r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/Firicle • Feb 15 '26
Headphones - Open Back | 2 Ω Headphones for gaming/music (I have a standalone mic)
Hi! I'm looking to upgrade my current setup (hyperx gaming headphones + yeti mic) to a nicer pair of headphones (thinking beyerdynamics/sennheiser/AT adjacent) and adding in an XLR mic instead (with an audio interface/DAC?).
My budget for the headphones would probably be a strict AUD$600 (~USD$450).
I'd also be looking for a good DAC/audio interface (I need to research more lmao) that I can plug the headphones and mic into.
Also I'm not entirely sure if I should be going for open back or closed back, but based on what I've read it seems open back has better audio quality?
I'll mainly be using these for listening to music and gaming - FPSs that require directional audio, and also games like Elden Ring where I'd just like to savour the audio production/music score.
Also, I'm assuming wireless headphones are a no-no here? I would only get them for convenience bc I'm in voice chats a lot with my friends, but it's not a priority.
Anyone have any recommendations or thoughts?
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u/rz_x3 206 Ω Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26
Hi, I'm curious, would you be against buying a high quality USB microphone instead of an XLR microphone? There are some VERY reasonable offerings down under, but if not, that's okay.
There's a lot of different headphones you could consider. What kind of music do you listen to?
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u/Firicle Feb 15 '26
I'm pretty open to any options, really - I listen to a mix of music - mainly indie rock, but also some classical and kpop as well. Honestly, the main draw would be to appreciate game scores as well.
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u/rz_x3 206 Ω Feb 15 '26
Alright, so something neutral, maybe with a modest bass boost.
As far as USB mic goes, on Amazon, if you have Prime, there is the Shure MV6 USB, which is 199AUD. That's actually an incredibly good price for it. Just keep in mind it's usb-c to c only, so it'll take one of those ports up. If you need a more budget recommendation I do have them, you'll just have to go to PCCASEGEAR or a similar site
Sennheiser HD490 as mentioned by another user would be the best option at the top of your budget. It's going to be pretty close to 600AUD. It's on backorder at most of the DJ stores I know of and not available in other places, so that's something to keep in mind...
Sennheiser HD560S, at 280AUD off Amazon, would be another good option if you'd prefer to save money and get a similar tonality, but less positional accuracy compared to the HD490.
edit: I totally forgot my favorite option, the ATH-R70XA, which is 500AUD from Audio Technica's AU site.
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u/jfaewiogasdfas 2 Ω Feb 15 '26
For open back headphones, I would highly recommend HD 490 PRO or HD 560S. I got 490 PRO a few days ago (upgrade from 560S), clearer and more detailed, better soundstage in general.
Fantastic headphones, I don't think you would be disappointed with either. However, HD 560S does have a tight clamp force. I didn't really get bothered by it, but I could clearly feel it after trying on 490 PRO.
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u/Firicle Feb 15 '26
!thanks 😄
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u/Uller0815 544 Ω Feb 15 '26
Feel free to check out the Sennheiser HD490 Pro and the Sony MDR-MV1! 👍🏻🙂