So I’m new to the world of audiophile and I’m not sure if Beyer DT series will surprise me. Dues to the price of BEYER DT, I need help with a budget headphone decision. Because I’m a student so it takes many months for me to save money for DT. I want a good entry-level of HiFi headphone under $100
List
// ksc75
// mh751,mh752
// superlux 668b or 681
// pc37x
//58x
Could recommend other great cans
anything between 1-150$
The issue with the DT series, this mind you is completely subjective and is my opinion, is that they just don’t sound all that great without an amp and dac setup. 58x Jubilee is incredibly good but this can be a little finicky depending on if your going to be using it on a console like the original ps4, but it does seem to perform a little better from my experience on the ps4 pro it’s just a little on the quieter side from my experience. KSC 75 I wouldn’t say is great for gaming but for its price I mean its hard not to love them when they sound as good as they do nothing incredible just fantastic for their price point. I tried the mh751 didn’t like it but have no experience with the 752s sounded somewhat congested to my ears but the mic was decent enough I would definitely take pc37x over these any day of the week though. PC37x is literally one of the best budget gaming headsets on the market imo and it’s a very strong contender even amongst headphones cause of just how good they sound. Note: you mentioned your budget but I don’t see information on a microphone. Keep in mind that some headphones are compatible with v moda boom pro while others would need an external streamer setup or modmic this can run you from $20 all the way up to $120. If you had more on the budget I would recommend the Beyer Lineup but I feel thats out of the budget in this case even the Tygr 300 r since you will have to also factor in the extra microphone.
In this case I would definitely say the safest bet would be the pc37x but the 58x will be, atleast in my opinion, the best option in your lineup listed here. Due to you being a student on a budget if you need isolation the other solid alternative to a pc37x would be the Hyperx Alpha, or ya know… you could get really stupid lucky like I did and find a copy of Hyper X orbits for $150 in which case if this happens DEFINITELY take the orbits since they are one of the best in class gaming headsets and are based off the $400 audeze mobius. I think it would be a good idea though to also add the Philips Fidelio X2 HR to this list as well if you can find it cheap or the shp9500 as both of these are also pretty darn great for their price especially if you can find them cheap… they are compatible with the v moda boom pro which is a fantastic clean sounding microphone. The only other I would add to this list would be the Steel Series lineup, they don’t win the awards for some of the best gaming headsets for nothing, built sturdy damn good mic and later versions offer an equalizer with the highest variation offering an actual dac that allows hi res audiophile sound quality.
If you still want to try the dt series it would boil completely down to preference. Beyerdynamic Custom Game is very similar to the DT 770s and would be the only one possibly in your price margin without complications. DT 770s are the closed back they have a U shape sound signature, good for all around use and are closed backs with good isolation they benefit from a pad swap like Dekoni or Brainwavz perforated leather pads. These will come in the lowest ohms if you look them up even below 32 ohms if you don’t care too much about sound these are still solid as are the others. DT 880s the semi open all rounder. This one is recommended so often on here it’s a bit crazy but needless to say these sound really good, not my type of sound but people love this headphone lol, more of a Neutral V signature tuning instead of the 770s U shape these have a more open sound and a wider soundstage though not as good on the bass from my experience very well rounded but definitely bright sounding. Lastly the dt 990s, these were literally my favorites for a while in competitive, extremely sharp V signature may be uncomfortable for a lot of people has its gamer cousin over there the Tygr 300 R which offers a somewhat different sound experience others can fill you in on that one but its a bit out of your budget. The 990s I do not recommend at all due to that sharp treble without an amp/dac, without a setup to properly dial these back and not being in the 600 ohm “Edition” version of the headphone it makes the sibilance and treble on these just dreadfully painful at least to my ears I had to go to the 600 ohm from the 250 ohm version and use a liquid spark amp to really reign these in after which they did become perfect to my taste but only after that expensive setup was made.
DT 770 is only one capable of 16 ohms… all 3 are capable of 32 ohms and higher. 32 ohms is your general impedance for console gaming and mobile phones. 80 and higher can be used on decent mother boards. 250 ohm is for high grade motherboards and 600 ohm is for the highest of grade motherboards. Otherwise you will need an amp to drive them
For competitive gaming, this boils down to just how serious you really are and if you care about music or casual gaming in general, you want a less rumbly bass and a very open and analytical headphone. In this regard 58x, dt 880, and pc37x are probably your best bets I will also throw in the AD700x but this is a bit of a more colored headphone and it lacks a bass presence while you can tweak it in EQ I don’t feel it has a good enough seperation imo nonetheless it is a solid contender for starter setups in the competitive gamer/audiophile area. If you want to take it to true tournament levels you would typically want very little bass and no rumble and a iem/earbud setup using a closed back headphone playing white noise to completely shut out the world around you this is only really needed in extreme cases though.
Agreed with falenkor if your want to get into beyers specifically the dt line be prepared to spend some cash otherwise look for something easy to drive like the tygr
A used set of HD58X’s is a great buy. They are fairly easy to drive, open back and have a nice bass kick.
If anyone asked me about putting together a very nice system on a budget, I would point to HD58X’s (new or used), Liquid Spark amp (sale or open box) and then a D10, D30 or preferably E30, depending what’s available.
I have bought and sold a Lot of pieces in the last few years and the above units were the only, IMO, great budget pieces.
Solid system and you could upgrade a piece at a time as funds allow.
Get the creative aurvana live(Cal’s). They are the best under 100$ no amp required cans.