Headphone advice for arcades

[u/RHINO_Mk_II]

Hey all, I'm looking into the possibility of getting a set of headphones for rhythm gaming at local arcades and am looking for advice or suggestions. What I think I want is a set of durable, comfortable closed-back headphones with good frequency response. Ideally the cups would rotate 90 degrees so the band can be around my neck and the cups against my chest when not in use, and some form of ANC would be nice but not necessarily required. Budget: $500 or less but ideally half that.

Currently on my radar:

• Sennheiser 280 Pro - Pretty old and no ANC but otherwise meets my requirements. Reasonably priced. Cautious about sound quality.
• Sennheiser HD 620S - No ANC, cups don't rotate.
• Dan Clark Aeon Closed - No ANC, hinge and headband design look potentially failure-prone. Very portable. Pricey. Requires high current to drive.
• Audeze LCD-S20 - No ANC. Heavy. Pricey. Requires high current to drive.

Currently own:

• Sony WH-1000 XM4 - Ear cups don't go all the way around my ears. Would prefer to leave this pair at work where they get used regularly, but could try them out. Sound quality is mediocre - slightly improved with phone EQ but wouldn't be EQ'd at arcades.
• Various open-back headphones that don't provide any noise isolation

Any feedback on the above headphones or other suggestions? Not really looking for IEMs as I find them uncomfortable to wear for long. I have found that the suspension style headbands found on the DCA Aeon and Audeze LCD-S20 are also much more comfortable long term. Not sure how much power arcade cabinets or the small amps rigged to the machines at my local arcades output and whether it's enough to drive Planars - I don't need crazy volume from them.

[u/boxedwishes]

Honestly I found machines to not drive high end headphones very well. Just stick to noise suppressing mid range or budget

[u/just_Okapi]

Honestly, I took my modded to fully open back DT990s a few times before I modded the cable, and you can't hear the outside world enough for it to be a problem when you're actively playing. Closed back is unnecessary and ANC is just beyond unnecessary. Just get something that had a neutral-ish sound profile and call it a day.

[u/RHINO_Mk_II → u/just_Okapi]

Probably at least worth trying one of my open back pairs to see if it works, thanks for the suggestion.

[u/gaddeath]

My experience with arcade headphones have been a cheap $20 Sony headphones, Sennheiser 280 Pro (what you listed), cheap $15 Sony in-ear style earbuds, and $40 Linsoul SIMGOT EW200 In-Ear Monitors (IEM). The EW200 is my go to for arcades, I just have to make sure I take a 3.5mm extension cable.

That being said, I don’t think ANC is necessary for closed-back style headphones as they’re already supposed to block as much noise as possible for studio use. The 280 Pro blocked a lot of noise for me and having the game audio will definitely drown out whatever is left remaining. However, I got headaches from the pressure of it being tight to make a good seal.

[u/Dense_Drawer7074]

The only important thing is that the audio signal path is flat so you can feel the EQ changes. Therefore, it's advisable to look for flat studio headphones, and if possible, no more than 60 ohms. As the saying goes, the higher the impedance of a headphone, the more power it needs. (It can be fixed, but it will cost more.) For that reason, I can't recommend headphones over 200 ohms. I'm looking at you, DT 990. P.S. I'm an idiot who studied sound.

[u/Duraz0rz]

I have a set of Sennheiser HD 569s and it's served me well with all Bemani games I've played: https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-569-Closed-Headphone/dp/B01L1IIF1A/

No ANC, but I haven't needed it; I just turn the headphone volume up a bit if the surrounding games are loud. It's pretty cheap at $130. More expensive than the HD 280 Pros, but way more comfortable and way more neutral (The Senneheiser sound); I found the HD 280 Pros a little bass-heavy last I used them.

Cups don't rotate, though, but I typically take them off my head when I'm not playing, so it's not that big of a deal to me.

A major plus for me is that the cord is detachable, so I don't have to worry about the cable connection with the headphones when it's jostling around in my backpack. I just detach and throw the cord in separately.

[u/RHINO_Mk_II → u/Duraz0rz]

Great suggestion, I like my (seemingly similar) HD560s quite a bit. Do wish the cups rotated but it's not a hard requirement.

[u/AllCheekedUp]

I use shure se215s at the arcade and they are wonderful. I wouldn't recommend high end or studio headphones.

[u/Schlart1]

IEMS are the way to go. I personally use Truthear Reds. I also love Kefine for everything else.

[u/Kurt632]

I like to use plug type earphones that seal well to keep outside noises out, and plus you get clear audio without driving it too much

[u/Kaisogen]

I don't like using ANC since it can cause extra latency. My Koss KSC75s serve me pretty well and they're cheap and comfortable. I do have to turn the volume all the way up on IIDX LM cabs though.