# Best Headphones for a PC?



## NinkobEi (Mar 18, 2009)

Hey guys I am wondering if anyone has recommendations for PC headphones. I have a good soundcard and want to get the most out of it with some nice headphones. I plan on doing everything from Listening to music to watching movies to playing games. Music of all genres.

Some 'phones I've been looking at are the Sennheiser 595s for ~$150 or so, the ATH AD700 for ~100 and Grado Sr-60s for around $60. Just wondering if anyone has experience with any of these sets. Any input is valuable thanks  I wont be able to check this post for a few hours so sorry in advance for no replies.


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## Mussels (Mar 18, 2009)

Sennheiser. I've had my 555's since 2001 and they're still awesome. the 595's are a pretty big step up, so they will be epic.


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## EastCoasthandle (Mar 18, 2009)

Mussels said:


> Sennheiser. I've had my 555's since 2001 and they're still awesome. the 595's are a pretty big step up, so they will be epic.



The man speaks the truth the sennheiser 555 headphones are by far the best I've own so far.  Although there are other brands out there (in particular more expensive) this does not require it's own amp!


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## NinkobEi (Mar 18, 2009)

so +2 for the Sennheisers..  I know they are quality but $150 is really the maximum I should spend, and even that is pushing my budget. Anyone have some used ones for sale?


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## _jM (Mar 18, 2009)

I have the 555's also.. great phones. But My RAZER Barracuda's are way better than the 555's IMO


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## farlex85 (Mar 18, 2009)

I have the hd 485 sennheisers and they're fantastic, I can only imagine the 595s are even more stellar.


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## Drizzt5 (Mar 18, 2009)

audio technica a700 for closed headphones
audio technica ad700 for open headphones 
People claim the ad700's have better sound then the a700.
I went for the a700 because I like closed headphones just because.
The big plus for these 2 headphones is comfort (and i mean hours and hours and hours of it) and the excellent sound they provide for the price.
Both can be had for sub-$110 on amazon.



_jM said:


> I have the 555's also.. great phones. But My RAZER Barracuda's are way better than the 555's IMO


I've owned the razer barracuda's 3 times ....
THREE TIMES!!!! (due to RMA's)
So when I say the razer barracuda's are just horrible for the price, i know what i am saying
They are uncomfortable, they are overpriced, they are of low quality and they break very easily.
How you can have the 555's and say the barracuda's are better is beyond me but I think you are wrong x9,000.


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## jagass (Mar 18, 2009)

Look for Logitech...It's very good...


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## _jM (Mar 18, 2009)

Drizzt5 said:


> I've owned the razer barracuda's 3 times ....
> THREE TIMES!!!! (due to RMA's)
> So when I say the razer barracuda's are just horrible for the price, i know what i am saying
> They are uncomfortable, they are overpriced, they are of low quality and they break very easily.
> How you can have the 555's and say the barracuda's are better is beyond me but I think you are wrong x9,000.



OK first off im sorry you got some bad phones, it happens maybe if you stuck with getting a good pair.. then you would know.

Second thing is .. he asked for opinions, and i gave him mine. Im an audiophile and i know sound quality. You can have a great  set of speakers/phones but if your connecting them to a shitty sound card or onboard.. you will not get what you are looking for. I mix tracks and make my own beats.. dont criticize me please. I know what im talking about.

Piont  here is .. For gaming the Razer's are the shit.. you want crisp sounds and comfort for movie's and music... the 555's are the way to go. I personally like the razer's for the built in 5.1 surround.


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## Kursah (Mar 18, 2009)

I love my Turtle beach hpa2's, they're 5.1, sound damn good, the mic is clear and crisp, plus detatchable. They're very comfy, I'm sure not sennheiser quality...never heard any senn's, but I do highly recommend these. They come with an amp and control over all channels' volumes along with master volume. Long cable for routing, they work very well with onboard and add-in sound cards. I got mine for about 60 shipped not too long ago, the price fluxuates though, these are similar to the Razer barracuda HP1's iirc, at least from looks.


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## NinkobEi (Mar 18, 2009)

i've heard lots of good things about the ad 700s..just curious how they compare to the senn 595s


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## TheMailMan78 (Mar 18, 2009)

These are pricey but well worth the money. Iv had a pair for about two years now.


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## farlex85 (Mar 18, 2009)

Yeah those Bose are fantastic headphones. Like almost everything bose I don't think it's worth the money, but that's particular pair of headphones is one of their only products that comes close.....


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## SK-1 (Mar 18, 2009)

Ninkobwi said:


> so +2 for the Sennheisers..  I know they are quality but $150 is really the maximum I should spend, and even that is pushing my budget. Anyone have some used ones for sale?



The Sennheiser 280 pro's are a good deal. I have 2 sets now. Not the best Senns but a good option for ya.
The biggest impression I got from these phones is silence. Not total silence, since with the headphones on I could still hear outside noise. Once the music/game starts playing, however, music is much clearer because background noises have been attenuated so effectively.


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## TheMailMan78 (Mar 18, 2009)

farlex85 said:


> Yeah those Bose are fantastic headphones. Like almost everything bose I don't think it's worth the money, but that's particular pair of headphones is one of their only products that comes close.....



I can honestly say I forget their on. FYI I've owned Sennheiser before. I jumped to these Bose for a reason


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## JATownes (Mar 18, 2009)

I use a pair of Everglide S-500 Gaming Headphone and I love them.  They have GREAT sound isolation and good response. -->http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500

And you can grab a pair for about $20-$30 if you look around.


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## farlex85 (Mar 18, 2009)

TheMailMan78 said:


> I can honestly say I forget their on. FYI I've owned Sennheiser before. I jumped to these for a reason



Yeah they are very comfy. The cirum-aural ones a bit below it are quite comfy too. So are sennies though, I don't feel mine at all. Honestly I'd probably go w/ your suggestion if money isn't too big of a factor. I just have trouble paying them for their crap sometimes.....


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## TechnicalFreak (Mar 18, 2009)

Actually I'm a Razer fan.. However, Sennheiser is _the_ headphones. I still have a pair from around the 80's that still work. But too uncomfortable to use when playing games (more for music making etc.etc.).

Sennheiser has always been known for quality, just like AKG and other brands. I even have a microphone from AKG from around the late 70's.. And it has the best sound ever, I just need to modify it to make it work with my computer.

But like always, my best advice is "Try before you buy". And since it's headphones, get a CD used to set amplifiers for cars (BRL etc.etc.). Then you can hear anything from treble to bass..


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## Kei (Mar 18, 2009)

_jM said:


> Piont  here is .. For gaming the Razer's are the shit.. you want crisp sounds and comfort for movie's and music... the 555's are the way to go. I personally like the razer's for the built in 5.1 surround.



I agree also, I owned the Barracuda 5.1's as well and they were completely awesome x1000 ^2

They are the most comfortable pair of phones I can ever remember (not sure why you didn't like them) even with eye glasses on, the cord had more than enough length to it, the sound quality was great as long as you actually set it up properly (makes a huge difference), and the price wasn't too bad either.

I've been thinking of buying a new headset lately (don't have the Barracuda's anymore, and no they didn't die ) and it's really between the new Razer Carcharias or a new pair of Barracuda's on the cheap. If you know where to look you can get either one for basically the same price.

The 555's are AWEsome as well and the money would be extremely well spent. Amazon has nice prices on them too. 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001FTVDQ/?tag=tec06d-20

Kei


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## niko084 (Mar 18, 2009)

I have a pair of HD-555's they are great, but they do require some power if you like it loud.

I strongly recommend an open air headphone if you plan on wearing them for extended amounts of time, let alone they simply sound so much better.

HD595's are great, if you want a bit cheaper and still great you can grab HD 485's those are also good.

IME, Sennheiser pretty consistently holds one of the best values for your dollar.

Bose headphones sound nice, and sound "BIG" more like you would expect from a stereo set of speakers, they don't sound like headphones, but their sound quality I find deterring.


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## Mike0409 (Mar 18, 2009)

I got a pair of these.  AudioFX

They shake on your skull...and sound pretty good.  Only downside was they were USB.  Wasn't a big fan of that, but hey they work and I caughtem on sale for $29.99


The best Headphones that I had and enjoyed were my Icemat Siberia's.  I thought they were great. Guess there called SteelSeries now.  They lasted for quite some time...until I crushed them when i was moving...*sigh*


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## King Wookie (Mar 18, 2009)

Of the 3 you mentioned, I don't think you'd be sorry with any of those options.

I personally use Sennheiser HD 265s when recording, mixing, or just listening to music. And comfort has never been an issue. I also have a pair of the Razer Barracudas for gaming, as their 5.1 works better for that. Also very comfortable, but the mic is not that hot.

When it comes to headphones and speakers, LISTEN! What suits me may not suit you. It's a personal thing. Do know that to get the best out of those headphones, try and get a headphone amp. It will make a world of difference.


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## niko084 (Mar 18, 2009)

King Wookie said:


> Try and get a headphone amp. It will make a world of difference.



This is a big one especially with high end phones.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHHA400

Cheapie but goodie


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## fenurch (Mar 18, 2009)

It's sad but funny for me. People who have no idea or interest in Audio, recommending HD555's or Bose  Seeing as you said Games,Movies and Music then you should get all-rounder headphones, Audio Technica AD700 are one of the best in their price range although if you want bass, they're not for you. Grado SR60's and SR80's are generally great for rock.

Edit: 595's have different sound signature, they sound 'darker' but as I said if you want good all-rounder phones, get AD700's


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## farlex85 (Mar 18, 2009)

ATZ said:


> It's sad but funny for me. People who have no idea or interest in Audio, recommending HD555's or Bose  Seeing as you said Games,Movies and Music then you should get all-rounder headphones, Audio Technica AD700 are one of the best in their price range although if you want bass, they're not for you. Grado SR60's and SR80's are generally great for rock.
> 
> Edit: 595's have different sound signature, they sound 'darker' but as I said if you want good all-rounder phones, get AD700's



If you are "into" audio you should know that everyone has their preferences when it comes to sound, not only preferences for different qualities of sound, but also different capacities for caring about it. Anyway another good suggestion on the ADs. Research all of these Nik and see which offer qualities that you look for.


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## niko084 (Mar 18, 2009)

ATZ said:


> It's sad but funny for me. People who have no idea or interest in Audio, recommending HD555's or Bose  Seeing as you said Games,Movies and Music then you should get all-rounder headphones, Audio Technica AD700 are one of the best in their price range although if you want bass, they're not for you. Grado SR60's and SR80's are generally great for rock.
> 
> Edit: 595's have different sound signature, they sound 'darker' but as I said if you want good all-rounder phones, get AD700's



Hm... Considering the AD700's have horrific reviews by audiophile forums talking about being treble happy and bass lacking... The price they compare point to point with the HD555's which have numerous awards by various audiophile forums, the only big complaint being they like power.

So no you are right, I know nothing of audio and recommend HD555s...

Audio Tehcnica does make some decent products without a doubt, but the AD700's are not really one of their top pieces.


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## Drizzt5 (Mar 18, 2009)

nvm, opinions just cause problems.


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## NinkobEi (Mar 19, 2009)

all of the headphones I listed have received incredible praise from many different sources. I'm a little curious which one would work better with my X-fi... Right now I am leaning towards the AD700s just because they fit my price a bit better. Though I would like some premium HD595s I'm not sure if the jump in sound quality is worth it.


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## NinkobEi (Mar 19, 2009)

is the jump from 5 � 30,000 Hz(ad700) to 12 38500 hz(595s) very significant?


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## niko084 (Mar 19, 2009)

Ninkobwi said:


> is the jump from 5 � 30,000 Hz(ad700) to 12 38500 hz(595s) very significant?



Never pay attention to the numbers post like that...

You will NEVER hear a 5hz or even 12hz bass note from a pair of headphones, the drivers cannot reproduce that note at any audible level.

Here is the deal...

The AD700's are good headphones without a doubt, but they do lack bass, they are heavy on the highs, and don't require so much power to produce a decent level of sound, they are comfortable to wear to long periods of time also which is nice.

The Sens produce a smoother curve throughout the frequency range, they are more "sonically correct", but they generally cost a bit more and they are power hungry, you really want a headphone amp for them.

Best bet honestly is to roll into a music store "guitar center" etc. And try on some pairs they have see what feeling you like, and if they have them hooked up get an idea of what kinda sound you like, do remember though if you do this that most of these stores do have their headphones on amplifiers.

Outside of that idea, you need to know what kinda sound you like, you need to know what shallow, deep, sharp, flat, smooth, warm, etc terms in descriptions on the way speakers sound to know what you want, otherwise if you simply are not that into it, as long as you buy a pair that cost around $100+ you probably wont care too much and will enjoy them.

The high end stuff only sounds very different to a very discerning ear, if you are not that big into your audio equipment, they will all pretty much make noise and either feel comfortable or not.


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## TheMailMan78 (Mar 19, 2009)

Im telling you guys.......BOSE.


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## niko084 (Mar 19, 2009)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Im telling you guys.......BOSE.



If you don't have a thing for the high end, BOSE is pretty much always a safe bet, they sound smooth, they sound big and they are comfortable. If you are an audiophile to any extent BOSE is about as low on your list as Jensen and Audiovox.


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## TheMailMan78 (Mar 19, 2009)

niko084 said:


> If you don't have a thing for the high end, BOSE is pretty much always a safe bet, they sound smooth, they sound big and they are comfortable. If you are an audiophile to any extent BOSE is about as low on your list as Jensen and Audiovox.



I hear people trash Bose but they are one of the most innovative companies out there. Jensen and Audiovox? Come on man really?


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## niko084 (Mar 19, 2009)

TheMailMan78 said:


> I hear people trash Bose but they are one of the most innovative companies out there. Jensen and Audiovox? Come on man really?



Innovative yes, and for that I am glad they are around.
But as far as pure sonic accuracy is concerned they are as far off as Jensen and Audiovox..

Granted, I will TRASH Jensen and Audiovox all day.

I do not mean to talk down upon BOSE, they do some amazing things, and pump a lot of money into research, heck they even started making suspensions for cars now. Amar Bose himself is a brilliant man, he has done a lot of stuff and brought a lot of new stuff into the audio world. But to an audiophile *one who demands audio be reproduced extremely correct*, BOSE just doesn't hold anything in that market at all.


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## haffey (Mar 19, 2009)

Mike0409 said:


> The best Headphones that I had and enjoyed were my Icemat Siberia's.  I thought they were great. Guess there called SteelSeries now.  They lasted for quite some time...until I crushed them when i was moving...*sigh*


I second that.  The Siberias are the best headphones I have ever heard.  It lacks a little in music if you're really an audiophile, but in movies and games, nothing can compare.

Someone just recently broke my Icemats and bought me the SteelSeries-branded one as a replacement.  Yes, the company was bought out; they are exactly the same.


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## Bokteelo (Mar 19, 2009)

You can't really beat Sennheiser in sound quality. If you want a pair of headphones strictly for indoor use/for your computer, go for a higher end pair of Senn HDs. If you want portable headphones with great quality for both listening at home and for travel, check out the Sennheiser PX series.


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## Frederik S (Mar 19, 2009)

The Bose headphones are drastically overpriced. The Grado SR-60 sound nice and do not cost that much. They are not that good for gaming because of their relatively bad sound stage. The Sennheiser HD 555s or HD 595s are good both for gaming and music, but still not quite as good as the Grados for rock and pop music.  The Audio-technica models you mention pop up all the time and a lot of people use both the open and the closed back version of the 700-series. I would say for mixed gaming and music listening you should get either the Senns or the Audio-technicas. Just don't get the Bose headphones they are a waist of time and money.


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## TheMailMan78 (Mar 19, 2009)

Frederik S said:


> The Bose headphones are drastically overpriced.Just don't get the Bose headphones they are a waist of time and money.



 In YOUR opinion.


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## niko084 (Mar 19, 2009)

TheMailMan78 said:


> In YOUR opinion.



Eh, ya I have to be honest, when I'm looking for really "Big" sound when I need to wear headphones I do have a set of Bose headphones. They simply do not sound like headphones, they have a large sound, and sometimes that is nice, and they don't sound bad, just not perfect, not so much for me, but my gf loves them.

Run into a store and take a listen yourself, I personally think the price is a bit high, but they do sound like no other headphone I have ever heard.


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## Frederik S (Mar 19, 2009)

TheMailMan78 said:


> In YOUR opinion.


Compared to all other headphones in the same price category except Skullcandy, yes!


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## Frederik S (Mar 19, 2009)

niko084 said:


> Eh, ya I have to be honest, when I'm looking for really "Big" sound when I need to wear headphones I do have a set of Bose headphones. They simply do not sound like headphones, they have a large sound, and sometimes that is nice, and they don't sound bad, just not perfect, not so much for me, but my gf loves them.
> 
> Run into a store and take a listen yourself, I personally think the price is a bit high, but they do sound like no other headphone I have ever heard.



You should try some of the better closed headphones from firms like Audio-technica, Beyerdynamic, Ultrasone.


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## TheMailMan78 (Mar 19, 2009)

Frederik S said:


> You should try some of the better closed headphones from firms like Audio-technica, Beyerdynamic, Ultrasone.



We can go back and forth all day but in the end its all opinion. No one hears the same so no headphone is the "best". Bose works for me. Not you. 

That why you never saw me say anything negative about any set of headphones. Everyone is different. Its not cut and dry like a GPU or car performance.

Also for G-d sake use the edit button!


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## niko084 (Mar 19, 2009)

Frederik S said:


> You should try some of the better closed headphones from firms like Audio-technica, Beyerdynamic, Ultrasone.



I have owned more cans then you can shake a stick at.

From Audio-Tehcnica, Ultrasone, Pioneer, Denon, Sennheiser, AKG, Stanton, Grado, Etymotic, Shure.

Not to mention all the lesser quality companies.


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## CJCerny (Mar 19, 2009)

I would start cheap and then work your way up from there if you aren't happy. The least expensive set of quality headphones you can get is the Senn PX-100. They are great for the $40 that they cost.


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## fenurch (Mar 19, 2009)

5x5 series aren't really hungry. Yes, they will sound better with a DAC of some sort but the sound change won't justify the DAC's price. 555's will be good enough if you're looking for nothing special and unless you're interested in audio, there's probably in no point getting any higher end phones.


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## SK-1 (Mar 19, 2009)

niko084 said:


> I have owned more cans then you can shake a stick at.
> 
> From Audio-Tehcnica, Ultrasone, Pioneer, Denon, Sennheiser, AKG, Stanton, Grado, Etymotic, Shure.
> 
> Not to mention all the lesser quality companies.



niko has the experience I believe in. He has pointed me in the right *can* direction on a few occasions now.


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## TheMailMan78 (Mar 19, 2009)

SK-1 said:


> niko has the experience I believe in. He has pointed me in the right *can* direction on a few occasions now.



Sooooo what does that mean? You don't trust me? I'm hurt SK-1.


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## SK-1 (Mar 19, 2009)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Sooooo what does that mean? You don't trust me? I'm hurt SK-1.



Nooooo not at all my friend.      Just stating a bit of info to help the thread along.

I think you even contributed to my decision (if my memory serves me right, I am old).

Heck you said it best with *"Everyone is different. Its not cut and dry like a GPU or car performance."*


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## Anisotonic (Mar 19, 2009)

Kursah said:


> I love my Turtle beach hpa2's, they're 5.1, sound damn good, the mic is clear and crisp, plus detatchable. They're very comfy, I'm sure not sennheiser quality...never heard any senn's, but I do highly recommend these. They come with an amp and control over all channels' volumes along with master volume. Long cable for routing, they work very well with onboard and add-in sound cards. I got mine for about 60 shipped not too long ago, the price fluxuates though, these are similar to the Razer barracuda HP1's iirc, at least from looks.




You're too easy on them. The HPA2s are by several miles the best headphones on the whole market. They sound much better than any sennheiser set, whether you pay 100 or 500$ for it, and whether it's for games, movies or music. 

Just curious, Kursah, how are your HPA2s setup? Mine are Front: 2 Surround: 2.8 Center:2 Sub: 5.5, I came to this after many months of tweaking, perfect balance imo

And on another subject, why is sennheiser (and other standard headphone makers) in this conversation when the guy specified he will play games with his set? Do they even make surround headphones?


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## niko084 (Mar 19, 2009)

Anisotonic said:


> And on another subject, why is sennheiser (and other standard headphone makers) in this conversation when the guy specified he will play games with his set? Do they even make surround headphones?



No they don't, but a lot of people also don't care for surround headphones... Which really is pretty horrible surround anyways, better than none no doubt, but uck I could never myself.


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## NinkobEi (Mar 20, 2009)

Anisotonic said:


> And on another subject, why is sennheiser (and other standard headphone makers) in this conversation when the guy specified he will play games with his set? Do they even make surround headphones?



the senn/audio tech headphones are in the conversation because those are the main ones I have been looking at. 5.1 headphones arent that important to me because they dont really increase music quality, and in many cases cause it to be less than what it would normally be. as cool as 5.1 sound is, it's kind of a gimmick in terms of quality of sound (unless listening to music Designed for 5.1 speakers...which pretty much doesnt exist AFAIK).


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## farlex85 (Mar 20, 2009)

Ninkobwi said:


> the senn/audio tech headphones are in the conversation because those are the main ones I have been looking at. 5.1 headphones arent that important to me because they dont really increase music quality, and in many cases cause it to be less than what it would normally be. as cool as 5.1 sound is, it's kind of a gimmick in terms of quality of sound (unless listening to music Designed for 5.1 speakers...which pretty much doesnt exist AFAIK).



Check out SACDs (super audio cds) and various other quadraphonic recordings (just found myself Dark side of the Moon remixed from the original masters in quadraphonic, I am eager ). Basically though most all original recordings are mixed in stereo (or mono if it's an oldie), there are 5.1 and 4-channel mixes out there of varying quality. That being said, 5.1 is definitely more of a movie/game thing, an experience that imo is nearly completely wasted w/ headphones.


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