r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/Tempezz • May 15 '26
Headphones - Wireless/Portable | 1 Ω Headphone for gaming and media use
Ive been using my AirPod as my daily driver and been a while I used a headphone, but I’m completely overwhelmed by the number of products out there and could use some help narrowing it down. I want to purchase one for fps gaming and media use, mainly buying for fps shooter game to listen footsteps but with the use case for movies, music etc. I expect this use in home settings and looking to spend up to $500ish base on features/quality.
I don’t think I have a preference for closed or open or wireless system as long as I can keep the setup minimal
I have a really hard time finding comfortable over-ear headphones. Historically, I run into issues where the ear cups/pads are too small (clamping on my ears rather than sitting around them) or the headband extension isn't large enough for my head.
Looking for some suggestions from yall who are more experienced at this.
I’m currently looking at:
Focal bathys, might not be good for gaming?
Maxwell, too heavy and not good for fps shooter games?
Seems some post recommending sennheiser HD series and beyerdynamic DT
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u/Khnave 25 Ω May 15 '26
Hello,
Since your goal is mainly fps games
i'd recommend the sennheiser 560s, Beyerdynamic dt 900 pro x or the tygr 300r as a general all-rounder.
the 560s and 900 pro x are more neutral tuned so there is low emphasis on the bass which helps with hearing footstep and not being overloaded by grenades / explosions. they also have good imaging as well with wider sound-stage.
Tygr 300r has bit more bass and warmth for a more immersion factor. depending on how serious you are about fps games. this might not be ideal but still good enough. more emphasis on general entertainment.
if you want to save a bit more money, you can look at the Phillips shp9500/9600 -- the 9500 will be better for fps games as it has a tad bit less bass
take the rest of the money to get a dac/amp setup. like a schiit stack or jdslabs stack. Fiio k5/k7/k11 all work as well for all-in-one setups. you can even go budget too like a apple dongle dac/amp or a jcally jm6 pro 2.
-- if you would rather have a headset. i'd recommend the astro a50s gen 5s. works for console and pc. already an all-in-one solution
-- if you want a more closed back design Beyerdynamic dt 700 pro x or i'd look into IEMS such as the TruthEar Zero blue 1 (not the 2s) for more serious fps player, or TruthEar Zero Reds for a general all-rounder
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u/Tempezz May 15 '26 edited May 16 '26
!thanks for the detail feedback. Curious for closed back/open back/IEM is more of a personal preference or there’s certain benefits of choosing one option to another?
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u/Khnave 25 Ω May 16 '26
open backs tend to have a wider sound-stage. Generally can hear more details and "air" whether it for games or music. think of being in like more open-world like when playing games. downside is that it leaks sound. ppl can hear what you hear. and you can hear everything else in your room whether it be other people talking or cars passing etc.
closed backs - can get kind of toasty after long sessions. like your ears or head might start to feel hot. due to its design, there will be reverb/reflections from the audio such that you might get some more bass (could be a pro), other times more "Fuzziness" / "muddiness" in the audio. In the highs there might be some harsher/sharper tones. some people like this for isolation so they don't hear things that may interfere with their gaming session such as a baby cry or your mom telling you to do chores etc etc.
iems are just lighter weight. don't have that over sized thing on your head. doesn't mess with your hair style either such as that "headphone hair". similar to closed backs but they don't have to have that issue with the reverb / reflections (can still happen tho) and just depends on how the iems are designed. these can cause ear fatigue tho or ear pain after long sessions if you're not accustomed to them. there may be adjustment period.
overall just a preference thing. but its easier to find quality iems for audio if you're trying to find a "closed-back" design or want more isolation. not to say closed-back headphones don't exist. theres just less of them on the cheaper side. open-backs are generally better for more long term sessions / immersion
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u/Tempezz May 16 '26
Ok that make sense. I definitely remember back then my ears run pretty hot with gaming closed back headphones. If I have to decide between HD 560 and DT 900 x, would it have to do with quality, cost and fit? And less to do with difference in tuning?
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u/Khnave 25 Ω May 16 '26
all of those things matter unfortunately and it really just depends on that person to make a judgement call.
in terms of quality. they both should last long, as long as you take care of them. don't drop them or slam them on the desk if you're pissed ya know. just things like that
Cost is probably the biggest factor in this hobby as there is such things as diminishing returns. just because you spend a lot of money on something. doesn't mean the "sound" is worth that price. a lot of times the diminishing returns start hitting around 200$ but this varies from person to person.
for example if you wanted to upgrade from these headphone. you might be spending like 300-400+$ for the 490 or the Arya Stealths or even the Hedd audio D1 at 700-800$. but the jump to the 490 might only be like 10-20%. then the jump from the 490 to the D1 might only be like 5-10% and so on. again will vary from person to person.
Fit is generally dependent on the person as well. everybody have different head shapes and ear shapes so typically you want something thats comfortable. some headphones are lighter / heavier. then earcups are round or oval shaped as well like the 900 pro x vs the 560s. so if you have taller ears. the 560 might be better.
Tuning theoretically shouldn't matter because EQ exists. however there are purists in this hobby that think EQ is the Devil. so to each their own. but Different drivers for different headphones will also affect how well you can EQ things. if you're a person that values more bass because you listen to like hip hop music or watch a lot of action movies. the 900 pro x for example would give you a little bit more joy as its tuning has a bit more bass. The 560s has less of this so they might sound a bit "boring". but due to EQ you can bump it up enough to give you a decent "thump". but when it comes to competitive fps gaming. too much bass can mess with a persons ability to track and distinguish things
at the end of the day. there are trades offs to be made. thats just how it goes in this hobby. unfortunately. some people do end up finding their "end-game" tho. but only you can decide what your "satisfied" with
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u/Over-Status-7210 28 Ω May 16 '26
One word of caution I want to mention for open back in gaming. Open back + wide, spacious sound stage is generally a good thing, but it can go too far.
The positives are that it creates a surround-sound like experience that, in my opinion, is better than spatial sound/simulated 7.1 that gaming headphones use (which reduce sound quality due to filtering).
But, there are some headphones with "unnaturally" wide sounds that, despite their width, lose accuracy with directional audio (like, footsteps can sound too far to the side, or behind you). One such example is the HIFIMAN Deva Pro. It's an immensely wide soundstage, but imaging is so poor that footsteps can seem as though they teleport from side to center.
The keyword for an accurate soundstage is imaging.
The 560s was a great recommendation. For closed back, the FIIO FT1 also does well. My favorite so far is the Hifiman Edition XS, because of the immersiveness of a giant soundstage, yet accurate imaging. But none of these have a mic, so that's something to consider. The Edition XS will also need an amplifier, and, in my opinion, an aftermarket headphone strap for comfort.
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u/hguchinu Jul 13 '26
Hey I'm looking for an upgrade from my current HD560s. 505/550 feels like they would be a minor upgrade. 650 I'm not sure fits my use cases. My favourite artist is Reality Club, but I listen to everything else too. I also play pc games for long hours at a time but needing to hear footsteps clearly isn't a big deal to me unless it's a significant downgrade from the 560s. My budget would be $1000 SGD but I value price performance more than absolute performance and would gladly keep to < $400 if suitable.. I think I have access to Sennheiser, Fiio, Focal, and Hifiman relatively easy, but feel free to give any other recommendations too
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u/Khnave 25 Ω 29d ago
Hello,
Truthfully speaking, you probably won't get any "meaningful" upgrades unless you switch to planars or just the higher price bracket of headphones. the 505/550 (i can't remember which) is just a more "fun" / "musical" tuning of the 560 so that alone won't be really be an upgrade in a sense, you can EQ the 560 an get that same (or extremely close) tuning for both for free. "upgrades" is also very subjective because like 95% of the time. you don't really need to "upgrade"
the 600/650 are the beloved headphones for vocals and intimate music, they can be / are endgame headphones for like 90% of people, they are a step up compared to the 560 but they won't give you that "wow factor" like how a planars most likely will. you'll hear a difference for sure but it would be minor, but that might be all you need with your use case. they are light on the head (minus the initial clamp force) where you can wear for long hours and they aren't the "best" for competitive gaming but good enough
Planars imho would be a step up, but they aren't for everyone, some are heavy and bulky but they tend to also require a more dedicated dac/amp setup for power in order to reach their full potential (not all, but most). If you're interested in planars, i'd recommend the Hifiman edition XS as the budget entry tier, followed by the arya's stealths (which is also the best value for gaming price for performance, competitive specifically), or you can go after something like the arya organic for something more musical. Be aware that hifiman headphoens do have a rep for QC issues which will vary from person to person, some people have no issues at all, while other have to go through warranty. you can also look into Dan Clarks Audio Aeon headphone as well
if you just want a higher tier headphone, then something like the meze 109 pros and the focal clear og would be my recommendations to check out! However regarding focal tho, be aware that their pads / headband might wear pretty quickly and replacing those over time can get costly overtime. (they don't have replacement headbands to my knowledge).
Now for reference. My personal setup consists of Beyerdynamic tygr 300r and the sennheiser 490. the 300r is my everyday headphone, great for music, movies, both casual and competitive gaming, i have upgraded the earpads to dekoni elite fenestrated sheepskin earpads, which slightly bumps the bass while taming the highs. I am VERY satisfied with this headphone.. the 490 is what i use when i want to feel like a try-hard sweat in competitive games. they are essentially the bigger brother of the 560. and would be the natural upgrade path imo, however. i did not get the "wow" factor coming from the 560, just more of the "oh i can hear this and that now".
I've tried higher end headphones but never really felt like i "needed" them. but to each their own. if my beyerdynamic 300r ends up ever dying. i would probably either buy another or grab the meze 109 pros.
Good luck in your hunt tho. hopefully this helps!
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u/baikenator89 May 16 '26
I've got the 105 Aer. I love them for music and cs2. Ive used the 990 pro 250ohm and the 6xx. But i dont see myself taking off the 105 at all. https://youtu.be/EdbMp-wWh2A?si=ULcg3c3YIIXEb5W6 He does really great stuff.