[Propsy]

Hi, I'm currently an avid gamer and an electronic musician in my free time. I've been using a pair of AKG's K7XX series for my music and gaming coupled with a Sennheiser GSX-1000 for my amplifier. I've replaced the wire twice and I'm just generally curious if there is any pair of headphones that would be better for what I do. I've been looking at a few headphones, but I'm open to more suggestions. So I'm going to list them and the reasons why I like them. Budget is in the $200-$400 range.

Headphones I've been interested in:

• Audio Technica ATH-AD900X
  • The reason I enjoy these is because they give the look of the ADG1X except they don't have a microphone, which I have no use for. I've heard that they're a bit better than my K7XX, but I'm not sure.
• Sennheiser HD 600
  • I've honestly just heard really good things about these and they don't look too bad at all. Plus they're on sale at the time I'm posting this for $286.
• ATH-AD1000X

• Apparently even better for gaming than the 900x, but I've been told it's a bit overkill.

The type of music I make and listen to is electronic and the type of games I play are usually open-world, however I'm very lucid when it comes to games so I don't strictly play open-world games. Any suggestions help!

 

[YJX94]

I'm no expert on this stuff but I'm definitely informed enough to help you out.

I'll try and recommend cans based on your preference of gaming and electronic music.

The AD900X is amazing for gaming because of it's soundstage and imaging but it's extremely bass-lite so whilst it's great for gaming it may not suit you for music. The AD1000X is simply a better version of the AD900X. The entire ATH-AD line from Audio-Technica are legendary when it comes to gaming because of they're soundstage and imaging, these are exceptional for serious competitive gaming but not great for immersion in singleplayer games because of the fact that they're bass-lite. They don't need an amp which is good however they have a non-removable cable which wouldn't be such a big issue if it wasn't 3m long.

The Sennheiser HD 600 is probably the most well known in the audiophile world and they are beyond legendary. These are the benchmark, these are the ones you compare other headphones to see if they're good. They sound absolutely spectacular with ANY type of music because of their Neutral sound signature. However, they barely have any soundstage for being open back so if you want to be fully immersed/surrounded in your game world then they're not the best choice. For music however I'd take them over the AD900X ANY day. They have a removable cable but it's proprietary and they also benefit A LOT from an amp.

I can recommend you 4 headphones close to or within that price range.

Philips Fidelio X2
Sennheiser HD 650
Beyerdynamic DT 990
AKG K712 Pro - I own these and they are my personal favourite for everything, they are spectacular.

The X2 is V-shaped, it has very nice bass and treble with slightly recessed mids. It has huge soundstage and very good imaging. No amp needed and also a 3.5mm removable cable and it's also compatible with the V-MODA BoomPro. These are "fun" headphones and are great all-rounders for everything.

Sennheiser HD 650's are very similar to the 600's except they have a slightly larger soundstage and more bass too so not as neutral as the 600's. There's always a great debate between the HD 600 and the HD 650 and most people including me prefer the HD 600, they're that good. HD 650 needs amp and has removable cable but proprietary.

The DT 990 is similar to the X2 in that it's V-shaped with very nice bass and treble that you might find a bit too sharp. Big soundstage and good imaging. Needs amp and cable is not removable.

The AKG K712 Pro.......where to start. These are my personal favourite. They have amazing soundstage and imaging which is on par with the ATH-AD series from Audio-Technica but unlike the ATH-AD series these actually have bass and it's very nice bass too, perfect I would say. The mids and treble on these are also awesome, vocals are nice and clear and detail in the treble is spectacular. These are AMAZING all-rounders whether it's music, singleplayer gaming for immersion and even competitive gaming. They are also probably the most comfortable headphones you will ever wear, the velour memory foam earpads are SO comfortable that you will forget it's on your head. They don't necessarily need an amp but they benefit from one so I would recommend it. The cable is removable but it's a proprietary mini XLR to 3.5mm cable.

Let me know what you think.

 

[Tim Le]

If sound stage and a sound signature suitable for EDM is your primary concern, thumbs up for the AKG K712 and DT 990. It's been a while since I've owned both, but I remember their sound stages being quite similar. The DT 990 is more U shaped (boosted treble and bass) compared to the K712. However, as a reference, the K712 is also more U shaped than the HD650.

The K712 is the better all rounder if you listen to different types of music. The DT 990 does EDM, Hip Hop, and Rap really well. The bass is visceral, and you can really feel it. Some people find the treble on the DT 990 to be too bright. I found that if I paired a tube amp with it, it really makes the synth and ambient noises in EDM shine.

 

[Propsy]

I'm no expert on this stuff but I'm definitely informed enough to help you out.

I'll try and recommend cans based on your preference of gaming and electronic music.

The AD900X is amazing for gaming because of it's soundstage and imaging but it's extremely bass-lite so whilst it's great for gaming it may not suit you for music. The AD1000X is simply a better version of the AD900X. The entire ATH-AD line from Audio-Technica are legendary when it comes to gaming because of they're soundstage and imaging, these are exceptional for serious competitive gaming but not great for immersion in singleplayer games because of the fact that they're bass-lite. They don't need an amp which is good however they have a non-removable cable which wouldn't be such a big issue if it wasn't 3m long.

The Sennheiser HD 600 is probably the most well known in the audiophile world and they are beyond legendary. These are the benchmark, these are the ones you compare other headphones to see if they're good. They sound absolutely spectacular with ANY type of music because of their Neutral sound signature. However, they barely have any soundstage for being open back so if you want to be fully immersed/surrounded in your game world then they're not the best choice. For music however I'd take them over the AD900X ANY day. They have a removable cable but it's proprietary and they also benefit A LOT from an amp.

I can recommend you 4 headphones close to or within that price range.

Philips Fidelio X2
Sennheiser HD 650
Beyerdynamic DT 990
AKG K712 Pro - I own these and they are my personal favourite for everything, they are spectacular.

The X2 is V-shaped, it has very nice bass and treble with slightly recessed mids. It has huge soundstage and very good imaging. No amp needed and also a 3.5mm removable cable and it's also compatible with the V-MODA BoomPro. These are "fun" headphones and are great all-rounders for everything.

Sennheiser HD 650's are very similar to the 600's except they have a slightly larger soundstage and more bass too so not as neutral as the 600's. There's always a great debate between the HD 600 and the HD 650 and most people including me prefer the HD 600, they're that good. HD 650 needs amp and has removable cable but proprietary.

The DT 990 is similar to the X2 in that it's V-shaped with very nice bass and treble that you might find a bit too sharp. Big soundstage and good imaging. Needs amp and cable is not removable.

The AKG K712 Pro.......where to start. These are my personal favourite. They have amazing soundstage and imaging which is on par with the ATH-AD series from Audio-Technica but unlike the ATH-AD series these actually have bass and it's very nice bass too, perfect I would say. The mids and treble on these are also awesome, vocals are nice and clear and detail in the treble is spectacular. These are AMAZING all-rounders whether it's music, singleplayer gaming for immersion and even competitive gaming. They are also probably the most comfortable headphones you will ever wear, the velour memory foam earpads are SO comfortable that you will forget it's on your head. They don't necessarily need an amp but they benefit from one so I would recommend it. The cable is removable but it's a proprietary mini XLR to 3.5mm cable.

Let me know what you think.

If sound stage and a sound signature suitable for EDM is your primary concern, thumbs up for the AKG K712 and DT 990. It's been a while since I've owned both, but I remember their sound stages being quite similar. The DT 990 is more U shaped (boosted treble and bass) compared to the K712. However, as a reference, the K712 is also more U shaped than the HD650.

The K712 is the better all rounder if you listen to different types of music. The DT 990 does EDM, Hip Hop, and Rap really well. The bass is visceral, and you can really feel it. Some people find the treble on the DT 990 to be too bright. I found that if I paired a tube amp with it, it really makes the synth and ambient noises in EDM shine.

Are the K712 a major improvement over my K7XX? I mean, I do enjoy the K7XX, but I felt that maybe there was something better out there.

 

[YJX94]

Are the K712 a major improvement over my K7XX? I mean, I do enjoy the K7XX, but I felt that maybe there was something better out there.

K712 is better all round than the K7XX. It's better in the mids and treble. The bass although less than the K7XX is nicer and cleaner, the bass on the K7XX is a bit muddier by comparison, soundstage and imaging are very similar. It's up to you to decide whether the K712 Pro is worth it over the K7XX.

The AD900X/AD1000X are great at soundstage and imaging so they are perfect for sound whoring but they literally have no bass which you might not like for music.

The HD 600 is beautiful when it comes to music of any type but literally have no soundstage so your gaming experience may suffer there.

The X2 is a great all-rounder, it's not a specific headphone.

The DT 990 like Tim Le said do EDM very well and have wonderful bass and they also have a big soundstage. However like Tim Le mentioned you might find them a bit too bright unless you pair them with a tube amp which calms the highs down.

I would eliminate the HD 600 and the AD900X/AD1000X from your list.

AD900X/AD1000X = great for gaming (mainly competitive), great for music with female vocals, bass-lite so not the best choice for EDM.

HD 600 = great for music all-around, not the best for gaming because of the almost non-existent soundstage.

X2 = great for music, movies and cinematic/competitive gaming, great all-rounders.

DT 990 = great for EDM, great for music in general, great for cinematic/competitive gaming. Treble may be too bright.

K712 Pro = best all-rounder here in my honest opinion, great for music and movies, great for cinematic/competitive gaming. Simply a better version than the K7XX and the best headphone in the AKG K7 series.

 

[Monsterzero]

Are the K712 a major improvement over my K7XX?

No.Not a remarkable diference at all.