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Massdrop x AKG K7XX Audiophile Headphones
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Massdrop x AKG K7XX Audiophile Headphones
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Product Description
Our first custom headphones ever, the Massdrop x AKG K7XX have been an enduring community favorite since they first launched more than two years ago. Since then, they’ve received praise from Head-Fi, Super Best Audio Friends, Z Reviews, and more for offering a rare value in the world of open-back cans Read More
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fvgoulet
8
Dec 12, 2019
I assume that when people ask this question, they generally plan to play competitive games. Taking that into account alter a lot on the way I answer this question. I also completely omit any gaming headset of my alternatives lists because why would someone consider the AKG K7XX for gaming competitively anyway.
The AKG K7XX are straight flat. Which means you can do whatever you want with them but they are designed to be flat (no emphasis on any sound frequency whatsoever). If you want to adapt them for gaming, you must/should amplify the mid and highs with an equalizer. Next you should have an amplifier to drive them to their full potential, which is another extra you have to consider if you don't already have one.
It depends on a lot of factors, but I would say there is a lot of contenders that sells for less than half the price of the AKG K7XX that have better gaming features out of the box and that dont require any amplifier to drive them properly:
- Audio Technica ATH-AD500(x,z) (Godly soundstage at the price and emphasized on mid and highs, lacks bass a lot IMO)
- Audio Technica ATH-AD700(x,z) (Very similar to the ATH-AD500 but slightly better)
- Beyerdynamics DT990(Very Good soundstage at the price and emphasized on mid and highs + Well rounded for electronic music genres and guitar centric type too)
- And so on... There is so much more headphones to consider before the AKG 7XX that are better without any alterations at this price point (200$ USD)
- Hifiman HE4XX or Hifiman HE400i (They are a little bit different but both are very good well rounders for gaming and listening to music)
- So on again... there is a lot of alternatives
(Edited)
fvgoulet
8
Dec 14, 2019
KennuiYou're correct about the fact that you don't "need" an amp for these to be able to hear sound coming out of them. Yes you should be able to push them to very loud volumes without any amp but they will not be able to properly show what they are capable of if your source cannot output enough power which most motherboards cannot. My pair of Porta Pros, which I had for 50 CAD, sound better in general without amp than the AKG K7XX without an amp.
To drive these headphones to their full potential, you generally need an amp.
I edited my post to better reflect that nuance.
(Edited)
vken27
42
Keyboard Club Member
May 13, 2020
fvgouletmaybe you can tell us which fps games you have played and find it to be so bad in performing that you find the porta pros better. and fyi most gaming motherboard have a fairly good sound card for gaming purposes.
fvgoulet
8
May 14, 2020
vken27A lot of games actually. CS:GO, BF4, BF1, BF5, Apex Legends, OverWatch... And of other games other than FPS.
The AKG K7XX are "usable" directly from my motherboard, but they sound a lot better with an amp. Yes their specs shows that they are dead flat so you can EQ them to your taste and all you want but these are certainly not endgame for me when it comes to gaming headphones because to my taste they sound boring and lacks the strengths of other options at higher and lower prices.
Don't get me wrong, the AKG K7XX have soundstage, but they lack a lot of refinement across the board so it's not as easy than with cheaper options to pinpoint positional sounds because they are melded with other sounds that reduces clarity. In battlefield games where there was a lot of action around me (and it's almost always like that), It wasn't as easy to estimate enemy distance from me in a crowd of enemies as with multiple other cheaper headphones. They did delivered me a "grandiose" experience with a lot of depth in the soundstage but weren't able to deliver enough clarity (or precision) to help me properly understand where exactly were the enemies as with other cheaper headphones.
The thing is that for 200USD, you can get better value for your money than these and you would be able to drive other options better than these alone without an amp.
After experimenting with a lot of other headphones under 200USD, I've actually enjoyed more for gaming the cheaper options like the Beyerdynamics DT990, Koss Porta Pros, Hifiman HE400i and Audio Technica AD900x (I actually owned all of them at some point)
(Edited)
vken27
42
Keyboard Club Member
May 13, 2020
my experience using it is yes. it is great for long gaming sessions (bf4) it is so light and comfortable compared to my logitech g933 Artemis. it is very immersive and I have to lower the bass for chaotic multiplayer games like bf4. you can use the open source equalizer to lower the bass.
(Edited)
Stephenm83
0
Apr 15, 2020
Great for gaming. Highly recommend using a dac/amp with them. I use a topping nx4 and they are amazing. I used astro A50's for gaming in the past, the 7xx + the topping NX4 is on another level.
Also, I have owned senheizer 650's, Bayerdynamic 770's and one of the best things about the AKG 7xx is the comfort. You can wear these comfortablely for long periods of time, something very important to consider imo.
(Edited)
DustyAdventure
8
Dec 17, 2019
In short. Yes, these work great for gaming.
I use them with a cheap DAC-amp (FX Audio) and they sound great. In FPS games, I can get a good idea of direction. In other games, they just sound great(Not sure that direction matters in anything else).
What's important here is that they are insanely comfortable. I can wear them for hours on end without my ears getting pinched and feeling like they are going to fall off.
Occasionally, I will unplug them from my DAC-AMP and plug them into my phone. They still sound just fine for music etc.
Another important feature is that they are open back. This makes them breathe better, as well as let other sound in. If I'm playing a game at 2:00am, I can control my voice volume better (hear my own volume), and not wake others up. That, in addition to not feeling like a hot-eared sweaty mess at the end of your gaming session makes these pretty good.
So, yes. These will probably do it for you.
jujubu
19
Dec 12, 2019
They're pretty good for gaming, as long as the room you're in is otherwise quiet. Since they're open-back, you'll also hear any external sound, which I find distracting when gaming.
You do lose some positional accuracy in the center with these, but otherwise they're good. I personally find the AKG K271 MKII headphones better for gaming, but they are also closed back and more neutral and analytical, which some find less desirable for music. I've found them on sale on Amazon for around $100 at times, though.
buddha2lotus
1
Dec 12, 2019
This would be an overkill for gaming, these are really nice headphones that should be used to listen to really dynamic music.
Ryloguy
1
Mar 12, 2020
I have some big a** ears and I had to replace the pads on my M50X's so they wouldn't rub against the side of my ear. Can anyone else with big ears advocate for the comfort of these with stock pads?
Doublecrossed_Swine
2
Jul 3, 2020
The memory foam pads on the 702's that these clone are amazing but if you have long ears your best bet is probably the senheiser style.
jujubu
19
Dec 12, 2019
The enclosure is open, allowing the drivers to move air easier, which can help with better bass and wider sound stage. It also keeps your ears from getting as hot, but it's really more for the sound, not the comfort.
The flip side of open back is that you'll also hear any external noise, and everyone around you will hear whatever you're listening to, so it's bad for both quiet and noisy environments with other people. These are meant for isolated listening.
ORMOLU
5
Apr 7, 2021
Hi. Any option for NO LEATHER? If not may I send that part back? I will make my own synthetic strap if necessary. VEGAN products are much appreciated. Thanks.
Evshrug
4137
Keyboard Club Member
Apr 7, 2021
These have been out of stock for a loooong time... I think they were discontinued when Samsung bought AKG.
I don’t know about a head-strap for AKG, but I do know Dekoni offers third party velour and vegan “choice leather” pads that don’t come from animal products, and they make pads for most headphones.
Sennheiser headphones on this site (HD 58X Jubilee, HD 6XX, HD 8xx) don’t use leather, most of their products are resin/polymer, metal, and velour.
Help me learn: is silk OK by vegans?
jujubu
19
Dec 12, 2019
There's a great review on Head-Fi comparing these.
I just picked up the AKG K712 Pro today, and am comparing them to the K7XX. The K712 Pro has a bit more detail, but it's not immediately noticeable. You have to really pay attention. I find the bass goes deeper on the K7XX, and the mids are more recessed on the K712 Pro. This may change as they break in, though.
For the price difference, I would just get the K7XX. It's basically the K702 65th Anniversary Edition, and is close enough to the K712 Pro that I'm not sure it justifies the price difference unless you can find the K712 Pro on sale for almost half off (like it is right now).
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