Hello,
I figured I’d take the plunge as I’ve been lurking for a little while. I know this is an insanely common topic and I have combed through the threads here countless times, but most gaming suggestions seem to focus on competitive.
I’m looking to find a more cinematic and immersive headphone. I do play shooters, but I understand they cant very well do both. So I’ll end up with a couple of pairs soon.
I own the DT990 250 ohm and am going to power them with an x3 soon. As they stand now the treble does hurt my ears and can sound harsh to me.
From my research it seems like…
Argon MK3 (I don’t have the patience to wait that long. Brutal I know)
M1060C
DT177x Go
Sundara (Think this doesnt really fit for fun)
Beyers pop up everywhere but i worry about the harshness.
Are there other amp/headphone combos that can be considered fun, full, immersive in the mid fi range? 600 bucks tops.
I’d consider going both open or closed. If there’s a set that can do a bit of both while making sacrifices that’s cool too.
Sorry for the tired question but I figured this would help me go in the right direction. Thank you guys.
Edit: I forgot to mention. I have been using the orbit S, the rebranded mobius, and have been disappointed by it. The bells and whistles are inconsistent and are getting in the way more often than not. A little clampy and a little messy i think.
for fun and immersion something like the fidelio x2 hr and dt 177x go could be an option as well as the edition XX ;. another option could be a used LCLD 2c.
And here it comes…
Honestly the Nighthawk Carbon would be my pick here. They are well known for being extremely immersive and having a 3 dimensional imaging feel and sound to them. Really nice sub bass, and some good treble that isn’t harsh at all, and good mids too. They are super unique with how they recreate space and sounds can come from practically all directions. I highly recommend them if you can find a pair. Super comfortable and easy to drive too, I can wear them practically all day and run them off my phone no problem. Definitely my favorite headphones I have ever tried/owned.
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I will also say Nighthawk… Once on you don’t want to take them off… Comfort al day and amazing sound.
Andover Audio PM-50s are quite fun (in comparison to sundara at least). Have had mine for only a day, but worth a glance at least if you’re not going for the sundaras.
I’ve seen these come up. I suppose the trick is just finding them at this point?
They seem hard to come by. What is a reasonable used price today? And are there any similar sets?
They seem pretty unique by most peoples opinion so probably hard to answer.
I see them quite often on ebay between 250.00 to 350.00. I purchased my nighthawks brand new unopened for 250.00 I see Carbon’s but not often do I see OG’s. 350.00 would be about the upper limit pricewise that you might want to pay per other patrons of this site.
Yep. I don’t have experience with the OG. I have the Carbon. I guess the OG sounded even more strange and Audioquest said they made some ‘corrections’ to the Carbon version. Plus the suede pads on the Carbon are way more comfortable in my opinion than the leather.
I think maybe I’m just going to open up my criteria. I’ve just been disappointed in the orbits/mobius only in how the software and settings are so inconsistent.
Maybe I’ll just try another planar but with an open back. An open back with a little bass.
What’s keeping me from the 177x gos is that scary treble on the 990s. Is it enough of a cinematic jump to compliment the 990s on the competitive end?
Maybe I’ll finally try a sennheiser and be happy with a warmer signature.
I wish I had more veteran ears because im not sure what I like yet other than being a little treble sensitive.
So when I hear brightness I freak out, like the sundara, but do they really mean bright as in no bass and very harsh. Probably not.
I guess id like to just try another midfi set too.
I could recommend the sennheiser 660s which can be found used for 300-350ish. I think they perform respectably for casual and comp gaming settings, sound good, and are comfortable for longer sessions. They were my daily drivers until i switched to the beyer 880s for a better comp experience. They are not super bassy. I’ve personally ended up preferring the beyers overall but as you find the 990s harsh the sennheisers might fit you better. I also own and like the nighthawks but personally really do not like them for gaming I do not like how dialogue or voice comms sound in relation to game sound, personal preference of course. I’d also be cautious of the m1060’s as monoprice qc can be a bit of a dice roll on their headphones.