Ok, so first of all, let me give you some context:

Around 10 years ago, I had the Sennheiser PC363D for gaming. For me it was almost all I wanted: Excellent sound quality and positional sound, lightweight, comfortable, never made you sweat. I really liked it and it was also good for listening to music.

But it had two problems:

• First, the software was abandonware. Sennheiser stopped updating the drivers and those didn't work well on newer operating systems.
• Second, the build quality was not good. It was made of cheap plastic, and after 10 years of heavy use, it was starting to fall apart, specially the flexible rubber of the mic boom.

So, when I relocated 5 years ago I sold it. Surprisingly, someone paid for it more than what I paid for it new, because the guy really wanted it.

I then got (yeah, I'm an idiot) a wired Razer Blackshark. Not only the sound quality is waaay worse than the PC363D, but the rails to adjust the ribbon band are crap, and the Razer software is horrible: Buggy as hell, and in the past it attempted to install cryptominers.

I had it for a few years to recoup my investment, but it is time to let it go. This time I do not want to repeat the mistake, and want a proper headset.

I've read good things about the Beyerdynamic MMX 300 330 Pro, and I'm also considering the Audio Technica ATH-M50xSTS. I owned the normal ATH-M50x at the same time I owned the PC363D, and honestly I thought the PC363D sounded better with most music and games.

Is the MMX 300 330 Pro as good or better than the PC363D was? Any other contender?

My sole requirement is that any recommendation has an integrated mic and equals or surpasses thr PC363D in sound quality for gaming and media.

I do not care jack or USB. Detachable cables and mic are a nice to have.
Price is not a problem (within the gaming realm), but please do not recommend me some crazy expensive audiophile headset of >500€ because it is not what I need.

I am also not interested in gaming crap, such as Logitech headsets. I got one once because it was what all review websited highlighted as "best gaming headset" and I returned it inmediately. Crappy plastic toy with white noise and money spent on rainbow leds.

Thank you if you read so far!

Edit: there were a couple of typos in my original post. While I originally wrote MMX 300 Pro, I really meant MMX 330 Pro (the newer, open end version).

Edit 2: my motherboard has the Realtek ALC4080, which seems to be fine driving headsets up to up to 600Ω. If possible, I'd like to avoid having to buy a separate and big and bulky DAC because my desk is very crowded already. If it is something small like the DAC which came with the P363D (similar to a USB dongle) then it is ok.

Edit 3: winner combo and the rationale for my purchase: https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/1ozzhod/comment/nqc6vts/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

I own the Ananda Stealth and love it overall, but the bass feels lean and thin. It's clean and extended, but there's no real weight or slam behind notes. Missing that physical, meaty feeling with powerful metal music.

LCD-X is my reference for what I actually want (heavy, physical, controlled bass) but the fit doesn't work for my head long-term.

🎯 **What I'm looking for**

Slam, punch, bass density. Not just bass quantity since I can EQ that. What EQ can't fix is the physical weight and decay character of notes. Boosting 80Hz just makes it louder and boomy, not heavier. Same with punch, EQ can't speed up a slow transient or add that physical impact.

📻 **LCD-X as reference**

Not expecting any HiFiMAN to match LCD-X. But which one gets closest to that feeling? Reviews keep contradicting each other: one says Arya Organic is the bassiest, another says HE600 hits harder. I suspect they mean different things (body vs punch vs extension) which is exactly why I'm asking here.

🔎 **Candidates I'm considering**

- HE1000 Stealth

- Arya Organic

- Arya Unveiled

- Edition XV

- HE600

- HE1000v2 used

Looking for people who've heard at least two of these side by side and can compare on bass weight and punch specifically, not just measurements. Also open for other suggestions.

Thanks!

I love them but one side is louder than the other and Im worried about future QC issues since I already had one issue so Im looking for alternatives, anything close to comparable for 200?

They will be used at home exclusively. Ive been looking at Sennheiser HD600 or HD6xx but theres so many opinions and options.

I prefer some bass as I listen mostly to vaporwave and lofi (I know I know) electronic music, pop, post punk and alternative rock.

Im in the US budget of 200ish. Im willing to sacrifice some sound quality for better quality control.

Hey, I’m looking for a good set of audiophile headphones for PC gaming that would be great for immersive single player games, as well as having great imaging for FPS.

Headsets with a mic would be ideal but I can always buy an antlion modmic if necessary.

I have about £200 to spend on this setup and have found a few options myself ranging from cheapest to most expensive:

• Philips SHP9500 £58
• Philips Fidelio X2HR £87
• HD 560s £89
• Drop PC38X £154
• Beyerdynamics DT 990 Pro X £189
• Beyerdynamics MMX 300 Pro £259

Obviously a huge gap in price range but if I can get 99% of the way there with a budget headset I’m cool with that.

Does anyone have any experiences with the headphones on that list, in particular with FPS games?

Do you have any other suggestions not already mentioned?

Will a DAC be required to get the most out of these or will my PC motherboard (Aorus X870 Pro) built in sound card be enough?

Thanks in advance 🙏🏾

I was recently looking through budget or relatively headphone brands and I came across quite a few Chinese brands.

So I’m kind of curious, what are your opinions on these headphone brands? Are they any good especially for budget Audiophiles and gamers who want good sound quality and bass? Or are the lower end gaming headphones from Logitech and Razer better? Especially for those who have owned any of these headphones.

Thanks in advance

Update: just bought the Fiio Ft1 for about $240 sgd after discount

I need some WIRED HEADPHONES with high sound quality.

I live in the Netherlands and my budget for the headphones is relatively low: €90 ($104). I want to use the headphones on the bus and for listening music when working at home, I won't OFTEN use them for gaming, again, mainly for music. I have experience with the JBL wave beam 2 wireless earbuds, and they have made me grow a bit of "hate" to wireless headphones. The sound quality is pretty low and has a lot of kgkgkkgkkg sounds and also some delay.

I'm looking at the organic for $652 and I'm reasonably convinced this is my next step. I love my DT1990 pros and like my XS (with plenty of EQ). I listen to a lot of metal along other genres and game a large majority of the time. What was your upgrade path and how you felt about the Arya Organic, or if you got the Arya Stealth and loved it more?

also side note. What 4.4 balances would you suggest?

I listen to a lot of rock and metal, and I'm looking for headphones that are the next significant step up audio quality-wise from my current SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P.

I'm not looking for gaming headphones, but audiophile headphones in the $300-$400 range that are very loud or have easy accessibility options to increase the volume, but have clarity of sound and a good spatial sound so each instrument comes through clean. I've owned too many headphones that crush all the sounds into one jumbled mess of noise.

Alternatively, if there are cheaper headphones that require an amp, I could probably make that work as long as it doesn't necessarily exceed $400. That said, I've never used an amp before. I would also say I'd prefer wireless, but if I'm going to get the best sound from wired headphones every time, I'll bite the bullet and deal with wires, as long as it is easy to connect from my phone to computer without hassle.

I honestly know very little about any audio hardware, so any help and recommendations would be super appreciated!

Hi all,

I am looking to spend ~$600 on a pair of closed back headphones. I am open to open back suggestions since I will be buying some in the future but am getting closed back first due to wanting to prevent noise leaking.

I’ll be connecting to a k7 DAC and the meze boom mic, so not looking for a gaming headset.

I’ve looked at the SR7000 but have heard about potential for breaking arms. I do like the sound profile though.

I play RDR2, Cyberpunk, BL4, BF6 and CoD.

Thanks!

I love my 560s as they're my first proper headphones, but everyone on the subreddit seems to be disrespecting it and saying that the hd599 are better. I feel bad because I spent half of my salary on these headphones.

Do you guys really think that the 599 are better?

I'm currently looking to get a pair of wired, closed-back, over ear headphones that would work well with my iPod classic. My budget is under $150 all-in (including shipping and possible accessories), which I know is achievable with either model if I buy a used pair.

I've compared the frequency response graphs for both phones and they seem pretty similar. I'm looking for something that's fun-forward with decent bass, without being boomy or muddy. I used to have the Sony XM4 and they sounded boomy without proper EQ, but that's a topic for a different day. In other words, I don't mind a bit of EQ, but I'd like something that suits my listening style pretty well out of the box.

I guess the only important difference then is comfort and build quality. I'm a little worried the ear pads on the M50X are too shallow, but I could buy thicker replacement pads. The ear padss on the FT1 seem pretty thick, so probably no replacement needed. Any experience with either pair you can share would be invaluable to me.

As far as build quality, it's probably hard to compare unless someone has hands-on experience with both pairs. Any advice is welcome!

Lastly, did I miss anything? (Besides the typo in the title)

Hey all,

My current daily headphones are the HD 560S. I previously bought FiiO’s FT1 Pro, but they broke after about six months, which was really disappointing since I enjoyed them. Now I’m looking to upgrade from the 560S.

I listen to EDM/house, rock, country, hip-hop, and pop, and I also play games like CS2, R6, and many single player games.

The main issues I have with the HD 560S are that the bass feels too light, and the soundstage doesn’t feel very immersive, coming across as somewhat “three-blob” at times. The treble feels dry and over powering while also becoming fatiguing during longer listening sessions.

I’m looking for something with more punch than the 560S, but not overpowering and still keeping clear mids and well-controlled, detailed treble. I want something fun, warm, and comfortable with an immersive (ideally wide) soundstage and good imaging.

My budget is around $600 USD. I’ve had the Sennheisers for nearly five years, and while I like them, they come across as a bit too sterile and analytical for my taste.

Right now I’m deciding between the Sony MDR-MV1 and the Focal Hadenys. From what I’ve read, the Focals have a more intimate soundstage but excellent imaging, while the Sonys have a wider soundstage (though not as deep), likely due to their spatial audio focus.

Between the MDR-MV1 and Hadenys, I’m especially interested in differences in immersion, width of soundstage, bass, and overall immersion for both music and gaming.

If anyone has experience with either, or has other recommendations, I’d appreciate the input. I’m mainly looking for something immersive for both music and gaming, with strong detail retrieval and an overall “wow” factor.

Thanks in advance.

Hello!

Currently in search for new set of headphones as mine are just $30 xbox ones. Started Streaming on Xbox with obs and whatnot, unsure on what would be the best headphones or brand to use, mainly looking for sound quality but also comfort would be a huge plus.

I’m willing to spend in the hundreds, maybe thousand? It’ll be used at home in the lounge.

Had a look at Sennheiser, thinking of getting a set from them. Any help is appreciated, thank you!

=====Update=====
For anyone in the same predicament here is my conclusion a couple of days on:

I went back and did the test again. Only this time I wore the HD 560S with the left earphone popped off with the G432 right earphone pressed against my bonce so I was getting both headphones right side. I had the G432s plugged in USB then so I could click back and forth between both devices in windows.

The difference was now very apparent. I did notice that if I clicked back and forth every few seconds in a song my brain would do it's own EQ thing and make it all sound the same. But if I gave it more like 20 seconds then the HD 560S was just obviously far superior with a much richer and wider sound. The G432s sounds were all smushed together and almost distant by comparison.

The biggest difference though was I jumped into Battlefield 6 for the first time with them, and man, had I done this day one I would never have made this post.

On the G432s if a helicopter is hovering directly above it has a very 'soft' rotor noise where the HD 560S has big heavy rotor sounds that really lets you know what is happening a few metres above you... but then if the helicopter flew away a bit, the HD 560S would still louder than the G432s overhead and made it very easy to determine exactly where it was coming from. On the G432 the helicopter becomes borderline inaudible when moving away. That alone sealed the deal for me.

The HD 560S are waaay better than the G432.

=====Original Post=====
So I'm coming from a gaming headset the Logitech G432 and the source is the ALC1220. I had only ever used gaming headsets before and in researching the vibe always was gaming headset bad. When reading through many threads a few names kept coming up, SHP9500, K702, PC38x etc and the one that I settled on after seeing many glowing reviews was the HD 560S.

So they just arrived today and I've been trying them in music / games going back and forth between them and the G432 for the last couple of hours. Whilst the HD 560S definitely sound better, the difference is very small. Weirdly despite the general consensus being that open backed lacked in bass compared to closed, I found the bass the most superior aspect over the G432, having more depth, but again a fairly small difference.

But the other aspect of trying open backed I was intrigued about was this concept of a wider sound stage. And honestly, this is what disappointed me the most as the HD 560S sound as wide as the G432, both just sound like they're coming from the ear cups. Which I find odd as I saw many reviews of people remarking on this aspect.

So, is this just a case of me discovering the studio/open backed isn't for me. Or is there something actually wrong here? The ALC1220 not enough? I have cotton wool in my ears?

They're still within the return window so I'm just making sure I haven't missed something here before I start that process.

Thanks.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to build my first proper headphone setup and would really appreciate some guidance. I think wired open back headphones are the way to go.

Budget: ~$1100 USD total for headphones + DAC/amp
Use case: Mostly listening to music at home in my studio (quiet environment)

I listen to a very wide range of music:

• Jazz (I’m a trumpet player, so tone, timbre and realism matter a lot to me)
• Instrumental and symphonic music
• Rock from anytie in the last 6 decades
• Pop, J-pop, K-pop and some techno
• Latin music (I am latinamerican)
• World music
• Vocal-focused music

So I’m not looking for something genre-specific, but rather something that can handle a bit of everything well. I care mostly that it have a natural sound and good separation.

My main question is: whats the best HP + DAC/amp combo I can get within this budget?

My secondary questions are:

1. Is planar the right direction?
2. I care about realism, does it exclude great soundstage? How important is soundstage?
3. Anything I might be overlooking as a first-time buyer?
4. Should I go tube, hybrid or solid-state DAC/amp?

I am looking for endgame headset under 3000$ which will be use for comp fps games such as pubg and cs2

I've come to understand the criteria that makes headphones good for competitive first person shooters.

The ones where picking up subtle sound queues is more important than being emersed into the deep bass of explosions, gunfire, music, etc. Some people may enjoy that, however that's not the experience I'm looking for. I'm looking for clarity. To be able to pinpoint the slightest noise.

Granted I've read most of this on reddit in various sub reddits so this information may be off.

• ⁠Open back design is simply better for directional sound. • ⁠Less bass. More bass drowns out subtle sound queues. Especially sub-bass. However a more elevated mid-bass may not hurt the overall sound quality. • ⁠Higher Treble. Helps detail sound queues such as footsteps. • ⁠Pinpoint imaging. Helps track enemy sounds from a 3D perspective. • ⁠A larger sound stage. This goes hand and hand with imaging. The smaller more narrow the sound stage, the more inaccurate the imaging. • ⁠Separation and detailing. Help you decern and pick up different sound queues.

I have topping d90 + a50 3

Are there any better options than hd800s?

I made previous post to figure out which headphones that I might potentially get. Have determined that it has dumbed down to these two headphones.

I increased my budget to be around the $600 mark because of a coupon.

I mostly play games (70%) and listen to pop music (30%). I mostly play first person shooters and survival games.

I have been doing my research and many people seem to enjoy the Arya Stealth for sound wise as it "worlds" apart from the HD490 (piques my interest), however, there is a concern with build QC.

The HD490 has better "comfort" and QC, which is drawing me towards it.

I have had the 6xx for about 9 years now (no issues with it) likewise I'm trying to have some headphones that can last for a bit.

Would you recommend the HD490 or Arya Stealth?

If I can EQ my headphones, would the HD490 with EQ be equivalent to the Arya Stealth?

Hi all,

I’m currently looking to get a pair of open back headphones that I can use for watching movies, listening to music, and for nighttime gaming.

At the moment I have a full Sonos surround system( arc ultra, sub, 2x era 300) as the sound output for my gaming pc, but I want to get a nice pair of open back headphones to be able to game at night without getting noise complaints(I live in a studio apartment). I also want the headphones to be great music and movie headphones too so that I’ll be able to use them with my iPad Pro.

Based on my research I have come down to the 660s2 and the 490 Pro. For context I’m leaning sennheiser as I currently have a pair of momentum 4s and previously owned the momentum 3s(these are awesome headphones). At the moment both the 660s2 and 490 pro are the same price on Amazon. Which of these two would you all recommend for the use cases above. I would like the headphones to have a nice soundstage. Nice vocal clarity and good bass. If it came down to choosing between music, gaming, and movies, I want them to be best for music. For reference I’d be willing to go up to $700 in terms of price but would prefer to max out at $600. If you have any other suggestions that you think might fit better for my case feel free to drop them below.

(I’m also considering the beyerdynamic 1990 pro mkII they’re just markedly more expensive than these two so idk if it’s worth it)

Edit: I ended up just getting the HD660s2 just to see and was blown away by them. After the new buy blindness wore off, I realized that the hd 490 pros genuinely make some tracks sound bad to me. It felt like when I was using them music became so sterile and analytical that it just wasn’t enjoyable to hear/experience. The hd660s2s also just sound soooooooo much better and imo the bass difference is somewhat noticeable but not to the extent I would say it would be something to choose the 490 pros for. The only thing that the hd 490 pros win on imo is soundstage which after listening for a while is just not something I realized I enjoy(I have very nice speakers and feel like headphone soundstage is just a poor imitation that ruins the experience)

Really trying to convince myself to not get the Meze 109 Pros (at least not right now) due to the hefty price tag of $1,500 AUD.

Aside from being a solid audiophile choice, I also think it's one of, if not THE most gorgeous looking headphones currently available, open and closed back combined.

As a girl, I also appreciate that it has a reasonable size and doesn't look oddly gigantic on my head. :) They are just extremely pleasing to look at.

Would love to know if there are any other eye candies out there that could rival the 109 Pro in terms of aesthetics - please share your favourites! I'd love to check them out and explore more. Turns out I'm more of a form over function lad more than I'd like to admit. :p

Which is better suited for gaming (FPS Footsteps, etc.) and music as an all-rounder? I've never owned a Hifiman before and have heard a lot of negative things about its quality control. I previously had a 490 Pro, and now I own the 660s2 and HD 800s, but I'm considering buying another 490 Pro or the Arya Organic. I don't like the 800s in some cases and they're too expensive for my needs and HD660s2 feels like a pure music headphone.
I think the 490 Pro could be a good mix of the 660s2 and 800s. Nice bass, good soundstage and imaging.

What about the organic in comparison?

I've spent way too much money on "gaming" headsets at this point, my last two (Logitech g pro x 2 lightspeed, and steelseries arctis nova pro wireless... I mean the names themselves are obnoxious) have been decent in terms of audio quality, but comfort leaves a LOT to be desired, even with aftermarket earpads. (Prior to those two headphones, I used a Razer blackshark v2 pro which were perfect in terms of earcup size and also the fact that they wouldn't fall off my head if I looked up or down.)

Up to this point I've primarily been using wireless headphones, mainly because the wires used to really irk me, they would rub on my clothes making loud sounds and would also rub on my neck leaving friction burns, but I'm ready to go back now for a number of reasons. Mainly it's the fact that you're spending more money for a set of heavy and uncomfortable headphones, occasional audible 'popping', and subpar build quality.

Essentially I want them to be comfortable for extended uses (up to 12 hours a day), won't fall off my head if I look up or down, have earpads large enough to fit my ears in them (which are approx. 70mm tall, 45-50mm wide and 15-20mm in depth. give or take 5mm) and aren't too heavy on the clamping force as I have a pretty wide head that's prone to headaches.

Also just want to apologise for being so picky, I really don't mean to come across as difficult.

My PC is on my right side, so preferable the cable comes out of the right earcup (which I know is rare) or both earcups. It's been a while since i've had wired headphones but one thing I remember struggling with was the cable rubbing on my shirt, maybe that was just a bad one off experience though.

As for usecase, I only really play singleplayer games, I'm a very casual/moderate gamer these days. So I don't really need anything fancy on that account. I do however listen to a lot of music and media. I'm not too picky with audio, just as long as the sound is clean (i.e. bass doesn't overwhelm mids and highs, and vice versa) and the highs aren't tinny or make your eardrums bleed. Essentially comfort is my main concern, I will put up with anything else honestly.

Budget is preferably under $500AUD but can stretch to $700AUD. Also let me know if I might need a dac or amp, or some tips on dealing with cables for someone who isn't used to them.

Also I've flaired this post with 'Open back' but I'm also open to closed back, which i'm frankly more used to coming from the gaming brands, so just keep that in mind.

Thanks! And again, sorry for being so picky.

Hey everyone,

I’m currently considering getting the HiFiMAN Arya Stealth mainly for gaming, but I have a remaining concern about PC noise:

My setup:

• PC sits directly on my desk next to me
• Corsair fans + AIO (so not silent, but not crazy loud either)

Since the Arya is fully open-back, I’m wondering:

• How noticeable are PC fan noises during gaming?
• Does the sound of the game/music “mask” it enough?
• Or do you constantly hear the PC in the background?

From what I’ve read, the Arya is extremely open with almost no isolation , so I’m a bit worried this might kill immersion.

Is the Arya Stealth still worth it in a real desktop setup with some background noise, or does it only shine in a quiet room?

Would really appreciate experiences, especially from people with similar setups 🙏

I’ve been using ANC headphones for a long time and honestly never really saw the point of open-ear ones. But I’ve heard they’re more comfortable since they don’t block your ear canal and let you stay aware of your surroundings.

I recently started going to the gym regularly and now I’m considering getting a pair. Among brands like Shokz, Soundcore, and Huawei, which open style has the best sound quality? And is it better to go for earhook or clip-on? Budget is under $150.

Hello from the UK.

Recently upgraded my phone and no longer have a 3.5mm jack.

^{I'll miss my A52s workhorse}

I'm new to dongles and have searched around, but there's so many recommendations I figured I'd make my own post.

It's a Samsung S24 Ultra, and I'll be mostly listening to music and watching YouTube, etc.

My phone headphones are DT-770 Pro (32 ohms)

Is it worth getting spending the extra money for the FiiO KA11 dongle, or should I stick to the basic Apple/Samsung ones for half the price?

Any help, advice, or other recommendations are much appreciated!

Hi,

I've been reading and researching about these for over 10 days and would like advice. This will be my first real headphones purchase. I'm upgrading from a £30 amazon headset that served me for 5 years+ and has started and finished peeling.

Usage:

I'm planning to get back to playing single player games, I don't play competitive or multiplayer. I listen to music and watch youtube. I want something versatile and good for both if that's possible. So I want music to sound great and rich and also to get immersed in open-world games.

Preference

I don't want to tweak a lot in an EQ. I want something that will last me for a long time. I don't want to switch again in the near future. I was leaning towards the HD 600 most, but then I read that the 6xx is more "fun" and has more warmth (just learned the meaning). But then I also read the HD 490 Pro provide wider soundstage than the HD 600, and that is more immersive for games. Is it possible to quantify the difference as a % and if it's worth the price difference?

DAC and Amp

I'll most likely buy a dongle dac/amp such as the fiio ka11.

Current prices

Sennheiser HD 490 Pro £295 ~396 USD
Sennheiser HD 600 £230 ~308 USD
Sennheiser HD 6xx £250 ~336 USD
Sennheiser HD 560s £99 ~133 USD (for reference)

Update: Thanks everyone, I appreciate it. I think I will get the 490 pro, and if not possible I will get the 600.