(update in progress) Falenkor's Competitive Headphone Write Up. Now with added Hardware explanations!

Gaming Audio Competitive
503

So, to explain… compared to the cheaper alternatives and others in it’s price bracket I just don’t see it as worthwhile anymore. I sat with the Elex for quite some time as I am a fan of it’s sound for sure, but the more I sat with the other headphones also on this list the more I came to that realization… something as simple as tygr300r can give elex a lot of competition and yet they are vastly different in price point… this list goes off competitive of course and not so much the casual or music lovers view point… if it was for music I would hands down take elex in that regard.

Honestly, planars don’t seem to be the best on imaging but can be respectable enough in their own rights… Ananda is a step closer to Arya, which arya would be in this list if it wasn’t so insanely expensive. As far as GL2K goes, it’s not a bad headphone but it does have quite a bit I see wrong personally. It’s imaging is strangely shaped and not fully accurate, brightness is on the more uncontrolled side and spikes sibilant tones depending on the song or game, among other things… it needs extensive amounts of EQ to resolve the issues with it and even then the only way seems to be doing what Pokrog over there did with opening up the headphone which is dangerous for the headphone and highly unrecommended.

as far as comparing them… all 3 can work fine in competitive gaming… it just depends on the game. Personally if you needed that big of a soundstage the aeon would be in last place between the three with gl2k in first and ananda being the middle ground, if you wanted a controlled brighter sounding planar that would be ananda, cinema like spacious more relaxed sound would be gl2k, and the harman shape or subtle V yet relaxed sounding headphone over there is the aeons

504

Yeah the EQ thing bothers me quite a bit. I don’t plan or want to EQ something I pay a decent amount of money for. I know its controversial…but that’s how I feel. I probably put this question in the wrong thread but I didn’t want to create another thread just to ask. See I don’t really do competitive very much and when I do I don’t sweat it too much on how I do.
My audio for gaming these days is more on immersion even though I prefer open back to hear whats going on in my house. So yeah, something that sounds great for music and gaming which I know many higher end HP will do the job typically. Doesn’t seem to be much info out there on the Aeon RT version…just the Open X. Honestly the new Aeon 2 Noire has me interested though I believe it is closed or semi-closed by the description. I know the Aeon’s are touted as not needing as much to drive them though I gotta think using my balanced stack will do well with them.
Funny but the first reviewer I saw really love the RT’s was BadSeed. Wish he did more audio stuff still.

505

Aeon has had a rocky reputation… aeon flows were meh. Open x is the one that’s actually on my wall and very good and rt is a stronger v shape than open x but other than that they are the same.

Noir… haven’t tried it forgot it even existed lol.

Depends on the aeon… aeon 2 is easier to drive as it’s made portable. My own aeons honestly woke up big time once balanced through the liquid plat so they definitely respond to amps and dacs

Thought bad seed was open x?

Personally… I’d say try the gl2k if you cant cancel it… just see what you think. If no good then just try to find the aeon.

No worries.

506

Yes, BadSeed did the Open X. My brain was thinking the X but typed the RT, oops!

1 Like
507

Thanks for this excellent guide! I have a few questions about higher-end headphones that I would love to get your opinion on! I know that anything above $500-700 will not generally yield better results for competitive FPS gaming, but I am trying to find a good headphone for FPS gaming and general listening.

I used the HD650 with a JDS Atom Dac and Amp for a while, and recently purchased a Topping DX7 Pro and Sennheiser HD 800s. After hearing the HD800s it is difficult to go back to the HD650, they just sound so muffled, but I dislike the build quality of the HD800s. They do not feel cheap, but I do not like how they sit on my head. The 650s felt more comfortable to me because they were softer and clamped a bit harder.

90% of the time I play Apex Legends, but I also play Warzone, Tarkov etc…

So far the HD800s are a huge improvement in terms of detail and sound quality, but I feel as though footsteps are harder to pick out sometimes when there is a lot going on. Once I lock on to footsteps I can track them extremely well, but I feel as though I have to listen “through” the other sounds to find them if that makes sense. This might just be because I am not used to them yet.

I have really lost myself in this world of high end audio, and now I am determined to find solutions for all of my needs/preferences. I really would like to find a headphone that has a build better suited to me (Built like a tank, tighter clamp) but can perform very well for FPS gaming and also for music and general listening. I listen to a lot of Metal, Synthwave, EDM, Rap etc…I really love the detail of the HD800s and want to find something with similar detail and clarity, but a more comfortable build. I really like when the music is in your face, I have pretty severe ADHD so I do not sit and listen to music attentively. My focus will drift between things so I prefer a more direct, immersive sound.

I am wondering if I need two separate headphones for this, one for gaming and one for music. I am considering a DT1990 pro for Gaming and the Focal Clear for Music/General Listening. From what I have heard the Focal Clear would not be as good for gaming as the DT1990 Pro or the HD800s which is why I was considering using it in addition to the DT1990. But I also do not want to “downgrade” from the HD800s either. While I dislike the build quality I could probably get over it.

Was wondering if you had any recommendations based on your experience! Thanks!

508

I have been meaning to update this for a while now. work has me constantly busy so I haven’t really had much time to actually sit down and finish the update…

I have this same issue with hd800S… honestly I love the clarity but really you get that much clarity from a lot of brighter headphones… 650 being the more neutral while 800s are very bright and peaky with a lot of clarity and detail not to mention the absolute massive soundstage that is potentially the largest on the market… the only alternative to hd800S I found was arya and I definitely preferred the Arya’s sound… not so much build on either of them unfortunately.

the problem with this is that, no headphone is going to be able to completely solve this for you. it takes time and practice to get a full grasp on being able to track footstep placement as it is… HD800S is one of the best you can even get for fps gaming out of all of the ones I tried it barely has rivals in that regard however, it’s imaging isn’t what I would call the best which could lead to some issues…

built like a tank with heavy comfort? that would be the T1 2nd generation which is what I use… the 2nd generation beyerdynamic T1 has a signature very similar to that of the HD800S yet better build, better comfort, less soundstage, but much better imaging… at the same time it still retains that beyer detail retrieval you can expect from the brand name… the 1990 would be alright too but it isn’t as similar in signature to hd800S

I suppose this depends on what you mean by in your face… because this could be soundstage intimacy or aggression of the sound. Intimacy of the soundstage would be like your old sennheisers you had before 800S and aggression is what 800S does as well as something like DT 1990… T1 unfortunately is not aggressive and very relaxed sounding.

I own both of those… clear is great for those who want a headphone that can fit pretty much anywhere but also prefer that more neutral approach to their sound signature… it’s quite an incredible headphone, granted not one I recommend personally for competitive but for music it’s absolutely fantastic and I use it regularly.

As for the 1990… since you can already tolerate 800s I think you will be fine with 1990s brightness… I think it’s worth a try if you can get your hands on one it sounds like the beyers are what your looking for in this case and they are no slouch in tarkov either seeing how I can place a sniper shots location with them just fine…

HD800S is a debatably a step above 1990 and T1.2 but really its up to the person… I don’t personally see it as a step above my T1.2 as after using my beyers for so long, I honestly despise the headphone much like I mnetioned I preferred the Arya over them. It’s a bit of a toss of the coin here I would recommend finding a way to try the beyers just to be sure… the purchase price does not mean they are better by any means as sound differs from person to person…

I can’t really recommend much more in that regard… 800S, arya, 1990, T1, etc all are in their own little grey area for competitive gaming… they are at the top of the board as far as performance for gaming.

509

Thank you Falenkor for your beautifully written guide, I want to ask you from a different perspective, I’m not a competitive gamer, what I’m looking for is audio fidelity for games like dark souls, resident evill 2 remake, final fantasy 7 remake, the Witcher 3 where immersion and clarity and detail is what I’m looking for, amp/dac I’m thinking to get the Atom as I’m playing on ps4/ps5 where usb compatibility is important.

Also comfort is important, budget is 500 dollars not counting the amp/dac

Does your guide also work for my use or is it more for FPS competitive?

Thank you

510

Ty Falenkor! This guide helped me discover the Elegia

1 Like
511

Love the elegia. Not so much for competitive personally it does well but it’s a fantastic closed back for casual and music. Thanks for chiming in @JaVerde

I’ve been asked this a few times. So quite a few of these will work in casual gamer settings but it boils down to whether you like that brighter approach to your sound in game… larger soundstage and accurate imaging though can make the world feel more alive and immersive so it does help. Since each headphone sounds different it’s more difficult to pin down a great headphone for casual gaming rather than competitive since casual gaming has alot more variables… not to mention theres much more headphones I can recommend such as for bass lovers nighthawk carbon and the argon t50rp are fantastic just bad In competitive

If your searching for clarity and detail then yes it should work fine… I’d recommend trying the beyers since they aren’t too expensive and are very well rounded especially in 880s case…

512

I might actually get some time off next week so I might actually be able to finish the updated log here. Before anybody asks me… no the gl2000 will not be on this list, focal will be removed(might be In honorable mention), and fostex will be removed… less I decide otherwise as I sit with these headphones while I’m updating

513

Thank you for your response, I don’t care much about soundstage, but clarity and detail and imaging along with comfort is my priority, not looking for bass heavy, just a little bass is ok.

So I think dt1990 or sundara might be what I’m looking for, can you clarify on the details and clarity of them ? And the comfort? I’m afraid of the weight to be honest with you.

514

both are a bit on the heftier side but not something like an audeze. I would say Sundara is a bit heavier than the 1990 but it definitely depends on what your looking for. 1990 is designed to tear apart music and pick out flaws as its an extremely analytical headphone meanwhile sundara is your laid back very wide airy spacious sound with smooth highs and very present mids more present than the 1990. The Sundara is potentially one of the best bright headphones in it’s price bracket for it’s sound. both do detail retrieval extremely well and both are very clear sounding. However, Sundara lacks in the bass and the sub bass is recessive… this is fixable through EQ but something to note. Meanwhile, 1990 is extremely neutral outside of it’s peaking aggressive treble. Unlike Sundara though, 1990 can be pad swapped like crazy and get a wide mixture of sounds that are all relatively pleasant even so much as going rather dark sounding or being very bassy. Personally, 1990 stock is alright comfort wise but it’s clamp force is a bit much at first… you have to stretch it out or change it’s pads. Sundara is nice but the build quality is pretty awful and you also have hifimans infamous quality control problems to worry about. 1990s build quality well… they are built like a tank honestly… 100% prefer the beyers for comfort over hifiman

515

Appreciate the full write up of both ! From my research and your input I think I’m more leaning towards the dt1990, so I might have to just buy it and try it myself and if I don’t like that beyer treble than I might return it and check out other options.

Thank you

516

What is the better headphone or iem than 560s only for directional audio and clarity for gaming. This ytber said that the 560s has a wallhack level of audio, just want to know what others cans is on the wallhack level(not 58x,pc38x,tygr300)

517

So, watching this… hes still new to audio and doesn’t seem to have much experience with a wide variety of headphones… hes on a good track though.

the 560s does fine… its brighter signatured with a good slightly above the average soundstage and very nice imaging while maintaining a more reference grade sound. It fits practically anywhere… however lol, wall hack level? no I mean, I guess maybe in something simplistic such as apex and csgo as those two are not at all demanding, slightly more than something simple like overwatch

the pc38x is one of the best gaming headsets you can get for a gamer looking for competitive… its awful for music, and sound quality is all over the place… its only good for gaming and that is it. Good for those who just want a headset without any bells and whistles. However, I am going to discredit this reviewer for claiming pc38x is “neutral” because its not… just like the pc37x its a bright gaming headset just now the bass is brought up however he is completely accurate in that the pc38x has big issues with certain placements. the 560s can be seen as an upgrade to the pc38x as they are of the same tuning but the 560s is the better performer

tygr 300r bests both of them in terms of imaging and soundstage, but does not best 560s in terms of clarity.

58x jubilee is the alternative to 560s and still remains one of the regular use headphones with fantastic clarity and imaging

the headphones on this list are those I hand picked for this level of play… though I need to update it cause theres a few that don’t belong now that I have more experience in the hobby. HE400i absolutely does not belong in the mix for that video it is absolutely not good for competitive gaming… its a neutral all rounder but a bit too much in the bass region and really doesn’t do well with placements

I won’t sit and list every single headphone thats good because theres a ton that will work…I can however shoot name brands

AKG: mainly only the k7 series

Audiotechnica: MSR7 series and AD—x series

Sennheiser: 500 series primarily, less your playing narrow games then 600 series works fine and has best sound quality. Note: sennheisers are more neutral than others and may fit anywhere such as casual gaming

Beyerdynamic: quite literally… just take your pick… these typically have the most ludicrous imaging levels and soundstage in most cases to the point of straight overkill

Focal: the step up from sennheiser, I adore these headphones as a gamer but they don’t best beyerdynamic in comp performance

Denon: may need some slight bass adjustments but the imaging is spot on for closed backs

HarmonicDyne: either of these two work fine… haven’t got to the zeus

Dan Clark: aeons have been on my wall for quite some time now and remain there… fantastic all rounders as a planar

Hifiman: the alternative to Beyerdynamic as a planar… Haven’t tried better bright sounding planars, just be wary which one you buy… primarily youd just want Sundara

I get asked about IEMS a few times here and there… I honestly cannot recommend IEMs for proper competitive gaming… but if you really want a solid one… personally I would recommend something such as Final Audios IEMS as they surprisingly do well with soundstage and imaging. However, the performance from headphones will far exceed that of IEM… IEM are used in venues these days as a form of isolation.

518

Just anything that is better than 560s, that reviewer is trustworthy. Recommendation?
Not tygr300r, too expensive in my country. Would be good if I don’t have to drive/power the can

519

Guys glad i tumbled across this page. I currently use a schiit hel + pc37x and its good, but not great for competitive gaming. I mainly play warzone and COD games. Most gamers endgame seems to be the hd800s and dt1990’s. What am I missing? Are there better sources to consider other than the Hel?

520

Yes there are much better sources for gaming then hel but they are not labaled as a gaming product and are more expensiv

1990 and hd 800 are top notch for gaming

521

I’m leaning on hd800s… any source suggestions?

522

The strength of the 800s for gaming is the big stage imaging and seperation. But the soundsignature itself is very bright and cold i would maybe consider somthing that adds a bit of warmth but i should know you budget

The 1990 has very accurate imaging but the stage is not that big compared to 1990. It has a more energetic and powerful touch to it but it can be overwhelming the point is the 1990 can change its signature like a chamelion thru all these available dekoni pads and beyer foam disc maybe consider that option too