Looking for Headphones for $200 or under. "Maybe" more than that.

[DragonLS]

I'm looking for some good headphones for gaming, but also for listening to music. I'm willing to spend at least $200 for a pair. No need for a microphone since I already have a separate one, so no need for a pair that has a mic attached. I'm not looking for anything that's going to pound my ears with Heavy bass, I don't want any of that Dr. Dre crap that's all bass and no quality.

I'm willing to shell out a bit more (Maybe $50 more) if the quality is a drastic increase. Keep in mind I own a Sound Blaster Z sound card, so all I have access to is 3.5mm inputs, and I don't know crap about Phantom Power or any of those higher tier connectors.

 

[RoMee187]

Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro.
If you want an open headphone with better soundstage than I recommend the Philip Fidelio X1.

 

[DragonLS]

From what I'm reading on the reviews, a lot of people seem to complain about the build quality of the Custom One Pro, including cord deterioration and it falling apart.

I'm hoping for the long-term when it comes to headphones. Would these really be the perfect fit?

 

[DragonLS]

Erm, anyone?

 

[ssddx]

dont bump posts please. instead, add something useful such as what youre actually looking for in a headphone in terms of sound profile.

given that these type of questions come up multiple times per day, you might also want to read other posts for similar recommendations and post your thoughts here. that saves time on describing products.

are you looking for closed or open cans? closed cans isolate you from noise but generally are hotter to wear and have less soundstage but often more bass. open cans leak sound but generally have more soundstage and positional audio and less bass. not always true, but generally so.

if you're looking for open cans, the dt990 is an open can with nice open soundstage, bright detailed highs and pretty decent bass especially considering its an open design. v-shaped soundstage which means recessed mids however generally this is considered "fun" sounding. some may say they are too bright and fatiguing (those people prefer slower headphones like the sennheiser hd598 or hd600/650) but others find slower headphones boring. great comfort.

the dt880 is the neutral version of this.

if you're looking for a closed can with decent bass without getting crazy the dt770 is a good choice.

if you want advantage in fps gaming and are willing to give up all low frequency bass the ad500x/700x/900x/1000x lineup is good. huge soundstage and great positional audio, bright but not terribly so. punchy but not deep mid bass however lacks extension down into low frequencies which is why some call it bass less. this however gives great advantage in fps games since you hear footsteps easier. open design. great comfort.

hd518/558/598 is a bit between the two. neutral, average soundstage, fair bass but not heavy. they are more easy listening so arent fatiguing but some might not find them as enjoyable as faster headphones. hd600/650 are an upgrade to these and will have more bass and refined sound but keeping the laid back nature.

 

[Mugglensu1984]

If you are looking for audiophile grade headphones then you could look through these:

Sennheiser PXC 450
Sony MDRNC200D
Velodyne vQuiet Over-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones