headphones for movies/gaming

Secret_Window

Secret_Window

Secret_Window

Soldato
Joined
10 Aug 2006
Posts
5,207
Currently using Goldring DR150's with my Xonar D1. However recently I am finding them a bit lacking in frequency response for gaming. Since I am primarily buying a headset/headphones for gaming, I wondered if there were any that were good with the Dolby Headphone setting in the xonar control panel for movies as well? as my DR150's sound quite flat when using this.

Thanks.

Budget £60 max.
 
Id suggest looking at the Goldring Ns1000's as it seems to be what most people recommend at the moment just dont buy them from the jersey retailer and you should be fine. However having not tried the Dr150's i have no idea if this will be a step up in regards to frequency response, i have the the Ns1000's paired with a Xonar Dg and this its amazing though i only have onboard audio to compare to so my opinion is rather biased.
 
I'm sure the Goldring DR150 don't lack at all in frequency response for gaming, as 18 hz to 20khz extends far more at both ends than gaming audio generally would. Are you sure that's what you mean? Is it something else. What are you comparing them to?
 
PhoenixSP said:
Id suggest looking at the Goldring Ns1000's as it seems to be what most people recommend at the moment just dont buy them from the jersey retailer and you should be fine. However having not tried the Dr150's i have no idea if this will be a step up in regards to frequency response, i have the the Ns1000's paired with a Xonar Dg and this its amazing though i only have onboard audio to compare to so my opinion is rather biased.
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Funny you mention those, back when I was buying my DR150's it was a toss between the DR150 and the NS1000. I sometimes wonder if I should have gone the NS1000 but some people advised me against getting them at the time, for some reason over the DR150.:(

Shamrock said:
Personally, I'd save up a bit longer and look into either the Beyer DT770 Pro 80 or the ATH-AD700.
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Haven't seen these, will definitely check them out.

Uriel said:
I'm sure the Goldring DR150 don't lack at all in frequency response for gaming, as 18 hz to 20khz extends far more at both ends than gaming audio generally would. Are you sure that's what you mean? Is it something else. What are you comparing them to?
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Well, I suppose what I mean is, on the lower 20khz response, I can hear less details than my old Icemat Siberia 28khz response headset. I find it harder to distinguish certain sounds with the DR150's than I ever did with my Icemat Siberia headset. The DR150's at times sound a bit muddy and like some sounds are meshed together more. I can't really describe exactly how it is but I just feel that the sound in some things isn't as seperated. Like for example in a movie, the sounds aren't always sounding like they are coming from one particular direction, whereas in my Icemat Siberias they do. I think it's a combination of sound direction and frequency response. The DR150's are good for music but I find them rubbish for directional audio in games and movies - I like to know where the sounds are coming from.

I don't think it's so much a problem with the settings I am using with my Xonar either, as I mostly stick to 2 channel and headphone/speakers in the Xonar control panel - using Dolby Headphone just makes them sound much worse, in everything.:(

Would an amp help much? I have considered this before but the price of some of them are nearly as much as a new pair of headphones.
 
Hmm, an amp does improve the DR150's, but it's not a night and day difference, it's subtle, but they are definitely improved by an amp.

Whether an amp would improve the sound separation though a lower end, is quite hard to say. What they sound like at the bottom will likely differ from person to person.
 
Marsman said:
Hmm, an amp does improve the DR150's, but it's not a night and day difference, it's subtle, but they are definitely improved by an amp.

Whether an amp would improve the sound separation though a lower end, is quite hard to say. What they sound like at the bottom will likely differ from person to person.
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So what sort of headphones would you recommend for my needs ?
 
Depending on what you prioritise the most, the DT770 or AD700 would be ideal for your needs.

The AD700 is the gaming headphone for competitive play, as it excels for positional sound when combined with dolby headphone. However, since you also want them for movies the DT770 would be more versatile since it is very good for gaming, but has a beefier bottom end for more immersion when watching films.
 
only problem with the AD700 is it costs more than double that of the NS1000 and is more than double the budget of what the Op has posted yet don't provide double the quality. I only have the Razer Carcharias and the Ns1000's to compare between but the Goldrings a certainly a lot better despite costing less.
 
Well as I say, it depends what the OP needs. I don't think the AD700 can be beaten for competitive gaming, but you are right they probably aren't much better for music. Although, I don't think sound quality is something you can quantify as x2 better or x3 better. The law of diminishing returns applies in audio gear and though a £100 can isn't twice as good as a £50 can or a £1000 can isn't x10 better than a £100 it probably is better. (unless we're talking about Bose or Beats).

IMO, buying another can at the same price-point would be a sidegrade at best, but then I've not heard the fabled NS1000. :p

As for the budget, yes I recommended cans more expensive than the budget, but I think it'd be worth keeping what he has for now and saving up more monies for a larger more worthwhile upgrade.
 
Just a word of caution here. I've seen someone that owns AD700s and DR150s say that they prefer the Goldrings.

Quite a different Audio Technica, but I used to own the A900s and I rate the NS1000s as more suited to Dolby Headphone, although the former were slughtly more detailed. I also own the DT770 pro 250 ohm and would say that it doesn't give enough of an improvement for the extra money it costs.

There is also the possibility that the OP just doesn't like Dolby Headphone.

Try before you buy is key here, or being prepared for disappointment. I've had more disappointing headphone 'upgrades' than I care to think about.

Edit: Looking at the specifications of the Icemat Siberias, one thing sticks out to me over the DR150s: angled drivers. Quite simply the Goldring's drivers point straight at your ears. The icemats angle the driver to give more loudspeaker-like presentation. That will probably explain the directional aspect of what the OP has heard and I too prefer angled drivers for plain stereo (as most audio, including gaming audio is mastered for speakers. The AD700s do have angled drivers.

On paper angled drivers aren't ideal for Dolby Headphone. It's designed for stereo headphones with straight drivers. In practice it's not disasterous: it has the effect of rotating all the virtual speakers towards the front centre. The best headphones for Dolby Headphone use have similar levels of detail to the AD700s but without angled drivers.
 
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I agree, in an ideal world we could all try out headphones before buying. However, this isn't always possible so we have to rely on other people's impressions and opinions.

Perhaps OP should check out head-fi before jumping on the ns1000 bandwagon.
 
Head-Fi is fine but you have to bear in mind that most posters are from the US and pay much less for most headphones than we do. I just had a look on an American site and you can get the AD700s for about £60 delivered over there. I've seen them cheaper.

Likewise NS1000s on the same site are about £190. There's no way I would recommend them at that price and it's not surprising they haven't taken off on Head-Fi. For UK based forums with some reasonable headphone discussion try RockGrotto or AVForums.

It's simple bang for buck and that's in the Goldrings' favour in the UK.
 
As long as the NS1000s are not from play.com then yes. They have a very bad batch there at the moment.

Edit: I've not tried the HS1A but reviews are pretty good.

Further edit: I'm not necessarily recommending the NS1000s for the OP. I think both the NS1000s and DR150s benefit from virtualisation (like Dolby Headphone)to work well for gaming. Without it I don't think either make great gaming headphones. The OP will probably want something with angled drivers and there's not much I've tried in the price range that fits that criteria.
 
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Wow, quite lengthy discussion we have going on here and can't say I am disappointed because the stuff you mention is very interesting.

I am willing to bump up my budget if there are headphones out there that more than suit my needs then I'll pay it. However, if like some you say, are only marginally better then there really little point in me forking out the extra.

I don't think I will go with the NS1000, I just don't see the point. If I want to change headphones I want them to be a lot better and from what I've read about the NS1000, I don't think they will suit my needs.

I have considered the Sennheiser range again (did in the past when was buying my Goldring DR150) and always hear good things about their HD555 and PC360 but again, I am not sure how much better they are than my DR150's.

I don't know what is different with the Icemat Siberias, other than frequency response, but I find the audio to be overall much more detailed but without compromising the quality (which I tend to find in a lot in most gaming headsets with good directional sound but sound awful for music and movies). With my Siberias I can listen to music, movies and play games and they are all really good. I refuse to believe, that a headset like this cannot be bettered in that same price range. I have also tried others, for example I bought a Sennheiser PC161 headset 6 months ago and that was just an absolutely awful, awful decision - I don't know how people can say that sounds good in movies, music and games - it just sounded totally weak and flat in everything.

Edit:

Looks like we may have a winner.:D

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18240484
 
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