Beyerdynamic - DT 900 PRO X

To me DT 770 Pro X are almost uncannily comfy. Same with DT 900 Pro X. I feel that they're there, but they don't interfere at all. Same with FT1 Pro with thicker/firmer leather pads: slightly increased clamp, decreased headband pressure. They're there, they're weighty, but they don't bother me.

The DT900's are only 48ohm, much easier to drive - DAC is kinda overkill. I have 250ohm 990 pro's as well so I know where you're coming from, but 'horses for courses', not everyone needs the same. DAC is a big expense for little benefit in OP's case.

If you like the Beyers, why not 900 Pro X? All the good parts of 990 plus removable cable, more sensitive, more neutral tuning

Same headphones as i have. I really like them, bit i do use an external DAC

I've got this exact pair. It's freaking fantastic. Paired it with a decent DAC/AMP and I don't think I need anything else, I don't really care for positional sounds in FPS and stuff like that but just listening to a good sound design in the game is peak.

I have these and absolutely love them

My first 'wow' moment headphones were the DT 770 Pro. They are amazing for their price and sound even better plugged into an amp. I'm using the ifi Zen DAC V3. My current 'end-gane' setup is the same amp but with DT 900 Pro X. The sound is just incredible and you will have a hard time finding headphones at either price point as the two mentioned above that sound as good, they are out there though but I don't know which one's they are. Your best bet is to go to local stores and test out as many as possible so you know what sounds good to your ears.

You make a very valid point. There are for sure headphones with 'better' bass. My DT 770 Pro and 900 Pro x have more textured and layered bass, so the quality is better. I think for their time, the xb500s but out a higher volume of bass than many headphones on the market, we are talking over a decade ago though. I bought my second pair about 10 years ago off eBay for around $200 USD, so they had gained some type of status as they originally retailed for ~80.

I'm new to this hobby as of a couple of months ago. With all of the different options and sounds, I'm not sure if I'll ever reach an end game, it's the exploration that is my passion right now. At the moment the best I have is Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X paired with the Zen DAC V3. I have about seven other pairs of headphones. I've had to pause my spending on the hobby for a bit, but I look forward to continuing to explore and move up to more expensive and 'better' headphones, amps and other equipment. It's great that you found something you love and I hope you get many years of enjoyment from them.

I'm with you on the comfort and EQ actually. I can wear my 900s for hours, they are extremely comfortable. It's amazing what a difference a little adjustments to the EQ can do. I bought a pair of Audio-Technica m50x-BT2 for on the go. They have a parametric EQ. I asked ChatGPT to give me settings for it that would make them sound like my Grados but with bass. They don't sound exact, but they sound good. As far as my actual Grado SR80x goes, I bought the sheepskin pads for them which really brought out the bass, but I lost that musicality they are known for, so again, EQ saved them. Now I have extremely comfortable Grados with bass. Again, not sure if I'll reach an end game per say (I like the way you frame it though), all I know is I'm having fun and that's what matters.

Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X I have 5 other pair of headphones, all good quality. It's like an addiction, it's almost like I want to listen to the other five and appreciate them and get my money's worth out of them, but I just can't stop listening to the 900s. Right now I'm listening to the Audio-Technica M50X-BT2. I've adjusted the parametric EQ and am dialing in my preferences with guidance from the web and ChatGPT. I'm giving them a fair chance as I eye my 900 Pro Xs

I have the DT 900 Pro X. With the STELLAR.45 driver you don't need an amp, but I have the ifi Zen DAC V3 for what I perceive as a cleaner signal, plus more headroom. Their bass boost adds a subtle warmth without the boomy mess that some 'bass boost' features do. The headphones are great for both gaming and music.

I have both these and the 700s. 700s seem a bit bassier, but I love the way the 900s feel like the sound is in the room with you. Enjoy!

Have these exact headphones. I recommend looking up an EQ for them. It's quite easy to do. They've a bit of a breaking in period because the clamp quite a bit. Now for gaming. The positional awareness these headphones give are so good I still get blown away by it. Footsteps through walls to pin point accuracy. I am in a noisy environment and I still love these. Can hear my wife asking me questions without needing to lift the headset off.

Studio headphones are great, but they're designed for critical listening than they are for entertainment. And by critical listening I don't mean "hearing enemies better" I mean listening to audio accurately in terms of dynamics and frequency. I use my DT900 Pro X every day for everything and I rather have a pair of hyped gaming headphones to make things more exciting when I'm gaming. Not to mention open back headphones just don't have that immersion that closed backs do.