With the heady days of desktop audio system firmly behind us (and monitor audio system nonetheless being hopelessly underpowered for something however the briefest of e-mail pings), the one solution to actually respect immediately’s sport music is thru a gaming headset – which is why I’m right here that can assist you discover one of the best gaming headset on your wants and finances.
As I’ve discovered over a few years of headset testing, discovering an excellent one is fraught with issues, as you’ve not solely bought to seek out one which sounds respectable, however there’s additionally the standard of its microphone for these all-important multiplayer classes along with your mates to contemplate, and whether or not its headband out of the blue turns into a vice-like torture machine after 30 minutes of use. To that finish, I’ve created this helpful information, itemizing my present favourites in addition to issues you need to look out for when shopping for a headset of your very personal. Let’s rely ourselves in…
You can, after all, all the time use a standard pair of headphones for enjoying video games – particularly when you hate the concept of speaking to different on-line entities by way of the medium of microphone. But for the needs of this text, I’ll be concentrating solely on gaming headsets, as opening the floodgates to common headphones would imply we’d all be right here till the cows come dwelling, however be happy to advocate your individual favorite pair of headphones down within the feedback.
Gaming headset critiques
Before we start, right here’s an inventory of each gaming headset I’ve reviewed to this point, simply so we’ve bought all the pieces in a single place. Expect this checklist to increase over time as extra headsets are available for testing:
Asus ROG Strix Fusion 500
Corsair Void Pro RGB
Cougar Phontum
HyperX Cloud Flight
Roccat Khan Aimo
Roccat Khan Pro
Sennheiser GSP 350
Sennheiser GSP 600
Steelseries Arctis 7
Steelseries Arctis Pro
Steelseries Siberia 800
Turtle Beach Elite Pro
Turtle Beach Recon 150
Best gaming headset: Steelseries Arctis 7
Runner up: Corsair Void Pro RGB (wired) / HyperX Cloud Flight (wi-fi)
If you’ve ever had as a lot hassle discovering a snug headset as I’ve, then the Steelseries Arctis 7 is a revelation. Its ski-goggle headband won’t look as comfortable as different headsets with fistfuls of padding to their title, however its intelligent suspension design means its metal body by no means truly touches your head, permitting me to put on it for hours and hours with out challenge. Whereas different headsets typically all the time depart me with a vice-like headache after 30 minutes, the Arctis 7 simply lets me get on with enjoying video games.
It sounds nice, too, and isn’t massively costly both, with costs beginning at round £130 / $145. If your finances doesn’t stretch that far, concern not, as the remainder of Steelseries’ Arctis vary makes use of the identical precisely the identical audio drivers because the top-end Arctis 7 in addition to the identical comfortable headband design, beginning at £65 / $64 with the wired Arctis 3, in addition to the RGB-ified Arctis 5.
The Corsair Void Pro RGB and HyperX Cloud Flight additionally deserve particular point out, as these are additionally nice sounding headsets with wonderful microphones, however for me they weren’t fairly as snug because the stellar Arctis 7.
Read our full Steelseries Arctis 7 review
Buy now from Amazon UK and Amazon US
Best premium gaming headset: Steelseries Arctis Pro + GameDAC
If you’ve bought cash to burn and need the very best of one of the best, look no additional than the Steelseries Arctis Pro + GameDAC. Not to be confused with its costlier wi-fi and cheaper GameDAC-less siblings, this center providing in Steelseries’ Arctis Pro line-up is arguably one of the best of the lot – if solely as a result of it’s the one one to have correct Hi-Res audio assist.
Combined with that helpful titular GameDAC management that provides you each settings possibility you could possibly presumably need proper at your fingertips (all on a stunning huge tactile dial, as well), that is one of the best and comfiest solution to get 96kHz, 24-bit audio out of your sport library and past.
Read our full Steelseries Arctis Pro review
Buy now from Amazon UK or Steelseries US
Best finances gaming headset: Cougar Phontum
The Cougar Phontum is not at all good (its microphone could as effectively go within the bin), however at £43 / $50, it’s nonetheless an ideal purchase for these on a finances. With its metallic body and enormous, plush ear cups, the Phontum’s construct high quality is excellent at this sort of worth, particularly in comparison with the overly plastic building of its nearest rival, the Turtle Beach Recon 150.
As talked about above, the microphone is fairly ineffective (let’s blame that on Cougar’s Metal Gear-esque naming conventions), and its excessive/treble copy isn’t nearly as good as costlier headsets, however its general audio high quality is completely ok for the cash. If you’re searching for one thing cheap to present to your youngsters or youthful siblings, the Cougar Phontum is effectively value contemplating.
Read our full Cougar Phontum review
Buy now from Overclockers UK / Amazon US
Gaming headset shopping for information
Gaming headsets broadly fall into two classes: wired and wi-fi. Wired headsets are arguably the most typical, with most plugging right into a USB port or a 3.5mm audio connection, whereas wi-fi ones are, effectively, wi-fi.
Wireless headsets are usually extra suited to these there console containers that sit beneath your TV so you may lounge round in your couch with out falling over a string of cables each time you stand up to make a cuppa, however they’re additionally a good selection if you wish to minimize down on the warren of PC cables you’ve bought increase behind the again of your case. Just keep in mind that you simply’ll nonetheless want a free USB port for his or her wi-fi transmitter or dongle, in addition to someplace to cost them after they run out of juice.
What’s all this 7.1 encompass sound stuff?
You’ll additionally see a whole lot of gaming headsets claiming they will do 7.1 encompass sound. In a standard audio setup, a 7.1 system would require seven particular person audio system and a subwoofer (the .1 bit). The form of headsets we’re coping with, nonetheless, will solely ever have two audio system (one for every ear), so any headset that claims it could possibly do 7.1 encompass is normally going to be doing it nearly by way of onboard software program and its personal inside algorithms.
Virtual encompass sound is not at all a foul factor. Yes, it’s not so good as correct 7.1 encompass sound, however in some circumstances it could possibly assist make music really feel extra immersive and all-encompassing than common stereo. However, poor implementations of it could possibly typically destroy any sense of intimacy or breathing-down-the-back-of-your-neck-style dialogue, and it could possibly generally make your sport audio really feel prefer it’s been become one nice huge echo chamber, so don’t be fooled by what it says on the field.
Do I want a Hi-Res audio gaming headset?
We’re additionally beginning to see extra Hi-Res audio licensed headsets beginning to seem, however don’t get too slowed down in ensuring you get one. Hi-Res (or High Resolution) audio is supposed to supply absolutely the pinnacle of music high quality, with audiophiles saying it’s akin to ‘being right there in the recording studio’ while you take heed to it.
Put merely, Hi-Res audio has a a lot larger sampling charge (also called bit-depth, or the variety of samples taken per sign per second within the analogue-to-digital conversion course of) than CD high quality audio, which is supposed to make it extra correct and extra detailed than the rest presently accessible.
To throw some numbers into the combo, CD is specified at 16-bit or 44.1kHz, whereas Hi-Res audio is normally outlined as both 96kHz or 192kHz at 24-bit.
This is nice when you already personal plenty of Hi-Res audio tracks or subscribe to one thing like Tidal, however as for gaming… it’s presently unknown what number of, if any, truly assist Hi-Res audio or whether or not you get any additional profit over non-Hi-Res audio headsets. Personally, I’ve by no means been in a position to inform the distinction between Hi-Res and CD, and that’s after a number of demos and tech PRs doing their darnedest to persuade me in any other case. As a outcome, it’s in all probability value it when you’re into Hi-Res audio stuff exterior of gaming, however don’t go paying additional when you’re solely going to be utilizing it for video games.
