[redcore]

I've been shopping around for headphones and I can easily say that I'm pretty clueless when it comes to selection. I have been using Steelseries Siberia v1 (which are about to die as well as the mic) and I found them to be decent but I'm looking for something with a little bit more kick to them. I've been looking at Sennheiser, Audio Technica and Sony and I've pretty much got it down to HD555s, ATH-AD700 and MDR-V700DJ respectively. I am open to suggestions but I'm looking to spend around 100-125$. I also use them on the bus/metro so if it is recommended, I would probably end up putting a little bit more money into them if it helps the physical quality.
 
My sound card is a Creative X-Fi Xtremegamer if that helps anyone out.
 
Games I play: Mostly CS 1.6 and WoW but I do play CoD and tons of single player games. I like to have decent bass but still have enough clarity to be able to hear the footsteps properly in games like CS.
 
Also, since I would be getting headphones instead of a headset, what microphones would you guys recommend?
 
NOTE: I would probably have to buy online and I don't really like to buy headphones without trying them out first but if anyone can pinpoint me to trustworthy reviews I might be able to make an easier decision. The only headphones I've tried are the Sony ones but I couldn't bring them home to try them on video games since they're not mine.

 

[tdockweiler]

If you plan on using them in public, don't get an open headphone. The AD700 is HUGE and very open. Even someone just 10 feet away could hear your music. I still suggest getting an open headphone for gaming and music though. The AD700 is good for gaming, but not as good for music based on my experience. Definitely not bad. If you've got a small head they might not fit.
 
Believe it or not, before I read this post I was comparing over 5 different headphones for gaming..
 
Out of all of them I preferred the Audio Technica ATH-AD2000. I'm not suggesting this though since the AD700 might be good enough.
This seemed to make all the tiny details sound really forward. The soundstage wasn't as big as that of the K701, but that was a plus. For games, I felt the forward sounding detail of the AD2000 was a huge plus.
 
When I heard vocals in games, the K702 seemed to make them sound a bit more distant and not in a good way. Soundstage was very good. The detail was there, but not as forward and easy to hear as compared to the AD2000. That's how the K702 is, since the K702 is more neutral to begin with.
 
It's basically a toss up for me as to if my K601 or K702 is better for gaming. The K601 has a LOT less detail, but what detail it has is more forward and easier to hear. The soundstage is good, but just can't compare to that of the K702. Some may prefer the smaller soundstage of the K601.
 
K240 Studio was the next. It's not bad for gaming for the price. One reason this is an option is that it's better for music than gaming. It seems to do everything quite well, it's extremely comfortable but not extremely detailed and has just an average soundstage. For a semi-open headphone the soundstage is not that good.
 
I wish this would catch on, but I think the Koss Pro DJ 100 is a good gaming headphone. It has much more detail than a lot of other headphones, has a very good soundstage for being closed and it has very good imaging. Probably the best out of any headphone I've heard under $150. The only negative (for gaming) in some ways is that it does have a good amount of bass. It's sound isn't as clear as that of the K702, but still more clear than the K240 Studio to my ears. I don't know why, but I always like slightly forward mids for gaming. I'm willing to bet money that the DJ100's soundstage just may very well be better then the soundstage of the 555!
 
I really should compare the AD700 to the DJ 100. One thing I would point out is that if you love bass, don't get the AD700. It was very bass light to me and I'm not even one who cares much about bass quantity.
 
So my suggestion would be to try the DJ100. Most Best Buy's carry them and it's zero risk. Just return them if you don't like them. For gaming ONLY the AD700 would be another good option. If it's 50% gaming and 50% music, I myself would probably get the DJ100. HD-555 is very comfortable, but I never found it to be very detailed. I had those for around 3 years. When you said you wanted "a little more kick" I think this sound like you'd like the DJ100. The AD700 might not be a good pick based on that description.

 

[redcore]

Unfortunately, I live in Quebec. Our Best Buys dont carry everything US Best Buys carry. I think I could be lucky enough to find a music store but I doubt it. Its pretty much the main reason why I mentioned Id have to buy online.

 

[redcore]

To summerize, I need closed headphones because I use them frequently in public, something that has a decent soundstage and bass that gives games a better feel. What I'm concerned about is the fact that I keep reading about "amp this" and "amp that". What do amps amplify? Clarity? Bass? If I dont need an amp I simply wont buy one.
 
My friend has MDR-V700DJs... I find them to be pretty good but I keep reading that theyre terrible. I found them on ebay for 30$ but theyre from hong kong so im afraid they might be fakes.
 
I also keep reading that ATH-A700s are great for gaming but lack in bass and I'm reading similar things about the HD555s. People keep telling me not to get gaming headsets because they dont do half as much as other headphones would do.. and those same people talk about buying amps to get the most out of headphones... this is so confusing. If theyre that great, why do they need amps?
 
Anyway if anyone can lead me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated. I'd love to learn more about headphones and what makes them good for different types of usage.

 

[Riku540]

Quote:

To summerize, I need closed headphones because I use them frequently in public, something that has a decent soundstage and bass that gives games a better feel. What I'm concerned about is the fact that I keep reading about "amp this" and "amp that". What do amps amplify? Clarity? Bass? If I dont need an amp I simply wont buy one.
 
My friend has MDR-V700DJs... I find them to be pretty good but I keep reading that theyre terrible. I found them on ebay for 30$ but theyre from hong kong so im afraid they might be fakes.
 
I also keep reading that ATH-A700s are great for gaming but lack in bass and I'm reading similar things about the HD555s. People keep telling me not to get gaming headsets because they dont do half as much as other headphones would do.. and those same people talk about buying amps to get the most out of headphones... this is so confusing. If theyre that great, why do they need amps?
 
Anyway if anyone can lead me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated. I'd love to learn more about headphones and what makes them good for different types of usage.

Anything you plug headphones into has an amp. The problem is most headphone jack-amps are an afterthought. Just because headphones don't have batteries or a power plug doesn't mean they don't need power. They get everything, signal and power from the source they are plugged into, and as good as the signal is, if they are not powered properly, the full potential of that signal is not realized.
 
You're a gamer right? Then you should know that a better/more powerful PC requires a more powerful power supply to run. Well guess what? your headphones are no different. Unamped high-end headphones is like running a laptop off the battery instead of being plugged in. Unplugged, a laptop's performance suffers significantly, even if you adjust the power settings to favor performance over battery life.
 
That said, most headphones in your ballpark, Audio-Technica specifically, are very efficient and do not need a significant amount of amping and do fine without. I wouldn't worry too much about amping unless you were to take things up to the $200 range, where Beyers and Senn's come into play; both which require a significant increase in voltage.

 

[redcore]

Thanks for making me understand that. Unfortunately it doesnt really help my selection . As I mentioned above, I have been told that the bass on the ATH-AD700s is lacking and I cant find a retailer that carries them. So trying them is out of the question. I have been satisfied by Steelseries for a long time. I have never found the bass to be lacking in any way and positional sound has always been decent. I guess I'll just get the Siberia V2s. I can get them at Best Buy or Future Shop for 99.99. If I ever find anything better i can always bring them back. I'll just get some cheaper headphones for the road. If you have any suggestions on closed headphones at around 50$, let me know. It would be greatly appreciated. Something decent but only for music.

 

[Riku540]

Look into Sony XB500 and XB700.
 
Both have explosive bass and are closed. I'm not sure how they fare in gaming though.
 
Unfortunately for your budget, there are compromises to be had.

 

[Jupe]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned the ATH M50's yet.
 
Right now they're my favorite pair of headphones, but I admit the only games I play are RTS, like Starcraft, so I don't know if the qualities that I find endearing would be as useful to you. But for what it's worth, they're closed cans, don't require an amp, have plenty of bass (which becomes tight and controlled after burn-in), and good isolation, so no one can hear what you're playing unless you've got the volume at deafening levels. They won't have as big of a soundstage as something like the AD700, but I find it plenty for my uses.
 
You can usually find these ~$120 new, but one suggestion I have is to look for the coiled cord. The M50S has a 10-ft straight cable, which is a bit much for non-studio use IMO.
 
If I remember correctly, the M50 has less bass than the XB500/700, but greater extension. I'm going back to listen to them again tonight, so I can update with my comparisons later.

 

[Riku540]

The lack of gaming qualities in the M50 is why it hasn't been mentioned yet.

 

[Jupe]

 
Quote:

The lack of gaming qualities in the M50 is why it hasn't been mentioned yet.

So, just out of curiosity, what type of gaming qualities do FPS players look for? I always assumed it was just a matter of soundstage, but after comparing a few headphones this evening, I'm confident the M50 has plenty (then again, that's based on my uses/needs).
 
 
And just for reference (while the memory is still fresh), the XB500/700 did in fact have more bass punch than the M50, but both headphones felt sloppy and bloated by comparison. The 700 was more controlled, but didn't go anywhere near as deep as the M50's (not sure if that's a matter of burn-in). Considering the M50's are twice as much as the 700's, it's not a fair comparison anyway, so take it with a bit of salt.

 

[Slaughter]

Yeah, since you needs closed, portable phones, you will be very limited to what you can use for gaming since open headphones are a better choice imo. The M50 would work fine for what you need them to do. And the X-Fi will work for any of the phones you are looking at.

 

[Riku540]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jupe /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
So, just out of curiosity, what type of gaming qualities do FPS players look for? I always assumed it was just a matter of soundstage, but after comparing a few headphones this evening, I'm confident the M50 has plenty (then again, that's based on my uses/needs).
 
And just for reference (while the memory is still fresh), the XB500/700 did in fact have more bass punch than the M50, but both headphones felt sloppy and bloated by comparison. The 700 was more controlled, but didn't go anywhere near as deep as the M50's (not sure if that's a matter of burn-in). Considering the M50's are twice as much as the 700's, it's not a fair comparison anyway, so take it with a bit of salt.

 
I recommended the XB headphones as music headphones, not gaming.
 
Soundstage is a big one, but that plays a part in accuracy and imaging. Just because you can hear someone at your 7 o'clock doesn't mean you can tell how far or close he is. And without good separation and airiness, a lot of subtle details and position cues and clues can be lost with all the other blasts and heavy gunfire going on.
 
For single player and cooperative games, this is more of a luxury. However, for competitive games this is a must.
 
The "lacking" bass on the AD700 is not as bad as people make it out to be. It's one of those things where one person mentions it, and a bunch of other people regurgitate this information based on what they read, and not heard, shying people away from a perfectly good headphone. People need to understand that "lacking" is a relative terms in comparison to what, bass heavy headphones? I get tipped off when people say things like the DT 880 lacks bass. It's a neutral headphone. Neutral should be the bar for comparison, not the other way around.
 
No, the AD700 will not blast your ears off like say, an IMAX theater will. As one who owns the AD700, DT 880, and PRO 900, I still play competitively with the AD700. The exaggerated positional cues and accuracy is just way too good for competitive play, and not to mention... it's less than $100, or $90 even.
 
Considering I got the DT 880 for ~$250 and the PRO 900 for $320, which are better headphones by far overall, that's saying a lot.

 

[Croozer]

Senn PC350.
Razer Megalodon.

 

[Silentnoise]

Quote:

Senn PC350.

He said he wants headphones, not a headset.  He also said he is wearing them in public.  Would you wear your PC350's in public, with a huge mic?
 
I've used the AD700's for gaming.  They might not be the most bass heavy, but for gaming the bass is fine.  I didn't like the wing system they use to hold it on your head, the headphones always slipped down my ears when I moved my head, and I couldn't get a good seal with my ears.  I'm currently using HD595's, which I'm satisfied with.

 

[Jupe]

Quote:

I recommended the XB headphones as music headphones, not gaming.
 
Soundstage is a big one, but that plays a part in accuracy and imaging. Just because you can hear someone at your 7 o'clock doesn't mean you can tell how far or close he is. And without good separation and airiness, a lot of subtle details and position cues and clues can be lost with all the other blasts and heavy gunfire going on.
 
For single player and cooperative games, this is more of a luxury. However, for competitive games this is a must.
 
The "lacking" bass on the AD700 is not as bad as people make it out to be. It's one of those things where one person mentions it, and a bunch of other people regurgitate this information based on what they read, and not heard, shying people away from a perfectly good headphone. People need to understand that "lacking" is a relative terms in comparison to what, bass heavy headphones? I get tipped off when people say things like the DT 880 lacks bass. It's a neutral headphone. Neutral should be the bar for comparison, not the other way around.
 
No, the AD700 will not blast your ears off like say, an IMAX theater will. As one who owns the AD700, DT 880, and PRO 900, I still play competitively with the AD700. The exaggerated positional cues and accuracy is just way too good for competitive play, and not to mention... it's less than $100, or $90 even.
 
Considering I got the DT 880 for ~$250 and the PRO 900 for $320, which are better headphones by far overall, that's saying a lot.

Ah, thanks for the explanation! I agree that the M50's lack the 'airiness' that some other headphones have, though I guess I never associated that term with the 'depth perception' one might get.
And to clarify, I wasn't trying to bash your suggestion with my impression of the XB700--I was just following up my earlier comment, since I wasn't sure I remembered their sound correctly.
 
Both cans are definitely fun, but like you said, perhaps not the best for gaming.