Reddit mentions of AKG Pro Audio K612 PRO Over-Ear, Open-Back, Premium Reference Studio Headphones

AKG K612 Pro + a headphone amp (necessary) if you can afford that much. They're open headphones but for the money I don't think you'll find a better soundstage for gaming.

For something closer to this price range, the Creative Aurvana Live is supposed to be quite good.

The XB950 is only good for one thing: bass

A DAC/amp wouldn't change the fact that this headphone sounds like ass.

The HD598 has been discontinued and is not easily available anymore, the newer version HD599 is still pretty expensive.

If you want a great sounding headphone and a DAC/Amp to use at home only.

• AKG K612
  
• FX Audio DAC X6
  
  will cost you roughly the same as the new HD599, but you will get a lot more bang for your buck

PRO TIPS:
If you want the BEST SOUND for the price, DON'T buy Gaming-Headsets! They are overpriced garbage.
Buy a pair of Hi-Fi-Headphones instead and put a clip-mic on.
Look for Beyerdynamic
(http://www.amazon.de/Beyerdynamic-DT-990-PRO-250-DT-990-Pro-Kopfh%C3%B6rer/dp/B0011UB9CQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453367729&sr=8-2&keywords=beyerdynamic),
Sennheiser
(http://www.amazon.de/Sennheiser-HD-598-ohrumschlie%C3%9Fender-Kopfh%C3%B6rer/dp/B0042A8CW2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1453367587&sr=8-6&keywords=sennheiser)
or AKG
(http://www.amazon.de/AKG-K612-PRO-%C2%B7-Kopfh%C3%B6rer/dp/B00DCXZY1W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453367608&sr=8-1&keywords=akg+612)
and clip this mic on:
http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00029MTMQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00

If you give a shit on many useless settings in your soundcard, buy a headphone amp instead. (e.g. Fiio E10) It gives you a much much better sound for your headphones at a lower price then gaming soundcards.

Oh and you don't need surround headsets with 7.1 or soundcard settings with surround simulation. Just set it to stereo and the game will simulate the surround sound by itself. You will hear the difference!

AKG open headphones are pretty widely regarded for their soundstage. I absolutely love my k712's.

So I'm finally gonna replace my Skullcandy Slyr gaming headset with some real headphones!

After doing a bunch of research I've narrowed my decision down to two choices: the ATH-AD700x and AKG K612PRO.

While I like the look and better build quality of the AKG's, I haven't heard as much about them as far as sound quality (meanwhile hearing nothing but good things about the 700x's soundstage and clarity). As much as I do love me some bass (and pretty things), I do a lot of competitive gaming, so being able to place sounds/direction is really important. Thoughts/recommendations?

Here are some options for headphones:

K612, Q701, HD598, AD900x, SR-125e, DT770, T50rp, DT990, HE400.

Some of those are closed backed.

The HD558s are a good choice, they have pretty good base and a good soundstage for the price. The AKG 612 will have a better soundstage but be lacking in the bass. Another good option could be Beyerdynamic dt990 but I only found the 250 ohm on amazon.de. I think your laptop may have trouble with them and you would probably want an amp.

[Um...] (http://www.amazon.com/AKG-K612-Over-Ear-Monitoring-Headphone/dp/B00DCXZY1W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394834320&sr=8-1&keywords=k612)

Might be a semi-decent deal if you can get 15 buyers

I recommend this one. Very light, affordable and comfortable. The sound is really good as well. Been using this one for the past 1 1/2 years and I never had a more comfortable Headset. Plus its cable has a length of 3m.

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00DCXZY1W?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

I've had my beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro 80ohm for more than two years now. I have enjoyed them very much but I would like to try out a new pair of headphones with a totally different sound.

I'm also looking for an inexpensive amp (under $50) to use at home because the 770s can be too quiet sometimes.


Budget $130, but flexible.

Source Xonar DG

Isolation Don't really care, I'm using these alone.

Type Over Ear or On Ear. Must have earpads like velour or other fabric. no pleather.

Tonal Balance not V-shaped, more forward mids, less bright treble, larger soundstage, open sounding,

Past Headphones

Superlux HD681 (A poor mans beyerdynamic. Very bright and could be harsh but good value. A little uncomfortable because of the terrible earpads.

Panasonic HTF-600: warm sounding, someone told me it is a poor mans Sennheiser HD-650.

Usage Gaming (singleplayer and multiplayer) like Fallout 4 and TF2

Music Pop, Rock, Alternative, Ambient, Soundtracks

Headphones I am looking at

Ultrasone HFI-15G I'd like to try on-the-ear and like the smaller/lighter design.

Audio Technica AD700x or AD700

AKG K16PRO I love AKG headbands (the Superlux used a knockoff version and it put little pressure on my head like the beyerdynamic dooes sometimes). It's expensive, though.

I will switch between the 770s and these headphones if one headphone does something better than the other.

Thanks for the help! :)

• Budget - ~150€ give or take, but this would be decent headphones and mic combined
  
  
• Source - onboard Sound Card in my PC (Realtek HD Audio)
  
  
• Requirements for Isolation - I will use them only at home, but I would like more isolation from outside noise because it can be quite noisy.
  
  
• Use in public - No
  
  
• Preferred Type - full-sized closed back over-ear
  
  
• Preferred tonal balance - Here I'm not quite sure what I need. I will mostly use the headphones for competitive gaming and voice chat in conjunction, so I won't need incredible amount of bass. I would need some more help here :D
  
  
• Past headphones - My past headphones all were all so-called "gaming headsets", from fatality headsets, over razer to logitech. My current headset I would like to replace is a Logitech G230. They are very comfortable and I would like a similar comfort because I will use the headphones daily and for very long sessions.
  
  
• Preferred Music - Mostly Metal, preferably alternative (Disturbed and such), but music is not the main purpose.
  
  
• Improvements - I would like to enhance my gaming experience and focus on that aspect, so detailed and clear sounds. I would also try out a surround setup to better hear positional cues and a headphone+seperate mic setup to improve the quality of both parts significantly.
  
  
• Location - Germany
  
  I already read through Mad Lust Envy's Headphone Gaming Guide and used the /r/headphones recommendation guide so I got some candidates, but I'm not restricted to them.
  
  
  
• Creative Aurvana Live!: Very strongly recommendated bei Mad Lust Envy and /r/headphones but I have some concerns about the comfort because I have rather big ears.
  
  
• Ultrasone HFI 15 g: Mad Lust Envy mentioned that they are not the first choice for competitive gaming purposes but at that price range it is hard to pass up.
  
  
• AKG K612 PRO: the most expensive in my list but highly praised everywhere and arguably the best quality in this price range. But I would have to settle with open back and a lower quality mic.
  
  
  Thank you for your help and as I said the list above is not set and I would appreciate every recommendation of other headphones.

Hey guys! As a first-time buyer, I'd greatly appreciate any advice.

Budget + Source - $200 or so, more or less | iPhone 6s, PS4, Macbook Pro.

Requirements for Isolation - Not really any.

Preferred Type of Headphone - Comfort is king!

Past headphones - On-Ear Sol Republic Tracks HD are the only pair of recognizable headphones I've owned. I have no issues with the top part of the band, but my ears start hurting after about an hour or less, which makes them basically only good for the gym at this point.

Preferred Music + Tonal Balance - Pop, hip-hop, rock, and classical music are my favorites. I love bass, but love listening to classical as well.

What would you like to improve on from your set-up? - Anything that sounds better than my Sol Republics and is miles ahead in terms of comfort. Beyond using them for music, it would be great if they could be used when gaming on a PS4.

I've been considering the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xWH, the Sennheiser HD 598, the AKG Pro Audio K612PRO, the AKG Q 701 Quincy Jones Signature, the V-MODA Crossfade M-100, the Beyerdynamic DT line, and finally the Beyerdynamic 709093 Custom One Pro Plus which I was almost dead-set on buying, but figured I'd post here first. Thank you for taking the time to read this, any help (or suggestions) would be greatly appreciated!

Hi all, I've not really owned any headphones and only purchased "gaming" Headsets when I was younger. I'm looking to upgrade my sound setup and experience better sound!

I've considered a few headphones but never know which one to go for as there are always pro's and con's for each headphone.
Initially I was going to go for the HD650/HD600 as the more i read on them the more tempted I am in buying one of these. Would these work with gaming also as I've read they don't have the largest sound stage?

Currently, I'm considering - DT990 PRO - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyerdynamic-DT990-PRO-Headphones-250/dp/B0011UB9CQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
I could also consider the 990 Premium (possibly the 600Ohm one however unsure if my Soundblaster Omni is good enough for it) - Also looked into the DT880's but read that DT990's provide a bit more bass but that the 880s are more clear with vocals.

Also looked into these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AKG-Reference-Open-Back-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B00DCXZY1W however, read that they are light on bass. I like my bass to be quite stronger than neutral but nothing overkill, for movies/music so maybe these might not be for me.

Finally this was last on my list as I'm able to go both open and closed - https://www.amazon.co.uk/HiFiMan-Open-Closed-Back-Headphones/dp/B01EJZHCQQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1503143202&sr=1-1&keywords=Hifiman+Edition+S however, read how the build quality is not that great.


Mainly will be using the headphones for 85% gaming, 5% music, 10% movies.

 


Budget - Preferably under £200 but flexible

Source - Creative Soundblaster Omni - USB Sound Card with 600 Ohm Headphone Amp -https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-omni-surround-5-1 - I'm hoping this is powerful enough to power most headphones without any problems?

Requirements for Isolation - Will only be using headphones at home, I don't mind less isolation but I plan on attaching a mic (ModMic) and don't want my microphone picking up the sound, even at reasonbly loud volumes.

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? Nope :)

Preferred Type of Headphone - Do you want IEMs, full-sized, or on-ear? Full-sized/Over the ear

Preferred tonal balance - Are you a basshead, particularly fond of a smooth midrange, strong highs, or do you want an overall balanced pair of headphones? - This part I'm not really sure on, I like a decent amount of bass but nothing overkill. I'm looking for something with possibily a good sound stage that works well mainly for gaming/movies and movies, tough to balance all i suppose but in order, Gaming>Music>Movies. Main reason I want decent/good bass as it feels as if it adds to my immersion when gaming/watching movies.

Past headphones - What have you used in the past, what did you like about them and what didn't you like about - Steelseries Siberia Elite - For me, has a great level of base and overall sound and the best sounding headphones I've ever owned, but it's time to step up my sound game now and looking for something a lot better :]

Preferred Music - What do you listen to? If your music tastes are very esoteric, providing some examples (Youtube links work well) may be of some assistance to your helpers. - Music taste varies from time to time, but often listen to house music, electronic dance music, any new music popular music (Global Top 50 etc.)

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - What are you looking for going into your next headphone? More bass? More detail? More treble? - Hopefully, an upgrade in my listening experience in gaming/music/movies, sound in general. Prefer that the bass feels slightly stronger than neutral to help with immersion in games such as Battlefield titles. A good sound stage and clear sound.

Location - UK


Thanks guys.

No problem. I will answer the questions here.

As for graphics cards: a single Nvidia card can support up to 4 monitors at once. You don't need multiple cards for multiple monitors. I currently run 2 monitors of my single card, but had 3 before. Games won't run worse if you attach more moniors to that card.

As for why I suggest a single GTX970 over the GTX980 is pure price to performance. I almost always suggest the 2nd best cards for high end builds. So at the moment, the R9-290 and GTX970 are the cards I suggest. I got myself the GTX780 when the GTX780Ti (better card) was the best you could get. I don't understand it at all why anyone would want to pay $200 more for at most 10-15% increase in performance.

Indeed you see people with SLI 970's over a single 980. Because the performance is just a lot better for the money. You have to pay about $100 more for SLI 970 compared to a single 980. But the performance is a lot better. Here is a very solid review once again. Wich proves what I just said.

No you don't need to run SLI 970s for your use. You will be running games on a single 1920x1080p resolution monitor. The higher the resolution the harder it is to run games for the GPU as it got more pixels to output. But 1920x1080p is the standard and is on the "low" end right now. The GTX970 got absolutely no problem to hit 100+fps on most shooters on decent settings. CS:GO is btw better played at a lower resolution.

• 1920x1080p = 1K = standard
  
• 2560x1440p = 2K = mid tier
  
• 3840x2160 = 4K = high end (and stupid lel)
  
  ---
  
  Oké, indeed. In short when we talk about audio. "Gaming" branded stuff is terrible. So brands like Razer, SteelSeries, Roccat, Logitech are able to sell products because of marketing. There are a few exceptions, but there are a lot better products from real audio brands such as Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Audio-Technica, AKG, Shure, etc.
  
  It all depends on the budget and a lot on what music, games you play/like. I could give a few suggestions.
  
  
• Kingston HyperX Cloud - Review a solid youtube review.
  
• Sennheiser HD558 - Review great feedback from a lot of random normal people that give their opinion about the headphone.
  
• Sennheiser HD598 - Review head-fi.org again. I got these myself and they are amazing.
  
• AKG K612 - Review head-fi.org again, it's a list of a lot of headphones. These ones seem to stand out from the rest if we don't go extreme with the price.
  
  We need a microphone with the last 3 headphones: So there are a few options here as well.
  
  
• Neweeer clip-on - Review they will probably be fine. Not the best quality of course, but very good for the price.
  
• Samson Go Mic - review very solid microphone for general use.
  
• ModMic - Review Great microphone that you can attach to your headphones. A little bit on the expensive side tho.

Ah, fantastic! That'll make this loads easier, then.

Given that you have a relatively highly-powered (albeit high-impedance) source, probably the single strongest choice for your preferences would, in my opinion, be [AKG's] (https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AKGK612.pdf) [K612] (http://www.verumsonus.com/akg-k612-review/) ([$115~ at the moment on Amazon] (https://www.amazon.com/AKG-Pro-Audio-Reference-Headphone/dp/B00DCXZY1W)). The K612 is actually my single favourite budget headphone (well, wherein "budget" is "<$200", which it is in this weird world of high fidelity), and its FR is actually kind of stark in similarity to the original revision SRM450 - even has the same little wiggle around 2khz. The main difference would be more lower midrange and midbass, where the K612 is a little on the forward side, but depending on your room, it's quite possible that your SRM450s were a fair bit bassier than anechoic measurements in real practice. It biggest problem for most new people is that it's really insensitive - between fairly high impedance and low sensitivity, it takes about 3Vrms to drive to the peak SPL most people want for more dynamic music and louder volume levels, but that's right about where your Alesis is (or possibly slightly higher, as it appears to be current limited on its lower-impedance power rating), and the K612 is high enough impedance that the Alesis's output impedance shouldn't be too huge in its impact on frequency response (and since impedance mostly rises in the very high treble for the K612, it'd probably just add some air-level treble and push up the midbass hump a little).

Another very compelling option in your price range would be the classic [Beyerdynamic] (https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/BeyerdynamicDT880250ohm.pdf) [DT880] (http://www.verumsonus.com/beyerdynamic-dt880-pro/) ([$140] (http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=BEYDT880250CHRM&ref=PLA&omid=103&utm_source=GooglePLA&utm_medium=CSE&utm_item=BEYDT880250CHRM&CAWELAID=230005120001386590&CATARGETID=230005120001760918&cadevice=c&gclid=Cj0KEQjw9r7JBRCj37PlltTskaMBEiQAKTzTfIhhd4dOxxvaStoy1U_t6MIepFOmhSmNUqACwoXZq48aAtIg8P8HAQ)). The DT880 is a real classic, one of the oldest headphones in constant production, and it was pretty cutting-edge when it was released (and quite a bit more expensive). In the old days, the real hardcore people debated about whether the DT880, AKG K701, or Sennheiser HD600 was a better pairing for their $1000 amplifiers. Nowadays the DT880's a bit more humble in its position in the headphone world, but it's still a very robust headphone, and in my personal opinion, it has the most accurate mids of any headphone under $400. It has a bit less bass than the K612, as well as more linear upper mids, though some people find its treble a bit spikier (though [an overlaid comparison] (https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/311277599643009024/319741262645166092/output.png) shows them to be around the same level in the upper treble), and is to this day a pretty popular headphone for studio use. The DT880 250 ohm linked is even more resistant to output impedance variation than the K612, so you'd be under less threat of not getting the same result in practice as in theory due to your interface's output, as well (and, personally, I find the Beyers rather fetching, though that's deeply subjective).

Those two are, however, both open-backed designs, and so you get literally no noise isolation (and quite a lot of noise leakage as well). In general, you've historically got more money for your dollar buying open, but there are a few modern designs that are pretty compelling in that same-ish price space that are closed-back and isolate noise. The main ones that come to mind are the [NAD] (https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/NADVISOHP50.pdf) [HP50] (https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/i-love-these-headphonesthe-nad-viso-hp50) ([$100~ used] (http://www.ebay.com/itm/NAD-VISO-HP50-Black-Headphones-/182595111589?hash=item2a83844aa5:g:MjQAAOSwcB5ZKgON)) and its somewhat more treble-heavy brother the [PSB M4U1] (https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/PSBM4U1.pdf) ([$120~ in theory, though the only listing I can find is "best offer", so your guess is as good as mine] (http://www.ebay.com/itm/PSB-M4U-1-black-Headphones-perfect-condition-fast-shipping-/201921210429?hash=item2f0371283d:g:BLgAAOSww9xZE6if)). They're actually the result of some [rather] (https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/harman-researchers-make-important-headway-understanding-headphone-response) [interesting] (https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/first-test-estimated-harman-target-response-curve-various-headphones) [research] (https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/headphone-target-response-curve-research-update) on what people prefer in headphone tunings, which indicated that contrary to previously-held theories, people prefer a mild boost to the lower bass, and slightly recessed highs. As a result, the HP50 [cuts the spike off the treble vs. the Beyers, and has substantially more subbass] (https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/293633337250021377/319751462194380800/output.png), with the brighter [M4U1 is a bot more restrained in cutting treble, and mostly boosts the lowest bass toward the target] (https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/293633337250021377/319751620986667009/output.png). In general, both could be expected to have fuller bass and sound smoother than the K612 or DT880, and some argue that they're closer to how humans perceive a spectrally flat speaker in a well-treated listening room. As an additional positive, both are very efficient, requiring only a tiny amount of power to get very, very loud, so even your iPod would be fine. Now for the caveats: due to their atypically low impedance, neither is really suitable for your audio interface or, quite possibly, your piano - a high-impedance output will boost their upper midranges due to the particularities of their impedance curves, which is likely to make them honky and overly forward-sounding. Some also find their somewhat...creative physical designs a bit unergonomic, I know a fellow who ditched his well-loved-by-sound-alone HP50 just because it didn't quite fit him right.

There are other options out there which might also meet your criteria - among closed-backs, KRK's KNS6400 and Sony's MDRV6 are more neutrally-tuned options, albeit pretty shoddily built and somewhat unergonomic, and in open-backs, there's stuff like the Sennheiser HD598/599/558 - but these are 3-4 (depending on how you count the Harman-tuned closed-backs) of what're probably the most robust options around where you pointed me for price-wise. I'd be happy to discuss relative pros/cons and additional options if wanted, but I think I'll cut it off here to leave it at under the character limit for one post :P

I would say stay away from any headphone recommendations that are:

• Targeted at gamers (generally poorly tuned) - Exception is sennheiser
  
  • That said: The Siberia V3 might be decent. Once they are released.
    
• Have 7.1/5.1 virtualization (software can do that for free, and the headphones are always shit).
  
  Do not buy the Audio Technica M50s. They are rubbish.
  
  I would recommend:
  
  150: Audio Technica AD700X http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-AD700X-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B009S332TQ
  
  170: AKG 612PRO http://www.amazon.com/AKG-Pro-Audio-K612PRO-Reference/dp/B00DCXZY1W
  
  200: AKG Q701 http://www.amazon.com/AKG-Signature-Reference-Class-Premium-Headphones/dp/B004444O3W
  
  200: Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-DT-990-Pro-250-Professional-Acoustically-Applications/dp/B0011UB9CQ
  
  Lastly, for microphone: http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ

I'm just about to pull the trigger on some AKG K612PROs that will primarily be used for gaming. I'm wondering though if them being open will mean I can't use them while on discord without the sound bleeding into the mic? I plan on attaching a zalman zm-mic1 to the headphone wire.

Has anyone any experience with using these or similar headphones in that manner? Thanks!

Que tan pobre y que tan "buenos" buscas? Tienen que tener microfono? es importante aislarte del mundo (cerrados) o que tengan una mejor reproduccion espacial del sonido (abiertos)?

En caso de que sea esto ultimo, tenés un minuto para charlar de nuestro amo y señor AKG K612 Pro? (ojo que son de 120ohm y depende de que tarjeta de sonido tengas te haga falta un amplificador para domar a la bestia)

Maybe the AKG K612 Pro. Here's a detailed review.

Or the Sennheiser HD598. Here's a detailed review.

OK, I came up with a few suggestions:

$100-150 sennheiser hd558, ath ad700x, akg k612

$150-200 sennheiser hd598,
ath ad900x, akg q701, beyerdynamic dt990

(both akg k612 and beyer requiers an amp, makes the price go up with about $200 if you dont already have an amp), you dont necessarily need an amp for the akg q701, but be ready to crank volumes up to maximum to get a comfortable volume level without an amp, and some people think that the volume is just too low without it.

Should be noted that if you have the cash to go with the beyer, it should perform almost as amazing as the ad900x and q701 with positional sound, but also has among the best bass in the market at sub $500

AKG K612Pro is available for ~100€. If you add another €10 to your budget you can also get a FiiO K1, which will bring out the best in them.

From what you described yeah I'd say the AD700X would be excellent for the budget, clearly better than 558.

BTW if you can order from Amazon UK check out this K702 and this K701 (same headphones, the 702 has removable cable). Those are excellent deals. Keep an eye on both, the price fluctuates, but it's currently at a historical low point. They need an amp to achieve another 10-15% quality, but you can use them without it for the time being. They're about 2 levels above 558 and AD700X.

Another very good choice is K612 Pro.

• Budget: ~$150 USD
  
• Source: PC (Gaming), if they rock maybe my phone.
  
• Isolation: Unsure, usually I use closed headphones. But I hear the ATH-700xs are great for CS:GO and are open. Wouldn't mind trying open ear.
  
• Public: Probably not.
  
• Size: Full sized over ear headset.
  
• Tonal Balance: I like my bass in music, but these headphones are for CS:GO almost exclusively, was seeing good things about the ATH-700xs being light on the bass and it helping not drown out footsteps. I'd prefer more bass for my music but CS is the priority.
  
• Previous Headphones: For gaming I have had SteelSeries Siberia v2, didn't like the sound quality. Comfort was good. HyperX Cloud 1s sound quality quite a bit better, comfort about the same. Currently using the clouds. I have had Beats in the past, they were alright, on par with my $100 pair of Klipsch headphones. I quite enjoyed the Klipsch over ears, not sure what type specifically.
  
• Music Taste: Almost exclusively hiphop, with some 80s rock and a little folk/pop mixed in.
  
• What I want to improve: I want a better headset for CS:GO. My Cloud 1s were pretty solid but the quality has deteriorated over time.
  
  My three main considerations now are: ATH AD700x, Sennheiser GAME ONE, Sennheiser PC363D. Although I do not have USB 3 will that matter at all? I do not need 7.1 sound. The AKG K612 Pro seems around my price range and is reviewed quite well. It seems like the ATH-AD700xs are the headphones to go for as they are about half the price as the rest of the options I suggested. Is it worth spending the extra money on any of those headsets? Also do I need to consider an AMP of any sort for these headphones? I was recommended something such as the FiiO E10k earlier. Not sure if I need an amp or not, I would be willing to purchase one if it allows for me to unlock the full potential of my headset. But not just to spend money on another toy and eek out another 1% or 2% of performance.
  
  Thanks a ton for reading! Any insight is more than welcome.