Hi, this is my first time getting into audio gear with something more than my phone and a pair of earbuds. Sony mdr-ex650ap, pretty nice earbuds I’d say, but recently I started wanting something more, so I decided to look into it. After some research I decided to get ifi Zen dac v2 (~218$, local prices are very funky, I know) and either of those two:
DT 900 Pro X (~300$)
AKG K712 Pro (~248$, on sale)
I was also looking at grado sr80x/125x with G cushions, but that would mean ordering them from amazon and dealing with our post office (saying it’s terrible would be an understatement) and hifiman sundara, but I’ve heard a lot about them expiring with their warranty.
I got really interested in open-back headphones and after getting recommended ksc75 and trying them, my curiosity was sparked even more, that’s why I’ve stopped on those two.
I want to use them for both gaming and music listening, although my music taste is rather eclectic, ranging from acoustic guitar/piano with female vocals to post-hardcore and hardstyle, which makes for a main concern when choosing a pair.
I’ll have about 300-400$ to spare after getting zen dac, so if you have a better recommendation in this price range, I’m all ears.
A lot of different fits here in the mentioned items.
I’m going to dismiss the Grados, I think they’re a fun thing to have and after your success with on-ears (Koss), I’d say try them out. But in your price-range and gaming and SOME of your genres, I’d get something more well-rounded.
The DT 900 are going to be rather easy to power which is a plus. The build and comfort are plus. Measures pretty fairly. There has been discussion from smart gaming people on these boards about how they compare to some of the ol’ reliable Beyerdynamics, particularly for gaming.
I’ve recently acquired K712’s, they’re very interesting. The fit is very comfortable, the soundstage is a big plus. I’m not gamer, but the elments seem well-aligned here. Despite them supposedly having a huge upper-mids bump — until I adjust to them I often find them to be darkish. They certainly have their own signature, but I do find them really relaxing from a sound and fit perspective.
An obvious contender for a do-all open back that has proven gaming chops and good synergy with Zen DAC is the Sennheiser HD560s.
I know there are thoughts out there about powering a Sundara from ZenDAC, I’m not sure what the ultimate survey says. I’m skeptical that it would give them their best. Sundara is obviously a great all-arounder. I think the size of the Sundara soundstage is overstated sometimes (confused with ‘openness’), and I’ve found that the more affordable Hifiman headphones are not imaging champs when compared to something like DT880/DT990. You don’t often seem them as a raging gaming choice. I also think concern over their build has also been overstated.
Another headphone in this range that has stage, imaging, runs off of little power, big pads and a ‘fun’ tuning would be Harmonicdyne Zeus.
Someone is going to recommend the Sennhesier HD6__ family of headphones, which will be quite great for some of the things here, but poorish at others. Also, unsure how well the ZenDAC powers the 300Ω models. In this use-case and considering price/performance - I wonder if the 560s isn’t the better all-arounder.
The beyerdynamic tygr is a good choice as a beginner HP for music and gaming and can be easily driven by the Zen DAC
It has a good soundstage and from @Falenkor gaming guide better imaging than the 560s
It has a more v shaped with a slight hump in the bass to lower mids
Otherwise the the 560s is also a good choice, just a bit more neutral sound with slightly worse imaging
If i want to try a planar the hifiman 400se is a good beginner as an Allrounder you’ll just need a balanced cable for it so the zen DAC can get a bit more juice to them
