[namloc]

[size=1.7em] So I've taken the advice from the recent pages and removed the likes of vmoda m100 from my short list. [/size]

 
It now consists of...

[size=1.7em]  [/size]

[size=1.7em] HiFiMAN HE-400[/size]

Philips Fidelio X1

[size=1.7em] Denon AH-D600[/size]

[size=1.7em] Beyer Dynamic DT 990 Premium[/size]

I'll buy whatever one gets the most love, or if someone recommends something similar that's unanimously better.  (these will be replacing my rattling Q701s that replaced my rattling Q701s..)

Detachable cable is almost a must ( i had Sennheiser PC 350s and had a lot of problems with replacing the cable)

I wear my headphones almost all day/night so they have to be comfy 

(my soundcard is the STX
my computer is i5 3570k, sli gtx 670, yamakasi catleap 120hz 27" monitor. 
i need something bad arse that finishes off my kewl gaming rig)

 

 

[tcgc]

Quote:

Not familiar with the details, but I think there was at least one video going around showing serious overvolting deforming/popping drivers which caused mass panic and confusion. I think the problem was fixed pretty soon afterwards.
 
As for 770 Pros, they work wonderfully well with my E17. Really low output impedance makes the bass nice and tight. I'm not sure what MLE tested on for his initial review but in that sense the Beyers could absolutely benefit from a decent amp, even though they might be easy to drive at a good volume from a Mixamp (or anything else)

 
I thought of getting a Mixamp just because of Dolby Digital 5.1, will I get the same kinda feeling if I'll try to go E17?
Certainly, these amplifier are almost like night and day but still I want that immersive feeling of surround sound.

 

[SniperCzar]

Quote:

 
 
I thought of getting a Mixamp just because of Dolby Digital 5.1, will I get the same kinda feeling if I'll try to go E17?
Certainly, these amplifier are almost like night and day but still I want that immersive feeling of surround sound.

 

I use my E17 with my PC soundcard (X-Fi) which does virtual surround over optical out.

If you're just using it for a console, you're not going to get that surround without a dedicated device like the mixamp. You'd probably do well to find something to tame the bass a little though if you're doing anything competitive. Low output impedance seems to help with the Beyers and something with an actual bass adjustment like the FiiO would let the important cues come in a lot clearer. I'm sure there are probably cheaper amps with low output impedance and a bass adjustment too.

 

[Impulse]

Well, kinda sad what happened to NwAvGuy and some Schiit product users, so I don't won't to go with Schiit by now.
Perhaps I'll try Modi/Magni somewhere in distant future when I'll be more experienced.

That situation was blown way out of proportion, I wouldn't base your opinions of Schiit gear based on the stink that NWAVguy raised over one small issue (that was eventually addressed to any customer's satisfaction). I actually value a lot of what NWAVguy did and all the info he put out there, but some of the arguments he got into were rather inane and at the end of the day the O2/ODAC are just a nice value but there's other products that represent just as strong of a value (M&M, E09K, etc.).

Some people got an entirely distorted message from reading the man's blog and they come away with this impression that you can't do better than the O2 regardless of what you pay, couldn't be way more off the mark. Schiit makes some nice gear for the money and it seems like they have really excellent customer service. I don't believe NWAVguy ever actually reviewed or owned one of their amps either, just saying...

I agree wholeheartedly with his message about transparency in the audio industry, but not necessarily about the whipping targets he chose. Not to mention it's all ancient history, the guy vanished and stopped writing and Schiit is still putting out new products (the Magni came out months if not years after that whole thing).

Hi Erik, thanks for the reply. I wouldn't strictly use them for gaming. I want to use them for music and movies as well. I'll have to look for a good sound card I guess then if I go for headphones instead. Any recommendations from your experiences?

You should look up Nameless' PC gaming thread, it explains all the finer points about headphone virtual surround when it comes to PCs, though it can get a little dense... This thread is aimed at general headphone recommendations for gaming but from a console pov.

That being said, yeah, a sound card would essentially perform a Mixamp's duties on a PC, all the while being cheaper and better sounding. The two most common options are either an ASUS Xonar Essence STX (Dolby Headphone) as an all in solution (great DAC, strong amp), or a Xonar DGX / Creative X-fi Titanium HD (CMSS-3D) + an external amp.

Either would run you about the same, the STX can be cheaper if you catch a sale but it plays better with higher impedance headphones or headphones that tolerate it's 10 ohm output impedance better (AKG, planar magnetics). The latter can be more flexible to an extent (pair it with any amp you want) but a little trickier if you wanna switch between headphones and speakers (would want an amp with pre-outs, or switch cables manually).

Although if you're going with a headphone that's easy to drive (like the PC360) then a cheap DGX or the Ti HD by itself might be enough for you.

 

[Impulse]

Philips Fidelio X1 | Beyer DT 990 | Denon D600 | HiFiMan HE-400

I'll buy whatever one gets the most love, or if someone recommends something similar that's unanimously better.  (these will be replacing my rattling Q701s that replaced my rattling Q701s..)

Detachable cable is almost a must ( i had Sennheiser PC 350s and had a lot of problems with replacing the cable)

I wear my headphones almost all day/night so they have to be comfy (my soundcard is the STX my computer is i5 3570k, sli gtx 670, yamakasi catleap 120hz 27" monitor. I need something bad arse that finishes off my kewl gaming rig)

There's a big price gap between some of those headphones... In any case, let's ignore that or their general sound signature for a second.

X1 might not pair the best with your STX's 10 ohm output impedance, they're like 32 ohm so damping factor would be low which might make bass too loose etc. The Denon's impedance is even lower so they'd face the same issue, plus I don't think as closed headphones they'd be on the same level for gaming as those other open headphones... Mind you, I haven't heard them, but from what I've read they were a disappointment compared to Denon's old and now-discontinued line (D2000/5000/7000).

So that leaves the DT990 & HE-400... The former don't have a removable cable sooo, addition by subtraction leaves you with the Hifimans? The Beyers are still some of the most durable and comfortable headphones out there tho, and they're significantly cheaper if you buy them at the right time (as much as 50% cheaper...). You could get both and decide for yourself whether the HE-400 are worth it to you, return whichever. Crutchfield sells the HE-400 and I think they have like a 60 day satisfaction guaranteed return period. Amazon's price for the Beyers seesaws like a rollercoaster, the Pro version's often cheaper tho, seen it go under $200.

btw What the heck do you do to your posts that makes them such a pain to edit for brevity when quoting? All this extra code/tags in them, you changing fonts or something?

 

[Impulse]

I posted this on Nameless' thread but since I know there's more eyeballs on this one and some of you also have an STX, here goes a repost:

Not sure how I'd never run across this before, Essence Toggle:

https://sites.google.com/site/essencetoggle/home

Very useful for for anyone with a Xonar STX, enables hotkey switching from speakers to headphones (can even set it to revert volume levels or enable DH). Haven't tried it yet but I'm gonna do so as soon as I get home...

 

[SniperCzar]

Quote:

yamakasi catleap 120hz 27" monitor. 
i need something bad arse that finishes off my kewl gaming rig

Hah! I thought I was the only one here at Head-Fi who was rocking one of those bad boys... guess I was wrong!

Also, you can always mod the cable later to just about anything, I'm considering getting my Beyers a removable cable mod similar to http://www.head-fi.org/t/643648/beyer-dt770-pro-80-detachable-cable-mod#post_9013531

 

[Chubtoad]

So I was completely set on the DT990 Pro's but after more reading I'm looking at the HE-400s now. This is more for a gaming heavy situation, with some music/movies. I don't do 100% competitive gaming, more of an all-rounder, single player, co op and some competitive so I wouldn't probably be to worried about either choice not being 100% prime for competitiveness. I'm looking more at the fun/immersiveness side of things.
 
I'll have the 2013 astro mixamp pro, and either a schiit magni or FiiO E09k,  and if necessary at some point a schiit modi or FiiO e17k as the DAC if im not using the mixamp.
 
I keep reading more and more about how great the HE-400s are and I'm willing to shell out for them if they really are that much better. ( from what I can see, they might not be as bassy as the DT990 Pro, but there pretty much better at everything else? )
 
I live in Canada so most headphones are premium prices here compared to anywhere else, the HE-400s are $449 with the velour pads added on, free shipping. The DT990 Pro (250 ohm version) are as cheap as 164.99 at times so the price difference is pretty big, but again I'm looking at whichever would be better overall. I kind of like the saying of buy once, cry once
 
 
Help me out!

 

[kellte2]

Quote:

So I was completely set on the DT990 Pro's but after more reading I'm looking at the HE-400s now. This is more for a gaming heavy situation, with some music/movies. I don't do 100% competitive gaming, more of an all-rounder, single player, co op and some competitive so I wouldn't probably be to worried about either choice not being 100% prime for competitiveness. I'm looking more at the fun/immersiveness side of things.
 
I'll have the 2013 astro mixamp pro, and either a schiit magni or FiiO E09k,  and if necessary at some point a schiit modi or FiiO e17k as the DAC if im not using the mixamp.
 
I keep reading more and more about how great the HE-400s are and I'm willing to shell out for them if they really are that much better. ( from what I can see, they might not be as bassy as the DT990 Pro, but there pretty much better at everything else? )
 
I live in Canada so most headphones are premium prices here compared to anywhere else, the HE-400s are $449 with the velour pads added on, free shipping. The DT990 Pro (250 ohm version) are as cheap as 164.99 at times so the price difference is pretty big, but again I'm looking at whichever would be better overall. I kind of like the saying of buy once, cry once
 
 
Help me out!

 
 
Have you considered the AKG K702 65th Anniversary ("Annies")?  Not as bass heavy as either of the aforementioned cans from your post, but they're terrific all-arounders that are reportedly far lighter than the HE-400 and are extremely solid game gaming, music, and movies.  The merits of all three have been discussed in the past, so I'm sure a search would lead you to some direct comparisons from this thread.  They can be had at RazorDog Audio for $400 after coupon code which is less than the HE-400.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The Annie is the best all rounder for sure. The HE-400 is great if you want a little more v-shaped and fuller bass. Both are better than the 990 Pros in mids and treble. The 990 Pros are half the price though, and does extremely well, especially for those that want extra fun.

 

[Chubtoad]

Just took a look at the end price from Razordog audio and yeah it would come to 429 after the shipping and discount, thats crazy!
 
I guess i'll do a little reading about them now but it sounds like those could probably be what I end up with, thanks for the heads up!

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

There's very little to complain about there, unless you need a LOT of bass. The Annie has good, balanced bass. Even lively when called for. It's an amazing starting place... and would be an end game headphone for me, if I wasn't so impulsive.

 

[Chubtoad]

I like bass, but I don't like it to drown out everything else so you cant hear what else is going on if you know what I mean, like I don't want weak bass but I don't want it overpowering everything else in the process

 

[kellte2]

Quote:

There's very little to complain about there, unless you need a LOT of bass. The Annie has good, balanced bass. Even lively when called for. It's an amazing starting place... and would be an end game headphone for me, if I wasn't so impulsive.

 
I spent all weekend listening and A/B testing with the Annie and the DT 990 Premium 600ohm.  Coming from the HD555, the DT990 was such a huge step up that I never realized how sharp the treble can be for music.  After listening to the Annie, the DT990 was like listening to a metronome as I played through some of my favorite music.  I finally understood the 'sparkle' everyone talks about when discussing the DT990.  Despite having a really great low-end response with a lot of impact, the DT990 felt more airy in the soundstage department, but that was probably due to the warmth of the Annies, along with more forward mid-range. Bass response from both headphones is good.  I don't find the 990 bass to be overpowering, but there is a fair amount of impact.  The Annie's bass is nearly as full, but maybe not as impactful.  To put it as simply as possible: the DT990 can make you feel the bass and can even slightly rumble, and I've yet to experience that on the Annie - even if it is accurately reproducing the bass that is required.
 
I'm not trying to exaggerate, but I can't see the DT990 ever being my go-to music can again; I just can't "unhear" the metronome-like effect of the high hat or a snare beat.  For gaming, I feel like the performance is similar and as many have said on this thread, Dolby Headphone does tame the 990s hot treble, but I didn't really get in as much A/B time for gaming as I would have liked.  If price is a consideration, the DT990 are a tremendous deal (with the proper amplification) - especially if you're planning on primarily gaming.  If you want an all-arounder and are willing to put down a little more coin, the Annie is hard to top at its price range.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The 990's issue is basically just that hot treble. If you have a good EQ... the treble peak can be tamed, and greatly adds to the 990. Of course, I'm not one for EQ, so I just ditch a headphone for something more to my liking.

The 990 is still one of my absolute faves, and a constant recommendation in the price range, for sure.