[Kunal1991]

I vastly prefer IEMs for music listening and I have a pretty decent pair in the Thieaudio Divinity V16.Right now, I am looking for the absolute endgame headphone to pair with a Topping DX9 for desktop gaming. HD800S fits the bill but after looking at the HE1000SE, it might be better because of its unique treble tuning and very good imaging capabilities.Is it worth it to save up? Again, listening to music on this will not be important to me since I have the IEMs I really like. I might be wowed by the music but I can't stand listening to bulky headphones on my bedside, so the novelty would wear off quickly! For gaming and the very occasional music listening, would the HiFiman offer a sizable bump over the Sennheiser?
Comfort would be important but it's not the end-all-be-all. I don't do marathon sessions on the PC.

 

[csch92]

why would one buy such expensive headphone just for gaming?

 

[Kunal1991]

why would one buy such expensive headphone just for gaming?

The same reason why anyone would spend thousands of dollars to build a liquid cooled high powered PC when gaming consoles are available for everybody!

I would say it is to indulge the senses just like music does. Games these days are not made like they were 10 years ago. Which is to say, good Imaging and separation like seen in high end headphones can make a tremendous difference to the experience!

Take Avatar:Frontiers of Pandora for example. A huge chunk of the development of that game went into designing and audio engine that is reactive to the player and the environment. It is accelerated by a hardware feature called ray tracing which was designed to simulate the behaviour of light rays bouncing around in a virtual scene. They are tracing rays of audio and accounting for factors like resonance and diffraction.

This is a very simplistic explanation.
Perhaps you might find this interesting:



Edit: when playing Avatar, I am using sound queues that are revealed using a Sennheiser IE600 for better spatial awareness. It is really quite impressive that a game is able to do that.

 

[Miiksu]

For FPS I recommend electrostatic headphones. Purely because it is the fastest to produce sound. You save a lot money to get some cheap electostatic and cheap Topping EHA5 amp. Also EQ plays big role.

 

[Kunal1991]

For FPS I recommend electrostatic headphones. Purely because it is the fastest to produce sound. You save a lot money to get some cheap electostatic and cheap Topping EHA5 amp. Also EQ plays big role.

Ah,
I did consider ESTs at one point. The ones that reviewed favourably were all quite expensive with equally expensive energizers to match. RAAL SR-01A would've been my choice if a matching energizer wouldn't have been as expensive as well. What's more, that would limit you to EST headphones only. Perhaps in a couple of years, when EST technology finally trickles down we may start to see some hybrid solutions.
I am happy with planars in 2024

 

[dunring]

I've played Destiny 2 for years with over 300 headphones and IEMs since I have a business and get things in all the time. The best gaming headphones I've used at the HD800s and Hifiman Arya Stealth. For competitive, footsteps happen in the 400hz-1600hz region depending on the surface and footwear recorded, not in the treble range where high hats and cymbals go off. A consistent mid range is really important, and driver matching. Either one is kingpin for gaming, and an all in one will have perfect channel matching. The DX9 is overkill though for 300ohm headphones and the Arya Stealth needs 1.8 watts at 32 ohm to really shine.

My plan would be if value is important, get the Hifiman Arya Stealth open box or refurbished from Hifiman, which comes with an 18 month warranty if you like them on Facebook. The SMSL DO400 (I have 4 of them) is currently used with 1 year warranty on Amazon for $250 and it's amazing.
https://www.amazon.com/DO400-Headphone-ES9039MSPRO-XMOS-XU316-Silver/dp/B0CFTHK7MX/

That pair will save a ton of money and all the power you need for gaming or music.

 

[Kunal1991]

The best gaming headphones I've used at the HD800s and Hifiman Arya Stealth.

I already have a HiFiMan Edition XS which I really like for desktop listening and plan to keep it until it fails. Between the HD800s and the Arya Stealth, which one would be more capable of imaging and separation? Do you find the lack of a bass shelf on the HD800s makes it sound "incomplete"?

The DX9 is overkill though for 300ohm headphones and the Arya Stealth needs 1.8 watts at 32 ohm to really shine.

I agree. The DX9 spits out 7w per channel at 32ohms and can easily drive everything to full potential, except maybe a Susvara. It is one of the main reasons I got one: scalability.

Between Sennheiser and HiFiMan, one of the big reasons I would prefer the Sennheisers would be the brand itself and their QC/Customer service/RMA policy.

Had I been able to get the HD1000SE at its current price of 1999 from HiFiMan it would've been the obvious choice. Sadly where I stay it retails for it's full price and then some.(But does come with a 3 year warranty)

https://www.headphonezone.in/products/hifiman-he1000se

 

[Miiksu]

Ah,
I did consider ESTs at one point. The ones that reviewed favourably were all quite expensive with equally expensive energizers to match. RAAL SR-01A would've been my choice if a matching energizer wouldn't have been as expensive as well. What's more, that would limit you to EST headphones only. Perhaps in a couple of years, when EST technology finally trickles down we may start to see some hybrid solutions.
I am happy with planars in 2024

HiveX is $650+shipping and EHA5 €400. Not that expensive. It's a good starting point.

 

[nioh]

I use the Z1R for gaming. I cannot go back to neutral headphones anymore.
Of course the DAC/AMP matters too. For gaming I use the IFI Zen DAC.

 

[Kunal1991]

HiveX is $650+shipping and EHA5 €400. Not that expensive. It's a good starting point.

I am sure it's good, the Nectar HiveX has some decent reviews. I'm however on the quest for endgame, not starting point Actually, there is zero reason for me to move beyond even the Edition XS I have, but you know how it gets around here!

 

[Kunal1991]

I use the Z1R for gaming. I cannot go back to neutral headphones anymore.
Of course the DAC/AMP matters too. For gaming I use the IFI Zen DAC.

Wow, that's genuinely surprising. The Z1R is famous for its fit and heft issues and here you are wearing it for probably hours...
How do you do it man..

The Z1R is on my list too, but not for gaming. Some people over on the watercooler thread still hold it in high regard as the bass king to this day.

 

[Miiksu]

I am sure it's good, the Nectar HiveX has some decent reviews. I'm however on the quest for endgame, not starting point Actually, there is zero reason for me to move beyond even the Edition XS I have, but you know how it gets around here!

Yeah. For me it's quite the end because I have HiveX modded + eq and iESL energizer. It would be silly to buy something that cost 8 times more Planars are not that fast clean sounding as EST headphones on the middle and treble. Also weaker bass energy helps specifically FPS gaming. But I don't think that HE1000SE is a bad choice.

 

[PinkyPowers]

I recommend you look into the non SE version, the HE1000 Stealth. Might just like them more.

 

[DillingerEP]

For gaming only i would seek a used Sennheiser HD 800. It soundstage, imaging and detail are just phantastic for gaming, especially shooters.

 

[Kunal1991]

I recommend you look into the non SE version, the HE1000 Stealth. Might just like them more.

The HE1000stealth are significantly cheaper and I did consider them at one point. However after researching a bit, the general consensus now is many prefer the Arya Organic over HE1K Stealth. The SE is considered to be the next jump.
Tonality wise, I've heard people say the Organic is tuned better.