Senn. PC360 V. Beyer. MMX300?
Oct 8, 2010 at 5:35 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 25

Phyltre

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I've been doing research, and wondering which headset is currently sitting at the top of the Dual 3.5mm class.  I'm looking at getting a Mixamp for the Xbox 360, and having a headset that can do PC gaming as well.  (In which instance the Mixamp would be used as an amplifier.)  So far the two standout "premium" (and by that I mean they play back music decently as well) models seem to be the PC360 and the MMX300.  There's other expensive options as well, but they seem focused on the gaming/surround aspect to the detriment of other playback--like the Psyko, Astro A40, or the Tritton and Turtle Beach models.
 
I've been able to find a moderate number of reviews of the MMX300, and even a small comparison between that and the PC350, but not the newer/more expensive 360.  I've seen guesswork that the 350 and 360 would have the same drivers, but that the 360 would benefit from a more open enclosure and slight redesign, but I haven't seen any real confirmation of that.  General feedback on both options seems to have been generally positive, but comparatively speaking, does anyone have any opinions between the two?  The MMX300 seemed to win out against the 350, but I'm wondering if the 360 reverses that or if not enough progress was made.  Also I'm wondering if anyone has tried the mics on one or both and could compare them.  Some reviews say the Beyer's mic is a bit too sensitive, but there's very little critical data there either.
 
And please, yes, I know that I could probably tape a PC mic to something like an ATH-AD700 and likely come out with better sound.  But that gives me all the ergonomic utility of one thing duct taped to another thing, which I have tried and found...lacking.  Yes, there is a Shure headworn mic grafted onto a Grado RS1 run through an X2U in my house--and while it serves its purpose admirably, I'm not looking to revisit that kind of solution here.
 
Apr 23, 2011 at 5:29 AM Post #3 of 25
The few friends I know who have tried both the MMX300 and PC360 have said:

PC360 has a very balanced sound, big soundstage, no emphasis in any particular area of the audio spectrum (which I agree). It is simply a workhorse. Great at everything, but master of none. Mixamp performance is phenomenal. Pretty much an end be all headset that you can feel good about it performing well in all forms of gaming.

The MMX300 is closed, so soundstage won't be as big. There are several versions of the MMX300 floating around (just like the Premium DT770s) in which you don't know if you'll get the bass heavy, or bass light version. Both are good, for different reasons. The bass heavy version will immerse you in gaming more, but won't be as good in competitive gaming as the PC360.

The bass light version is well balanced, and lends itself better for competitive gaming than the bass heavy version.

If you need isolation, the MMX300 will be the clear choice. The PC360 is very open.

I dunno about the PC350 vs PC360 comparison, but the few times I've seen comparisons, people have come away with saying the PC360 being noticably superior. I don't know myself, I have only heard the PC360. I've owned the Premium Beyer DT770 (which the MMX300 is based on, but it was too bass heavy....waaaay too much for multi purpose gaming).

I honestly don't know which I'd go for in your shoes, but all I know is that after the many headphones/headsets I have tried (and I've tried a lot), the PC360 became my final choice. I'm so happy with them, I have absolutely no more need to look for a better gaming headset. I do have better headPHONES, but as a headset, the PC360 is absolutely stellar. I would love to get my hands on both bass light and bass heavy MMX300 and put them to the test. I do love the Premium Beyers (except my weird super bass heavy PREMIUM DT770).
 
Apr 23, 2011 at 7:18 AM Post #4 of 25


Quote:
The few friends I know who have tried both the MMX300 and PC360 have said:

PC360 has a very balanced sound, big soundstage, no emphasis in any particular area of the audio spectrum (which I agree). It is simply a workhorse. Great at everything, but master of none. Mixamp performance is phenomenal. Pretty much an end be all headset that you can feel good about it performing well in all forms of gaming.

The MMX300 is closed, so soundstage won't be as big. There are several versions of the MMX300 floating around (just like the Premium DT770s) in which you don't know if you'll get the bass heavy, or bass light version. Both are good, for different reasons. The bass heavy version will immerse you in gaming more, but won't be as good in competitive gaming as the PC360.

The bass light version is well balanced, and lends itself better for competitive gaming than the bass heavy version.

If you need isolation, the MMX300 will be the clear choice. The PC360 is very open.

I dunno about the PC350 vs PC360 comparison, but the few times I've seen comparisons, people have come away with saying the PC360 being noticably superior. I don't know myself, I have only heard the PC360. I've owned the Premium Beyer DT770 (which the MMX300 is based on, but it was too bass heavy....waaaay too much for multi purpose gaming).

I honestly don't know which I'd go for in your shoes, but all I know is that after the many headphones/headsets I have tried (and I've tried a lot), the PC360 became my final choice. I'm so happy with them, I have absolutely no more need to look for a better gaming headset. I do have better headPHONES, but as a headset, the PC360 is absolutely stellar. I would love to get my hands on both bass light and bass heavy MMX300 and put them to the test. I do love the Premium Beyers (except my weird super bass heavy PREMIUM DT770).


 
thanks a lot, I read your post about allllllll your headsets lol   I really liked it and led me to these 2 (MM300 & PC360) headsets which have been hard for me to decide which one to get...
I just want to know if there is any other detail I should know about both of them, like the mic on them, can you tell which one is better? is there a way to find out which MMX300 is the bass heavy or bass light? which one is more comfortable? and you said if i want a closed headset the MMX300 are the ones, but in general, which one would you recommend for gaming? I know what you say about the MMX300 is what friends have told you, so if you get the chance to try them (MMX300) or ask your friends more about them, I would appreciated it a lot, and I believe many other people would too, because there are many reviews about the MMX300 but I cant seem to find any MMX300 or/vs "other" and all the reviews say that the MMX300 are some DT770 with a mic which I dont really believe its like that : /
 
Anyway, thanks a lot for the response, and just to let you know if you get the chance, this is all about GAMES only.
oh! and you said you use the mixamp from astro right? would you recommend other amp for the gaming headset or that is pretty much the best to get? (for a low budget).
 
sorry for my bad english : S
 
Apr 23, 2011 at 7:30 AM Post #5 of 25
If this is for gaming, dude, honestly there's no way you can't be happy with the PC360. ESPECIALLY paired with a Dolby Headphone device:

Wired Mixamp ($130). This is the best in terms of pure SQ, because it has little to no hiss. It's a bit of a cluttered mess though as it has to be near you.

Mixamp 5.8 ($140). Just like the wired Mixamp, but with more hiss (won't bother you at high volumes with the PC360)

Tritton AX720 ($130 + a "free" closed headset). The best in terms of price/features, but a bit on the hissy side even at low volumes. When you're in the action, the hiss won't be an issue.

Turtle Beach Ear Force DSS ($65, no mic capabilities with non-TB headsets). I'd only get this if you don't plan on using a mic, which means it won't work for you.

Trust me when I say that even though it's an expensive combo, the PC360 + Mixamp 5.8 will cover ALL the bases. The Bass Expander will make it so that the PC360 outputs rich and deep bass whenever you wanna be immersed, without hurting the mids or highs. When you wanna get competitive, just leave the Bass Expander off, for a extremely well balanced headset that has a fantastic mic, pinpoint accurate positioning, large soundstage, and great comfort. There is NOTHING missing from this combo. The MMX300 is more 'fun'. Personally, I think the PC360 with Bass Expander is more than fun enough, but that's just me.

The MMX300 is considerably more expensive than the PC360 when you factor deals, and from what I've gathered, the PC360 is still a better overall performer.

I heard the MMX300 has a very good mic too. Beyer and Sennheiser don't mess around. They seem to take their mics seriously.

I dunno what else to say. Head-fi isn't really a headset oriented crowd, and are happy to use headphones and attach a mic, so I doubt you're gonna get too many comments about this here.
 
Apr 29, 2011 at 6:50 AM Post #6 of 25
Thanks very much for the posts Mad Lust Envy I'm currently using G35's and can't say I'm very happy with the quality of sound from them.
I'm off to get myself a set of PC360's and soon after a Mixamp.
 
Jun 19, 2011 at 9:03 PM Post #8 of 25
The PC360 is a lot more enjoyable for most forms of gaming over the AD700. The DT990 will have more bass an immersion for single player gaming, while the AD700 will be be bass deficient, so it's more for competitive use when you absolutely don't wanna hear any bass, but that's about it. The AD700 and PC360 have an edge on the DT990 in terms of positioning and soundstage. The DT990 is also a lot harder to drive than the other two.
 
Jun 20, 2011 at 12:08 AM Post #9 of 25
I'd consider myself a competitive gamer, and find the PC 360 perfect for gaming. I have a friend I play with on halo that runs the MMX 300 running thru a mixamp and a fiio E9 and he loves it. I think he may get a PC 360 so I want to find out what he thinks. His mic on the 300 also sounds excellent, and said my PC 360 mic sounds very clear also. PC 360 is probably all you need, a very balanced sound with decent soundstage, but I really don't enjoy for music, a little to laidback/boring for my tastes.
 
I prefer the PC 360 compared to the Ad 700, even though the AD 700 is better for sound whoring. I only play halo now though really so if I was a consistent call of duty player I would opt for the Ad 700's.
 
Jun 20, 2011 at 7:56 AM Post #11 of 25
Yeah thats kind of hard to believe. The AD 700's actually are the headphones that made me get into head fi actually. The soundstage and detail at that time just blew me away, after not hearing a decent pair of headphones prior to. Anyone getting into gaming that doesn't want to break the bank and can figure out a mic solution if needed really shouldn't look further.
 
I also got a chance to finally try out the 2011 A40's and there is a noticeable upgrade in sound from previous versions. I still think they may be on the expensive side, but it's not a complete rip off like years past.
 
Jun 20, 2011 at 9:03 AM Post #12 of 25


Quote:
Yeah thats kind of hard to believe. The AD 700's actually are the headphones that made me get into head fi actually. The soundstage and detail at that time just blew me away, after not hearing a decent pair of headphones prior to. Anyone getting into gaming that doesn't want to break the bank and can figure out a mic solution if needed really shouldn't look further.
 
I also got a chance to finally try out the 2011 A40's and there is a noticeable upgrade in sound from previous versions. I still think they may be on the expensive side, but it's not a complete rip off like years past.


How did the new A40s compare to the AD700s?
 
 
Jun 20, 2011 at 9:45 AM Post #13 of 25
When I compare headset/headphones for gaming, I always keep in mind what game I'm playing, if that makes sense. So if I were to be playing halo reach I would want the A40's and if I was playing Call of Duty I would prefer the AD 700's for addtional help in soundstaging. Sound whoring really isn't as important in a competitve game like halo because of teamwork and using call outs, where call of duty you really need to listen to be successful IMO. Also consider the price difference. The a40's are a little more fun sounding, and more balanced, and the AD 700's are just incredible for soundstage, which is important for enemy positioning. I also prefer the a40 because the mic works very well with it, and finding a mic solution for the AD 700 could be a pain. I still prefer the PC 360 then both, but also is more expensive. Hope that helps.
 

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