[lilayZee]

Hey everyone. I've joined the community looking to get some help and clarity on which headphones might be the best for my desired use. I've read tonnes of reviews and opinions in forums but thought I might as well make an account and get some tailored advice haha.

I had a gaming headset, the logitech 933 and it just bricked after 11 months use, but luckily I got my money back on warranty. I want to try go the audophile headphones direction as I'm totally over all gaming peripherals, they are all just a gimmick and over priced.‎
‎
I want a pair of headphones for gaming and listening to music. I pretty much exclusively listen to hip hop / rap. They are basically never going to be leaving the house so I don't mind going for higher interference options with an amp. So to my knowledge a good gaming headphone has a large sound stage and for a good hip hop headphone I want some nice bass. So I want a nice fun headset with nice strong bass and a decent sound stage. I would rather have a bit more bass then a massive sound stage, just as long as it has good sound stage. I don't mind going the open or closed route but I'm worried the open headphones wont have the bass I'm after as there is such a mixed reception on bass when reading reviews and opinions online. My budget is 200-450 AUD just for the headphones. I want to try go in the higher end of the budget so I can get the best headphones I can afford.‎

The headphones I've been looking at so far are,
-DT990 (heard they are great for gaming since they have a good sound stage but I'm worried there wouldn't be enough bass on them since I've seen so many mixed opinions about it).
-K702 (pretty much the same deal as the DT990. Heard they have good sound stage but worried about bass)
-DT770 (pretty much just an option in case the open headphones wont provide the bass I'm looking for)
-He400s (really like the look of these but have seen people mention they don't have a good sound stage so they wouldn't be suitable for gaming, but heard they have nice bass)
-He400i (I know these are a better version compared to the He400s but the Australian stock is out of my price range. I noticed on Amazon from the US they are heavily discounted and was wondering if there is any difference between stock from different countries)
-Vmoda M100 (heard these are great for hip hop but wouldn't be good for gaming at all)

I'm open at looking at any other headphones If anyone has some suggestions. Are audophile headphones even the right direction for what I'm seeking? Thanks for reading my post and hope to get some advice!

 

[yong_shun]

You can consider Sennheiser. Sennheiser always comes with good soundstage. For bass wise will be highly dependent on the model. For amp you can consider GSX 1000 from Sennheiser. GSX 1000 is a multipurpose amp with 3 different modes - Gaming, Theater and Audio. It fits well to your requirement of bass, soundstage and non-compromising sound quality when listening to music. You can consider HD599 from Sennheiser for headphone wise. The soundstage is wide because of the open back design and the bass is not compromised. If you need stronger bass than this, you can consider Sony hear-on 2. It comes with noise cancellation and the audio imaging is impressive. Can use for gaming, movie even commuting.

 

[lilayZee]

Thanks for the reply. I'm not keen on getting on ear, i want over ear headphones. Would there be any other recommendations other then the HD599 from Sennheiser? I really dislike the look of the HD599's so I don't really want to go for them. So is it the case that none of the ones I listed have good bass and decent sound stage.

 

[yong_shun]

Thanks for the reply. I'm not keen on getting on ear, i want over ear headphones. Would there be any other recommendations other then the HD599 from Sennheiser? I really dislike the look of the HD599's so I don't really want to go for them. So is it the case that none of the ones I listed have good bass and decent sound stage.

For your info, both of the models I suggested are over-ear. Actually there are different type of bass and different audiophile appreciate them differently. Sennheiser tends to have a bass with long decay time - some people find it bleeds towards the mids and highs. SONY tends to have tight and punchy bass - literally like a punch on your face. I think you should visit some audio shop and try on them. All suggestions provided are subjective and personal preference. (HD599 looks ugly but the comfort is good. No worries for long listening.)

 

[lilayZee]

My bad. When i initially googled the Sony hear-on 2 I only saw on ear headphones initially. I will be going to an audio store on the weekend to try some of these headphones out and see what I think.

 

[onevstheworld]

A couple of other suggestions to consider, both having a bass emphasis: Philips Fidelio X2 and Meze 99 Neo.

Best if you went to audition the headphones for yourself and see which ones you like. Addicted to audio have a branch in Adelaide. If it's anything like the Sydney store, it'll definately be worth your time.

 

[squee116]

‎
I want a pair of headphones for gaming and listening to music. I pretty much exclusively listen to hip hop / rap. They are basically never going to be leaving the house so I don't mind going for higher interference options with an amp. So to my knowledge a good gaming headphone has a large sound stage and for a good hip hop headphone I want some nice bass. So I want a nice fun headset with nice strong bass and a decent sound stage. I would rather have a bit more bass then a massive sound stage, just as long as it has good sound stage. I don't mind going the open or closed route but I'm worried the open headphones wont have the bass I'm after as there is such a mixed reception on bass when reading reviews and opinions online. My budget is 200-450 AUD just for the headphones. I want to try go in the higher end of the budget so I can get the best headphones I can afford.‎

The headphones I've been looking at so far are,
-DT990 (heard they are great for gaming since they have a good sound stage but I'm worried there wouldn't be enough bass on them since I've seen so many mixed opinions about it).
-K702 (pretty much the same deal as the DT990. Heard they have good sound stage but worried about bass)
-DT770 (pretty much just an option in case the open headphones wont provide the bass I'm looking for)
-He400s (really like the look of these but have seen people mention they don't have a good sound stage so they wouldn't be suitable for gaming, but heard they have nice bass)
-He400i (I know these are a better version compared to the He400s but the Australian stock is out of my price range. I noticed on Amazon from the US they are heavily discounted and was wondering if there is any difference between stock from different countries)
-Vmoda M100 (heard these are great for hip hop but wouldn't be good for gaming at all)

I'm open at looking at any other headphones If anyone has some suggestions. Are audophile headphones even the right direction for what I'm seeking? Thanks for reading my post and hope to get some advice!

I owned the DT990's: (used for gaming and music)
Soundstage: meh
Imaging: pretty good
treble: Ear bleeding (high pitched gunshots made my eyes tingle)
Bass: meh

Verdict: Probably not for you.

Owned k712, which had more bass than k702: (used for gaming and music)
Soundstage: MASSIVE
imaging: meh (Odd issues with sound imaging [assuming x-y-z axis] with y placement)
Treble: A little zingy but manageable
Bass: A little less than meh

Verdict: Probably not for you

Never owned DT770s

Own HE400s (use for gaming and music)
Soundstage: Meh
Imaging: pretty good
Treble: Extended but controlled; pretty damned good
Bass: Extended but not emphasized; pretty damned good

Verdict: Not a bad choice for you; something I would personally recommend

Own HE400i (Used for gaming for a LONG time)
Basically, copay and paste 400s, but with better imaging, less efficient (need stronger amp), overall less warmth to sound signature. MAYBE a little more impact on bass.
Also a good options for you.

Never owned VMODA

Would add Fidelio X2 to to your list of options, Audeze Mobius, 1more Triple Over ears, in addition to the meze's recommended earlier

 

[PaganDL]

Hi lIlayZee,

Meze 99 Classics or 99 Neo are a good choice.

Some others I can recommend for your needs in no particular order are as follows :

Sony WH 1000 X M2
Oppo PM 3 with Balanced Cable (Wider Rear Facing Soud compared to Stock Narrow Front Facing Sound)
Audio Technica MSR 7
Shure SRH 940
1more Triple Driver Headphone

Otherwise if you don't mind, I also suggest the following in ears in no particular order.

Audio Technica E 70
iBasso IT 01
Meze 12 Classics
Shure 215 SE
1more Triple Driver
1more Quad Driver

For anything like Shure or Audio Technica, I suggest going to a pro audio place for good deals.

Lastly, I was going to suggest visiting Jaben for demo as well but then remembered they were in Perth when your location says Adelaide unless you want a road trip.

 

[lilayZee]

I owned the DT990's: (used for gaming and music)
Soundstage: meh
Imaging: pretty good
treble: Ear bleeding (high pitched gunshots made my eyes tingle)
Bass: meh

Verdict: Probably not for you.

Owned k712, which had more bass than k702: (used for gaming and music)
Soundstage: MASSIVE
imaging: meh (Odd issues with sound imaging [assuming x-y-z axis] with y placement)
Treble: A little zingy but manageable
Bass: A little less than meh

Verdict: Probably not for you

Never owned DT770s

Own HE400s (use for gaming and music)
Soundstage: Meh
Imaging: pretty good
Treble: Extended but controlled; pretty damned good
Bass: Extended but not emphasized; pretty damned good

Verdict: Not a bad choice for you; something I would personally recommend

Own HE400i (Used for gaming for a LONG time)
Basically, copay and paste 400s, but with better imaging, less efficient (need stronger amp), overall less warmth to sound signature. MAYBE a little more impact on bass.
Also a good options for you.

Never owned VMODA

Would add Fidelio X2 to to your list of options, Audeze Mobius, 1more Triple Over ears, in addition to the meze's recommended earlier

Thanks for all the information on your experiences with the listed headphones. As i suspected the DT990 and K712 wont have the bass I'm seeking. I have seen lots of recommendations for the Philips Fidelio X2 but I can't seem to find them in any Australian stores on line at all. The same goes for the 1more triple over ears. The Audeze Mobius do look super cool but I can't wait till June for shipment as I have no headphones at the moment due to mine bricking.

The Meze 99 Neo & Classics do look super neat so I'll see if I can test them out as I have found an Adelaide store stocks them online so hopefully they have them to demo. They also have the HE400s and HE400i so hopefully I can test them out too.

Hi lIlayZee,

Meze 99 Classics or 99 Neo are a good choice.

Some others I can recommend for your needs in no particular order are as follows :

Sony WH 1000 X M2
Oppo PM 3 with Balanced Cable (Wider Rear Facing Soud compared to Stock Narrow Front Facing Sound)
Audio Technica MSR 7
Shure SRH 940
1more Triple Driver Headphone

Otherwise if you don't mind, I also suggest the following in ears in no particular order.

Audio Technica E 70
iBasso IT 01
Meze 12 Classics
Shure 215 SE
1more Triple Driver
1more Quad Driver

For anything like Shure or Audio Technica, I suggest going to a pro audio place for good deals.

Lastly, I was going to suggest visiting Jaben for demo as well but then remembered they were in Perth when your location says Adelaide unless you want a road trip.

Thanks for the suggestions. Perth would be a bit to much of a road trip ahaha. I do like what I've read about the Oppo PM 3 and the Shure SRH 940 sound good to. I Will see if I can try these two out also. I'm not keen on wireless or in ear headphones.

 

[lilayZee]

Best if you went to audition the headphones for yourself and see which ones you like. Addicted to audio have a branch in Adelaide. If it's anything like the Sydney store, it'll definately be worth your time.

Thanks for the reply. I was looking at addicted to audio online but didn't realise they had an Adelaide store. Thanks for letting me know. Will defiantly be going there to check out some of their headphones. Hope they have the HE400s, HE400i and Neo 99 to try out. Think I will end up getting one of these.

 

[lilayZee]

I went today to a local store and tried out some headphones. I tried the HE400s and Meze 99 Neo and Beyerdynamic DT770. I ended up going with the Meze 99 Neo because they sounded really good with my music in store. When I came home though and plugged them in to use with my gaming it was not good at all. Everything is so quiet. Soooooo quiet. I can barely hear the bullets being shot and the voices of the characters are being drowned out by background music entirely. Is there anything I can do to help remedy this or do I need to return them. I'm thinking about swapping them over for the HE400s or HE400i. I didn't think I would need an amp because its only 26 ohm.

 

[onevstheworld]

That's strange, you shouldn't need an amp. Can you describe the rest of your current and previous audio setup?

 

[lilayZee]

That's strange, you shouldn't need an amp. Can you describe the rest of your current and previous audio setup?

I figured out what was wrong. I run a ASUS motherboard on my PC and it has sonic studio (an ASUS program) installed which includes preset modes like deep, clarity etc. I had it set on Deep for my gaming headset previously which was making everything way to deep on the Meze 99 Neo. I set it to standard mode and the headphones pack a big punch. I think they sound amazing for music but I don't think its going to be good for gaming. The imaging gets lost in all the bass during fights in overwatch (a first person shooter) and I've turned the bass all the way down. The bass is kind of messy, its a bit everywhere so it drowns out crucial audio cues in the game like footsteps and gun shots. I guess I over estimated how much bass I actually wanted. I will most likely swap them for the HE400s and give them a try.

 

[herrsmith]

They're a little bass light, but the soundstage and imaging of the HD 598 (which I've heard is pretty much the same as the 599 previously recommended) is quite good for gaming. They look the same, so you're probably not interested in those either, but the HD 598 SE is all black. I don't know what their availability is in Australia, so that might not be a real option, but I think it's something to look into.

 

[PaganDL]

Hi lilayzee,

Just out of curiosity, before you hand back the Neo 99, have you tried not using sonic studio while gaming while wearing the Neo 99 for gaming & is it only in Overwatch you experience this?

The 'fun part' about some of these audio EQ style programs is they sometimes unintentionally do 'strange' things to the way some headphones sound, also I believe Overwatch has some sound options as well not related to bass which at a certain volume probably messes up the Neo's normal bass response as it shouldn't wash over like how you describe.