[kayan]

I'm trying to convince my brother to replace his dying headset (g533)with a pair of headphones for gaming. I loaned him one of my cans to use in the meantime (X2hr) in the meantime. My question is multi-faceted:

#1 - what are the best fps multiplayer games that can show off the benefit of having good headphones? We both have lots of different fps games, but he refuses to play cs go.

#2 - he hasn't given me a total budget, but my guess is probably less than 250 for the cans. Best options, in this range, to help with footsteps and other fps things. Competitiveness is his only goal. Thanks.

He doesn't want a dac/amp and doesn't want a soundcard either. He can't afford it right now, but maybe 2-3 months from now. Is getting headphones sort of pointless at that point?

He had a Shure 1540 6-8 years ago, without an amp/dac plugged directly into the headphone jack on his PC, but they stopped working and he got the g533 to replace them.

 

[JdeFalconr]

I'm trying to convince my brother to replace his dying headset (g533)with a pair of headphones for gaming. I loaned him one of my cans to use in the meantime (X2hr) in the meantime. My question is multi-faceted:

#1 - what are the best fps multiplayer games that can show off the benefit of having good headphones? We both have lots of different fps games, but he refuses to play cs go.

#2 - he hasn't given me a total budget, but my guess is probably less than 250 for the cans. Best options, in this range, to help with footsteps and other fps things. Competitiveness is his only goal. Thanks.

He doesn't want a dac/amp and doesn't want a soundcard either. He can't afford it right now, but maybe 2-3 months from now. Is getting headphones sort of pointless at that point?

He had a Shure 1540 6-8 years ago, without an amp/dac plugged directly into the headphone jack on his PC, but they stopped working and he got the g533 to replace them.

I can at least chime in that I've found this clip on YouTube that's a very interesting test for positional audio and environmental sound, especially if you like Battlefield games. I have no doubt there are other similar recordings out there too, possibly better than this one. The first part of the clip where they slowly turn is interesting but the really good stuff is about two-thirds through when they show a clip of actual multiplayer gameplay.

 

[Chastity]

I'm trying to convince my brother to replace his dying headset (g533)with a pair of headphones for gaming. I loaned him one of my cans to use in the meantime (X2hr) in the meantime. My question is multi-faceted:

#1 - what are the best fps multiplayer games that can show off the benefit of having good headphones? We both have lots of different fps games, but he refuses to play cs go.

#2 - he hasn't given me a total budget, but my guess is probably less than 250 for the cans. Best options, in this range, to help with footsteps and other fps things. Competitiveness is his only goal. Thanks.

He doesn't want a dac/amp and doesn't want a soundcard either. He can't afford it right now, but maybe 2-3 months from now. Is getting headphones sort of pointless at that point?

He had a Shure 1540 6-8 years ago, without an amp/dac plugged directly into the headphone jack on his PC, but they stopped working and he got the g533 to replace them.

What he needs is something easy to drive, so that it will run well off of a soundcard or onboard audio. One recommendation I get for that is the Mackie MC-250, which run about $80. The upgraded version, the MC-350, is $150. You can also look at a set of Hifiman HE400se, if he plans to add gear later.

 

[ronfifer]

#1 - what are the best fps multiplayer games that can show off the benefit of having good headphones? We both have lots of different fps games, but he refuses to play cs go.

#2 - he hasn't given me a total budget, but my guess is probably less than 250 for the cans. Best options, in this range, to help with footsteps and other fps things. Competitiveness is his only goal. Thanks.

He doesn't want a dac/amp and doesn't want a soundcard either.

2 headphones with good imaging and without the need of an amp, i can suggest:

-Beyer TYGR300
-Audio Technica AD900x

I did not test the TYGR300, but i did test the AD900x, and while it delivers what he needs to perform well in competitive shooters, it does not have the best sound quality: it is grainy and congested but that is me being picky.

With an amp I would recommend:
-AKG K702
-Monolith M570
-HE4XX if on sale (cheapest option), needs a lot of power. My hunch is that the new HE400se would be slightly better but have not tried it

The K702 and M570 go up and down in price but you can find them on sale below $250.

Thanks, will do asap

On a second thought, i dont think comparing a closed to an open back headphone is the best approach. Rule of thumb is to use open backs for open world RPG games and competitive shooters, and closed backs in all other games. But i would still apply the checklist i gave you on them if you are really wondering what to choose in a game like The Witcher 3 or Amnesia or Mass Effect.

Can you do a quick test with this video and tell me which one of the two gives a beefier and more resolved bass during cannon shots:

 

[PurpleAngel]

I'm trying to convince my brother to replace his dying headset (g533)with a pair of headphones for gaming. I loaned him one of my cans to use in the meantime (X2hr) in the meantime. My question is multi-faceted:
#1 - what are the best fps multiplayer games that can show off the benefit of having good headphones? We both have lots of different fps games, but he refuses to play cs go.
#2 - he hasn't given me a total budget, but my guess is probably less than 250 for the cans. Best options, in this range, to help with footsteps and other fps things. Competitiveness is his only goal. Thanks.
He doesn't want a dac/amp and doesn't want a soundcard either. He can't afford it right now, but maybe 2-3 months from now. Is getting headphones sort of pointless at that point?
He had a Shure 1540 6-8 years ago, without an amp/dac plugged directly into the headphone jack on his PC, but they stopped working and he got the g533 to replace them.

Audio Technica ATH-AD700X headphone, get them used off eBay.
Easy to drive.

 

[Radio81]

Anyone used the Porta Pro headset?
https://koss.com/products/porta-pro-headset

I've found one YT review that seems favorable of the mic being good quality. A few comments on reddit also suggest it's a better than average mic. I'm content with my current setup, but curious to hear opinions from this thread.

 

[illram]

Anyone used the Porta Pro headset?
https://koss.com/products/porta-pro-headset

I've found one YT review that seems favorable of the mic being good quality. A few comments on reddit also suggest it's a better than average mic. I'm content with my current setup, but curious to hear opinions from this thread.

Oh wow they make a boom mic version now? I have the Massdrop one that just has the inline mic (in the cord) and that has been perfectly fine for years of using it for work calls. No complaints from anyone. I presume the boom mic version would be perfectly fine in that case...

 

[Radio81]

Oh wow they make a boom mic version now? I have the Massdrop one that just has the inline mic (in the cord) and that has been perfectly fine for years of using it for work calls. No complaints from anyone. I presume the boom mic version would be perfectly fine in that case...

Yeah, not sure when it was released. Looks pretty nice. The mic is not detachable, but it does flex and swivel.

 

[kayan]

What he needs is something easy to drive, so that it will run well off of a soundcard or onboard audio. One recommendation I get for that is the Mackie MC-250, which run about $80. The upgraded version, the MC-350, is $150. You can also look at a set of Hifiman HE400se, if he plans to add gear later.

2 headphones with good imaging and without the need of an amp, i can suggest:

-Beyer TYGR300
-Audio Technica AD900x

I did not test the TYGR300, but i did test the AD900x, and while it delivers what he needs to perform well in competitive shooters, it does not have the best sound quality: it is grainy and congested but that is me being picky.

With an amp I would recommend:
-AKG K702
-Monolith M570
-HE4XX if on sale (cheapest option), needs a lot of power. My hunch is that the new HE400se would be slightly better but have not tried it

The K702 and M570 go up and down in price but you can find them on sale below $250.

Audio Technica ATH-AD700X headphone, get them used off eBay.
Easy to drive.

Thanks for the opinions, I have passed them all on to him. We spoke last night and it seems as though he's interested in getting an amp/dac and just keeping my x2hr for a couple months until he can get better cans.

Is the Schiit stack the way to go here, or JDS Labs Atoms (or something else)? I personally have an Element 2 combo unit, which I love, so that is why I suggested the JDS stack. Which one would be best for gaming? Would it give him room to grow for the cans (whatever he gets)?

----------------------------------------

I have a question for myself too. I'm looking for a headphone upgrade for under 1k for gaming (PC) and music (alt, rapcore, 90s hip hop mostly). It will be powered by an Element 2 combo.

I currently have a Nighthawk Carbon. I like warmer sounds, nothing very bright. I'm thinking of a lcd 2c, Aeon 2 Noire, Denon 7200, Focal Celestee, or anything else really as long as they aren't bright. Thoughts?

 

[Chastity]

Thanks for the opinions, I have passed them all on to him. We spoke last night and it seems as though he's interested in getting an amp/dac and just keeping my x2hr for a couple months until he can get better cans.

Is the Schiit stack the way to go here, or JDS Labs Atoms (or something else)? I personally have an Element 2 combo unit, which I love, so that is why I suggested the JDS stack. Which one would be best for gaming? Would it give him room to grow for the cans (whatever he gets)?

----------------------------------------

I have a question for myself too. I'm looking for a headphone upgrade for under 1k for gaming (PC) and music (alt, rapcore, 90s hip hop mostly). It will be powered by an Element 2 combo.

I currently have a Nighthawk Carbon. I like warmer sounds, nothing very bright. I'm thinking of a lcd 2c, Aeon 2 Noire, Denon 7200, Focal Celestee, or anything else really as long as they aren't bright. Thoughts?

Monolith M1570C is an option too. i would also look at Kennerton.

As for a Schiit stack, I prefer Modi / Magni 3+ combo vs the Heresy.

 

[tmaxx123]

Has anyone been able to get the x7 to work with the xbox series x with chat audio? I shelled out a decent amount of money on a Halo edition xbox, only to find out that I hay have to buy more adapters and splitters for it to work through the xbox controller?

 

[inseconds99]

Has anyone been able to get the x7 to work with the xbox series x with chat audio? I shelled out a decent amount of money on a Halo edition xbox, only to find out that I hay have to buy more adapters and splitters for it to work through the xbox controller?

Connect a PC/Max/Chromebook to the usb connection of the X7 and use the Xbox app to connect to chat. This way there are no wires to the controller at all.

 

[tmaxx123]

Connect a PC/Max/Chromebook to the usb connection of the X7 and use the Xbox app to connect to chat. This way there are no wires to the controller at all.

Thanks , I’ll try that. Would have been nice for Microsoft to make this a more seamless thing, as the x7 works perfect on pc, why not Xbox!? ‍♂

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Monolith M1570C is an option too. i would also look at Kennerton.

As for a Schiit stack, I prefer Modi / Magni 3+ combo vs the Heresy.

How different is the Magni 3+ to the Heresy to your ears? Just personally interested in what makes someone choose one over the other. Haven't heard either, as the last Magni I had was the first Magni 3.

I'm inclined to go with the 3+ myself on principle: it's discrete and not op-amp based. There's a staggering amount of op-amp based amplifiers in the market, so I like to experiment outside that norm.

I dunno if I mentioned it here, but I recently got the Asgard 3, and I really enjoy how it actually audible injects some warmth compared to a more linear sounding amp. It's noticeable warmer than the Jot 2. Not better, and probably technically inferior, but I really like the sound it has. Almost like what I would've expected a tube amp to sound like.

Just too bad I have a noisy system. I can only get a black background off it through the internal DAC. The RCA input has buzzing, though that's not the Asgard's fault. The Jot 2 has the same issue if I run my Modius off RCA instead of XLRs. Ground loop, etc. I'm too lazy to invest in a power conditioner or whatever. :'(

Really it's not audible in my volume range, but its definitely audible once you pass a volume threshold.

 

[JdeFalconr]

OK these M1570's are really good.