[Eric_C]

Do consider closed headphones if your girlfriend is sleeping in the same room. Open headphones leak sound, and depending on how loud you play music/games, this could be an issue.

 

[Autre31415]

I read a review on the 598 and they are literally exactly the same but more pricey and they look a lot nicer and made with better materials or something like that.

 

 

[sysfail]

Really? I thought they sounded better as well. I guess not lol. But yeah, you should make a decision if you want a closed or open headphone.

 

 

[Autre31415]

I'll go with closed headphones then, unless theres a situation with an open one that isnt so bad but I doubt that. Closed seems to offer more bass, less waking people up and getting punched (lol), and apparently a smaller price tag. Like I said before I'll go around ~200 at the highest and I'm obviously looking for a mind blowing experience, I listen to all metal music of the heavier sector like 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Protest The Hero, Undying, Prayer for Cleansing etc and again FPS games and RTS games. With the idea of buying and selling here I might save some on a decent pair if they're being sold here as well so I would be open to that idea.

Don't get scared about the mind blowing experience comment, the last pair of headphones I used were earbuds of the cheapy variety. I'm just looking for something that I will be excited to listen to and will last me a while, which these suggestions so far would seem to apply.

 

[sysfail]

Protest the Hero = good band. Well usually open cans have better soundstage so you can position things better in a game, but I'm sure it won't make too much of a difference. If you don't want it to be a hassle then I'd just go for the A900 so you won't have to wonder about upgrading and such.

I'm pretty sure you'll get a "mind blowing" experience since you've only heard cheap earbuds.

 
EDIT: Definitely go look up some reviews on the A900 and make sure it's what you want!

 

[Autre31415]

I figured that would be the answer, so now the question is: Who's selling the A900's. (I'm sure there's a section for that )

Oh wait, I forgot the magic question... Are they comfortable enough to ear for like 5 hours straight.

 

[sysfail]

Go to the For Sale/Trade Forums and search around for an A900, but I don't think there's any at the moment. Amazon has one used for $159.99 which isn't a bad deal at all, or you could just go for a new one

. Comfort-wise, I'd assume they would be comfortable because as others said, the AD700 is very comfortable for long sessions.
 
 

 

[Autre31415]

Based on reviews talking about burn in, perhaps used would be the better bet and low price. It will be a few days before I actually buy anything so I still have a chance to browse around, anymore suggestions or ideas are always appreciated. And thanks for the information so far.

EDIT: I also noticed people talking about amps and whatnot, is that something I have to worry about at all when plugging them directly into the sound card or on the jack on the z5500 panel? Or does that just apply to other devices?

 

[sysfail]

If you want good sound quality coming from good headphones then you have to have a good DAC/Sound card and also you have to have a good source (i.e. lossless/flac/320kbps music files). Also, I'm sure amping will improve the SQ on the A900 as well but it doesn't have to be anything too expensive. I use a FiiO E7 (DAC) & FiiO E9 (amp) combo and they power all my headphones perfectly. They are also meant for desktop/laptops as you can hook them up to your computer through USB, and the E7 would be used as your DAC and E9 will be your amp when the E7 is docked on the E9 while the E9 is hooked to your computer through USB. The combo only costs around ~$200 new, and it's the best "bang for the buck" DAC+amp combo IMO.

 

 

[Eric_C]

Autre: Think of amps and headphones from a traditional, hifi speaker perspective. Speakers always get paired up with amps (or at least, AV receivers) and some pairings work better than others. If headphones can be hifi, why shouldn't they have hifi amps to bring out the best in them?
 
Having said that, headphones tend to be easier to power with our everyday devices, like iPods and computers. And in particular, the A900 is really efficient--I was very happy when I tried it out with just my iPod. So, don't worry about amps and DACs for now; it's not like you're gonna get a discount by ordering an amp with the headphones right? And it's not like your A900 will sound terrible. Just enjoy the headphones "as is" first.

 

[Tacoboy]

I would say save some money and get the ATH-A700s ($118), for someone use to cheap headphone, they will sound great.
Also you could then put money towards a headphone amp. (eBay) or sell your current sound card and upgrade to the Creative Titanium HD.
 

 

[Autre31415]

Alright, so it seems like I don't have to get anything but headphones which is a good thing, and I only listen to flac files, I hate mp3

 
I did listen to music on expensive-ish headphones before. Sony MDR-EX90 and compared to traditional headphones they were wonderful, but I want the full thing here.
 
EDIT: Seems like the DT900's are being sold around here for a price I can muster, would that be superior to the A900?

 

[Tacoboy]

I'm going to guess the Beyerdynamic DT990 will have more bass (louder) then the A900s.
Still think your spending more then you need for headphones.
 

 

[Autre31415]

Well I'm just trying to find a good pair with quality that will ne engaging for me to use while using it for FLAC, Gaming and maybe some 1080p movies that will be comfortable and last years. I've done some research on the A900's and they seem perfect for this. But again, I'm not expert on the subject which is why I'm here.

And again, the only equipment I'm using is my PC with the Titanium Fata1ity Champ card with the front I/O. I've heard that no matter what plugging directly to the card is always the best solution so I would most likely do that.

 

[Centigonal]

I can't comment on any of the other headphones mentioned here (because I don't own them), but the HA-RX900s are very comfortable, and just a bit heavy. They're not closed, but they leak very little sound. You're probably better off with other headphones, though, because (maybe I'm just not driving it right, but) they can't manage the "oomph" for trance and the such. Metal sounds good through them, though. Best of all, they're under $70. The HA-RX700s apparently sound similar, too, but cost around $30. 
If the ATHs don't work out for you, it's worth giving these guys a try.