Hey all, fantastic forums you guys have got going on here.
My beloved pair of ATH-AG1s are on their last legs and the loss of volume is almost terminal.
I’ve been doing some research on a new replacement pair and so far the TH900MK2s, the T5p G2s and DT1770s are looking like solid choices. I generally play shooters and hack-and-slashes so I’d also love a pair with pretty fantastic imaging, soundstage doesn’t really matter.
I’m pretty partial to closed backs for immersion (almost-involuntarily-shitting-pants tier is optimal) too and prefer the isolation but I’m not entirely opposed to open backs, I just don’t think they generally do the job as well.
Anyway, the headphones I’ve listed are all on sale from various suppliers. Which ones do you guys reckon are the most worthwhile with what I’ve posted in mind? Or is there another pair I should be checking out? NOTE: I also don’t have any external audio equipment but my mobo does have a pretty decent DAC for on board standards. I use the Asus ROG Rampage V Edition 10.
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TH900MK2 - ~ $1085USD
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T5P 2nd Gen - ~$750USD
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DT1770 PRO - ~ $565USD
Are any of these 3 headphones a steal? Australia is a funny market when it comes to this kind of stuff. Budget isn’t really concerned about this stuff. Otherwise, sound off with any other recommendations and thank you for reading xx
Welcome to Hifiguides,
Could you please list what MOBO your using? Some headphones are very demanding and hard to drive even on onboard audios. It would also help if you could describe what kind of sound or sound signature you are looking for in your headphone
Thank you!
I have the ASUS ROG Rampage V Edition 10 mobo. Added it to the OP too.
As far as the sound sigs go, I’m not too fussed honestly. I have a slight preference for V-shaped but above all else I’d love to still be able to hear footsteps, but it is a tall order from my understanding.
Alright so, the others can chime in better on the Fostex over there as I haven’t personally sat down with those. I will say personally I would say maybe consider an amp and dac setup instead of full tilt into a “endgame” type headphone just for gaming. This way they sound their best. Anyway so T5P is good it has a lower treble and really nice bass and imo would be a very good gaming headphone. I would definitely recommend trying to find it in a used, usually mint, condition as you can get these for like $400 - $350 and you will definitely save money. Meanwhile, the dt1770 pro I wasn’t a particularly big fan of and was more a fan of the 177x go due to when I auditioned the 1770s they had a sharper treble to the point of sibilant and some driver rattling. I felt that the 177x go just sounded a lot better, was cheaper, and it still responds well to my brainwavz XL perf pads for some added extra comfort. Either way… both T5P and 1770 can be found used for much cheaper however fostex is a bit of a harder sell to acquire, theres some very expensive mods for it too that make it sound better. I would also like to throw in the dt 1990s since you like a V signature or the T1 if you prefer a little sharper and balanced setups but these are open back. Also the Argon MK3 as a really great closed wide sounding headphone.
There’s alot of others here though who have a much bigger amount of experience with the higher tier headphones. Your mobo should be able to push 600 ohm headphones without much issue but it won’t sound as good as they would if you had a dedicated amp and dac setup and you run the risk of some distortion or hum from direct connections. I will go ahead and tag the one guy here I know who probably has some crazy experience with these headphones as his library is rather huge. @M0N figured I would tag you here since you definitely have more experience with higher tier setups than I do.
you want the DT177x from Drop…that one’s a steal.
The TH900MK2 …you pay for what you get, amazing sound, especially if you’re a basshead.
Thanks for the recs Falenkor, I’ll get back to researching and looking around for used pairs. As for the dac/amp comments, I’m completely open to it. If the cans need it, I’ll feed it.
I’ve given the 177x a geeze and yeah, it would be foolish to get the 1770s when these are out. Even with the currency conversion the price is still a couple of hundred (strayan micropesos) under the 1770s, woo! Thank yous both!
I can get the 1990/T1s for the same price as the 1770/T5p respectively. Not sure if that brings anything to the table though. As for the Argons, they are pretty cool but it seems like a massive fuck around just to get everything sorted before you start listening. Unless I’m missing something?
Thanks for the recommendation Marzipan, your points are noted 
DT 1990s have Less bass, more open, and more analytical sound than 1770s soundstage is very 360 degrees. T1 Gen 2 is again less bass, more open, and a bit more fun but a stronger V signature but requires a beefy setup to be brought to full potential such as through a tube amp or a higher tier solid state amp. I would like to also recommend my Aeons that I use solely for casual gaming but I feel it’s not for everyone due to some lack in dynamics to some peoples ears more so due to a rolled off treble. I personally love them but experiences will vary. I use aeon open x but aeon 2 is better but definitely more expensive. Ignore the original aeons. Ether is the other really good one from that brandline but I feel they would be better for music not so much gaming outside of maybe the Ether CX
Argons can be bought directly from modhouse you choose your options order it and you receive the product. There is a product from beyer that is said to be actually like those argons and thats the mmx300 gen 2 from beyerdynamic, surprisingly a gaming headset, but I have yet to actually sit down with that.
If you want an amp schiit Asgard 3’s are good for an all rounder with the Magni 3+ or Heresy being a cheaper but good alternative. I personally use Monoprice Liquid Spark to dial back the treble for beyers. For Dacs Topping D10 for cheapest followed by Topping E30, which is what I use currently, it really depends on the budget. If you are using the headphone solely for gaming though and don’t really care about audiophile grade music and the like you can always pick up a gaming amp/dac like the Schiit Fulla 3, Soundblaster X3, Soundblaster G6, or if you wanted a soundcard Evga Nu is said to work pretty well. These would be cheaper for you just not sound as great as a dedicated amp and dac
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