[Richard0600]

Can someone give me some advice on what I should buy? I was literally about to click 'buy' for wireless 
Astro A40 + mixamp when someone recommended I have a look at this thread first. Now I am 
completely overwhelmed as to what to buy or do.
 
I am a huge audio noob.. so by all means treat my like a dumbass. I currently have a soundcard on my
computer a Razer Barracuda AC-1. I'm not sure if it counts to anything but I just wanted to let you know
in case this was relevant. link: http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.169415400
 
From what I read. It seems like you highly recommend:
K701/Q701/HD598/PC360/AD700/DT990 Premium model/D7000/HE-4
 

What stood out was the PC360. I live in Australia. Shipping is quite expensive. Most of these things ​

are WAY overpriced here and they're way cheaper to deliver from the states. So the less items I have to ​

deliver the better. I just have a few questions before I commit to this purchase. I will primarily be using​

this for Gaming/Music/Skype probably in that order. Does my soundcard count for anything? or is it just junk.​

Do I need to buy the astro a40 mixamp? (I think you mentioned that you coupled all your headphones with​

this to get the best result?)​

 ​

If you think you have any better solutions I would gladly take it. My budgets probably around $300 USD​

hopefully that includes everything as well as shipping. The budget is flexible but not THAT flexible..​

$400 is probably MAX and that's hurting my bank account lol..​

 ​

Thanks in advance any advice from anyone would be most welcomed.​

(edit: moved this comment to this post...)​

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

Can someone give me some advice on what I should buy? I was literally about to click 'buy' for wireless 
Astro A40 + mixamp when someone recommended I have a look at this thread first. Now I am 
completely overwhelmed as to what to buy or do.
 
I am a huge audio noob.. so by all means treat my like a dumbass. I currently have a soundcard on my
computer a Razer Barracuda AC-1. I'm not sure if it counts to anything but I just wanted to let you know
in case this was relevant. link: http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.169415400
 
From what I read. It seems like you highly recommend:
K701/Q701/HD598/PC360/AD700/DT990 Premium model/D7000/HE-4
 

What stood out was the PC360. I live in Australia. Shipping is quite expensive. Most of these things ​

are WAY overpriced here and they're way cheaper to deliver from the states. So the less items I have to ​

deliver the better. I just have a few questions before I commit to this purchase. I will primarily be using​

this for Gaming/Music/Skype probably in that order. Does my soundcard count for anything? or is it just junk.​

Do I need to buy the astro a40 mixamp? (I think you mentioned that you coupled all your headphones with​

this to get the best result?)​

 ​

If you think you have any better solutions I would gladly take it. My budgets probably around $300 USD​

hopefully that includes everything as well as shipping. The budget is flexible but not THAT flexible..​

$400 is probably MAX and that's hurting my bank account lol..​

 ​

Thanks in advance any advice from anyone would be most welcomed.​

(edit: moved this comment to this post...)​

 
Don't worry about the mixamp if your not playing on consoles. 
 
It seems like that Razer card may have dolby headphone, which is the same thing the mixamp has for surround sound.  I don't know much about soundcards though, so I can't help you on whether or not it's good besides that.
 
You can either go for a headset like the Sennheiser PC360, or you can get normal headphones and add something like an antlion modmic or a clip on mic.  Normal headphones usually have better audio quality than headsets, but the PC360s are quite good for a headset.
 
As for the headphones, it comes down to personal preference.  How much bass/mids/treble do you want (do you want them to emphasize a certain frequency)?  Do you need them to isolate sound?  What kind of music are you going to be listening to with them? 

 

[Richard0600]

Quote:

 
Don't worry about the mixamp if your not playing on consoles. 
 
It seems like that Razer card may have dolby headphone, which is the same thing the mixamp has for surround
sound.  I don't know much about soundcards though, so I can't help you on whether or not it's good besides that.
 
You can either go for a headset like the Sennheiser PC360, or you can get normal headphones and add something
like an antlion modmic or a clip on mic.  Normal headphones usually have better audio quality than headsets, but
the PC360s are quite good for a headset.
 
As for the headphones, it comes down to personal preference.  How much bass/mids/treble do you want (do you
want them to emphasize a certain frequency)?  Do you need them to isolate sound?  What kind of music are
you going to be listening to with them? 

 
Thanks for the reply chicolom. I've been practically every 10 mins in hopes that someone would reply ><.
I added a few points in the thread I moved my previous comment to. But in case you didn't see it here is
a photo of my sound card Razer Barracuda AC-1. Here are the specs:
 

1. Razer Fidelity gaming audio engine

2. Razer Enhanced Sonic Perception

3. Integrated 24-bit / 192KHz S/PDIF receiver/transmitter

4. Dolby® Prologic IIx surround processor

5. Dolby® Digital Live 5.1 encoder

6. Dolby® Headphone technology

7. Dolby® Virtual Speaker

8. DTS® NeoPC

9. DTS® Interactive real-time encoder

10. 7.1-channel digital audio playback

11. Supports EAX™ 2.0, Aureal3D™ 1.0 and DirectSound

 
I've been tossing back pros and cons for getting headset+mic primarily because of cost vs quality and having to deal with 2 wires as oppose to one. The cheapest ones I can find off of the ones I am contemplating off ebay are (Of course I am up for suggestions):
 
HD598 $278 + 47 for modmic (shipping inc) = $325
AD700 - $125 + ModMic = $172
DT990 Pro - $275 + ModMic = $322
(K701 & Q701 others that I looked at. But were a bit out of my budget..350+ just for headphone)
 
(Someone on another forum suggested I get one of these: FiiO E11 to attach to my headset as well on top of my
Razer soundcard. Not sure if it is overkill.. or if they clash with each other. But if so then the total of this would
come up to around HD598~ $390 / AD700 ~ $240 / DT990 Pro ~ $390
 
Cheapest PC360 I can find is $250 Assuming I don't need any other things to add to this
 
 
As for music I primarily listen to trance.. which is by itself a pretty broad genre. Most tracks start off with a
heavy bass progressive intro which transitions into a 'dreamy' 'trance' melody. I've never studied music
nor do I really know how to answer you when you ask me about which frequency..bass/mids/treble
BUT I can give you two examples as to how the genre varies:
 

[size=1.8333em] Gareth Emery feat. Christina Novelli - Concrete Angel[/size]

[size=1.8333em] Orion & J. Shore - White Birds (Tom Fall Remix)[/size]

 
Thanks appreciate the feedback

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I'd say the DT990 Pro is too bassy to use with a mic, IMHO, but its perfect for Trance. None of the others on your list would be lively enough for Trance, IMHO.

 

[Richard0600]

Quote:

I'd say the DT990 Pro is too bassy to use with a mic, IMHO, but its perfect for Trance. None of the others on your list would be lively enough for Trance, IMHO.

 
I really value your opinion since you kind of opened my eyes to a wider selection of headphones.  
I would probably be sitting here waiting for a pair of Astro A40s if It wasn't for you so I am forever in your debt.
If you have any recommendations as to which pair of headphones I should get I would appreciate it greatly!
 
So in case of TL;DR for the other posts here is a summary of all my posts:
 

• Need new headphone/headset. For Games (Mass Effect 3/Diablo 3) & Music (Trance)
• Budget: $350 USD (Including shipping and all accessories (amps if needed))
• Already have Razer Barracuda AC-1 Sound Card  - Tech Specs (Do I still need an additional amp? FiiO E11 was suggested)
• List of potential headphone + modmic($47) / headsets:

1. HD598 -  $278 + ModMic = $325
2. AD700 - $125 + ModMic = $172
3. DT990 Pro - $275 + ModMic = $322
4. PC360 - $250
5. (K701 & Q701 pushing the budget $350+)
6. (If FiiO E11 is needed then that is an additional 60 + shipping)

 

[Richard0600]

(repost)

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Honestly the only headphones that come close that I've heard are the DT880 and Q701, and the Premium DT990. These 3 I could use for music and gaming, but they all have their sacrifices.

The Q701 wouldn't be my first or second option for Trance.

DT880 do everything well, but they just don't work for FPS games.

PREMIUM DT990 works for everything, but the treble is love/hate. If the treble wasn't an issue, they'd be your best choice, IMHO. I like them more than the Q701, but I didn't need them anymore, since the D7000 was better for the same purposes, and I wanted something that complimented the D7000 and not compete with it.

Honestly with your limited budget, I'd say:

AD700 + Modmic + Creative Aurvana Live (for music and fun gaming)

You wouldn't need an extra amp, and you'd have all bases covered. I know multiple headphones are a hard sell, but when you're needing something for everything, multiple headphones are the best bet. I feel it best to own two headphones that specialize in two different areas, than one more expensive one that don't exactly cover the same grounds as well.

This can be an expensive hobby, but those two headphones are excellent in areas I've mentioned and both SHOULD BE cheaper than just one of the others mentioned.

 

[Richard0600]

Quote:

Honestly the only headphones that come close that I've heard are the DT880 and Q701, and the Premium DT990. These 3 I could use for music and gaming, but they all have their sacrifices.
The Q701 wouldn't be my first or second option for Trance.
DT880 do everything well, but they just don't work for FPS games.
PREMIUM DT990 works for everything, but the treble is love/hate. If the treble wasn't an issue, they'd be your best choice, IMHO. I like them more than the Q701, but I didn't need them anymore, since the D7000 was better for the same purposes, and I wanted something that complimented the D7000 and not compete with it.
Honestly with your limited budget, I'd say:
AD700 + Modmic + Creative Aurvana Live (for music and fun gaming)
You wouldn't need an extra amp, and you'd have all bases covered. I know multiple headphones are a hard sell, but when you're needing something for everything, multiple headphones are the best bet. I feel it best to own two headphones that specialize in two different areas, than one more expensive one that don't exactly cover the same grounds as well.
This can be an expensive hobby, but those two headphones are excellent in areas I've mentioned and both SHOULD BE cheaper than just one of the others mentioned.

 
I manage to find a pair of "LNIB Beyerdynamic DT990 DT 990 PREMIUM 250 Ohm" (used apparently he used it for about an hour.. an decided to go back to his DT880 and forgot to return to amazon... always been a bit skeptical on 2nd hand stuff..) for $215 USD which is a steal? I dunno. Would you recommend this over everything else?
 
 

 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I do, but they'd need an amp, and I can't guarantee you could handle the treble.

 

[Richard0600]

Quote:

I do, but they'd need an amp, and I can't guarantee you could handle the treble.

This is so mind boggling, a part of me just wants to order the pc360 and be done with it. But I don't want a turtle beach z6a incident again lol.
Is there anyway for me to experience what you mean when you say 'handle the treble'? I barely even know what treble is so 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Treble is the upper range of sound. Like the highest pitch levels. Cymbals crashing, usually the 'S' sounds in music. Well, the DT990's have a tendency of exaggerating treble, to the point of it being grating and harsh to a LOT of people.

The PC360 is a fine headset that well perform well for gaming. It's just that for Trance... well, it's not going to make you jump out of your seat. I don't particularly care for them when it comes to music. Anything the PC360 can do, the Q701 can do better.

I tell people, with electronic genres, you DON'T want a headphone that I rate highly on the competitive side.

Electronic Music and hardcore gaming usually don't work well with just one headphone. The D7000 is a very expensive exception, and not one I can just blindly recommend, obviously, which is why I hated putting it on this list. The Q701 is close, but I'd still not consider them right for stuff like trance.

Seriously if SHOOTERS aren't an importance, the DT880 is the best headphone I can recommend for all purposes.

 

[Richard0600]

(edit)
 
I manage to get a good deal on a brand new HD598 that I was monitoring on eBay. I know it wasn't exactly what
we discussed and you might be disappointed about my purchase. But I am quite happy with my purchase. I would
like to thank everyone that helped and especially Mad Lust Envy. I am now a proud owner of my first pair of real
headphones
 
Thought I'd upload this for fun: 

Ductaped back together I shoved leather pieces into that little
hinge part so that the ear cup will stays in place.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Hah, those are just like the Turtle Beach Z2 that I have on the list. The first pair I got, it broke EXACTLY where your duct tape is, as SOON as I tried to adjust the headband for the very first time.

Glad to see Turtle Beach is still sucking it up. :rolleyes:

 

[Jodiuh]

How bout the Q701's lan factor? I took my very open HD580's along w/ the closed DT770. It was simply too hard to pinpoint anything w/ the background noise the sennheiser let in. :/
 
Perhaps some outer muffs to close the sound up?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

You should never take open headphones to loud environments. The Q701 is open. So no.