[lisij]

everyone Hello
to start off, im not an audiophile, i like a bit of a bass, but hate the dr dre headphones. I recently sold my Senns RS180 which i pretty much liked very much for it sound, bass it produced and specially comfortability, why i sold them? i just hatted the bulky transmitter, always no room to place it where i want, with that in mind i decided to get myself a wired ones and came to a conclusion, there are couple of them to choose from:
Sennheiser 558
Akg 550 or 701
V-moda 100 -  not really sure why i selected those as my ears are sort of big and i prefer over ears enclosures
Beyerdynamic dt880pro or dt990pro
all of them are in the same price category around 100-150euros
 
now, some of you will say that i would need an amp for some of these to get their full potential, but, i dont want an amp, im looking for headphones that work out of the box, even though i do understand that amp will make my life easier, i just dont want extra space it uses
ok now, so what are your thoughts, which should i get? if you can come up with even better ideas than mine i be more happy to hear from you
P.S i would be using them mostly for gaming (PS4, Battlefield 4 etc), some movies and just some times music

 

[PurpleAngel]

The Senn HD558 and AKG K550 work fine with out an amplifier.
Beyer 250-Ohm headphones really need to be used with an amplifier.
I would think the AKG 701 would do better with an amplifier.
 
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Z sound card would easily drive the 250-Ohm Beyer and 62-ohm AKG 701 headphones.

 

[lisij]

i do not own a pc, so have no way on inserting sound card, and like i said, mostly be using with ps4..
which ones are better the 558 or 550? i leave my vote for sennheisers, cause ive owned them in the past, are akg any better than senn?

 

[Claritas]

If you like "a bit of bass," you will be more satisfied with DT990 or even M100 (which is over ear). The former would do better with an amp. The others have considerably less bass. ATH-M50 is another to consider, or SRH840 for some but not too much bass.

 

[HCSUNSHINE90]

I had the AKG k550 but they had like no bass at all. I now have the AKG k545 and am so happy with these headphones. try em out! ($250)

 

[bowen317]

You definitely need an amp for the akg 701s.

 

[cel4145]

I had the AKG k550 but they had like no bass at all. I now have the AKG k545 and am so happy with these headphones. try em out! ($250)

I disagree. The K550 do have bass with decent bass extension. They just do not have much emphasized bass. Also, their fit can be finicky, so some people never figure out how to wear them to experience the bass that they have.

I agree with everyone else. The Q701s are not a good choice for using without a headphone amp.

Either the HD558 or K550 should work well with your PS4. However, one pair is open and the other is closed. If isolation is important to you, then the K550 are a much better choice.

Another alternative for you in a closed headphone that does not have the fit issues of the K550 is the Soundmagic HP100. See this review: http://noblehifi.blogspot.com/2012/10/soundmagic-hp100-review.html

 

[TheLeggo]

If I remember correctly the 558 have more midbass than the K550. The K550 is a lean headphone, but it may not be exciting enough for games. Also, the 558 was better for gaming for me, I normally play Counter strike so positional cues were important, and I am pretty sure they are cheaper.

 

[cel4145]

If I remember correctly the 558 have more midbass than the K550. The K550 is a lean headphone, but it may not be exciting enough for games. Also, the 558 was better for gaming for me, I normally play Counter strike so positional cues were important, and I am pretty sure they are cheaper.

I'm guessing you might be in the US? The OP is in the EU where prices are different.

Great point about the 558s, though. I think all of us forget to mention the soundstage advantage of open headphones for gaming.

 

[imrazor]

The 558s have decent, well-defined bass, though I found the treble too recessed for my taste. They may not be the best choice if you're a basshead, though. As others have mentioned, they have a great soundstage - quite good for gaming.