[SOLVED] Help with headphones

[Kr0nixGaming]

Hi, I've recently bought a new microphone and no longer need a pair of headphones with one built in.

Currently I'm using the steelseries arctis 7 but want something high grade.

I dont have enough money for an amp so my asrock b450 gaming k4 fatality motherboard has to do the heavy lifting.

I've been looking at the beyerdynamic dt 990 pro headphones but read they are 250 Ohms. I'm not sure if my motherboard supports this or not. I also don't know what kind of quality my motherboard might output.

I have done some research and for gaming I like a big sound stage so open eared headphones seems like a good idea.

If anyone could help point me in the right direction in terms of my motherboard limitations and a good pair of open back headphones. Not too expensive but similar to beyerdynamic dt 990 in quality and price.

Thanks this is really appreciated

 

[Frag Maniac]

Just go with the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 32 OHm. With that impedance you won't need an amp, they'll even work with portable devices.

Newegg has them on sale right now for $139 with promo code.
https://www.newegg.com/beyerdynamic...OHm-_-0TH-00JD-001T7-_-Product&quicklink=true

I've been using the 770 Pro 80 OHm model for a few years now and they are by far the best headphones I've ever had.

 

[drivinfast247]

OP asked for open back headphones, the DT770 are closed back.

I personally use and love the DT 990 custom. Mine are 600ohm, but I use an amp. They are offered in 250ohm and 32ohm. I think you'd be fine with the 250 and definitely the 32ohm.

 

[Frag Maniac]

OP asked for open back headphones, the DT770 are closed back.

I personally use and love the DT 990 custom. Mine are 600ohm, but I use an amp. They are offered in 250ohm and 32ohm. I think you'd be fine with the 250 and definitely the 32ohm.

The DT 990 Pro 32 OHm are hard to find at a good price, and 250 OHm is not going to be loud enough on an unamplified PC.

As far as open back goes, I used to think it would be the better way too, until I tried the DT 770s. They are actually much better for gaming because the sounds you need to hear most are more isolated from outside noises, so for instance it's easier to tell where footsteps of enemies are coming from. Explosions also sound more immersive as the bass is more present, and these phones have clear bas that's not muddy.

It's also a big plus that you can have your windows open in the summer time and not be bothered nearly as much by things like traffic noise, especially emergency vehicle sirens. About the only slight negative might be that it's harder to hear things like any alarms you set, especially ones that aren't to loud like an oven timer.

Research is one thing, actual testing is quite another. If you've never tried a decent set of closed back phones, you'll never know how good they can be for gaming. At least try them from a vendor that offers full refunds for any reason. You can in reality pay too much for gaming headphones. Reason being , all game audio is compressed, so a very high end set of phones will never get used to their full potential in such a scenario. Money wasted really.

 

[drivinfast247]

The DT 990 Pro 32 OHm are hard to find at a good price, and 250 OHm is not going to be loud enough on an unamplified PC.

As far as open back goes, I used to think it would be the better way too, until I tried the DT 770s. They are actually much better for gaming because the sounds you need to hear most are more isolated from outside noises, so for instance it's easier to tell where footsteps of enemies are coming from. Explosions also sound more immersive as the bass is more present, and these phones have clear bas that's not muddy.

It's also a big plus that you can have your windows open in the summer time and not be bothered nearly as much by things like traffic noise, especially emergency vehicle sirens. About the only slight negative might be that it's harder to hear things like any alarms you set, especially ones that aren't to loud like an oven timer.

Research is one thing, actual testing is quite another. If you've never tried a decent set of closed back phones, you'll never know how good they can be for gaming. At least try them from a vendor that offers full refunds for any reason. You can in reality pay too much for gaming headphones. Reason being , all game audio is compressed, so a very high end set of phones will never get used to their full potential in such a scenario. Money wasted really.

I can't argue with anybody about headphones because its very subjective. The DT770 are no doubt a very well reviewed and regarded headphone.

I have owned/demo'd almost every headphone between $100 and $6k. They all have a unique sound character. My personal favorite was McIntosh MHP1000. They used a custom driver built my Beyerdynamic and were closed back. They ticked off every box unfortunately they used leather ear pads and my ears would start to sweat.

I personally like the open back for a few reasons. One, I am a husband and a father and I need to hear my family if I am called. Two, I like how my ears stay cool during a long gaming session(if I'm lucky enough to get one.) And three, I can also use them to listen to music and I still get an open, spacious sound from them. But in the end it's a very personal choice on what works for you.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I personally like the open back for a few reasons. One, I am a husband and a father and I need to hear my family if I am called. Two, I like how my ears stay cool during a long gaming session(if I'm lucky enough to get one.) And three, I can also use them to listen to music and I still get an open, spacious sound from them. But in the end it's a very personal choice on what works for you.

Well that's true, it's all about personal preference indeed. I'm just saying sampling them physically is the only way to know how they compare.

To your points though..

1. For me, there's very little I need to hear that's an issue, as I'm single. Phone, loud enough to hear, doorbell or door knock, loud enough to hear. It's really just quieter sounds like my microwave beeps, watch alarm or such, and I can easily avoid wearing the phones during short cooking times or when I set my watch alarm (usually for laundry machines).

2. Yes, there have been a few times my ears sweat lightly, even with velour vs leather. It's usually only like a few days in summer that get over 90. I could easily have bought an air conditioner to deal with such things, but we really only get a few weeks of hot weather each summer, and only a few days over 90. It's just not worth it for the expense and space it takes up for only a few weeks of the year. I've also learned how to deal with heat better, and this summer there wasn't many hot days. I drink lots of water throughout the day, about 4 mugs of it 18 oz each. I also soak my feet in a tub of cold water for like 20 min on the few really hot days. Makes a huge difference. For those few really hot days it's easy enough and actually beneficial to take a break from gaming and do something else anyway.

3. I had some open back Sennheisers. For me they colored the sound too much for music. This is also why most DJs and sound engineers when working at a mixer use closed back phones, because they don't color the sound, you hear it as it's intended. There were a few movies though I used to prefer open back phones for, especially ones with a big sound stage like Star Wars titles, but in the end, I preferred closed for everything on sound quality. Reason being, the positional audio and frequencies are more accurate.

At the end of the day it's still personal preference, but I DO feel those preferences are best based on real world testing vs guessing.