new cans (+ soundcard?)

426 Views 6 Replies 3 Participants Last post by weinzey, Dec 3, 2009

weinzey

Discussion Starter · Nov 30, 2009

hi
here's my situation:
i have a cheap logitech headset and the pseudo-onboard sound that came with my asus maximus formula II (surpreme fx x-fi iirc).
i play a lot of games (mainly fps) and whenever i sit on my pc and dont play, i listen to music (right now, with my z2300, since the headset is obviously useless for music).
my music taste varies with my mood, but i manly listen to rock/alternative and (to a smaller extent) hiphop/reggae.
my budget for a new pair of cans: cant really tell, i'm mainly lookin for the best value. but i'd say around 100 (€ btw), maybe 150.

i have looked around on this forum for the last few days, and the most commonly recommended cans seem to be the sennheiser hd 555 and the audio technicha a700/ad700.
i dont really like the pinkish looks of the ad700, but the other 2 seem to pretty much meet my requirements.
so my real question is if i should go with an open or closed model...
the thing is, i dont really need the isolation, since i'll use them only at home in my room, but i like the feeling of the music being in my head (like with my shure 530). and i really like the looks and the headband thingy of the a700's.
on the other hand, i read that the open phones provide better sound and soundstage (the latter being pretty important to me as a fps gamer).

so i'd like to know how those 2 (3, respectevely - or ofc other suggestions) compare in those segments to each other and which would be best for me.

also, since the buy of high-end cans will inevitebly lead to a new sound-card in the near future, i'm also open for suggestions (gonna plug a 5.1 system into it eventually - z5500 probably).

ty in advance

p.s. if possible w/o an amp, i'd also like to use them for my sansa clip+ once in a while.

Save

1 - 7 of 7 Posts

weinzey

Discussion Starter · #2 · Dec 2, 2009

bump

i did a little more research and it seems that the ad700 have the most amazing soundstage in their and next price range. also, i read that u have to sacrifice a lot of sound quality if u go for closed cans (which i dont really need as mentioned above), so i'm kinda rooting more and more for the ad's.

any opinions/other suggestions? (i would really appreciate some input, guys)

btw, would it be possible to detach the grills of the ad700's in order to spray them in a different color w/o deconstructing the whole headphones (after the warranty wears off ofc)?

and are there any international retailers (besides ebay shops) u can recommend that deliver to austria/europe?

Save

RallyMaster

· #3 · Dec 2, 2009

Sacrifice sound quality if you go closed? Whoever said that is an ignoramus.

The AD700's grilles can be detached. How one goes about doing that exactly I do not know for sure. I know someone swapped the AD500 grilles onto the AD700.

Some open headphones provide a decently large soundstage but not all (Grados, for example, are not designed for a large soundstage) . The AD700 in question does indeed have one of the biggest soundstages in its price range. It is bass-light so explosions won't have the impact that some may find enjoyable.

My main two headphones are the JVC HA-DX3 (closed) and the Sennheiser HD595 (open). Out of the two, I use the DX3 more for both gaming AND music. The HD595 is a nice headphone but it's not versatile enough for me.

Save

weinzey

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 2, 2009

so how is the sound quality of the a700's compared to the ad700's?
and how well do the ad700's sound for music?

Save

weinzey

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 3, 2009

come on, i need some advice plz

See less See more

Save

the_milk_man

· #6 · Dec 3, 2009

i think the a700's have more bass from the reviews i have read.

EDIT:

Quote:

Originally Posted by weinzey

so how is the sound quality of the a700's compared to the ad700's?
and how well do the ad700's sound for music?

read this post i found on head-fi(audiophile forum)

See less See more

Save

weinzey

Discussion Starter · #7 · Dec 3, 2009

so, since nobody has anything left to say and i am pretty much finished with my research, i'm probably gonna buy the ad700's.

moving on, which sound card would u suggest with those?
dont really know about the budget. if it's worth it and will last 5+years, i'm definetly willing to spend more...

i would appreciate suggestions from different price levels and how much of an upgrade each level brings.
keep in mind i'll use it for gaming mainly, but will also listen to music a lot (rock/alternative and hip hop/reggae)

ty

ps: if u still have headphone suggestions, now's your chance

See less See more

Save

1 - 7 of 7 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month