I'm looking for headphones both for music listening and gaming. For music, I listen to Hip-Hop, EDM, POP, and Rock. Since I will use it for gaming, I want it to have Great imaging and directional positioning. I'm not going to buy them right now, so I won't consider the budget. I currently don't have an AMP/DAC, but I'm definitely willing to buy a decent one. Thanks again.
Looking for headphones...
Legendac87
New Head-Fier
I use DT 1990 for all the above purpose and enjoy it greatly. Very comfortable as well. Worth ordering one from amazon to try given extended return period
Isn't the DT1990 for studio mixing and sound monitoring? Does it work well with listening to music?
Stereo Skunk
Previously known as bledwhite409
That's the million dollar question. On one hand, it has to be good enough so professionals can make mixing decisions. You will 'hear what the engineers heard and OK'ed'
On the other hand they're made for analyzing the mix as neutrally as possible, and may not confer the most 'enjoyment'.
These are incredibly tricky questions, and most likely a matter of philosophy.
Furthermore, is the headphone bad or the recording just bad?
I'm gonna offer an unpopular opinion, but for the genres you listed, Beats will be fine. I don't believe any headphone can offer positional cues as the drivers are fixed in space, and don't have any DSP on their own to reproduce localization. I'm not a gamer, so I don't know how the sound works in the games you play, but localizability is, in my opinion, very complex and difficult to wrestle with. Sure, you can localize, to varying degrees, things in the soundstage headphones produce, but that's not the same as the headphones making an illusion that the sound is coming from outside your head, from a very focused point in space.
I could be wrong, and I don't mean to disappoint you with my response, if I did. Just hoping to offer an alternative to your expectations.
silent-circuit
Headphoneus Supremus
Eh. I wouldn't say most Beyers are really neutral, they tend to be pretty treble forward and even shouty to the ears of most. I've tried them a couple times and find them borderline painful. Useful for determining where the issues are in a mix, yes, and if you like a treble forward EQ, great for everything, but an all-rounder? Not what I'd recommend. Grated, so much of this is personal preference it's to the point that all you can really recommend in good conscience is going to a shop where you can demo (practically impossible now) or buy from somewhere with a strong return policy.
OP: See if you can pick up a used pair of Phillips Fidelio X2HR for ~$100, they'll do well for you. Pretty solid positioning for games, neutral to warm with some bass boost which should work well for the genres of music you're interested in, reasonably comfortable and easy to drive. When you're ready to move up from there in a year or two, let is know.
OP: See if you can pick up a used pair of Phillips Fidelio X2HR for ~$100, they'll do well for you. Pretty solid positioning for games, neutral to warm with some bass boost which should work well for the genres of music you're interested in, reasonably comfortable and easy to drive. When you're ready to move up from there in a year or two, let is know.
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I searched and found HiFiMAN Arya... Is it better than the Hd800s considering my need?
silent-circuit
Headphoneus Supremus
You're looking /way/ too far up the ladder. Arya and HD800s are going to need $!000+ in supporting equipment, higher end DACs and amps, just to sound 'okay'. Possibly DSP on top of that. It makes no sense to start at $2-3000 invested in a setup, because even if you end up with something great (and in all likelihood it'll be cookie-cutter at best, horrible at worst, as there are tons of good quality components people will hype to no end that simply won't work well together,
I cannot in good conscience recommend anything higher up in the line than the Hifiman Sundara at ~$350 on sale to someone starting out. Start with that and a ~$200 Schiit stack (magni, modi) i
I cannot in good conscience recommend anything higher up in the line than the Hifiman Sundara at ~$350 on sale to someone starting out. Start with that and a ~$200 Schiit stack (magni, modi) i
Yeah this is a dangerous and expensive hobby more like a trap! Spend minimum and try to be satisfied with it. If you get greedy and perfectionist it will make your wallet very thin....Get this and never return to the forum. Never search online again.
silent-circuit
Headphoneus Supremus
Hooo boy. This is why I shouldn't drunk post on head-fi. Re-reading my own above, it's bordering on "Godzilla had a stroke trying to read that" meme, but I still stand behind the intelligible parts.
Spending $2-3000 right off the jump makes no sense when you (@OP) don't yet know what you like. Nobody's going to be able to tell you what that is, you have to find it for yourself. It'd make far more sense to go somewhere you can demo (not really a thing these days I realize, and only realistic in bigger cities at the best of times) or if you have a friend that's in to this stuff.
If you can't, maybe buy (ideally used) a basic DAC/Amp combo like a Schiit stack (Magni/Modi) or a little higher end single box like a Topping DX7S and a few different mid range cans with different sound signatures. Some Beyers, some Sennheisers, a planar or two, then when you have a better feel for what you like, sell those on and go for 'personal end game'. You might be down a couple hundred vs. buying something higher end up front, but I'm confident you'll be happier with the end result, and if you're talking about a $2-3000 rig, a ~10% loss really isn't that big a price to pay for a better end result.
Spending $2-3000 right off the jump makes no sense when you (@OP) don't yet know what you like. Nobody's going to be able to tell you what that is, you have to find it for yourself. It'd make far more sense to go somewhere you can demo (not really a thing these days I realize, and only realistic in bigger cities at the best of times) or if you have a friend that's in to this stuff.
If you can't, maybe buy (ideally used) a basic DAC/Amp combo like a Schiit stack (Magni/Modi) or a little higher end single box like a Topping DX7S and a few different mid range cans with different sound signatures. Some Beyers, some Sennheisers, a planar or two, then when you have a better feel for what you like, sell those on and go for 'personal end game'. You might be down a couple hundred vs. buying something higher end up front, but I'm confident you'll be happier with the end result, and if you're talking about a $2-3000 rig, a ~10% loss really isn't that big a price to pay for a better end result.
If you are in South Korea I would really suggest you going to Scheherazade. I heard good things about that store and seems like they have a lot of high end audio items. You should go there and try different audio setups.
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