[grumpy1471]

  Hey everyone! I've been stalking this thread for the last week and decided to jump on in the fun.
 
I currently have the Astro a40 headset (3-4 years old) + mixamp (1 year old) and I've been looking for a pair of cans to replace them. I've had my eye on a pair of Sennheiser HD 598 but I always come back to this thread and its like I'm starting over the thought process. 
 
I am looking for a pair of cans that would be a solid upgrade to the a40s. Mainly used for gaming and music. When it comes to music I mainly listen to metal, grind, death metal etc. Also a big fan of electronic music and some hip hop. I plan to use the mixamp in conjuction and sooner or later will end up getting a xonar essence card for my pc. I also have the mic under control. 

I need help picking out a good fit for me. I have a slightly large head if that helps with any recommendations too. 

I have pretty much the exact same taste in music as you. I am also looking for the same all around great type of headphones. The X1 was recommended to me a couple of pages back so I'd say most would recommend the same. 
 
Edit: Oh and if you're into electronic and hip hop, definitely something somewhat more fun and bassy. I stand by the X1 as my recommendation. No personal experience with them but it seems to be what would fit best based on the review and other recommendations.

 

[TiTaN]

  Hey everyone! I've been stalking this thread for the last week and decided to jump on in the fun.
 
I currently have the Astro a40 headset (3-4 years old) + mixamp (1 year old) and I've been looking for a pair of cans to replace them. I've had my eye on a pair of Sennheiser HD 598 but I always come back to this thread and its like I'm starting over the thought process. 
 
I am looking for a pair of cans that would be a solid upgrade to the a40s. Mainly used for gaming and music. When it comes to music I mainly listen to metal, grind, death metal etc. Also a big fan of electronic music and some hip hop. I plan to use the mixamp in conjuction and sooner or later will end up getting a xonar essence card for my pc. I also have the mic under control. 

I need help picking out a good fit for me. I have a slightly large head if that helps with any recommendations too. 

 
I've recently tried the Q701, X1, PC360 and MA900 and have used the HD595/598, Astro A40, DT770 and AD700.
 
I currently still own the X1 and AD700, as the AD700 are solid for everything and cheap enough to not feel like it's a waste keeping them and the X1 are my current all-around use cans, mostly for gaming due to compatibility with the vmoda boompro and how great they are with positioning. The added bass over the AD700 is great especially for electronic/dance music, though metal isn't as good and the AD700 and something like the MA900 or HD595/598 would win there.
 
The Q701 definitely needed an AMP and I wasn't willing to add another $100+ to the price when everything else was just fine without. The MA900 were amazing but I couldn't get used to the fit myself, though the lightness made them comfortable if perfectly still once you get them in place.
 
Overall it's what you really want to use them for that determines which are best for you of these. If purely competitive gaming, don't waste the extra money and go for the AD700. If you want 99% of the competitive gaming plus bass and electronic/dance prowess step up to the X1. If you want the ultimate all-arounder that is also fantastic for competitive gaming but less bass than X1 and better for metal/rock, go HD595/598 or the MA900 if you can find a pair and are willing to chance the odd fit.
 
If you can look past the headband bumps and are getting an amp, the Q701 are also an option.
 
The DT770 are great for bass, isolation and gaming but obviously closed so a very different direction than the rest. The PC360 that I had were absolutely terrible compared to everything else I've detailed and I'd avoid them completely. I got a pair of the newest Astros on a great deal and sold them immediately, as they also sounded awful compared to the AD700s.
 
Bang for buck for pure gaming performance? AD700

 

[Stillhart]

  Hey everyone! I've been stalking this thread for the last week and decided to jump on in the fun.
 
I currently have the Astro a40 headset (3-4 years old) + mixamp (1 year old) and I've been looking for a pair of cans to replace them. I've had my eye on a pair of Sennheiser HD 598 but I always come back to this thread and its like I'm starting over the thought process.
 
I am looking for a pair of cans that would be a solid upgrade to the a40s. Mainly used for gaming and music. When it comes to music I mainly listen to metal, grind, death metal etc. Also a big fan of electronic music and some hip hop. I plan to use the mixamp in conjuction and sooner or later will end up getting a xonar essence card for my pc. I also have the mic under control. 

I need help picking out a good fit for me. I have a slightly large head if that helps with any recommendations too.

 
If you've been lurking for the past week, you'll have seen this same question asked a few times.  I think every time, the answer was the X1.  It's a solid all-arounder and I think it's hard to go wrong with that choice.  I'd also look into the Q701, as those are my favorites right now.
 
You can definitely find good deals on both of these cans used (on the classifieds here) as well. 

 

[Broadbandit]

Thanks for the replies guys (oh hey!) . The X1's seem pretty popular around the net. And what I gather from you titan is that the HD 595/598 might actually be the best fit Gaming/Metal wise. 
 
I'm not opposed to buying an amp. I would buy an amp + q701 lets say if it was a solid choice over everything else for what I'm looking for. I plan on whatever cans I get soon to be with me for awhile

 

[Stillhart]

  Thanks for the replies guys (oh hey!) . The X1's seem pretty popular around the net. And what I gather from you titan is that the HD 595/598 might actually be the best fit Gaming/Metal wise.
 
I'm not opposed to buying an amp. I would buy an amp + q701 lets say if it was a solid choice over everything else for what I'm looking for. I plan on whatever cans I get soon to be with me for awhile

 
I think this thread gives you all the info you need gaming-wise.  You may want to check out the individual 'appreciation' threads for the headphones you're interested in to see how they stack up for your music preferences.

 

[Broadbandit]

Word. Thanks for the advice. One last question while I'm here. When talking about the q701 and an amp, does the amp with the xonar essence sound card perform as well as a standalone $100 amp or no?

 

[Stillhart]

  Word. Thanks for the advice. One last question while I'm here. When talking about the q701 and an amp, does the amp with the xonar essence sound card perform as well as a standalone $100 amp or no?

 
I couldn't say.  Try searching the the Nameless guide to PC gaming (linked in the first post).

 

[iamstumper]

  Word. Thanks for the advice. One last question while I'm here. When talking about the q701 and an amp, does the amp with the xonar essence sound card perform as well as a standalone $100 amp or no?

May want to clarify which Asus Xonar Essence product you are talking about .... ST, STX, STX II, One, One Plus, One Muses, etc.

 

[Change is Good]

Curse you evil siren of the deal, I will not submit! Seriously though, I'd like to hear these at some point down the road but I have a suspicion that they won't be able to match my quad driver customs so there's really not much point for me. I like the idea of a hybrid design, getting the benefits of both BA and dynamic, but I just love the detail and clarity that my full BA delivers.

Let's just say I like these much better than both the Westone 4r (4 BAs) and SM64 (3 BAs). I first went to BAs because dynamics weren't giving the detail and clarity I craved, but then those BAs weren't providing that bass presence I desired. This is where the H3 came to play and gave me the best of both worlds.

I've read those 1964-Qs provide some big bass, however, for a BA. Unless you feel its soundstage is lacking, then you may want to give the H3 a try... especially at $254. That price is a steal for these, if you ask me...

 

[AxelCloris]

Let's just say I like these much better than both the Westone 4r (4 BAs) and SM64 (3 BAs). I first went to BAs because dynamics weren't giving the detail and clarity I craved, but then those BAs weren't providing that bass presence I desired. This is where the H3 came to play and gave me the best of both worlds.

I've read those 1964-Qs provide some big bass, however, for a BA. Unless you feel its soundstage is lacking, then you may want to give the H3 a try.

 
Their bass is pretty impressive, though the 1964-T is more bass oriented than the Q. I haven't heard the T, so I can't comment how it changes the balance in the sound. But when asked to deliver, my Q's definitely step to the plate. And the soundstage is nice. I haven't heard any IEMs with what I'd call a big soundstage, but these are definitely the top that I've heard personally.
 
Maybe when I ship down my L2 we can work out an exchange so I can demo them.

 

[Broadbandit]

  May want to clarify which Asus Xonar Essence product you are talking about .... ST, STX, STX II, One, One Plus, One Muses, etc.

STX

 

[Evshrug]

Word. Thanks for the advice. One last question while I'm here. When talking about the q701 and an amp, does the amp with the xonar essence [STX] sound card perform as well as a standalone $100 amp or no?

Well... the op-amp used in the STX is the same one used in a FiiO E9, but the rest of the amp is implemented differently which may result in different performance/character (personally I haven't heard either). Right now, the darling (and currently supported) soundcards of the PC world are Creative's Z series cards (Z, ZxR, Omni). There are hardware mods that can be done to soundcards to improve sound quality, but they're not an option if you aren't good with soldering and electronics. Basically, a soundcard would be an ok start, but you'd probably want to upgrade to connecting an external amp at some point. I can vouch that even a SoundBlaster Z or Omni sounds pretty good with an AKG 712 or Q701 plugged straight in, but I like my music with my tube amp.

I like that I could start with a decent but inexpensive soundcard to start, but easily add an external amp or DAC (via optical) later if I want to use high-end gear.

 

[Stillhart]

   
Their bass is pretty impressive, though the 1964-T is more bass oriented than the Q. I haven't heard the T, so I can't comment how it changes the balance in the sound. But when asked to deliver, my Q's definitely step to the plate. And the soundstage is nice. I haven't heard any IEMs with what I'd call a big soundstage, but these are definitely the top that I've heard personally.
 
Maybe when I ship down my L2 we can work out an exchange so I can demo them.

 
Pair of brand new L2's in the classifieds right now.  Being compared to the HE-500 and the HD650??

 

[AxelCloris]

 
Pair of brand new L2's in the classifieds right now.  Being compared to the HE-500 and the HD650??

 
Only demo'd the HE-500 once at a head-fi meet so I can't really compare them.
 
HD650 Pros vs L2:
Slightly larger soundstage
Slightly more refined
More comfortable pads (don't get warm as easily, more room)
 
L2 Pros vs HD650:
Lighter
Easier to drive
Compatible with BoomPro
 
The L2 cups are smaller, and could potentially cause issues with larger ears. This doesn't bother me at all and it's not unusual with headphones designed for portable use. Tonally I feel that the HD650 and L2 are fairly close with both having a warmer signature.

 

[Change is Good]

   
Only demo'd the HE-500 once at a head-fi meet so I can't really compare them.
 
HD650 Pros vs L2:
Slightly larger soundstage
Slightly more refined
More comfortable pads (don't get warm as easily, more room)
 
L2 Pros vs HD650:
Lighter
Easier to drive
Compatible with BoomPro
 
The L2 cups are smaller, and could potentially cause issues with larger ears. This doesn't bother me at all and it's not unusual with headphones designed for portable use. Tonally I feel that the HD650 and L2 are fairly close with both having a warmer signature.

 
So are you saying the L2 has a n-shaped sound like the HD650? Meaning the mids have the most presence? If so, that's a bummer, for me...