Best headphones for directional pinpointing

[Mahnameisderp]

Hey guys, i'm looking for some quality headphones for gaming and listening to music, i'm think the headphones should be able to rivle the Ad700 or Ad700x but remain somewhere at 100$ max 150$ (P.Si live in canada)

i'm going to be playing alot of fps and rpg games like bf3, arma 2-3, dark souls, dark souls 2, etc

 

[ryan27968]

In my opinion these are the best you can get: http/www.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/razer-tiamat-71 . However they are a bit out of your price range so here are some other great ones: http/www.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/virtual-surround-sound-range these all should serve you well. The megalodon is probably the best one in your price range and has many great features: http/www.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/razer-megalodon/ . The great thing about this is that it has a built in sound card so you will get beautiful sound quality. However, they can only be used on a pc. not on anything else.

 

[ncmike]

http/www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/beyerdynamic-dt-770-pro-closed-studio-headphones--250-ohms?source=3WWRWXGP&kwid=productads-plaid^57300117307-sku^272024000000000@ADL4MF-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^30425851827

Maybe out of your price range, but I use these which are also my studio headphones. With a frequency response: 5-35,000Hz I have never been satisfied with any other pair- none have even been a close 2nd.

Regards,
Mike

 

[ryan27968]

Those are not gaming headphones. He needs gaming headphones.

 

[ncmike]

Those are not gaming headphones. He needs gaming headphones.

I think if you reread his post is said for listening to music as well, no? 20-20,000kHz headphones provide a poor dynamic range for any cans over $100 these days.

Regards,
Mike

 

[ryan27968]

isnt it better to buy one set of headphones that works great for gaming and music rather that one set that is great for music but not as great for pinpointing? note the title: Best headphones for directional pinpointing. as i understand this, it is more important to be able to do directional pinpointing than for music. the fact is, these simply will not work as well for gaming as proper gaming headsets.

 

[ryan27968]

and what is the point of 5-35,000 frequency range when human ears can only hear between about 15 and 18,000 hz? this seems completely pointless to me and a waste of money. This is like saying a tp panel is better than an ips panel because it has a 2ms refresh rate instead of a 5ms refresh rate. Humans can only see at a 10ms refresh rate anyway! i simply do not understand some arguments. Again, im sure these are great for studio and music, but simply do not fit the bill when it comes to gaming.

 

[ncmike]

and what is the point of 5-35,000 frequency range when human ears can only hear between about 15 and 18,000 hz? this seems completely pointless to me and a waste of money. This is like saying a tp panel is better than an ips panel because it has a 2ms refresh rate instead of a 5ms refresh rate. Humans can only see at a 10ms refresh rate anyway! i simply do not understand some arguments. Again, im sure these are great for studio and music, but simply do not fit the bill when it comes to gaming.

The key number if the 5kHz - the base is far deeper and cleaner. Also, those headphones are more like reference headsets - the very same reason we use reference monitors in the studio. For gaming the extra rich deep base really makes a difference - get that gut feel clean bass. Sure, if one has the funds then two headsets are fine, but if I have to choose, I'd go for the better overall set - gaming phones are not that demanding.

 

[ryan27968]

I disagree. Gaming headsets need to be designed for gaming, or else the 3D will not work properly. Besides, the headphones you are suggesting have a mere 10 hz difference with the ones i have suggested. think about it. it vibrates only 5 times per second! this is pretty much overkill. i have never heard any sound that runs at 5 hz or even 20hz. i believe that you do not fully understand how frequency ranges work or audio in general. the fact is, gaming headsets are designed specifically FOR GAMING. The primary thing this person will want to do is GAMING. in order to get a proper 3D sound experience, you must have headphones designed for it. These headphones will also have great music quality.

 

[ncmike]

I disagree. Gaming headsets need to be designed for gaming, or else the 3D will not work properly. Besides, the headphones you are suggesting have a mere 10 hz difference with the ones i have suggested. think about it. it vibrates only 5 times per second! this is pretty much overkill. i have never heard any sound that runs at 5 hz or even 20hz. i believe that you do not fully understand how frequency ranges work or audio in general. the fact is, gaming headsets are designed specifically FOR GAMING. The primary thing this person will want to do is GAMING. in order to get a proper 3D sound experience, you must have headphones designed for it. These headphones will also have great music quality.

I don't understand? I do studio recording son. That 5hz makes a huge difference - you probably never have never listened to any cans of that quality before.

 

[ryan27968]

I disagree. Gaming headsets need to be designed for gaming, or else the 3D will not work properly. Besides, the headphones you are suggesting have a mere 10 hz difference with the ones i have suggested. think about it. it vibrates only 5 times per second! this is pretty much overkill. i have never heard any sound that runs at 5 hz or even 20hz. i believe that you do not fully understand how frequency ranges work or audio in general. the fact is, gaming headsets are designed specifically FOR GAMING. The primary thing this person will want to do is GAMING. in order to get a proper 3D sound experience, you must have headphones designed for it. These headphones will also have great music quality.

I don't understand? I do studio recording son. That 5hz makes a huge difference - you probably never have never listened to any cans of that quality before.

I appologise if i came across rude. i simply can not understand how 5hz can make such a difference when humans can only hear at 15hz?

 

[ncmike]

Ahh, you ask an excellent question. Below 20Hz you can't hear the base, but you can feel it and it is less muddy. At the high-end all of that additional headroom above 15-20K reveals all of the subtle harmonics of the frequencies within the audio bandwidth that are lurking there - that is why folks that own them universally say that with them they can hear nuances they've never heard before. Read the reviews in the link I posted - some are from very experienced audio engineers with decades of experience - they describe the experience with those headphones and remember, they are used to using the best of the best audio gear. There are better ones but those cost a mint. The DT 770's are also so comfortable they can be worn all day - which again is why a lot of studios use them (imagine having to wear a pair of headphones for 12-15 hours straight - then again, I am sure there are some serious gamers that are at it just as long lol).

I can't attest to use them for gaming - which is why maybe a different pair for gaming might be better.

Regards,
Mike

 

[ryan27968]

Ahh, you ask an excellent question. Below 20Hz you can't hear the base, but you can feel it and it is less muddy. At the high-end all of that additional headroom above 15-20K reveals all of the subtle harmonics of the frequencies within the audio bandwidth that are lurking there - that is why folks that own them universally say that with them they can hear nuances they've never heard before. Read the reviews in the link I posted - some are from very experienced audio engineers with decades of experience - they describe the experience with those headphones and remember, they are used to using the best of the best audio gear. There are better ones but those cost a mint. The DT 770's are also so comfortable they can be worn all day - which again is why a lot of studios use them (imagine having to wear a pair of headphones for 12-15 hours straight - then again, I am sure there are some serious gamers that are at it just as long lol).

I can't attest to use them for gaming - which is why maybe a different pair for gaming might be better.

Regards,
Mike

Thanks for clarifying that for me. I now understand why you were suggesting these. However they DO have one flaw. They do not natively support 3D sound. There is one thing you said that i disagree with: "gaming phones are not that demanding." They are actually quite demanding as they need to have 3D support.

 

[ncmike]

Ahh, you ask an excellent question. Below 20Hz you can't hear the base, but you can feel it and it is less muddy. At the high-end all of that additional headroom above 15-20K reveals all of the subtle harmonics of the frequencies within the audio bandwidth that are lurking there - that is why folks that own them universally say that with them they can hear nuances they've never heard before. Read the reviews in the link I posted - some are from very experienced audio engineers with decades of experience - they describe the experience with those headphones and remember, they are used to using the best of the best audio gear. There are better ones but those cost a mint. The DT 770's are also so comfortable they can be worn all day - which again is why a lot of studios use them (imagine having to wear a pair of headphones for 12-15 hours straight - then again, I am sure there are some serious gamers that are at it just as long lol).

I can't attest to use them for gaming - which is why maybe a different pair for gaming might be better.

Regards,
Mike

Thanks for clarifying that for me. I now understand why you were suggesting these. However they DO have one flaw. They do not natively support 3D sound. There is one thing you said that i disagree with: "gaming phones are not that demanding." They are actually quite demanding as they need to have 3D support.

Yes, like I implied, I am not any expert on gaming headsets and trust your judgement there. As is typically the case, what is ideal for one application may not be so good for another - hence, the tradeoffs if one has to choose.

Regards,
Mike

 

[BoracusGrim]

i currently use the ad700s for fps and i think they're great. they significantly lack bass unamped but at least the low end is detailed. if you do amp it though you can squeeze out a bit more im surprised no one asked him about his soundcard because if hes using onboard sound then it really doesnt matter anyway.

to add to the whole "true surround" discussion- sound needs to travel a certain distance before it can be accurately pinpointed. smashing a bunch of lower quality speakers in a headset doesnt =better. the ad700s with no dolby or emulation whatsoever has great directional, soooo much better than the sharkoon x-tatic even though it had "true surround." the only true surround headset ive heard of are the psyko carbons and i guess they are ear piercingly bright.

as for the ops question i dont think it exists for the price. the Beyerdynamic DT880 pro and the akg 702/701 would beat them into outer space but those are about 250 usd

 

[ryan27968]

Ahh, you ask an excellent question. Below 20Hz you can't hear the base, but you can feel it and it is less muddy. At the high-end all of that additional headroom above 15-20K reveals all of the subtle harmonics of the frequencies within the audio bandwidth that are lurking there - that is why folks that own them universally say that with them they can hear nuances they've never heard before. Read the reviews in the link I posted - some are from very experienced audio engineers with decades of experience - they describe the experience with those headphones and remember, they are used to using the best of the best audio gear. There are better ones but those cost a mint. The DT 770's are also so comfortable they can be worn all day - which again is why a lot of studios use them (imagine having to wear a pair of headphones for 12-15 hours straight - then again, I am sure there are some serious gamers that are at it just as long lol).

I can't attest to use them for gaming - which is why maybe a different pair for gaming might be better.

Regards,
Mike

Thanks for clarifying that for me. I now understand why you were suggesting these. However they DO have one flaw. They do not natively support 3D sound. There is one thing you said that i disagree with: "gaming phones are not that demanding." They are actually quite demanding as they need to have 3D support.

Yes, like I implied, I am not any expert on gaming headsets and trust your judgement there. As is typically the case, what is ideal for one application may not be so good for another - hence, the tradeoffs if one has to choose.

Regards,
Mike

i currently use the ad700s for fps and i think they're great. they significantly lack bass unamped but at least the low end is detailed. if you do amp it though you can squeeze out a bit more im surprised no one asked him about his soundcard because if hes using onboard sound then it really doesnt matter anyway.

to add to the whole "true surround" discussion- sound needs to travel a certain distance before it can be accurately pinpointed. smashing a bunch of lower quality speakers in a headset doesnt =better. the ad700s with no dolby or emulation whatsoever has great directional, soooo much better than the sharkoon x-tatic even though it had "true surround." the only true surround headset ive heard of are the psyko carbons and i guess they are ear piercingly bright.

as for the ops question i dont think it exists for the price. the Beyerdynamic DT880 pro and the akg 702/701 would beat them into outer space but those are about 250 usd

Actually you are incorrect. surround sound headphones really do work(if they are actually designed to be gaming headphones) while you can pinpoint with other headphones, it is much better with headphones that are designed to do this.

 

[BoracusGrim]

Ahh, you ask an excellent question. Below 20Hz you can't hear the base, but you can feel it and it is less muddy. At the high-end all of that additional headroom above 15-20K reveals all of the subtle harmonics of the frequencies within the audio bandwidth that are lurking there - that is why folks that own them universally say that with them they can hear nuances they've never heard before. Read the reviews in the link I posted - some are from very experienced audio engineers with decades of experience - they describe the experience with those headphones and remember, they are used to using the best of the best audio gear. There are better ones but those cost a mint. The DT 770's are also so comfortable they can be worn all day - which again is why a lot of studios use them (imagine having to wear a pair of headphones for 12-15 hours straight - then again, I am sure there are some serious gamers that are at it just as long lol).

I can't attest to use them for gaming - which is why maybe a different pair for gaming might be better.

Regards,
Mike

Thanks for clarifying that for me. I now understand why you were suggesting these. However they DO have one flaw. They do not natively support 3D sound. There is one thing you said that i disagree with: "gaming phones are not that demanding." They are actually quite demanding as they need to have 3D support.

Yes, like I implied, I am not any expert on gaming headsets and trust your judgement there. As is typically the case, what is ideal for one application may not be so good for another - hence, the tradeoffs if one has to choose.

Regards,
Mike

i currently use the ad700s for fps and i think they're great. they significantly lack bass unamped but at least the low end is detailed. if you do amp it though you can squeeze out a bit more im surprised no one asked him about his soundcard because if hes using onboard sound then it really doesnt matter anyway.

to add to the whole "true surround" discussion- sound needs to travel a certain distance before it can be accurately pinpointed. smashing a bunch of lower quality speakers in a headset doesnt =better. the ad700s with no dolby or emulation whatsoever has great directional, soooo much better than the sharkoon x-tatic even though it had "true surround." the only true surround headset ive heard of are the psyko carbons and i guess they are ear piercingly bright.

as for the ops question i dont think it exists for the price. the Beyerdynamic DT880 pro and the akg 702/701 would beat them into outer space but those are about 250 usd

Actually you are incorrect. surround sound headphones really do work(if they are actually designed to be gaming headphones) while you can pinpoint with other headphones, it is much better with headphones that are designed to do this.

can you quote me a professional investigation that verifies this?

the pinna (the outer part of the ear) catches the sound and funnels it down to the ear-drum. The folds and curves of the pinna alter the waveform of the sound as its funneled, and this happens in different ways depending on the direction in which the sound enters the pinna. The brain picks up those differences and is able to tell whether a sound originated in front, behind, above, below etc. So that's how you're able to spatially place a sound you can only hear in one ear.

see this is where one might shout HA! i got you, but no because of the distance from your ear and the size of the driver, you dont get a different bounce off the curvature of your ears than if you used a quality pair of cans. this is only for headphones though. of course a 5.1 surround speaker setup is going to be more beneficial than a 2.1 or 2.0.

 

[ryan27968]

Ahh, you ask an excellent question. Below 20Hz you can't hear the base, but you can feel it and it is less muddy. At the high-end all of that additional headroom above 15-20K reveals all of the subtle harmonics of the frequencies within the audio bandwidth that are lurking there - that is why folks that own them universally say that with them they can hear nuances they've never heard before. Read the reviews in the link I posted - some are from very experienced audio engineers with decades of experience - they describe the experience with those headphones and remember, they are used to using the best of the best audio gear. There are better ones but those cost a mint. The DT 770's are also so comfortable they can be worn all day - which again is why a lot of studios use them (imagine having to wear a pair of headphones for 12-15 hours straight - then again, I am sure there are some serious gamers that are at it just as long lol).

I can't attest to use them for gaming - which is why maybe a different pair for gaming might be better.

Regards,
Mike

Thanks for clarifying that for me. I now understand why you were suggesting these. However they DO have one flaw. They do not natively support 3D sound. There is one thing you said that i disagree with: "gaming phones are not that demanding." They are actually quite demanding as they need to have 3D support.

Yes, like I implied, I am not any expert on gaming headsets and trust your judgement there. As is typically the case, what is ideal for one application may not be so good for another - hence, the tradeoffs if one has to choose.

Regards,
Mike

i currently use the ad700s for fps and i think they're great. they significantly lack bass unamped but at least the low end is detailed. if you do amp it though you can squeeze out a bit more im surprised no one asked him about his soundcard because if hes using onboard sound then it really doesnt matter anyway.

to add to the whole "true surround" discussion- sound needs to travel a certain distance before it can be accurately pinpointed. smashing a bunch of lower quality speakers in a headset doesnt =better. the ad700s with no dolby or emulation whatsoever has great directional, soooo much better than the sharkoon x-tatic even though it had "true surround." the only true surround headset ive heard of are the psyko carbons and i guess they are ear piercingly bright.

as for the ops question i dont think it exists for the price. the Beyerdynamic DT880 pro and the akg 702/701 would beat them into outer space but those are about 250 usd

Actually you are incorrect. surround sound headphones really do work(if they are actually designed to be gaming headphones) while you can pinpoint with other headphones, it is much better with headphones that are designed to do this.

can you quote me a professional investigation that verifies this?

the pinna (the outer part of the ear) catches the sound and funnels it down to the ear-drum. The folds and curves of the pinna alter the waveform of the sound as its funneled, and this happens in different ways depending on the direction in which the sound enters the pinna. The brain picks up those differences and is able to tell whether a sound originated in front, behind, above, below etc. So that's how you're able to spatially place a sound you can only hear in one ear.

see this is where one might shout HA! i got you, but no because of the distance from your ear and the size of the driver, you dont get a different bounce off the curvature of your ears than if you used a quality pair of cans. this is only for headphones though. of course a 5.1 surround speaker setup is going to be more beneficial than a 2.1 or 2.0.

Believe what you want, but in my experience, directional pinpointing excels on surround sound headphones.

 

[BoracusGrim]

Ahh, you ask an excellent question. Below 20Hz you can't hear the base, but you can feel it and it is less muddy. At the high-end all of that additional headroom above 15-20K reveals all of the subtle harmonics of the frequencies within the audio bandwidth that are lurking there - that is why folks that own them universally say that with them they can hear nuances they've never heard before. Read the reviews in the link I posted - some are from very experienced audio engineers with decades of experience - they describe the experience with those headphones and remember, they are used to using the best of the best audio gear. There are better ones but those cost a mint. The DT 770's are also so comfortable they can be worn all day - which again is why a lot of studios use them (imagine having to wear a pair of headphones for 12-15 hours straight - then again, I am sure there are some serious gamers that are at it just as long lol).

I can't attest to use them for gaming - which is why maybe a different pair for gaming might be better.

Regards,
Mike

Thanks for clarifying that for me. I now understand why you were suggesting these. However they DO have one flaw. They do not natively support 3D sound. There is one thing you said that i disagree with: "gaming phones are not that demanding." They are actually quite demanding as they need to have 3D support.

Yes, like I implied, I am not any expert on gaming headsets and trust your judgement there. As is typically the case, what is ideal for one application may not be so good for another - hence, the tradeoffs if one has to choose.

Regards,
Mike

i currently use the ad700s for fps and i think they're great. they significantly lack bass unamped but at least the low end is detailed. if you do amp it though you can squeeze out a bit more im surprised no one asked him about his soundcard because if hes using onboard sound then it really doesnt matter anyway.

to add to the whole "true surround" discussion- sound needs to travel a certain distance before it can be accurately pinpointed. smashing a bunch of lower quality speakers in a headset doesnt =better. the ad700s with no dolby or emulation whatsoever has great directional, soooo much better than the sharkoon x-tatic even though it had "true surround." the only true surround headset ive heard of are the psyko carbons and i guess they are ear piercingly bright.

as for the ops question i dont think it exists for the price. the Beyerdynamic DT880 pro and the akg 702/701 would beat them into outer space but those are about 250 usd

Actually you are incorrect. surround sound headphones really do work(if they are actually designed to be gaming headphones) while you can pinpoint with other headphones, it is much better with headphones that are designed to do this.

can you quote me a professional investigation that verifies this?

the pinna (the outer part of the ear) catches the sound and funnels it down to the ear-drum. The folds and curves of the pinna alter the waveform of the sound as its funneled, and this happens in different ways depending on the direction in which the sound enters the pinna. The brain picks up those differences and is able to tell whether a sound originated in front, behind, above, below etc. So that's how you're able to spatially place a sound you can only hear in one ear.

see this is where one might shout HA! i got you, but no because of the distance from your ear and the size of the driver, you dont get a different bounce off the curvature of your ears than if you used a quality pair of cans. this is only for headphones though. of course a 5.1 surround speaker setup is going to be more beneficial than a 2.1 or 2.0.

Believe what you want, but in my experience, directional pinpointing excels on surround sound headphones.

okay i wasnt trying to convince you, i was just trying to point out very large errors. not because something is made to do something in particular is it the best. im sure ill get flamed for this but beats are all hype, in my opinion, as someone who on occasion really likes bass and listens to almost entirely electronica i know these aren't justified for their price point. another example is the steel series sensei mlg ed mouse which goes up to 16400 cpi/dcpi. no person on earth would ever be able to use this, but i know a few people who bought into the hype. i think the "surround headsets" are hype. they function as the beats and sensei do but its just a waste for something sub optimal

 

[Mahnameisderp]

I live in canada Eh?

Plus I heard that the Ad700-700x are supposed to be way better for directional pinpointing than the razer products