best headphones ?

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hey guys here is a post from an actual user he actually gave me a brief points about the kave he has and i was honestly not expecting so much good for Kave

also please i didnt start this thread to start a war but yes most of u are right that i didnt knew what i wanted to buy so actually i was a total noob and still am at music and all

also i really got kave coz of the free cap offer

they costed me 6500 shipped so they were within my budget and they have scored better than most headphones

some reviewers even told that these headphones are epic so i would be a fool not to buy them

also i have a Xonar DX from Asus and dont have creative

here is the post from the actual owner of it

discuss

..........................



1. Build quality: A very, very sturdy headset with great construction that avoids something snapping off with use. Quite heavy, but durable and extremely comfortable considering all the padding. The ear cups are massive too, so your ears fit inside without being squashed. Having been using them for hours on end in games, they aren't uncomfortable in any way whatsoever.

2. Sound quality: Extremely clear audio, especially when coupled with a good sound card (I have the Asus Xonar D1). Setting 6 channels and 5.1 speakers on the sound card software alongside some custom equaliser settings for extra bass and treble, and the surround in games is stunning. Mind you, like any headphones/headsets, you have to burn them in for a few hours before you hear optimum audio. When I first got them, they sounded good but after a few hours of use in games, the surround quality really stood out. I have all the channels set at maximum volume although you can tweak the rear, centre, front and subwoofer volumes with the controller. The slider for GAME and MOVIE mode is definitely recommended to be used for their respective uses as MOVIE mode enhances the centre audio for dialogue clarity and GAME mode enhances the surround audio. For music the headset is pretty good but not stunning. For this, I'd recommend MOVIE mode on the controller and either leaving 6 channels and 5.1 speakers or switching to 2 channels and 2.1 speakers. Tweak the equaliser to get optimum bass and treble as per your liking and your taste in music. Again, after a few hours of burn in, they will sound great.

3. Surround realism: I guess this is part of the above section but I thought it deserved a particular mention. I have heard the great surround quality in both movies and games. In movies, namely DVDs such as Star Wars, you can really hear where each sound is coming from. There is very well defined surround, despite what people here might say that 5.1 headsets are a gimmick. Yes, for optimum results you should use a 5.1 speaker set and set the correct distance between speakers for a good sound field, and yes, with a headset, packing smaller speakers impacts audio clarity and the surround isn't as good as with 5.1 speakers, but this is pretty obvious. As per "true surround" for a headset, this headset really does the job well. Games I've played lots with it are Battlefield Bad Company 2 (I set "SpeakerCount=6" in the settings.ini file and "Home Cinema" in the audio options) and Assassin's Creed 2. Both sound amazing. The surround is very distinct and truly works well.

4. Price: For what you get, the price is extremely reasonable. I got mine for £82 including delivery and VAT, from Overclockers.co.uk. Again, after a few hours of burn in, they will sound amazing, especially when the surround is used (games and movies).

Overall, I really think you will not regret getting them. I am really enjoying them. Best of all is that the warranty is very good (two years) and thus, for what you pay, you know you'll have them for at least two years. Previous "surround" headsets I've owned have all been bad for everything, sound quality, build quality, warranty, etc. The Roccat Kave 5.1 however, have really made me happy.

My reasons for getting this headset and not another were:

1. True surround in the sense of multiple sources (speakers).

2. 3.5mm jack connections (not USB for audio (it has one USB connection, but for power!)) to use my new sound card for best audio quality.

3. Great reviews all over the place.

4. Great looks and sturdy build quality.

5. Decent price and nice warranty.



............................

discuss
 
Desecrator said:
^May I ask what sound card or DAC you are using with those headphones?
Click to expand...

for my movies on my HT i connect it to my Yamaha or Marantz amp//
On my pc, its connected to my XI-fi Xtreme gamer.

Again, im not saying that for gaming the 555 or ad-700 r bad. Especially considering my sound card which has a very accurate virtual surround sound. But the 5.1 headphones r clearly better for gaming.. SQ wise there is no comparison, Music and movies the 555 etc r better, but gaming is a completely different story.

paraskhosla said:
hey guys here is a post from an actual user he actually gave me a brief points about the kave he has and i was honestly not expecting so much good for Kave

also please i didnt start this thread to start a war but yes most of u are right that i didnt knew what i wanted to buy so actually i was a total noob and still am at music and all

also i really got kave coz of the free cap offer

they costed me 6500 shipped so they were within my budget and they have scored better than most headphones

some reviewers even told that these headphones are epic so i would be a fool not to buy them

also i have a Xonar DX from Asus and dont have creative

here is the post from the actual owner of it

discuss

..........................

1. Build quality: A very, very sturdy headset with great construction that avoids something snapping off with use. Quite heavy, but durable and extremely comfortable considering all the padding. The ear cups are massive too, so your ears fit inside without being squashed. Having been using them for hours on end in games, they aren't uncomfortable in any way whatsoever.

2. Sound quality: Extremely clear audio, especially when coupled with a good sound card (I have the Asus Xonar D1). Setting 6 channels and 5.1 speakers on the sound card software alongside some custom equaliser settings for extra bass and treble, and the surround in games is stunning. Mind you, like any headphones/headsets, you have to burn them in for a few hours before you hear optimum audio. When I first got them, they sounded good but after a few hours of use in games, the surround quality really stood out. I have all the channels set at maximum volume although you can tweak the rear, centre, front and subwoofer volumes with the controller. The slider for GAME and MOVIE mode is definitely recommended to be used for their respective uses as MOVIE mode enhances the centre audio for dialogue clarity and GAME mode enhances the surround audio. For music the headset is pretty good but not stunning. For this, I'd recommend MOVIE mode on the controller and either leaving 6 channels and 5.1 speakers or switching to 2 channels and 2.1 speakers. Tweak the equaliser to get optimum bass and treble as per your liking and your taste in music. Again, after a few hours of burn in, they will sound great.

3. Surround realism: I guess this is part of the above section but I thought it deserved a particular mention. I have heard the great surround quality in both movies and games. In movies, namely DVDs such as Star Wars, you can really hear where each sound is coming from. There is very well defined surround, despite what people here might say that 5.1 headsets are a gimmick. Yes, for optimum results you should use a 5.1 speaker set and set the correct distance between speakers for a good sound field, and yes, with a headset, packing smaller speakers impacts audio clarity and the surround isn't as good as with 5.1 speakers, but this is pretty obvious. As per "true surround" for a headset, this headset really does the job well. Games I've played lots with it are Battlefield Bad Company 2 (I set "SpeakerCount=6" in the settings.ini file and "Home Cinema" in the audio options) and Assassin's Creed 2. Both sound amazing. The surround is very distinct and truly works well.

4. Price: For what you get, the price is extremely reasonable. I got mine for £82 including delivery and VAT, from Overclockers.co.uk. Again, after a few hours of burn in, they will sound amazing, especially when the surround is used (games and movies).

Overall, I really think you will not regret getting them. I am really enjoying them. Best of all is that the warranty is very good (two years) and thus, for what you pay, you know you'll have them for at least two years. Previous "surround" headsets I've owned have all been bad for everything, sound quality, build quality, warranty, etc. The Roccat Kave 5.1 however, have really made me happy.

My reasons for getting this headset and not another were:

1. True surround in the sense of multiple sources (speakers).
2. 3.5mm jack connections (not USB for audio (it has one USB connection, but for power!)) to use my new sound card for best audio quality.
3. Great reviews all over the place.
4. Great looks and sturdy build quality.
5. Decent price and nice warranty.

............................

discuss
Click to expand...
Hey Paras, like i had recommended to you.. You will love the kaves. They are serious headphones, but lack a bit n terms of portability..
1 month down the line, do let me know what are u gaming with.. The caves or your Z5500.. :) Give them time to burn in and you will see what those babies r worth..
 
yah thanks egde also yaara i dont understand that i have Z 5500 which will take care of my music without a hitch

i wont listen to music when i have kave mostly those are mostly for gaming

except when they are new ill surely listen lols
 
Let me make one thing clear OP.Never buy headphones by suggestion.The D2000's sound brilliant for me but a member on TE did not like it and he got the AD700.I dont like the Grados even thought they are one of the best( as posted by lot of audiophiles in head-fi).

Headphones will sound way lot different when u actually audition them.My suggestion is take input from people here try to audition then get a headphone .If you are buying just cause some tom wrote a review or did a video review they you are seriously stupid.

I know its not possible to audition headphones in India, but you can give it a try from local TE members.
 
I feel like drowning myself after reading the thread..... Zalman 5.1 vs HD 555 :@:@ pulling my hair !! Roccat :rofl:

Btw I had the Zalman some 2.5 years back and it worse than even Philips SHP series :P
 
Paras seems to be a rich person, I'm pretty sure he can buy and then sell if he didn't like it. He bought 5850 CF and sold them for GTX 480...

Anyways, I think the Roccat Kave is better than the other 5.1 HP's on the market. I doubt it will be that great for music in terms of SQ and accuracy, but then the OP really doesn't care about music from what I can see.

My best under $100 gaming cans were the AD700, I preferred it to the Sibera's, 5H, Turtle Beach and Siberia v2's as well.. but then my main usage was music and then gaming.

I don't think the Kave is better than the AD700 in terms of precision and accuracy with regard to gaming sound(footsteps, directions etc), but the Kave's effects might be better due to the drivers and the sole purpose of them being for gaming.
 
Supra said:
I feel like drowning myself after reading the thread..... Zalman 5.1 vs HD 555 :@:@ pulling my hair !! Roccat :rofl:
Click to expand...

Please take me along saar.I will give u my white elephant for phreee :rofl:
 
^ I gave up on this thread ,long back .As they say , what sounds best to you is the one for you ;)
 
i dont think i can audition kave coz its packed

went to croma in rajouri garden and heard some headphones

they were pretty good for me lols but i think ill go with kave coz of looks and the sheer epic reviews its got

also i aint that rich u need brains to make good deals when they are hot also i wont be selling this headphone for some years
 
paraskhosla said:
i dont think i can audition kave coz its packed

went to croma in rajouri garden and heard some headphones

they were pretty good for me lols but i think ill go with kave coz of looks and the sheer epic reviews its got

also i aint that rich u need brains to make good deals when they are hot also i wont be selling this headphone for some years
Click to expand...

What were the pretty good headphone you auditioned?? and you are getting headphones because of looks :rofl:.Grados looks sick doesn't mean they sound bad :P

This is what i posted earlier never go by reviews at least with high end stuff like headphones,amplifiers,DAC's.Reading reviews is good,try asking questions all the reviewers or owners of the stuff.If all of them reply same then the product is worth taking the risk of not auditioning ,for this reason alone we have head-fi:).
 
Ok i do have a question here.. It might be a bit off topic but one which im sure ill get a reply too considering the no of people who have jumped in to criticize gaming headsets..

Assume that paras gets a AD-700 or a hd-555 and uses his asus sound card for em. Considering the 2 headsets in question, wont they be underpowered???

I recently got the 555's and use them on the creative xi-fi extreme gamer.. i also have the 485's, zalmans, s4 and cx-500.

Now as per my ears, the 555 dont sound like an entry level audiophile cans on the xi-fi at all. The 485 sound so much better. But thats not the case when i plug em into my HT.. i.e yamaha and marantz amps. Doing so the sound just seems to come to life right away.

Last week i had auditioned the ath-50's, shure-840, and akg's. Without amping they sounded terrible on my cowon s9.

Now this is where my question comes up.. Isn't it wrong to recommend a ad-700 or something similar for pc usage or portable usage considering the fact that they will need amping? Time and again, post after post people here on TE have stressed the need for dacs and amps to run audiophile level cans... Or then are we saying that the ad-700's or 555's just sound fine without amping for pc usage? Or r the xi-fi just underpowered to handle cans whilst my mx-5021 speakers sound pretty good on em..

And for someone above who posted a comment.. No dude i aint saying the zalmans and 555 r to be compared.. Im simply stating that the experience of true surround sound cans is so much better in gaming and the kaves r leap yrs ahead of the zalmans. Hence i recommended the kaves...

But im seriously curious abt my above questions, cause if that being true i sure dont mind getting myself a mini dac for my pc to run my 555's for to me they just sound awful as compared to when used with my HT amps.. but is it required??
 
^ Who told you AD700 needs amping ? They can be very easily driven off a portable source like a Clip+ as well .Sunnyboi himself is using it with a Clip+ :P.

And don't compare the HD555 with AD700 and the likes..It doesnt even come close. The HD 555 last I tried sounded just a tad bit better/laidback then my SHP-9000. Most Sennheisers model are over priced .The HD600/650/800 are the one's worth getting.

So in short ,if he does get a AD700 it wont be underpowered by a Xi-fi.
 
The AD700 doesn't need that much power.. the AD900 needs little more power.The AKG's need insane amount of power, my tube amp is at 2 o clock or 3 o clock when listening to them.

In comparison my A900 is at 12 o clock. AD900 used to be at around 10 o clock.. Imagine the power AKG's need.

Senns HD555 need a little bit more power compared to the AD700 to bring out the best of itself.
 
^^^^^

But superfrag, the op wants something close to his z5500. Now im quiet sure that the ad-700's r bass light.. int it??? I said no to the 555's cause of personal experience, cause they just dont sound right on the pc.. Also the op is talking more in terms of gaming and less in terms of music. If u read his post to me, he clearly mentions that apart from the earlier days, he doesnt intend to use the kaves he buys for music but more so for gaming and the surround effects.

Another query.. if one connects through a regular amp, aka likes of yamaha, marantz, denon, in that case does a akg-701 or denon 2000 need amping? or rather lets put it as, r regular amps sufficient to run these cans. I dont own anything in that league and hence the query.. This would not be for a pc setup but more so for movies in the living room.. The amps if im not wrong run on 150 rms per channel, not sure of the ohms reading. Asking superfrag since he owns the AKG 701.

And guys, i aint saying that what i say is like a bottom like. Even im learning. But when one considers a serious upgrade, one sure wants it to be worth it.. I do have resources to make an proper upgrade and paras too surely has resources, but im sure Paras, just like me wants exactly what he wished for and not something thats the most recommended.. I heard the 600 and 650's and didnt like either.. i guess my taste is a bit different. i prefer denon 2000's and akg's.. So go easy on me guys... Peace :)
 
Denon 2000 do not need any kind of amping,they are low impedance headphones.An clip+ was able to power them up with out issues.
 
If a good headphone requires amping then why not buy an amp rather than wasting money on crappy effects. ;)

BTW, edge111hussain : what's the point of auditioning these headphones without a proper setup?
If I go unamped, then D1001 would be my best headphone. However, after amping they are my least favoured can.
 
^^^^^

Hmmm agreed titana.. Hence i was asking if the regular HT amps r enuf or do we need more???

Or let me put it this way, i can spend 250$ on a good set of cans but i sure wont wanna spend 250$ for the cans and another 200-300$ on an amp. Thats a bit out of my comfort zone at the moment..

But say if the akg 701 or similar cans do sound fine with a regular yahama or marantz amp that i own, then ill probably go for one within a month or so, but if not, then for now i simply wont bother..

But thats d question i have been asking since last 3 ports and no body seems to be answering that
 
The Headphone outs on AVRs/HT amps are quite variable so its tough to give a firm opinion on them.In most cases, however, since headphone is not their primary use so the headphone outs are not properly designed/implemented. There are exceptions but this generally applies.

Headphone out of my marantz AVR is pretty decent. It has enough power for any of my headphones but it does not have the clarity & separation that Xonar STX( which has a dedicated headphone amp) provides. Frankly, I find it tough using the headphone out from AVR now that I am used to STX.

If you are not planning on a dedicated headphone setup, then ideally you should test the headphones at your setup & get the one which sounds best to your ears.
 
Hey thanks titana, thats more or less my query sorted.. I just read ur sig, i have the 4003 myself and if it aint working for you in terms of clarity, it sure wont for me.. Also i use the yahama 657 (older without hdmi) and couldn't find much info about headphone output on em.. Dont intend to change d xi-fi's anytime soon either.

You could help out paras btw, does his asus have a dedicated headphone amp? Thats 1 point that most people seemed to miss out on completely in this thread (since he has an asus too).. Kudos to you
 
Well, if he wants the bass and the thumping surround effects, the Kave should be able to provide it for him. I doubt he is bothered with the accuracy of details and such, seems like he just wants the effects.
 
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