k702's with dolby headphone.  I have 2 reservations though:
 
1) i bought the k601's for gaming because they were supposed to be better then the 701's for gaming.  And they were great... but i liked the dt880's all around better- more game immersion.  Plus i do not have whatsoever any 4-7 oclock sound blind spot with the dt880's.  The only negative thing about them is slightly recessed mids compared to the k601's.  So it makes me wonder if i'd like the 702's any better.
 
2) the k702's reportedly need an amp with the mixamp.  I've tried my desktop amp with the mixamp and was not pleased with the results of how it interfered with the sound.

 

[BournePerfect]

Although you NEED an impressive amp with the Akg's for music, I'm not sure if there's a benefit at all as far as the positioning goes straight out of the Mixamp. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. You will have to play with the Mixamp at pretty much max volume however, and even then it might not be reasonable to add chat to the mix without additional amping...
 
-Daniel

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

As for the large K701/2 soundstage, its actually SMALLER than the AD700 when using them in DH mode. So I find the distance issues to be completely baseless. Once you play with the K701/2s long enough, you will grow accustomed to the soundstage, and picking off sounds around you will be ridiculously easy. Like I said: god mode. If you DON'T use a mic with it, the Mixamp and the K701 work perfectly alone. Absolutely no need for extra amping until you mix in voice chat, which will severely suck out the power to the K70x.

As far as amping the Mixamp's signal... it depends. I felt with the E9 (being a pretty transparent) amp, it didn't negatively impact sound quality whatsoever. Let's remember that we are gaming here, and not dealing with every little nuance of lossless audio. I can see it being an issue if you own an amp with a distinct sound signature.

The one headphone I felt did the very best at judging distance was the DT770 Pro 80. However, they are far too bass heavy and muddy for competitive use. A shame as they really showcased DH's strengths.

The DT880s had the best balanced sound I have heard for gaming, but the hole was apparent. The hole means that between 5-7 o clock, its very hard to judge that those sounds are supposed to come behind you. Very hard to tell whether it was in front or behind. This was problematic, as with other headphones, I immediately knew exactly where the sound was around me. That split second of hesitation is usually death in an FPS game. Rear sounds just sounded too. close to you...

The DT990/600 does many of the great things good gaming headphones do. The bass is wonderfully present, but it has a very punchy and quick decay, so it doesn't distract you like typical bassy cans. The sound is very airy and with plenty of soundstage to work its magic. While the rear positioning isn't as good as my faves, it is indeed better than the 880s, and you will quickly tell where sounds are coming from. The downside is that it needs to be amped after the Mixamp. The Mixamp alone drives it loud, but it introduces some pretty noticeable clipping when the sound calls for bass.

I would have kept these for gaming, but I didn't wanna move my E9 around everytime I wanted to play. The D7000 took the 990's spot for my music and movie needs... so I couldn't logically keep them.

Bah, this was meant as a short reply... lol.

 

[zariaman]

 
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According to Kool Bubba Ice, aka the king of gaming here on head-fi, the DT880s were made for gaming.

Did he get a chance to compare them with the K701/702s?

 

[zariaman]

Quote:

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Yes, if you want to split hairs. But I like the white better than the dark color by preference.

I do too!
 
Anyway I guess I should make a positive contribution to this thread. I've tried a lot of the cans on the list you've given and so far nothing really touches the K701s. They give you a scary heads-up on where enemies are with plenty of time to position yourself accordingly and great imaging. The DT770 and DT990 didn't have the imaging I needed (blindspot some posters mentioned) which is why I never tried the DT880 as I heard it had the same issue. The only thing I'd like from the K701 is a reduction in soundstage as you lose the realism and become a cyborg/superhuman with that type of hearing range. I'll have to look my notes up on them if you want a more in depth response. Good luck with your search! Cheers!

If you have notes on the K701 and would not mind sharing them, I would like some more in depth reponse. 
 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I'd like to add the HD598 into the mix. I have never heard the HD595s, but if they're anywhere near as good as the HD598, I can surely see why they were popular gaming cans.
 
The HD598 offers a very well balanced sound, good amount of treble sparkle (unlike typical Senn sound), very quick bass (more bass neutral... not emphasized). They also have a large soundstage, fantastic imaging and positioning.

 

[Riku540]

Also wondering why the Ultrasone PRO 900 was left out. While most sites don't sell it for $400 or less; its more or less common knowledge by now that the place to get them is $320 via buyauthorized on eBay.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

It's a closed can. Most closed cans don't have a very good soundstage, which IMHO is ideal for gaming. The only closed cans I used that had really good sound stage was the DT770s and D7000 (which probably means the D2000 and D5000 would work well for non-competitive play). The M50s are terrible for gaming.
 
I dunno how S-logic would affect virtual surround gaming, but I'm gonna assume it won't be good to add more sound processing to something like Dolby Headphone.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

I've often wondered how the k701/702's compare in sound signature and soundstage to the AD700's.  Many of the comparisons I read about both headphones sound just about the same.  Both are supposed to be bass light, and have a slightly larger soundstage than can be considered natural.  How similar are their sound signatures and sounstage/imaging to those of you who have had both?  
 
I love my ad700's for gaming, and for music.  I would however like to get a headphone that is able to produce better details.  Is the k701/702 the ad700 on steroids that I imagine it to be based off my readings on both cans?  

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Yes, the K70x is an AD700 on steroids, though the soundstage is slightly smaller when using Dolby Headphone. The bass is definitely more present, and the K70x is a ridiculous retrieval whore. For pure gaming purposes, I'd still say the AD700 is the better buy due to price/performance, and how easy it is to drive. The K70x needs some power, is about an 9/10 in positioning (as opposed to the AD700 10/10 IMHO), but the end product is considerably more enjoyable, and more comfy, once you get used to the bumps...IMHO. The AD700 just never sat right on my head. It was like a balancing act, even with the rubberband mod.
 
If the K70x was easier to drive... I'd have went straight to that again as opposed to going with the HD598.
 
No headphone made my jaw drop more than the K70x when I first used it for gaming.

 

[Riku540]

Quote:

It's a closed can. Most closed cans don't have a very good soundstage, which IMHO is ideal for gaming. The only closed cans I used that had really good sound stage was the DT770s and D7000 (which probably means the D2000 and D5000 would work well for non-competitive play). The M50s are terrible for gaming.
 
I dunno how S-logic would affect virtual surround gaming, but I'm gonna assume it won't be good to add more sound processing to something like Dolby Headphone.

 
Actually Envy it's quite the opposite. Yes the PRO 900 is closed, but I've come to the conclusion that S-Logic is more or less good soundstage, with exceptional separation.
 
I often forget that they are closed when on my head; the soundstage is at least as big as my DT 880's. To be honest, I haven't worn my 880's since to do any A-B'ing, but that's how much I instantly fell in love the the PRO 900's. I bought them as a closed alternative for music. What I got was a replacement in every way imaginable.
 
Also, just a nitpick; S-Logic isn't a form of sound processing. It's simply the decentralized driver positioning that allows them have excellent soundstage in a closed can. This can easily proven since if you wear them backwards the soundstage disappears and the sound is terrible. I suppose the "natural surround sound" label for the S-Logic technology can be a bit misleading, and is targeting consumers who are not familiar with the term "soundstage" or what it sounds like. The PRO 900 is not only a musical beast, but an amazing gaming headphone that has excellent synergy with the Astro Mixamp.

 

[tarbo]

The AD700's are my first headphones over 25 dollars and I find them boring for gaming. The comfort is amazing and so is the positioning, but if you don't play competitive FPS games (aka ALL OTHER GAMES) they are nowhere near the best gaming headphones imo. Why? Because they lack bass so I don't find them that entertaining. The sound is almost sterile and cold imo and some game sound effects like lasers and blade clash noises are really crisply high, and almost ear piercing when I play games such as Starcraft 2 on high volume. That's not really a bad thing since the sound effects are crispy and clear like they should be and I can just lower the volume, but when I do that the bass and lows are even more less apparent. Overall my gaming sounds clean with superb positioning sound effects, but it's just overall boring and flat.
 
I might just return these for something else. I wouldn't mind a little sacrifice of positioning or soundstage for some good vibrations because of my budget. Anyways, does anyone have any suggestions that can meet my needs? More "fun" or "colorful" sounding headphones with good bass without sounding bloated and the sound effects clarity recessed when action picks up? I guess just good all around headphones within 100-200? I really don't want to go over 130 though if I don't have too. 

 

[VulgarDisplay]

I was all but set on getting dt880's for gaming until I heard about the blind spot from 5-7 in this thread.  That's the first I've ever read about that.  I absolutely love everything about my ad700's, even after hearing the insane detail and driver speed of my modded t50rp's I still pick up the ad700's for music sometimes.  If the k70x's can improve on what the ad700's do then I think they are a must buy for me.  

I've also read a few positive reviews on pairing the FiiO e9(own one) with the k70x for gaming.  Not sure how they pair up for music, but that is not what these will be used for.  I'm still not sold on buying the mixamp for dolby headphone because I find that the ad700's in stereo mode give me perfect positional audio on their own.  

 

[Riku540]

Quote:

I was all but set on getting dt880's for gaming until I heard about the blind spot from 5-7 in this thread.  That's the first I've ever read about that.  I absolutely love everything about my ad700's, even after hearing the insane detail and driver speed of my modded t50rp's I still pick up the ad700's for music sometimes.  If the k70x's can improve on what the ad700's do then I think they are a must buy for me.  

I've also read a few positive reviews on pairing the FiiO e9(own one) with the k70x for gaming.  Not sure how they pair up for music, but that is not what these will be used for.  I'm still not sold on buying the mixamp for dolby headphone because I find that the ad700's in stereo mode give me perfect positional audio on their own.  

Woah there; forget the K70x until you get that Mixamp. This isn't small differences we're talking here. The K70x will only be a marginal upgrade from the AD700, stereo or Dolby Headphone. The Mixamp however, will be significant. The K70x in your case is a lost cause if you aren't going to be using them with the Mixamp.