Hey guys. I’m new to this whole audio thing. I’ve had ATH-A900X’s in the past and I am currently using Sennheiser HD 598’s. I am currently using onboard sound. I am wanting to get a setup that is really good for competitive FPS gaming. Something with really good positional audio so I can hear the positions of enemies from far away and know where they’re coming from etc. I saw his video on gaming audio gear, but I’m not sure if I took away the right information from it. What I was thinking was getting the SHP9500’s and the GSX 1000 like he suggested in the video. Since I already have HD 598’s. I was wondering if I should just keep those or make the change. Everybody always talks them up but I honestly don’t see what all the talk is about. I feel like the positional audio is garbage. Any suggestions on what to get for competitive/high skill gaming?
Honestly the ad700x and ad900x are excellent for their price and are better than the 598 and shp9500. I really think the audio Technica ad series is very good at what you are looking for, but there must have been something you didn’t like with them
I would just keep the 598 as imo they are pretty much better than the shp9500 and it might be a bit redundant
I think if you did want to upgrade, you would want to step up to a pair of dt880 600 or 250 ohm. I think these do a great job for competitive gaming as they easily allow you to hear spatial queues and pick out and pinpoint sounds for competitive games. I do think they need an amp though. And for an amp you might want to look into the fiio k5 pro as it’s a great all in one for a great price.
I’ve had very good luck with my 58x for competitive gaming. He 400i weren’t bad either. The 58x doesn’t give you perfect sense of distance but a very good sense of direction at least in my experience.
The 58x is pretty nice too, I end up just preferring the brighter signature of the 880 as it’s easier to pick sounds out with out getting drowned out by other sounds and the much better soundstage and positional capabilities of the 880 imo
Yeah those are a little expensive. And I’m still unsure because I hear so much about how certain headphones are better for FPS and this and that. Like the M40X. I’m trying to keep it around $300 or less. I don’t need to go overboard for music or anything like that. I just want the best headphone/amp combo for FPS competitive gaming that allows for great positional audio with easy distinction of direction. Basically the best headphone/dac/amp combo up to the point where it becomes redundant for the purpose I need it for. I don’t need overkill.
Where do you live? I think the dt880 should be around 170 bucks. I think the k5 pro might be to expensive then, so you could get a jds labs atom or liquid spark amp instead and run it from the line out or headphone out of your pc and that should do the job. I don’t think it’s going overkill, I just think it’s maximizing what you can get for your gaming performance for the price.
Cheapest I seen the DT 880 600 OHM on Amazon is $190. $171 for the 250 OHM version. I’m down for whatever as long as it’s perfect for what I need it for because I honestly have no idea. There’s so many headphones and different types I don’t even know where to begin.
Update: Nvm those were 990’s I saw for $170. Not the 880’s.
Yeah, there is alot out there and in mainly comes down to use case and preference.
I mean, if you can get a pair dt880 250 ohm it would still be great imo. I think if you got one of those aforementioned amps you should be just fine as you could get a dac later on down the line if you feel that you want one.
What’s the purpose of getting them seperate? Couldn’t I just get a combo like a SoundblasterX G6 or something? I dunno. I honestly just want a pair of headphones and a combo dac/amp that I can just put together and just use. Preferably for under $300 total.
The main purpose of getting separates is so you can upgrade in the future and also because you tend to get better quality components. If you wanted something that would be an all in one in your budget, the schiit fulla 3, while I don’t prefer it would suit your needs
Why don’t you prefer it?
I mean, I don’t think it sounds as good but some people do like it. It does everything you need it to at an appropriate price. I just think it’s worthwhile to go for something like the k5 pro. But if it can’t fit in your budget no problem, the fulla 3 will get the job done
Ah alright. I’ll see what I can do about budget. That K5 pro can power the 600 OHM version no problem?
It can honestly power most headphones no problem, including the 600 ohms. It’s just really hard to not recommend for me because its really high preforming for what it’s priced at compared to alternatives
Haha alright. I’ll figure it out. I’ll be able to get them probably. Black or grey version on the headphones? I’m torn.
For the 880? I don’t think the color matters as much, but you do want to look for the 880 premium version as it has a bit lighter clamp and a straight cable
Yeah both the colors are the premium. The reason I was iffy about FiiO is because I had the E10K powering my HD 598’s. It ended up crapping out completely. I contacted their support multiple times, with my invoice and everything for it to go smoothly, but they never even answered me back. Left a really bad taste in my mouth.
Ah, yeah the e10k had some issues tbh. I personally have not had issues with my fiio products, as they have been fairly reliable and built well for me. But the e10k did have that known issue
lolmy e10k just killed itself recently too. but I have oter fiio gear and all performs fine. e10k itself was noit really a great product eq wise especially with the knob
Ah. Yeah it explains for the price I guess. I was more-so pissed because they didn’t stand behind their product and respond to a legit customer service inquiry. What do you do on the settings? I see people saying that you max out volume sliders in the software and control the volume with the amp? Is that right? I guess I’m just wondering if there’s anything special I need to do. Since the only other dac/amp I’ve owned was the E10K. I have no idea what all the switches and doodads do lol
Also, what bitrate quality to use? Do you still use 24bit, 48000 KHz for gaming?