[Totoori]

MA900, X1 are in your price range. The MA900's comfort is hit or miss as your ears will sit on the drivers, which may be an issue. The X1 is super comfy, but the pads can be itchy for some people. You can also spring for some updated K702s on Amazon which no longer have bumps for around $278, but those require some good power behind them and raises price accordingly. They're pretty stellar for comfort too.

Thanks.
 
I like the look of the X1's and would like to grab those, unfortunately I haven't seen them on sale yet. What are some good prices for those three I should keep an eye out for?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The new K702, I haven't seen lower than that price yet. Also be wary of buying from 3rd party (Emusic seems to be blacklisted, so don't buy it from their Amazon listing).

X1 has gone down to around $250, but it's been a long while. The MA900 has generally been around $190-200.

 

[Totoori]

Thanks! I think out of all of these I'm going to grab the MA900s since they're the cheapest. I'd rather have the X1's but they seem to be $100 more. For the 702 review, do I just look at the 701 from you? 

What about if I was to go down to a $150~ price, which would you choose?
 
Thank you.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Nah, look at the Q701. The K701 I reviewed was the older model, which seems to have sounded a little different than the more recent K70x models. The Q701 sells for like 60 dollars cheaper, but the headband bumps make them a bit uncomfortable.

 

[conquerator2]

MA900, X1 are in your price range. The MA900's comfort is hit or miss as your ears will sit on the drivers, which may be an issue, though I say it just takes getting used to, then it becomes one of the most comfortable headphones ever. The X1 is super comfy, but the pads can be itchy for some people, and generate quite a bit of heat. You can also spring for some updated K702s on Amazon which no longer have bumps for around $278, but those require some good power behind them and raises price accordingly. They're pretty stellar for comfort too.

Yes, this ^
Comfort is always hit or miss
All AKGs require some sort of external amping to sound good so keep that in mind :]
While, in my experience, the MA900s [and X1s] sound good practically off anything.
So, choose accordingly + use the MLE's reviews :]

 

[Totoori]

Thanks!
 
I just had an eye-opening thought. I have the extra funds and I use these things up to 20 hours a day. If I was to raise my budget to $400 as an average user would I notice a difference in sound quality and comfort?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I'm so mad at myself.

I sold my Mixamp 5.8 to fund for a Mixamp Pro, and now I went ahead and went back to the Mixamp 5.8 anyway. Lost money just to reacquire everything. :rolleyes:

I'll probably put my Mixamp pro for sale for like $75 total.

 

[chicolom]

  Thanks.
 
I like the look of the X1's and would like to grab those, unfortunately I haven't seen them on sale yet. What are some good prices for those three I should keep an eye out for?

 
 
MA900:
With the MA900s $190 new is the usual going rate.
The MA900s have gone for about $155 used..
 
X1:
The X1 had some very low prices a while back for ~$250 and lower.  It has since gone back up to ~$300 new, but it's still worth it at that price, as it beats many competiting mid-fi phones.  
You can get it used for less though - about $250 used and below.  For a long time the X1 was only available in the US for $400 + imported shipping.
 
K702:
The K702s just got a minor refresh with the new headband and AKG seems to have taken the SKU change as a chance to raise the price again.  Traditionally the went for about 250 though. 
 
If you don't mind the headband bumps (or are willing to mod them with a pad) the Q701s are a better deal going new for ~$230 and used for ~$180!  Also, I don't know what the latest K702 sounds like, but I easily preferred the Q701 to the K702 when I compared them.
 
 
Also, camelcamelcamel.com is your friend.

 

[chicolom]

 

 
 
I just had an eye-opening thought. I have the extra funds and I use these things up to 20 hours a day. If I was to raise my budget to $400 as an average user would I notice a difference in sound quality and comfort?

 
What??  You sleep for 4 hours then wear headphones 20 hours straight? 

 
 

I'm so mad at myself.

I sold my Mixamp 5.8 to fund for a Mixamp Pro, and now I went ahead and went back to the Mixamp 5.8 anyway. Lost money just to reacquire everything.

 
I think the mixamp 5.8 is a nice piece of gear to hang onto just because of the damn convience of having wireless when you need it.  I don't really plan on selling mine because there are a few times when I need that feature.

 

[Totoori]

Up to 20 hours =) I spend most of my time on my PC. And yes, I don't sleep much!
 
My point is, I shouldn't be limiting myself to $200~ when I have extra funds and use them so much =)

 

[conquerator2]

 

 
There aren't as many choices in that price range as you think
Most of those require amplification too, except for the Denons, but the new line is kinda meh...

 

[threei]

Can the mixamp pro 2013 drive the dt990 pro 250 if I don't use chat?

 

[conquerator2]

  Can the mixamp pro 2013 drive the dt990 pro 250 if I don't use chat?

It can drive them but not to their full potential IMO. Just so-so...

 

[Bakuryu]

I might have to go with the Sennheiser HD 558 then. A little worried about buying them used though. Also what should I do about getting surround sound since the current setup doesn't light up the DB light? Do I need a different USB device sound card thing (sorry that sounds really stupid, but I'm really ignorant to this side of computers).


Edit: according to Turtle Beachs website a lot of games don't use DD

http://www.turtlebeach.com/support/entry/830516976/

Edit 2: I just tested the headset setup again this time going into the settings and testing the Dolby Digital output it had and the DSS switch to DD for that time. What does this mean?

I feel like I'm very close to finally making a purchase so I could really use these last pieces of advice.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Can the mixamp pro 2013 drive the dt990 pro 250 if I don't use chat?

Think about it. 250ohm and higher headphones were made for full size receivers. Look at the Mixamp. It's barely an amp as is.

So if you wanna utilize them to their properly performance level, you need something with power behind it. There are various small amps that have been made to break the mold, but the Mixamp is not one of them.

Can the Mixamp drive it loudly without voice chat? Yes. Is it straining to supply them with enough power? Yes. You're basically running the Mixamp at full capacity just to squeeze them to drive the 990s loudly, and it's not even proper power.

People want to spend $200 on headphones that they won't even utilize properly. For that, you may as well spend the extra $100 for the Fidelio X1 which sounds better AND can be driven well off the Mixamp. At least you're getting more of your money's worth. A fully driven 990 (meaning spending at least an extra $100 to power them properly) doesn't even sound as good as a Fidelio X1 ran off a weak source.

I'm not aiming this at you. I'm generalizing. People throw their money away on a good headphone, that they hook up to weak power. It's a waste.