Upgrading from a gaming headset? Three entry level ‘audiophile’ headphones reviewed

1. Introduction2. The Headphones: Unboxing and First Look3. Testing4. Closing Thoughts5. View All Pages

Testing headphones can be tricky as we all hear things differently. All I can do is present my thoughts and opinions based on what I hear.

Given we are presenting these headphones as potential gaming headset replacements, I did the majority of my listening at my desktop. To take the issue of amplification and on-board audio out of the equation, I invested in a small DAC/amp – the Fiio E10K. This costs just over £60 on Amazon and is a physically tiny device. It is also very basic – all you can do is plug in your headphones, set the gain, adjust the volume, and leave bass enhancement ‘on' or ‘off'. Compared with my motherboard's own DAC, though, the E10K is much clearer. It can also drive headphones with impedance up to 150 Ohms (the recommended level) and was more than enough for all three headphones on test today.

Music

Getting right into it, I'll start with my experiences listening to music with the three different pairs of headphones.

I began my journey into audiophile territory by using the AKG K702s. These are designed to be reference headphones, so the overall sound signature should be quite flat, perfect for mixing music in a studio. In practise I found this to be pretty much the case, which certainly has its pros and cons.

However, there is slightly more emphasis on the mid-range than anywhere else, so the K702s aren't perfectly flat. The accentuated mid-range does lend itself a bit better to enjoyment of acoustic tracks and vocals, though I still wouldn't class them as warm or ‘fun' headphones, more ‘analytical' than anything. Bass-heads should also be warned that while there is some bass in the mix, the K702s are far from mind-blowing in that department.

In terms of detail in the high-end, I would say the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Editions are definitely the brightest of the three headphones. There is a lot more emphasis placed on the high-end and I would not be surprised if many found the overall sound to be quite fatiguing. Personally speaking, though, I really enjoyed the crispness of hi-hats and high-pitched guitar solos, the overall bright tone is just very refreshing and the overall clarity of sound outstrips the other two headphones.

The DT 990s also have a reasonably tight bass response that is slightly more prominent than with the K702s, but neither pair of headphones are bass heavy.

The Sennheiser HD 598 Cs offer an interesting comparison, as while the DT 990s and K702s are open back headphones, the HD 598 Cs are closed back. There are noticeable differences between these two styles, and overall my preference is definitely open back despite have had very little experience with other open back cans in the past.

In my opinion, the sound (from either the K702s or the DT 990s) is just a lot more natural, while the soundstage feels much wider and more inviting. The HD 598 Cs feel too ‘close' for my liking, while I also found these mid-range heavy cans to sound almost crunchy – there is definitely not the same level of clarity to be had when listening to these instead of the DT 990s.

The HD 598 Cs do have the ‘phattest' bass of the three headphones – which is probably one thing in favour of closed back cans – though it is still not overly prominent. I was aware of it but certainly didn't feel as if my ear drums were being assaulted by the low-end frequencies.

Overall summary: The AKG K702s are overall quite flat and analytical, the DT 990s are much brighter but with a pleasing overall sound (to my ears at least), while the HD 598 Cs weren't for me due to the comparative lack of clarity and detail.

Gaming

To test out the headphones to see how they get on while playing games, I fired up Alien: Isolation – in my opinion, one of the best games in terms of its use of music and atmospheric audio.

Here, I have to say both open back headphones – the AKG K702s and the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Editions – simply excel, but the K702s particularly impressed me. This is because both headphones' soundstages are so much bigger than the closed back Sennheiser HD 598 Cs, it creates a much more open atmosphere which is incredibly immersive. Compared to the 99% of gaming headsets which are closed back, you will really appreciate the difference – I know I have!

I would say that I do actually prefer the K702s for gaming, as the flatter sound is a bit easier on the ears than the brighter DT 990s. For instance, in a frenetic game of Star Wars Battlefront, I found the almost piercing DT 990s to be a distraction. The K702s, however, still have the beautifully open sound which can transform a gaming session, but present it in a more neutral way which I think works best in-game.

Touching on the HD 598 Cs, I was a bit disappointed with them for gaming. They lack the immersive soundstage of the open back cans while the overall sound isn't much of a step-up from a gaming headset like the HyperX Cloud Revolver S. The overall audio quality of the HD 598 Cs is much better when listening to music – even though I prefer the DT 990s – but for gaming, I wouldn't say there is much separating the two.

As I mentioned in the video, using a dedicated pair of audio headphones for gaming does present a slight complication – there is no mic attached. There are a couple ways around this – you can attach something like the ModMic 5 to one of the ear cups, or you can use a condenser mic on your desk. Neither solution is as practical as just buying a gaming headset, and you will have to factor in the added cost on-top, but the overall experience is much improved with a pair of open back cans.

Overall summary: The AKG K702s do best here thanks to their large soundstage, the DT 990s are a bit harsh in-game and can be distracting, while the HD 598 Cs don't offer much over a typical high-end gaming headset.

Comfort

While this is another highly subjective area, I will give my thoughts on the comfort of the three headphones, too.

Starting with the AKG K702s, I must say I found them tolerable rather than comfortable. This is for two reasons: the foam ear cushions and the less-than-stellar build quality.

Getting into detail, I found the foam ear cushions to be far too stiff for my liking, with not enough give in them. I found the cushions would sit on-top of my ears, standing off from my head due to the firm foam, rather than fitting around my ears and head. Some people might like this, but I found it created a bit too much pressure around the sides of my head. It wasn't awful, and I could still use them for long periods of time, but it wasn't the best experience.

Secondly, I found the K702's plastic frame would occasionally creak in use, which was just an annoyance. I did find taking off my glasses helped a bit but it didn't solve the problem completely.

Moving on to the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Editions, I found these to be the most comfortable. The velour covering on the foam cushions is incredibly soft, and the cushions themselves fit around my ears very well. The padded headband caused me no problems, either.

Lastly, the Sennheiser HD 598 Cs, and I found these to be pretty comfy overall. The cushions aren't quite as soft as the DT 990's, and I found the headband clamped down on my skull slightly more – but the oval cushions fit around my ears very well and I didn't get any creaking which is a plus.

Overall summary: I found the AKG K702s creak and the cushions are too firm for my liking, but the DT 990s have beautifully soft ear cushions and a good padded headband, while the HD 598 Cs are also pretty comfortable.

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