Sennheiser Game One Upgrade?

Baden

Baden

Baden

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Joined
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Location
Perth, Scotland
Sup guys,

Looking at maybe getting a new headset as my Sennheiser's are getting pretty worn out. I've been doing some digging and from what I have seen the AKG K702 are a pretty decent headset? I'm not bothered about not having a built in mic as i'm happy to buy separate.

I mainly game on my PC, FPS & RPG's. Movies here and there.

I have a Sound Blaster Z sound card which it will connect to.

Happy for any other suggestions.
 
You already have an excellent headset, just replace the pads if they need replacing. The K702 are not really going to give you much more at all.
 
Hard to know what headphone model Game One is exactly based onto, might have even changed during years, but it should be certainly good.
Likely not up to the highest level in "detail whoring", and about average strength bass.
So are you after something, like best details or good bass punch?

ATH-AD lineup certainly has some very good ones for details.
But bass might feel lacking especially in lower models. Original non-x models were at "Bass? Isn't that sea fish?" level especially in lower bass.
In that AKG K702 does very good job in neutral accurate bass, while having top level details.
 
PapaLazaru said:
You already have an excellent headset, just replace the pads if they need replacing. The K702 are not really going to give you much more at all.
Click to expand...

They are good but I don't find them the most conformable. I just wondering what other options are good.
 
supersuperjamie said:
Audio technica ad500x are another good shout for that price. No detachable cable but they're footsteps gods if you're in to fps.
Click to expand...

I've seen Audio Technica, I always thought they were crazy expensive but the ones you quoted are a good price. Do you have these?
 
EsaT said:
What "part" of comfort is not so good in them?
Size of ear pads? Headband clamping force?
Click to expand...

Ears are fine, Headband isn't that good and after long sessions can be a bit sore on the top of the head. Also fancy going for closed ear headphones rather than open.
 
Baden said:
Ears are fine, Headband isn't that good and after long sessions can be a bit sore on the top of the head. Also fancy going for closed ear headphones rather than open.
Click to expand...
Game One's headband looks similar to HD595, which has decently soft padding.
Though clearly behind Beyerdynamic DT990's headband padding. (at least Edition)
AKG again doesn't have any padding in its flexible leather band.

Unless having noisy environment closed design is overal worser for gaming.
It has lot easier time in giving strong bass, but beyond that it's challenge/drag for getting accurate reproduction needed by binaural cues.
Stereo sound like music doesn't really give a damn about accuracy to still sound good, but binaural cues start suffering fast:
"Sound stage" starts collapsing and instead of having good feel of distances of sounds coming from farther away they start sounding coming from more and more next to ear.
Also directionality can suffer greatly.
Instead of feeling like being in that game environment with sounds at different directions and distances, typical cheap closed headphone would be more like having head in bucket.

If you have missed what binaural sound gaming can feel first minute of this is good headphone test:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1_20T8x_OI
(disable any effects/processing of sound)
 
EsaT said:
Game One's headband looks similar to HD595, which has decently soft padding.
Though clearly behind Beyerdynamic DT990's headband padding. (at least Edition)
AKG again doesn't have any padding in its flexible leather band.

Unless having noisy environment closed design is overal worser for gaming.
It has lot easier time in giving strong bass, but beyond that it's challenge/drag for getting accurate reproduction needed by binaural cues.
Stereo sound like music doesn't really give a damn about accuracy to still sound good, but binaural cues start suffering fast:
"Sound stage" starts collapsing and instead of having good feel of distances of sounds coming from farther away they start sounding coming from more and more next to ear.
Also directionality can suffer greatly.
Instead of feeling like being in that game environment with sounds at different directions and distances, typical cheap closed headphone would be more like having head in bucket.

If you have missed what binaural sound gaming can feel first minute of this is good headphone test:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1_20T8x_OI
(disable any effects/processing of sound)
Click to expand...

So do you have a headset to recommend at all?
 
if you want closed then the Beyerdynamic DT770 should do the trick, albeit with more bass than the Senns would be capable of but that would be the same with pretty much any closed back phone.
The SPZ will drive the 250 ohm version just fine so you would just need to decide whether you wanted a curly cable (250 ohm) or a straight cable (80 ohm) as they should be around the same price
 
Baden said:
So do you have a headset to recommend at all?
Click to expand...
DT990 works really well for gaming, if you want fun bass immersion, but without it hindering details that much.
If you want maximal details AKG K702 is one the absolutely best headphones.
With binaural sound next step up would be game showing positions of sound sources around you on map.

Myself have Beyer DT990, AKG K712 and second hand bought K702 for neutral bass reference.
(old tape keeping pieces of plastics falling HD595 can rot all it wants)
 
EsaT said:
DT990 works really well for gaming, if you want fun bass immersion, but without it hindering details that much.
If you want maximal details AKG K702 is one the absolutely best headphones.
With binaural sound next step up would be game showing positions of sound sources around you on map.

Myself have Beyer DT990, AKG K712 and second hand bought K702 for neutral bass reference.
(old tape keeping pieces of plastics falling HD595 can rot all it wants)
Click to expand...

Ok cool, would you get the K702? or is it worth getting the K712 for the difference?
 
Baden said:
Ok cool, would you get the K702? or is it worth getting the K712 for the difference?
Click to expand...
That depends if you're happy to bass level of Game Ones.
Though while neutral K702 has actually quite low reaching bass for open dynamic headphone and its lower bass is better than in HD595.
So would likely improve lower bass.

K712 adds general ~3dBs to bass for more DT990 like sound with good bass immersion in place of occasional "shyness" of neutral bass.
Trading some of that K702's top level "competitiveness" for details to good "fun factor".
DT990 and K712 have rather similar sound signatures.
K712 has overall advantage in details, though DT990 feels having slight advantage in some particular details, likely because of K712 having dip at IIRC 2kHz.
DT990 again has about similar advantage in feel of bass.

Comfort wise Beyer's manually adjusted headband likely works for lot more different head shapes/sizes.
AKG's automatic adjustment realies partially also on pressure to keep cups positioned.
And in small head, especially if downward narrowing, it could feel like cups are trying to creep downwards.
For ear pads AKG has slightly bigger ones, while Beyer's velour pads are very soft.
 
EsaT said:
That depends if you're happy to bass level of Game Ones.
Though while neutral K702 has actually quite low reaching bass for open dynamic headphone and its lower bass is better than in HD595.
So would likely improve lower bass.

K712 adds general ~3dBs to bass for more DT990 like sound with good bass immersion in place of occasional "shyness" of neutral bass.
Trading some of that K702's top level "competitiveness" for details to good "fun factor".
DT990 and K712 have rather similar sound signatures.
K712 has overall advantage in details, though DT990 feels having slight advantage in some particular details, likely because of K712 having dip at IIRC 2kHz.
DT990 again has about similar advantage in feel of bass.

Comfort wise Beyer's manually adjusted headband likely works for lot more different head shapes/sizes.
AKG's automatic adjustment realies partially also on pressure to keep cups positioned.
And in small head, especially if downward narrowing, it could feel like cups are trying to creep downwards.
For ear pads AKG has slightly bigger ones, while Beyer's velour pads are very soft.
Click to expand...

If it helps i currently have a Soundblaster Z sound card and i'm thinking of getting either Sound BlasterX AE-5 or the G6. With either of these sound cards which would benefit best for competitive gaming and casual?
 
Baden said:
Ears are fine, Headband isn't that good and after long sessions can be a bit sore on the top of the head. Also fancy going for closed ear headphones rather than open.
Click to expand...

just a note: all of the headphones that EsaT has recommended are open back.
 
rids57 said:
just a note: all of the headphones that EsaT has recommended are open back.
Click to expand...

Yeah i noticed, to be honest i did some digging and they are right, unless you have a lot of background noise there is no point. So i'll go for open back.

I think i'm pretty set on K702. Just need to decide if i should upgrade to either the Sound BlasterX AE-5 or the G6
 
Sound Blaster Z would drive 250 ohm Beyers fine.
While needing slightly more voltage, DT990 draws lot less current and is hence less power hungry than AKGs.
Again it might struggle in driving AKGs in some circumstances, if you don't care about hearing safe sound pressure.
AE-5 and G6 again can certainly drive those without problems.
AE-5 can even push out more power than AKG specs those headphones to survive. (200mW)


But actually there's possible development coming in sound cards:
We hear in 3D with two ears, because head causes direction dependant changes to signal received by both ears from sound source.
Unfortunately that "upstair's guy" forgot to standardize human head shape.
So if listener's head shape isn't close to average, immersion can suffer because binaural cues aren't accurate.

Creative has developed and finalized tech with head and ear shape customizable HRTF algorithm.
But so far it's available only in audiophile priced USB dongle for phones/tablets without sound card's normal features, or even PC based control software.
So might be that Creative is readying some new sound cards to replace Z-serie.
 
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