[Shadowex3]

How do they do as far as playing a lot of crap at once? They drop sounds often or can they handle a large game without distorting or losing too much?

Also I've read elsewhere that sennies in general are pretty high on bass at the expense of other areas, I've already got my EQ lowering everything from 250hz and below down to -2.5 so it feels less straining on my ears to play. Any truth to the sennheiser=bass thing or are my current woes more from low quality bass than bass itself?

I'm going to be using whatever I get for a looong time so I just want to make sure I don't regret it after using them for a while.

 

[wanderman]

the hd555 aren't really bass heavy imo. I would call them more midrange heavy then anything else. They handled everything I could through at it. I can and have worn them for hours. Distortion is not a word I would remotely associate with these headphones. Seriously you won't be disappointed; make sure you get them cheap.

 

[MrKazador]

I have the HD555 and play pc games including Source. They are not bass heavy, like the other user posted. More like mid-range heavy. Distortion? Never heard it on these headphones lol. My ears almost start to bleed before I can hear any kind of distortion, very clean when its loud. Its also very comfortable, I can play for hours with them on.
The only thing I dislike about them is they are terminated to a 1/4" plug so you have to use the included adapter or buy one, the extension kind (less stress on the jack).
This is my first real headphone and I couldn't be any more happier. A lot of people here recommend the ATH-AD700 over the HD555 so you might want to look at those.

 

[crappyjones123]

you dont want bass in source...louder gun fire booming noises = less footsteps. if all you do is play at home and dont go to lans and stuff or play competitively live then closed cans will be fine for you. that again depends on now long you play for. before i retired i was playing at lans where we would keep playing for 14 hours stretches and then take a 10-20 minute break and go back to playing. only headphone i could do that with was the 595. any closed can starting causing fatigue after 4-5 hours of continuous use. it just got plain annoying because of the heat and the sweat.

i played on devastation, old old electrify, miami 1 deags, cil and keyboard smashers.

ps. hyper was terrible. cant believe they were invite for so long. just goes to show how bad cal is. they didnt last a single good season in cevo p.

 

[Shadowex3]

Thanks for settling that. I'm (obviously) asking a lot of other audio forums for opinions as well and so far aside from making sure I posted here they've all suggested either the AD700's or the HD555's.

I have used closed headphones before and you're right it does get very stressful after just a few hours, and since I'm easily on the computer for the majority of any given day (and I have Obama ears) it's a concern >P

What would you guys say is the main difference between the AD700 and the HD555, and do any of you know if they have any latex on them? It seems my choices are basically between those two as far as quality mid-price headphones go.

 

[crappyjones123]

you might not like this but ive suggested the sr 60s to a lot of people who owned the 555s and even though it is cheaper for casual gaming they like the 60s better. if you play serious then id go with the 555s.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadowex3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow that was a fast response. Thanks for the enthusiasm but everything here is FAR out of my price range, are there any good FPS gaming headsets that aren't insanely overpriced? I can justify spending $200 on something like a videocard or even a motherboard but headphones... I could get a really good 5.1 surround system for that. I probably should've mentioned that I can only afford to spend $80-$120ish on a set of headphones IF they come with a very good warranty and support.

Overpriced? The majority are worth it. You need to give headphones a little more respect.. a 200.00 headphone will easily beat a 200.00 5.1 system for SQ, detail, bass, clarity.

 

[crappyjones123]

kool you are correct, but the average gamer doesnt care for all those things. as long as it makes a loud boom it works. on the other hand if you are a serious gamer and really care for what you are doing in game then sound will be a higher priority. also if all you do is game and dont care for listening to music, it would seem to be a waste of money as well. he just comes from a different background from your kool. when i got my first pair of 555s, i couldnt believe how i had spent so much money. could have spent the same amount on a new keyboard and mouse. it takes time though. the head fi curse strikes. and then you realise that an unamped 650 is just a stupid idea and then you need a solid state amp and then you figure, hey this is crap i need to balance my 650s. and then you go on and learn about stax and then think your 650s are a piece of crap. well not really but you want to try other things.

being a gamer as well i can understand the claim that he made. but to both parties - give it time. soon the OP will be on our side.

 

[Shadowex3]

Insulting me and then insisting that I'll join your side is not likely to make me want to do exactly that anytime soon, especially when right before insisting I'll join you eventually you continue insulting me with vague insinuations of what does and does not constitute a serious gamer and questioning my intelligence.

For the record I actually HATE anything that "makes a loud boom", that's why I've got my EQ set to absolute flat except for the sliders at the bass end that when not lowered (all by the same amount) were causing me discomfort and sound distortion. I actually dislike heavy bass because of how tiring it is to listen to for hours on end, to me bass is a lot like light bloom in HDR. It's a nice effect but it belongs only in certain places and to be used subtly everywhere else.

So like I said before, quality is nice but to me these sounded great up until I started throwing more at them than they were physically capable of handling (at least after several years of hard use). I still think they're good sounding headphones and I'm not about to play a pink noise CD for 3 months to burn in a new cable on a $200 set of headphones with $500 of extra equipment when I could get the model that's half the price and with a little tuning to fix any eccentricities could probably fool half the people here if it didn't physically feel different when they put it on.

I am not an audiophile, I will never be an audiophile. I came here because you guys know more than I ever will about headphones and I wanted to know what would be good for gaming in the price range I probably should have mentioned sooner but nevertheless did still mention. I didn't immediately begin to taunt everyone here about the scientific fallacies that run rampant among audiophiles and I take offense at the two of you turning what was a nice and informative thread into your personal attempt to preach to me my ignorance and how much better I'd be if I just listened to you and spent more money than I care to.

 

[Cry Havoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadowex3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Insulting me and then insisting that I'll join your side is not likely to make me want to do exactly that anytime soon, especially when right before insisting I'll join you eventually you continue insulting me with vague insinuations of what does and does not constitute a serious gamer and questioning my intelligence. For the record I actually HATE anything that "makes a loud boom", that's why I've got my EQ set to absolute flat except for the sliders at the bass end that when not lowered (all by the same amount) were causing me discomfort and sound distortion. I actually dislike heavy bass because of how tiring it is to listen to for hours on end, to me bass is a lot like light bloom in HDR. It's a nice effect but it belongs only in certain places and to be used subtly everywhere else. So like I said before, quality is nice but to me these sounded great up until I started throwing more at them than they were physically capable of handling (at least after several years of hard use). I still think they're good sounding headphones and I'm not about to play a pink noise CD for 3 months to burn in a new cable on a $200 set of headphones with $500 of extra equipment when I could get the model that's half the price and with a little tuning to fix any eccentricities could probably fool half the people here if it didn't physically feel different when they put it on. I am not an audiophile, I will never be an audiophile. I came here because you guys know more than I ever will about headphones and I wanted to know what would be good for gaming in the price range I probably should have mentioned sooner but nevertheless did still mention. I didn't immediately begin to taunt everyone here about the scientific fallacies that run rampant among audiophiles and I take offense at the two of you turning what was a nice and informative thread into your personal attempt to preach to me my ignorance and how much better I'd be if I just listened to you and spent more money than I care to.

No offense, but you will never make friends among a community by calling their various endeavors and equipment that they have labored to earn and pay for "overpriced". Many members have been civil to you in this thread. Do not presume to think that one person who rubs you the wrong way is an excuse to berate this site as a whole, or to think yourself so clever as to "fool" us easily with inferior equipment. Believe me, you could never, ever make me believe that the 555s are in the league of the 780s without a massive investment, and even then it's probably not going to happen.

In addendum, we are not obligated to give you advice at all. This site is free, and so are the numerous responses you've received throughout this thread. Personally, I did not feel insulted when you stated that many headphones here are overpriced, because although you're undoubtedly right about some setups, you are speaking largely from a position of little experience. I hope you could see how that would negatively influence other individuals, however, and why you might see a bit of animosity in the various replies.

Best of luck in your search. And if you're ever in Chicago, feel free to drop by and game on a pair of "overpriced" headphones to hear for yourself.

 

[Shadowex3]

And to those civil individuals I am continually grateful, but there is no reasonable way to use my opinion on $200+ being overpriced for a set of gaming headphones to be used on a normal gaming rig to justify insulting me while at the same time insisting that i'm just some poor stupid gamer looking for speakers to make a loud boom who will soon come begging for equipment that, if half the claims about it were true, would put Randi out a million dollars.

Now if you want to continue justifying your fellow's successful attempt to instigate a flamewar please take it to PMs, there were a lot of people being perfectly civil and actually helping me pick a set of headphones I can actually afford and I'd like to continue learning everything I can from them.

 

[Cry Havoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadowex3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif And to those civil individuals I am continually grateful, but there is no reasonable way to use my opinion on $200+ being overpriced for a set of gaming headphones

The headphones I recommended were before you set a price point. You referred to them as overpriced well before you described that you only wanted to use them for gaming

Quote:

to be used on a normal gaming rig to justify insulting me

If I ever insulted you, I apologize.

Quote:

while at the same time insisting that i'm just some poor stupid gamer looking for speakers to make a loud boom who will soon come begging for equipment that,

I'm definitely sure I never said that, or anything of the sort.

Quote:

Now if you want to continue justifying your fellow's successful attempt to instigate a flamewar please take it to PMs,

Please show me where I justified anything he said or defended him in any way. I was simply suggesting that there might be a cause and effect relationship between the reactions that occurred after your initial post. To make a similar analogy, would you sign up for an automobile enthusiasts website, and then in your second post suggest that they were all buying overpriced automobiles without expecting at least one or two individuals to take it personally, reasoning that you could drive a brand new Kia for $10,000, so why would you want to spend $80,000 on a Porsche if they do the same thing? The motto of head-fi is "sorry about your wallet," and there is a reason for that.

Quote:

there were a lot of people being perfectly civil and actually helping me pick a set of headphones I can actually afford and I'd like to continue learning everything I can from them.

Which is why I felt you did not need to respond to them as a general response to head-fi. You could have PMed them instead. As far as I can see, he was not even referring to you, as he stated "the average gamer". So unless you immediately took that as a comment directed at you, after you specified that you are -not- an average gamer, I'm not sure where you're coming from. The 555's that were recommended to you are quality headphones which are obviously capable of more than just a "loud boom", so again, his comments are probably meant as generalities rather than aimed at you.

If you had looked around a bit on this site, you would have realized that the rock-bottom end of passable audio gear starts at around $150 here. You simultaneously said that the people on head-fi know more about headphones than you ever will and yet you stated that you could "probably fool them" with some cheap cans. I fail to see the consistency in your desires if you want a great gaming can but then are quick to pass them off as too expensive, reasoning (with no factual evidence or experience) that you could own a superior external audio system for the same price. Again, you typically get what you pay for.

 

[Shadowex3]

Havoc, I'm talking to and about crappyjones, not you:

Quote:

being a gamer as well i can understand the claim that he made. but to both parties - give it time. soon the OP will be on our side.

That aside I looked at senn's own specs for the 555's and the 595's. They're listed as having the same everything except frequency range, and since the 555's were already capable of by and large exceeding the range of human hearing and the rest of the stats are the same I don't see why a set of 555's couldn't be passed off as a set of 595's provided any individual unit's eccentricities were taken care of. There's a 10 gram weight difference and a 0.1% difference in the listed THD but that's basically it, the only things the 595 has that the 555 doesn't all seem to be pseudoscientific buzzwords. Yes there are likely differences in performance but I doubt that it's within the ability of most humans who aren't already biased to detect.

I said that I admit you guys know more than I ever will about audio hardware, I didn't say that I believe all of it is real. Buying a porsch over a honda is a real measurable difference. A lot of the stuff I've been reading about headphones and audiophile level equipment seems to show that above a certain level there may be different characteristics in the sound from different brands or significantly different models but when you compare something like the 555 and the 595 even Headroom's measurements seem to put the differences outside what most humans would be able to reliably notice. So yeah, obviously I recognize I don't have as much technical knowledge as you but at the same time I'm a natural skeptical and if it can't be proven empirically I really don't believe it exists.

Like I said, if half the things said about audiophile equipment was true then Randi would owe someone a lot of money.

 

[crappyjones123]

my comments were NOT directed to you. i only said those things about the regular gamer. theres a reason why 90% of the source community still uses steelseries icemat siberias. the specs on those are probably the same as the 555s or the 595s. does that mean they perform the same as the 555s? try listening to a pair of 555s and then compare them to icemats. ive had 10 dollar headsets from rat shack and then planatronics game com 1 "gaming headsets" and then i moved onto non gimmick headphones. theres no such thing as a gaming headset. no headphones are custom made for gaming.

i reiterate, most people who "game" are just happy with pretty graphics and loud booming sounds. theres maybe 1% of the gamer population that takes it serious enough to where sound matters just as much as video. a little thing we used to do while training for cevo was turn off our monitors and play relying just on sound. trust me when i say this, it changes the game completely and makes you a different player.

while i did not single you out but it turns out you do fall within the casual gamer circle. i apologise but were you serious about a certain game (not just run around and shoot but work it out strategically) sound would matter a lot more. what i said before still stands. i started off with terrible headphones and then moved onto something better. if you are going to bring out specifications and human limitations on hearing frequencies, ill throw sonic warfare at you. its where they play frequencies far higher than the human ear can hear and it makes humans nervous which forces them into making mistakes. its not the fact that they can hear the loud noise, its the fact that they can feel it.

why do processor and video card manufacturers keep trying to push the limit on frame rate that you get in games when the limit on your eyes is supposedly 60 fps? must be a reason for that. or do you not believe in that either because a website similar to headphone.com says the fps is much more than the human eye can see. headphone.com publishes facts like that only for your knowledge. they do not say go out and buy a headphone that can reproduce frequencies that are within the human ears listening range. if they did, why are they still selling the 595s or the 555s. hell, why is sennheiser still making those headphones.

lastly, please point me out to where i called you stupid or insulted you. as cry havoc pointed out, i was only talking about a general population. i dont know you. i dont have your ears. what would prompt me to make value judgements about you...

my recommendation for the sr 60s or the 555s still stands. try them out and then you will notice the difference between them and your planatronics headsets. no need to come back and apologise to cry or me or the community.

 

[Cry Havoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadowex3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I said that I admit you guys know more than I ever will about audio hardware, I didn't say that I believe all of it is real. Buying a porsch over a honda is a real measurable difference. A lot of the stuff I've been reading about headphones and audiophile level equipment seems to show that above a certain level there may be different characteristics in the sound from different brands or significantly different models but when you compare something like the 555 and the 595 even Headroom's measurements seem to put the differences outside what most humans would be able to reliably notice. So yeah, obviously I recognize I don't have as much technical knowledge as you but at the same time I'm a natural skeptical and if it can't be proven empirically I really don't believe it exists.

According to this logic: Do you sit on wooden chairs and sleep on wooden, frameless, springless beds? Because unless you can scientifically prove to me that mattresses with cushioning are more comfortable, it doesn't exist. Therefore, why are you presumably sitting on cushioned furniture? It is obviously a non-factor since it is not in the realm of science to "prove" how comfortable something is. Using your logic, a 4x4 with the appropriate height and backing would be just as comfortable as a laz-e-boy, and it costs less, too!

Relying on the "proof" of science is a pretty sheltered way to go through life. You are given your own eyes and ears to use them and make decisions for yourself, not to hear some scientist tell you what to do.

Not everything is in the realm of science to prove. That's why some people prefer Grados SR-60s to balanced HD600s. Because music is a human creation which is based upon our preference for what we enjoy and do not enjoy hearing in our ears. There are no measurements for how pleasing something is to an individual person. That you demand such data means you are probably in the wrong place to be asking such a question.