Audiophile headphones for gaming. The ultimate sound experience when gaming, is NOT a “gaming” headset, HiFi headphones are the way to go and far superior.
The best thing about High-end HiFi headphones is that they actually don’t have to be more expensive, than high-end gaming headsets. With audiophile headphones, you just get a lot more for your money.
So when you are buying your next gaming rig and spend $500 on a graphics card, please do yourself a favor and remember that the other 50% besides graphics is sound.
Great sound can transform gaming as you know it and even make you a better player if you are playing detail orientated games, where awareness is important.
Audiophile headphones for gaming soundcard
Sennheiser GSX 1000
I’m using a Sennheiser GSX 1000 external soundcard to drive my headphones, and I have turned off all DSP features so I can hear exactly what each of these headphones has to offer. Since I love all genres of gaming and music, I tested each of the headphones across Counter-Strike, Battle Field, PUBG, HipHop, Techno, and Classical music.
My favorite audiophile headphones for gaming
1. Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X
Budget friendly audiophile headphones
I don’t know how these Audio Technica ATH-AD700X have done it, but they nailed the directional audio. I can feel when someone is in front of me to the right… or behind me to the left, I blind-tested it in a game and I could almost run around shooting people without looking, just by spraying around corners.
The way the noise hits in the headphones is amazing! (I guess that’s the difference between gaming headsets and audiophile headphones).
It has greatly improved my game and now instead of hearing footsteps and trying to guess where it’s coming from I can actually know with 100% assurance that they’re to the right and in front of me or whatever the case may be.
- Newly designed 53 mm drivers reproduce clear treble and midrange
- Bobbin-wound CCAW voice coils for superior power handling
- Full open-air type headphones produce no sense of pressure on the ears, resulting in a completely natural sensation
- Lightweight aluminum honeycomb casing with excellent acoustic properties
- Self-adjusting 3D Wing Support provides a comfortable listening experience; total ear-fit design minimizes pressure
- Flexible raised-fabric earpads offer excellent wearing comfort and durability
- Highly conductive OFC single-sided cord with elastic TPE sheath to prevent tangles
- Gold-plated stereo 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) connector with 1/4 inch (6.3mm) adapter
Check for best price: Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X
2. Beyerdynamic DT 990 Premium
Most comfy audiophile headphones
these are one of my absolute FAVORITE headphones on the market as an all-rounder. The treble can be slightly harsh if you are sensitive to treble, but for me these pairs of cans (DT990 Prem 600ohm) are PERFECT and I have not found a higher end direct replacement for these quite yet with similar sound signature.
The bass is low, the highs are upfront and present, and then we have the mids, the mids are definitely there, but do NOT expect them to be front stage like they are on Sennheiser sets. I would not call the mids recessed, or at least not deeply, but they simply do not stand out as the lows and highs do.
That aside, these are my favorite daily driver headphones which have paired great with my Sennheiser GSX 1000 soundcard. The positioning in these is fantastic for the hardcore FPS gamer that needs positional audio they are almost comparable to the Sennheiser HD650 when it comes to games such as call of duty, CSGO, etc.
There is so much more to say, but if you are looking for something to game with, that does well in the large majority of audiophile tasks, these should not be overlooked. So much goodness in one pair of headphones.
- Frequency Response – 15 – 24,000 Hz and Impedance – 40 ohms
- Open design, includes carrying case, 11 oz lightweight
- Gold vaporized stereo 3.5 mm mini-jack & 6.35 mm adapter included
- 32 / 250 / 600 Ohm variants
- Excellent wearing comfort and durability
- Strong bass and trebles
Check for best price: Beyerdynamic DT 990 Premium
3. Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL Premium
A real audiophile headset
The audio-technia ATH-G1WL Premium wireless headset are phenomenal, I’ve always heard good things Audio-Technica and now I know why. I’ve used many, many wireless gaming headsets over the years. The best offerings from Logitech, Steelseries, Razer, and Corsair have absolutely nothing on this headset.
The sound out of the box is far and away better than anything I could achieve with the other headsets equalizers. Not having to rely on garbage software is an absolute dream. The 7.1 surround sound is actually good.
Battery life is good, nothing incredible, but I haven’t yet had the headset die on me and I have been putting these things through the paces. I estimate 10-15 hour battery life.
The microphone is superb for a gaming headset. It’s genuinely close to the dedicated desktop mics you use for streaming (the lower end to mid-range ones) When I jumped into Discord with my friends, they were just blown away. they all told me that my voice sounded amazing and that they had never heard anything so clearly from a headset.
- Frequency Response remarkably 5 – 40000 Hz.
- 15 Hour battery-life.
- Selectable open design option.
- Compatible with PCs, Macs and Playstation.
- Detachable boom microphone with crystal-clear voice.
- Selectable 7.1 surround sound mode.
- Large-diameter 45 mm drivers are specially tuned to bring audio-technical studio-quality sound to the gaming world
- Lag-free wireless operation in the 2. 4 GHz
Check for best price: Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL Premium
4. Sennheiser HD650
High fidelity audiophile headphones
The Sennheiser HD 650 are by far, the most wonderful headphones I’ve ever heard. For perspective, I have or have had: Audio-Technica ATH-M50 (of course) and M40x, Fostex T50RP MK3, Oppo PM-3, Philips Fidelio M1MKII and L2, and both the Sennheiser HD598SE and HD600. None of these but the HD600 come close.
If you’re considering the HD598 as a lower-priced alternative, it’s a great headphone in its own right (especially if you don’t want to go down the rabbit hole of choosing a suitable amp), but there isn’t as much family resemblance in the sound as you might think.
Still, it was through buying the 598 that I decided to take the plunge on the 650—Sennheiser’s 5xx series is clearly a gateway drug to the 6xx series, which fortunately is so good there’s little reason to step up to the 700 and 800 besides bragging rights.
Simply put, the sennheiser hd 650 is about the best all-around headphone you can buy for its price. If you already have an amp and/or a dedicated listening setup and you’ve never heard these, you owe it to yourself to try them. Worst-case scenario, you don’t like them and you’re out $6-7 for a return label.
These headphones are really the creme de la creme if you want the best sounding headphones out there for music and gaming.
- Frequency Response: 10-41,000 Hz.
- Open back design.
- Lightweight aluminum voice coils for very fast transient response
- Hand selected matched driver elements
- Specially designed acoustic silk ensures precision damping over the entire frequency range and helps to reduce THD to an incredible 0.05 percent
Check for best price: Sennheiser HD650
That was my recommendations for audiophile headphones for gaming, if you made it this far, give yourself a little break, recline your seat, crank this track up to 99% volume and close your eyes.
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