Looking for best sound headphones

[Dean Coleridge1]

So right now I own a pair of HyperX Clouds but not a big fan of them :/. I don't need a mic because i am buying a standalone mic. Is there any headphones that would good for CSGO, Music and general gaming? I would like great sound for gaming and music. (Willing to buy an amp if needed for the headphones)

Currently i've been looking at

- Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X Audiophile Open-Air Headphones
-Sennheiser G4ME ZERO Professional Noise Blocking PC Gaming Headset (White)
-Sennheiser PC 350 Special Edition High Performance Gaming Headset
-Steel Series Siberia Elite Headset, Black
-SteelSeries Siberia V3 Gaming Headset-Black
-SteelSeries Siberia Raw Prism Gaming HeadsetSteelSeries Siberia Raw Prism Gaming Headset
-SteelSeries Siberia V2 Full-Size Gaming Headset with Built-In USB Sound Card (Frost Blue)

 

[ssddx]

budget?

also, if you're not needing a microphone - why are you looking at headsets? 6/7 products above are all gaming headsets. headphones will also have much better quality than most headsets you will buy.

the ad500x/700x/900x have wide soundstages with good positional audio. crisp treble and good mids however lack low end. they have mid bass but no low end bass which is why many people say they are bass less. this gives them good advantage in fps since you can hear footsteps easy however makes them not quite as fun to listen to for people expecting low-end rumble. the higher up the product chain you go the more bass the models tend to have, although it is still light overall.

what do you expect in the headphones?

do you want open design (for soundstage and positional audio) or closed design (for sound isolation and bass)? do you have large ears, glasses or a large head which may make comfort an issue? price range? what kind of sound profile do you want? (neutral, v-shaped, treble heavy, bass heavy)?

if you want neutral and laid back headphones, look at the hd518/558/598 or dt880
if you want advantage in games, look at ad500x/700x/900x
if you want closed and bass, look at dt770
if you want open, bright treble and good bass look at the dt990

those choices are in the $80-200 range (not counting amps or soundcards)

you might want a small amplifier or soundcard for the hd- cans. you definitely want a decent amp for the dt- cans though a powerful soundcard may work as well depending on model.

 

[Dean Coleridge1]

I was looking at the 700x but what's the different between the ad500x/700x/900x?

I'm looking for open design, No glasses or big head. Price range is up to $600 CND. I'm have seperate headphones for music.

 

[ssddx]

generally 500/700/900/1000/2000 as you go up the scale the sound gets a bit more refined. the 900 seems to have the most bass of them - working up from 500->900 increasing along the way but still are all very bass light headphones.

note: they are not bass-less. they have decent and punchy mid level bass but it doesnt extend very far down in frequency (they lack low level bass).

there are major differences to be heard between 500->900, not so much between 700->900. the 1000 is an improvement over the 900 in some ways though the 2000 is not much of an improvement over the 1000.

the 900x is said to be the most comfortable (at least according to one user who has tried the series).

they tend to be a bit on the bright (sharp treble) side however are not quite as bright as some other cans such as cans from AKG or beyerdynamic's dt990

generally going with the ad-series is good if you're looking for advantage in gaming due to no real sub-level bass and hearing footsteps easier than more bassy cans at the expense of the headphones being a bit less fun to listen to.

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a note: you can tone down bright cans a bit with a good warm amplifier. fiio's amps are cheap and will warm sound up a bit which makes them nice budget options for people who pick bright headphones. there are more expensive options of course.

bright headphones, or ones which have alot of detail can be fatiguing to some although the reverse is true.. slow easy listening headphones which are not fatiguing can be considered slow and boring to others. generally a person fits into one of the two crowds and it helps to know which you are.

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the akg cans are going to be similar to the ad-series but brighter with not quite as wide of a soundstage. still good choices for advantageous fps gaming.

 

[Dean Coleridge1]

What do you think of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Headphones?

 

[ssddx]

i have a pair of m50's myself (ath-m50s, the straight cable version) which is the headphone the m50x is based on (and nearly identical to other than removable cables and minor tweaks).

warm overtone, generally good sound quality, decent bass and clear but not sibilant highs, closed design is isolating.
small earcups are not comfortable for glasses or large ears, can get hot after long sessions and perhaps the biggest pitfall: very small soundstage.

overall i'm happy with them for music although the dt770 is superior in every way. given the small soundstage things will sound rather close and they do not have any real sense of spatial depth which makes them not so ideal for gaming. if you liked the m50x the dt770 would be a better choice given that it actually has a fair soundstage for being closed design.

open cans such as i recommended above are ideal for gaming, though if your specific circumstances require you to not get open cans there are of course some adequate options out there.