Help me pick the best headphones for gaming and an upgrade from my ATH-700A's

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song414

Limp Gawd
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Jan 7, 2006
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Hello all,

I am looking for an upgrade from my current audio technica ATH-700A headphone. While they've been some great headphones I am ready to go into the next level of audio fidelity. I am looking for a competitive edge in games. I currently own a soundblaster Z soundcard and plan on using that with the headphones.

A microphone is ideally not preferred as I am using the standalone one included in the Z soundcard that is more than adequate.

My budget is ~$250 and I am willing to wait for a good deal if need be so dont be afraid to list a more expensive set of cans.

Awaiting some good suggestions!
 
The direct upgrade from the A700s is the AKGs and you can pick your flavor between the K701, K702 and Q701. Both K-series are still extremely flat like the A700s while the Q701 has a slight mid-bass hump that makes them more listenable but they're still extremely neutral compared to almost any headphone. All three headphones share the large soundstage you will likely have come to love with the A700s as well.

You may require a small amount of amplification to get the most out of them though because despite their low impedance they need more power to properly damp the drivers. This shouldn't necessarily scare you away though because they will still do very well off of the Z if you don't want to or can't afford a separate amp.

If you want a different sound signature you'll get a different set of suggestions but the AKGs are pretty much it, period, for a direct upgrade from the very neutral, big-soundstaged ATH-A700s.

P.S. You should look at the DT-880s as well but really only for comparison's sake. The AKGs are more neutral with a bigger soundstage.


**EDIT** Just realized A700 isn't the AD700. Are you looking to upgrade from the A700 which is the closed headphone or the AD700 which is open? I dearly love the A700s but that would be a completely different list of headphones to upgrade from directly.

If you do have the closed A700s, and not the AD700s, you're going to be hoping to find a good price on used Denon D2000s which shouldn't be too hard if you cruise Head-Fi at all or eBay from time to time. The DT770s from Beyerdynamic are also a good choice because they have a gigantic soundstage but the bass can be very overpowering and will bleed into the midrange at times. The AKG K550 is probably also something that should be on your radar but I haven't yet had the chance to try it personally so I can't say.
 
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For gaming, you'll want open-back headphones for the best positioning accuracy. They don't have as much bass extension and they leak more noise to the surrounding, but they are the clearest with the largest soundstage.

If you want a kickass set of headphone reviews scored on their gaming soundstage and fun, check this out.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad...aming-guide-updated-9-2-2013-sony-ma900-added

Here's part of what he has to say about the AKG 701s:

"Competitve: 10/10 (Basically Perfection. The meaning of God-mode is strong with this one. If you want a headphone to pick apart details from everything arround you, this one is pretty hard to pass up.)"
 
ZMX said:
For gaming, you'll want open-back headphones for the best positioning accuracy. They don't have as much bass extension and they leak more noise to the surrounding, but they are the clearest with the largest soundstage.

If you want a kickass set of headphone reviews scored on their gaming soundstage and fun, check this out.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad...aming-guide-updated-9-2-2013-sony-ma900-added

Here's part of what he has to say about the AKG 701s:

"Competitve: 10/10 (Basically Perfection. The meaning of God-mode is strong with this one. If you want a headphone to pick apart details from everything arround you, this one is pretty hard to pass up.)"
Click to expand...

I don't mind the sound leaking out too much if it means better sound quality. Yes I do have the closed version which sound nice for what they are.

I will look into the AKG 701s although they seem hard to find other than amazon and being sold by a third party vendor and in white (do they come in black?)

Also I am not too keen on what a soundstage is. Can you explain please? I am new to audiophile terms.
 
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701s do not have much bass impact. that is why you can hear all of the details. if you want good detail and bass impact, get the senn 558 or 598.
 
I went from ATH-AD700s to Sennheiser HD 600s a few years ago. FWIW, I really like the HD 600s, they are a great set of cans (although they might be out of your price range I think, unless you find a superb deal or buy a pair used...).

Otherwise the Beyerdynamic DT-990 Premium can regularly be found around ~$250 (normally $330-350), and they are supposed to be quite good as well. They come in 32, 250, and 600 Ohm models, so if you're just using your soundcard, you could go with either the 32 of 250 Ohm version so you don't need an amp (as you would with the 600 Ohm). Otherwise, going back to Sennheiser, the HD 598 are also good (if you can find them on sale, since at their regular price they are a bit overpriced IMO).
 
I ended up going with the Q701's.

Will be here Tuesday from amazon. The HD 600 is a bit more pricey and reviews are mixed between which one is better. BTW my soundcard has a built in headphone amp to drive the Q701 and I believe it is enough to handle it. On my ATH-700 I have to limit the volume to ~12% since it seems like a powerful amp.
 
song414 said:
I ended up going with the Q701's.

Will be here Tuesday from amazon. The HD 600 is a bit more pricey and reviews are mixed between which one is better. BTW my soundcard has a built in headphone amp to drive the Q701 and I believe it is enough to handle it. On my ATH-700 I have to limit the volume to ~12% since it seems like a powerful amp.
Click to expand...

The built in amp will drive it but they will sound better with an external amp. AKG 701 "wakes up" with more power. So the good news is, while it will sound amazing, it can get better still.
 
song414 said:
I ended up going with the Q701's.

Will be here Tuesday from amazon. The HD 600 is a bit more pricey and reviews are mixed between which one is better. BTW my soundcard has a built in headphone amp to drive the Q701 and I believe it is enough to handle it. On my ATH-700 I have to limit the volume to ~12% since it seems like a powerful amp.
Click to expand...

Those are a good deal, for $220. I had also looked at the K701s before getting my HD 600s. :)
 
song414 said:
I ended up going with the Q701's.

Will be here Tuesday from amazon. The HD 600 is a bit more pricey and reviews are mixed between which one is better. BTW my soundcard has a built in headphone amp to drive the Q701 and I believe it is enough to handle it. On my ATH-700 I have to limit the volume to ~12% since it seems like a powerful amp.
Click to expand...

spaceman said:
The built in amp will drive it but they will sound better with an external amp. AKG 701 "wakes up" with more power. So the good news is, while it will sound amazing, it can get better still.
Click to expand...

What spaceman said, the soundcard you have can certainly drive them but that's not the whole story. If you have a chance to put a decent amp in-line between your soundcard and the Q701s take it and you might be surprised at what you hear. The power isn't about driving the headphones louder it's about driving them more accurately.
 
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