I have the Sennheiser HD 518's and dont ever regret not spending more money.
My 2 cents.
For your DAC I'm sure the FIIO will make you happy.
There is an audiophile-quality open gaming headphone in development at Taction Technology. www.tactiontechnology.com. Don't know if there will be beta-units by black Friday though. Based on the ATH-AD700X, but with mic and "Taction" modules (tactile bass) to localize shots fast.
Philips Fidelio X2? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y2ZZxcBZ88
They have a slightly V shaped response curve, but overall it's quite nice and not lacking in the mid range IMO. I think they'll be great with games and movies. I haven't had a change to do a proper testing, just using them with my phone and iPad currently. Also the impedance is really low, so no real need for an amp.
The X2's also have a removable cable with a standard 3,5mm jack. So you could fit a V-Moda BoomPro ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6p9a_a-T_4 ) to form a headset. This is what I plan to do, once I get my gaming rig together.
Honestly if you are using your headphones for gaming, and that is your main objective, then I would get a sound card.
I would get a creative sound blaster Z.
It kills me to recommend a sound card, but the reality is that it does have better audio processing for things like directional audio and so on.
I have to disagree with this. I played Counter Strike from 1.5 to Source and always tried to get the competitive edge with tweaking everything. Any magical surround fakery done by the sound card always made it harder to pinpoint the enemy. A nice pair of Hi-Fi headphones and clear unaltered audio source was and probably always will be the best solution.
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Any Software Involved Crap Is Just Crap !
I am not talking about the parlor tricks. I am talking about the basic audio processing is different.
I don't recommend the Sennheiser HD598. It sounds prety good overall, but there is a big dip downwards in the frequency response curve in the higher frequencies. In short, these sound good....yet missing something.
I recommend the HD600s which have a near perfect frequency response curve as far as headphones go.
Also if you are willing to wait, RBH has a new set coming out in December and should be about $200. http://rbhsound.com/hp2.php They are looking to be a game changer, but best to wait for reviews. If they live up to the hype, they will be hands down the set to get.
Between the AT ad700x and 900x this site has the ad700 and ad900. Not sure if they are different sets to the 'x' versions, or if it is a typo when entering in the frequency response curves: http://www.headphone.com/pages/build-a-graph
I disagree.
I think 'the PC master race' is short changing itself by cheaping out on audio. PC games can leverage audio equipment far more than a Blue Ray player can. I have invested in a decent surround system (to PC standards), and it adds (almost) as much as the graphics do to the overall experience (and I run in 4k or 1440p and in 3D if I can). I have been playing the Witcher 3 and a good surround setup blows me away when being in a forest during a storm, or in a crowded big city market place.
Eh, I'll stick to cheap decent headphones
To each their own :)
For now if you ever get the chance, hook your pc up to a good home theatre system (say at a friends place) and give it a try. As long as the system is calibrated well for the room, you should be amazed ;)