[k2snowboards88]

I am looking for a good pair of headphones for gaming and music. I have an asus xonar essence xts sound card. Right now, I'm using etymotic er4p iems. They work well enough, but i really want something more comfortable for when I'm at home and something with a larger sound stage.



I was thinking of possibly getting the sennheiser hd555's but I got worried after reading a lot that they are muddy With music. I don't want to be too let down listening to music coming from my etys. I was also reading up on the audio technics ath-ad700. I hear they are great for simulated surround sound and music. I am afraid that they won't have enough bass for explosions and rumbles, though. I'm not a big competitive gamer at all. I play the very immersive and moody single player games, so I'm not as worried about getting an advantage over other players as I am about being immersed. I'm afraid that a lack of bass response could destroy the immersion.



Are my fears about those headphones grounded? How would they compare to my etys? Are there any other good options out there?

 

[1Time]

The Equation Audio RP21 sells new for ~ $95 shipped. FWIR, I suggest considering it for your immersive, explosive type gaming. 
 
Edit: 
After more reading, I found the ATH-A700 is within your budget - new for ~$115 shipped.  And these seem more like what you're wanting - better for gaming. Also, the RP21 clamps tight, and the A700 has a looser but somewhat adjustable fit - crazy AT headphones without a vertical swivel to the ear cups.

 

[k2snowboards88]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm having trouble finding out how the sound stage of the a700 compare to the 555's. I found want to lose too much of the surround effects. I keep seeing that they have very good sound stage compared to other sealed headphones, but I don't know if that is comparable to the 555's or not.

Also, I'm worried about sealed headphones being fatiguing compared to open headphones. are they ?

 

[AmanGeorge]

Isn't the AD700 often recommended for folks who do gaming on their computer? FWIR, they are easy to drive and have a huge, spacious soundstage that is amazing for playing games. Also well within your budget. They sounded very good last time I heard them at a meet (although admittedly this was being driven by a relatively expensive DAC + amp). Additionally, if you like the Etymotic, your ears are accustomed to a sound signature that is not very bass-heavy, so the main complaint about the AD700 (lack of bass) probably won't bother you as much as it does others. I'd give it a look.
 
I don't think closed headphones are necessarily more or less fatiguing than open-air headphones - it is very much a case-by-case thing. There are fatiguing headphones and smooth/relaxed headphones on both sides.

 

[k2snowboards88]

Thanks for your help guys. You gave me a lot to think about. After pouring over all my choices and making several decisions, I made my final decision. I went with the sennheiser 555's. It seemed like the best way to bridge my two uses of music and cinematic games.
 
I just started using them an hour ago, and they are what I expected. They sound excellent. No, they don't sound anywhere near as accurate as my etymotic er-4p's, but I didn't expect them to. They sound very very good, and very very fun. I can't believe people think these have a lack of bass. They ooze bass and will suit my gaming just fine. I've only used them with my computer and its xonar xts, so maybe I'll change my mind if I ever use it with my galaxy s (which has an amazing headphone jack to my ears for an mp3 player/smartphone. Its far better than my old iphone in that respect), but I'm really not planning on using them that often with portable devices.
 
I did have to boost the 8khz band a couple of db's and the 16 khz band several db's. That made them sound just the way I wanted them to balance-wise. I don't mind having to eq them though. That's what an eq is for. My phone has a good manual eq too (no clipping). I'll probably try to remove the nerfing foam sennheiser was nice enough to put in here and see how that works out later tonight or this weekend.
 
In the end, so far, I would definitely recommend these headphones to someone who needs headphones for games and music and still wants bass for effects in games, unlike what I've heard of the ad700's.
 
edit: The soundstage really surprised me. My only good headphones are the ety's. I plugged these headphones into my computer put them on and logged on. I thought my headphones were disabled and I had the digital line running when I heard the windows logon sound. I went to turn on my headphones and found that they were already on and the speakers were off.

 

[k2snowboards88]

Also, they are certainly good enough that they still make me very disapointed with Dookie's recording quality.

 

[k2snowboards88]

I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but I did remove the restrictor foam tape and the headphones are definitely better now. The bass is tighter and that unveiled the treble (again, not as tight as the etty's but still tighter). I don't even need to eq these anymore.

 

[classakg]

Quote:

I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but I did remove the restrictor foam tape and the headphones are definitely better now. The bass is tighter and that unveiled the treble (again, not as tight as the etty's but still tighter). I don't even need to eq these anymore.

This way is how we learn to make mods...congrats.