[Blackout621]

Hey everyone! First off, I'd like to introduce myself; I'm new here and my name is Zac. I'm new to the world of audiophiles, but I've been a serious computer enthusiast for several years. The two go hand in hand on a frequent basis if you ask me.
 
Anyway, enough about me. I'm looking to make my debut into the wonderful world of high-end audio products. My maximum budget is ~$250ish. I will be using these headphones for listening to a lot rap and hip hop, a little dubstep, some other music, play a LOT of video games (PC, of course ), and perhaps the occasional movie. We'll say 40% music, 40% games, and 10% movies, but that's simply a rough estimate. Anyway, after some research, I've found a few ideal headphones with great critical reception that are seemingly recommended often.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Ultrasone-PRO-Closed-Back-Professional-Headphones/dp/B003USCCFA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1359830874&sr=8-2&keywords=Ultrasone+750
 
http://www.amazon.com/Crossfade-Limited-Over-Ear-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B005HMBQR2
 
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Headphones-Accents/dp/B0042A8CW2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359830816&sr=8-1&keywords=HD+598
 
 
But before you ask, yes, I will be using a nice soundcard - it will either be Creative's new ZxR or their current Titanium X-Fi HD. As far as amps go, I haven't really put much thought into it, but from what I've heard from other audiophiles, you don't necessarily need one (even for high-end headphones). Keep in mind that while I'd be using these phones mainly for my PC, I'd also probably be using them with a mobile device some on the go - say a smartphone or ipod. 
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[minhquancanon7d]

Try some others V-moda, man, those are good, and the ath-m50 too

 

[Caessa]

As a fellow PC gamer with experience with lots of closed-back mid-to-low grade headphones ($300 or less), I can say that other than comfort, different headphones aren't really going to change your gaming experience much.  Perhaps it will be different if you get a pair of open headphones, which generally tend to have a larger soundstage.  I would instead focus most on what you want to hear from your music.  If you're willing to up your budget by a few bucks, my personal favorite is the newest addition to my family, the Sony MDR-1Rs for ~300.

 

[davidsh]

Do you need open or closed? For gaming you can do way better than v-moda and the m50 imo.
 
Have you looked at MLE's gaming guide?
 
I see one obstacle here. With your genres you'd probably want a decent amount of bass, which isn't a favorable feature for competitive gaming. But I'd say you should go music preference first. Maybe look into some ultrasones?

 

[NamelessPFG]

Quote:

I see one obstacle here. With your genres you'd probably want a decent amount of bass, which isn't a favorable feature for competitive gaming. But I'd say you should go music preference first. Maybe look into some ultrasones?

 
I'd say HE-400, but that's out of his budget.
 
I have no experience with Ultrasone, unfortunately, which means no recommendations for or against them coming from me. I just hope the mids aren't as recessed as everyone says they are.

 

[Blackout621]

Quote:

Do you need open or closed? For gaming you can do way better than v-moda and the m50 imo.
 
Have you looked at MLE's gaming guide?
 
I see one obstacle here. With your genres you'd probably want a decent amount of bass, which isn't a favorable feature for competitive gaming. But I'd say you should go music preference first. Maybe look into some ultrasones?

I don't personally have a preference, but open leak sound bad, right?
 
No, I have not. Yeah, it's hard to find an all-around pair for my needs, but I'm sure there's got to be a pair that somewhat balances favorable features/aspects.
 
(Thanks for everyone who has given input so far)

 

[davidsh]

Quote:

I don't personally have a preference, but open leak sound bad, right?
 
No, I have not. Yeah, it's hard to find an all-around pair for my needs, but I'm sure there's got to be a pair that somewhat balances favorable features/aspects.
 
(Thanks for everyone who has given input so far)

They do leak somewhat much, yes. My HE-500 leak almost as much as laptop speakers playing somewhat quiet in the background, but the dt880 isn't that bad for instance. They will leak, though.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-updated-1-28-13-k702-65th-anni-ed-added
 
The hfi-2400 is somewhat frequently recommended for gaming. They have a somewhat big amount of bass, but also a hot treble, eg. they can be sibilant from what I have heard.

 

[Blackout621]

Quote:

They do leak somewhat much, yes. My HE-500 leak almost as much as laptop speakers playing somewhat quiet in the background, but the dt880 isn't that bad for instance. They will leak, though.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-updated-1-28-13-k702-65th-anni-ed-added
 
The hfi-2400 is somewhat frequently recommended for gaming. They have a somewhat big amount of bass, but also a hot treble, eg. they can be sibilant from what I have heard.

Would you recommend them over the 750s? They were recommended to me on Overclock.net by an audiophile and they are almost the exact same price.

 

[davidsh]

Quote:

Would you recommend them over the 750s? They were recommended to me on Overclock.net by an audiophile and they are almost the exact same price.

I don't know, really. But I suspect the 2400 might do better. But I have heard neither of them.