Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro 250Ohm vs Sennheiser HD558 for Gaming

[TrickyJumbo3000]

Hey guys,
So I've been looking for a pair of headphones to go with a new PC that I'm building. I will mostly be gaming with these headphones paired with a desk mic/ModMic with a fair bit of music in between. Whatever pair I get will be paired with a FiiO E10k DAC/Amp combo.

I've settled between two pairs of open-back headphones between $100-$200 due to their wide soundstage. These are the Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro 250Ohm at around $200 NZD (102 GBP on Amazon UK) and the Sennheiser HD558 at an unfortunate $220-$250 (thanks NZ retailers). This means that a product normally half the price of another is now MORE. This I am ok with, IF the HD558s are better for my purposes.

My question to you guys is, for FPS gaming where I would rather the ability to correctly identify footstep locations using Dolby Heaphone rather than immersion, will the DT-990 or the HD558 be a better option? Is there another pair of headphones that you could recommend? Music is a close secondary use for these, so sound quality is an important factor however portability is NOT. Comfort is very important, as they will be used extensively.

 

[jbgarcia]

If you are considering the HD 558s, I would suggest you decide on the HD 598s instead. They are about $170 USD now, down from about $250 USD. They are an improvement on the 558 model, and provide the best soundstage of the 3 headphones (including the DT-990s, at least from all the research I did online before purchasing my 598s). I use my Sennheiser HD 598 with a FiiO E07K USB DAC/AMP when I listen to music, and enable Razer Surround Pro 7.1 (free for standard version, $20 for pro version) software when gaming, and it sounds amazing. But even without the Razer software, the 598s make the audio while gaming sound spacious, and provide (at least in my mind) good positional awareness.

When it comes to music, I think it comes down to personal preference. The 598s provide a near-neutral, faithful to the original recording sound. They also don't overemphasize bass, so if you're looking for something with a lot of thump you might not want these. The bass is present and serves its purpose but never takes center stage or overwhelms. If you like your music to sound natural, without added "coloring", these are good. Also, the wide soundstage make the instruments and vocals sound like they are coming from different locations, not all clumped up in the middle of your head like other headphones do.

 

[ssddx]

the dt990 is a superior product to the hd558 in almost every way.

the only thing the 558 has which the dt990 doesnt is a more "neutral" sound signature. the hd598 is neutral, while the hd558 has a slight tendency towards more bass. the dt990 has a v-shaped signature which means somewhat subdued mids and more prominent bass and treble.

the dt990 also requires a good amplifier while the hd558 doesnt.