decision time

[Ojannen]

Buying headphones tomorow.

I wrote a post on this a few weeks ago but it seems to have dissapeared

- Will be spending about $200. Note that this is already a stretch so 600/650 other more expensive cans aren't even in consideration.
- Soundstage is very important. 50% of the time I will be playing cs and other fps games.
- A characteristic brass sound, specifically euphonium and tuba, is very important. I can already tell the difference between different players and 1 player on different brands of euphonium with my $15 radio shack special. I can also tell roughly what region they are from (england/europre, different areas of US) and sometimes who their teacher is (Bowman vs Stephen Mead vs Pilafian vs Alessi/anyone that plays trombone). I assume it will get better with better headphones but I am not sure what to expect or what will make my listening better in this regard.
- Don't care about vocals, piano or strings. note that I NEVER listen to vocals
- Don't care about stuff that isn't classical, I listen to other types of music but don't listen critically to it.
- I am not getting an amp
- Most of the time the headphones will be powered by my motherboard onboard sound. However, there may be a soundcard in my future. Once in a while, they will be used with a minidisc player. I am not obsessing about sound out of a minidisk player though.
- I live in a dorm and slightly concerned about open cans, how much leakage is annoying at about 6 feet? does this level change when going from games to music? at home i sit about 3 feet from my brothers with headphones on, will leakage be a problem?
- On the leakage question, if I get a lapel mic for talking ingame, will sound leakage mess with the mic?
- I go to LANs about once a month. Do you prefer open or closed for LANs?

With this in mind: A900, 595, or something else?

 

[commando]

For dorms, definitely A900s. Be aware they're not portable, but they're easily driven from almost anything.

 

[slunk007]

Well, I have a pair of A900's and they're great.

Saying this however, if you are going to be attending LANs and using headphones, I have read many times that the preference is to have open cans for that situation since you will most likely want to hear what is going on around you (unless you are trying to concentrate on fragging, I suppose). Open cans are apparently more enjoyable in this situation.

I guess, if gaming is above all your #1 concern, then I would probably recommend you look into an open phone such as the grados. Grados I have heard, aren't that comfy though unless you modify the pads. For me, my priority is comfort first, then sound, then all the other little things.

If being considerate to those around you is a rather important concern, then my vote would be for the A900. Very comfortable (although they tend to get a little warm) and great sound, without annoying others around you. Definitely not a portable phone though unless you want to look like a weirdo.

 

[commando]

I'd say even if you don't mind looking like a weirdo, A900s still aren't portable. I just think they're not stable enough if you're moving around.

A900s are so comfortable I forget i'm wearing them. They are pretty big though, i've been laughed at a few times for wearing them at work, but everyone's used to them now. I got laughed at even more with the CD3000s, and what's worse is I could hear them laughing...

 

[laughingman]

another happy owner of a900 here, looking forward to get a modded 0404 in the future to go along with it. The headphone is great, I am so used to crappy phones, it took me awhile to get used to a900 actually, now it sounds better than ever

It doesnt sound like any closed can I've heard before, sometimes I thought the sound was coming from speakers when I forgot I was wearing them, unfortunately sometimes the reverse happens too, like the other day I had them on not realizing the speaker is on at the same time at midnight when my roommate was sleeping. Man he must be pissed...

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

Why even purchase high-end headphones if you intend to listen to them through "motherboard onboard sound?" Do you even care about high fidelity music at all? Your source is every bit as important as your headphones.

For LAN, I like using speakers at moderate volumes over ANY type of headphone...and yes, open headphones might be annoying for your roommate.

If I were you, I'd pick up some cheap closed headphone instead of saddling high-quality headphones with a disappointing source. You are just wasting your time and money by purchasing a $200 headphone for crappy "motherboard onboard sound."

 

[Ojannen]

I dismissed grados early on because of their lack of soundstage. I am still debating whether or not I would want open cans for LANs.

My concern isn't so much in that I am annoying people around me. It is more that I am concerned that I annoy people enough that they punch me. If I am three feet from my brothers and they can hear what I am hearing, I am going to get punched in the arm.

crazyfrenchman
I am not sure what kind of LANs you go for, but I have never been to one that allowed speakers. Most yell at you for even having them there even if they are not plugged in. I have found that cheap headphones give better sound positioning than speakers even at minimal outside noise levels.

I am not exactly sure what high fidelity music is. I just want what I said about hearing music in my first post to be easier. I also don't want to have to change equalizer settings based on what I am listening for (my main problem with my radio shack special). For sound, I am not as concerned with having a "good" sound or a sound without coloration or veil. I am concerned with having a sound I can accept as accurate. If I can say, "this is what I heard when I recorded this", I am OK with whatever I am listening to. If I can hear that the second trombone line goes from thirds with firsts to sixths with the bass trombone, I am OK. I can already do that with my current setup. I am looking for cans that make this easier and also help with gaming.

I am still looking for a sound card. I have not yet found one that is good for gaming, good for brass music, and in my price range.

 

[Cyrillic]

Yeah, I don't know what cracyfrenchman is talking about; headphones own speakers at LANS, assuming we're talking about a FPS of some sort. Many fold easier to tell where someone is coming from out of my phones than my speakers.

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyrillic Yeah, I don't know what cracyfrenchman is talking about; headphones own speakers at LANS, assuming we're talking about a FPS of some sort. Many fold easier to tell where someone is coming from out of my phones than my speakers.

I know this is a headphone site...but headphones simply can't contend with the real soundstage supplied by a speaker system. I don't even think the most rabid headphone fans believe that headphones can beat speakers with regard to spatiality.

If Ojannen is serious about music, he'll purchase a Chaintech + amp or an EMU of some sort.

Otherwise he is just wasting his money by purchasing $200 headphones.

If he must have closed headphones, buy cheap. He won't notice the difference with the source he is using (come on, "onboard motherboard" sound?).

 

[Geek]

The HD595s are one of the best headphones on the market for the price. They are somewhere in between the quality of the 580/600 with a slightly more forward sound.

The A900 is a closed headphone. Closed headphones are not in the same category as open headphones if you want tonal accuracy (which is I'm sure what you meant by a characteristic brass / euphonium sound).

You should probably audition both, though, since I'm sure 90% of the people that voted haven't heard both headphones.

The comment about speakers being better at a LAN than headphones is just stupid. I HATE NOTHING MORE THAN IDIOTS THAT BRING SPEAKERS TO LAN PARTIES. I HATE IT. It's DISRESPECTFUL, RUDE, and RUINS YOUR HEARING WHEN THERE ARE 10 2 CHANNEL SPEAKER SETUPS IN ONE MEDIUM SIZED ROOM. Then again, I game in Bozeman with people who respect everyone else's right to a relatively quiet environment. The bigger LAN parties usually have loud music playing from some moron's huge speaker system, which interferes with my ability to concentrate or do anything useful.

If you're going to go to LANs, why even bother with good headphones? It's like driving in a really noisy vehicle at 120MPH with loud music blaring in your vehicle, but you're still trying to listen to your own music. Pointless.

Sorry for being so harsh. It's just that I hate seing really bad advice given.

Note: speaker setups are great for gaming in your own room by yourself, but not when 20+ other people are trying to have a good time around you - it's distracting, rude, and disrespectful to bring speakers to LAN parties, unless you're specifically charged with being a DJ and are bringing a standalone system.

Cheers,
Geek

 

[1UP]

I changed my mind - Grados are sh** for games. Exciting, but poor stereo separation. I decided this last night after hearing (on my Beyers) some guy's footsteps to my right - giving me the time to turn and frag him. I'd have been toast with my old Grados.

 

[Geek]

Oh, and yes, if you only go to a LAN once a month, you won't really have a problem with open headphones, since you're only being inconvenienced about once a month.

If you want a really great LAN headphone that blocks out the garbage, mindless screaming, and all of the speaker interference, try DT250-80s, HD280s, AKG K271S, or any of the Etymyotics headphones. For LAN parties you should purchase with isolation over sound quality without throwing away sound quality entirely. The key is to block the interference, which is HUGE at big LANs. If your LAN party is made up of only a handful of mature individuals who don't play loud music constantly all at the same time (a rarity), then open phones are just fine for LAN.

 

[S_Dedalus]

If you're willing to stretch your budget a little, I think that an 0404, an inexpensive amp, and a pair of AKG K240S would be better than the A900's or HD595's directly out of an onboard sound card for what you are planning to do.

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geek The comment about speakers being better at a LAN than headphones is just stupid. I HATE NOTHING MORE THAN IDIOTS THAT BRING SPEAKERS TO LAN PARTIES. I HATE IT. It's DISRESPECTFUL, RUDE, and RUINS YOUR HEARING WHEN THERE ARE 10 2 CHANNEL SPEAKER SETUPS IN ONE MEDIUM SIZED ROOM. Then again, I game in Bozeman with people who respect everyone else's right to a relatively quiet environment. The bigger LAN parties usually have loud music playing from some moron's huge speaker system, which interferes with my ability to concentrate or do anything useful.

If the house is fairly large and the speakers are at medium volume, it's not a problem...especially if not everyone is using speakers, which they seldom do. That's just my experience with LAN parties...

Speakers will beat headphones any day when it comes to spatial orientation. Any comment asserting that headphones can somehow project a soundstage that is "more real" than a speaker system ought to be disregarded.

This is coming from someone with a decent pair of headphones for soundstaging (ATH-A900s).

 

[Ojannen]

Thanks for the replies
geek, a few questions for you:
The debate vs open and closed is what is making me uncertain for the 595 and A900. I believe both have a good sound stage and good middle of the round type of sound. However, I am not sure if the sound improvement of the 595 is big enough to counter the negatives of open cans. I wish I could audition both and have time for burn in on each one but I only have $200 to spend.

For me, LANs are a once a month or once every two month thing. They are an argument for closed phones but happen rarely enough that they will not completely dictate what I choose. For me going to a LAN party means going to a computer store with 20-50 other people and playing games. I think speakers would be ok in a 5 person home setting though.

The AKG 2XX (whatever model) with amp is an interesting idea. In the listening room at my school, about half the systems are AKG 240 or 241 with Denon amps. They sound good and I find it easier to critique music on them. My question is would they sound better than A900/595 with a Chaintec and/or A900/595 with onboard sound (Realtek ALC650).

This is on sort of a different topic but most people say the chaintek sound card isn't great for gaming but very good for music. If i use the EAX or A3D sound engines built into the games, does the sound card matter? I think using them will lower my fps because of increased computer load. I don't know if a better sound card means better postional audio when the sound engine is in game software.