[ItaliaMike]

Sennheiser HD 598/595
Ultrasone PRO 750 
Ultrasone HFI-780/2400
Sennheiser PC 333D/PC 360
 
I know that I will need an amp for this to connect to an Xbox 360 or Blu-ray Player. Can you also suggest a very good one under $150 that has "dolby headphone" or is it better to get one without dolby headphone technology?
 
 
Or how do these "advertised" 5.1/7.1 Headphones compare:
Sharkoon X-Tatic Digital
Tritton AX PRO 5.1
Rzaer Megalodon Elite 7.1
Psyko Carbon
Medusa NX 5.1
Turtle Beach Ear Force DX 11
Plantronics GameCom 777
 
What I like about these headphones is the no need for an amp.
 
As you can see there are A LOT to choose from, so hopefully someone here can narrow my selections. I should also note that I DO NOT want a headphone with a lot of base, only a bit of rich base. I heard that the Senns HD 598 has less base and a bit more treble, which is the kind of sound that I like. I usually listen to rock/alternative music, but these will mostly be used for movies and games.
Thanks.

 

[Lemiix]

The Sennheiser PC360 is basically a HD595 with a mic.
Some amps to connect to the Xbox that has Dolby headphones is the Turtle Beach DSS($80) or the Astro Mixamp($129).
I would go with the Astro Mixamp since it has a flat frequency response. The Turtle beach DSS has a increased bass which is good if you using with a pair of headphones that lack bass.
I would personally choose the Sennheiser PC360 Which really dominates all those other headphones you listed.
Sennheiser PC360 + Astro Mixamp makes an awesome combo. Mixamp will allow you to control voice chat volume and also have Virtual 5.1 Surround.

 

[pp312]

 
Quote:

The Sennheiser PC360 is basically a HD595 with a mic.

 
 
Is it?

 

[Lemiix]

Yes it contains same drivers as the HD595

 

[pp312]

Any evidence? I've never heard of that before.

 

[Spinn]

Hi!
 
New to the forum, but have been lurking a while.....!
 
I did alot of research around christmas this year as i was looking to upgrade my gaming kit. After reading ALOT on the different gaming forums, Dolby laboratories and such i felt i was prepared to make a good choise getting the parts to perform and do what i wanted.
 
Dolby headphone is NOT in the headset, but in the electronics feeding the headset (mixamp for instance.) Any stereo headset can benefit from Dolby Headphone.
 
I now have a headset and an  amp, fed by TosLink giving me a superb gaming experience(FPS). It is a lot easier to pinpoint where the sound of your enemy is coming from, and a detail that is unbelivable! Whatching movies is just plain fun, and listening to music, wow! I just love this kit, but everything is in our perception, s what i like may not be what you like..... Anyway, i find it neutral, and not coloring the sound.
 
My choise was Mixamp and Sennheiser PC360... I can recommend it!
 
Lars-Erik

 

[Joy2011]

Ultrasone HFI-780 is very good, but its price is too expensive.

 

[joelpearce]

Quote:

Ultrasone HFI-780 is very good, but its price is too expensive.

Not by much.    The Ultrasones would make good headphones for this purpose--far better than a 5.1 headset.
 

 

[oqvist]

I preferred the Ultrasone 750 over the Senn HD 650 for movies. Both good options though. 750 better due to isolating more, better soundstage and a bit more detailed. Better LF extension and better adjusting to what is being played. 

 

[Saturn]

Quote:

I preferred the Ultrasone 750 over the Senn HD 650 for movies. Both good options though. 750 better due to isolating more, better soundstage and a bit more detailed. Better LF extension and better adjusting to what is being played. 

 
750 > HD 650, in terms of a better soundstage and detail? I disagree with that strongly.

 

[ItaliaMike]

[size=10pt]Thanks for all your replies! So with your help I've narrowed it down to Ultrasone Pro 750 and the Sennheiser HD 598, or MAYBE the Ultras HFI-780. I live in Vancouver, BC, I know we don't have a lot of selection in Canada (technology wise), but hopefully I can find a nearby store where I can try out the Pro 750 and HD 598 in person, if they'll let me. [/size]
[size=10pt] [/size]
[size=10pt]From reading countless forums on the net, I've heard that the Ultrasones Pro 750 have a lot of base (which I don't like), but what I do like about them is the lower sound pressure (safer for hearing), and the S-Logic Surround Sound (though I've never used it before so I don't know how the simulated "surround sound" using S-Logic would compare to the Senns HD 598 'E.A.R.' technology . Now from what I read, what I like about the Senns is that they're supposed to be a lot more comfortable, have less base, what I don't like is the supposed cracked plastic that many users have reported with the 500 series, also the cheapest place I can find online is B&H Photo & Video, and I can get them about $20 cheaper than the ultrasones, too bad that shipping is expensive for both models. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've heard that none of these headphones are forgiving with low quality source (ie. ipod).[/size]
[size=10pt] [/size]
[size=10pt]As for the Astro Mixamp, I know it was made primarily for games, but does it work well with movies too? I could care less about the voice chat because I will never use it. Thanks again, and once I make my descision I'll let you guys know, but I'm still open to any different suggestions.[/size]

 

[joelpearce]

The nice thing about shipping from B&H is that you can choose Purolator Ground and they will work out all the taxes and duty, making the actual delivery quite fast and without unpleasant surprises.
 
The whole s-logic thing is nothing special (I have owned both the 750 and 780).  They are angled drivers, which pushes the sound out of the head slightly, but not any differently than all the other models with angled drivers.  I'm not convinced that whole safe hearing thing is any different, either.
 
That said, I didn't find the 750s that terribly bassy.  Maybe they were, and I just didn't notice over the treble, which was unbearable.  How you feel about the Ultrasones really does depend on how you feel about treble--they are very, very bright.
 
The Astro mixamp should do nicely for any Dolby 5.1 source.
 
If you are still open to suggestions, I really like my Beyerdynamic DT250 for movies, as they have nice, deep bass, but it never gets overwhelming.  They are balanced throughout the spectrum, sound good with dialogue, but are also musical and punchy when they need to be.  You can grab one at Long & McQuade for $180, which is a really good deal for these headphones.

 

[ItaliaMike]

[size=10pt]Thanks Joel. How did you find the Ultrasones Pro 750 and the HFI-780 compared? Did one offer less bass than the other? I've read that the HFI-780 are more forgiving with a lower quality source, but has almost too much bass and isn't extremely comfortable, is this true? But what I do like is that they're about $100 cheaper then the Pro 750, which is good considering I'll also be buying the Astro Mixamp which is about $130, and all taxes and shipping considered, I don't want to be spending more than $300-$350 for the headphones and amp together. Now that I'm thinking I don't want to spend too much, I've updated my list to Sennheiser HD 598 or HD 558, and Ultrasone Pro 750 or HFI-780. But if the extra price for the HD 598 or the Pro 750 is really worth it, I'll fork out the extra cash, but I've also heard that the Senns 558/598 leak out a lot of sound. Also how does the Astro A40 compare to say then Senns HD 558? Still need some help deciding. Thanks.[/size]

 

[joelpearce]

I found the Pro 750 to be too cold and analytical to ever really get comfortable with it, even with the kees mod applied.  It had excellent bass extension, along with a truly impressive level of detail retrieval.  Ultimately, though, their coldness always kept me at arms' length.  Vocals sounded precise but dead, instruments were clear but analytical.  They would have been a great pair of headphones to use in a professional environment to hear every last detail, but they aren't something I wanted to keep around for fun.
 
Stock, the HFI-780 were much better to my ears.  While the mids were slightly recessed and the treble was a bit overbearing, they had all the positive aspects of the Pro 750, but mitigated my problems with their big brothers.  They do have a fair bit of clamp, but they're a long way from the least comfortable headphones I've worn.  That might be different if you have a huge head or glasses that stick out far from your face.  To be fair, I've done a few mods on mine since buying them, including the removal of the diode board, some damping and a full recable.  They are now one of my favourite pairs of headphones, though, as it has brought out the mids, cooled the highs a bit, created a bit of warmth, and tightened the bass further.  They are one of the few headphones that sound really good with just about anything, too, from movies to games to music of most genres.  While it does have nicely punchy bass, I wouldn't call them bass monsters.  That said, I do like my bass.
 
Ultrasone is definitely one of the brands I'd recommend hearing before you plop your money down.  They work really well with some people's ears, and others seem to completely hate them.  I know that's not easy in Canada.

 

[ItaliaMike]

Thanks again Joel. So because of my budget, I've narrowed it down to either the Senns 558 or the Ultras HFI-780. I've read some good reviews about the Senns 558. They seem to be larger which is what I might light, since I have larger than average ears, and I usually wear glasses for gaming/watching blu-ray movies. Some people say they sound the exact same as the 598s, others say the 598s sound better (I wonder if they're lying though just because they forked over an extra $100). I've found some places in Vancouver, BC that have the Senns (Tom Lee Music, Headphone Bar), I'll try them out there, but instead buy them online at B&H, since it's a lot cheaper, and like you said, the ground shipping is actually pretty good (about $9). B&H also carries the Ultras HFI-780 for about $10 cheaper too. Do you think it's worth it to buy B&H's 2-year warranty, or is the warranty from Senns good enough. Ultrasones seem to have a 5 year manufacturer warranty, while the Senns only have a 2 year warranty.
 
However, I still really want to try out the Ultrasones before I decide, I'm just having trouble finding anyone in Canada (Vancouver) who actually carries them in store, hopefully something will turn up. But if they're as good as you say they are, maybe I'll bite the bullet, and buy them.
 
Now that I've narrowed it down to 2 for headphones, my next concern is the Amp. How "good" is the Astro Mixamp for movies, not just games? My main concern is the lack of DTS support, since
my blu-ray player usually plays DTS audio. Are they any better amps than the astro, within close price range? Or is the difference between Dobly Digital and DTS not noticible at all on a pair of headphones, but I do have very good hearing though, so maybe it will? I'm also trying to find a different place that sells the newer 2011 Astro Mixamp than Astro's site. $30 for shipping is just too much. Thanks again.