[ammarmalik]

I know there are plenty of threads here for suggestions on gaming headsets, but I'm looking specifically for Sennheisers (this is all that is available here).
 
- Mic is not a necessity
- Open back is okay with me
- My Gigabyte H97 Gaming 3 motherboards claims to have a headphone amp powerful enough to drive 600 ohm headphones. I wonder if that's true.
- No issues with budget (however I'm NOT getting something like a HD700 or a HD800, lets keep it realistic)
- I mostly play FPS games. I want positional cues, but I don't want a neutral response headset. I want to be able to feel the rumble of a rocket launcher or the boom of a grenade.
- I am not a competitive gamer. This is purely for recreational purposes.

 

[DyroB]

I don't own the headphones, but I've read a lot about them (because I'm also looking for a headset for the same reason like you). The HD598 is a headphone with excellent soundstage, but lacks a bit of bass according to reviews (I've tested it instore, it seems fine to me. But everyone his/her own opinion ofcourse).
 
In the MLE Headphones gaming guide topic it get's the following score:
 
Fun: 6.5/10 (Pretty Decent)
Competitive: 9.25/10 (Amazing)
Comfort: 7.25/10 (Good)

The review:
 

You all know it as an improved HD595, which is a consistent fave among gamers, especially those who use virtual surround amps like the Mixamp. My opinion? The hype is well justified, at least when it comes to the HD598. They are incredibly well balanced. Somewhat bass neutral, mids are pretty up front and center, and neutral treble (never harsh) translates to a very promising headphone for gaming on paper. And I'm happy to report that they are ABSOLUTELY phenomenal for gaming. They belong right up there with the best for competitive gaming. Soundstage? Check. Positional accuracy? Double check. Detail retrieval? Triple check. The trifecta. It's missing very little for those needs. The bass may be a bit too laid back for those wanting some immersion in their non-competitive gaming however.

Comfort-wise: It's a hit or miss. The pads are huge and give your ears plenty of space to breathe. My issue is mostly with the clamp. Sennheiser just seems to design some pretty clampy headphones. Like the PC360, the only way I can find them comfy is to over extend them, and give them a loose fit. The headband padding is full on pleather, which is less comfortable than the PC360's velour padding.
 

 
Apperently, you can mod the HD558 so it's almost equal to the sound that the HD598 provides. 
 
Both headphones are open, for the better positional accuracy. If you take a closed headphone you will mostly lose that, but will get more booming feedback/feeling. 
 
If Sennheiser is the only branch you can get, this is what I've got after a lot of research. 
Otherwise the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro will probably give you more fun. Less positional accuracy (but more then a closed headphone) and excellent booming feedback/feeling. In the MLE topic I've mentioned earlier it gets the following score:
 
Fun: 8.5/10 (Excellent)
Competitive: 8/10 (Great)
Comfort: 8.5/10 (8/10 for the 990 Pros due to stronger clamp)
 
I myself ended ordering the AKG K612 Pro, which got the following score in the MLE topic:
 
Fun: 7.25/10 (Good)
Competitive: 9/10 (Amazing) 
Comfort: 7.75/10 (Very Good) 
Overall: 8/10 (Great)
 
In the end it's all a matter of opinion. Like I said, I've tested the HD598 and I thought the bass was more then fine, but you may think otherwise about it. It's very difficult to order/buy a headphone blind, without testing it. Altho I did that with the AKG K612 (couldn't test it out, but because the AKG K612 gets overall better reviews then the HD598, and is 40 euros cheaper in my country, I took the ''risk''). 

 

[cswann1]

  I know there are plenty of threads here for suggestions on gaming headsets, but I'm looking specifically for Sennheisers (this is all that is available here).
 
- Mic is not a necessity
- Open back is okay with me
- My Gigabyte H97 Gaming 3 motherboards claims to have a headphone amp powerful enough to drive 600 ohm headphones. I wonder if that's true.
- No issues with budget (however I'm NOT getting something like a HD700 or a HD800, lets keep it realistic)
- I mostly play FPS games. I want positional cues, but I don't want a neutral response headset. I want to be able to feel the rumble of a rocket launcher or the boom of a grenade.
- I am not a competitive gamer. This is purely for recreational purposes.

 
 
When I game with cans, I wear my HD580's.   Comfort is second to none, very neutral and while not exactly meaty, the bass is satisfying.  Of course these have been out of production for years, but they're pretty much the same animal as the HD600, thankfully without the nasty faux marble graphics

 

[ammarmalik]

HD598 is one that I have under consideration since a lot of people seem to love it here. However the only reason why I'm still looking for other options is due to the apparent lack of bass on the 598. What do you guys think of the DJ HD8?

 

[Ethan Groover]

 
HD598 is one that I have under consideration since a lot of people seem to love it here. However the only reason why I'm still looking for other options is due to the apparent lack of bass on the 598. What do you guys think of the DJ HD8?

I owned the 598 for close to 9 months. It has very good bass, albeit I often found myself wishing for more. I would highly recommend it, as well as any of the open back AKG K series of headphones. But my serious recommendation is, despite your comment on it, the HD700. It is a whole new level of immersion in the game, and the positional ques make you feel like a god playing any FPS, even if you are doing terrible lol. You can pick them up for around $425 street price if you shop around, if that isn't too much for you. If it is, I would recommend the AKG Q701.

 

[HutchDiesel]

In my opinion for gaming comfort is far more important than end drivers. Being able to play for extended periods w/o having sweaty ears or pain is critical.
 
That being said I use the HD700, which I find to be the most comfortable headset in Senns' lineup. They are 150 ohm so not super easy to drive, but don't exactly need a lot of power. (I use creative X7 to drive).
 
They can be found online used/like new for 500$.
 
 
Prior to the HD700 I had the 598, which I liked a lot (besides the ugly colors). Also easy to drive.
 
Amazon frequently has for 150$ brand new. 

 

[shuto77]

HD598 is one that I have under consideration since a lot of people seem to love it here. However the only reason why I'm still looking for other options is due to the apparent lack of bass on the 598. What do you guys think of the DJ HD8?

The HD598 is a nice, comfortable gaming headphone, its only major drawback for your purposes is its lack of emphasized bass.

I currently use the AKG K7XX and the Philips Fidelio X2, driven by a Soundblaster X7. I recommend this setup wholeheartedly for single-player console gaming, but chat can be tricky to implement on the consoles.

If you can get an AKG K7XX at below street value ($200 plus tax), and can adequately drive them, they're a very nice upgrade from the HD598. The X2 is slightly U-shaped, with slightly boosted bass and treble.

Good luck!