Gaming sounds

So how do these puppies perform in games? Well before we delve into the sound quality, I just wanted to harp on the comfort factor again. We're all gamers, and from time to time, we'll sit in our chairs playing for 3, 4, 5, 10 hours at a time. With the Sennheisers, you hardly notice they're there. The poofy ear cups distribute the pressure evenly around your head, while nothing presses down on your ears directly. The cushions mounted on the top dissipate pressure on the top of your head, creating the effect that the 'phones are a part of you. Bottom line: the Sennheiser HD 580s are comfy enough to leave on your noggin for hours while playing games, and that's of great importance to me.

Topview

So how do the Sennheiser HD 580s sound in games? In a nutshell, they sound great but not drop dead exhilarating. They definitely get the job done, and more, but it seems to me that buying these solely to play games would be a waste of money. You'll definitely get great 3D imaging in games like Thief or Tribes, which have 3D sound enabled. However I'd be hard pressed to say that the sound in games is head and shoulders above what you could get from a more moderately priced headphone set. On the other hand, some games feature detailed music, and if you want to get the most out of those games, perhaps then the Sennheisers make more sense.

In general, I think the demands of the hard core classical music enthusiast (for whom these cans were really designed) and the needs of the gamer are not the same. Digitally recorded music has many layers of sound that need to be carefully presented in order to maintain audio integrity. The **CRASH**, **BANG**, and **BOOM** that most gamers need to hear isn't as sensitive, and doesn't necessarily require a highly tuned device. It's like having a Ferrari to drive to work. Yeah it'll get you there faster, and definitely in more style, but you don't really NEED it when a Taurus will do the same job for less.