[rebelx]

Hello all,

I am in need of open back headphones for gaming since my current headphones (Bose QC25) are no longer good for my current environment. I adore the comfort in the Bose (although not a fan of having to replace the ear cushions almost annually) since I do wear them for usually 12 hours a day (work + fun). I also like the sound profile in the Bose. I have no complaints with using Bose headphones.

I have once tried open back headphones previously but hated how I could hear the cars on the street. Unfortunately, now I don't have a choice and have to use open back headphones.

I am in the $100-200 price range. Perhaps closer to $200 is OK, as black friday/cyber monday will be coming up and I'm sure they'd drop in price.

I don't particularly want wireless headphones due to the rechargeable battery eventually degrading and/or lag time when playing games.

I was thinking the ATH-M50x (https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86?th=1) for $150 (on sale), but those are quite old and I am unsure if there is a pair that is better for gaming.

They will be driven by my motherboard's (TUF X570-Plus Wifi https://www.asus.com/us/motherboard...f-gaming/tuf-gaming-x570-plus-wi-fi/techspec/) rear audio connector. I don't have a dedicated sound card. It says I have a "Realtek® ALC S1200A 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC."

One thing that I've noticed that I like on the Bose is the breakaway cable. My cables sometimes get stuck under my chair, or on my chair, and if I move rapidly, it pulls on the cable and it disconnects from my headset. I like this safety feature and if I can have it, great!

The other thing I would like to have is easy cushion replacements (as in price and ease of installation).

It does NOT need to be a headset (inline microphone) since I have a separate microphone I use on the computer. If it does, or has the capability to add on an inline mic cable, then that'd be a nice surprise.

Which full size headphones would you recommend for me?

EDIT: Hopefully not too much sound leakage that a Blue Yeti Nano could easily pick it up (mic is about an arm's length away from me).

TIA!

 

[earmonger]

ATH-M50X are closed back.

And open-backed headphones do leak; how much depends on how loud you're listening.

 

[ANewtypeCentury]

I wear open back phones for gaming, and AFAIK, none of the audio leaks into my chat audio. However, I'm also not listening to it super loudly, so YMMV. Whatever pair you pick, due to the long hours involved in gaming, just make sure they're comfy as hell, don't weigh too much. A lot of audiophile gear seems to fall into the too-heavy or extreme clamping force territory because they expect you to be listening to music, not watching something longform like bingeing a television series or gaming all day in a single sitting. Any discomfort will be multiplied the longer you wear it for, so for gaming especially? Comfort first & foremost

 

[rebelx]

I wear open back phones for gaming, and AFAIK, none of the audio leaks into my chat audio. However, I'm also not listening to it super loudly, so YMMV. Whatever pair you pick, due to the long hours involved in gaming, just make sure they're comfy as hell, don't weigh too much. A lot of audiophile gear seems to fall into heavy or high clamping force because they expect you to be listening to music, not watching something longform like bingeing a television series or gaming all day in a single sitting. Any discomfort will be multiplied the longer you wear it for, so for gaming especially? Comfort first & foremost

You are completely right--comfort is probably the biggest thing. I am spoiled with the comfort levels of the Bose series. Are there any open back ones you'd recommend with high comfort levels?

 

[ANewtypeCentury]

You are completely right--comfort is probably the biggest thing. I am spoiled with the comfort levels of the Bose series. Are there any open back ones you'd recommend with high comfort levels?

I like Sennheiser's stuff - the 6XX you can get from Drop is probably the best bang-for-buck as it's on the light end of the spectrum, roomy ears, pads are plenty comfy and it sounds great. That, and they can go far when connected to great gear. I had a pair for a long time before upgrading to the 660S and handing off the 6XX to my sister.

 

[rebelx]

I like Sennheiser's stuff - the 6XX you can get from Drop is probably the best bang-for-buck as it's on the light end of the spectrum, roomy ears, pads are plenty comfy and it sounds great. That, and they can go far when connected to great gear. I had a pair for a long time before upgrading to the 660S and handing off the 6XX to my sister.

I will look into the 6xx. Quick Googling makes it seem like they are essentially identical to the 650?

What has your experience been like with the 6xx as it pertains to the cushions wearing out and having to buy new ones? Very frequent? Expensive?

EDIT: Can they be properly driven by just motherboard onboard audio or would I need to buy a DAC, etc?

 

[ANewtypeCentury]

I will look into the 6xx. Quick Googling makes it seem like they are essentially identical to the 650?

What has your experience been like with the 6xx as it pertains to the cushions wearing out and having to buy new ones? Very frequent? Expensive?

EDIT: Can they be properly driven by just motherboard onboard audio or would I need to buy a DAC, etc?

Yes, they are functionally HD 650 phones...only they cost about half as much.

Owned three pairs of the HD Sennheisers, various models, and not once had to replace the earcups. The foam on the headband does degrade over time/use, but it's a *lot* of both, and replacing it is simple & cheap. Did it to try after many years of wearing my old 6XX to check if newer was better, but not enough wear and tear had occurred for the old set to be worn out. This, after wearing them as my main audio source for years. I wouldn't worry about it personally.

And lastly, they have to room to eat a lot of power, you definitely won't be plugging them directly into, say, a 3DS or something. Famously, they have lots of room to sound better with the more you pump into them. Would definitely recommend using a DAC and amp pairing for ideal listening. However, you don't need to go crazy either. Between Chi-Fi gear and companies like Schiit, plenty out there that can get you a good pairing without breaking the bank.

 

[earmonger]

You can get all the amplification you need from a VE Megatron DAC/amp, $56 shipped to US. It's about the size of a hard disc drive and much lighter than it looks.

The price is so low because it doesn't have a volume control, power supply or other bells and whistles -- you'd still control volume from your source (laptop, phone, etc) and it runs from USB power.

https://www.veclan.com/engappliance_sel_one?eng_ApplianceVo.eac_id=63

There are reviews linked on the VE page and you can Google around for others; everyone thinks it's great bang for buck.

 

[KoalaSnackbar]

Cheaper model sennheiser or beyerdynamic are the classic gaming open backs without breaking the bank. I gamed on dt990 pros for years and still highly recommend even after buying pricier cans.

 

[ANewtypeCentury]

Cheaper model sennheiser or beyerdynamic are the classic gaming open backs without breaking the bank. I gamed on dt990 pros for years and still highly recommend even after buying pricier cans.

From what I've heard, the Beyerdynamic line has fairly high clamping force, why I've always avoided them. As someone who commonly gets headaches, occasionally full-blown migraines, *really* sensitive to inward head pressure. Can you speak to that?

 

[KoalaSnackbar]

Hmm I've never had issues with the clamp force but I believe you can adjust clamp force by bending the headband. With that said, I can attest that sennheiser clamp force is definitely lower (for 6xx and 660s at least)

 

[rebelx]

You can get all the amplification you need from a VE Megatron DAC/amp, $56 shipped to US. It's about the size of a hard disc drive and much lighter than it looks.

The price is so low because it doesn't have a volume control, power supply or other bells and whistles -- you'd still control volume from your source (laptop, phone, etc) and it runs from USB power.

https://www.veclan.com/engappliance_sel_one?eng_ApplianceVo.eac_id=63

There are reviews linked on the VE page and you can Google around for others; everyone thinks it's great bang for buck.

Thanks! Is it absolutely necessary to have the DAC/amp (if just for PC gaming, youtube, netflix) that type of thing? Is the motherboard's audio not good enough to power the 6xx? I don't mind that there's no volume/powersupply on the headset since I would use the PC to control that stuff.

 

[haasaaroni]

Another plug for the Sennheisers here. HD6xx's are the only headphones I do any "gaming" in (mostly because they come stock with a 3.5mm jack, which I just plug straight into my Switch). They're a blast, and don't leak too much.

As for the amp stuff, the 6XX's will likely do just fine out of your computer. They might reach the limit of your computer's audio if you want to crank them, though. The unique thing about them (for the price point) is that they respond to higher end gear like CRAZY. Just know, if you do decide to upgrade to a separate amp and DAC, you'll hear it. It's part of what mnakes these the audiophile gateway drug of choice

 

[earmonger]

I'd suggest you try them without the DAC/Amp. If you need more volume or clarity--and you obviously might not--then get the Megatron.

 

[rebelx]

Thank you. I will wait for the HD6xx to go on sale and hope for the best as it comes to driving it directly from the motherboard.

Really wish I could just keep using the Bose on the computer but I can't for safety reasons.

EDIT: Product description on Drop says that the 6xx was Sennheiser's "flagship from 2003-2009." Does that mean that there really is no more recent contender (from any brand in this approximate price range) that would be a better option? Seems odd to be buying headphones/electronics that are now 20 years old. Perhaps audio gear has significantly longer staying power than other electronics.