[Mad Lust Envy]

The only issue I had with the recommendations is that he specifically stated he wanted bass, but the AD700 was being recommended.

The 990 Pro would also fall under the price range, and is a lot more immersive than the others, IMHO. Considering he's a dolby headphone gamer, he shouldn't have much of an issue with the treble, as DH mitigates that quite a bit.

In the end, the Q701 is the best bet, out of all I've heard.

 

[chicolom]

Out of the ADx00, HD5x8, and Q701, the Q701 is the warmest, bassiest, and most immersive from a sound signature point of view.  The HD5x8 focus primarily on the mids.  The AD700 is thin, cold, and bright.  They all have excellent soundstages, but the AD700s has the best. 
 
I would either get the Q701 or AD700, but I would only get the AD700 if you have read and understood all the disclaimers and warning about its lack of bass, and really just want it for pure soundwhoring.
I would skip the HD5x8, as they don't do competitve as well as the AD700 and don't do as immersive as well as the Q701.  I would also skip the AD900, as it's soundstage isn't quite as good as the AD700 and it sounds nearly the same but with slightly more mids and bass (still too light though).
 
So, I would get the Q701.
 
Quote:

To those of you with the Fidelio X1s, when they say the X1's earpads aren't user-replaceable, does that just mean you can't swap them out with other earpads or that they're literally not removable? Not being able to give my earpads a proper clean every now and then would drive me nuts.
EDIT: Never mind, looks like they're glued on. Seems like a weird choice for a high end set of headphones

 
Yes, glued on I believe.  It's a shame.  Not sure what the long-term maintenance for them will be...
 
I'm not sure how to even clean memory foam, as I don't think it's supposed to get wet as it soaks into the cells or something. 
 
I guess worse case scenario is you sell them after a while and rebuy the X1 to get a fresh set!!

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I'm getting more accustomed to THX Tru Studio. It works very well with Sleeping Dogs...

Not as good as Dolby Headphone, but it sounds less processed by quite a stretch. I think its a great starter for those who have gamed in stereo for years and don't wanna dive into something that has quite a significant tonal change from stereo, like DH.

I can see why some people would prefer it, though purely from a surround positional cue perspective, DH is clearly superior to me.

I do like it, and it made me not wanna spend money on the U3 just to get DH for my pc gaming. I'll stick with the Recon3di as it's already in my laptop. Saves me some cash. Now, unless I can get a working U3 for like $20, then maybe I'll switch.

 

[roguegeek]

Quote:

You make well-reasoned points. I assume you didn't me turn that the AD700 costs half as much because budget wasn't mentioned?

Anyway, if e Q701 is within budget, I'd also recommend that. I loved my AD700 and there were certain times where I got into a groove of using them exclusively for days even though I also had the Q701 (like, during my entire playthrough of Metro: 2033), but basically the Q701 is a lot like an AD700 plus a bit more bass and a little something that is a smaller change, so small it's hard to quantify and point out specifically why, but that small difference makes a big difference in making the audio more exciting. Now, I haven't heard the Anniversaries (Annies! <3), but by all accounts they go further to adding bass emphasis but lose more "air" and grandiose scale, SO the Q701 is a good choice that sits in the middle with no glaring weakness besides headband comfort (wasn't bad at first, and the earpads are amazing, but these days I always have the headband wrapped in a plush baby-seatbelt-wrapper).

You can't really go wrong, all the ones you mentioned are very, very good, but the AD700 and Q701 have special stand-out strengths, and the Q701 is a great all-around headphone.

It's a game of millimeter in this hobby. This all makes sense to me and my opinions generally align with yours and really everyone else's here in terms of this.
 
*Cue shameless plug* Nekrono, there's always a K702, a Q701's practically identical brother, you can pick up for an incredible and flexible price.

 

[KERBY]

Turns out a Xonar DGX is cheaper than a U3 over here. Should i go with a creative or a xonar?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I prefer DH, so I'd go with a Xonar. I could only get the U3, since I have a laptop. Can't replace the soundcard, so a usb soundcard is my only other option.

 

[roguegeek]

Quote:

Turns out a Xonar DGX is cheaper than a U3 over here. Should i go with a creative or a xonar?

They're both completely fine. It's a matter of whether you like CMSS-3D and better older game support or Dolby Headphone and a chance you may not get full support on older games. I prefer CMSS-3D, so I went with a Creative card (X-Fi Titanium HD).

 

[HiFiGamer1995]

Quote:

The AD700 has virtually no sub-bass though, so it's a no-brainer.

No, it's not. He's asking for a can for competitive gaming. The AD700 is a better can for competitive gaming than the Q701. It's extremely slight, but it is better.

But he wants some bass slam for single player, an aspect where the Q701 smashes the AD700.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

But he wants some bass slam for single player, an aspect where almost every headphone smashes the AD700.

 

[roguegeek]

Look, everyone needs to understand that virtually everything is subjective in these parts. I get that I have a strong personality here sometimes, but I try to go about it with some understanding and respect. You have someone who came in and asked a question. I'm not afraid to throw my feedback into the ring and see how's it's taken. I understand this thread exists because of the very comprehensive guide you've successfully put together (and no one links back to it more than me when trying to point people in what I think is the right direction), but that doesn't automatically mean your thoughts supercede others which is the perception I get when things are said like, "why is 'such and such' being recommended?" Well, the answer is because there are other opinions and they don't necessarily align with yours.
 
Anyways, not trying to offend anyone. I'm as guilty of this as anyone else is. Probably more so. It's something I try to work at adjusting.
 
Back onto topic... buy the damn AD700 or the Q701 or anything else listed in the guide with positive feedback that fits your budget. You wont make a bad decision.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Look, everyone needs to understand that virtually everything is subjective in these parts. I get that I have a strong personality here sometimes, but I try to go about it with some understanding and respect. You have someone who came in and asked a question. I'm not afraid to throw my feedback into the ring and see how's it's taken. I understand this thread exists because of the very comprehensive guide you've successfully put together (and no one links back to it more than me when trying to point people in what I think is the right direction), but that doesn't automatically mean your thoughts supercede others which is the perception I get when things are said like, "why is 'such and such' being recommended?" Well, the answer is because there are other opinions and they don't necessarily align with yours.

Anyways, not trying to offend anyone. I'm as guilty of this as anyone else is. Probably more so. It's something I try to work at adjusting.

Back onto topic... buy the damn AD700 or the Q701 or anything else listed in the guide with positive feedback that fits your budget. You wont make a bad decision.

Why so serious? I wasn't telling anyone not to recommend headphones. I appreciate all the help everyone gives here. There are a tons of questions I can't be arsed to answer all the time, and it's all been quite helpful to this thread.

It was a simple 'Why is the Ad700 being recommended, when the person asked for something with bass?"

That's like recommending open headphones for someone who needs isolation, or recommending the XB700 for someone who wants to analyze music. IT MAKES NO SENSE.

It's not me being mean or thinking my thoughts supercede anyone elses. It's just common sense. The AD700 isn't going to please ANYONE looking for bass. There is no headphone I have personally ever heard that has less bass than the AD700. So by recommending the AD700 when he wants some bass... it's illogical. If you wanna keep recommending the AD700 for that person's needs, please go ahead, but when that person comes back saying he's disappointed at the lack of bass, I'll refrain from saying 'i told you so'. I think it can't be disputed that the weakest aspect of the AD700's sound is the lack of bass in comparison to everything else. That, paired with the very dry, and sterile presentation, makes the AD700 one of the least immersive headphones out. The soundstage has it's own brand of immersion, but if single player gaming is of importance, the AD700.... just isn't gonna cut it, [COLOR=FF00AA]IMHO.[/COLOR]

I can't sit here and just let someone be swayed into buying a bass deficient headphone they obviously want at least some manner of bass presence. You put your two cents, I've put mine. That's it.

 

[pngwn]

As an owner and previous 3year user of the AD700 for single player gaming/music/movies... I wouldn't recommend it for solo immersive gaming, either. When I had them, I didn't really mind the lack of bass because I didn't have better headphones to reference them to, but now that I've gotten my hands on some higher models, like the AD900x and WS99, going back to the AD700 is completely unappealing except maybe if I'm in the mood for listening to some symphonic orchestral pieces.

 

[Evshrug]

I understand where both sides are coming from. You know I had a problem with you saying once before that the AD700 has "no bass," which is literally not true, BUT it does indeed have steep sub-bass roll off whereby it would play better than traditional iBuds yet still be I'll-fitted for Dubstep because bass drops have very little impact. It's that lack of impact that makes them great for competitive play, because you can focus and not get shell-shocked by explosions.

The AD700 emphasizes upper-mids and treble and thus sounds very airy and takes extremely well to headphone surround, the Sennheisers are apparently mid-focused, and the Q701 is pretty solid and balanced while somehow having great soundstage and excites me enough to regularly give me chills.

The OP who asked did come back, right?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

If we're talking about competitive and analytical gaming, I fully recommend the AD700. It's just that when you mix in single player, immersion, and bass, or any combination of the three in terms of wants/needs, the AD700 is not one to recommend.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

OMG, yes. I was moving stuff around, and finally hooked up the laptop to my Marantz through HDMI. Dolby Headphone works!

I'm gonna have to order another HDMI cable as all of the ones I have are being used, but I at least know my Marantz HDMI works, but it just didn't play nice with my PS3.

I SHOULD be able to play my PC games with my Marantz receiver doing the DH processing.

The only thing I can't get to work at the moment is audio going from my receiver to my TV, so I don't get audio through my TV speakers. Ah well... no biggie. I need some external speakers to hook up to my Marantz.

edit: ok, now I can't get sound out of my Marantz. Double U Tee Eff.