What gaming headphones to buy? - Page 297

Originally Posted by Shin CZ

Well, I know the DAC won't be used on the go, but an LOD is all I need to just get the source signal anyway, so there shouldn't be a nees for the DAC on the go.

And yes, the CAL = D1001 with a cosmetic, rebadged difference. That's why you guys should take me seriously when I say that it rocks. It's not some random budget can. The D1001 still sells for $150 or so, and the CAL is $100 practically everywhere but on Newegg. I dunno why Newegg has it for so cheap, but Im not complaining. Try it out and tell me the DT770 Pro is better. I dare you. About the only thing the Pro does better is bass quantity and a larger soundstage (which is just freakish in nature to begin with for a closed can). The CAL has it's own big soundstage, and great overall balance.

Hell, check the 36 portable shootout by ljokerl on headfi. He rates the CAL incredibly high, losing in overall score mainly for it's mediocre isolation from external noise. I think it got a 8.5 in sound, 2nd only to the HD25-II which score a 9 for him. His thoughts pretty much mirrored my own except he thinks the bass is exagerrated at times. I don't see how, it's not even a basshead can...

Originally Posted by SID3W8Z

Coby makes the BESTEST headphones for gaming!

Originally Posted by General Kenobi

Ok, what am I doing wrong?

I haven't had my mixamp in use for a while, been using my HT and last night when trying to test my HD800's I had the optical out of the xbox into my AVR and used the optical out of the AVR into the mixamp... no sound I had the correct source selected on the AVR and would get sound on my HT but it was not passing it through the optical out for some reason... any suggestions? I thought this was how I was doing it before but maybe I am forgetting something?

I eventually just ran the optical straight from the 360 to the mixamp but this is not how I want to use it... what am I forgetting here?

Originally Posted by SID3W8Z

"Ferb, I know what we're going to do today"... If you have kids, you probably recognize this from Phineas and Ferb on Disney channel... now, the relevance... I believe... I'm going to AKG-ify my Beyers! On Monday, I'm heading down to Redco audio... pick up a Female and Male mini-XLR and turn the Beyers into AKG cable style mount... and that way, I can use ANY K240/K702 cable on them. What do you guys think? I'm probably also going to go and get some Dynamat from them dampen the enclosures to tighten up the bass, maybe bring it in-line with everything else. Will have to play with that a bit.

Originally Posted by ljokerl on Head-Fi



Creative Aurvana Live!: A true circumaural headphone, the portability of the CAL! may be questionable but the sound produced by the OEM Foster drivers shared with the renowned Denon AH-D1001k is not.



Build Quality (7/10): The Creative Aurvana Live! is a well-built headphone but doesn’t exude the same air of solidity as the K81dj and HA-M750. The plastics feel sturdy and well-made. The glossy black cups and chrome trim are fingerprint magnets but the grime isn’t too visible on them (unlike, for example, the ATH-ES7). The stainless steel headband is padded and the cabling is nice and thick, rubberized to prevent tangling and short enough for portable use. An extension cable is included. On the downside, the CAL! are neither collapsible nor flat-folding, so calling them portables is contingent entirely on their having a shorter cable and being easily driven.

Comfort (9.5/10): The cups of the Creative Aurvana Live! were designed to be circumaural, and they are - for all but those with the largest ears. The cups are deep, extremely comfortable, and have a wide range of motion. The phones themselves are very light, largely due to the plastic construction, and there is almost no clamping force exerted by the headband. The pleather on the cups and headband feels quite soft but can get warm after a while, though I can stay cool longer in these than the JVC HA-M750.

Isolation (5.5/10): Though leakage is expectedly low, the isolation of CAL! is also quite low for a closed can. While better than almost all of the on-ear ultraportables, it just doesn’t compare some of the larger closed cans. I found myself cranking the volume up almost immediately when going outside.

Sound (8.5/10): As mentioned before, the CAL! shares OEM drivers (as well as pads and parts of the inner structure) with the renowned Denon AH-D1001k. My expectations were pretty high for these, so I was fairly surprised when I found the general sound signature to be similar to that of the significantly-cheaper JVC HA-M750. Over time, however, they grew on me and I learned to differentiate them from the JVCs in subtle but important ways. Like the JVCs, the CAL!s are bass-heavy headphones with a very rich-sounding midrange and a warm tonality. However, the Creatives boast better clarity in the (far less forward) midrange and a more dimensional sound - the soundstage has some depth in addition to the width. They are more laid back and balanced and at the same time a little faster when the music calls for it. The bass is textured, fairly well-controlled, and surprisingly deep (capable of dropping below 30Hz). The low-end response can be excessive at times - these are most definitely not monitoring headphones – but it’s hard to beat them for an enjoyable and relaxed listening experience with plenty of subwoofer bass.

Value (9/10). (MSRP: $99.99, Street Price: $60). I like these, I really do. They are extremely comfortable, reasonably portable, and they sound oh-so-good. Granted, the sound isn’t quite as neutral as some may prefer and the isolation could be better. But they are just so very fun to listen to. In a series of A:B comparisons they make my JVC HA-M750 sound muddy, aggressive, and flat and my K81Dj – hollow and resonant. The CAL! is definitely one headphone I could use both on the go and at home, but only if isolation was inconsequential and absolute portability was not a concern.

Originally Posted by General Kenobi

Yeah the HD800 are really amazing, even with games they are tip top. Soundstage slightly smaller than the K702 but larger than the 880 and not quote as much air betwen things with the k702 but the isolation of each note and every sound is so exquisite in how it is layered. I'ts not really like anything I've heard. Obviously the definition in overkill for this application but when spending this kind of money on a headphone for music it damn well better perform top notch for games and music too!!!

Originally Posted by SID3W8Z

HAWT! I want those! Someday... those, T1s, D7000, and PS1000 will be in my stable.... next to my listening chair! Is that a GS Lite? Can't really find those anymore... and they're supposed to be really nice. Too bad they're not in production anymore.

Oh yea.... lots of nice stuff there... now all you need is a programmable universal remote with LCD touch screen, voice activation and coffee maker.

Originally Posted by Shin CZ

SWZ, what are you planning on doing with the cups?

I'm loving the CAL for everything. I can't believe these are $60 on Newegg.

Originally Posted by Shin CZ

I mean cosmetically. They look like you have a layer of frosting over them, so I figured you were doing something to their looks before the woodies.

Originally Posted by Shin CZ

Ah okay. I though you were gonna sand down where the DT770 Pro 80 was and have it match the rest of the cup.

Originally Posted by Shin CZ

Hell, the DT880s are the BEST overall from all I heard, but I damn to hell their weak rear cues. They had everything. Bass, soundstage, positioning, EVERYTHING I could ask for in the perfect gaming headphone. It's a downright shame they failed in the rear cues.