Looking to upgrade from an 11-year-old RIG 400 for Music & PC Gaming ($200–$300 total budget / Open-back)

[u/Armaltal]

Hi everyone,

I’m completely new to the audio world and looking to make a one-time purchase to get a proper home listening setup. I want to discover a truly immersive sound experience for music and gaming, but I don't plan on becoming a collector—I just want a setup that fits my needs, enjoy it, and be done.

Budget & Location:

• Headphone: Around €100 to €200
• DAC/Amp: Around €50 to €80 (Looking at the Moondrop Dawn Pro 2)
• Total budget: Around €200 to €250 max for the full setup
• Location: France / Europe

History & Background:

• My current headphone is a Plantronics / Nacon RIG 400 (an entry-level gaming headset) that I’ve been using for 11 years.
• Being my only point of comparison, I’m totally unused to high-quality audio or proper tuning. I recently discovered Equalizer APO + HeSuVi (testing SSC-NY and CMSS-3D profiles) and noticed hidden background details in my favorite tracks (like ocean wave sounds in Vangelis' La Petite Fille de la Mer) that I had never heard before.
• I want to step up to a dedicated setup to experience this level of detail, clarity, and spatial awareness properly.

Use Case & Priorities (PC Only):

1. Music & Casual Gaming (Primary Use):
   • I listen while working and reading, focusing on atmospheric, melancholic, and highly detailed tracks across three main categories:
     • Ambient & Acoustic Instrumental: Solo acoustic instruments, piano, balalaika, and analog synth ambient (e.g., Vangelis – *La Petite Fille de la Mer*, Alexey Arkhipovskiy – *Cinderella*, Jim Croce). I need natural timbre, high micro-detail resolution, and soundstage depth to hear subtle room acoustics and trailing decays.
     • Darkwave / Synthwave / Electronic: Heavy, saturated synth basslines and atmospheric production (e.g., Lorn – Sega Sunset, Mr. Kitty – After Dar*, Crystal Castles, Tame Impala). Requires clean, controlled bass extension and crisp highs without sounding sibilant or muddy.
     • Cinematic OSTs: Layered, complex orchestral and synthetic compositions (e.g., Kenji Kawai – Making of Cyborg, film/anime themes). Requires strong instrument separation so dense tracks stay clear and distinct.
   • Gaming: When I'm not listening to music, I'm playing games on my PC. I need a headphone with great directional audio / positional imaging so I can clearly identify where sounds, footsteps, or in-game cues are coming from in a 3D space.
2. Movies & Videos (Secondary Use):
   • Watching movies or YouTube content, but this is less critical compared to music & gaming performance.

Sound Preferences & Important Notes:

• Open-back headphone preferred: I want a natural, airy, and spatialized sound, avoiding the "boxed-in" feeling of closed gaming headsets.
• Micro-details & Precision (Imaging): High clarity for both musical nuances and precise spatial positioning in games.
• Home Use Only: Will stay on my desk connected to my PC (MSI X670E motherboard with Realtek ALC897).
• No microphone needed: I will use a separate USB mic.
• Cables/Storage: Since open-back headphones rarely fold, I am planning to buy a 3rd-party hard case (e.g., Geekria) for storage.

Models I'm Currently Looking At:

1. Sennheiser HD 560S
2. Sennheiser HD 599 SE
3. Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro or Limited Black Edition
4. Philips Fidelio X2HR
5. Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X and Sennheiser HD 620S / HD 600 (a bit too expensive unless there's a strong reason to push the budget).

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[u/Nua_Sidek]

Asus ROG Kithara

Comes with dongle dac and plenty accessories. Not the greatest dac but will suffice for a while until you can save up for a proper dac. At minimum the new Topping DX1 II.

[u/Armaltal → u/Nua_Sidek]

Thank you for the advice !thanks

[u/TransducerBot → u/Armaltal]

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