Sennheiser HD598's vs Beyerbynamic DT990's

[TechCam]

I've been wanting a nice pair of headphones for quite a while. I listen to a lot of music, watch a lot of movies, and play A LOT of games.(fps, moba, rts, rpg, etc.) I'm use to using gaming headsets for everything but my Astros just broke and Iv'e decided to go the Headphone + Standalone Mic route. I would like a nice sound stage that could help me pinpoint where sounds are coming from, etc. I would like opinions on both headphones, pros and cons, to help me decide which would be better for me. Thanks!

P.S. money is not an issue.

 

[ssddx]

will you be using a soundcard or headphone dac+amp?

are you open to more suggestions then just those two? if so, what budget? what is your sound profile? (would you prefer lots of mid/treble but limited bass, a v-shape curve, something with more low end than high end?)

the dt990's have more of a V shape curve to sound (more bass and treble than mids) while the hd598 is more treble/mid focused with just a hint of bass.

dt990 highs are bright and sparkly... which some may like and others might not. the hd598 still has great highs but is not so bright.

dt990s can really bring out details. if you have bad quality source files you will hear each and every distortion. the hd598 doesnt quite have the resolution so it is more forgiving of lower quality source files but you will still hear a difference.

dt990's (250ohm) need a decent amplifier or they will be crud. the hd598 will run on any 3.5mm headphone jack. however, both will benefit greatly from having a good dac+amp or good soundcard.

you didnt mention them but the dt880's are semi-open and are more neutral than the 990s with not quite so bright highs.

 

[TechCam]

will you be using a soundcard or headphone dac+amp?

are you open to more suggestions then just those two? if so, what budget? what is your sound profile? (would you prefer lots of mid/treble but limited bass, a v-shape curve, something with more low end than high end?)

the dt990's have more of a V shape curve to sound (more bass and treble than mids) while the hd598 is more treble/mid focused with just a hint of bass.

dt990 highs are bright and sparkly... which some may like and others might not. the hd598 still has great highs but is not so bright.

dt990s can really bring out details. if you have bad quality source files you will hear each and every distortion. the hd598 doesnt quite have the resolution so it is more forgiving of lower quality source files but you will still hear a difference.

dt990's (250ohm) need a decent amplifier or they will be crud. the hd598 will run on any 3.5mm headphone jack. however, both will benefit greatly from having a good dac+amp or good soundcard.

you didnt mention them but the dt880's are semi-open and are more neutral than the 990s with not quite so bright highs.

I don't own an amp currently but I am considering on buying one.
I am open to more suggestions of course, but no more than $200, thanks!
Sound profile wise I am not too good at this kind of stuff but the DT990's as you described sound more for me.
Any better suggestions would be great! Keep in mind, they will mainly be for gaming though.
Also if you could suggest some good amplifiers that would be great, under $200 also for budget.
Thanks a lot!

 

[ssddx]

two amplfiers i know of which are good...

audioengineD1 is $120 and is pretty good for the money.

schiit modi + magni (two seperate boxes... its a pair you buy both) are $100 and $110 and are also quite excellent for the price

of course if you wanted "virtual surround" as an option you could always buy a xonar dx and perhaps just use an external amplifier (without a dac in it) if you intended to get those 250ohm headphones. if you didnt want or need virtual then go ahead and get the external amp+dac combos as they are going to be a bit better sound.

if you liked what i described then perhaps they are best for you. another model to consider is the audiotechnica ad900x which is sometimes described in a similar light as the 990. please read one users comparison

I have some DT990's and after recently buying K550s, which are different but also very good, I decided to pick up a pair of Audio Technica A900x's. Like the K550's they are very good and open sounding for closed can, however, the signature is much more like the DT990's than the K550 is. The entire sound spectrum is really aggressive. I have A/B'd the A900x's and the DT990's extensively and the biggest difference is the extra few clicks in volume it takes to run the Beyers. I will actually go so far as to say there is a slightly higher bass quantity in the 900x's though the DT990 bass has more substance. The mids on the Beyers are just a tad richer and smoother, and on the AT's they are the slightly less recessed. The highs on the Beyers extend better, but can also be shrill sometimes. Overall the two cans are surprisingly similar in signature.

 

[TechCam]

two amplfiers i know of which are good...

audioengineD1 is $120 and is pretty good for the money.

schiit modi + magni (two seperate boxes... its a pair you buy both) are $100 and $110 and are also quite excellent for the price

of course if you wanted "virtual surround" as an option you could always buy a xonar dx and perhaps just use an external amplifier (without a dac in it) if you intended to get those 250ohm headphones. if you didnt want or need virtual then go ahead and get the external amp+dac combos as they are going to be a bit better sound.

if you liked what i described then perhaps they are best for you. another model to consider is the audiotechnica ad900x which is sometimes described in a similar light as the 990. please read one users comparison

I have some DT990's and after recently buying K550s, which are different but also very good, I decided to pick up a pair of Audio Technica A900x's. Like the K550's they are very good and open sounding for closed can, however, the signature is much more like the DT990's than the K550 is. The entire sound spectrum is really aggressive. I have A/B'd the A900x's and the DT990's extensively and the biggest difference is the extra few clicks in volume it takes to run the Beyers. I will actually go so far as to say there is a slightly higher bass quantity in the 900x's though the DT990 bass has more substance. The mids on the Beyers are just a tad richer and smoother, and on the AT's they are the slightly less recessed. The highs on the Beyers extend better, but can also be shrill sometimes. Overall the two cans are surprisingly similar in signature.

Sorry I didnt mention this earlier, I mostly game on my Asus g750 and rarely ever use my desktop. Virtual Surround does sound great since I pay a lot of fps games. Any suggestions that would work with my laptop?
Thanks!

 

[ssddx]

a laptop... that throws a real wrench into the mix if you want virtual surround.

does your laptop support dolby headphone? how about Dolby Digital Live (DDL)? does it have optical or digital coax (orange rca looking plug)?

if it doesnt support any of those then i'm not sure you could get virtual surround

tbch... virtual surround isnt "necessary" and many people game on stereo only. given that you have a laptop... unless you buy a headset and sacrifice a bit on audio quality you might just have to settle for stereo and use some headphones with an an amp.

 

[TechCam]

a laptop... that throws a real wrench into the mix if you want virtual surround.

does your laptop support dolby headphone? how about Dolby Digital Live (DDL)? does it have optical or digital coax (orange rca looking plug)?

if it doesnt support any of those then i'm not sure you could get virtual surround

tbch... virtual surround isnt "necessary" and many people game on stereo only. given that you have a laptop... unless you buy a headset and sacrifice a bit on audio quality you might just have to settle for stereo and use some headphones with an an amp.

Well I don't think it would be too much of a big deal tbh, thanks for all the advice!
So to get the most of 250ohms you'd suggest schiit modi + magni or audioengineD1?
If you have any other suggestions please tell me, other than that you've been a great help! Thanks!

 

[ssddx]

both would technically work.

the modi/magni combo is just a bit higher end and is even more respected. its also capable of driving even more powerful headphones and doesnt have as many flaws as the d1 does. overall its the better product but also has a price to prove it.

not sure just how much you care to spend on a dac/amp though. i understand its alot of money.

you could of course look to see if you can find another amp for cheaper that you like better. i only listed two i know of which get good reviews.

 

[TechCam]

both would technically work.

the modi/magni combo is just a bit higher end and is even more respected. its also capable of driving even more powerful headphones and doesnt have as many flaws as the d1 does. overall its the better product but also has a price to prove it.

not sure just how much you care to spend on a dac/amp though. i understand its alot of money.

you could of course look to see if you can find another amp for cheaper that you like better. i only listed two i know of which get good reviews.

Alright thanks for all the advice and help!