You never know what you got until you compare it to something else. I know that is not how the adage goes, and the one about the grass being greener might be a better fit, but I had to learn this one firsthand.
A while ago, I bought a pair of M-Audio HDH40 headphones, because I had (and still do) aspirations of taking my hobby of making Boom Bap HipHop beats more seriously. The M-Audio cans are not regarded as the best of anything, but at the time it’s what my budget could muster. That and my daughter needed a set of gaming headphones, and I gave her my old Corsair Void Pros.
The HDH40’s did sound different than what I was used to. The bass isn’t boomy, and the high are not nasally at all. They are very clear and offer a sober sound. The issues are, they aren’t comfortable. If I wear them for about an hour, the clamping force becomes uncomfortable. And the sound does fatigue my ears very quickly. As good as they sound, even at low volumes, they make my ears feel as if I have been at a concert for an hour.
After using the M-Audio cans for a little over a year, I began to miss the Corsair cans and bought the Corsair HS65 gaming headphones to serve in gaming duty if I needed headphones.
Once I got them and gave them a test drive, even setting up the hearing specific sound profile, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the HS65’s can’t hold a candle the HDH40’s. The Corsairs are bassy and muddy. Highs sound tinny and the clarity of the M-Audio cans just make the Corsair cans sound like some el-cheap-o corner store headphones. And to think the Corsair cans are $30 more than the M-Audios.
It was dumb of me to buy the HS65’s but getting them and trying them for a couple of months showed me that I would have been better off sticking with the studio headphones I have or getting a much better set of studio cans.
Eventually I’ll get a set of open back studio headphones, and I’ll relegate the Corsair cans to when I want to experience gimmicky audio. Speaking of which, the stereo HDH40s with my games in stereo blows Corsair virtual surround out of the water. I get no sense of sounds in front or behind me in either set but, the clarity in the HDH40s gives me much more awareness than the HS65s on a good day.
If someone is considering studio headphones for gaming. Get something that is rated good and comfortable. These HDH40s are in the bottom tier of sound but, they lay the smackdown on what I thought would be a great set of headphones.
Anyone use studio headphones for gaming? If so, what are your thoughts about them, and would you recommend them or would you pick some gaming headphones?