Is the sennheiser HD 598 still up there in terms of competitive gaming? I need a headset that is good for positional hearing for games like FPS. I don't need immersiveness and bass. Would you guys still recommend the sennheiser HD 598 for competitive gaming? I know this thread is kind of old so I want to make sure the scores are still relevant.
And now we know why MLE decided to drop the scores altogether.
This is why we're dropping the scores on the new, wiki, beginner's guide version of MLE's gaming headphone guide we're working on. The scores are gone already.
IMO, if you can get the HD598 for $100, get it. Will be quite good compared to most $100 headphones. However, and also my opinion (based on listening), if you find AKG Q701's or K612 within $30 of the HD598, then the AKG's are a little less grainy, have more soundstage, and a better balance with bass extension and stuff. Both headphones won't let you down, however I'd pick an AKG.
Sometimes when I listen to music or watch a movie with the HD598 I have to double check if I switched the X7 to headphone mode because it sounds as if the sound is coming from the speakers and not from the drivers right next to my ears. I'd like to upgrade sometime this year but I don't want to lose on that feeling. I'm kinda on the fence between HD700 and Shure SRH1840 (they cost about the same in Poland). Any thoughts, or opinions?
Intro
I had the HD700 for about a month last year, did my X7 review while making the HD700 my main headphone for testing.
My Description
My listening notes talk about how I did find the shape, headband, and ear room very comfortable, but the slick feeling of the microfiber pads was odd and with hours of gaming the weight stood out. The HD700 weight was well-distributed but I could appreciate the 100g less of the K712, which would be even more different once you take into account the cables (the HD700 has thick, dual-entry cables).
Tonally, it was thicker than my AKGs and honestly the treble didn't bother me (despite a few uneven peaks and valleys), though for longer sessions I did use my X7 to turn down the treble a bit... though I wished the X7's equalizer had more granular control over more frequencies. I got used to the HD700 so much that the K712 sounded thin... Brain burn in! However, it didn't do soundstage as well or wide or as convincingly as the K712. I was hoping for some of the HD800 soundstage DNA that I'd heard praised so much, but it failed to impress nor transport me to the orchestra hall, so I'd rate the soundstage as above average or maybe just average. A/B'ing it was obvious that the HD700 had elevated bass & lower mids, but also a little bloom and smeared out details I could hear on the K712, so I'd say in that respect the HD700 sacrifices a little mids and bass crispness for "musicality" and a thicker tone.
Thicker Tone?
This thicker tone has actually been on my mind lately, because I've been enjoying the body and timbre on the ZMF Vibro MKII I'm testing now, so it has some of the HD700's thickness but it's still got a fair bit of crispness... IIRC, the ZMF does tone & detail better. I feel like I'm sacrificing very little compared to my AKGs' detail while gaining a little more gutsy timbre.
Drawing Conclusions
I think the HD700 was designed to be very much an all-rounder and I think they hit "very good" in almost every area, plus it looks awesome. It was also an educational and enjoyable experience, and I could see someone using an HD700 for a few months or a year if they really liked it. Ultimately though, for it's price and weight, I would expect a Hi-Fi headphone to have a few excellent or amazing areas, but I just don't feel it had those, plus the treble was uneven. Though I got the HD700 for a very good market price, I didn't get that high-end wow feeling or even that it performed better than $250 alternatives, so I sold it.
TA DA! Mini review! Man, I'm actually having a harder time writing my Vibro review, because I really like it and want to do it justice by saying
why.