Best gaming and audio headphones

[Sohaltang]

Was playing w beats by dre Mixr at frys tonight. 249$ and they were crisp and LOUD. Have HD audio on my PC but would also use them with my note 2. From reviews it seems these are over priced. What would one suggest from 50-250$?

 

[jaqie]

If you want something that is even better audio quality.... check here.
http://www.head-fi.org/products/category/headphones
There are consumer headphones, then there are these wannabe pretender audiophile headphones like you listened to, and then there is the real stuff.

I personally have the sennheiser HD-205 II and adore them!
http://www.head-fi.org/products/sennheiser-hd-205-ii

Also check out the grado SR-60
http://www.head-fi.org/products/grado-sr60i-headphones

Be forewarned that any real headphones like these will show the flaws in your source media and/or sound card... they produce such crisp, clear, large sound stage sound that you can hear everything, even the noise and flaws that you previously could not hear.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Sennheiser PC 363D

 

[Sohaltang]

Thanks for the replies. My asrock extreme has "7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC898 Audio Codec)". Will these be ok with either of the above mentioned headphones?

 

[jaqie]

it will be ok, but it will be suboptimal.

My motherboard is the gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 which has the realtek 889, dolby home theater software, and it was specially designed to have a 108dB snr, meaning that the audio chip and motherboard routing was placed away from other components and thought was put into the audio characteristics when designing the motherboard, which is rare among motherboard built in audio.

And it still lets me hear the noise floor and some interference.

So I got a used m-audio delta 2496, and things sound much better. In order to hear the full dynamics I would have either had to get/build a CMOY amp or the like, or do what I did - I am using a full home theatre amp to drive the headphones (and also some speakers when I am not using the headphones)... kenwood KM-208. old school but I love it and the audio quality is magnificent.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

As Jaqie said, internal computer audio tends to be bad, even the ones designed with audio in mind. The inside of a computer chassis is loaded with EMI and its pretty much impossible to make a completely quiet audio solution in the motherboard. Cards are a much better step up and you can also go completely external.

If you want to step up the quietness of your sound solution without breaking the bank too much, look into a FiiO E17 DAC / AMP combo. It's pretty darn good for what it is (better than most internal cards I've used) and since its Chinese, its cheap!

 

[Eruditass]

It really depends on how you're going to be using them. Do you need isolation? Portability?

Check out Head-Fi's Gaming Headphone Guide, though I don't believe anything in here is portable.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad...ming-guide-updated-4-30-13-koss-esp-950-added

 

[hans030390]

I'd suggest the ATH-M50 at that price range. They're closed, portable, sturdy, don't require high-end audio gear behind them, and most of all sound good (think fairly neutral but with a touch more bass and treble). I think they cost around $130 ($150 tops), and they're tough to beat for what they are. It's a truly well-rounded headphone. Many other high-end headphones you might look at will more likely need a decent, dedicated headphone amp. When I had the M50, it would work nicely with about anything but did scale with nicer equipment.

I personally can't recommend any Grado headphones or variants of such. They're all tuned to sound very similarly, in that they have rolled off bass but a mid/upper bass boost to make them sound "thicker" than they actually are. They also have very exaggerated, peaky upper mids and treble. On top of that, their harmonic distortion leaves a bit to be desired.

I can see why people would like them, but I much prefer neutral sounding headphones and, as such, base my recommendations on that. I don't really buy into different sound signatures being better for different situations, but I do believe people should follow their personal preferences.

 

[Sohaltang]

How is the hd428? I can't seem to find the grado's local.

 

[sdifox]

Plantronics have very good sound in games.

You signed up just to push Plantronics? Not even specific model...

Op are you willing to carry around a headphone amp or are you depending solely on phone output?

I like the Beyerdynamic DT-770 80ohm I got when it was on at hot deals a few years back. It would benefit from an amp, but are still decent without one. Very comfortable cans even for glass wearer like myself.

The ear pads and cord are field replaceable.

Here is a review

http://kenrockwell.com/audio/beyer/dt-770.htm

The T70p would serve you better but it is out of your range.

 

[vbuggy]

I'd suggest the ATH-M50 at that price range. They're closed, portable, sturdy, don't require high-end audio gear behind them, and most of all sound good (think fairly neutral but with a touch more bass and treble). I think they cost around $130 ($150 tops), and they're tough to beat for what they are. It's a truly well-rounded headphone. Many other high-end headphones you might look at will more likely need a decent, dedicated headphone amp. When I had the M50, it would work nicely with about anything but did scale with nicer equipment.

I personally can't recommend any Grado headphones or variants of such. They're all tuned to sound very similarly, in that they have rolled off bass but a mid/upper bass boost to make them sound "thicker" than they actually are. They also have very exaggerated, peaky upper mids and treble. On top of that, their harmonic distortion leaves a bit to be desired.

I can see why people would like them, but I much prefer neutral sounding headphones and, as such, base my recommendations on that. I don't really buy into different sound signatures being better for different situations, but I do believe people should follow their personal preferences.

There's a better way to describe Grados:

Beats for the self-proclaimed audiophile :whiste:

I second the DT 770 suggestion if you're gaming with'em with the occasional bit of music directly from your desktop.

The problem with mobo audio is that while some (even without fancy branding) can be decent, a limited number can suck, and it's impossible to tell which is which (ironically but predictably, the 'made for media' Macs are among the worst for this). But my advice would be to try it first and if you notice odd white noise, zzzts, etc then you can always add an external soundcard.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

I interpreted the OP to mean he wanted headsets. If you don't want a headset, and you want to lean towards the bassier side of the spectrum (I'm assuming since you were digging the Mixr), my recommendation would also lean towards the ATH-M50. Great bass-focused can for the price that doesn't need amped to shine

 

[Oyeve]

Don't get Grados. I really am dumbfounded why those cans are so popular and expensive. Its cheap plastic and cheap foam and cheap speakers. You'll get the same sound quality going to radio shack, buying 2 cheap speakers and duct taping them to your head. And yes, I used to own several pairs (all of which were returned) and do consider myself an audiophile on a budget. I also dig the ATH-M50 myself.

 

[d4a2n0k]

Sony MDR7506. Great bass and reasonable price. Hell, its what a lot of studios use....

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Oyeve]

Sony MDR7506. Great bass and reasonable price. Hell, its what a lot of studios use....

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I still have my v6 from 85.

 

[vbuggy]

Sony MDR7506. Great bass and reasonable price. Hell, its what a lot of studios use....

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's still comparatively decent, but other phones only slightly more expensive considerably outclass it. There's a particular roughness to the sound which isn't really suitable for a ~$100-class phone anymore. What it wins on is build quality for roadability, but would one guy subject it to the kind of abuse a studio phone gets, is the other question.

 

[d4a2n0k]

It's still comparatively decent, but other phones only slightly more expensive considerably outclass it. There's a particular roughness to the sound which isn't really suitable for a ~$100-class phone anymore. What it wins on is build quality for roadability, but would one guy subject it to the kind of abuse a studio phone gets, is the other question.

Agreed but I recommended them because it sounds like he was liking the Dr Dre Beats cans. These offer a very similar sound for less than half the price, without the "Monster Cable" like markup.

 

[hans030390]

How is the hd428? I can't seem to find the grado's local.

I would skip that and go for the HD429, HD439, or HD449. I had a pair of the HD429s, and they were surprisingly nice budget headphones. Their major downside was build quality and a thin cable. I'm not sure if the HD439 or HD449 improve on that, but measurements show they all sound very similar (if not close to identical) across the board.

 

[Sohaltang]

I'd suggest the ATH-M50 at that price range. They're closed, portable, sturdy, don't require high-end audio gear behind them, and most of all sound good (think fairly neutral but with a touch more bass and treble). I think they cost around $130 ($150 tops), and they're tough to beat for what they are. It's a truly well-rounded headphone. Many other high-end headphones you might look at will more likely need a decent, dedicated headphone amp. When I had the M50, it would work nicely with about anything but did scale with nicer equipment.

Was out shopping for several hours today. Was looking for these and eded up with ath-w55s. Selection was kinda sketchy at microcenter and frys. They sound good on my note2, better on my pc cranked all the way up. Could be louder. I guess we need to look into a amp. Or return them and order the m50? Not sure of the difference. The are not as loud as beats but sound good for 80$

 

[thecoolnessrune]

WS55 and M50 are completely different headphones. One is on ear, one is over ear, one is designed to be really portable, the other is designed around being a studio headphone.

The WS55's are regarded as more bass heavy, muddier and darker compared to the M50s, which sacrifice a bit of bass emphasis in pursuit of being a bit more accurate.

 

[Sohaltang]

Im really liking these but my left ear turns purple! Portability means nothing to me really. I need big sound and something that dont hurt. Might order the m50 and see if they are better. Many reviews say these ws55 sound better than the m50. Sucks cause I would be happy if they would did not hurt so bad.

 

[vbuggy]

If portability means nothing you might be better off with something fully circumaural open ones like the $100 ATH-AD700. They're rose-ish purple tho

 

[Sohaltang]

If portability means nothing you might be better off with something fully circumaural open ones like the $100 ATH-AD700. They're rose-ish purple tho

Dont care about color. How is the bass?

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Dont care about color. How is the bass?

If you want more bass still you should be looking at the Sony XB's, the old series, not the new ones. The XB700's are $200 now and have some of the loudest, in-your-face bass you can get on a headphone. It does so while definitely not being the cleanest of headphones in the mid and upper ranges, but definitely offers bass you can hear.. alot.

 

[jaqie]

Just to clarify above, I have never heard nor used grado headphones, only sennheiser and others, I only said they are worth looking at in my original post in this thread. I recommended them as worth a look based on many others saying the SR60 alone was good for the money.

I personally much prefer the sound of sennheiser to everything else I have heard, so I stick with them.