Thanks a lot for the detailed reply, actually just what i was hoping for and yes i already have the Fiio 5K Pro which i hope will be enough to start with.
Both the DT880 and 990 are arriving tomorrow so now i’m more then thrilled ^^
Depends, what are you looking to spend?
58x works fine on everything except the largest of the fps. It fits practically anywhere.
Glad to hear it hope it’s exactly what your looking for. The dt 990 was my first into audiophile headphones and gaming it’s quite something if you are fine with the treble. Granted I definitely think the 600 ohm sounds much better than 250
my budget for headphone alone is around 150-200, I really like the sound of the HD 599 SE but they are uncomfortable for me after long periods. Ideally Im looking for something with similar sound to the HD 599 SE but a bit bigger on the earpads or drivers so my ears dont rub with the inside. Honestly I dont know what to do.
The HyperX Orbit S is blowing my f’ing mind! With Stereo, footsteps preset and the 3D setting to On I can hear guys 40 meters away in Warzone. In Solos, it literally feels like a different game, I’m shocked at how clearly I can hear people. The Arctis Pros couldn’t touch these in positional awareness, neither did the Logitech G635 or my Sennheiser PC363Ds. I imagine in other games the difference won’t be so pronounced but in Warzone, there is no comparison at all.
Edit: Planars are really interesting!
I mean, theres a reason it’s on this list lol. Glad your enjoying them. If you want to, and can find them, audeze made gel pads for the mobius that snap onto the orbit they are softer and more comfortable imo.
No… In other games its bout the same… orbit is just honestly pretty damn nice for a budget planar gaming headset. Planars are just really interesting and the speed and slam they provide is awesome. I keep my aeons on my wall for a good reason lol
HD 599 is a warm-ish signature. It’s a bit too bassy for appropriate competition, however if your wanting similar at your budget that would be Phillip’s fidelio x2hr or tygr 300r with the tygr performing the best of the 3
Akg k712 may be a bit similar as well but more recessive in the bass
Tygr can change its pads to a thicker velour. If you want to get super technical you can pad swap a dt 880 to deplete its treble around neutral add and gain about that much bass. 990 can do the same but the treble presence will stay there
Would recommend stretching the band out more see if it relieves the discomfort
So EQ’ing the X2’s treble and lowering the bass will make them better at imaging? Just a random question
the imaging on the x2 is alright, just not the best. HD 599 is pretty much in the same boat in this regard. Not really going to make the imaging better by just increasing the treble… while it may give some clarity and push some sounds forward it won’t improve the accuracy of the headphone really. Both headphones have a bass issue, 599 soundstage is around average while x2hr soundstage is quite large, imaging I would say sennheiser is a bit better in that regard, bass is more controlled on 599 and a bit muddy on x2hr.
if comparing the tygr to that, theres no competition outside of x2hr having more depth to it’s sound naturally and being a bit more treble present… other than that tygr completely bests them in full 3d staging and it’s accurate imaging which is practically a laser pointer, while the tygr is a warm signature and bassy… it’s so heavily controlled it doesn’t really have a rumble issue in competitive… it puts it in a special place honestly
Lets say I return my HD 599 SE and save up a bit more maybe around $400, What would you recommend for competitive fps?
depends.
Console or Pc?
does that budget involve an amp/dac or do you already own a good enough unit?
What are you looking to get out of your headphone specifically?
Is there music involved? if so what genres?
Casual gaming involved or just competitive?
you mention you like how the 599 sounds, if you could improve it’s sound what would that be and what would you keep?
and lastly, which FPS are we talking here? You mention Valorant and Warzone any others?
I will check back in on this in the morning, for now I sleep lol.
PC, B450-I ROG STRIX motherboard if it matters at all
I could expand my budget if I need an amp/dac
I already a own a mic so Im looking for a headphone that can help me pinpoint people more easily, my mains were a hyper x cloud II that Ive been using for 3 years and they are dying. I thought hyper x clouds II were good but after trying the hd 599 SE I clearly see there are much better headphones. I said that I like the sound of the 599 SE but its also my only experience with an audiophile headphone.
If im not playing warzone/ valorant Ill be listening to music while playing league of legends/ Black desert online or will be coding and studying. Music that I listen is Classis Metal, Deathcore, Metal, Metalcore, you know Metal mostly and the ocasional Rap.
Like I said the HD 599 SE were my first audiophile headphone so Im a noob on how to identify sound signature, the different sound profiles and what I need, All I know is that between the Hyper X Cloud II and the HD 599 SE I found the 599 SE more clearer and easy on the ears, The clouds were very bassy.
Goodnight man.
Hello again. Can you think of any point going from open back to closed-back when I can use open back daily in my environment?
For gaming, no.
Personally, I find closed backs uncomfortable due to lower airflow and happily ditched them for semi-open or open headphones when gaming.
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Hey @Falenkor !
So I appreciate the write-up and love the distinction you made regarding open battlefields and sound vs more linear. Soundstage and imaging go hand in hand and there’s definitely a need for sound separation. This leads me to my question to you. I can lay my current setup then ask:
Primary use: Rainbow Six Siege/R6/R6S (more corridor based/linear?)
Current headphone: AD700x
Current Amp/DAC: Magni/Modi
Budget: $500-550?
I have the AD700x and it fits my head just fine. Since you mentioned that sound separation isn’t as great for it and the 1000x price range can be replaced by something better, any advice on what would be an upgrade?
I’m entirely focused on the best imaging, sound separation, with less of a need for open battlefields and more corridor based than anything.
yep, I can. Depends on your own environment… if it’s a loud room and you want isolation of course I would say maybe consider a closed back. That or if your trying to get into venues in the competitive scene we use closed backs mixed with IEMs so using an open back could hinder your progress while trying to get better. Other than that? no not really, open backs will in most cases have the better soundstage and imaging just depends on the headphone, alot of times the closed backs just have too much bass.
If I recall correctly, not at home right now to check lol, thats the 1220A audio codec from asus… if that’s accurate it should be able to drive around 250-300 ohm headphones… it claims it can drive 600 ohm but I don’t recommend trying that. I would still recommend an amp… but it would be worth trying ampless depending on the headphone you decide to go with.
if you go with an amp, it doesn’t need to be anything expensive… entry levels maximum is around $200 but you can get away with something like $120 like ifi zen dac or soundblasters g6…
that explains why you like the signature of the 599, lol you definitely will appreciate the bassier warmer sound signatures.
should be simple enough.
Tygr 300r for your tastes in sound would be your best bet. X2HR would be the best for “fun” bassy sounds but not the best in competitive, DT 880 or in some cases 990 with a pad swap is a viable option as well… you can use something like suedes from Dekoni and deplete their treble and practically make them bassy as hell be sure to check measurements and precisely what each pad does before going this route as some times you will turn your headphone dark or muddy, in the sennheisers case HD 599 and 558 are the bassy ones that are just too overwhelming, recommend switching over to something like 58x jubilee as 600 series is not that good for warzone… less your okay with a more intimate soundstage as some people are. Unlike the HD558 and 599 which use quite a bit of a thinner pad… you can swap the 58x to a thicker pad that will keep your ear off the driver… seen here Dekoni Choice Leather replacement earpads for the Sennheiser HD6XX Series compared to a 599 pad which you can see one of those here https://dekoniaudio.com/product/b-stock-dekoni-audio-choice-leather-v2-replacement-ear-pads-for-sennheiser-hd598-599-pc37x-pc38x-headphones/ as 599 uses the same kind of pads you would find on the game series as well which to me, is quite uncomfortable.
the Sennheisers will not need an amplifier, if your motherboard is what I am thinking… for the tygr you shouldn’t need an amp. However, if you plan to go the beyer DT series you will need one more than likely as they are much more demanding and should be at 600 ohms.
I would recommend something from AKG, Audio Technica, or Hifiman but with akg they are more bass recessive, audio technica is bass recessive or a bit lacking on the imaging in comparison, and hifiman is another bass lacking but better sounding bright headphone which may not be up your alley… if you still think otherwise on hifiman… the headphone of choice would be simple of which that would be the Sundara’s but the imaging isn’t as good as the beyers… they do however, have a better soundstage and in quite a few cases better sound quality as a bright headphone.
I see so many people make the mistake in thinking it’s all just the soundstage and imaging lol.
it’s more narrow yeah
1000x would be fine but slightly marginal in upgrade technicalities all considering… mainly due to you have to take the games engine into account as well. Mainly just the primary alternatives… DT 1990 is in that particular budget and completely shuts down the AD series(ad2000x excluded), as is the T1.2, Tygr 300R, Sundara, potentially one being added to this list the Zeus, among others…
I would recommend seeing how tolerant you are to treble first though before going that route… as while there is better, I don’t see a point in getting a headphone that makes someone uncomfortable… the AD series is quite good at what it does… but they lack in the bass and separation… while not the most important factors they do help in some cases like in siege where you have the low frequencies come into play for things such as deeper floorboards and other such sounds. Separation isn’t -as- important in siege but it can help. In that game I wouldn’t recommend the AKG alternative as that has imaging issues… the only one that comes to mind is switching over to Beyer as sennheiser would deplete your soundstage a bit more.
alot of headphones will suit this fine, sennheiser included, just depends. 58x jubilee can in most cases work well in siege and other similar smaller games like cod so it’s really not necessary to go full tilt on your headphone choice here. If you like the AD700X and it’s comfort maybe just try the AD1000X or hell if you want to go to an absolute ridiculous degree go to the AD2000x which has absurd imaging, larger soundstage, and a better signature overall with good separation.
Your amp and dac is just fine unless you really go down the rabbit hole, so all I can say is what’s above here. Something from Beyer would be a step up, 58x jubilee would be a side grade but more balanced tonality, AKG while you’d gain soundstage you’d have some imaging issues, ad1000x / ad2000x would be an upgrade, and Sundara would also be an upgrade if you want to go planar
Just gonna join the discussion again.
I’ve tried to use a pair of DT 770 pro 80ohm and they sound pretty bad on onboard. So yeah. An amp is very likely needed.
Also, a random question again. Do you think I’d like planars if I already like the smoothness and punchyness of dynamic headphones? I’ve heard planars are pretty aggressive and not very warm most of the time. And they look uncomfortable just looking at the weight.
EDIT: What was your first impressions of planar headphones the first time?
I appreciate the response @Falenkor! Would you be able to speak to whether Planar makes a difference with the audio engine used in Siege? Also you mentioned Sundara has had QC issues so it may be a risky purchase.
The other element is something I’m also interested in what you said. For music and movies I can see the benefit of some of these higher priced models. But you mentioned that in Siege separation of audio cues are not the most important factors.
Say I was considering, DT1990 (I could EQ this with Loki to be less harsh?) vs TYGR 300R vs AD1000x vs AD2000x vs Sundara, what would work the best in your estimation for gaming situations and audio cues in Siege? Knowing their audio cues (footsteps, placement of footsteps being above or below, direction/imaging etc).
Edit: And one more thing. Is it ultimately worth the increase for strictly FPS gaming? I know the headphone doesn’t make you a better gamer, but are the increases in the ability to pick up audio cues substantially better with price or is the improvement only marginal?
Just gonna add to this. I don’t think you should go over 3-400 dollars for a headphone just for gaming. I’ve heard Zeos talk about that it would be unnecessary for just gaming. I might be wrong here.
Edit: And it would definitely depend which headphone you buy with its imaging capabilities, separation and soundstage. As for price to performance. Probs not very good over that pricerange.
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The TYGR’s would be the best in your situation. Decent soundstage, great imaging. Warmer sound than the 990’s I use according to people and tests. So yeah. You could EQ to get more treble in order to hear cues easier. But that wouldn’t be needed I don’t think.
So many edits…
Since the pads on the Tygr’s arent very good in the long run since they flatten very easily. Do a pad swap from dekoni or electromod.co.uk (they sell pads for EU) you could easily get much more comfier pads on them with memory foam which is much better.
Hi Falenkor,
You rock, been reading several of your comments, I’m impressed with your dedication and knowledge, respect! I’ve got some questions though… hope you could help a fellow European who’s getting into the rabbit hole!
I’ve always loved music from Experimental Jazz to Prog Metal and I’m also a highly competitive player @ Valorant, but never invested time understanding the hardware side of things, so I’ve been living with mostly crappy gaming headphones. Hopefully those times are over!
As a European my options for Headphones/Amps/Dacs are somehow limited as far as I’ve understood thus far, but I would like to ask your opinion on the following products that I’ve selected, based on my “limited/current” knowledge for my use and budget.
Budget - Around 400 EUR ~ 500 USD (can be changed if there’s a good reason)
Headphone
Beyerdynamic DT 880 Edition 600 Ohm – 159 EUR ~ 194 USD
Sad that EU prices are clearly overpriced when compared to USA prices, otherwise I’d pick an Asgard 3/DarkVoice for 200$ and Liquid Spark/Ifi Zen Dac for 99$ in USA, where in EU that would cost me 500 USD? Like seriously? 
As someone who’s new into this world, I find it hard to “swallow” the pillow that Amps and Dacs are as expensive if not even more expensive than the headphones itself. Anyhow I’m willing to take the risks as I’m naive enough to believe that there’s still so much potential.
What kind of Headphone/Amp/Dac would you suggest for my usage/budget?
This turned out to be a longer message than I initially expected. I’m sorry for the text wall. I would be deeply grateful and appreciate if you could educate me on how to make a reasonable choice based on my budget/usage and price/performance of the different products.
Thanks a lot!
Stay healthy!
Thanks, and it’s partly why I hesitate on upgrading from the 700x. Do you have a link to where Zeos explains this?