Looking For Headphone Recommendations

[cadefoster]

I'm looking to buy a new set of headphones mainly to use for watching movies and playing video games. I was originally looking at the Audio Technica m50x headphones but after a little research i'm thinking that's not the best way to go for movies and gaming. I'm now leaning towards a pair of Sennheiser 598's for their wider soundstage and comfort. Before i pull the trigger, i just wanted to see if anyone could recommend something better in the same price range, around $200 CDN or so. Thanks a lot.

 

[ssddx]

m50 is fine for movies but the small soundstage hurts gaming if you need to tell distance. i have a pair and while i really do like them (i use speakers for 99.9% of gaming) i realize their pitfalls. the small soundstage doesnt bother me even when i did game on them (most decent games have audio cues for forward/behind, you can tell left and right from fade and distance generally by volume) but to each their own. i liked the fact that they fold up and are bassy.

like the m50's bass but want more soundstage? look at the beyerdynamic dt770. still closed so not a huge soundstage but certainly much better than the m50. good bass, good clarity, bigger pads for more comfort.

the hd598 is a good general use can. its laid back with a fairly neutral soundstage. dont expect killer bass.. it doesnt have that. it has some but will not hit sub bass levels at all. it doesnt have crazy treble detail, instead its more mellow and easy to listen to for hours. it doesnt have a crazy huge soundstage like the ad500x but is certainly still good enough for gaming. its a good headphone if you A) do not know what you want, B) want it to do everything fairly well instead of specializing and buying multiple cans and C) if you want something that doesnt need an amp

 

[cadefoster]

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I'm not looking for headphones with killer bass, I've been using a set of studio beats as my go to pair for the the last couple of years so I'm a little bass'd out . I do plan on using my new pair for listening to music as well but for the most part, I'll be using them mostly for games and movies.

 

[ssddx]

well theres a difference between good bassy cans and bad. also there is a difference between bassy and bass cannons.

the 770 is bassy but not a bass cannon. it also has good bass depth and quantity but is not all that bloated.

beats are so highly overrated.

 

[cadefoster]

I definitely agree with you beats are over hyped but I got mine on sale and have enjoyed them. My audio tastes have matured though so I'm looking to do a little better with my next pair. I was looking at the beyerdynamics and they look like They're a solid choice. I don't think they will work for me however because the headphone jack cable dosnt look like its replaceable and that's one option I like to have with headphones.

 

[ralbert57]

Audio Technica makes headphones specifically for gaming. They will feature a wider sound stage and little bit more kick bass wise. After using the high end headphones from companies such as bose, v-moda, seinheiser, and umm, you know....beats.(ewwwgross). The Audio-Technica ATH M50x are by far my absolute favorite cans. They don't hurt my head and sound incredible. I see what you mean about the limited sound stage but it goes completely unnoticed when submersed in my favorite games.

 

[cadefoster]

After doing some more research, the m50x definitely seems to be a favourite for a lot of people. I might have to reconsider. Right now they are $250 at Amazon.ca, where as the Sen 598's are 189.00. Are they worth the extra money do you think? Also, another set of cans that look promising are the V moda m-100s, how do they stack up against the m50x? Amazon.ca has the v-modas currently priced at $300 which is a little more then I wanted to spend but I would consider them if they offer up performance to warrant the price.

 

[ssddx]

to correct misinformation above, the m50 does not have wide soundstage (its actually pathetically small even comparing it to other closed cans) nor are the headphones specifically for gaming (they were designed for music or mixing). the ad-lineup (ad500x for example) does have a very wide soundstage and is very popular for gaming (and they make a popular gaming headset based on it) but that does not mean it was designed only to be used for gaming. i do enjoy mine as well and do not mind the negatives but that is personal preference not any sort of hard fact.

considering the dt770 are only 235cad i would say the m50x are certainly overpriced on amazon.ca in comparison as the dt770 is better. is it a bad deal? if you really like fold-up headphones with a removable cable, for smaller ears or heads that do not need an amplifier then no, its not a rip off price but certainly not the best you could get for the money. personal preferences of course trump such things at times and you need to pick what fits your individual needs best.

the hd598 and m50x are two different sound signatures. the m50 will be v-shaped and emphasizing bass/treble while the hd598 is going to be more flat and neutral. the hd598cs (which is even cheaper right now) has a little more bass edge than the hd598se at the expense of smaller soundstage. both of them are decent at what they do although both signatures are tailored to two different types of preferences.

v-moda cans are similar in nature to the m50x but with a bit less clarity and metal construction instead of plastic. i would consider them as a m50 alternative but not really any better.

 

[cadefoster]

Thank you for the informative posts, it's much appreciated. The beyerdynamics certainly look like they offer a great bang for your buck but unfortunately the fixed cable takes them out of the running for me. I think I'm leaning towards the sen 598's, they look like they will offer pretty solid all around performance. Thanks again.