Choosing the best headphones for daily music + casual gaming

[Dosky]

Hello, i'm new to the forum so i apologize if i opened the thread in wrong forum. I don't really know anything about headphones so i came to seek help. I have some headphones i found through AI, looked up some reviews but didn't understand anything.

Current setup: I’m using a Fifine H6 right now. I care mostly about sound that’s clear, airy, and not boomy, not ultra-analytical. EQ or bass tweaking is not something I do.

Usage: Mostly daily casual gaming (Minecraft, Rocket League, LoL, Risk of Rain 2) and music. No FPS-level directional precision needed, but I like to know roughly where sounds are coming from (left/right/back).

Microphone: I’ll use a separate mic, so built-in mic isn’t important.
Connection: Cable or wireless doesn’t matter.
Comfort: Important, I spend long hours on PC.

Models I’ve considered:
HyperX Cloud 3, Trakstar Pro 82, AKG K92, Sennheiser HD 400S, MCHOSE X9, Creative Aurvana Special Edition (~400 TRY), Superlux HD668B (~2k TRY), Behringer BH40 (~3.4k TRY)

My motherboard is ASUS B650M-R, onboard Realtek High-Definition Audio (HD Audio CODEC, likely ALC897/ALC1220). Will it fully drive headphones in the 32–80 Ω range like the Arctis Nova 3 or Superlux HD668B without an external amp/DAC?

Other info: I like to enjoy music, not analyze every detail. I want something musical, fun, and airy, with enough clarity for casual games.

Question: Given all of the above, which headphones would you recommend as the safest pick? If I buy it and don’t like it, I want to avoid major regrets.

Thanks in advance for advice!

 

[Roland68]

Hello, i'm new to the forum so i apologize if i opened the thread in wrong forum. I don't really know anything about headphones so i came to seek help. I have some headphones i found through AI, looked up some reviews but didn't understand anything.

Current setup: I’m using a Fifine H6 right now. I care mostly about sound that’s clear, airy, and not boomy, not ultra-analytical. EQ or bass tweaking is not something I do.

Usage: Mostly daily casual gaming (Minecraft, Rocket League, LoL, Risk of Rain 2) and music. No FPS-level directional precision needed, but I like to know roughly where sounds are coming from (left/right/back).

Microphone: I’ll use a separate mic, so built-in mic isn’t important.
Connection: Cable or wireless doesn’t matter.
Comfort: Important, I spend long hours on PC.

Models I’ve considered:
HyperX Cloud 3, Trakstar Pro 82, AKG K92, Sennheiser HD 400S, MCHOSE X9, Creative Aurvana Special Edition (~400 TRY), Superlux HD668B (~2k TRY), Behringer BH40 (~3.4k TRY)

My motherboard is ASUS B650M-R, onboard Realtek High-Definition Audio (HD Audio CODEC, likely ALC897/ALC1220). Will it fully drive headphones in the 32–80 Ω range like the Arctis Nova 3 or Superlux HD668B without an external amp/DAC?

Other info: I like to enjoy music, not analyze every detail. I want something musical, fun, and airy, with enough clarity for casual games.

Question: Given all of the above, which headphones would you recommend as the safest pick? If I buy it and don’t like it, I want to avoid major regrets.

Thanks in advance for advice!

I can highly recommend the Beyerdynamic TYGR 300 R.
It's been a bit of a hidden gem for a while now, as it easily holds its own against some more expensive headphones, both for music and gaming.
You can sometimes find them new or refurbished for as little as €120.

 

[DVDdoug]

You can sort the reviews here by price or "recommended".

Also see Understanding Headphone Measurements (video) and The Harman Curve.
People have different "curve" preferences so it would help if you can find a measurement for your current headphones and then you can think about what you want to be different.

Most people also have a preference for open or closed back. And comfort is "personal".

I like to know roughly where sounds are coming from (left/right/back).

Back is tricky... Different people get different "soundstage" illusions - Headphone soundstage survey. There are some sound characteristics (in the recording, not the headphones) that can help it sound like it's coming from behind, but with "real sounds" we usually turn our head to "triangulate" but with headphones the sound source obviously moves along with your head.

 

[BlueTunes]

I think you'd be better off asking the gaming community.
Your requirements are quite functional and really, by choosing a reasonable manufacturer, any headphone these days will likely be more than ok wrt your SQ requirements and expectations.

For headphones, SQ is usually not the primary consideration.

Set a budget, list out your requirements, make a short list and do your research.
A googling of your shortlisted items will quickly show up the better and worst candidates.

 

[Dosky]

You can sort the reviews here by price or "recommended".

Also see Understanding Headphone Measurements (video) and The Harman Curve.
People have different "curve" preferences so it would help if you can find a measurement for your current headphones and then you can think about what you want to be different.

Most people also have a preference for open or closed back. And comfort is "personal".


Back is tricky... Different people get different "soundstage" illusions - Headphone soundstage survey. There are some sound characteristics (in the recording, not the headphones) that can help it sound like it's coming from behind, but with "real sounds" we usually turn our head to "triangulate" but with headphones the sound source obviously moves along with your head.

Back was for example. about the curve references. I didn't understand anything at the video because it was a bit high of a english for me. my english is not very good because im turkish, so it was very very hard to understand. I prefer closed-back because i don't like people knowing what im listening. I am currently thinking about trying out the superlux and if i don't like it try the takstar pro 82.

I think you'd be better off asking the gaming community.
Your requirements are quite functional and really, by choosing a reasonable manufacturer, any headphone these days will likely be more than ok wrt your SQ requirements and expectations.

For headphones, SQ is usually not the primary consideration.

Set a budget, list out your requirements, make a short list and do your research.
A googling of your shortlisted items will quickly show up the better and worst candidates.

I tried asking the gaming community and tried them all but if i had to describe the sound all the gaming headphones give. it would probably be the sound is like muzzled, like blurring an image. I just don't really know the headphones capacity really much, so i wanted to ask the headphone experts to pick the safest for me. I tried to look at sources for headphone recommendations but none worked. some were too expensive (for example some was listed at 200$ but was close to 400-450 at my country) or wasn't available for purchase because they don't sell it. these were the best ones i could find with my budget not gonna lie.

I can highly recommend the Beyerdynamic TYGR 300 R.
It's been a bit of a hidden gem for a while now, as it easily holds its own against some more expensive headphones, both for music and gaming.
You can sometimes find them new or refurbished for as little as €120.

Sadly i can't buy the beyerdynamic TYGR 300 R. literally no one sells it.

 

[Dosky]

I would like to fix something. I used AI to help with my writing. and he said mostly casual gaming but i spend like %90 of my day listening to music and videos. the %10 is just me using the headphone to catch the games audio. so it's mostly for listening to music and video and rarely for gaming purposes, being able to hear where the sound comes from is enough for me.

 

[twsecrest]

Hello, i'm new to the forum so i apologize if i opened the thread in wrong forum. I don't really know anything about headphones so i came to seek help. I have some headphones i found through AI, looked up some reviews but didn't understand anything.
Current setup: I’m using a Fifine H6 right now. I care mostly about sound that’s clear, airy, and not boomy, not ultra-analytical. EQ or bass tweaking is not something I do.
Usage: Mostly daily casual gaming (Minecraft, Rocket League, LoL, Risk of Rain 2) and music. No FPS-level directional precision needed, but I like to know roughly where sounds are coming from (left/right/back).
Microphone: I’ll use a separate mic, so built-in mic isn’t important.
Connection: Cable or wireless doesn’t matter.
Comfort: Important, I spend long hours on PC.
Models I’ve considered:
HyperX Cloud 3, Trakstar Pro 82, AKG K92, Sennheiser HD 400S, MCHOSE X9, Creative Aurvana Special Edition (~400 TRY), Superlux HD668B (~2k TRY), Behringer BH40 (~3.4k TRY)
My motherboard is ASUS B650M-R, onboard Realtek High-Definition Audio (HD Audio CODEC, likely ALC897/ALC1220). Will it fully drive headphones in the 32–80 Ω range like the Arctis Nova 3 or Superlux HD668B without an external amp/DAC?
Other info: I like to enjoy music, not analyze every detail. I want something musical, fun, and airy, with enough clarity for casual games.
Question: Given all of the above, which headphones would you recommend as the safest pick? If I buy it and don’t like it, I want to avoid major regrets.

Would expect the Asus B650M0-R motherboard to be able to drive headphones (decently) that are 120-Ohms or less.
The HyperX Cloud 3 or Takstar Pro 82 would be headphones I would pick, for the price range, have no idea on the other headphones you listed.
I bought the Superlux HD-688B years ago, good for the price, but broke a few months after buying them.

 

[Dosky]

Would expect the Asus B650M0-R motherboard to be able to drive headphones (decently) that are 120-Ohms or less.
The HyperX Cloud 3 or Takstar Pro 82 would be headphones I would pick, for the price range, have no idea on the other headphones you listed.
I bought the Superlux HD-688B years ago, good for the price, but broke a few months after buying them.

Oh no, I'm doomed then lol. I picked the superlux because it was the cheapest one to try, I am still not pretty sure about these type of headphones. I've used gaming headphones for a very long time. I just hope it doesn't break down in months. I mean i can gather money and buy the takstar pro82, but it will be a waste of money for me. i am still unsure about hyperx cloud 3 because it's a bit more expensive than other countries.

 

[Dosky]

I will try the superlux and have a reasonably big head. I might need to return it if it presses too much against my head.

 

[twsecrest]

It appears the HyperX Cloud, is based off the old Takstar Pro80, which I've owned (Gemini HSR-1000), which was a good bargain priced headphone.
Could be that Takstar still makes the Pro 80, but as an OEM for other brands.
Hopefully you will take better care of the HD688B, I was a bit rough with my HD688B.

 

[Dosky]

It appears the HyperX Cloud, is based off the old Takstar Pro80, which I've owned (Gemini HSR-1000), which was a good bargain priced headphone.
Could be that Takstar still makes the Pro 80, but as an OEM for other brands.
Hopefully you will take better care of the HD688B, I was a bit rough with my HD688B.

I don't treat my headphones rough but sometimes i like to leave one ear open. if it breaks just from that i might as well go try takstar. Yeah hyperx and takstar pro82 is same, but i think there is a newer version of takstar pro82.

 

[Mahir]

Hello, i'm new to the forum so i apologize if i opened the thread in wrong forum. I don't really know anything about headphones so i came to seek help. I have some headphones i found through AI, looked up some reviews but didn't understand anything.

Current setup: I’m using a Fifine H6 right now. I care mostly about sound that’s clear, airy, and not boomy, not ultra-analytical. EQ or bass tweaking is not something I do.

Usage: Mostly daily casual gaming (Minecraft, Rocket League, LoL, Risk of Rain 2) and music. No FPS-level directional precision needed, but I like to know roughly where sounds are coming from (left/right/back).

Microphone: I’ll use a separate mic, so built-in mic isn’t important.
Connection: Cable or wireless doesn’t matter.
Comfort: Important, I spend long hours on PC.

Models I’ve considered:
HyperX Cloud 3, Trakstar Pro 82, AKG K92, Sennheiser HD 400S, MCHOSE X9, Creative Aurvana Special Edition (~400 TRY), Superlux HD668B (~2k TRY), Behringer BH40 (~3.4k TRY)

My motherboard is ASUS B650M-R, onboard Realtek High-Definition Audio (HD Audio CODEC, likely ALC897/ALC1220). Will it fully drive headphones in the 32–80 Ω range like the Arctis Nova 3 or Superlux HD668B without an external amp/DAC?

Other info: I like to enjoy music, not analyze every detail. I want something musical, fun, and airy, with enough clarity for casual games.

Question: Given all of the above, which headphones would you recommend as the safest pick? If I buy it and don’t like it, I want to avoid major regrets.

Thanks in advance for advice!

My recommendation is the same for safest pick lookers. Chose a warm sounding headphone which is easy to drive. Fiio had done it with Anytime or KOSS’s legacy PortaPro.

 

[twsecrest]

I don't treat my headphones rough but sometimes i like to leave one ear open. if it breaks just from that i might as well go try takstar. Yeah hyperx and takstar pro82 is same, but i think there is a newer version of takstar pro82.

By Breaking, I meant one cup stopped functioning, but not physically broken.