Greetings mate and Welcome aboard. Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions leading to a beautiful audio experience that will make you fall in love with music (NOT gear) all over again, so…
Do some of you cats still play PS3? Of course you do – you wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t.
Well, I still play, too!
In fact,
I took up the hobby of fixing old PS3s and selling them online after fixing my own.
For many years it just sat and collected dust, but I was able to replace some internal parts and it’s functioning just like new.
Today I thought I would go over some of the best headphone setups for the PS3 and help you make a sound buying decision.
By the end of this article,
you should know which headphones are best, and we’ll also take a look at a fantastic amp to go with them.
So strap in and let’s get rolling.
The main thing to understand about the PS3 is that a lot of newer gear doesn’t actually work with it.
While you can plug and play a lot of amps with the PS4, you’re better off utilizing the optical jack on the PS3 and going from there.
Before we get into the amp I recommend, let’s take a look at some of the best headphones to use with this old but still great console.
All of these headphones are great for both single-player and multi-player.
#5
Sennheiser HD58X
Price: Check Drop!
| Official Review: Here!
- Intimacy: Above Average.
- Soundstage: Average to slightly above average.
- Clarity: Above Average.
- Comfort: Above Average.
- Overall Spacing: Average.
- Immersion: Above Average.
I was surprised at just how decent these are for gaming.
The Soundstage here is definitely a bit better than a 6XX & 650, and much better than the original HD600.
Still,
it’s #5 on this list for a reason. Things are spaced out pretty nicely, but it’s definitely outclassed by the others on this list.
That is to say that I would consider it after the others, and one that will work a bit better for single-player games.
#4
Philips SHP9500
Price: Check Amazon! | Check B&H! | Check eBay!
| Official Review: Here!
- Intimacy: Average.
- Soundstage: Excellent to exemplary.
- Clarity: Excellent to Exemplary.
- Comfort: Excellent to exemplary.
- Overall Spacing: Excellent to exemplary.
- Immersion: Excellent.
If you’re just getting started, this long-time favorite from Philips really satisfies like a Snickers.
AND YOU’RE NOT YOU WHEN YOU’RE HUNGRY.
The bass is lean and clean, and its bright, detailed character + open Soundstage make for a great experience whether you’re enjoying single-player games or FPS’ing it.
In fact,
the 9500 is one of my go-to headphones for FPS shooters like Call of Duty because it’s just so revealing and detailed.
Attaching the Mod Mic to the SHP9500.
Part of the reason for this is that the bass mostly stays out of the way in effect allowing you to hear more of what’s going on and less of that extraneous noise that ruins everything.
Directional cues are on point here, and you’ll be able to pinpoint with almost perfect precision not only where an enemy is coming from, but approximately how far away he is.
This added benefit helps you prepare for a gunfight before it happens and ensures you’ll win more of them.
In that sense,
the 9500 remains a headphone I pretty much always use as it gives me that extra edge when I’m try harding like a total snob.
#3
HIFIMAN DEVA
Price: Check Amazon! | Official Review: Here!
- Intimacy: Average.
- Soundstage: Above Average to Excellent.
- Clarity: Excellent to Exemplary.
- Comfort: Excellent to exemplary.
- Overall Spacing: Excellent to exemplary.
- Immersion: Excellent.
The DEVA is always a safe bet, and like the others on this list, works extremely well when gaming.
One of the reasons it’s better for gaming than say, a 400se, is because the Soundstage is much more open and the signature as a whole has that same sort of crispness inherent in the 9500.
While I would almost never rely on a 400se in an FPS multi-player type of setting, I will nearly always have use for a DEVA.
Comfort is astounding and you don’t really feel them on your head.
I will caution you they do tend to slide a little, so keep that in mind before purchasing.
Because these are so ultra-comfortable, you probably won’t mind it too much and are more likely to give it a pass considering just how fantastic they are.
Aside from gaming,
let’s take a look at some other neat things that make the DEVA so valuable:
- You can use it wirelessly with a phone, using either the Bluemini or something like a FiiO BTR5.
- You can also use it wired with your phone, with something like a DragonFly Red or hip-dac.
- You can use it wired on your desktop, with the supplied Amp/DAC, or with a separate Amp/DAC of your choosing.
- They aren’t too hard to drive but do happen to be fairly inefficient, meaning they require quite a bit of power from an amp to reach an acceptable listening level.
- It has a built-in microphone for calls.
Simply put,
the DEVA is still an incredible value today and should be highly considered.
#2
Sennheiser HD560S
Price: Check Amazon! | Check B&H! | Official Review: Here!
- Intimacy: Above Average to excellent.
- Soundstage: Above Average to excellent.
- Clarity: Above Average to excellent.
- Comfort: Excellent to exemplary.
- Overall Spacing: Above Average to excellent.
- Immersion: Excellent.
If the 58X is opening things up a bit more, the 560S is in its final stages of flowering.
Sounds have much more room to breathe now, and the Soundstage is nice and expansive without feeling too far off.
The sound itself also feels a lot more natural and organic vs. the somewhat forced nature of the 58X.
As with music, everything sounds just about 100% correct which makes for a distraction-free experience.
If you plan on never leaving your couch ever again, the 560S has you covered.
Its comfort levels are almost incomprehensibly good and it really does feel like 2 pillows resting against your ears.
All in all, the 560S is one of the absolute best options for gaming on a PS3.
#1
K702
Price: Check Amazon! | Check Sweetwater! | Check B&H! | Check eBay! | Official Review: Here!
Blade Runner approved.
- Intimacy: Average.
- Soundstage: Excellent to exemplary.
- Clarity: Excellent to Exemplary.
- Comfort: Excellent to exemplary.
- Overall Spacing: Excellent to exemplary.
- Immersion: Excellent.
As much as I love the 560S, I personally believe the K702 is just a hair better (at least for my needs).
If the 560S is just about flowered, think of the 702 as a peacock.
Things are spread out pretty wide, and while some may call it unnatural, I find it perfect for quickly surveying a situation and figuring out who, or what is where at all times.
In other words,
your head is always going to be on a swivel when listening to these headphones; an ideal scenario when gaming competitively.
Unlike the K612, the 702 has a much snappier character so you’ll almost always feel like sounds have a distinct definition to them.
It’s all there.
Intimacy isn’t as good as some would like, I get that.
For me, it’s not a big issue because the clarity of the sounds is on point and I can hear and experience everything going on without a problem.
With the K702 I know exactly where/how close the enemy is and oftentimes am ready for him before he has a chance to ADS (aim down sight).
The 560S’ sound is also going to feel a bit closer to you, but it may not always be a good thing when you’re trying to hear what’s farther off in the distance.
For that, I still love the 702 for gaming a bit more.
With that, let’s get into my favorite amp and one you’ll love as well.
Amp Setup
For FPS, the setup here is rather simple; just snag an Ant Lion Mod Mic and use the small adapter that comes with it for the microphone side of things.
It’s a small dongle that plugs into the PS3.
Just make sure you plug the Ant Lion into the mic jack (pink).
The headphone jack will be empty because we’ll be using something with better quality.
What is that, you ask?
I have been using the FiiO K5 Pro with my PS3 and I know you’ll love it too. You can also check out the updated K7 as well.
As mentioned at the start, you’ll simply run an optical cable from the back of your PS3 into the Optical input on the K7/K5 Pro.
Make sure to also plug the power brick into an outlet and you’re almost ready to go.
In the PS3 menu,
head on over to Sound Settings > Audio Output Settings, and then choose “Optical Digital”.
Follow the prompts and save.
It’s important to also test the mic at this point.
To do that,
Go to Accessory settings > Audio Device Settings.
the input should say “Ant Lion Audio”. Speak into the mic.
You should now see some bars to indicate the Mod Mic is picking up your voice.
Now you can adjust the volume.
At this point, you’re ready to go!
If you don’t want to bother with the K5 Pro, just plug your headphones into the headphone jack on the adapter we discussed.
Just know the sound quality won’t be as good.
This method is actually required if you use something like a Boom Pro as the Boom plugs directly into your headphones and comes with a splitter, while the Mod Mic utilizes a separate cable.
Even though the Mod Mic method it’s a tad messier, you’ll like using it with the K5 Pro because of that added benefit of great sound quality in game.
This allows you to hear footsteps and the like much better than if you just plugged your headphones into the small dongle.
The other benefit of the Mod Mic is that it’s much simpler.
I can use it with any headphones I want, while the Boom Pro only works with headphones that have a 3.5mm jack.
Design: HomeStudioBasics
Even though the 560S uses a 2.5mm jack into the earcup, you can still use the Mod Mic in this scenario.
Just note that depending on how far away you are from the console, you may need a couple of dual 3.5mm adapters like these, as well as some extension cables.
Here’s the setup I use with my PS3 and the K5 Pro:
If you’re going to be gaming at a desk and the PS3 is a lot closer, you won’t need the 2 extension cables pictured above.
Since I’m a lazy couch potato and game in the living room, I need those cables to make it work.
Your mileage may vary!
To keep it simple, all cables on the left side are for the K5 Pro and the right side goes into the Mod Mic adapter which then plugs into a USB slot on your PS3.
Closing Thoughts
Out of all the headphones discussed today, I think the K702 is going to be your best bet, but in all honesty, you can’t go wrong with any of them in conjunction with the Mod Mic.
That is to say that I use the K702, DEVA, and 9500 interchangeably depending on the mood, but it’s super close and very hard to say outright that one is demonstrably better than the other.
I think it comes down to slight edges in gaming, and if that’s the case, I like the 702 followed closely behind by the 9500.
Ready to get started?
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Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this discussion on the best headphones for PS3 and came away with some valuable insight.
If you love what I do here and want to support the blog and channel in a more personal way, check me out on Patreon and discover all the value I have to offer you.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
Which of these headphones are you most likely to purchase and why? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
