So look into headphones that YOU think look like something you want, and see if what people say about them sounds like they'd suit your needs. Chances are a good, fun sounding headphone will sound great for fun gaming, and a very detailed headphone with open soundstage will likely be great for competitive gaming, etc. There's not much else to make headphones truly stand out. You can extrapolate if a headphone will be good just by reading about these factors more often than not. There really is no such thing as the best of the best, at least unless you're going for the very high end, and even up there, there's so much competition, you're unlikely to single out one or two headphones objectively.
OK, I'll just try to be as detailed as I can on what I'm looking for. Right now, I want a new set of headphones to use with my PC instead of my Ultrasone HFI-700s. I use my PC for everything: gaming, movies, and music. I have a Creative X-Fi Titanium HD sound card that supports up to 330 Ohms load. I switch between the different modes depending on what I'm listening to, and I appreciate having the ability to hear every detail, including EAX effects in older games. I really like these headphones for the sound quality, but they're not comfortable for long sessions. I have attached an Antlion Modmic, but I find it to be a really annoying with long cables that get in the way. I got small children that like to get into my stuff the moment I walk away from my desk. This means coming back to find everything disassembled on my headset. Anyway, when I'm not using my headphones, I have a pair of Klipsch R-15PM studio monitors positioned at 45-degree angles from where I sit, about 2.5 feet away, and an R-10SW subwoofer under my desk. I think they sound great with the exception of a harsher sibilance than I would like. However, they do sound a lot better at higher volumes than I'm able to actually use when my wife is home. The other microphone I use is just the one built into my Logitech C920 webcam.
Anyway, that's where I'm at. As far as what I'm looking for, here's my list of needs:
Gaming - It's all about immersion. Directional accuracy or the ability pick out small cues comes secondary to actually feeling like I'm there. Not that this isn't an advantage I would like to have, but if I'm being honest, I'm not that great at competitive FPS games anyway. Knowing where those footsteps are coming from and having twitch reactions to them isn't going to happen. It's a bonus if I can try to do that, but it's not a need. I don't spend much time in games like Counter-Strike, but I do play a lot of immersive single player games. I have a nice 1440p ultrawide monitor to get that visually, and I want to give my ears the same treatment. The multiplayer games I play are mostly co-op, and I would like a boom mic for better noise cancellation. I was almost sold on Beyerdynamic MMX 300s. I know they're overpriced, but I don't really care if it's exactly what I want. However, I've also been interested in streaming and content creation. This means having to get a dynamic microphone to cancel out all the noise of my crazy kids. If I do that, then once again I wouldn't need a headset because there's really no need for a boom mic if I have something better. So that brings me back to just wanting a comfortable set of closed-backed headphones for isolation, with a great sound stage for immersion.
Music - I have a large collection ripped FLAC files, and I listen to every genre, especially hard rock and heavy metal. I don't know if I'm a "bass head". I enjoy deep heavy bass, but I don't like it to drown out everything else. I just want to really feel it, you know? So yes, I am looking for a quality listening experience for music. I like having good separation for all the instruments. I don't know if my speakers are known for being sibilant or if I'm just particularly sensitive to it. I'm not an audiophile in the sense that many in this community are, but I am willing to pay good money for the best "practical" experience that I can get. I can justify spending up to $500 on a pair of cans that are objectively better. I've been attracted mostly to flatter sounding headphones because I feel there's a smaller chance of being disappointed without getting to try them first. However, I'm willing to compromise between great gaming and great listening performance. The Audeze Mobius seems like a good immersive headset with a good reputation for listening to music as well, but the new Creative SXFI Amp sounds like a more flexible alternative that I can use with a variety of headphones. I've tried neither of them, so I really have no way to compare them. I don't know if the head tracking or SXFI is more immersive.
Comfort - I wear glasses 100% of the time, so soft foam pads without too much clamping force are a must. Pleather pads that stick to my head and build up heat are not good for wearing for long periods of time. However, I imagine that any leakyness this causes should be offset by a closed back design. I prefer this anyway for more isolation and a perception of heavier bass. After doing my homework, it seems like the Beyerdynamics DT 770 Pros are a good choice for what I'm looking for, with reportedly impressive open sound for a closed-back set of headphones. I am also open to other options that I haven't looked at, but either these or MMX 300s, despite some reports of higher than average sibilance, do seem to be the best option for what I want at a decent price. I know it comes in a few different variants and impedences. It's a shame that the cable isn't detachable, because I would prefer a shorter cable or a coiled cable, but it seems like you get what you get at that impedence level, and Custom Games come with more sacrifices.
Anyway, that's where I'm standing right now. I'm currently leaning towards the SXFI Amp and a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros. I don't know which variant I should get, but it seems like the 80 Ohms are the most popular. Still thinking about the Audeze Mobius. I kind of think I'd like the Mobius more for all the features it has, but I just think there's a lot more risk of buyer's remorse. With DT 770s and the SXFI Amp, I only need to be satisfied with half of my purchase to at least feel like I got a decent upgrade. Any thoughts?