Hi,
I was about to start a thread on my questions, but saw this thread so wanted to give it a shot to see if I can get an answer without starting a new thread. I just joined the forum and am very new to nice headphones. I read up on forum pages for a few hours last night, but was hoping I could give my situation and seek recommendations from those more knowledgeable than me.
The purpose of the headphones is to be able to watch my blu-rays and play my PS3 at night without disturbing my wife and son as they sleep. My current audio setup is a Pioneer 1018 a/v receiver, with a 5.1 Energy C-300 surround setup. I first tried to buy the new Playstation official headset, but found it was interfering with my controller, so had to return it. I don't really care whether the headphone is wireless or not and I sit about 9-10 feet away from the receiver. As far as the gaming goes, I am more interested in the feeling of immersion in games such as Call of Duty and Uncharted with good bass for the explosions than I am with hearing pinpoint directionality of footsteps (don't play too much multiplayer). Though, I'm not someone who would want a headphone that is just a bass blaster (and any that are less damaging to the ears would be a plus), just one that would deliver solid bass. As far as priorities, if I had to choose, I'd prefer the headphones excel in movies and be good with games rather than vice versa.
A few more notes - as much as I know it won't compare to a true surround system, I would only be interested in headphones that could deliver virtual surround sound. Still unsure if the Dolby Headphone I've read about is an add on product to headphones or if it is incorporated in them. Good surround sound would be a major plus for me. Another thing I read about is having an "amp" added onto your headphones. Since I'll be hooking this up to my a/v receiver will this be necessary? I'd like to avoid having to buy anything that isn't necessary. Which brings me to my budget, I would have a hard time spending more than $200 on these headphones (and would prefer to stay closer to $100) since they are my first real headphones and I'm really not sure I would be able to appreciate the nuances the higher level options would deliver. Since I'll be watching movies, head comfort would also be a very important factor.
I hope I have covered enough details that you will be able to offer me some suggestions. I'd like to jump on a holiday deal ASAP (any good ones, please let me know). Some of the ones I've looked into so far (based on reading) are Sennheiser products and Audio Technica AD700. Please help me decide!
Thanks in advance for any responses!