Trying to discover a comfy pair of headphones has develop into a conflict of attrition for me during the last couple of years. Either I’ve the world’s most delicate cranium, or my head’s unbeknowingly formed like a Minecraft block beneath my hair, as each over-ear headset I’ve used has solely introduced me ache and cranial-based distress.
They’re all the time harmless sufficient to begin off with, however someplace across the 30-45 minute mark, the dreaded head pinch begins, and people pesky headbands begin sinking their tiny little tooth into the highest of my head. After an hour, I’ve normally had sufficient, which clearly isn’t very best if I need to spend a lazy Saturday taking part in video games, or co-ordinate my weekly dose of Destiny 2 with my trusty hearth squad.
Alas, Sennheiser’s GSP 350 barely made it to half an hour earlier than I needed to begin shuffling them spherical my head to alleviate among the stress, however that’s to not say you need to cease studying right here. In truth, there’s lots to love about this £115 headset, and I’m certain these with much less delicate noggins will get on with them simply superb.
In phrases of general match, the GSP 350 are fairly cosy. The chunky plastic design might not be to everybody’s tastes, however the ear cups’ fake leather-based end gives a surprisingly gentle cushion towards your face they usually’re roomy sufficient that they by no means felt like they have been crushing my ears. I additionally appreciated the truth that, for as soon as, the GSP 350 didn’t make me really feel like I had a mind the dimensions of a pea, as usually I’ve to tighten any given headband so far as it goes for concern of it falling off my head. Here, I reckon I settled someplace across the midway level in its general adjustment arc, so except you may have a very colossal-sized skull, you’ll in all probability be all proper.
The GSP 350 additionally fall into the closed-back sort of headphone, so any noise leakage is saved to a minimal – good for if you’re underneath heavy gunfire and don’t need to annoy close by members of the family with the tinny click on click on click on of your return photographs. Having stated that, it could additionally imply that extra intense, bass-heavy soundtracks can typically be slightly overwhelming with the GSP 350, as there’s merely nowhere for the sound to flee to aside from straight down your ear canal.
Open-backed headphones, then again, resolve this downside by letting sound cross via the ear cups, making a wider, extra pure type of listening expertise. In doing so, after all, it means everybody else can hear what you’re listening to as properly, so that you’ll in all probability need to keep on with closed-back headphones if you happen to usually play video games round different folks.
On the entire, the GSP 350 carried out admirably, delivering ethereal orchestral scores like Ori and the Blind Forest with as a lot readability and conviction because the whirring hums and clunks of Tacoma’s house station. If you’ve acquired video games that assist it, it’s additionally positively price turning on the GSP 350’s Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound possibility with the one-click button on the controller. This isn’t correct 7.1 encompass sound, after all, however its digital recreation of it definitely makes for a extra immersive gaming expertise.
A small LED will gentle up white when the Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound is turned on, and pink when it’s off
The fold-down noise-cancelling microphone is one other level in its favour, delivering clear, crisp voice chat with little to no noise or crackle. You can even mute it mechanically by merely transferring the growth arm again up towards your ear, supplying you with the proper alternative to take a swig of tea mid-conversation with out forcing your teammates to take heed to your sipping and slurping.
Turn away from video games, nonetheless, and the GSP 350 begins to come back undone. I take heed to a variety of recreation soundtracks after I’m not truly taking part in them, and the strings and operatic vocals of Final Fantasy XV’s rating, for example, have been typically drowned out by the booming, echoing bass. Likewise, finer percussion particulars in rock songs tended to all blur collectively, and the assorted equalizers on supply with Sennheiser’s easy-to-use Surround Dongle software program did little to enhance the scenario.
Combined with its insistent head pinch, the GSP 350 ended up leaving me a bit chilly as a common pair of headphones. I can’t fault its in-game efficiency, however utilizing them to take heed to the remainder of my music library was fairly uninspiring.
The quantity dial on the suitable ear cup works independently out of your PC’s quantity management
It’s additionally price noting that because of its Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound assist, the GSP 350 wants a USB port to be able to work, making this specific pair of headphones a poor match for laptops and PCs with treasured few USB ports, and people fascinated about utilizing them for console gaming as properly. You should purchase an extra cable to unravel these issues, however you received’t be capable to make the most of the 7.1 Surround Sound.
Ultimately, if you happen to’re in search of headset you’re solely going to make use of for gaming, then for £115, the Sennheiser GSP 350 is a reasonably protected guess, notably if you happen to’re after a very good microphone. Those on the hunt one thing a bit extra versatile, nonetheless, are higher off trying elsewhere.
