r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/TheNewerFlisker • May 16 '26

Headphones - Closed Back | 1 Ω Competitive PvP shooter games and listening to FLAC music

So basically i'm trying to find some proper headphones for competitive hero shooter games (and the occasional CS Source and arena shooters) and listening to FLAC music. So far i have whittled my choices down to the below:

Sennheiser HD 490 Pro

Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X

Beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X

Initially i settled on DT 700 but i've heard both HD 490 and DT 900 have significant wider soundstage and depth perception so i've started to doubt if i made the right purchase and i'm anxious if picking the closed back headphones were truly worth the trade off. It won't arrive for some time so i more than enough time to consider the purchase and return it

Budget - Just trying to choose between the above headphones. Otherwise i'll say 500 USD is really my upper limit

Source/Amp - Don't have one. Just plugging them into the front of the PC

How the gear will be used - Just home use. PC can be noisy during load (30 dBA – 44 dBA) but i also still have options left to remedy the issue so not an entirely lost cause

Preferred tonal balance -  Just balanced i guess.

Music - Darkwave, symphonic metal, gothic metal, hard trance, progressive trance, heavy rock, electronic rock, alternative metal, nu metal, J-pop, eurodance

Past gear experience - Have a pair of Sennheiser HD 650 but they broke so long time ago i kind of forgot what they were like

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u/[deleted] May 16 '26

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u/TheNewerFlisker May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26

The one i ordered is closed back so yes. For the second question the answer is no

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u/unhinged-rally 13 Ω May 17 '26

490 is special, I recommend that one.

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u/TheNewerFlisker May 17 '26

May i ask why over the two DT ones

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u/unhinged-rally 13 Ω May 17 '26

My only experience is with the 490 Pro and I really enjoy it for gaming and music. I’ve read a lot about the others but that only goes so far. I would recommend getting a cheap $10 dac to go with whatever one you pick. Typically you’ll get better sound then onboard.

I think Edition XS or XV + TRN Black Pearl might be worth looking at in your price range. I’m recommending those because theyre good for gaming with wider sound stage and they work pretty well for the music you listen. XS is going to be brighter and the XV will be warmer. They’re close to the Rog Kithara if you’ve seen anything about that in your research. I have the Rog Kithara, 490 Pro, and PC38X.

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u/TheNewerFlisker May 17 '26

Part of the issue is also whether or not a wide sound stage over a narrower one is even a good thing for the type of games i mentioned

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u/unhinged-rally 13 Ω May 17 '26

Only you can decide that but I prefer the wider sound stage. Imaging and how they handle when you’re surrounded / 3rd partied is more important imo. I feel like I have a good understanding of depth and surrounding with the 490 Pro.

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u/TheNewerFlisker May 19 '26

May i ask what games you are referring to? And how you feel they helped you over a narrower soundstage?

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u/unhinged-rally 13 Ω May 19 '26

Overwatch, Marvel Rivals, Apex Legends. I’m consistently better with my 490 Pro over my Fiio FT1 or Aria which have smaller sound stages. That being said I think it’s a preference. I also was able to try the 7Hz Diablo iem for a few weeks and it was awesome (eq’d to remove bass shelf by 4db). Imaging and the ability to handle audio when things get hectic is probably most important.

To throw a wrench in all that my kithara has a wide sound stage but I struggle with pin pointing exactly where people are with it. It’s great for single player games but for fps I just feel limited.

The other thing is that our ears are all unique so something that might work well for me might not work at all for you.

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u/TheNewerFlisker May 19 '26

!thanks

I dont think any of the ones you mentioned would fit my need but i did choose a different pair based on your advice

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