sennhieser hd 598 vs beyerdynamic DT series 770-990 32 ohm versions

dmc1234master

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I'm deciding between these 4 headphones for a mod-mic+astro mixamp setup for streaming/gaming for xbox one/pc and movies. My price range is up too 300$ I like a nice balanced clear sound with a good sound-stage and punchy but not overwhelming bass will take other suggestions as well.

I will not be using any kind of amp/doc setup so i need stuff with lower ohm so anything that will work with my setup.
 
Solution
the ag1 is based on the a500x/a700x lineup. (the adg1 is based on the ad500x/ad700x line). these are bass light.

the pc363d is similar to the game zero, pc350se and hd595/555. it is also bass light.

the mmx300 is based on an earlier iteration of the dt770 premium. from what i've heard it has less bass than current gen dt770 pro or dt770 premium. i'm not sure just how much bass it has as for quantity though.

the bass levels on the first two are going to be a little punchy but not with a huge amount of impact or quantity. i'm thinking the mmx may offer slightly better levels but again i'm not sure just how much it has in comparison as i'm not familiar with the specific version of the dt770 its based on. the game one is based off the...
the ag1 is based on the a500x/a700x lineup. (the adg1 is based on the ad500x/ad700x line). these are bass light.

the pc363d is similar to the game zero, pc350se and hd595/555. it is also bass light.

the mmx300 is based on an earlier iteration of the dt770 premium. from what i've heard it has less bass than current gen dt770 pro or dt770 premium. i'm not sure just how much bass it has as for quantity though.

the bass levels on the first two are going to be a little punchy but not with a huge amount of impact or quantity. i'm thinking the mmx may offer slightly better levels but again i'm not sure just how much it has in comparison as i'm not familiar with the specific version of the dt770 its based on. the game one is based off the hd518/558/598 lineup so should be fairly neutral in terms of bass levels.
 
Solution
in their own way they are all not bad. depends on what you're looking for in a headphone.

the ad500x series is well regarded by gamers given the huge soundstage and crisp treble and mid response. bass is there and somewhat punchy but again not much depth. they are very advantageous for gaming. may be a bit lackluster in movies and music unless you do not need bass.

the hd518 series is well regarded for being fairly neutral. while its not as detailed as the ad-series above its a very easy listening headphone for hours on end and has a bit more low end. soundstage is less as well but still good enough to consider it good for gaming. while a bit flat sounding it will have a bit more fun factor but less advantage than the ad-series.

i can only speak about the current dt770 premium (from what i've heard the older version the mmx is based on has significantly less bass) but the current gen is fairly bassy and v shaped but with decent soundstage for closed cans. not as big as the ad but good enough for gaming. again, i'm not sure exactly how the older gen compares to the new gen other than that i've heard its less bassy and a bit more airy sounding.

363d will be similar to the other bass light headphones. a hint of bass (its not completely gone) but not significant amounts.

"sound quality" is a hard term to quantify. each of the above is good in certain areas and not so good in others. it depends on what you're looking for really. any of them are better than the gaming headsets from razer, etc generally speaking.
 

dmc1234master

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Feb 1, 2015
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ya im looking at that series now from 770-990 id prolly go with 32 ohm version not sure if standard stuff like my mixamp would be enough for 80 also looking at the sennhieser hd 598 and the ATH-M50x
 
mixamp would likely work with the 80 and 32, not the 250. it would work with the hd598 and m50.

m50 is similar to a dt770 except not as good. i own one myself and while i do like it very much it has small earcups, gets hot after awhile and sound signature is somewhat less than what is found on the dt770. also the dt770 has a much larger soundstage as the m50 has a puny soundstage so everything sounds close. i like how it sounds for music and its fold up design is very portable so it works out well for me however i'm just being honest here. the vmoda crossfade and similar also have this kind of sound signature.

hd598 is midway between the bass light cans and things like the dt770. fairly neutral and incredibly laid back. very easy listening.
 

dmc1234master

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Feb 1, 2015
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how bout the 990 would it have more bass than the hd598 or a bigger soundstage than a 770? ive heard the highs can get fatiguing on the 990 until proper burn in.

 

dmc1234master

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Feb 1, 2015
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also i could be persuaded to use a higher ohm headphones of any kind if their are a good priced amps that work with a astro mixamp

 
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see above chart as an example. a line straight across at 0db would be completely neutral and flat (not realistic!). peaks are areas which are emphasized while valleys are areas which are recessed. bass (low frequency) is on left while treble (high frequency) is on right.

the dt770 peaks a bit less in treble and has more sub-level bass. it also has more significant v-shape and drop in mids. dt990 has a bit less bass and a bit higher peak in treble. dt880 is similar to 990 but is a little more flat and does not peak as much in bass or treble making it a little more neutral sounding.

dt990 will have more bass than the hd598. for open headphones which normally do not have much bass it does fairly well. as far as soundstaging is concerned, not sure if its bigger but its at least equivalent.

can the dt990 be a bit fatiguing? yes. this can be reduced a bit with equalizer and they do lighten up a bit after burn in. the hd598 is almost the exact opposite - it is more mellow and laid back whereas the 990 is more detailed and aggressive. both can be good depending on your preferences. also keep in mind that unless you have music or audio with very high amounts of high frequency treble you may not have much of an issue. the headphones only play what you push through them.

seems pointless to use the mixamp with an amplifier - why wouldnt you just use the one. it can be done however i would have the mixamp on minimum output volume and use the headphone amp volume control as you dont want to be double-amping as there is a reduction in quality (slight). of course you could always test with the mixamp alone first then make up your mind later if you find its not powerful enough and need something else to power headphones. technically any analog input amps should work with the astro.
 

dmc1234master

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Feb 1, 2015
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4,560


I think I am going to go with the dt990s I've looked at the astro a40s ( my current headset but on their last leg) and they where at I believe 48 ohm so I would think the 32 dt990 would be no problem it has nice bass and good soundstage I can correct for the highs if I even have too with a eq on pc and certain settings on the xbox with the mix amp thanks for the info and time I feel like I'm making a much better choice now from when i started.

 
be aware that the dt990 is only available in 32 ohm if you get the premium model (premium also is available in 250 and 600 ohm impedance). the premium models are different than the pro model (pro is 250ohm only for dt990) and generally are a bit more airy sounding with a bit less bass presence. they also cost 30-40% more so are not quite as much of a steal in terms of value as the pro model is.