[Kilerbomb]

So I've been using this 5.1 Surround "Gaming" headset -the CM Sirus True 5.1 Surround headset- and I have recently had my eyes opened to the world of audio. I've been doing research and such and I'm not quite sure whether this pair of headphones is actually better than a pair high-quality stereo headphones for gaming or not. I know it certainly falls far behind the audiophile-grade headphones in terms of music, which is one of the major reasons I want to get myself a proper audio setup. 
 
Here's my question: Is there a pair of audiophile headphones (Budget: $250 or under) that will fair well with gaming as well as generally have good audio quality? I'd rather not have to switch between 2 sets of headphones, but if I have to that's fine. I also need these headphones to be circumaural and closed-ear.
 
Right now I've been looking at getting a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro's (250 Ohm version) and an Objective 2 Amplifier, as well as a ODAC. I'm not sure whether I would be able to ditch my current headphones or not. Like I said earlier, I'm okay with having 2 pairs of headphones and just switching between them, but I'd rather not. I play pretty much all genres of games, however, I probably play first person shooters most often. These headphones I have now were a massive improvement for me, at least in games like Battlefield 3.
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Gaming on PC? Get a soundcard, maintain surround emulation. Get a better headphone. That's all you need.
 
SoundBlaster Zx is a great way to do this. Then simply look into any headphones that fit criteria for you in your budget range.
 
Very best,

 

[Kilerbomb]

  Heya,
 
Gaming on PC? Get a soundcard, maintain surround emulation. Get a better headphone. That's all you need.
 
SoundBlaster Zx is a great way to do this. Then simply look into any headphones that fit criteria for you in your budget range.
 
Very best,

Yup, I game on PC. Is it really that simple? That's pretty awesome. Glad to hear I won't be needing 2 pairs of headphones! 

 

[PurpleAngel]

  So I've been using this 5.1 Surround "Gaming" headset -the CM Sirus True 5.1 Surround headset- and I 
Here's my question: Is there a pair of audiophile headphones (Budget: $250 or under) that will fair well with gaming as well as generally have good audio quality? I'd rather not have to switch between 2 sets of headphones, but if I have to that's fine. I also need these headphones to be circumaural and closed-ear.
Right now I've been looking at getting a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro's (250 Ohm version) and an Objective 2 Amplifier, as well as a ODAC. I'm not sure whether I would be able to ditch my current headphones or not. Like I said earlier, I'm okay with having 2 pairs of headphones and just switching between them, but I'd rather not. I play pretty much all genres of games, however, I probably play first person shooters most often. These headphones I have now were a massive improvement for me, at least in games like Battlefield 3.

Sound blaster Z (SB1500) sound card, $80
AKG K612 Pro headphones, $175
 
Sell off the CM Sirus True 5.1

 

[Kilerbomb]

  Sound blaster Z (SB1500) sound card, $80
AKG K612 Pro headphones, $175
 
Sell off the CM Sirus True 5.1

After doing some thinking, I've decided I'll save up a some more money and then get 2 pairs of headphones, one for listening to music, skyping, and generally relaxing, and one for gaming. I'll pick up a pair of AKG K702 headphones for gaming, and a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones for general use (these will also double as my headphones for mobile use ). I'll also make sure to grab a Sound Blaster Z sound card. Since this will be my first time having a proper audio setup, I might as well treat myself. 
 
Thank you for the help! 

 

[kraken2109]

You'd probably never use the M50 if you got K702, they're much better, just less bass. I would buy the 702 and then decide whether you really need a second pair.

 

[Kilerbomb]

  You'd probably never use the M50 if you got K702, they're much better, just less bass. I would buy the 702 and then decide whether you really need a second pair.

Yeah I'll try it out first. My main problem, though, is the audio leakage. It's fine for general things like games, but I'd rather not have my music/skype conversations be loud and clear for everyone in the room with me to hear. I'll definitely see how it goes, first, however.
 
If the audio leakage is a bit too much for personal skype calls and the such, I do have some earbuds that I could use. Though, they are just some $20 Sony earbuds I bought on a whim a while ago because I needed some.

 

[kraken2109]

Definitely try the 702 first. Open headphones leak more than closed, but not as much as many people who haven't used them seem to think. Unless you have it very loud or someone is literally sitting on your laptop I doubt they'd hear your skype conversations.

 

[money4me247]

if portability is not a concern, a good compromise would be the AKG K550 at $220ish which is a closed pair of headphones with excellent sound stage & great sound quality.
 
if you want portability/closed, akg k545 at $200 is another option.
 
+1 on a nice pair of headphones w/ a sound card over gaming dedicated headsets. I've tried a few of those & they were terrible.

 

[Kilerbomb]

  if portability is not a concern, a good compromise would be the AKG K550 at $220ish which is a closed pair of headphones with excellent sound stage & great sound quality.
 
if you want portability/closed, akg k545 at $200 is another option.
 
+1 on a nice pair of headphones w/ a sound card over gaming dedicated headsets. I've tried a few of those & they were terrible.

Those look pretty good, but I looked at the reviews here on Head-Fi and a lot of people are saying the the mids aren't that great. Do you have these headphones? If so, are the mids bad or they okay? If the mids aren't that good, do you have any other recommendations? Because if I get a close-ear pair of headphones, I'll probably be using it for everything I do, not just gaming, and I'd like my music to sound pretty good, too.
 
I'm still going to try the AKG K702's first to see how they are, but I'd like an option to fall back on.

 

[money4me247]

  Those look pretty good, but I looked at the reviews here on Head-Fi and a lot of people are saying the the mids aren't that great. Do you have these headphones? If so, are the mids bad or they okay? If the mids aren't that good, do you have any other recommendations? 
 
I'm still going to try the AKG K702's first to see how they are, but I'd like an option to fall back on.

hahah take the reviews here with a grain of salt. most of it is subjective opinion and who knows what their preferences are. a lot of the things that people say here aren't as dramatic as they sound in real life. I had the K550 and the mids were great.
 
The K702 would probably outperform the AKG K550 simply due to its open design, so that is a good first choice. However, if you need closed, you should consider the K550, and for portability the K545.

 

[Kilerbomb]

  hahah take the reviews here with a grain of salt. most of it is subjective opinion and who knows what their preferences are. a lot of the things that people say here aren't as dramatic as they sound in real life. I had the K550 and the mids were great.
 
The K702 would probably outperform the AKG K550 simply due to its open design, so that is a good first choice. However, if you need closed, you should consider the K550, and for portability the K545.

Haha alright, cool. I'm contemplating just going for the AKG K550's because I really don't want sound leakage. And also because I found them used in good condition for $155 on eBay. Really good price for that, hard to pass up. 
 
Thanks again to everyone here who has been helping me decide.