Headphones for Music/Gaming?

C

computergeek22

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
136
I'm looking for some new headphones to accomodate my new X-Fi XtremeMusic. I'm not an audiophile but I can tell the difference between compressed/uncompressed audio (most of the times at least ). Anyway I was looking for some good headphones in the price range of $100-150 (150 being the absolute MAX). Gaming isn't as important as music and I also am not looking for one of those which have a mic as well - just a plain old-fashioned set of headphones. Any suggestions? :cool:
 
Well I realize you said $150 max but I recommend the Sennheiser 595 as a great all around starter headphone. It is around $160 or so shipped on Ebay stores.

The Sennheiser 555s have been described as having "80% of the sound" of the 595s(I haven't heard them personally but many have said so) and they can be had for about $110

Both don't need an amp but sound better amped.

If you really want to get a good sound for cheap, the AKG 240s are great out of the box. Around $70-90 on Ebay. They sound good but you can do a simple mod that makes them sound fantastic. It takes all of 10 or 20 seconds. You just take the ear pads off, and there is a thick black pad sitting over the drivers. You just take off these pads, they aren't attached or glued. Put the ear pads back on and it REALLY opens them up.

I did this just a few days ago and I'm lovin' it. I can't believe how good they sound. Highly recommened :)
 
svperstar: the pad does protect the drivers from dust, hair and other miscellaneous nasties, apparently, so I'm not entirely sure removing it is a good idea in the long term...
 
AdamW said:
svperstar: the pad does protect the drivers from dust, hair and other miscellaneous nasties, apparently, so I'm not entirely sure removing it is a good idea in the long term...
Click to expand...

You can always put another material in there that isn't as thick as the original earpads. I think I've seen some people use pantyhose...
 
AdamW said:
svperstar: the pad does protect the drivers from dust, hair and other miscellaneous nasties, apparently, so I'm not entirely sure removing it is a good idea in the long term...
Click to expand...

If you saw the large plastic guard over top of the driver still you wouldn't be worried, I'm not.
 
I'm also in the market and was considering the Beyer DT770-Pros, any opinions on these? People have said that they have good bass, and I love me some bass, but not at the expense of sound quality. I'm pretty much right along with the OP, I'm no audiophile, but I know enough to hate the sound of cheap headphones. I listen to rock and game, but music quality is much more important.

Not trying to jack the thread or anything, just trying to elicit more options.
 
Crimson Tear said:
I'm also in the market and was considering the Beyer DT770-Pros, any opinions on these? People have said that they have good bass, and I love me some bass, but not at the expense of sound quality. I'm pretty much right along with the OP, I'm no audiophile, but I know enough to hate the sound of cheap headphones. I listen to rock and game, but music quality is much more important.

Not trying to jack the thread or anything, just trying to elicit more options.
Click to expand...

I have the dt770s (non-pro), I could rant for hours about how most people don't even know what bass is, and think it's just that loud muffled thump in the backgound. but this isn't head-fi so I won't.

The 770s are bass heavy, and some people don't like that and find it imbalanced, but it's not the bad type of bass that shit Subs pump out, it's the good kind, that's well defined and controlled, there's just a lot of it, and I don't think it impairs or overpowers the rest of the sound at all.

However ymmv, and you should really try to audition them properly first, it's too much money to be stuck with something you don't like.

To deftly take it straight back on topic, with an amp I found them to be really, really good for gaming, but when I was forced to choose, I left my beyers behind in favour of my HD280s.

To be fair though, that was mainly because the Senns took up less space, and if space/weight hadn't been a consideration I would have taken the beyers and amp.
 
Well, the HD280's are a bit cheaper, which is definately a bonus. I won't be using an amp, and based on your post the DT770's need one, so maybe I should go with the Sennheisers. Is there somewhere I can test these headphones out? I don't think anyone I know has them.

Added: What is the difference between the HD280 and the HD280 Pro's?
 
Ah thanks, I guess I should have looked it up before I asked. Sorry about that.

Edit: It appears there is some kind of difference between the HD280 Silvers and the Pro's, though it appears to only be aesthetic.
 
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