Snek's headphone guide for gud gaming

Headphone guide for basic FPS gaming

Disclaimer

Please read before reading this guide

I do not bare any responsibility for the links regrading mods in this guide, you bare the responsibility and you are using at your own risk.

Thank you

Headphone run down

This guide was made for insight on what could people want in direction, this is purely on equipment that I currently use
This will also be a work in progress and explain more as I get time to expand on specifics regarding headphone basics and advanced
Currently this is a basic review as it stands

Headphones Closed/Open Ohms Cable length/type

Name	Model	Design	Ohms	Cable length	Cable type
Beyerdynamic	990 Pro	Open	250	3 meters	Coiled
Beyerdynamic	770 Pro	Closed	80	3 meters	Straight
Sennheiser	HD600	Open	300	2 meters	Straight
Phillips	X1	Open	32	2 meters	Straight

All headphones powered by either

G&W Tsinghua T-2.6F[www.china-hifi-audio.com]

or

Scarlet 18i8 1st gen[us.focusrite.com]

The scarlet allows for quick A/B comparisons based on 2 outputs simultaneously
The T-2.6F has been with me for over 13 years now so is a rock solid performer, tubes need to be changed though

Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro Headphones

DT 990 Pro[www.juno.co.uk]

Amazing value for money, possibly one of the best under $300 for specific purposes of being an all round performer

Pros

• Great price
  
• Comfort & Durability
  
• Sound quality
  
• Modding

Cons

• Coiled cable (easy fix, experts only)
  
• Exposes flaws in sound
  
• Needs to be amped to get best results, ie requiring a good headphone amp capable of driving 250 Ohms

Now having given a brief run down of the P&C on this headphone, it is my go to can when I do any critical listening or production. I use a proper headphone amp capable of driving 600 Ohms headphones
These headphones are night and day when using the other 3, while the others do tend to do a different thing, these headphones are more clinical in a way where they expose flaws of any sound/music
I use these headphones to mix/master and also game

These headphones need to be modded as the coiled cable puts too much strain on the left side of your head, it's also a nuisance for long periods as you will always be reminded of a simple turn of the head that the cable is there and pulling, a slight tug at the left side. The coiled cable does add substantial weight to the headphone, a simple mod is to replace the cable with
a single feed one
I just so happened to have a pair of 770s with a 3 meter cable which I cut in half, use the tip end of cable (TRRS (( means stereo)) and soldered this to the 990s. It is an easy process to do but only for those who really understand what they are doing. I will add this all can be avoided by buying the appropriate headphone to start off with, more on that later

Here are two crucial links regarding a) a nice overall catch of reviews imo, b) simple cable replacement tutorial

Amazon reviews[www.amazon.com]

Below Mod is at users own risk, I am not liable for any damage that user may incur, thank you

Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro Studio Headphones

DT 770 Pro 250 Ohm[www.juno.co.uk]

Pros

• Great price
  
• Comfort & Durability
  
• Sound quality given that is closed (one of the best closed cans I have heard within its price range)
  
• Modding
  
• Easy to drive

Cons

• Long cable (easy fix, experts only), not suitable for portable use unless cable is shortened
  
• Closed can is only for people who want no sound leakage, this impacts on overall SQ
  
• Sound a little light on bass, boxy sound

Now the reason of this purchase was specifically for studio tracking, where you needed isolation from outside noise, these were never intended for gaming or portable use based on 2 things
a) 80 ohms requires a good amp to drive these to their capabilities
b) cable is just too long for portable use

When driven hard, based on the closed enclosure, then things become brittle, they just do not like to be drive as hard as say possibly their bigger brothers, the 990s, which behave much better under amplification
Given this is a caveat, the best counter balance would be the DT 770 32 )hm derivative, which is same $ as 770s all models and 990s. More on that later
The 770 Pros 80ohms are intended for a different purpose but offer the best of bass and control regarding many reviews out there

Amazon reviews[www.amazon.com]

Below Mod is at users own risk, I am not liable for any damage that user may incur, thank you

Phillips X1 aka Philips Fidelio X1/28

Pros

• Immersive sound stage
  
• Comfort to some degree
  
• Sub Sound quality
  
• Stupid V shaped sound signature

Cons

• Bad cable, has high resistance cable that needs to be replaced, bad input of cable, my jack broke so had to hard wire a Y split stereo cable
  
• Muddy bass
  
• Bad headband design which the headphones do not sit properly on your head, I had to put extra padding between band and leather, it fixed the issue but just not acceptable, the size of these headphones is monstrous

These headphones have served me well in gaming, the stereo imaging is amazingly vast, I barely use them now based on 2 things
a) it's Summer where I live now and these are just too large to use in this sort of heat
b) V shaped sonics are too anoyying to some degree where accuracy is lost to fun factor

This headphone for all its negatives still has a place, I just don't know where sometimes due to the lack of clarity. It really is like wearing a subwoofer on your head


Amazon reviews[www.amazon.com]

Sennheiser HD 600

Pros

• Comfort & Durability
  
• Sound quality (will be discussed later)

Cons

• Sound quality (will be discussed later)
  
• Exposes flaws in sound
  
• Needs to be amped to get best results, ie requiring a good headphone amp capable of driving 300 Ohms

These cans are what started it all for me, I have had them for over 13 years, they are litterally indestructable. They have a cult following but I simply have out grown them, they are a mid centric can with a narrow sound stage
For gaming they truly excel but this is an expensive propositing for gaming alone. I prefer the X1s to these for gaming, but then you have to worry about which is more comfortable? I have never ever used anything more comfortable and have never had to mod these cans. I have gone through I head pad replacement and also ear cushions, whilst replacing the cables once, that's pretty good for 13 years imo

SQ is good, but not brilliant, it's just these cans are so comfortable you for get you are wearing them. Every other headphone I have had to expland my headband out, not a big head, I just do not like clamping forces/ The HD 600s just do not seem to bother me re clamping force, this is a massive pro when gaming
Sound whoring is amazing on these as the sound stage + mid centric focus tends to NOT make these a fatiguing headphone, this is where the favor of a gaming headphone stops for 2 reasons

a) really hard to drive
b) expensive AND then you need a dedicated headphone amp

If I remember correctly, my initial set up was around $330 for HD600s, $500 for amp, in todays money it's exactly the same but it is an expensive propostion just as a gaming headphone, then you have to add in a mic

Amazon review[www.amazon.com]

Comparison, Summary & Alternative

Comparison

I am going to make this short and brief, everything is subjective here but since I do production work, I am using what skills I have to ascertain a final outcome, once again it is subjective and based in countless hrs research, which spans 13 years and a single goal of finding a good headphone ( I am getting closer to this but still haven't quite got there)

Below is a simple appraisal of my own finding

Name	Model	Overall Sound quality	Sound stage	Comfort	Value for money	What I paid
Beyerdynamic	990 Pro	8.5/10	8.5/10	7.5/10	10/10	$160 AUD
Beyerdynamic	770 Pro	6.5/10	6/10	7.5/10	7/10	$240 AUD
Sennheiser	HD600	7/10	7/10	10/10	6/10	$320 AUD
Phillips	X1	7/10	8.5/10	6.5/10	6/10	$320 AUD

Summary

Quick explanation of scoring, while I did not go into depth, this is based on how I have easily 1000's of hours use on the HD600s, high 100's of the X1s, mid 100's of the 770 and high 100's of 990s based on work loads

All scores were taken into account and a break down can be done as such
990s is while a little V shaped, has the most accurate of Bass, Mid range, Treble and Sound stage which gives this an overall lead for any type of gaming. Given it does need a decent headphone amp, anything for around $150 will quite easily power these cans. Also give the level of comfort ( I have been wearing these for easily 6 hrs whilst compiling this guide) while not level of HD600s, the sonics obtained by the 990s just outweighs the 600s
The HD 600s are 13 + years old too, so kudos to them

I think the HD 600s and X1s run a 2nd position based on different criteria, one is super comfortable for gaming and has an amazing ability for no fatigue (HD600s) while the other has bass that just does not come from an open set of cans (X1s), it does not really get in the way of the mid bass, but that's where it lacks mid range, apparently the X2s fix this issue but given the size of the X1s, they're stupidly large, I would not even look @ the X2s as an alternative, comfort is something I need based on what I do for workflows

Last but not least, the DT770 do a great job of closed can, that's where they end unfortunately, closed is closed and comes along a boxy sound signature that I just do not like. Given I need to use these on a daily basis, nothing comes close to these for comfort or SQ, they just are not suitable for portable or gaming use (unless your portable device can power 80Ohms or you do the shorter wire mod)

Which leads me to this unusual prospect

Alternative

Beyerdynamic-DT 770 PRO 32

DT 770 32 Ohm[www.juno.co.uk]

For all those hipsters that want SQ and a gaming headphone that will have great SQ, forget those BEATS, or Skull Candy or any other stupid gaming can that pretends to offer SQ, this has a 1.6 meter cable and is 32 Ohm. Sure it's more expensive but it offers a similar SQ (Sound Quality) as the 80 Ohm equivalent, but easier to drive and no stupid 3 meter cable
The bass is NOT the same caliber as 80 Ohm, the sacrifice is the lower impedance, so you have to allow for something to lack
There is a whole lot of information regarding cans out there, I suggest anyone serious in looking for quality, the 1st and foremost is to make a short list, be prepared to do a lot of reading and make sure you actually go and listen to some products, just because I say something sounds good to me, doesn't necessarily mean it will sound good to you

This is a little history of my collection with two extra headphones added. I want an additional pair to but decided atm, what I have serves me well for the time being

Who's Mike?

Oh before anyone asks, what about mics? all I can say is

modmic[antlionaudio.com]




Foot note, people may ask why I use Juno UK? I am in no way in any way affiliated with them, they just have the cheapest pricing on Beyerdynamic I have seen in the world
Also any errors made will be corrected, please advise me if you see anything you think needs correcting

Thanks!!

Intermediate, discussion of overall SQ and alternatives

Side by side comparisons of headphones plus alternatives

In this portion I am going to expand on comparisons plus explain the pros cons discussed in the beginners portion

Before we go on, explanations of syntax used here

Soundstage
This is where immersiveness is captured for a sound field, what this means is, how expansive or narrow is a SS
The narrower a SS is when left middle and right seems compressed where there is no discernible Sound field, this is where the added advantage of Sound whoring kicks in with and expansive SS
Typically a good SS given that all things are equal with tonal range, a gamer can hear an enemies foot steps from back left or right. Given this is an audio cue, the psycho acoustic information conveyed through any SS is the advantage/disadvantage to a gamer based on quality of headphone and ability to provide a measure of Soundstage
Many factors attribute to the SS, not all will be explained here but there has to be a nice balance between all and this will also discussed shortly

Timbre
the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from its pitch and intensity.
"trumpet mutes with different timbres"
synonyms: tone, sound, sound quality, voice, voice quality, colour, tone colour, tonality, resonance, ring
So in other words, the tone signature of headphones, each and every headphone is different, Timbre is unique to people as we all perceive sound different based on how our ears are created
Also age can affect the tonal signature of any device, be it a speaker, ear speaker or subwoofer

Frequency, as it is self explanatory, it is the cycle measured in seconds, so 20Hz is 20 cycles per second, 20KHz is 20,000 cycles per second, this is the range of a young adult's hearing 20Hz to 20KHz, this decreases as people get older
The frequency I will be addressing will be
Sub Explosions
Bass Drums
Midrange Voices/ gunshots
Treble SS image and psychoacoustic properties

Psychoacoustics is the scientific study of sound perception. More specifically, it is the branch of science studying the psychological and physiological responses associated with sound (including speech and music). It can be further categorized as a branch of psychophysics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoacoustics#Sound_localization

[10]Sound localization
Main article: Sound localization

Sound localization is the process of determining the location of a sound source. The brain utilizes subtle differences in loudness, tone and timing between the two ears to allow us to localize sound sources.[8] Localization can be described in terms of three-dimensional position: the azimuth or horizontal angle, the zenith or vertical angle, and the distance (for static sounds) or velocity (for moving sounds).[9] Humans, as most four-legged animals, are adept at detecting direction in the horizontal, but less so in the vertical due to the ears being placed symmetrically. Some species of owls have their ears placed asymmetrically, and can detect sound in all three planes, an adaption to hunt small mammals in the dark.[10]

The reason Sound localization is so important in gaming comes back to sound whoring, or registering where enemies foot steps are heard. Now you will have to understand why I am so anti "gaming headphones", these clearly do not have the timbre or tonal quality to match a good set of stereo headphones for the same $ or even less
We have 2 ears, this is how we hear, in nature we are always hearing a mono sources, however complex the signal is, we listen (those fortunate to have hearing in both ears) with 2 points of reference, this is how our brain perceives audio cues and then filters what we need as "important" information
Ever wondered why we can filter unimportant information in the real world? ie background conversations? or crowd noises whilst speaking to friends next to us?. Try this with a hearing aid, you will hear every sound amplified, it is nigh impossible for your brain to filter as everything is "turned up"

Why Surround Sound headphones are a bad idea

So 5.1/7.1 headphones VS 2.0 (x number before decimal always denotes the amount of drivers(( in some cases it is a pseudo emulation)( x after decimal denotes sub channel). What we have here is drivers trying to replicate an audio field which when in a proper speaker set up works, crammed in an ear cup does not, you need space between speakers to properly convey an image, nothing 10 mms apart can do this so the audio drivers suffer, so does your wallet
The quality of the driver is more important that the quantity of drivers. Your brain does the all the hard work behind how we convey sound, it's a pretty bad a$$ed CPU, and is naturally aspirated, no LZ cooling needed
So when you try to fool it with this 5.1/7.1 driver setup, (generally for 5.1 you have 4 drivers per ear cup, Center, Front L or R, Rear L or Right and Sub) so a total of 8 drivers for 5.1 true headphone or 10 drivers (5 per cup) for 7.1 true headphone. This gets messy and quite heavy
The drivers suffer as now you have all these extra drivers in 1 cup where in a 2.0 (0 denotes no sub as drivers are full range) headphone 1 driver would normally be
In some cases, some headphones use the cup and audio treat it, ie with some sort of passive treatment whether it be positioning or material, with all these extra drivers in there, you lose that treatment, it gets really messy
This is why multi driver headphones sound really bad for music, and gaming and movies, they just do not have the quality of drivers in the to do any justice of any sounds

Surround Sound headphone comparison

Quick example is let's compare very quickly 2 headphones @ same $ range

ASUS-STRIX-7-1[www.amazon.com]

HD595[www.amazon.com]

The reason I use Amazon as a reference, well it seems to have an almost unbiased in real world use
Look @ the top 2 numbers for both headphones then understand what people are saying, 4 and 5 stars, the HD595 wins hands down and really does not have that many negative votes

I am not in anyway affiliated with Senhiesser or Amazon, but I do understand the merits of good audio over bad

A question, so how does ASUS manage to cram all those drivers into 1 headphone and also supply the electronics (AMP DAC) for the same or close to as what a pair of 2 driver headphones do? Given the 595 are now discontinued, you can get the 598 for almost $40 off more

HD 598[www.amazon.com]

Now in God's name, who the hell wants lights on their headphones? more wires to possibly cause an issue?
I want as simple solution as possible, 3 wires, 2 drivers please, my HD600s have 4 wires which in some cases is even more fool proof, given they have lasted over 13 years already

So is Sennheiser making all this extra money for less components, or is the quality suffering in the ASUS camp? Well I can honestly tell you, Sennheiser IS making money, but you're getting what you paid for, quality over quantity
I have owned 3 Surround headphones,

G35[www.amazon.com]

Tritton AX Pro[www.pcmag.com]

Some older obscure analog 5.1 4 drivers per cup Razor headphone from 2007?

G35s were 2 driver, emulated 5.1 through Logitech's software, and how horrible that was, I plugged in my HD600s with it's own headphone amp and got horrible distortion on my fav then go to test, Blade Runner spinner coming towards you at start of the movie, thought I had blown my 600s, tested again and again and pretty sure used my HD25s too, and same results

DISTORTION, it was a "software" issue, not my hardware, so anyone out there that thinks software can do better than hardware, I'd like a reasonable response how how they think a software limiter or compressor works better than a hardware one? anyways back on topic

G35s were given away, they were capable, 2 stereo emulated, just sounded bad compared to the HD600s, why would I go backwards in SQ when I already had a benchmark?
My foray into 5.1 gaming headphones was always experimental, it's what happens when you're curious and have spare $'s lying around
These G35s were given to a nephew, who subsequently broke them, was given another pair, yes broken again. The last pair I bought him were

ATH ADG1X[www.amazon.com]

Cannot remember if open or closed back but they have lasted him over 2 years now no issues and he looks after them. These are specifically Stereo with no Dolby emulation
I think the "gaming" fixation is just a way to entice gamers to buy these, I'd say these are possibly an equivalent of these with built in mic

ATH-AD900x[www.amazon.com]

Given I got these on sale (ATH-ADG1X), they were no were near asking $ of $299 USD, I think from memory it was around $230 AUD, and since it was cheaper than getting the 900s with a modmic, given the nephew would lose the modmic
It was a no brainer to get the ATH ADG1X. My nephew likes to play like a ganstah with his hoodie over his head THEN this headphones on, I doubt we could possibly say his sound quality is high on his priorities, however he does say they sound good and comfort is great, I can say this is what matters most

Now we see a pattern emerging here, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

Both Senheisser and Audio-Technica make great stereo sounding headphones, they also make headphones with Gaming on the side to capture that market
I trust manufacturers who have a reputation in an industry, over companies that try to corner a market that make many other products, ie keyboards, mice, mice mats, colorful PC addons etc

So where does this leave us?

Well to understand what type of sound you want, you really do need to go and listen to some headphones, and what I would advise is actually record some game play and take this along with you to any store to listen to that recording
It will give you an indication on how this will sound to you while gaming, it's actually a better indication as you will be concentration more on how it sounds, rather that you actually concentrating on game play if this makes sense?

$ per $ stereo headphones will always beat multi driver headphones, it's just the way economics work

Nuts and Guts

OK so in some kind of convoluted way I have given some basis of understanding the hows and whats

Let's get into some true comparative assessments now of what I own, why and then some alternatives
The scores are against each other, not as an overall assessment of other headphones on the market

Name	Model	Sub bass	bass	midrange	treble	Soundstage
Beyerdynamic	990 Pro	6.5/10	7/10	8/10	9/10	9.5/10
Beyerdynamic	770 Pro	6.5/10	7.5/10	7/10	7/10	6/10
Sennheiser	HD600	6.5/10	7/10	8/10	7.5	7/10
Phillips	X1	9/10	7.5	6/10	7/10	8.5/10

Now I am trying to account for everything here, which is a pretty tall order, I have been playing and listening to the HD600s which I think does the best possible job of conveying The Division as an overall gaming experience, I will explain why...

DT 990 Pro

DT 990 Pro, sublime sound stage, held back with a lack of reinforced bass, but these are a more clinical headphone than say the HD600s, this is also their downfall, they tend to have too much a prominent treble which can get grating after a while
When I test, I run my own music as I am checking for any major issues, call it non critical listening. I find the 990s harder to balance streaming music and in game than the HD600s

For some reason the 990s do not like a lot of power, where I quickly A/B the 2, the 600s on same volume level are louder than the 990s, and when you turn up the volume, the 600s keep going and going, the 990s distort, big crackles, no thx

Side by side the HD 600s win for balance overall, they sit better as a comfort factor, gaming and music all in one

Beyerdynamic 770 Pro

Since these are closed, I would never intend in gaming with them, albeit they're as comfortable and moddable as the 990s, they just are not up to scratch as the 600s nor others when gaming, especially with heat and summer, the claustrophobic sense I get, ie small sound stage and closed in sound wants to want me to rip these off, could be my imagination but I just can't listen to these for long periods of time when I know I have better cans

HD600s wins by a mile, given these are closed, they do a much better job than say a similarly price Senheiesser HD 280, which are painful to wear for long or short periods of time

Phillips X1

Basically these are a Sub bass monster, almost good to wear, you don't notice they're on your head until you move your head
Midrange is sucked out of these and I find the Soundstage quite expansive on these, that's where the fun ends unfortunately, treble is recessed, and mid bass is sort of lumpy
Sub bass doesn't interfere with midrange or bass, it's just that it can seem uncontrolled and well one note
For movies this headphone is fantastic, but it does everything else very average. This was my go to can until I got my 990s. I still use them, but that's just to check Sub on my tracks. This can is deff not a The Division friendly can, explosions become overwhelming and this is where fatigue kicks in
Overall not a balanced can at all but can be "fun", this is an expensive fun though

So HD600 is a clear winner for The Division in sonics which we end up with the last part of this guide

Alternatives and why

Best Open can under $200

After listening to all my headphones for around 2 hrs each, I have found what I would think would be a nice alternative to what I own if I did not own my headphone amp or currently cans

598 SE[www.amazon.com]

I would short list these based on some simple fact finding
They are easy to drive, these don't specify what resistance they are on amazon nor could I find the actual specs, I am assuming (dangerous to do) that they are indeed 50 Ohms, which most home gear could run
The egg shape cups means these will have a similar comfort as the big brother HD600s
I do find since the 600s have a shallow cup, my ears do tend to hit the drivers, just barely but this does cause for mild discomfort
990s and 770s are deeper
I do not know how these 598s perform, but it they're anything like the 600s, they would be a hands down gaming can that I would seriously go and audition based on my findings above
These are Open over ear cans, so will disturb anyone near you, given that you can still hear what is around you if need be, so you can hear your phone, or door or what ever the case may be

Best Closed can under $200

DT 770 32 Ohm[www.amazon.com]

I know I contradict myself when I post this, but it is to do with BEST closed alternative, and for the $, which I linked for Juno UK, I don't think these can be beat based on my 770 80 Ohm testing
Sure I don't like closed headphones, but that's because I am spoiled for choice. The 80 ohm are not as bad as I paint them, just when I compare to my others, I would not pick them as a go to can, only using them when I need to be isolated from outside noise
Sonically they're fine, this is why I pick them for an alternative "closed" can

I have spent a good 160 hrs in The Division, this means I was always playing with a headphone, many hours using all 4, and I know what is fatiguing physically and sonically, this is where I have made a suggestion on what I think people should make as short lists

If anyone has any further suggestions on The Division headphone, by all means, please feel free to add

Cheers and as Snek always say, Happy Gaming

[⚡Snake⚡Plissken⚡]

I took everything into account on an intermediate level of what I had posted at the time
I was going to go into a more advanced stage of explanation regarding definitions and also impediance vs quality
I only reviewed the cans I used, not ones I haven't hence why no mention of them
I have of 3 of the 4 headphone I own done some radical modding, ie cable changes which voids warranty
The HD 600s has had cable change but has also been torn down to driver

This guide was a mere exposition into some of my own headspace and was not meant to be a clear and definitive guide to headphones overall, just my 2 cents on what I own and how to get good quality for cheap $

If I get time I might expand on the advanced portion of this guide, but having some feedback in pvt, people still are not savy in some terminologies so i haven't bothered thus far

[Orkpower]

Good guide, but no mention/consideration of a pair of Koss Pro4S's, AKG's budget cans, or an ATH-M50x? Plus you give the impression that higher impedence = better. That's not always the case; the Ultrasone Edition series are 32 ohm (AFAIK - I only have a pair of Edition 8's) while fully deserving their pricetag - even Audeze LCD-2s are only 70.

You also use some terms without actually explaining what they mean; don't assume people know that open cans means a pair of headphones with no back covering. Further, people that need this guide won't understand the importance of a DAC/amp unless you tell them.

Have you tried any electrostatic headphones in your quest? Honestly anything Beyerdynamic makes looks like a giant pile of shit compared to anything Stax makes, and you can get some of their lambda systems for a few hundred bucks if you look hard enough on ebay. Head-fi even has fairly consistent listings for Koss ESP950s & accompanying energizer for 500.

[⚡Snake⚡Plissken⚡]

behind you, BEHIND

[bigbenisdaman]

all just makes me wonder whre my ears are.....i turn around and it still sounds behind me eyeziz

[⚡Snake⚡Plissken⚡]

All the headphones I have are great for music and gaming, they differ slighty as some offer better performance in some areas, I will do a proper assestment of what does what better and why
All these headphones I have used for music production and gaming

[SAN★SAN]

where for gaming, and where for making music?

[⚡Snake⚡Plissken⚡]

Behind you, they're behind you

[bigbenisdaman]

I can't see my ears now....