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A900 or HD580?

mcravenufo

mcravenufo

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After doing some research, I find that I am stuck between these two.
I will be using them only for long periods of gaming.

I'm going to be getting an X-Fi sound card. If I need an amp I am ok with that but I don't want to get one right away.
 
For lan parties, the ATH-A900 gets the nod. They are closed, so they bring the sound in to you better than the HD580s

However, if this is for an apartment, dorm, home... I prefer the sound of the HD580s. However at an event, the attribute of open cans plays a part. Since the HD580s are open, the audio bleed from outer sources severly effects your ability to pinpoint things in game.

A good compromise is the Beyer Dynamics DT990. Think of it as mario from nintendo. In everything it does it is right inbetween these 2.
 
Mister X:
Thanks for the link to jr.com. If I decide to get the HD580s I will get them there.

Treyshadow:
I haven't read much about the Beyerdynamic's. I will look into your suggestion as I am open to suggestions and I am in no rush to buy.
 
Agreed with the comments about openness/closedness.

I have to note that I've been listening to my A900s a lot more than my HD580s lately. That may be because I've been listening to a lot of newer musicals lately (Wicked, RENT, Avenue Q, etc) and I find that the A900s, if perhaps a touch less accurate, are more fun.
 
I have the Sennheiser 590's I can tell you that there very comfortable and good for long periods of gaming. Only thing is that the cord seems to wear out every 6 to 9 months and has to be replaced. I dont know if its the same with the 580's.
 
i bought used hd-590's years ago. used them up till 2 weeks ago when i got a900's.

the hd-590's are still in flawless condition. just had to pluck hair out of the drivers every now and then to prevent major distortion.

a900's are pwning them for isolation but have the sameish sound.
 
Love my a900's, they have a nice soundstage for gaming, and go very deep for bass also. I posted a review here a while ago if you search.
 
i saw beyerdynamic mentioned. i've heard these:
- dt770 pro (closed) 80 ohm version at guitar center - heard on bad equipment that couldn't push the headphones but they are similar to 990's.
- dt880 (semi-open) 250 ohm - awesome soundstage with very neutral presentation. poor recordings are extremely noticeable/great for jazz/lacks bass and oomph for older rock recordings. very nice tight neutral bass. great mids and high's, too. great for voices.
-dt990 pro (open) 250 ohm - these i own. best for rockin' out of these 3 imo. great bass for techno, rock, movies, and gaming. kind of like the 880's with a sub. they just keep sounding better. they leak alot being an open headphone as do the 880's.

if you don't get an amp - ath900's. i have the ath500's and they are good unamped but the low impedence buzzes badly on my amp - not sure what to blame, the amp or cans. just a bad combo.

btw: the cords are well made. what's going on with the senns cord going out. i keep hearing more of this. y'all breakdancing with your cans on?
 
I've found the HD580s to have a very...sterile? sort of sound. It's extremely lifeless, not much life in there. So hard to explain!
The ATH-A900 are excellent. Some of the best open cans that I've listened to for music. Not so great for gaming, but decent. ATH-A500 are also a slightly cut-down version of these, not as good with music, same high-level positioning and bass response as the A900s, though, so it's a good bang-for-buck set. Easy to drive.

Also agree with TreyShadow. The DT990 from Beyer are an excellent compromise between great sound and excellet positioning. Can get sloppy and undefined in classical and jazz, I've noticed, but apart from that, extremely good.

The DT440 from Beyer are also excellent. Close to the DT990 in sound quality, perfect for gaming, excellent response, and easier to drive. Not quite as comfortable, but still worn easily for long periods. They're also almost half the price of the DT990, and that's always a plus.

The DT880 are the top model from BD. Absolutely perfect, but probably not worth their premium, IMO. Gaming is excellent, great positioning. Extremely comfortable, looks good, doesn't clamp too tight. Excellent recordings on these are just...marvellous. As close to perfect as I've ever heard in just about all types of music. Downside - hard to drive. 250Ohms means a decent amp is a must.

If music is your thing, and you're not huge on gaming, get a pair of Grados. I've tried Alessandro MS-2s (a tweaked version of Grado cans), and they were simply brilliant. Better than the DT880s, best sound I've ever heard, IMO. Suck ass so hard at gaming, though :p. The Grado 325i are supposed to be a step up from even these, but those I haven't tried.

As always, a good quality amp is reccommended for signal clearup and a stronger drive.
 
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