[mitchy1690]

Hi everyone.

I'm currently using an AKG K702 and Audio-Technica adg1x with the creative soundblaster g6.

I'm looking for an upgrade in headphones if possible for under £200 for competitive gaming.

Priority is Imaging/Positional audio then soundstage.

I've read the K702 is the best for imaging for under £200 which is why I bought them a few years ago but would like something new/better now.

I've been looking at the akg k712 and the beyerdynamic tygr 300/900 pro x/990

Can anyone tell me what's the best for imaging out of them or any others?, I've been using mad lustguide, rtings, YouTube and reddit but would like some info directly.

 

[silent-circuit]

My understanding is the K702/712 are still the best option for positional gaming audio in that price range. You will probably have to increase your budget to see a meaningful improvement.

 

[mitchy1690]

My understanding is the K702/712 are still the best option for positional gaming audio in that price range. You will probably have to increase your budget to see a meaningful improvement.

Thanks for help, I was expecting this answer tbh as everywhere mentions the K702.

Now the question is how much of a downgrade will I get if I choose one of the beyerdynamic headphones I mentioned

 

[dunring]

Hi everyone.

I'm currently using an AKG K702 and Audio-Technica adg1x with the creative soundblaster g6.

I'm looking for an upgrade in headphones if possible for under £200 for competitive gaming.

Priority is Imaging/Positional audio then soundstage.

I've read the K702 is the best for imaging for under £200 which is why I bought them a few years ago but would like something new/better now.

I've been looking at the akg k712 and the beyerdynamic tygr 300/900 pro x/990

Can anyone tell me what's the best for imaging out of them or any others?, I've been using mad lustguide, rtings, YouTube and reddit but would like some info directly.

The K712 is a good headphone, but the Audio Technica ADA1000x is kingpin for gaming. I've had several and it's always fun to hear things behind you which that model does especially well. Soundstage is good, but the imaging of being able to pinpoint where things are coming from that makes it special. It also has the best tuned female vocals I've heard (out of 110 different headphones/headsets I've had for the business). You can power them easily, low gain on your G6 with the 5.1 mode and 12 percent SBX just to bump out the sound stage without losing resolution should be fine. It's made in Japan so they tune it so higher female singers like Ellie Goulding and Sia sound amazing. That also works well for game sounds too.

 

[mitchy1690]

The K712 is a good headphone, but the Audio Technica ADA1000x is kingpin for gaming. I've had several and it's always fun to hear things behind you which that model does especially well. Soundstage is good, but the imaging of being able to pinpoint where things are coming from that makes it special. It also has the best tuned female vocals I've heard (out of 110 different headphones/headsets I've had for the business). You can power them easily, low gain on your G6 with the 5.1 mode and 12 percent SBX just to bump out the sound stage without losing resolution should be fine. It's made in Japan so they tune it so higher female singers like Ellie Goulding and Sia sound amazing. That also works well for game sounds too.

Thanks for the info, I've read the adg1x is basically a ad900x with a mic, is there much of an upgrade for imaging between the 900x and 1000x?

Ive ordered the tygr 300r for a test and lately I've seen people saying the sennheiser pc38x headset is actually better for imaging than the headphones I've listed, surely that can't be right?

 

[ronfifer]

i find Drop heaphones to be overrated with their reviews.
Getting better imaging always comes at the cost of a reduced soundstaged (except for the HD800s), so an "imaging" sidegrade to the k702, which is already a high performer in this area, would be the Sen HD660s or its cheaper sibling the Jubilee 58X. Honorable mentions are Hifiman 400i (or 4XX) and DT990 Pro 600ohm. Good luck and share your experience!

Note: I own the K702 and use it with Dolby Atmos for Headphones VSS in FPS, and dont feel the need to upgrade it for better imaging as it is accurate enough to make them call me a hacker. The one headphone that I would consider to "upgrade" my competitive play is the HD800s.

 

[whitedragem]

Thanks for the info, I've read the adg1x is basically a ad900x with a mic, is there much of an upgrade for imaging between the 900x and 1000x?

Ive ordered the tygr 300r for a test and lately I've seen people saying the sennheiser pc38x headset is actually better for imaging than the headphones I've listed, surely that can't be right?

As an ATH ADG1X user of ‘quite a few years’, and as a user of most professional ‘headphone surround’ software/hardware packages (including things like an Outlaw 990 preamp(Dolby Headphone) and an Asus STX etc) I’d reiterate you already have the best endgame surround headphones... (for your $200 price budget or even considerably more)

The AKG open backs are the go to, and there isn’t ‘much’ in it between them and the ADG1X ‘cans..
The ADG1X seemed a weird composite of their various headphones. 53mm drivers, angled drivers etc..
The metals used inside may be slightly more refined on their flagship open backs,.. but I would encourage you to not waste money sidegrading to ‘other good sets’, and simply focus on buying replacement 2000 series drivers and installing them in your present ADG1X.

I think the 900s/700s used a four screw mount that made insertion of the flagship drivers into the ‘lowly’ parts not doable; BUT- the ADG1X uses the ‘three screw’ mount that the flagship drivers use....

Of course it will take a few hundred hours of break in before they are firing on ‘all cylinders’, and during that time you may find that the headphones give mixed results or perform poorly vs other ‘flavour of the moment’ open backs.. (like the r70x).

Sadly - I have to also report that you haven’t got a lot of latitude to buy into.
The standard gotos being HD800 series by Sennheiser..
I realised that Hifiman Sundaras DIDN’T cut it for me (after trying a few planar designs by Audeze etc), and ultimately went to super high pricepoint (dynamic driver) ‘closed backs’ in an attempt to go hard or go home...
At six times the cost of the Sundara I found some closed backs that had ‘impressive’ soundstage, but if I had to do it again, I’d look at cheaper alternatives like the Sony MDRZ7 etc..
Getting a great soundfield closed back is ‘hard work’, getting EXCEPTIONAL soundstage open backs is a short shortlist.
Congratulations for having DONE it!

edit an amp upgrade might suit you considerably more for changing the soundfield up considerably and giving you the best soundstage the planet can offer.. (eg Burson headphone amplifier known for exceptional soundstage; eg Virtuoso 2) (you could still feed the G6 processor at ‘line level’ to net HRTF encoded ‘surround sound’)

 

[mitchy1690]

I had to change the pads of my adg1x as the inside pressed against my ears and hurt quite abit, I used the brainwavz XL.

Apart from that the only problem is the volume controller, its terrible, 90% movement does nothing then the last bit changes the volume and now I'm having a problem with it, up full the right cup is alittle louder, I have to move it the slightest bit for the audio to be level on both cups.

I'm testing the beyerdynamic tygr 300r now and I really like the sound of it, I've been testing it on Battlefield 4/2042, Hunt, R6 Siege and Apex.

Was tempted to pick up the Sennheiser PC38X on Drop a few days ago as it was a really good price.

I'm also a user of surround so been going between Atmos, Sonic, Dts headphone and the G6 7.1 surround but not sure about the 0-100% surround controller.