best audiophile headphones for gaming no mic

Best Headphones for Gaming/Music (no mic)

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First off: Good job on moving on from gaming-branded headsets. You're right in your assessment, that a wired headphone and a seperate microphone will get you better quality (input AND output) for the same amount of $. Have you considered open back headphones? They have a larger soundspace which really helps open up the noise in some hectic FPS games. Especially on games like Battlefield, you really feel the outdoorsyness. They do however have downsides. Open back bleeds noise like crazy, so if you aren't in a room alone you might get people angry with you. They also do not have as much bass, because most of the bass just blows out the back. I however think that having less bass is a positive thing for gaming, while less fun you actually hear more other things when you need to be competitive. For closed back, the DT 770 is great, the 1770 is better. For open back, DT 990 or 1990. Keep in mind that for anything higher than 80 Ω (ohm) impedance, you will need a dac/amp in order to get respectable volume and sound depth. 80Ω is really straddling the line of what you can maximally run through a normal aux port powered by your console/pc. It's worth mentioning the sennheiser HD600 and the HD650, but you WILL need a dac/amp alongside it, which starts to really hug the maximum of your $400 budget. The 620S is the closed back alternative. I really like the Hifiman Sundara as a closed back option too, they punch above their weight and they do not need a dac/amp since they run with like less than 40Ω. You can run these on a phone and they still sound great. Answer from westarrr on reddit.com

reddit.com › r/headphoneadvice › best headphones for gaming/music (no mic)

r/HeadphoneAdvice on Reddit: Best Headphones for Gaming/Music (no mic)

December 30, 2024 -

As the title implies I am looking for headphones that would be both great for music and games like FPS shooters where audio cues are important.

I’d like to upgrade from the typical gaming marketed headsets. It seems the audio quality is not typically worth the price, and I am in belief that a standalone microphone paired with a wired micless headset would be much better in terms of overall quality. My price range is up to $400. One suggestion I’ve heard frequently is the beyerdynamic DT 770s. I love the look and comfortability of these. Any suggestions?

UPDATE: I ended up buying the beyerdynamic DT1770 pro MKIIs and they have been everything I was hoping for. I won't say blown away because these were quite expensive compared to a lot of alternatives which I imagine would do just as great.

To start they are extremely comfortable and sit perfectly on my slightly above average sized head. I love the appearance and build quality of these.

Music: These absolutely blew me away coming from my old $100 Steeleseries Arctis 1 gaming headset. The quality is just on a completely different level, and I am rediscovering love for old songs just by listening to them on these. After a bit of EQ tweaking, the bass is great, and not overwhelming. Everything sounds so clear and separated, but also smooth. Don't want to go too in depth on it because I am no audiophile.

Gaming: Exactly what I was hoping for in these headphones. The sounds in a first person shooter are all very distinct, and I feel that I can very clearly know what is happening around me.

Overall I am very pleased and this is exactly what I needed for a gaming/music combo. I imagine the $200/$400 cheaper version of this headphone would give you a very similar experience, and I likely overspent. However for my needs these ticked every single box. Hope this helps someone find what they are looking for.

Top answer

1 of 24

by far the best ones for gaming would be Sennheiser HD 490 Pro, that said all around I prefer Audio-Technica ATH-R70x or R70x Refine if you are in US as it's $50 less from closed backs $699 msrp Denon AH-D5200 you can get for ~380 shipped from Japan on eBay brand new, it's a step above DT 700 Pro X, DT 770 X and AKG K553 MKII which are all better than regular old 770s

2 of 24

Fellow gamer discovering audio here, first questions first: Are you looking for closed headphones (passive noise isolation) or open headphones (you can hear your surroundings and they can sightly hear what you're listening to)? Closed headphones: look into the Fiio FT1. They're currently very well praised and hit above their price point. Haven't tried them personally as I prefer open, but they're easy to look up as they're the most recommended closed headphones of the year. Open headphones I've tried and would recommend: R70x, AR5000, Ananda. All well praised with different sound profiles, so your preference matters. They're all very detailed and have good imaging for directional accuracy. Do you lean towards bass? ATH R70x is warm neutral and its "R70x Refine" variant had a limited run in North America that offered better bass. Incredibly comfortable and smooth, you could also get the classic R70x and switch pads down the line to imitate their Refine variant. Another headphone I haven't tried but have seen recommended with emphasis on bass are the Hifiman Edition XS. Do you prefer really clean mids? The Aune AR5000 were so CLEAN upon my first listening. I'm unsure how else to describe them aside clean, clear and so satisfying. Currently testing them out for both music and gaming. Maybe vocals are what makes it come alive for you? Hifiman Ananda really wow'ed me with how crystal clear vocals sounded. I had never heard vocals that way before. Some concerns over the Hifiman quality control, however. Also uncomfortable for smaller heads, but great for larger heads. The little Sennheiser 560s deserve a mention and were my entry level gateway drug, but I think you can skip them with your budget on hand. All of the ones I've mentioned are worth your few minutes watching some YouTube reviews or reading up on them. You'll see how well received they are and they're all great for competitive gaming and music. You'll just have to start somewhere and see if it fits your sound preference. Just like the first character you pick on a new FPS title. Lastly, in case you ask, the Fiio FT1 "Pro" just came out but haven't tried them, an unfortunately side effect of not being made of money. Hope this helped!

PC Gamer

pcgamer.com › hardware › gaming audio › earbuds & headphones

The best audiophile headphones for gaming in 2025: my top recommendations for the best cans money can buy | PC Gamer

July 18, 2025 - Throw in an open-back pair design, and you'll hear the most natural reproduction of your chosen gameworld that you can possibly achieve. The downside is that audiophile headphones are expensive and really only benefit from good sound hardware inside your PC—yes, there are still soundcards out there, people. The open operating principle means there can be a fair bit of sound leakage and there's no passive noise cancelling. You also don't get a microphone on most audiophile headphones, but such is the wealth of great budget gaming mics, that's not an issue.

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