[g0dM@n]

Hey guys. I'm new here and since it took all day before my account got activated, I read some stickies and whatnot... I've also done this on other forums, but I still would like to address my situation.

Some background:

1. First and foremost, I want headphones purely for gaming as the priority. The games I play are all Valve, HL2, TF2, and now all I play is L4D and L4D2. I use my Creative Z-5500s for music 95% of the time and I'm sure gaming headphones will do music fine in case I go that route.
2. The cans I have now are the Razer Barracuda HP-1s and although some of you may laugh at me, it served very well for gaming. The problem became that since my ears are so tiny, they fall inside the cans and the hard part pushes on my ears. After about 45-60min of gaming, my ears start to KILL. I can't take it anymore. I need cans that will be comfortable.
3. I'm using an X-Fi Fatal1ty card (onboard 64mb RAM) with the front panel. I also bought another X-Fi, the Elite Pro because I was thinking that the front panel is annoying as I can't shut my computer tower's door.
4. I was told that CMSS 3D works very well, and I don't need true 5.1 headphones if I use CMSS.
5. I once used the Steel Series SteelSound 5H V2 Headset but I stupidly sold it for $60 when I bought my Razers. I regret that and feel dumb paying $100 to buy them again now.

Anyway, with either of those cards I mentioned above (whichever you recommend), what would be my best bet for gaming headphones? I'd like to keep the price below $100 if possible. Amazon seems to have some nice prices on ones I've scoped out:

1. Medusa 5.1 ProGamer headphones (didn't find a link)
2. Sennheiser HD-280 Professional Headphones $80 shipped @ Amazon (I have amazon prime)
3. Sennheiser EH-150 Evolution Hi-Fi Stereo Headphones $40 shipped @ Amazon
4. Sennheiser HD 202 Headphones $22 shipped @ Amazon
5. Sennheiser HD-555 Audiophile Headphones $85 shipped @ Amazon
6. Sony MDR-V600 Studio Monitor Series Headphones with Circum-Aural Earcup Design
7. Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones with 53mm Drivers with Neodymium Magnet Systems $100 shipped @ NewEgg
8. Grado Prestige Series SR80i Stereo Headphone $99 shipped @ amazon
9. Grado Prestige Series SR-60i Padded Headphones $79 shipped @ amazon
10. Koss UR40 Collapsible Over-Ear Headphones $31.67 shipped @ Amazon
    Wow only $23.99 shipped from overstock here!!
11. I'm open to anything else you have to offer. I devoted just over an hour, so I don't know all of my options.

I can either go with 5.1 headphones since my sound card would support 3 analog outputs, I can use the front headphone output on one of my X-Fi cards, or I can use the headphone output on my Z-5500 system. I'd also like to know which is the best method as far as line output(s). If I go with a pair of headphones, I'll need a mic too.

I thank you for any support you can provide.

P.S. If you think I can MOD my current Razer 5.1s, I would be willing to do that too. It's just that the cushion is sealed on, so if I tear it I don't want to potentially damage it.

 

[Maxvla]

Hey godman! Good to see you arrived here at Head-fi.

AD700 will be too big. If you have small ears you probably have a small head. Lots of people complain that AD700 are uncomfortable for small heads, but people with big heads love them.

HD555 should be a pretty safe bet as far as fit and sound quality.

Grado is a hate it or love it on fit. I can't stand them, but they have a following for a reason... I personally wouldn't suggest them for gaming as their sound characteristics don't match up and their imaging isn't very good (being able to place origins of sounds mentally.. important for gaming).

HD280 is popular for lan parties because they are closed, but they clamp a bit and are a bit muddy with bass.

HD202 sounds bad, poorly made, won't last very long.

As to 5.1 or whatnot, I'd suggest giving stereo without any processing a real try. If you give it a chance and train your ears you will appreciate a more true representation of imaging. 5.1 processing is what people use to get around poor audio equipment, it essentially forces the headphone to image where they want it to whether the headphone can do it or not (usually not and sounds end up misplaced).

Another option is the Shure 440, which is getting good press here, and it's big brother the 840 which is out of your price range. http://www.headphone.com/headphones/shure-srh440.php

 

[g0dM@n]

First and foremost, THANK YOU FOR THE WARM GREETING!

Now, just so you know the size of my head, I think it's roughly 22.5", which is like the hat size of 7 1/4 (I can squeeze into a medium, but sometimes need a large, depending on the specific hat). The reason I'm telling you is that I really have small ears... everyone comments on them (not proportioned to my head really hehe), but I'm basically a large medium or small large, however you want to word it.

With that said, those Shure headphones look nice! One thing I don't understand is that chart. I have a BS in physics, so you can describe whatever terms you like and I just might understand... just never applied it to audio (don't remember learning sound waves as far as audio, more as a comparison to vibration)... that and it was 8-9 yrs ago when I took "Waves and Vibration" (or w/e it was called).

It's funny... that chart lists pretty much all of the headphones I'm torn between.

I guess I'll pass on the HD280s... I don't care about being "closed"... I could care less if others can hear, as long as I'm enjoying them (sorry to sound like a jerk, but seriously 99% of the time it'll just be me with them in my home office).

 

[Maxvla]

No fancy green stars over here for you

You do have a strange noggin! The AD700 might be OK then, but I'd be sure to buy from a place that has a good return policy just in case.

Regarding the chart:
Remember how I said the HD280Pro have muddy bass? See the red line on the left side of the chart? It has a big bump as it goes to the right (higher frequencies) meaning the bass is a bit bloated and unnatural.

The HD555 line (orange) is the 'best' on the chart from a chart only perspective. It appears to be balanced and smooth.

The V6 has a decent curve, but it too is a bit bloated in the bass and it has some strange elevated mids around 2-4KHz which will give it a nasal sound and possibly sibilant (sounds like someone saying sshh, but it enhances that effect). Then it peaks at a pretty tall +5dB around 9-10KHz which might make it a bit shrill, but it's not too out of the ordinary.

The Shure SRH440's graph (blue) is the really interesting one because it looks like bass is very poor on this headphone, but many people here on headfi have commented on how nice the bass is, not in quantity, but in precision and quality of sound. These might be a bit bass light, but that too me is a positive, not a negative.

Don't pay too much attention to the graph above 10KHz as all the phones get kind of crazy past that point. Certainly there are audible differences, but not nearly as much as the lower registers.

AD700 and HD555 are compared regularly here, just do a search with those 2 models and you'll find many comparo threads to draw your own conclusions about. The Shure phones are pretty new, but have made landfall in a big way.

 

[Foe-hammer]

Dolby Headphone DSP (SVS DSP or Beyer Headzone DSP, even better) + quality stereo headphone = best for FPS. MUCH better then just plain stereo for total immersion; soundstage, 3D sound placement and sound depth.

Some of the best dynamic stereo headphones for FPS gaming: Beyerdynamic DT880, AKG K601's and AD700's; sound and comfort.

 

[g0dM@n]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxvla /img/forum/go_quote.gif No fancy green stars over here for you You do have a strange noggin! The AD700 might be OK then, but I'd be sure to buy from a place that has a good return policy just in case. Regarding the chart: Remember how I said the HD280Pro have muddy bass? See the red line on the left side of the chart? It has a big bump as it goes to the right (higher frequencies) meaning the bass is a bit bloated and unnatural. The HD555 line (orange) is the 'best' on the chart from a chart only perspective. It appears to be balanced and smooth. The V6 has a decent curve, but it too is a bit bloated in the bass and it has some strange elevated mids around 2-4KHz which will give it a nasal sound and possibly sibilant (sounds like someone saying sshh, but it enhances that effect). Then it peaks at a pretty tall +5dB around 9-10KHz which might make it a bit shrill, but it's not too out of the ordinary. The Shure SRH440's graph (blue) is the really interesting one because it looks like bass is very poor on this headphone, but many people here on headfi have commented on how nice the bass is, not in quantity, but in precision and quality of sound. These might be a bit bass light, but that too me is a positive, not a negative. Don't pay too much attention to the graph above 10KHz as all the phones get kind of crazy past that point. Certainly there are audible differences, but not nearly as much as the lower registers. AD700 and HD555 are compared regularly here, just do a search with those 2 models and you'll find many comparo threads to draw your own conclusions about. The Shure phones are pretty new, but have made landfall in a big way.

Trust me, having no green stars at all of the other forums I'm a member of is not a bad thing. I don't have to worry about policing your posts!! just kidding, bud.

Your post makes it sound like I will be pleased with any of those choices. I guess the Shure doesn't have enough life for there to be enough opinions, but the AD700 and HD555 does... and I was thinking... perhaps having open headphones is much better for gaming. I mean, don't get me wrong... I LOVE BASS, but back a decade a go I went through my 3x 12" subwoofer era in my trunk... 2 12s, 2 10s, 3 12s, etc... I did it way back in the day and my ears have paid the price.

With that said, I almost feel like an open-air headphone is what I should go with. Now, please bear with me... it's just a THOUGHT, but what do you think about these?
Koss UR40 Collapsible Over-ear Headphones
It's $22.99 + $1.00 shipping if I'm patient enough to wait for shipment... $24 total!!
But... I am definitely willing to pay the $90 or so for the other headphones we've discussed, if they're proven to be worthwhile... I just gave the Koss a though as they are extremely cheap and widely accepted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foe-hammer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dolby Headphone DSP (SVS DSP or Beyer Headzone DSP, even better) + quality stereo headphone = best for FPS. MUCH better then just plain stereo for total immersion; soundstage, 3D sound placement and sound depth. Some of the best dynamic stereo headphones for FPS gaming: Beyerdynamic DT880, AKG K601's and AD700's; sound and comfort.

The Beyerdynamics were headphones I looked at MONTHS ago and thought about purchasing on ebay, but now I can't afford them.

As far as amps being required for certain headphones, I know nothing about that...
And... what's these "DSP" stuff? I know DSP as Digital Signal Processor, but is this some software that I could use on my computer instead of CMSS? I could be TOTALLY wrong here... I tried googling and didn't get much info...

 

[g0dM@n]

Alright, it seems like people have recommended this for gaming, which is my primary importance, so I went with the...
Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Headphones
It was $93.77 at amazon, estimate arrival Tues the 25th with my 2-day amazon prime shipping.

 

[Maxvla]

Good luck. You won't be disappointed.

 

[g0dM@n]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxvla /img/forum/go_quote.gif Good luck. You won't be disappointed.

I'll report back when I play w/it.

Thanks for all the help here!!

 

[g0dM@n]

Damn it... it comes in tomorrow and I'm leaving tomorrow to stay with my parents all weekend.

Maybe it'll come in before I go. I'll just mess with it there on my spare rig that I have set up for myself...

 

[chinesekiwi]

Oh definitely for FPS gaming, the Audio Technica AD700 and then bass EQ it.

I feel Dolby Headphone is best for gaming advantage wise while EAX is better for realistic gaming. i.e. you can easily 'wallhack' with Dolby Headphone as it does not take into account things such as walls when processing the sound etc...

 

[g0dM@n]

UPS just dropped off the headphones... I ripped the UPS box open so fast... like a teenage boy about to get laid for the 1st time.

I popped in the headphones into the front headphone port on my x-fi fatality front panel... and my God I've never witnessed audio quality ever before. You guys really are putting a future dent in my pocket... I'll never forget when I first got into overclocking... heck, even yrs after overclocking I was at one point spending about a grand a month for a few months.

Anyway, now I don't have much money, but I'm going to put these to great use!!

I could actually hear the crescendo!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinesekiwi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh definitely for FPS gaming, the Audio Technica AD700 and then bass EQ it. I feel Dolby Headphone is best for gaming advantage wise while EAX is better for realistic gaming. i.e. you can easily 'wallhack' with Dolby Headphone as it does not take into account things such as walls when processing the sound etc...

Dolby Headphone is software? How do I get started in trying it out? Back in the day when I first started multiplayer gaming... it was half-life: opposing forces. All of the elite players wanted to get another edge on others, and so we all got involved with A3D. I don't know if any of you know about A3D, but only SPECIFIC cards could do it, and if you were on anything above Windows 98, you had to hack your way to get it to work right, and when you did, you really could hear people across the map... I'd love to get that quality back.

I have no idea what I should be tweaking, how to tweak the bass, the EQ, CMSS, EAX, Dolby Headphones... whatever it is. Where do I get started?

 

[3602]

Perhaps, just perhaps check out some Creative stuff, Plantronics...

 

[Maxvla]

Grats godman! Wear them purple monsters with pride!

 

[g0dM@n]

I'm using the X-Fi Elite Pro package with these headphones.
I noticed that using the external audio console's headphone output, my headphones have MUCH MORE power offered to them!!

When I use the port in the rear of the card, it's not nearly as powerful.

Does the external console offer some sort of amplification?