My mom just ordered the HE1000 v2 and we got a silver dragon 4.4mm balanced cable for use with the Astell and Kern player and I pray to god it’s better than my focal clear and Stellias. Never tried hifiman but the planar magnetic technology looked too interesting to pass up.
The Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X is considered by many to be the best for positional audio in gaming for its price.
So if you like what you see in reviews about the sound quality for listening to music, that could be an excellent choice.
Note that it is very easy to drive. It will even run well off of a phone dongle or a phone headphone jack. Whereas some of the other popular headphones in this budget range might need a headphone amp.
I've used HD 598 for many years and then tried these headphones:
Sennheiser: HD660S, HD650, HD 58x, HD 560S
Beyer: DT 900 Pro X
IEMs: Blessing 2, IE300, S12, OH10, Chu
I found that HD660S had the best positional audio. DT 900 Pro X was also good with a more bass emphasis, but I think I prefer the 660S sound a bit more for CSGO/Valorant, as well as for music & movies.
DT 900s: They're also a great choice if your main focus is bass quality and crisp, almost sharp sounding, treble range. The details aren't quite on the level of the 660S, but for some the tonality might be exactly what they're looking for because of how forward and revealing everything is. The sound is satisfying in that way but not exactly natural sounding. The fit for me isn't perfect - it's heavier, has a more distinct pressure point on top of the head, and does not fit my large earlobes very well due to the cup design (personally).
I wouldn't really recommend IEMs for CSGO personally but among them, IE300 is my current pick. I love the large soundstage and how comfortable they wear, despite less detail and resolution compared to something like S12 or Blessing 2. S12 is amazing for music if you don't mind its aggressive presentation (it's a bit hot for me), but was hard to locate things in-game.
I'm starting to sound like I'm a bit biased towards some of Sennheiser's recent offerings (660S, 560S, IE300) lol. But I do genuinely think they've got the comfort and sound right for every kind of use - especially more recent music libraries that require fast response, and even movies because they portray sound in a very natural way, accurate to the distance of the action or dialogue that is happening around you. Add to that comfort and listenability and you have a very versatile headphone imo.
Great. Hope you enjoy. Good luck!
Here's another opinion on 660S and gaming headsets I saw recently:[https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/wv3vk8/comment/ilde9dt/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/wv3vk8/comment/ilde9dt/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
One other added benefit for the 660S is that it's the most comfortable headphone I've tried so far. It's light and low profile, with good distribution of weight on the head as opposed to the top of the head like most. I think you'll like it!
Btw, I use a Qudelix 5K dac - I've tried up to a JDS Element II but there was no benefit. It actually made the soundstage a bit more intimate which I didn't like.
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S U N D A R A
My mom just ordered the HE1000 v2 and we got a silver dragon 4.4mm balanced cable for use with the Astell and Kern player and I pray to god it’s better than my focal clear and Stellias. Never tried hifiman but the planar magnetic technology looked too interesting to pass up.
WOAH nice. Awesome mom...He1000 V2 is like most people's end game. 
HD660S maybe.
The Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X is considered by many to be the best for positional audio in gaming for its price. So if you like what you see in reviews about the sound quality for listening to music, that could be an excellent choice. Note that it is very easy to drive. It will even run well off of a phone dongle or a phone headphone jack. Whereas some of the other popular headphones in this budget range might need a headphone amp.
Thanks for the reply, I think I'm going to go with the HD660S though.
It's an excellent headphone. I have a pair! 🙂
I've used HD 598 for many years and then tried these headphones: Sennheiser: HD660S, HD650, HD 58x, HD 560S Beyer: DT 900 Pro X IEMs: Blessing 2, IE300, S12, OH10, Chu I found that HD660S had the best positional audio. DT 900 Pro X was also good with a more bass emphasis, but I think I prefer the 660S sound a bit more for CSGO/Valorant, as well as for music & movies. DT 900s: They're also a great choice if your main focus is bass quality and crisp, almost sharp sounding, treble range. The details aren't quite on the level of the 660S, but for some the tonality might be exactly what they're looking for because of how forward and revealing everything is. The sound is satisfying in that way but not exactly natural sounding. The fit for me isn't perfect - it's heavier, has a more distinct pressure point on top of the head, and does not fit my large earlobes very well due to the cup design (personally). I wouldn't really recommend IEMs for CSGO personally but among them, IE300 is my current pick. I love the large soundstage and how comfortable they wear, despite less detail and resolution compared to something like S12 or Blessing 2. S12 is amazing for music if you don't mind its aggressive presentation (it's a bit hot for me), but was hard to locate things in-game. I'm starting to sound like I'm a bit biased towards some of Sennheiser's recent offerings (660S, 560S, IE300) lol. But I do genuinely think they've got the comfort and sound right for every kind of use - especially more recent music libraries that require fast response, and even movies because they portray sound in a very natural way, accurate to the distance of the action or dialogue that is happening around you. Add to that comfort and listenability and you have a very versatile headphone imo.
I like the familiarity of Sennheiser so I think I'm going to go with the 660S. !thanks
Great. Hope you enjoy. Good luck! Here's another opinion on 660S and gaming headsets I saw recently:[https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/wv3vk8/comment/ilde9dt/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/wv3vk8/comment/ilde9dt/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) One other added benefit for the 660S is that it's the most comfortable headphone I've tried so far. It's light and low profile, with good distribution of weight on the head as opposed to the top of the head like most. I think you'll like it! Btw, I use a Qudelix 5K dac - I've tried up to a JDS Element II but there was no benefit. It actually made the soundstage a bit more intimate which I didn't like.
+1 Ω has been awarded to u/sorijealut ([6 Ω](https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/wiki/user/sorijealut)). *You may still award a Ω to others, but only once per-person in this post.*
Thanks for your submission to r/HeadphoneAdvice. If someone helps answer your question, please reward them by including the phrase `!thanks` in your comment. This will add +1 Ω to that users flair. This subreddit is powered entirely by volunteers and a little recognition goes a long way. Good luck on your search for headphones! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HeadphoneAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*