Hardware What is the Best Gaming Headset?

Well thats pretty much what you get lately on their group testings, is just a oh crap lets whip something together type of review/article. There last few reviews and articles have been getting sloppier and sloppier. I know they will have their excuses, thats just what it seems like to me in my opinion of course.

 

+1

 

personally, i just use a stand-alone logitech mic and a pair of $20 sony DJ headphones. the headphones arn't great for music quality, but are just perfect for game sound effects and voice chat. if i want to listen to music i have a stupendous sound system hooked up. besides the mic looking extremely phallic the whole setup is great and didn't cost an arm and a leg.

 

Its funny how they give the Creative Sound Blaster Arena Surround USB Gaming Headset high marks when every where I go the number one complain aside from Creatives poor customer support is that the housing is very cheaply made and that the mic is the first to typically break. To bad they dont "stress" test in a manner of speaking to see how it holds up because thats also something that determines a good headset.

 

I've used a pair of stereo studio monitor Sonys, the MDR-7506, while not the best, coupled along with a decent mic, and you have setup that can top the best of gaming headphones.

 

If you ever need another pair, get the MDR-V6, Literally the same thing, but $40 cheaper.

 

Funny you should mention that, I have 2 pairs of MDR-V7506s, one's busted(well one channel doesn't work) but seeing as I got them for about $15, I have no intention of buying headphones for a while.

 

I actually managed to pick up that particular Plantronics headset for about $35 a few months ago. I agree, the headband is definitely too tight, but after two to four weeks, it stopped being (or seeming) so stiff, so it's not too bad for me. Considering the sound quality and low price, it was a phenomenal buy.

 

Since these are gaming headsets, how well do they perform with positional sound? Games that would be great on this test would be L4D or thief.

 

My vote goes to Roccat Kave 5.1

 

I am surprised they didn't look at the headsets from Tritton.
Newegg has a few:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...scription=Tritton&name=Headsets & Accessories

I have an older model with blue cups, and they are absolutely the best I have ever used, and I've gone through a bunch. I would have never spent $100 on headphones, but I had a gift card for that much, and had already built a new rig, so bought them. I can't believe the difference, and will never buy a cheap ($30-$40) pair again. These have actual multiple speakers in each cup, and it really does give you surround sound, if you hook it up to a good source and set them up right.

For instance, at least a dozen times I have been watching a Hulu or Netflix streaming on my 2nd monitor, and working on primary. I heard something behind me and I turned around to see what it was. Nothing was moving, so kept working. Then it did it again. And I realized it was part of the show. Another time there was someone talking in the background of a show and I thought my wife was yelling something to me down the hall, so I took my headsets off and asked what she wanted. She hadn't said anything, it was something on the show. I'm not joking, the rear sound speaker are awesome. Used to get lots of kills in Farcry multiplayer because I could hear footstep and pinpoint exactly where they were coming from and get set up for the ambush.

About a year ago my band cracked somehow, and I RMAed them. It went really smooth, and have to say I HATED going back to my old Logitech. Project Reality Mod for BF2 sounded like crap, and I was looking out the window of my computer room all day waiting to see a UPS truck show up to bring me the new ones back.

Bit-tech, please review some Tritton in there next time.

 

For anyone complaining about the last couple of reviews/tests, I have to ask:

How much work did YOU do over Christmas?

 

I worked through Christmas and New Years. So whats your point?

 

Must say i'm extremely surprised you didn't include the wired* 360 pad + 360 headset combo...

After coming across a whole slew off crappy mics for the PC, i have to say the 360 controller+mic works... always...

Its bad enough that i'm trying to convince friends of mine to get 360 controllers just so i can hear them in L4D2...

*wired or receiver + wireless, no difference as it's all awesome

 

Hmm, interesting review, i like the look of those creatives!

For my part i recently bought an A4 tech Hu-510.

They are light, comfortable and have a reasonable sound blocking quality.

I am still testing the 5.1 surround feature, im not overly convinced, but it might just be that i haven't hit the right adjustments for games.

But sound quality is nice in music and the bass is good. specially for 35$

 

Testing headphones is sooooooo hard.

 

I have the Tritton AX Pro, it is expensive but worth it.

I have Sennheiser 350s for back up, but these things seemed too tight on my head, though the sound was worth the money.

Get the Trittons, you wont regret it.

Yours in Audiophile Plasma,
Star*Dagger

 

I use the creative HS-12OO Digital wireless headset, and after years of running headset cables over with my chair, and half choking myself with headset cables, I would never go back to wired.

 

Carcharias = shark in greek, not a type of shark xD