[rfvijn]

About a week ago my trusty Logitech headset that came for free with my copy of Unreal Tournament 2003 finally died.  Upon it's death I decided I wanted to replace it with something quality.
 
Long story short, after reading many reviews, including Steggy's 2nd Roundup here, I decided upon the following: Either the SteelSeries Siberia V2 or the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700, along with a Turtle Beach Ear Force DSS.  I figured it would be easier just to buy both and see which one I like better.
 
Well the headphones and the headset both came in today (but not the DSS), so to test them out, I hooked them up to my motherboard's onboard (Realtek ALC889).  And this is where I come to the question posted in my thread's title...
 
First and foremost, the AD700's feel like complete heaven...seriously, a Tempurpedic for my ears.  Secondly, I love the open-design of them and how I can hear things outside of the cans.  That said, the Siberia's just sound better.
 
The best way to describe it is that the AD700's are just as loud, except everything is "lighter" sounding.  Or in other words, the AD700's lack the low-end, oomph, and bass that the Siberia's have.  In terms of clarity, I can hear all the subtleties in both.  To put it bluntly, I just much prefer how the Siberias sound, but the AD700's are just so much more comfortable.  I have tried other sources with no luck.  Furthermore, as soon as I play with the EQ, the AD700's become muddy sounding.
 
So my question becomes, is this how they're supposed to sound?  Should I upgrade to the AD900's?  Is there a different headset/cans I should be looking at?  For the record I used The Who's Baba O'Reilly, Van Halen's 5150 (album), and World of Warcraft to judge the sound.  I would say I it's 50/50 between games/media for me.
 
Thank you all for all the help as well 

.

 

[ziocomposite]

Yep, the ad700's are just they way you described.  It does not got boom.  Many people actually prefer having less boom because for me personally, I do not want to hear explosions in their full spectrum if I'm playing online multiplayer.
 
Single player wise, I use my theatre =P.  The ad700's are more suited to a specific genre of music.  Vocals, acoustic, classical come to mind.
 
EDIT
 
Check out the thread dedicated for gaming btw =)

 

[Alghazanth]

Na, they aren't defective.The AD700s really are extremely energetic and have zero bass. They're top-notch for competitive gaming and classical and other light music, but nothing else really. The AD900s don't really change this. Depending on how much money you have, I can certainly advise you on an upgrade path, as I was in the same position as you.

 

[rfvijn]

Quote:

Yep, the ad700's are just they way you described.  It does not got boom.  Many people actually prefer having less boom because for me personally, I do not want to hear explosions in their full spectrum if I'm playing online multiplayer.
 
Single player wise, I use my theatre =P.  The ad700's are more suited to a specific genre of music.  Vocals, acoustic, classical come to mind.
 
EDIT
 
Check out the thread dedicated for gaming btw =)

 
I'm not a bass-head at all.  In fact, I really don't want to be deafened by bass, nor do I want it to be the only thing I hear.  That said, I just feel like they lack any sort of punch.  Everything sounds airy and light...not the way it's supposed to sound (in my opinion).  When I listen to Dropkick Murphys, I want it to sound like Celtic Punk...not like it's being piped through speakers in another room.
 
Quote:

Na, they aren't defective.The AD700s really are extremely energetic and have zero bass. They're top-notch for competitive gaming and classical and other light music, but nothing else really. The AD900s don't really change this. Depending on how much money you have, I can certainly advise you on an upgrade path, as I was in the same position as you.

So what would you recommend?  I'm looking for something that sounds as good or better than the Siberia V2s without being much more expensive and are as comfortable as the AD700's.  I'm figuring max I can budget ~$230 towards this.
 

 

[ziocomposite]

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/534479/mad-lust-envy-aka-shin-cz-s-guide-to-headphone-gaming-particularly-with-dolby-headphone
 
This extensive guide is great collection of options for your budget!!! >=D

 

[RallyMaster]

Really? No one notices he is using onboard audio? There is no reason to get good equipment at all if you don't have the source for it.

 

[rfvijn]

Quote:

Really? No one notices he is using onboard audio? There is no reason to get good equipment at all if you don't have the source for it.

 
Is there a particular reason you're being an elitist jerk?  I tried multiple sources from my onboard audio, to an iPod, to our home theater's Marantz amp.  They all produced the same difference in quality between the two pairs of cans.
 
Now, do you actually have something constructive to add?

 

[rfvijn]

After going through the linked thread, the only conclusion I can come to is to either keep the Siberias or to tryout the PC360's or HD558's.
 
Thoughts?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Get a pair of PC360s or HD598s. They're not bass heavy or anything, but have bass presence as opposed to the AD700. Both are phenomenal gaming cans. The HD598 is superior, but doesn't have a mic attached. The PC360 is well balanced, and has just a teeny bit more bass than the HD598, but the HD598 is clearer in the mids and highs. Both will please you compared to the AD700s, I believe.

 

[Arnotts]

Quote:

Quote:
 
Is there a particular reason you're being an elitist jerk?  I tried multiple sources from my onboard audio, to an iPod, to our home theater's Marantz amp.  They all produced the same difference in quality between the two pairs of cans.
 
Now, do you actually have something constructive to add?

He's not being an elitist jerk at all - you're coming off rude. Rallymaster is totally right. Onboard audio an ipod and a speaker amp are NOT the best sources/amps for you to be using with headphones. The AD700's and the Siberias probably don't need an amp to sound as they should, but you're looking for upgrades aren't you?
 
I have AD700's myself and at first I was disappointed with how they sounded (before I actually bought a sound card, initially I was using onboard sound) - they were barely any better than my previous headphones. After I got a Xonar Essence STX the improvement was huge. Also, they do have tight, good quality bass - you're either just used to loose, boomy bass that overwhelms other parts of the spectrum, or you're using a bad source. Setting the headphone setting to "small" in the Xonar sound center basically results in no bass at all like a lot of people report, but set it to "large" and you'll get very good, tight, high quality bass. It doesn't change the fact that these are bass light headphones and won't excel with dubstep, dnb etc regardless of the changes you make, but they DO have bass and it's good quality even if it doesn't extend that low.
 
Edit: I found the PC350's to be rubbish without an amp. Not sure about the PC360's though.
 

 

[rfvijn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arnotts /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
He's not being an elitist jerk at all - you're coming off rude. Rallymaster is totally right. Onboard audio an ipod and a speaker amp are NOT the best sources/amps for you to be using with headphones. The AD700's and the Siberias probably don't need an amp to sound as they should, but you're looking for upgrades aren't you?
 
I have AD700's myself and at first I was disappointed with how they sounded (before I actually bought a sound card, initially I was using onboard sound) - they were barely any better than my previous headphones. After I got a Xonar Essence STX the improvement was huge. Also, they do have tight, good quality bass - you're either just used to loose, boomy bass that overwhelms other parts of the spectrum, or you're using a bad source. Setting the headphone setting to "small" in the Xonar sound center basically results in no bass at all like a lot of people report, but set it to "large" and you'll get very good, tight, high quality bass. It doesn't change the fact that these are bass light headphones and won't excel with dubstep, dnb etc regardless of the changes you make, but they DO have bass and it's good quality even if it doesn't extend that low.
 
Edit: I found the PC350's to be rubbish without an amp. Not sure about the PC360's though.
 

Maybe that's just the attitude here, but coming in and saying 'he has onboard sound, it's worthless to get good cans' is NOT a friendly or helpful demeanor.  Your explanation however is much more thorough and makes sense.
 
That said, I'm going to disagree, I guarantee you that my Marantz amp (while not tuned specifically for headphones) is more than capable of giving me a proper idea of how they're going to sound pretty close to their best.  It also supports Dolby Headphone which gives me an idea as to their directional capabilities.  And even then, I'm just not impressed with the AD700s and find the Siberias to just sound better (to my ears).  I just don't like how the Siberias feel on my head or that they're closed.
 
Because of this, I'm going to try Senn. HD598's and DT880's based upon a reccomendation from Mad Lust after sending him this:
 
     Quote:

Also, just to give you an idea of what I'm listening to/playing.  Games are World of Warcraft, Team Fortress 2, and MW2 (Battlefield 3 when it comes out).
 
As for music, these are the songs I used to test my headphones out:

1. Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel
2. Cascada - Everytime We Touch
3. Teddybears - Cobrastyle
4. Audio Bullies - All Sing Along
5. Owl City - Fireflies
6. Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
7. Dropkick Murphys - Shipping up to Boston
8. Beach Boys - Kokomo
9. Party Monster - Overdose
10.  Van Halen - Jump (& Panama)

 
Lastly, I want to apologize if I came off rude myself.  I greatly appreciate any and all help/opinions given (even if I disagree).

 

[rfvijn]

Well, I just bought a pair of HD598's for $180 from: http://www.electronics-expo.com/make-a-store/item/SENHD598/Sennheiser/HD598/1.html
 
If anyone else is interested, I called up and asked about a demo model that they had listed for $180 on Amazon.  The guy offered me a new pair for the same price.

 

[Arnotts]

Quote:

Maybe that's just the attitude here, but coming in and saying 'he has onboard sound, it's worthless to get good cans' is NOT a friendly or helpful demeanor.  Your explanation however is much more thorough and makes sense.
 
That said, I'm going to disagree, I guarantee you that my Marantz amp (while not tuned specifically for headphones) is more than capable of giving me a proper idea of how they're going to sound pretty close to their best.  It also supports Dolby Headphone which gives me an idea as to their directional capabilities.  And even then, I'm just not impressed with the AD700s and find the Siberias to just sound better (to my ears).  I just don't like how the Siberias feel on my head or that they're closed.
 
Because of this, I'm going to try Senn. HD598's and DT880's based upon a reccomendation from Mad Lust after sending him this:
 
     Quote:
 
Lastly, I want to apologize if I came off rude myself.  I greatly appreciate any and all help/opinions given (even if I disagree).

 
Fair enough. I've used the AD700's through my Onkyo AV receiver (which powers a Bowers and Wilkins M1 home theater system very well) and it sounded just OK compared to the Essence STX, which was much better imo. I think you aren't quite used to the AD700's bass, but still, I think getting headphones that aren't as bass-light is probably the best way to go anyway. Even now that I can hear its bass perfectly, they still don't handle electronica very well. Fantastic for more traditional, mellow genres like jazz and soft rock though.
 
Congratulations on your purchase and I hope you enjoy the Senn's .
 
 

 

[TMRaven]

Quote:

He's not being an elitist jerk at all - you're coming off rude. Rallymaster is totally right. Onboard audio an ipod and a speaker amp are NOT the best sources/amps for you to be using with headphones. The AD700's and the Siberias probably don't need an amp to sound as they should, but you're looking for upgrades aren't you?
 
I have AD700's myself and at first I was disappointed with how they sounded (before I actually bought a sound card, initially I was using onboard sound) - they were barely any better than my previous headphones. After I got a Xonar Essence STX the improvement was huge. Also, they do have tight, good quality bass - you're either just used to loose, boomy bass that overwhelms other parts of the spectrum, or you're using a bad source. Setting the headphone setting to "small" in the Xonar sound center basically results in no bass at all like a lot of people report, but set it to "large" and you'll get very good, tight, high quality bass. It doesn't change the fact that these are bass light headphones and won't excel with dubstep, dnb etc regardless of the changes you make, but they DO have bass and it's good quality even if it doesn't extend that low.
 
Edit: I found the PC350's to be rubbish without an amp. Not sure about the PC360's though.
 

 
I'll have to disagree whole-heartedly.  The topic starter is right in thinking he's being elitist.  Going from onboard sound to an external dac/amp won't magically give the AD700 any low-end presence.  They're not that good for music at all.  The AD700 also sound pretty much the exact same out of my iMac, out of my iPod, and out of my little dot/music streamer combo.  Even with the DT990 600Ω, going from onboard sound to the music streamer gave very subtle improvement if anything.
 
It'll be interesting to hear your thoughts on hd598 tc!  If you don't think it's better than the siberia, then I'll start questioning your sources and files as well.  
 
Also, only upper-mid bass can be heard on the AD700.  Sub-bass is so rolled off that it gets completely lost with the rest of the music-- let alone feeling or having any weight to any of the bass at all, rather it be sub or mid-upper bass.

 

[nullstring]

err...
 
I didn't think that my AD700's were anything special at first either.
 
I think you need to listen to them a bit longer before making conclusions.. 20+ hours
Alot of newbies make the mistake of thinking they can make conclusions right away (I know I made that mistake)
 
 
Also, I can't stand them with my laptop's onboard sound.. if that means anything to you.