[Wildewinds]

I've had my Sennheiser HD 580's for years and years now. They're great, but I'm a bass head and I want some more bass. I wear these things all the time, so I need whatever I get to be just as comfortable.
 
Right now I run them off a Creek OBH-11 amp.
 
I use them for: 70% gaming, 20% music, 10% movies.
 
What would be a good upgrade under $250?

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Ultrasone HFI 2400
Beyer DT990 PRO
 
Very best,

 

[bowei006]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-updated-11-12-12-sennheiser-hd650-added
 
 
 

B: $150-$300

AKG K701 (K702)
AKG Q701
Beyerdynamic DT770 (Premium)
Beyerdynamic DT770 (Pro 80 ohm)
Beyerdynamic DT880 (Premium)
Beyerdynamic DT990 (Premium)
Sennheiser HD598
Sennheiser PC360 (*headset*)
Tritton AX Pro (true 5.1 *headset*)

 
 

MY TOP CHOICES (for quick reference)


Competitive:

K701
Q701
HD598
PC360
AD700
Pro 2900
DT990
D7000
HE-400

 
The Q/K701 are not bassy so please omit that one. It is his favorite gaming headphone. Mine as well, granted I haven't heard as many known headphones as he has.
 
The Beyer Pro 770 is quite bassy and comfortable though
 
 
 

Beyerdynamic DT770 (Pro 80 ohm)



Sells for $180-200.

This is a heavy hitter. Very impressive for non-competitive gaming, especially if you wanna feel like you're in a movie theater. The bass is considerably super powered, and would make this a bad choice for competitive gaming. However, the soundstage depth and width is surprisingly large for a closed headphone. These also have the VERY best sense of distance when positioning sounds that I have heard. Nothing has toppled this headphone when it comes to that. Not the AD700, K701, or HD598. Too bad it's too wild in bass for hardcore FPS gaming. The finer details are pretty much sucked out because of the bass.

Like the other Beyers on this guide, they require amping to truly bring out their sound quality.

Fun: 9/10

Competitive: 6/10 (positional accuracy is the very best, but the bloated bass makes it hard to pick up details, so it hurts it quite a bit.)

Comfort: 8.5/10

 
 

Beyerdynamic DT880 (Premium)



Sells for around $250-300, though prices vary wildly by ohm version and depending on the day.

Fantastic. Absolutely. Comfortable, durable, and prestigious. Best balanced signature I have heard. If you want a gaming headphone based off sound alone, the DT880 is that headphone. It's so good, the sound works well in both hardcore gaming, and when just enjoying a game. The bass is quick, unobtrusive, but can get deep when the game calls for it (for example: Mass Effect 2, when you warp from one place to another, there is a low end rumble that sounds pretty **** epic on the DT880. Lovely. They do have one possibly major drawback. Think of yourself being in the center of a clock. Sounds with Dolby Headphone pretty much come from any direction relative to the clock.

The DT880s had a problem accurately depicting sounds that come from between 5 o clock to 7 o clock. Pretty much everything behind you. It actually sounds closer to the center, as opposed to sounding like it's actually behind you. With practice you can LEARN the distinct signature a rear sound makes with the 880s, but it will take you a split second to register that it's coming from behind you. That split second is enough to get you killed in an FPS game. Trust me. This is an issue with all models of the Premium DT880s, as I have compared with a few of my AVS friends who have owned different versions. They all came with the same conclusion. Some others don't experience this problem, but they also don't have the experience I have with headphones that DO have a much better sense of rear sound pinpointing (like say the 770 Pro 80s or K701).

If FPS gaming isn't a priority, don't skip these. They are ABSOLUTELY wonderful for gaming.

Comfort-wise, they can be a hit or miss. One, the padding is pretty much the best I've felt on ANY headphone, ever. I love velour. The miss part is that the space for your ears to fit in isn't big and your ears will press against the padding protecting the drivers. It can be quite uncomfortable for some people. It didn't bother me, but I had another issue. The design has it where the pads will rest on my jaw, causing some pretty significant discomfort after a period of time. Hit or miss, really.

Like the other Beyers, they require amping to truly bring out their sound quality.

Fun: 8/10

Competitive: 6.5/10

Comfort: 8.5/10

Before anyone asks about the DT880's competitive score going from an 8 to a 6.5, I had to directly compare the score to the HE-4 (again, this is a SPECIAL case... for everything else, scores should NOT be compared), as I felt they were very similar, though the HE-4 is slightly better for competitive use due to better positioning. That, and it just felt odd to give them an 8 for competitive when I've been quite vocal on their issues with rear sound placement.

update: This listing is for the Premiums. I'd like to try the DT880 Pro 250ohm, as the slight difference in fit may give it enough of a difference both positioning and bass. I also want to mention that like all the Beyers on this guide, they require amping. Don't bother if you don't have a decent amp for them.

 

[Wildewinds]

I see the DT 770's come in 80ohm and 250ohm... any reason to get one over the other running it off the amp I use (Creek OBH-11)?

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

I see the DT 770's come in 80ohm and 250ohm... any reason to get one over the other running it off the amp I use (Creek OBH-11)?

I heard the 80 ohm of the DT770, not the 250 ohm. Most say that the 250 ohm is smoother? Don't know about that as I haven't heard it but if you have an amp, I guess talk to some that have had both or read up on it.