[Cyhiwraith]

So I've been looking around on a lot of forums, and think I'm leaning heavily toward the sennheiser 598 and AKG Q 701
 
I only have an on board soundcard, so I figured I might as well ask what I  can get that's good there as well. Not sure if a soundcard/amp 2 in 1 would be best, I'm pretty sure I read the AKG Q 701 needs it, but not the sennheiser. With the reading I have done though I've run into one huge issue that is just waaaaaay to hard of math for me to understand. dB, I would love a great sounding headset to listen to all day, but I am worried about  the amp/voltage/dB and damaging my ears, I really don't wanna hurt myself, I don't need ULTRA loud sound, just decently loud with a good sound.
 
I listen to some music, and play tons of games, pretty much all day. I don't care for bass at all either, so no minus for lack of there.
 
Any tips on which headset/amp/soundcard I should get and how to make sure I DON'T hurt my ears is much appreciated

 

[Me x3]

Hi,
 
You can't go wrong with HD598, I guess. You could also read about AudioTechnica AD900X.
 
Best Luck!

 

[jackwess]

Or the HD558 which is cheaper, and the Xonar DGX if you want gaming effects. 

 

[nuvestrahl]

The best way to not hurt your ears is to simply not play music loud. It doesn't really matter which headphone or amp you're going with in that regard as long as you keep your volumes down. If you have a higher impedance phones, all an amp does is makes sure it plays it's intended sound signature and gives you more MAX volume, not like you have to use all of it.
 
Personally I made the transition from gaming headsets into headphones with DT880 (250 ohm) + O2 amp/dac because I wanted to future proof my headphone choices. O2 amp/dac drives most headphones up to 600 ohms. If you decide to go that route you'll have a lot of choices. JDS Labs sells them in the US and Epiphany Acoustics in EU. For soundcards example, I believe Asus Xonar Essence STX comes with a headphone amp, but I'm not sure how high impedance it drives. Should be plenty though.
 
I would recommend getting a soundcard with an amp or an external amp+dac combo, regardless of the headphones you get, just because their DACs will be a step up over on-board audio controllers.
 
I can't really recommend headphones since I've only got experience with the DT880 so far, but I've been happy with my choice. Controlled bass with some sparkle in the treble. Very comfortable pair of phones for extended use.

 

[Cyhiwraith]

Thanks for the tips, I  guess the dB part makes sense to me. So does that sound card have the power to amp up the AKG Q 701? Also, like, how much better would a AKG Q 701 be in terms of sound? Ontop of that, a more portable sound card (if possible) would be nice. I switch between a desktop and laptop a lot. Price really isn't an issue between the two.
 
The detachable cable is also a huge pro for me on these headphones. My recent headset was a Razor Carcharias and I'd like a much better sound quality, but LOVE the plush earcups, they were super comfy, I don't like the leathery.
 
Almost all my previous headsets lost sound in the left ear, so I got really annoyed with them, I can't use 1/2 a headphone.