[aleks123]

Hi guys

Looking to purchase some decent headphones, currently using Sennheiser HD201's which I've been using for the past 7 or 8 years!
 
Recently bought a pair of JBL LSR305's and a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 to dabble in some production but would like something purely for listening purposes.

Location: Home (isolation not important)
 
Budget: Around $150-$200 AUD, I feel this is enough to get some good entry level headphones which will be enjoyable to listen to
 
Use:
 
- Music, I mainly listen to trance.
- Gaming
 
I've done some research and it seems like the Audio Technica ATH-AD900X are a good fit for me, are there any other headphones I should consider for this price range? I've seen the AKG K/Q701 recommended as well although these are about $100 more expensive than the 900X's, is the increase in quality justified?
 
Thanks for any help!

 

[aleks123]

Bump, any input?

 

[billybob_jcv]

I have not heard the AD900X. I have heard the previous model, the AD900. I did not care for that sound. It seemed quite harsh and peaky in the treble and the bass was simply missing. But, please don't go only on my say-so - many people own the AD900 and like them. It just wasn't for me. I prefer a much warmer sound, so I would probably be looking at the Sennheiser HD598. I suspect that elevated treble is one of the reasons the AD900X is popular with gamers - I'll bet that's what gives good location cues.

 

[Stillhart]

The AKG's sound fantastic, but they're really not geared towards electronica as they're a bit bass-light.  They also need an amp to get the best sound out of them.  You might consider something like the Fidelio X1.

 

[pulchritudejim]

I would look at Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro. I use them for gaming and they are fantastic. They also are fantastic for trance.

 

[aleks123]

I have not heard the AD900X. I have heard the previous model, the AD900. I did not care for that sound. It seemed quite harsh and peaky in the treble and the bass was simply missing. But, please don't go only on my say-so - many people own the AD900 and like them. It just wasn't for me. I prefer a much warmer sound, so I would probably be looking at the Sennheiser HD598. I suspect that elevated treble is one of the reasons the AD900X is popular with gamers - I'll bet that's what gives good location cues.

 
Supposedly the AD900X addressed the bass issue, can anyone confirm this?
 

  The AKG's sound fantastic, but they're really not geared towards electronica as they're a bit bass-light.  They also need an amp to get the best sound out of them.  You might consider something like the Fidelio X1.

 
How does the Fidelio X1 perform with highs? Really looking for a headphone where I don't lose any detail. Check out the first 2 songs I posted below!
 

  I would look at Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro. I use them for gaming and they are fantastic. They also are fantastic for trance.

 
These look alright but I don't think they would be able to be driven by my 2i2, have researched a bit and they seem to struggle with the 250 ohm impedance.
 
Here are some of my favourite tracks btw, maybe this can narrow down the options a bit:
 

 

 

 

 

[billybob_jcv]

The DT770 Pro come in several flavors, including 32 Ohm, 80 Ohm & 250 Ohm.
http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-DT-770-PRO-32-Headphone-Monitoring-Applications/dp/B008POFOHM

 

[cel4145]

Soundmagic HP150 tend more toward a neutral class of headphone with a bit of bass and treble emphasis, with the bass emphasis rising in the lower sub bass region.

 

[Youth]

The DT770 Pro come in several flavors, including 32 Ohm, 80 Ohm & 250 Ohm.
http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-DT-770-PRO-32-Headphone-Monitoring-Applications/dp/B008POFOHM

 
This is a good choice. Really great for gaming as well.

 

[aleks123]

The DT770 Pro come in several flavors, including 32 Ohm, 80 Ohm & 250 Ohm.
http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-DT-770-PRO-32-Headphone-Monitoring-Applications/dp/B008POFOHM

 
 

Soundmagic HP150 tend more toward a neutral class of headphone with a bit of bass and treble emphasis, with the bass emphasis rising in the lower sub bass region.

 
Are there any large differences in sound between the 32, 80 and 250 ohm versions?

Don't open-backed headphones generally produce better sound seeing as I'm just listening to them at home?

Sorry for all the questions! Might have to go into an audio store and have a listen to as many of these models as I can find

 

[cel4145]

Open back headphones generally produce a bigger soundstage. Otherwise, they are not inherently better than closed back headphones.

 

[mikey1964]

A great gaming headphone must have all the attributes of a great pair of cans in the first place, like great highs, mids and bass. Unfortunately, I personally know of no pair of cans that have all those attributes in perfect synergy. Best you can go for is a pair of can with V shaped signature sound. Highs that perhaps help you hear and keep track of enemies when gaming, and bass for your trance music.....mids would prolly be somewhat recessed (thus hampering your effort a little to keep track of enemies), this is the signature sound of the DT990. For gaming, you'd want an open headphones for better soundstage hence better positional sound, and bass for those great sounding explosions and gunfire. As someone had stated, the DT990 Pro comes in 32/80/250 Ohm versions, so go for the lower impedence models if the 250 ohm version is a little too daunting for you.
 
I usually test my headphones using UT3 Fearless map, the DT990/600 + iFi Micro iDSD performs admirably here. Not sure if it's true, but I've heard that a good and easy to drive headphones + gaming soundcard (like Asus Xonar Phoebus or SoundBlaster Z/ZX/ZXR) would net you a better gaming experience due to their respective surround gaming environmental effect.....though I do have the Phoebus ZX and an Asus Xonar Phoebus Solo, I'd not bothered to use them for gaming preferring to use my external dac/amp combos. Why do I have them then? Well, I'd gotten them before I'd become aware of how good external dac/amp combos/stacks were (for music, and to a great extent, gaming as well), besides, my soundcards are hooked up to my speaker systems. Oh yeah, I've heard that the free Razer Surround software is great for emulating surround effects in games using stereo headphones/headsets. Again, I've only heard of it, haven't gotten down to actually downloading and testing it out myself.

 

[aleks123]

I've had a shop around and been able to find the following:

Audio Technica ATH-AD900X - $170 AUD

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohms - $200 AUD

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 32 Ohms - $220 AUD
 
To reiterate I'll be running these through my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, will this struggle to power the 80 ohm headphones?

Although I'll be using the headphones for gaming I'm mainly basing my decision on the sound quality when listening to music.
 
There doesn't have to be a huge amount of bass as long as it's there and punchy I'm fine with that.
 
At the moment I'm leaning towards the Audio Technica's as I've heard female vocals and the highs sound great on them which is a big plus when listening to trance. I believe they also have a bigger soundstage which will result in a more immersive listening experience if I'm correct. They can also be driven by portable music players, can definitely see myself listening to these using my ipod in bed/lounging etc. 
 
I suppose the things I'm worried about with the Audio Technica's is that they are perhaps a bit 'slow' and that some faster music will get a bit muddled and also that the highs may be a bit harsh and fatiguing.