You Won’t Believe the Mind-Blowing Audio Quality of These Gaming Headphones!

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Overlooking top-notch gaming audio is a mistake worth avoiding. Regardless if you’re engrossed in a captivating single-player game or joining a lobby for your preferred competitive title such as Marvel Rivals, a good set of headphones can significantly enhance your gaming journey. If you’re satisfied with your current headphones but crave more power, consider investing in a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC). As the name suggests, DACs transform digital audio signals into analog ones, enabling your headphones to generate sound effectively. Although every computer has an integrated DAC, they might not deliver enough power when you venture into Hi-res audio.

Fortunately, if you’re in search of a fresh set of headphones, a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), or even a combination of both, we’ve got you sorted. Over the past few weeks, I managed to assess the Sennheiser HD620S and iFi Zen Can 3 to determine if they excel beyond mere music playback and whether they would be a valuable addition to your gaming equipment.

Design and First Impressions

Sennheiser HD620S

Box Contents:

  • Sennheiser HD620S
  • 1.8m cable with 3.5mm plug
  • 3.5 to 6.3mm adapter

The HD620S is Sennheiser’s latest high-end closed-back headphones, and from the moment you open the box, their premium quality shines through. The minimalist black design, complete with subtle Sennheiser emblems on each earcup, aligns perfectly with the rest of their product line. The supplied cable has a robust feel to it, avoiding the annoying kinking that often occurs even in brand new cables, which is a welcome change; a low-quality cable can significantly diminish an otherwise great headphone experience.

In addition to our testing requirements, I was provided with a 4.4mm cable for a balanced connection. While this isn’t essential for basic usage, if you’re considering purchasing the iFi Zen Can 3, the improved performance offered by the balanced output is definitely worth considering.

iFi Zen Can 3

Box Contents:

  • iFi Zen Can 3
  • 3.5mm to 6.33mm adapter
  • AC Adapter
  • 20″ RCA patch cable

Similar to the HD620S, the iFi Zen Can 3 exudes an air of high-end quality upon removal from its packaging. It is both streamlined and compact, yet it maintains a substantial weight, which, although unnecessary for a desktop accessory, can provide a satisfying sense of substance. Due to its sleek design, most users should have little trouble incorporating the Zen Can 3 into their setup. This amp is small enough to be placed conveniently under your monitor, even if you have a relatively low one like mine.

What’s It Like To Use?

Sennheiser HD620S

Sennheiser’s design aesthetic might not appeal to everyone, but I’m a devoted fan of the brand. In the past, I purchased the Sennheiser HD600, and they are among the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever owned, with the HD620S coming in a close second lately. While I usually prefer open-back headphones for my work-from-home setup, the closed-back design on the HD620S didn’t cause any heat buildup issues even during extended gaming sessions.

Regarding the closed-back design of the HD620S headphones, despite lacking Active Noise Cancellation, it offers remarkable noise reduction, often referred to as “passive noise cancellation”. This level of isolation isn’t quite at the point where you can completely block out the world like with the Final VR 3000 earbuds I tried in December. However, even when people were talking loudly in the same room while I was gaming and working, I found it relatively effortless to concentrate on my tasks, demonstrating the headphones’ effectiveness at reducing background noise.

Here’s my take: I must admit, these headphones truly shine when they’re given a good boost in power. You can certainly make them work with just a basic headphone jack on your computer, but you’ll be missing out on their full potential without the right amplification. That’s where the Zen Can 3 steps in to unlock their maximum performance.

iFi Zen Can 3

The Zen Can 3 is simple to set up and use compared to many other DACs (Digital-to-Analog Converters) and Amps available. However, it’s important to note that the Zen Can 3 only includes an RCA patch cable for connection purposes. To link it with your devices, you’ll need a 3.5mm to 3.5mm, male-to-male cable, which can be easily purchased from most electronics stores or online on platforms like Amazon for a few dollars. This might seem inconvenient for users connecting the device to their PC, but it’s not a significant issue overall.

Once you connect the Zen Can 3, there’s no need to install any drivers or additional software. Simply power it up, and your computer will automatically recognize it as a standard audio device. All other settings are handled through the front panel interface. Although it might seem simple, the analog volume knob is indeed a notable feature. Being able to adjust the volume with such precision is quite convenient.

One key highlight on the user-friendly front panel, to be delved into further in the audio quality discussion, is the mode selector. This feature allows you to toggle among four distinct modes, one of which is meticulously designed for gaming enthusiasts.

Audio Performance

Let’s delve into the main points of our comparison: how do the Sennheiser HD620S and JBL Quantum ONE (Zen Can 3) perform in terms of sound? While you don’t have to pair them, after a fortnight of side-by-side testing, it’s hard to go wrong with this duo. Whether you’re into high-fidelity music listening or want an edge in gaming, both headphones deliver outstanding audio quality.

Music Performance

In terms of musical performances, it’s not unexpected that this duo delivers an exceptional show. I strongly advise tuning into the EQ mode, with both the XBass and XSpace features activated, for a truly enveloping audio experience and the broadest stereo field when enjoying music.

Listening to the Droid Invasion from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace serves as one of my preferred methods for assessing the sound quality of headphones. At the song’s onset, you can hear a faint drum and cymbal clash in your right ear, creating an illusion that the sound is coming from behind you. As the orchestra joins in, this combination immerses you, making it seem like you are right in the midst of the orchestra pit. Although it doesn’t provide the all-encompassing sensation you would experience with a set of speakers, these headphones excel at producing a spacious sound stage with remarkable detail, allowing for effortless identification of individual instruments.

Gaming Performance

In terms of gaming, this combo’s performance consistently leaves me astonished. During my gaming sessions, I toggled between the XBass and XSpace modes, all while employing the EQ mode designed specifically for gaming. Both settings deliver outstanding audio quality within the game, but if you’re not engaged in a competitive game and don’t require the advantage of hearing faint sounds, I found the XBass and XSpace modes to provide a more engrossing listening experience.

In games like Dredge, the sound combination of scary deep-sea creatures and nighttime navigation is remarkably more petrifying than any audio solutions I’ve tried before. It was quite challenging to switch back to other headphones after using the HD620S and Zen Can 3 for this game.

Are The Sennheiser HD620S and iFi Zen Can 3 Right For You?

Although neither of these items typically fall under the budget range for many gamers, they are surprisingly affordable when it comes to High-Resolution audio products. If you’ve already invested in decent headphones, the Zen Can 3 is a relatively affordable choice that will enhance your audio experience. For instance, I tested the Austrian Audio Hi-X20 alongside the Zen Can 3 and observed an improvement in bass and soundstage performance.

If you’re aiming for a high-quality, long-lasting audio setup, it’s challenging to find a better choice than pairing the iFi Zen Can 3 with the Sennheiser HD620S.

Related Products

As a film enthusiast, I must admit that finding the ideal match between headphones and amplifiers isn’t one-size-fits-all. Fortunately, the market is brimming with various headphone models, so the HD620S and iFi Zen Can 3 aren’t your sole options for top-notch audio quality. There are plenty of other fantastic choices out there waiting to be discovered!

iFi Uno Entry-Level Dac/Amp Check It Out Here!
Austrian Audio Hi-X20 Budget High-Quality Headphones Check It Out Here!

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2025-02-28 16:08