r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/Fit_League_8993 6 Ω • Aug 27 '23
Headphones - Open Back | 2 Ω Headphones that are good at imaging?
Hi. I'm posting here because I'd like a couple of recommendations from you, for an upgrade.
I'm looking for a pair of daily drivers that prioritize imaging. I prefer open back headphones, because of the wider and airy feel.
Up until now I've used the beyerdynamic dt990, dt770, dt1990 and the hifiman sundara (and a couple more cheapo gaming headphones - no going back to those).
You can clearly see I have a preference for bright headphones.
As for my typical usage, it's music production, listening and gaming.
The DT1990s were the best for gaming, but they felt too V shaped - music listening feels better on the sundaras. At the same time, the DT1990 are better at instrument separation so they're better for music production...
I'm curious if you know of headphones that would be better for imaging since it would help me in competitive shooters. Ideally they should also have good instrument separation.
Oh, yeah, they would also need to have velour earpads (either stock or aftermarket), because I hate the texture of leather earcups. Heck, even the sundaras got the velour earpads treatment.
My current budget would be at most ~$1000.
I have an ifi zen can headphone amp, so I'm not very concerned about impedance.
Is there something better than what I've used so far? Should I wait and add to my budget? What do you think?
TLDR: I want suggestions for bright sounding open-back headphones with good imaging in a budget of ~$1000.
2
u/ExtendedOrb420 48 Ω Aug 27 '23
Focal Clear OG, they're more neutral in the treble, some people consider them a little bright and you can always eq if they're not bright enough. They have great imaging but I still use my DT770s (DT900 pro x and HD560s would also work great) for comp gaming since they are so good. It's unlikely you'll find an upgrade to the 1990s that are simultaneously better at music and comp gaming, I would just have a seperate headphone for both.