DT 990, DT 1350, Arctis Pro + DAC, Siberia 840, Cloud Alpha, ATH-AD500X or…?

[NewbieOneKenobi]

Me: Large head, large ears, glasses getting in the way. Not an audiophile but supposedly some sort of exceptional hearing range (and hypersensitivity to unplesant, low-quality sounds).

Amp: x-Fi Titanium PCIE, JVC MX-J500 (stereo set eligible to vote, with its own subs and allegedly a good amp in its class)

Use: Gaming. Long sessions. Often a night but also often during the day. Mostly RPG, RTS, other strategies, rallies and other car racers.

Features: Don't need wifi. Don't need a mike.

Preferences / wishlist:

• Undistorted speech in dialogues. As much clarity for speech as possible. Understanding the words is of paramount importance in RPGs.
• Undistorted, realistic effects of all sorts. From swords to laser guns and car engines (I play rallies/racers too).
• Epic soundtracks. Truly, massively, cinematically epic. But perhaps more 'neutral' than enhanced but I don't mind enhancements if they truly make the track sound better than recorded, without making it sound fake.
• Good space. No misleading spatial/directional/movement information. High positioning accuracy would be a bonus. Not to the extent FPS pros care, though.
• In terms of isolation, I would prefer to be able to hear the phone on its loudest ring or the doorbell if a visitor is insistent.

Overall, I suppose you could say: balanced, neutral, no monkey business, extra clear speech, great music, realistic effects, good space, good comfort.

My options include, all for roughly the same prices (and all used except the Alphas):

• Steelseries Siberia 840 (about 25% more expensive than the rest)
• Steelseries Arctis Pro + Game DAC (best sample rate?)
• Beyerdynamic DT 990
• Beyerdynamic DT 1350
• ATH-AD500X (recommended by a guy who sells all of them)
• Cloud Alpha (by far the least expensive option, even NIB)

There are of course some other options like very cheap Logitech 933 Artemis, Logitech Gaming and all sorts of Razer, but I'm not really considering them. I respect Sennheiser but none of its individual products in my budget range and for my applications appeal to me much (the same goes for other Beyers than listed).

Thank you.

[Sniping]

I wouldn't overthink it. You probably just want the headphone that's the most comfortable, so lightweight and low/no clamping force. I also agree with the ath-ad recommendation given this criteria. I wouldn't stress over the sound signature much. Definitely just pick something and move on, if you hate it then you can try another option.

[NewbieOneKenobi]

And would there be any reason to pick a beefed up dedicated gaming thingy like the Arctis Pro with its own surround DAC and some sort of 96K sampling? (By default, I would of course expect a dedicated audio company to perform better than Steelseries or Razer).

[PadawanGeek]

I had the ATH-AD700X, very good imaging, airy and wide soundstage, but (you knew a 'but' was comin') it lacked a certain 'oomph' when it comes to bass. Other than that, it'd would tick all your requirements. You'd certainly hear extraneous noise since the can is open back, but conversely, should there be someone around, the noise leak from the can is certainly audible at a certain volume.

The other can I have is a DT 990 Premium 600 Ohm (should sound similar to the DT 990 Pro), it has better bass than the AD700X (hence, also better than the AD500X). Very good highs and mids, good imaging though soundstage is a little less wide than the AD700X. Some may find the it a tad too hot, or too sparkly as some have complained of the treble being too forward, perhaps too shrill. But, on my part, I don't have an issue with it.