[calpis]

Close but the cups are made of mokume gane.

 

[roguegeek]

Mad, I say bravo for all the work you've done. Fugg the haters...

And while on that note, let me know when you're ready to review the 1540 however the fugg you want to...

I am most definitely interested in seeing where these land in this guide.
 
Change, I was gone for a while late last year, but did you ever try out the 940? My impressions still hold true with that one.

 

[Godflight]

Are the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros good for gaming? I wouldn't mind the overwhelming bass- that's what I love when it comes to headphones. I really think the DT 770s are for me.

 

[Mad Max]

They are alright.

 

[NamelessPFG]

There, personal bias choices. Did you guys miss these? Start there, look at the entry, see if you like what you're reading, and go from there. Is it really worth you getting a micro-percentage boost in SQ for $300 more, because you want THE ULTIMATE BESTEDT HEADPHONZ EVR? I have said, a headphone might be slightly better, but when you hit a certain threshold in performance, choosing one over the other is more based on personal preference, and not because one headphone is gonna catch an audio cue the other won't. If you think this is true... I feel sorry for you. Save yourself the trouble, get an HD800, and play your games in ignorance. Surely, you'll do MUCH better than a guy with an AD700... after all, it's worth $1200 more, and has way better SQ...right?

Or is it that you guys absolutely need me to hand hold you and tell you which of these is right FOR YOU? I do my best to give a description on the sound signature (admittedly better now than years ago). I can only help you so much.

I get so many, so many PMs asking the same crap over and over. The same general apologies ("I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, is the AD700 better than the Q701? It scored higher, so i'm wondering if I should save my money if I want the bestest competitive gaming ever.")

I'm not gonna reply to these messages. I'm just not. I'll go 90% of the way to helping, you decide for yourself if it's worth it to you or not. I'm not you.

 
I understand how you feel, all too well.
 
Some people just want to be told everything, instead of finding out the answers themselves with a little guidance. Quite a shame, given how we all hear differently, fit things on our heads differently and have different preferences in general.
 
This thread's meant to be a guideline, a sort of reference point where people can get started and work out from there. It's not an empirical "these headphones are the only headphones you should ever buy for gaming" list, particularly since you have limited time, limited money, and you usually have to pay up in full for these headphones up-front rather than just covering the cost of shipping.
 

Are the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros good for gaming? I wouldn't mind the overwhelming bass- that's what I love when it comes to headphones. I really think the DT 770s are for me.

 
If they're anything like my MMX 300 (a DT770 Premium 32-ohm with a good mic attached), they're good enough for gaming with virtual surround, rest assured.

 

[Evshrug]

Good to see multiple minds thinking around the need for easy readability and anticipating questions before they're asked.

Some of this has already been addressed, such as the X1 (it takes the DT990's strengths and improves them, making the DT990's at similar prices obsolete) and the MA900 (Recommended all-rounder for any low-budget search over the Koss KSC75), good job, some good suggestions have been made (a * rating like Amazon, or a wider number range, relative to price-class competitors), and some things might never change (people don't realize Mad can't afford to own more than one or two headphones at a time, and that Mad can't do request reviews unless someone sponsors it). It's just, you know, there's no sense in taking the fun out of writing reviews... And if I give a headphone recommendation, I often ask the person to follow up with their impressions about their choice.

 

[Stillhart]

Wow, what an unbelievable hostile environment.  I honestly have never felt this hated on for being a noobie in all my years online (hint, I still remember my old 300 baud modem). 
 
MLE admits his guide isn't perfect, a lot of it is out of date.  Prices are wrong, conclusions referencing price are wrong when the prices are wrong, and the kicker is that a lot of these aren't even available anymore.  Look, I'm not trying to be a dick, why so hostile when people are asking for clarification?
 
Thanks for what you've provided, it was certainly helpful and I mean that sincerely.  Now I'll go **** off so you can rage at the next guy instead of simply updating your guide with an FAQ to curb the most common questions.

 

[chicolom]

  Wow, what an unbelievable hostile environment.  I honestly have never felt this hated on for being a noobie in all my years online (hint, I still remember my old 300 baud modem). 
 
MLE admits his guide isn't perfect, a lot of it is out of date.  Prices are wrong, conclusions referencing price are wrong when the prices are wrong, and the kicker is that a lot of these aren't even available anymore.  Look, I'm not trying to be a dick, why so hostile when people are asking for clarification?
 
Thanks for what you've provided, it was certainly helpful and I mean that sincerely.  Now I'll go **** off so you can rage at the next guy instead of simply updating your guide with an FAQ to curb the most common questions.

 
I think you're misinterpreting.  No one is being hostile @ you, it's just a little off-topic ranting going on. 

 

[Evshrug]

As far as knowing what "recessed mids" mean... If you're gonna become a headphone enthusiast, you'll pick it up. The target audience probably already knows this, or can easily find it on the audio terms threads on Head-Fi and Headroom and Inner Fidelity, etc. That kind of thing is beyond the scope of this guide... Can't accurately describe something if a reader doesn't even know what bass or mids are.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Recessed mids = vocals and other manner of details found in the midrange frequencies to sound pushed back, lower in volume in comparison to the bass and treble. It can sound muted, hard to hear, etc.

For example, the xb700, makes it hard to hear conversations in Mass effect 2 when you're on the Normandy spaceship, because the hum of the spaceship is so loud (the hum is lower end/bass frequencies). With a headphone that ISN'T recessed in the mids, the conversations will be a lot easier to hear.

HOSTILITY AND ANGUISH SUSTAIN ME

 

[Evshrug]

Wow, what an unbelievable hostile environment.

Thanks for what you've provided, it was certainly helpful and I mean that sincerely.  Now I'll go **** off so you can rage at the next guy instead of simply updating your guide with an FAQ to curb the most common questions.

Wait, did I miss something? Who said anything heated or like "go away?"

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I tend to state things bluntly lots of times, and people perceive it as hostile. I get that everywhere, lol. I'm argumentative, but it's mostly just passion of the debate. I don't mean to offend anyone, so I'll ask for those who get offended, grow a backbone, this is the internet. It's hard to gauge the inflection one uses when they type.

I could just be sweet and nice and try not to walk on anyone's toes, but I don't have the energy to do that. I grew up with guys who rag on each other all the time, so I tend to deflect things in the way I do. Nothing personal, ever.

I like to debate things with the guys here, and I need you all to take it as that, just back and forth. Not trying to slam on anyone or anything. If someone calls me an a-hole, I'll just say 'thanks'. It's not that serious.

TEE HEE HEE AND ALL THAT JAZZ

 

[iamstumper]

Mad Lust Envy back on page 1396 you started polling people for Headphones with 2.5mm or 3.5mm connections. Will this be a new section on the first page - complimenting the headphone and microphone sections? The vmoda boom mic pro + supported(?) Headphone list would definitely give people another option for gaming /communication solutions.

I know after using my IEM's today for travel (on a train hooked to note3 for music and laptop gaming / music from hotel) has me re-evaluating adding m/v80 + mic. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking the same

 

[chicolom]

Speaking of FAQs and adding a FAQ, here are some sample FAQ questions I've jotted down.  Maybe they could be used in the guide. 
 
 

Spoiler: FAQ

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1. Why are Gaming Headsets often said to be inferior to regular headphones?
2. 1. In general, headphones (especially "audiophile" or "hi-fi" headphones) tend to have better sound quality than your typical gaming headsets. This is due to a number of reasons, such as: a design more focused on maximizing sound quality instead of maximizing stylish "gaming" looks, an Open Vs. Closed design (most gaming headsets are closed), and simply having more experience at designing headphones than gaming headset companies.

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1. What about multi-driver "true surround sound" headphones?  Aren't they better?
   1. No.  Multi-driver headphones make use of tiny drivers with inferior performance to larger stereo (dual driver) headphones.  A better route is a good pair of stereo headphones with a good virtual surround DSP.

[/size]  
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1. Do I need an amp?
   1. That depends on your headphone.  All headphones will benefit from an amp, but some benefit more.  Those are usually higher ohm OR lower sensitivity headphones.

[/size]  
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1. Will headphone X be a huge improvemet for competitve gaming over the AD700?
2. 1. Probably not.  HD800s or SR009 are probably the very best headphones, but nothing is going to be that much of an improvement for competitive gaming over the AD700s. 
      Your NOT going to keep getting competitive improvements as you go up in price.  The main improvements your going to get are a more immersive sound (fuller weighter sound, better bass).  Sometimes a more immersive sound counteracts a competitive focused sound though.  Part of the reason the AD700 works so well for soundwhoring is because it sounds bright and bass light (counteracts immersion though). 
      So if your looking for the very best headphone for competitve gaming, just get an AD700.  Or get an HD800.  Everything in between the two will offer improvements to immersion, but not really improvements for simple competitive sound whoring.  If your willing to trade a little competitive ability for a more immersive and enjoyable sound (and a more audiophile headphone that will be better with music), then you should look at more immersive headphones.
       

[/size] [size=medium]

1. What traits make for a good competitive gaming headphone?
   1. A non-bassy heavy signature, emphasis on mids and highs to bring out details like footsteps, and a large and accurate sounding soundstage...
       
2. What traits make for a good immersive gaming headphone?
3. 1. Dat Bass...
       

[/size] [size=medium]

1. What' the difference between "Dolby Digital" and "Dolby Headphone"?
    
2. 1. Dolby Digital surround and Dolby Headphone surround are NOT the same thing.
      
      Dolby Digital is a compressed and encoded 5.1 channel signal which can ONLY be passed through optical or HDMI. Dolby Digital is actual surround sound (5.1 channel), NOT virtual surround sound for headphones (2 channel).  You can't listen to Dolby Digital with headphones, unless your headphone has multiple drivers.  To get virtual surround for your headphones you need to process that 5.1 channel into a 2 channel (stereo) signal that your stereo headphones can actually use.  That's where Dolby Headphone comes in.  
      
      Dolby Headphone is a virtual surround sound DSP for headphones which takes a Dolby Digital 5.1 channel signal and downmixes and processes into a special 2 channel stereo signal that any headphone can use.  Since it's just a 2 channel stereo signal, any 3.5mm jack will output it and it will work with any regular stereo headphone (although some work better than others).  Even though it's only a stereo signal, it still sounds like surround sound when used with headphones because the Dolby Headphone DSP adds head related transfer function cues to the signal, which fool the brain into the hearing the same surround sound that was in the original 5.1 signal.
       
3. My PC has optical/toslink out.  Will I be able to plug in a device like the Astro Mixamp or Ear Force DSS?
4. 1. Maybe.  It depends on whether your computer's sound card is capable of encoding games into Dolby Digital and outputting that signal through optical.
       
5. Can I have more than one DAC in the audio chain?  Can I "chain" DACs together?
   1. NO.  You only convert the signal from digital to analog ONE time, so the first device in the chain that gives you an analog signal is your DAC and will be the only DAC in the chain.
       
6. Should I get a mixamp if I'm gaming on PC?
7. 1. No, probably not.  Devices like the Mixamp are mainly recommended for consoles.  For PC's a better solution is an internal soundcard.
       
8. What's the difference between Pro Logic II and Dolby Headphone?/What is Pro Logic II?
   1. Pro Logic II is basically a 2 channel signal upconverted to interpolated mutli-channel surround, while Dolby Headphone is basically multi-channel surround down-converted to 2 channel stereo with virtual surround from added HRTF cues.

[/size]

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Chico...










I'll probably just steal that ENTIRE THING. Seriously. I think since I'm too damned lazy to do all this, you guys will be a tremendous help in adding to the guide with these things.

I still haven't added the Vmoda Boom pro.... What.

As for the Vmoda list, yes, that's my intention. It's also what I believe most people should go with, since you're bound to find a very good headphone with a removable cable that will house the vmoda boompro cable, giving you a hell of a headphone+mic with no extra clutter.