New Headphone/Headset - best sound (gaming/music)

[Rickeyhb]

Hi,
I want to buy the best possible sound within my max budget: 240 £ / 270 € / 320 $

I want it to be Closed back and Wired

1. Should I buy an audio card?
2. Should I buy a DAC or AMP or a combo ?
3. Should it be a real 7.1 / virtual 7.1 / stereo?

I know you can't answer all of this for me as the final dissension is up to me, but I want to hear your experiences and suggestions, as i am to buy only one pair and it seems like some of you have waaay to many headphones


The audio on my motherboard is:
ROG SupremeFX 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC S1220A
- Dual Headphone Amplifiers
- Impedance sense for front and rear headphone outputs
- Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking
- High quality 120 dB SNR stereo playback output and 113 dB SNR recording input
- SupremeFX Shielding Technology
- Supports up to 32-Bit/192kHz playback *6
Audio Feature :
- SupremeFX Shielding™ Technology
- Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel
- Dedicated audio PCB layers: Separate layers for left and right channels to guard the quality of the sensitive audio signals
- Premium Japanese-made audio capacitors: Provide warm, natural and immersive sound with exceptional clarity and fidelity
- Sonic Radar III
- Sonic Studio III

 

[AverageNinja]

I'm anything but an audiophile, but I'd recommend you to take a look at these lists from Zeos / Z-Reviews:

General/music headphones
Gaming headphones
Amp/dacs

The headphones with 'EASY' in front of them probably don't require an amp/dac, but it's always a nice thing to have. Even the cheaper amp/dac combo's on these lists should be an improvement over on-board audio.

I personally own the Status Audio CB-1 with a V-Moda Boom Pro so I can use it as a headset. The sound quality is REALLY good for the money ($80), but it's built quite cheap, so if that's a turn-off for you I wouldn't bother with it.

The Audio Technica M40X is a good alternative, but apparently they're quite uncomfortable with the stock earpads, so you'd have to replace them with Brainwavz HM5 pads.

 

[AlienALX]

Hi,

1. Should I buy an audio card?
2.Should I buy a DAC or AMP or a combo ?
3.Should it be a real 7.1 / virtual 7.1 / stereo?

I have taken the important elements of your post and numbered the questions so I can tackle them one at a time.

1. I would. Of course it depends on your onboard (I did see it, but am not going to spend ages researching it) and how well it outputs sound. However if you want high end prepare to pay for it. If you are happy with the sound now then leave that alone.

2. Depends if you prefer analogue audio and have the critical listening skills to determine the difference. Some prefer digital audio others analogue. As for the amp/combo? that depends on the headphones you decide to buy. If they are easily driven (like Grado, for example) then no, you don't need an amp. However something like Hifiman Planar Magnetic? yeah those buggers take some serious driving.

Believe it or not the best sounding pair of closed back headphones I have are easily my Beats Studios with noise cancelling. There is a very minor hiss at idle (because that's just how they are) but they sound pretty superb for closed backs. You don't get the dynamics or the soundstage you get from open backed cans (like being tricked into thinking you can hear things 20ft behind you) but they are crystal clear and pack a serious whallop if you want them to.

3. I always stick to stereo. Good Dolby stereo and a bloody good pair of headphones will create a good sound stage for you and convince you that sounds are coming from all over the place (see also - Grado). But those are open backed. You will not get the same sort of effect from closed backs IMO. Not unless you spend a thousand pounds on some Fostex.

I have a set of B&O Beoplay H6 and they are very nice, but the bass at times seems a little fake. Like they are just waffling. This is why I could not believe that the Beats actually sound better.

 

[Rickeyhb]

AvgNinja - Thanks for the links, gave me insight on what to look after, when I am trying to find my purchase.

1. Okay, I've been reading up on my internal sound and it seems decent So I will try without an audio card(maybe add one later when my budget gets bigger)

2. Well the truth is that I don't know what I prefer. ( Because I haven't heard the difference )

3. Okay, you defiantly lifted my hopes for stereo, I was fooled by the deceiving advertisements of the surround sound headsets, to believe that they were far superior in games.

I am trying to find a store (in Denmark) where I can actually listen to some headsets of the different types.

2. I think I understand it like an AMP is always nice to have (even when running my sound through the motherboard)?
So if I were to buy this AMP:
https://www.amazon.com/Magni-2-Uber-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00SCBX6FA/
I would need to use a cable like this: (right?)
https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-105597-3-Feet-Premium-Stereo/dp/B0094A1F3S/
and maybe an (3.5 mm) to 1/4" (6.35 mm) adapter if not included with the headphones.

(the amp and cables are just examples, I haven't decided anything yet)

 

[AlienALX]

Yeah it is always a good idea to go and audition anything you are considering buying. You can read a ton of reviews but because audio is so subjective and so many people prefer different things it can also be a minefield.

Remember what I said about amps. Do not just buy one until you have decided on exactly which headphones you want, and then if they need driving then buy an amp.

 

[NeverBackDown]

A very good budget solution for you would be to get some Beyerdynamic DT770s with a Fiio e10k. A very good headphone with one of the most popular cheap DAC/Amp units will surprise you with it's game performance and then really shine with music. Good thing too is that the DT770 has very strong bass performance which is nice to have during games.

 

[Rickeyhb]

AlienALX - Okay thanks will figure out the headphones before the amp.

Thanks for the tip and I have actually recently been using the Beyerdynamics DT770 80 Ohm with Creative SoundBlaster ZX at a research facility, but sadly haven't had time to use them for other than my experiment.

But when looking at such a headphone I am unsure about the pros/cons with the 80 Ohm vs 250 Ohm versions

 

[NeverBackDown]

AlienALX - Okay thanks will figure out the headphones before the amp.

Thanks for the tip and I have actually recently been using the Beyerdynamics DT770 80 Ohm with Creative SoundBlaster ZX at a research facility, but sadly haven't had time to use them for other than my experiment.

But when looking at such a headphone I am unsure about the pros/cons with the 80 Ohm vs 250 Ohm versions

I'd get the 250ohm. Slightly tighter bass response. That's the only acoustic difference. The other difference is the fact that higher Ohm means more resistance, which means more power needed to drive it. However Beyerdynamic make pretty efficient headphones so you can still get away with lower power amps. Which is why the Fiio e10k is a popular choice for efficient headphones.
I used to use the e10k and DT990 250Ohm pros. It's definitely not lacking any power, sure it won't get mega loud but it is loud enough that your ears will hurt listening to music that loud.