$500 Budget - Over-Ears for Office and Racing Games

LKelvinator88 on 18/08/2020 - 22:26

Hi everyone, I would greatly appreciate some help in finding a good fit for my first premium pair of headphones. Here are my priorities in order.

Uses:

Office - Both working from home and in my regular office I sit close to people working 8+ hours. So I need something that drowns out external noise, doesn't leak sound excessively for co-workers, and are comfortable.

Gaming - Racing games on my Xbox One with a Logitech G920 racing wheel. I'd ideally like to be able to use my headphones for sim racing so my girlfriend can have some peace and quiet. Don't need a mic as I race offline.

I also play atmospheric games both in the horror and puzzle genre. For reference: The Witness, Limbo, Inside, Cry of Fear. Having headphones to really immerse myself in these games would be very cool.

Portability: I like going for walks at lunch and listening to music/podcasts whilst I do various daily chores like cooking and cleaning. Wireless would really help for this but if audio quality suffers too much then I'd prefer to put up with a wire.

Headphone Attributes:

Sound Quality, Comfort, Build Quality/Warranty, Portability.

Devices:

Dell Laptop, ROG Phone 2, Xbox One, can get my old LG V30 out if the inbuilt DAC is worth using. Also willing to incorporate a DAC/AMP into my budget but don't know much about this area.

Current Earphones:

  • Beyer SoulByrds (Like the sound profile and appreciate the flat design for listening in bed)

  • Soundmagic E80C (I think these were a bit more "fun" than the soulbyrds and they sounded really nice on my V30. Sorry for the unhelpful comparison, not too experienced in audio but willing to learn. I think the E80C were more punchy and felt more immersive than the soulbyrds? But the soulbyrds sound more balanced to me? I like both but I'd pick the E80s if I had to.

Music I listen to:

Deep House, Synth-Pop, Trap, Indietronica, Indie Rock, Chillwave for work, a little bit of various metal and pop genres

Options I've found so far:

  • Sony WH-1000XM4s ($350AUD)
  • AKG K371 ($190)
  • Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro ($230)
  • Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro ($190)
  • AKG 702 Pro - ($190)
  • Bowers & Wilkins P7 - ($350)
  • Sennheiser Momentum Wireless ($470) ?

Thank you!

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • fuzzy wuzzy on 18/08/2020 - 22:50

    Would recommend dt770, closed back good for passive noise can cancellation, and especially very comfortable earcups to weer all day. Currently going for $178 in amazon https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0006NL5SM

    It is a not too bassy but the mids are definitely more brighter..

    If you plan to go for an amp/dac setup, go for a mid to high resistance - the dt770 is 250ohm.

    • Kelvinator88 on 19/08/2020 - 11:55

      Yeah the OzBargain post on these has very much tempted me away from the XM4s at $350

  • psyren89 on 18/08/2020 - 23:00

    What's your budget for a DAC/AMP?

    • Kelvinator88 on 19/08/2020 - 11:54

      500AUD all up for headphones and accessories, I see the DT770s recommended a lot but it seems like I'll need some help driving them

      • fuzzy wuzzy on 19/08/2020 - 12:05

        for your mobile yes you need a DAC amp to power the DT770.

        I currently have a Sennheiser HD6xx open back and they are 300ohms in resistence - no issues plugging it with the xbox or my macbook, the sound drivers power it just fine. But on the phone I'd definitely recommend a DAC/Amp setup. I invested in the dragonfly red, which is a super portable and reliable dac/amp setup - they recently released the dragonfly cobalt too!

        Both the dragonfly and a DT770 will set you back close to 500

        • Kelvinator88 on 19/08/2020 - 12:24

          That is very helpful info, thank you for taking the time! Tossing up between the DT770 and AKG 371 and 702 but I think the DT770 might be winning.

  • garetz on 18/08/2020 - 23:20

    Sennheiser Momentum are overpriced garbage as far as i am concerned, i would get Akg 702s or Dt770 pros depending on what kind of sound signature you prefer.

    • Kelvinator88 on 19/08/2020 - 11:55

      Thanks for the feedback! These are definitely both top contenders.

  • ilikeradiohead on 19/08/2020 - 08:50

    I use the Sony XM2s for phone calls/music + with my xbox one.

    For the xbox I have the keyboard that can connect to the controller, and then plug it wired into that. Does the job although the sound quality/consistency in this method is not great. It does the job for hearing what is going on in the game though (although you may want to mute in game radio stations and it tends to cut out a lot for me at least).

    The noise cancelling is excellent, there is construction going on near where I live and when I have them on I forget it is happening.

    I've also worn them on 5+ hour flights and haven't got uncomfortable with them on.

    Other headphones to consider that are apparently similar to the Sonys are:
    Bose QC35 / 700
    Microsoft surface headphones

    • Strahany on 19/08/2020 - 12:11

      OP can also connect the XM4’s (and all other Bluetooth headphones) to the Xbox via their TV, if it supports Bluetooth audio.

  • Abaddon on 24/08/2020 - 15:13

    I use an old G930 headset for all my gaming, if that is your primary reason then it's a good option, the virtual 7.1 surround sound works surprisingly well.

    Microphone works well for meetings, etc.

    The newer versions also has a 3.5mm connection so you can use it with console/phone.

    Not really a great headset for out walking around, I bought some Galaxy Buds plus last month for $150 (tobysdeals) which have covered that nicely for my walking/commute.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join