[ZBoneCapone]

Anybody have any opinions on these two sets of headphones? I love the look of both of them, and the price point is the same so what does everyone think of their sound signature? I will mainly use them for gaming and listening to music. I do listen to a lot of rock music so I know Grado really excels in that category.
 
Any comments or advice is greatly appreciated!
 
Cheers!

 

[NA Blur]

The RS-2i is overpriced and the only difference I hear with it over the SR-80i is due to the selection of pads.  It is bright sounding, uncomfortable, and built mostly from plastic.
 
The AKG K702 is a great headphone, but requires some serious burn in time to rid itself of its peaky treble.  The earcups on the K702 are much more comfortable than the stock RS-2i pads, but the K702 headband can be a bit uncomfortable.  To me the K702 is more airy sounding with a more natural transition from bass to treble.
 
I would not hesitate to go with the K702, but the Q701 gives a tad more styling and +2dB more bass if that helps.

 

[LCfiner]

I like the RS2 a bit more than NA Blur (I think) but, yeah, it’s probably more expensive than the sound would warrant. I owned the Q701 and liked it well enough but it does sound a little thin in the bass unless you really have good amplification for it. It has an excellent soundstage.

The safest bet is the Q701, imo. Or K702 if you can get it much cheaper. If you want a Grado on the side for rock and a more energetic sound, get the SR80 (Or Alessandro MS1). And then get some flat pads from TTVJ for way more bass kick and less shrill upper mids.

 

[tomb]

No offense, but if you're into gaming, it would seem that closed headphones are what you want so that you'll get that bone-rattling feel of the bass impact.  Nether AKG's or Grados are going to give you that.

 

[ZBoneCapone]

Quote:

No offense, but if you're into gaming, it would seem that closed headphones are what you want so that you'll get that bone-rattling feel of the bass impact.  Nether AKG's or Grados are going to give you that.

That's not necessarily true. I'm looking for a large soundstage so that I can place footsteps around me. From what I've researched, sound imaging is much better in open headphones. Also, with a lot of bass, it will drown out the mids, which is where the majority of sounds in an FPS are going to be.

 

[tomb]

Quote:

That's not necessarily true. I'm looking for a large soundstage so that I can place footsteps around me. From what I've researched, sound imaging is much better in open headphones. Also, with a lot of bass, it will drown out the mids, which is where the majority of sounds in an FPS are going to be.

OK, then why are almost all gaming headsets closed?  Just asking ...

 

[kvtaco17]

Because boomy bass is expected/sells and is easily achieved with closed cans

 

[ZBoneCapone]

Quote:

OK, then why are almost all gaming headsets closed?  Just asking ...

If you're referring to Astros and TBs and Tittans, which are branded as "gaming headsets" then yes, those are closed. However, I had a pair of A40s and they were nothing special. Terrible sound and an inconsistent mic. For the same price, I could have certainly gotten a better headset. Like I said, from what I've researched, everyone says that a true headset for imaging and sound stage needs to be open.

 

[tomb]

Quote:

If you're referring to Astros and TBs and Tittans, which are branded as "gaming headsets" then yes, those are closed. However, I had a pair of A40s and they were nothing special. Terrible sound and an inconsistent mic. For the same price, I could have certainly gotten a better headset. Like I said, from what I've researched, everyone says that a true headset for imaging and sound stage needs to be open.

I have no idea what those are .. I'm simply talking about the entire rack of gaming headphones I always see at Fry's.
 
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by kvtaco17 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Because boomy bass is expected/sells and is easily achieved with closed cans

^ this ...

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

OK, then why are almost all gaming headsets closed?  Just asking ...

One other consideration aside from those mentioned - if you have a gaming venue, like LAN cafes,* LAN parties where everyone brings their own laptops, or gaming events where you gather all players in the same place on LAN rather than have someone be handicapped by lag (or claim such when they get shot), you wouldn't want to hear what's coming out of the headphones of those beside you, plus all the other noise at the event. In other words, they consider usage in public places.
 
 
 
 
*you might not have those in countries with really fast internet and nearly any schmuck can get a credit card with low interest rates to buy a gaming rig; we have lots of 0% 12mo installment deals on credit cards here, but good luck buying your own custom rig with it as the shops that sell PC parts tend to not have this as a payment option

 

[kvtaco17]

I game a ton... Mostly fps... I've owned many gaming headsets... They all have bloated bass... Now I know better... The bass drowns out a huge amount of information and audio detail... Direction cues, footsteps... I was missing out on a lot of clues to designed to help you. Now I use my ad900x and mu ps500 and its a whole new world. I'm not at a disadvantage anymore. Bf3 for example was designed to present a ton of audio information...

 

[ZBoneCapone]

Quote:

I game a ton... Mostly fps... I've owned many gaming headsets... They all have bloated bass... Now I know better... The bass drowns out a huge amount of information and audio detail... Direction cues, footsteps... I was missing out on a lot of clues to designed to help you. Now I use my ad900x and mu ps500 and its a whole new world. I'm not at a disadvantage anymore. Bf3 for example was designed to present a ton of audio information...

^This. I will mainly be playing BF3, so yes, sound imaging is important to me and I get that with an open headset.

 

[tomb]

Quote:

One other consideration aside from those mentioned - if you have a gaming venue, like LAN cafes,* LAN parties where everyone brings their own laptops, or gaming events where you gather all players in the same place on LAN rather than have someone be handicapped by lag (or claim such when they get shot), you wouldn't want to hear what's coming out of the headphones of those beside you, plus all the other noise at the event. In other words, they consider usage in public places.
 
 
 
 
*you might not have those in countries with really fast internet and nearly any schmuck can get a credit card with low interest rates to buy a gaming rig; we have lots of 0% 12mo installment deals on credit cards here, but good luck buying your own custom rig with it as the shops that sell PC parts tend to not have this as a payment option

Yes ... my question was rhetorical.

 
To be honest, I can't imagine a worse headphone for gaming than K701's ... unless it was a pair of Grados.  Just sayin ...

 

[kvtaco17]

The ps500 isn't like any other grado trust me lol

 

[tomb]

Quote:

The ps500 isn't like any other grado trust me lol

OK - granted, it has enough bass to perhaps be useful in gaming.  As you said, though - it's an exception.