Need new headphones, 75/25% music/gaming

[Cptn Vortex]

Yea the AV40's sound amazing. And there is a substantial amount of low end as well. I was pleasantly surprised.

[MpG]

Since I was the one who started this thread, I should probably drop a note here for posterity: the Senn 350's are bloody AMAZING. Very, very, very, impressed with them.

Needed a few subtle tweaks to get the sound where I wanted it, but everything's great now. Saw a few comments by people saying that you needed an extra amp to push these phones (150ohm), but my Auzen card doesn't seem to have much trouble at all.

[joeperson]

Just to through them out there Steelseries 5H V.2. Super comfy, audiophiles can speak to the audio quality (or lack there of) for me. I likes em though.

[encorp]

Originally Posted by Cptn Vortex

I got a $200 pair of AKG's and they are orgasmic. I honestly had to download better quality music to match the quality of the headphones.....its ridiculous. Kinda expensive, but you get 2 types of ear cusions, as well as 2 cables. 1 9ft straight, and a coiled Cable. The Coiled is awesome for computer use because you dont run it over with your chair! K 171 MK II

This.


AKG and non prosumer Sennies are your best bet. Studio quality all the way for proper representation!

[S_G]

Eh, not a big fan of the PC350s. I feel that it's basically a lower-end set, except with a mic slapped on and "GAMER!!!" in the sales pitch. The same amount of money could be put towards a far superior set of phones, and then you can get one of those attachable mics separately.

Like I suggest to most people requesting sub-$150 closed headphones for music and gaming: HD 280 Pro. They're about $70-80. They need a lot of time to truly open up, and some minor EQ work, but they are fantastic. I haven't tried a headphone that blocks out noise as well as this set without sacrificing sound quality. Note that moving from a generic headset like you had to this is a huge leap. Even some audiophiles don't like the 280's sound, they've got a very raw, studio-like sound in my opinion (which I happen to like). The soundstage is also excellent, which is why I use them to game as well.

You might also be able to score an Audio-Technica ATH-A700 set. It's infinitely more comfortable for extended wear, has a better bass response, but it doesn't isolate as well as the 280s (this isn't really a con, nothing isolates that well; they're like vice grips on your skull). The soundstage is roughly the same, maybe a bit better. These'll run you about $110-130.

Edit: Oh, I see some Beyer DT770s on Amazon for $120. It's a shame they don't ship to Canada.

[Empty_Quarter]

I concur with above suggestion. The Audio-Technica ATH-A700 is an amazing set for the money. Those DT770s are going for an awesome price as well.

[lowfat]

Originally Posted by Inikurmoma

Please give me a feedback lowfat, I'm interested in the product. I'm thinking about changing my headset :P

I received my Q40's tonight. Tried them connected to my MacBook's Pro's onboard sound, my Creative X-Fi Titanium, my iPod, as well as an Onkyo TX-SR606 receiver. These headphones definitely don't require an amp. Even on my iPod it was enough to give me a headache instantaneously

Actually besides the onboard sound the worst place is sounded was on the receiver. I guess the opamp used in it must be pretty lousy as it had tons of noise. It sounded absolutely superb on my X-Fi.

[Nodscene]

Wow, not one mention of Grado headphones. I'm kinda surprised. Well, I guess there is the fact that he prefers closed headphone with a built in mic......but that won't stop me from recommending them anyways :) I've done a few listening tests at Bay Bloor Radio and compared them to Senns, Bose, and AKG's and in my opinion there is nothing that comes close to the quality of sound even when you are talking 3-4 times the price range of even the Grado SR80's (which I have. I believe they are around $120 or so). They may lack a little in the bottom end compared to Bose especially but I wouldn't trade my SR80's for anything other than another set of Grado's.

[S_G]

Originally Posted by Nodscene

They may lack a little in the bottom end compared to Bose especially

[Moneyless]

Lol, he said Bose.

I recently got a pair of Senn HD-555's with one of those cheapo Zalman mics (hey it's cheap and it works good, what more could you ask for?) and I think they sound great. My next upgrade though should difinitely be a sound card, because I am still stuck on this stupid off-board, on-board audio (The ASUS Supreme-FX II thing).

The Audio-Technica ATH-A700s and Beyer Dynamic DT770s are also great headphones for the price.