I’m currently in the market for some new headphones that are strictly for COMPETITIVE GAMING. I mainly play CS:GO and VALORANT.
I came here to get some professional opinions and hopefully some statistics that will help me to decide which headphones to pick up.
From a little bit of research and word of mouth, it appears that I am after headphones that include:
Bass (I have heard some people say you don’t want to bass heavy headphones, and I have also heard others say that having a larger bass is fine as long as its not too elevated).
Excellent imaging/separation
Great mid performance and lower treble performance
Soundstage (I have heard some people say you want a narrow/medium soundstage, and I have also heard others saying a larger soundstage is better for competitive gaming)
Currently looking at:
Beyerdynamic 900 PRO X
Beyerdynamic TYGR 300R
Sennheiser HD560
Sennheiser HD660
Heard good things from:
AKG K712
AKG K7XX
ATH-AD700X
Beyerdynamic DT880 PRO (600ohms)
Beyerdynamic DT990 PRO (250-600ohms)
Philip SPH9500/9600
Price range:
Under $400 AUD Under $260 EURO Under $300 USD
From talking with my cousin who is pretty diligent with audio stuff, he has determined that the Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X would be one of, it not the best competitive gaming headphone for my price point. I came here to get other opinions and see some statistics that could possibly sway my decision in buying the DT 900 PRO X’s.
Conclusion:
If you guys would be able to suggest me any other headphones that are statistically the best COMPETITIVE HEADPHONE and some personal opinions that others also face, that would be greatly appreciated.
I will say I am rather curious how he considers this to be the best choice it just came out
Needless to say I will cover this from the top here.
to cover on this, for these particular games you do not need a large stage… it can help sure but anything around the average will be just fine… the games have a limitation too and these aren’t the best in the case of audio engines.
Both are accurate in this case. Some bass is fine, the rumble is the issue. If its too pronounced it clouds up the ability to place certain sounds.
separation is alright… its an extra. Imaging is requirement
rather curious on this actually… the placements are mostly in the treble not only lower treble. By chance do you know if your intolerant?
All of these will work for the desired game… granted 660 is extremely intimate on its soundstage… so that would require a bit more skill on the players part for placements farther away.
suffer from imaging inaccuracies but work fine. Not the most -ideal- though
budget king, has issues with separation… only good if you can find around $70 but if you have the budget the other headphones on this list exceed the capabilities of this headphone.
This one is a no brainer in competitive imo… it checks every box
600 ohm recommended… less treble issues that way. However, still very hot in the treble… a bit too much in the bass and the mids are a little recessive. if your looking for strong mids… this is not the headphone you want
not if the 880 is on the list…
there is no “statistic” you will find that’s assessing what is better than the other outside of what the headphone is capable of such as its natural soundstage, sound signature, imaging, etc… we hear sound differently… if your looking for the “best” your going to be disappointed, while I hate to be the bearer of bad news this is just how it is. Some people will gain just as much performance in an fps with an 880 as they will with a T1 2nd generation… the headphones will only get you so far its a helpful aid, not a requirement.
There are others in this case that I can bring up… such as sundara or he400se that are strong contenders… but in your games case I feel the larger soundstage and air quality of those would be an interference… the ones you have selected up there are the more ideal of what I would encourage…
back onto the 900 pro x… so as someone who owns this as well as most of the headphones on this list that have been in my collection at some point or another… I can say, no… not really the best? It’s good for what it is… its not as strong in the mids as a sennheiser… its not as strong in the treble as an 880 or 990. It’s fairly neutral with a rounded off sound and rounded off treble thats pleasant to listen to and doesn’t demand an amp/dac to be powered in most cases. It’s a good choice if you can’t afford / don’t want to be bothered with amps and dacs in your setup and want a get it and move on headphone… this same factor can be said about tygr 300r. In terms of performance the tygr and the 900 pro can go neck and neck with one another in fps its just they have different signatures… if your looking for mids between those two then itd be the 900 pro x… if your able to get an amp and dac then I would kick 900 pro x out and tell you grab the 880 or 990 as I find them superior in sound quality and performance on a pretty regular basis to my ear.
Thanks for your in-depth response, I really appreciate it. In terms of competitive gaming headphones you would recommend the Beyerdynamic DT 880 PRO 600ohms?
I was mainly talking about the Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X as my cousin and I had heard some very good reviews (of what there currently is) on them, and in terms of imaging and soundstage, they compare to the Sennheiser HD560’s which are Praised for their imaging and soundstage. The only upside being that the 900 PRO X had better sound quality making casual listening a little more enjoyable.
If you would have any other recommendations for headphones (amp and dacs included) for competitive gaming like CS:GO and VALORANT, that would be great.
Treble intolerance
If other games are involved
able to get an amp/dac or not
I will second that they are very good headphones… as are the 560s. The 560s do a fantastic job on their imaging… though for soundstage? eh they are around average for a open back honestly… its nothing special in staging in my opinion.
hmm… so thats a bit on the iffy side… they are very close but I do appreciate the 900 pro more than 560 by quite a large margin. Better comfort, better soundstage, better depth, very good detail, damn good imaging. It really is a very good headphone
I have my guide written up for that that still has most of the ones I would recommend granted I need to remove a few of them on there like the gaming headsets and hd 598… most of it is still fairly relevant to date. However, I think you hit the nail on the head for the ones you should be looking at.
As far as amps and dacs go… itd just depend on what your looking for… if its strictly gaming then just grab something like the soundblaster g6 and call it a day… it can power 600 ohm beyers after you set it up in its software to high gains… but if sound quality is what your after then entry level like schiit stack, jds, and some others will work… with schiits asgard 3 or lake peoples amp will be the most ideal option since they add more spatial recreation.
Outside of this, if I really were to tell you which ones to sit and wager on that would be the 560s, 900 pro x, DT 880, and Tygr 300r
If mids are important to you then the tygr can be pushed out of the equation, if you rather run ampless then dt 880 would be pushed out otherwise it will etch out in front of 900 excluding soundstage capabilities(also 880 can be pad swapped to obtain all manners of different sound signatures so bonus points to that). Outside of those itd be a competition between 900 and 560… which in my opinion the 900 can stomp the 560 in gaming right now I own both of those in house now and there really is little competition there… for reference grade music 560 is still phenomenal but for gaming the 900 is just so much better at how it seamlessly places it sounds while having a more relaxed signature to it
Thanks again for your information, ill be sure to have a read of your forum. And if I have any further questions ill be sure to contact you. Thank you so much
it just came out