[MustRotate]

Hello all,
I am asking for your help in choosing a pair of headphones with excellent positioning for playing Counterstrike 1.6.
They will be paired with a Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic.

I have read some threads around here and the main contenders are:
Beyerdynamic DT 770Pro -the most expensive set
AKG K601 -better positioning than the Beyerdynamic but open

The underdog and considerably cheaper- Koss SB40/45.

I would rather buy some that are closed because external noise can be a PITA when listening to steps.
As past cans i had a Speedlink Triton and now i am tormented by some low-end Sennheisers(HD201) which are really awful at pinpointing enemies.
Thanks in advance for your help and i want to apologize if i made grammar mistakes, english is not my first language.

 

[Cry Havoc]

There's an entire gaming thread on the first page about this. Lots of info there for you.

 

[MustRotate]

Yes,i've read a couple of pages from that, but i was interested in the combo XtremeMusic+headphones. Do i need for example for the AKGs an amp to use them at full potential or not?
Foe-Hammer is recomending the AKG K601 so thats why i am asking specifically that model.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MustRotate /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes,i've read a couple of pages from that, but i was interested in the combo XtremeMusic+headphones. Do i need for example for the AKGs an amp to use them at full potential or not? Foe-Hammer is recomending the AKG K601 so thats why i am asking specifically that model.

I'd get the Beyers DT880 instead.. They have a very flat frequency.. Excellent positioning.. & are monitor headphones.. Precise imaging, excellent detail retrieval. & a out of head presentation.. But the 601's will be more fun with music & gaming.. The 880's do benefit from a separate amp, but I heard of people enjoying their 880's with a similar set up like yours.. Foe said his 601's need a separate amp for optimal performance.

The Ultrasone 780HI (closed) were made for gaming & movies.. & have 'natural surround sound'.. They are very popular here.. The AD700 is another good choice.. Both are very easy to drive..

 

[captainzoli]

The ATH-A900s are great closed gaming headphones as well.

 

[Cry Havoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool bubba ice /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd get the Beyers DT880 instead.. They have a very flat frequency.. Excellent positioning.. & are monitor headphones.. Precise imaging, excellent detail retrieval. & a out of head presentation.. But the 601's will be more fun with music & gaming.. The 880's do benefit from a separate amp, but I heard of people enjoying their 880's with a similar set up like yours.. Foe said his 601's need a separate amp for optimal performance. The Ultrasone 780HI (closed) were made for gaming & movies.. & have 'natural surround sound'.. They are very popular here.. The AD700 is another good choice.. Both are very easy to drive..

I have the 780s. They are very good gaming headphones so far.

 

[Chrysoberyl]

Among those you mentioned,the k601 is the best by a very long shot.And amazing for music,too.

 

[MustRotate]

Ok but would i subestimate their quality by using them without an amplifier? Or for games that is enough?
I forgot to mention, but someone recommended to me also the Audio Technica ATH-A700. These seem also easy to drive.
About the K601: how much outside noise can you hear with them? I know that the isolation isnt that good as with an closed headphone but if the quality is so much better i would sacrifice isolation for that.

 

[greggf]

K601 and DT770 should both be great. But they sure sound different..........if you like one, you may hate the other, and there's no way of predicting which would be which, without hearing/trying them both.

HD595 also?

 

[MustRotate]

I read on a different forum that someone had the K601 and bought then the DT770 Pro and he is saying that the Beyers have a constant noise in them-he puts it like this: its like listening the sea with a sea-shell . Yes, i know...
The noise is present just at low volumes.Maybe his cans are defective.

 

[Foe-hammer]

I do not recommend the 770 pros for gaming. Get the K601s or the 880s. Both have better soundstage, positioning, and mids. All of which are very important for gaming.

 

[wanderman]

how good are you at 1.6...utilizing eax will be more beneficial then a headphone upgrade.

 

[MustRotate]

I dont want to brag but usualy i'm over the top 10% in the servers i play.
I tried to activate the EAX but the Sennheisers HD201 that i have now arent really meant for gaming, i bought them just as a replacement for my broken Speedlink Tritons. That is why i am considering buying a new pair.
Any opinions on the Audio Technica A700?
I can get the
K601 at 231$
A700 at 170$
DT880 at 388$.
The Beyers are a little bit too much so i think the real choice is between the K601(#1 option) and the A700s.
PS:sucks being in Romania,Europe

when trying to buy quality headphones .

 

[wanderman]

do you play in any leagues. Top10 in servers doesn't tell me much. A new graphics card and a crt monitor at 100hz will give you a bigger boost then new headphones.

 

[supermoo]

Just get the AKGs they should be very good in terms of position. However make sure you feel comfortable with them on (read: TRY THEM!!). The most important part in choosing a headphone for gaming is comfort. If you're going to be doing long gaming sessions you don't want headphones that will tire your ears out or make you feel uncomfortable with them on. Generally using headphones helps a lot in games such as CS since you will hear footsteps/sounds and figure out where they're coming from easily (i.e. hearing someone switch to their knife or reload around a corner). So just make sure it's comfortable! Most of those headphones will be pretty good wit positioning when paired with CMSS3D (enabled in Creative control panel) + 5.1 channel sound (set in-game).