DT 990/880/770 for gaming (AMP/DAC needed?)

[William Norberg]

Hi, im currently using the Steelseries siberia v2. I've been very pleased with them considering the price, but i know they are jack shit compared with a real pair of headphones.

So now is the question which pair of headphones i should get. I've hear great things from the
Beyerdynamic DT-xxx series (for gaming) and i'm wondering which one i should get and if i need an amplifier (using on-board Realtek ALC892 right now and in that case which one i should get.

I will also be getting a mic, probably the Antlion Modmic v4 (works well for skype)

Thanks in advance, and yes, i can use another brand if they offer better sound for a similiar price.

 

[ssddx]

depends on your motherboard as some might be able to power them, some may not. regardless of if it can power them i doubt you will get 100% out of them from onboard audio.

at minimum a decent soundcard like the creative z would be suggested though an external amplifier is a good option as well.

please take a look at the frequency response curve charts for those headphones http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=-2&graphID%5B%5D=3221&graphID%5B%5D=713&graphID%5B%5D=963&graphID%5B%5D=2141&scale=20

you will notice that the dt770 and dt990 have a more pronounced v-shape to the audio while the 880 is just a little more flattened. v-shaped generally gives a more exciting sound for games and most music but can sometimes drown out mids (some vocals). neutral is more natural however to some can sound bland.

the 880 peaks a bit more in early treble although in general they are just as bright in treble through the series.

the dt770 is closed so isolates you from outside noise. the dt880/990 are open which while better for soundstaging leaks noise in and out.

 

[William Norberg]

depends on your motherboard as some might be able to power them, some may not. regardless of if it can power them i doubt you will get 100% out of them from onboard audio.

at minimum a decent soundcard like the creative z would be suggested though an external amplifier is a good option as well.

please take a look at the frequency response curve charts for those headphones http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=-2&graphID%5B%5D=3221&graphID%5B%5D=713&graphID%5B%5D=963&graphID%5B%5D=2141&scale=20

you will notice that the dt770 and dt990 have a more pronounced v-shape to the audio while the 880 is just a little more flattened. v-shaped generally gives a more exciting sound for games and most music but can sometimes drown out mids (some vocals). neutral is more natural however to some can sound bland.

the 880 peaks a bit more in early treble although in general they are just as bright in treble through the series.

the dt770 is closed so isolates you from outside noise. the dt880/990 are open which while better for soundstaging leaks noise in and out.

Thanks, i checked out the link, and i will probably get the 770's because of them being closed, which will be great for LAN with friends. Also, if you were to choose between the HD 598's and 770's, which one would you pick?

 

[ssddx]

me, personally? the dt770's i would say. keep in mind that this is my opinion on what i would buy for myself and yours may differ.

why?
-while the dt770 is ugly, the hd598's are absolutely hideous with that tan color. the hd558 i dont mind the look of though. sure aesthetics aren't important when it comes to performance but i will be wearing them on my head so vanity must be worth something.
-i have m50s currently and enjoy the bassier sound. the dt770 is like the m50 but improved in every single way.
-its closed design and normally when i use headphones i want to isolate myself from noise. the hd598 has better soundstage of course however for a closed can the dt770 has decent soundstaging. given that i use them either in noisy areas or when traveling isolation is more important to me. i should note i do NOT game with headphones (i use good hifi speakers)
-i like deep bass, the dt770 is capable of sub-level bass (just like the m50 is) while the hd598 bass does not do a good job of extending that far down. given that i like dubstep, electronica, rock, etc this is important.
-i am used to the v-shaped response curve from my m50s so i think that would transition right over to the dt770. i fear a flatter response curve might sound more boring to me although this is a minor issue.

i would however likely want to either warm them up with a warm amplifier or tone the treble down just a bit with equalizer as while i like clear crisp treble.

that of course doesnt mean that i would hate the hd598 as a daily driver, just my thoughts on which i'd pick out of the two you mentioned and given my own needs for headphones at the moment. the hd600 from sennheiser i may very well like as well a bit over the hd598's. if i ever wanted a gaming set the dt990 i'd think about with an eq to tone down the brighter than dt770 treble. the hifiman he-400 i'd definitely think about as well as the ultrasone he-580 and audiotechnica pro700mk2. ideally i'd A/B test them down at the local store

 

[William Norberg]

me, personally? the dt770's i would say. keep in mind that this is my opinion on what i would buy for myself and yours may differ.

why?
-while the dt770 is ugly, the hd598's are absolutely hideous with that tan color. the hd558 i dont mind the look of though. sure aesthetics aren't important when it comes to performance but i will be wearing them on my head so vanity must be worth something.
-i have m50s currently and enjoy the bassier sound. the dt770 is like the m50 but improved in every single way.
-its closed design and normally when i use headphones i want to isolate myself from noise. the hd598 has better soundstage of course however for a closed can the dt770 has decent soundstaging. given that i use them either in noisy areas or when traveling isolation is more important to me. i should note i do NOT game with headphones (i use good hifi speakers)
-i like deep bass, the dt770 is capable of sub-level bass (just like the m50 is) while the hd598 bass does not do a good job of extending that far down. given that i like dubstep, electronica, rock, etc this is important.
-i am used to the v-shaped response curve from my m50s so i think that would transition right over to the dt770. i fear a flatter response curve might sound more boring to me although this is a minor issue.

i would however likely want to either warm them up with a warm amplifier or tone the treble down just a bit with equalizer as while i like clear crisp treble.

that of course doesnt mean that i would hate the hd598 as a daily driver, just my thoughts on which i'd pick out of the two you mentioned and given my own needs for headphones at the moment. the hd600 from sennheiser i may very well like as well a bit over the hd598's. if i ever wanted a gaming set the dt990 i'd think about with an eq to tone down the brighter than dt770 treble. the hifiman he-400 i'd definitely think about as well as the ultrasone he-580 and audiotechnica pro700mk2. ideally i'd A/B test them down at the local store

Yeah, im getting the dt 770. Will probably feel great when im at LAN parties or on a plane. Thinking of getting the fiio e11k to power them. Thanks for your help.