In this article, we are discussing studio headphones for gaming requirements. And whether you should consider using studio headphones rather than gaming headsets or regular consumer-grade headphones.
These days, studio headphones are being widely used in areas other than recording or editing studios. One such field where studio headphones are getting attention is in the gaming industry, particularly among gamers like us who like to casually enjoy games in our free time with our friends and family.
Sounds such as explosions, enemy footsteps, music, sound effects etc make up a considerable portion of a person’s gaming experience other than the visuals.
Therefore, it becomes necessary to focus on the audio part of the gaming side, a part of which we are going to cover in this article.
In this Article, we'll see:
Are studio headphones Good for gaming?
Studio headphones, most of the time, offer a great gaming experience. These headphones provide exceptional audio transparency, which can aid your gaming performance. They certainly lack a few bonus features, but you will get an excellent value for money in terms of build, sound quality and sound stage.
Also, studio headphones are fabulous for detect ing sound accurately in 3D space due to their flat frequency response. These headphones reproduce sound very accurately and hence see a lot of use in tasks where you must carefully monitor audio.
As soon as you put on these headphones, you notice a difference in how they sound, fit and provide certain qualities that gaming headsets cannot offer.
However, a downside associated with studio headphones is the power requirement.
Gaming headsets, on average, require 20-40 ohms of power to work correctly. On the other hand, studio headphones require at least 40 ohms of power to function to their highest potential. The maximum ohm values can reach upto 250 ohms.
Check the differences between 40 vs 80 vs 250 ohm headphones and see which one is right for you.
Pros of using studio headphones for gaming
- Flat frequency response meaning these headphones do not have boosted highs, mids or lows.
- Most of the times you will find a comparable comfort levels on studio headphones and gaming headsets.
Cons of using studio headphones for gaming
- Long cables which can mess up your ability to roam with wearing on your head.
- It is hard or impossible to find a studio headphones with an inbuilt microphone.
- They require relatively higher power than gaming headsets to work properly.
- Cost is a concern if you want a highly accurate studio headphone.
Studio Headphones Vs Gaming Headsets: A closer look!
In this section, to compare both the studio headphones and the gaming headsets, I picked up two widely used and famous headphones in their respective industries.
A thing that I want to mention here is the audio quality. Due to cost-cutting, many cheap gaming headsets reproduce poor and fatiguing audio quality.
However, it is not identical in the case of studio headphones, as they are meant for their audio quality. You may find a compromised build or features in studio headphones , but you will rarely find compromised sound quality.
Here are the headphones I picked up:
The reasons behind picking these two specific headphones are:
- They fall in budget category.
- Both these headphones are widely known.
- They provide a good ground for comparison.
1) Frequency Response
You can see the difference in the frequency response of both DT 990 pro and Corsair HS 80 wireless headphones.
Studio headphones have a flat frequency response which lets them reproduce crystal clear audio in comparison to any other type of headphones. In gaming, this will help you to accurately pick up sounds from enemies.
On the other hand, gaming headsets are like any other regular headphones in terms of their frequency response. They add a lot of boost to certain frequency ranges
All in all, when you want a precise audio quality then studio headphones win over the gaming headsets. However, a problem with studio headphones is that they lack bass and are lot softer in low end when compared to gaming headsets.
2) Sound Stage
The next to consider about headphones for gaming is the sound stage. Headphones with a more comprehensive or expansive sound stage let you hear or identify different sounds in 3D space.
Again, the studio headphones take a competitive edge over gaming headsets when providing a more expansive sound stage. In my experience, the gaming headsets proved relatively compact in their sound and lacked the 3D width that studio headphones offer.
Nonetheless, the choice of having a compact or expansive sound stage depends on your personal preference. If you want the sound from games to be in your ears uptight, then gaming headsets are the ones to go for. Otherwise, for a wide sound stage, opt studio headphones.
3) Use cases
Another crucial factor to consider is the use cases. In simple words, what else are you going to listen on your headphones other than using them for gaming.
At this point, you may think that the studio headphones are clear winner in this section too but this is not the case. Studio headphones sound extremely boring
When it comes to casually listen to music or watch movies, then regular or gaming headsets will offer you a great listening experience as the audio coming out of them sounds exciting or not boring.
Conclusion
All in all, I would say that whether you choose studio headphones or gaming headsets for gaming purposes depends on a person’s personal preference.
Both studio headphones and gaming headsets come with a set of unique features and use cases.
On the one hand, gaming headphones are hassle-free, wireless, light-weight and mostly have an inbuilt mic that may attract one part of the gaming community.
On the other hand, studio headphones offer a crystal clear sound, solid build, more expansive sound stage and attention to detail that may impress another part of the community.
Leave a Reply