Audio Technica ATH-M40x or Audio Technica WS1100iS for gaming

[RiGGz]

First and foremost, if anyone follows or has seen any of the past posts I made, then you would know that I have a very difficult time trying to pick between two or more certain things.

Whether it has to deal with peripherals or anything else I just can never really decide until it comes down to when I have enough money to spend on either. This mainly happens to me because I see reviews on products that say one thing, then I see another review say another thing, and it just keeps going from there.

Nonetheless, it has come down to me deciding between these two pairs of headphones. Either the ATH-M40x (which has been recommended a lot in a past post) or the WS1100iS from Audio Technica (which a well-known reviewer highly recommends for this purpose and I'll link his video at the bottom of this post). Both of these fit nicely under my budget and I'd be happy with either of them.

But what I want to know is: Which one of these do you guys think are better? Which one of these would I be getting my money worth for?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMHm80DZRFE

TL;DR
Deciding between these two headphones for gaming. Which one of the two are better and which one would I be getting my money worth?

[Mossy Snake]

I actually had a pair of MH40X's for a few years

They were pretty great. I can recommend them.

[RiGGz]

Originally posted by MossyRathalos:

I actually had a pair of MH40X's for a few years

They were pretty great. I can recommend them.

Just a few questions if you don't mind:
What kind of games did you play while using them?
How was the bass response on them, was it punchy or boomy?
What ever happened to them?

[Mossy Snake]

Originally posted by M_RiGGz:

Originally posted by MossyRathalos:

I actually had a pair of MH40X's for a few years

They were pretty great. I can recommend them.

Just a few questions if you don't mind:
What kind of games did you play while using them?
How was the bass response on them, was it punchy or boomy?
What ever happened to them?

1. TF2, Overwatch, FFXV, etc
2. I'd say more punchy
3. I bent the jack like a fool, causing them to make loud buzzing noises and pop out of my devices every few minutes.

It's not a fault with the headphones themselves. I was just an idiot.

[RiGGz]

Originally posted by MossyRathalos:

1. TF2, Overwatch, FFXV, etc
2. I'd say more punchy
3. I bent the jack like a fool, causing them to make loud buzzing noises and pop out of my devices every few minutes.

It's not a fault with the headphones themselves. I was just an idiot.

Lol ok. And as for the kind of games you played, would you say you benefited from using them? Like did you hear footsteps better? Did you hear gunshots better? Stuff like that?

[x]

I went from a pair of Razer Kraken 7.1s to ATH M40Xs and they were 100x better in sound quality. Since they're classed as "studio headphones" you tend to hear things better since its higher quality and produce noises that cheap gaming headphones wont produce. So you'll probably end up hearing footsteps and gunshots far easier. Although my M40Xs broke due to me accidentally snapping them (long story, not the headphones fault) and i bought a pair of M50XGM instead which are larger, have more bass but the m40x have better mids

[RiGGz]

Originally posted by choomy my chimmy:

I went from a pair of Razer Kraken 7.1s to ATH M40Xs and they were 100x better in sound quality. Since they're classed as "studio headphones" you tend to hear things better since its higher quality and produce noises that cheap gaming headphones wont produce. So you'll probably end up hearing footsteps and gunshots far easier. Although my M40Xs broke due to me accidentally snapping them (long story, not the headphones fault) and i bought a pair of M50XGM instead which are larger, have more bass but the m40x have better mids

Nice to hear some more input and feedback, I appreciate that.

I see a lot of people recommend the M40x over the M50x, but I still see some well-known youtubers and streamers still using the M50x. Would you know what the major differences are between both pairs by any chance?

[Talby]

I remember that post, was seriously considering getting the WS1100iS for myself after watching this comparison between the M50x and the WS1100iS, however it led me to more research on budget basshead cans and I wound up getting the JVC HA-RX700 which is a modders dream, has great bass response with a flat curve that is not found on any other set in that price range - anything outside that is off topic so back to your dilemma...

If the focus is gaming (and perhaps movies), that comparison lays it out pretty well - the M40x/M50x are different - they are studio monitors with focus on music production, have proprietary cables, less boomy bass, and have excellent isolation. WS1100iS, much better bass for explosions (practically made for gaming, movies and basshead music), accepts standard cabling and may even fit the Vmoda boompro if you wish to make an excellent diy headset. I suspect the Bass Venting system will give you less isolation and a wider sound stage as my JVCs do (IMO the wider sound stage gives virtual surround much more depth and directional awareness) but have not confirmed that fact.

TL;DR if your focus is gaming, WS1100iS hands down.

[Arya]

Originally posted by M_RiGGz:

Lol ok. And as for the kind of games you played, would you say you benefited from using them? Like did you hear footsteps better? Did you hear gunshots better? Stuff like that?

There's no point buying a headset in the hopes of getting a sensory advantage from them. Some brands will actually advertise that, but there's really no difference. Not enough to be decisive.

The difference between high-end headsets like this and a cheap gaming headset is audio quality. Everything will sound clearer, sharper, better. Especially music. They won't give you RADAR hearing.

[It's Chase]

The M40xs are awesome.

[RiGGz]

Originally posted by Wolfey ☭:

Originally posted by M_RiGGz:

Lol ok. And as for the kind of games you played, would you say you benefited from using them? Like did you hear footsteps better? Did you hear gunshots better? Stuff like that?

There's no point buying a headset in the hopes of getting a sensory advantage from them. Some brands will actually advertise that, but there's really no difference. Not enough to be decisive.

The difference between high-end headsets like this and a cheap gaming headset is audio quality. Everything will sound clearer, sharper, better. Especially music. They won't give you RADAR hearing.

Well yeah I know that but I was basically saying if he got an advantage of hearing these kinds of sounds over using a gaming headset.

Originally posted by Talby:

I remember that post, was seriously considering getting the WS1100iS for myself after watching this comparison between the M50x and the WS1100iS, however it led me to more research on budget basshead cans and I wound up getting the JVC HA-RX700 which is a modders dream, has great bass response with a flat curve that is not found on any other set in that price range - anything outside that is off topic so back to your dilemma...

If the focus is gaming (and perhaps movies), that comparison lays it out pretty well - the M40x/M50x are different - they are studio monitors with focus on music production, have proprietary cables, less boomy bass, and have excellent isolation. WS1100iS, much better bass for explosions (practically made for gaming, movies and basshead music), accepts standard cabling and may even fit the Vmoda boompro if you wish to make an excellent diy headset. I suspect the Bass Venting system will give you less isolation and a wider sound stage as my JVCs do (IMO the wider sound stage gives virtual surround much more depth and directional awareness) but have not confirmed that fact.

TL;DR if your focus is gaming, WS1100iS hands down.

Thanks.

[Arya]

Originally posted by M_RiGGz:

Well yeah I know that but I was basically saying if he got an advantage of hearing these kinds of sounds over using a gaming headset.

You won't get an advantage. They'll sound better, but they won't stand out more clearly. Unless the previous headset you had was really terrible.

I'm running an $800 audio setup and while the sound quality is utterly glorious, it doesn't improve my situational awareness. Where I really notice the effect is in racing games, and games with an emphasis on music.

[Talby]

Originally posted by Wolfey ☭:

Originally posted by M_RiGGz:

Well yeah I know that but I was basically saying if he got an advantage of hearing these kinds of sounds over using a gaming headset.

You won't get an advantage. They'll sound better, but they won't stand out more clearly. Unless the previous headset you had was really terrible.

I'm running an $800 audio setup and while the sound quality is utterly glorious, it doesn't improve my situational awareness. Where I really notice the effect is in racing games, and games with an emphasis on music.

This is quite true, my experience with virtual surround the biggest difference is going to be the soundstage - open-back cans with a wide sound stage really gives virtual surround more depth and precision compared to closed back - best described as closed back being "in your head" and open-back being "around your head" and for me, a semi-open or open-back set I much prefer for surround modes in both games and movies.

[Arya]

Originally posted by Talby:

This is quite true, my experience with virtual surround the biggest difference is going to be the soundstage - open-back cans with a wide sound stage really gives virtual surround more depth and precision compared to closed back - best described as closed back being "in your head" and open-back being "around your head" and for me, a semi-open or open-back set I much prefer for surround modes in both games and movies.

I agree. Open Backs give a wonderful sense of immersion, especially in FPS and RPG games. They do positional audio oh so well, they're able to achieve distance and sense of space in a way that other headphones can't.

Closed Backs are also great, especially if you want to relax with some music. Good ones let you isolate yourself in a little island of calm. Just need a beanbag and a good coffee to go with it.

[RiGGz]

Originally posted by Wolfey ☭:

I agree. Open Backs give a wonderful sense of immersion, especially in FPS and RPG games. They do positional audio oh so well, they're able to achieve distance and sense of space in a way that other headphones can't.

Closed Backs are also great, especially if you want to relax with some music. Good ones let you isolate yourself in a little island of calm. Just need a beanbag and a good coffee to go with it.

Do you have any recommendations for open-back headphones that still give off a decent bass response?

[Arya]

Originally posted by M_RiGGz:

Do you have any recommendations for open-back headphones that still give off a decent bass response?

Sennheiser HD598 or HD599. Be aware you'll also need a small DAC to run them at full potential.