This thread is already a mess, but I guess that's going to happen in any "be all end all" thread. I'm not saying that's a bad thing though
My large two cents:
1. Gaming headphones have to do two things very well. They have to be incredibly detailed, and they have to work extremely well with the positional audio algorithms the computer is using to imitate a 3D soundfield.
2. Regarding the soundfield, generally when you set up you sound card to process 3D audio, you give it "hints" as to what your speaker configuration is like. The two that are relevant to us are "stereo speakers" and "headphones." We are going to have to pick one of these two.
2a. The two sound settings above correlate roughly to the "classic" headphone soundstage (i.e. GET OUT OF MY HEAD) and near-field monitors.
2c. Thus, any headphone that produces a soundstage that does not emulate one of those closely is not optimal for gaming.
I haven't had many headphones in my collection, and haven't had a chance to audition many in a gaming environment, however from my limited exposure I have to say that most headphones that are geared to audiophiles are not good for gaming because of (2b), their unique soundstages are not conducive to the algorithms being used for to process 3D audio.
I would also say that closed headphones generally seem better because not only do they keep out background noises, which helps resolve detail, but they emulate the soundstages we are interested in much closer then open headphones do.
Now, the three headphones I know best, SR-125's, HD600's, and the V6. I used to be a semi-pro gamer back in college and still play quite a bit. I know these headphones in and out when it comes to gaming.
1. The SR-125's are horrible. Back in college when I switched between these and the V6's, my clanmates would notice. Their sound signature is excellent for picking up audio cues, but their soundstage is absolutely horrible for resolving where they are coming from. I can resolve front, back, left, and right -- but anything more specific is murky.
2. Sony MDR-V6. I love these for gaming, and still use them. Their soundstage is not conducive at all for music -- they put it right in your head -- but this is
perfect for positional audio. I can resolve sounds extremely accurately using these headphones. Their reputation as studio monitors is well earned, they are also excellent at revealing audio cues as well.
3. The HD600's. People say these are excellent headphones for gaming. They might be compared to the competition at the pricepoint. They just don't compare to the V6's though. They do let me resolve the soundstage much more accurately then the SR125's and they certainly are more then adequate for reproducing audio cues, but they're just not as good as the V6 for spatial resolution.
I've never head the AKG or DT phones, so I cannot comment on those. I've been sorely tempted to try them but since I am not very interested in their musical qualities my wallet has kept them at bay.
At the next headfest, I am so tempted to bing down a shuttle box and go around with some gamers and audition various phones. This question has been up in the air for way too long.