Hello, WoW/MMO player for 13 years have used smelly Turtle beach, then Logitech G230s, and now been using HyperX Cloud revolver for 3 years and mic dying (I mistreated it to be honest). AND…after spending hours going into earphone+mic combos and why gaming headsets suck, I am looking for a entry/mid level audiophile pair of headphones I can use without the need of a DAC or amp, but am willing to incorporate the ModMic 5. (After listening to Modmic5 vs the boom mic sound tests on youtube I think the modmic5 sounds considerably better, especially without fancy amp adjustment things).
As far as FPS games go, I only play Overwatch a few hours a week, and MMO multiplayer doesn’t really depend on enemy distance/position…so I’m looking for an audiophile headset that’s good enough at various genres of music, can be worn for LONG hours (5 hour windows), and won’t inadvertently mess up the modmic5 somehow.
Below is a listing of the headphones I’m considering getting from Newegg/amazon and the current prices. Do note I don’t know which of these NEED an amp/dac or would just be hampered slightly* without one, so I’m just listing them all and maybe you guys can enlighten me.
Sennheiser:
599: $100
58x: $160
6xx: $180
Audio Technica:
900: $105
M50x: $130
Beyerdynamic:
770: $130
990: $150
Philips
Xhr2: $100
Hifiman
HE400S: $200
HE400I: $170
He4xx: $170
So yes, if the headphone works at near or full potential without any Amp/DAC, I’m willing to put $200 dollars in. Otherwise I’d prefer to stay closer to 150 or 100 bucks since the modmic5 is already 50 bucks. I realize everything on here except the Beyerdynamics are open headsets. I’ve read my crummy Cloud Revolver is a ‘half’ open headset, so I’d prefer a more open one for that enhanced audio, but I just put them up for a complete picture.
Thank you for reading and any/all help is appreciated!
I think you could get a pair of hd58x and not need an amp. They are great all rounders, very comfortable and have great sound. Hard to not recommend imo
Thanks for the response! I looked up the ohms of all the headsets and found that other than some versions of the beyerdynamics and the 6xx, everything is 35 ohms or less, so they should all work without an amp right? If so I’m assuming your recommendation of the 58x is based on comfort for long use and that ‘all rounder’ audio aspect. I say this because bang for buck the He4xx/400I keep popping up on lists in the 150-200 range but I got no idea how they feel comfort wise for hours on end.
So the 4xx and 400i are great imo and very comfy. But they do need an amp. Some headphones may have a low ohm rating but that does not always mean they are easy to drive. They may not be very sensitive and need more power to get to a listenable volume. Also some headphones while easy to drive, can sound harsh and unpleasant on a setup without a proper high quality amp.
Out of that list I think the 58x, 599, ad900x, m50x, and x2 would be fine without an amp. You could get some dt770 or dt990 80 ohm, but I think it would be worthwhile to get the 250 ohm. I think actually the best of the dt series is the dt880 600 or 250 ohm, which needs an amp but is worth it imo.
I think the 599 doesn’t make sense unless you are budget restricted because it is worth it to go for the 58x and get improved comfort and sound imo. The ad900x is very good for gaming, but might be lacking for some music and the comfort can be subpar at times depending on your head shape. The m50x is alright but personally I’m not a huge fan, but if you did want a closed back without an amp, look at the akg k371 imo. And to me the x2 is a kinda muddy mess tbh, but some do like it. Overall taking into account all factors, I think that without an amp, the 58x is a great pick for what it offers. I think if you were willing to spend an extra 100 bucks for an amp, the he4xx/he400i or dt880 250 ohm are great choices
So regarding an amp if you do want to spend, something like the monolith liquid spark or jds labs atom are great, and you could just pick one up and use your line out of your pc/laptop for the time being and get a dac down the line. Or you could spend 150 and get a fiio k5 pro which is a get deal imo but would definitely be getting past your budget