jjpresturd
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2013
- Posts
- 30
- Likes
- 10
Hi all,
It's been years since I've posted and since I first dived into the world of Head-FI. I'm returning now due to a sequence of YouTube-recommended videos that have led me back down the rabbit hole of headphone audio. Here we go again!
I've got a couple of questions and considerations I want to field in this thread. For gear, I've got Sennheiser Momentum 2 (originals) that I use as my daily work and mobile driver. I power them through the portable OPPO HA-2 amp/DAC. I've got a pair of V-Moda Crossfade 2s, recently sold a pair of HD598s that I once used for gaming audio. Through my PS5 controller, I currently use a pair of Razor Kraken. I'm interested in stepping up my audio level to what I consider mid-tier.
OVERALL
What I intend to use the headphones for:
Headphones I'm Considering:
Budget not being a thing I would probably jump on the HD800s and call it good, but I don't think I'll be spending more than $1000 on my next cans, and I don't think I have the proper equipment to drive HD800s anyways. There are some headphones that have turned me onto this journey that I've recently learned about:
Question on setup:
I'm still pretty new to audio gear and setups. I want this new audio system to use primarily in my living room for my PS5 and Sony X900H TV. I've only got the OPPO HA-2 amp/DAC currently that I could use to drive the phones. I'd love to use an amp/DAC for the setup. I wonder if there is a good way to do this directly from the OPPO HA-2 to the ps5 controller so that there wouldn't be cords laying across the living room floor for the setup. Does anyone have any good ideas for ways to upgrade the headphone audio game for console gaming in a living room? Even with the low impedance of the LCD-GX, for example, I imagine I'd want more power than would be delivered from the PS5 controller.
Thanks for any advice!
It's been years since I've posted and since I first dived into the world of Head-FI. I'm returning now due to a sequence of YouTube-recommended videos that have led me back down the rabbit hole of headphone audio. Here we go again!
I've got a couple of questions and considerations I want to field in this thread. For gear, I've got Sennheiser Momentum 2 (originals) that I use as my daily work and mobile driver. I power them through the portable OPPO HA-2 amp/DAC. I've got a pair of V-Moda Crossfade 2s, recently sold a pair of HD598s that I once used for gaming audio. Through my PS5 controller, I currently use a pair of Razor Kraken. I'm interested in stepping up my audio level to what I consider mid-tier.
OVERALL
- I'm looking for a new $500-1000 pair of headphones to add to my collection that I can use to game on console together with my Sony x900h & PS5.
- I want to learn about some good options for that setup, between Headphone <—> amp/DAC <—> PS5/TV.
What I intend to use the headphones for:
- Games — I'm not a competitive gamer; footstep accuracy is not a big deal for me. I'll be playing a lot of single-player games on PS5 like The Witcher 3, Control, God of War, you name it. I will play the occasional competitive game but I'm by no means looking for an edge and could relatively care less about the headphone's ability to increase my performance. No PC gaming.
- Music — I'm a generalist when it comes to music and I listen to electronic music just as much as instrumental or vocal. I do want a headphone that can musically satisfy.
- Films/Shows — I'm definitely interested in the headphone also performing well with watching entertainment.
Headphones I'm Considering:
Budget not being a thing I would probably jump on the HD800s and call it good, but I don't think I'll be spending more than $1000 on my next cans, and I don't think I have the proper equipment to drive HD800s anyways. There are some headphones that have turned me onto this journey that I've recently learned about:
- The Audeze LCD-GX
- These caught my attention because I've been a fan of the LCD-2 and Audeze sound and I've really wanted to add a planar magnetic headphone to my lineup. The mic on these has been pretty poorly rated, although I don't often use the mic for voice chat on console, so I'm not as concerned about it. I've read and watched many reviews and it sounds like it's up my alley, and musical enough to be useful for all three categories that I'm interested in. They are around $900. Any thoughts on these?
- Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro
- Highly rated for its imaging and clarity, if a bit bright, and praised for studio use and for some for games. I thought this might be worth looking into but I'm starting to think it might not be a great catch-all headphone.
- The Audeze Mobius/Penrose
- More traditionally designed for gaming/as headsets, these are appealing.
- BUT I feel they might be geared heavily for competitive gaming and I worry they might not feel like enough of a step-up from the audio I've already experienced.
Question on setup:
I'm still pretty new to audio gear and setups. I want this new audio system to use primarily in my living room for my PS5 and Sony X900H TV. I've only got the OPPO HA-2 amp/DAC currently that I could use to drive the phones. I'd love to use an amp/DAC for the setup. I wonder if there is a good way to do this directly from the OPPO HA-2 to the ps5 controller so that there wouldn't be cords laying across the living room floor for the setup. Does anyone have any good ideas for ways to upgrade the headphone audio game for console gaming in a living room? Even with the low impedance of the LCD-GX, for example, I imagine I'd want more power than would be delivered from the PS5 controller.
Thanks for any advice!
