Astro A40s
Expensive but back when I got them in May 2012 I had the spare cash and was actively raiding in WoW so on the headset a lot. Fast forward 3 years later they are still going strong and I still love them.
Logitech g35 Bought it used but for only 17e and no obvious marks that its used.
Razer Megalodon. They works just as well under Linux, as they did when I was running Windows many moons ago.
Not a gaming headset really, I have Sennheiser HD 595 and an Asus Xonar Essence sound card with a built-in headphone amp to drive them. I've had the headphones for over five years and they are perfect.
Sharkoon X-tatic 5.1 digital.
I have 2 of them actually - 1 for the PC and the other for xbone both connected to the SPDIF outputs for dolby support :)
Senheiser RS 170, modded with a ModMic. Really happy with the quality of both products :)
Bought a logitech G35 in 2009, replaced the ear pads last year, still works and sounds great.
astro a40, owned a couple of turtle beach models and found the quality poor in comparison, dont work well with xbox one tho.
Had a Plantronics Gamecom 780 set which were great, until they broke at the 8 month mark as so many others did.
Switched up to the Corsair Vengeance 1500 and it has been absolutely fantastic.
The build is solid, comfortable, lightweight and adjusts well to different heads.
General sound in 7.1 USB is just as good at the Plantronics, but smoother, more refined and everything seems subtler compared to the other headset's rawness, particularly with bassy rock music.
Gaming-wise, everything is a clear as a bell and the mic can pick up the slightest whisper with perfect clarity (as evidenced by both my teamates on TS & Vent and by the responsiveness of Voice Attack). You can actually close your eyes in a good FPS, turn yourself to where you think a noise is coming from and open your eyes to find you're as accurate as in real life.
It comes with fairly comprehensive config software which I haven't actually felt the benefit of as just a basic user and non-audiophile, though I imagine all those options would suit someone who is really fussy about their sound. I found the standard Windows setting offering enough options to get it sounding great with minimal fuss. Even without the dedicated drivers, everything recognises the headset (and mic, as appropriate) properly, so no problems there.
The one and only niggle I have with this is the in-line volume control.
IMO not a neccesary feature since most games/apps/keyboards have easily adjustable volume controls integrated anyway and the thing is set at a distance along the cable from the headset where it just freely hangs/swings/bangs around.
Qpad QH 90 , awesome headset
Asus Phoebus and sennheiser PC 151
Sennheiser PC333D-G4ME. Great sound, fantastic mic, ear cups could do with being a touch larger though. They did wear in after about a month and no longer crush the head, though.
Steelseries 7H USB.
My stepson borrowed my ancient headset and buggered them so invested in a new set - the 7H and I'm blown away with them. Really happy, plus the USB sound card which is optional to use, just works.
Delighted with my purchase.
I use the Func HS 260. People often moan at me in Teamspeak about spill from the headphones to the mic :/
Not really impressed by them. Quite uncomfortable really, and muddy sound.
I use a pair of Ultrasone Pro 550's and a Zalman ZM Mic1.
Had the earphones for almost four years. Only just had to replace the pads. Sound is great.
The mic, well it's not bad or at least no one has complained.
I don't use headsets mainly because my ears feel funny if they're enclosed, they get all sweaty, itchy, warm and give me a headache.
the last set I had (so I could have sound when at the gameon lan) was a set someone was chucking into a skip, a cheap few £ jobbie from poundland or somesuch.
I use NAD T761 and B&W 600 series speakers for my sound. its a big enough house so I don't bother anyone atall with them.
as for communicating with people. well. lets just say I don't even like talking to people face to face for very long. I've got a mic and probably used it for a total of 10 minutes since I started PC gaming back in 1995. so yeah, that's that.
Beyerdynamic dt770 pro. Awesome headphones. I use them all day at work too. I'm banned from shouting at people at night so I don't use a headset.
I've still got my original Icemat Siberia from before they “merged” with Steelseries (i.e. were taken over). It's actually a headphone with a clip-on mic rather than a headset, but the sound quality was and still is absolutely great. The extension cord with the volume control, however, has been more or less busted for a couple of years now. Contacted Steelseries on how to order a replacement and they more or less told me to buy a new headset. Not sure they'll get any more of my money.
Currently use some crappy Sennheiser PC31s but I've got Superlux HD681 Evos on order arriving soon. I look at the vengeance 1500, steelseries siberia and hyperx cloud but the superlux fit my budget well and apparently has very good sound. No microphone though but if I ever have a need for one I'll buy a separate one or a cheap zalman lapel mic.
Can't speak for the sound quality yet ofcourse but from what I read theyre both quite comfortable as long as you get evo and very good sound quality.
HyperX Clouds, not the newer version though. Really happy with these, good price, really comfortable, good audio quality, lots of accessories included. Only downside is the microphone.
Corsair Vengeance HS2100, picked this headset up at a bargain price on Scan when they had a batch of Refurb models in stock, it's the older Black and Blue design, but still awesome, other than the colour, I'm not really sure how the Black and Yellow models differ.
HyperX Cloud.
They sound good, they're light and they're incredibly comfortable.
AVF HM202 stereo headphone :c
SteelSeries Siberia V2. Not quite as comfortable as my V1s, but the built in microphone is handy and there is less sound leakage (but at the cost of less ventilation).
I'm currently using AKG K7XX (Massdrop edition) with an AntLion ModMic 4.0 and a FiiO ALPEN-E17 DAC. My GPUs have an incredibly annoying coil whine that seeps into the onboard audio, but I wasn't impressed with my USB headset, so I researched a bit and came up with my setup. Love the open design and sound quality of the AKGs and I'm glad I switched.
Rosewill RHTS-8206 5.1 Gaming — nice headset with super bass-vibration, medium sound, bad software for Win 8.1. It's good for movies, but not for games :(
I have a set of Sennheiser PC 360's, and they're fantastic. And I'll run ‘em until they don’t run anymore.
Ewwww, you wouldn't catch me dead wearing of of those things. I usually wear my Phillips Fidelio X1's while gaming.
All the gaming headsets I had broke after a year or two, so I spent the money on Audio Technica ATH-AD700 headphones that have lasted much longer.
Kepe
Not a gaming headset really, I have Sennheiser HD 595 and ……….. I've had the headphones for over five years and they are perfect.
Me too. Better than any of the specialist gaming headphones I tried at the time.
Astro A50….(2015), I love it.
I rarely use headsets, but when i do the xbox 360 ones do the job well enough (have both wired and wireless+dongle ones)
Superlux 668b + Zalman mic.
Total price arround 35€.
Kingston HyperX Cloud White. Can't be happier. For the price it really has no competition until you pay more than twice the money.
Saitek GH20 - they're uncomfortable and sound like shiiite. Plantronics 788 on the way…
Logitech G430's, they lack a little bass, but the simulated surround is quite good
Roccat Kaves. The sound is good and they are really solidly built but the downside of that is the weight. Not the comfiest pair but you get used to them and they've lasted 3 years - the only problem I had was having to glue one of the headband pads back on. Had turtle beach ones for my old 360 and the build quality was awful - they fell to bits.
Have a cheap pair of Tritton Kamas for the PS4 but wasn't impressed so got a pair of Sennheiser HD419s - they are much better.
I'm a luddite because I don't normally use a gaming headset, much preferring to use speakers (and annoy the rest of the household) instead.
When I do feel the need to use a headset, then I reach for my Triton AX180 headset. It's not big, nor particularly clever, but it wasn't that expensive and it works reasonably with both PC and XBox360. Funnily enough I've also got a Logitech H800 Bluetooth headset - which is pretty comfortable (and multipoint to boot) - but since I use a headset a lot for work, the last thing I want to do is come home and have to slap on another set of “cans”.
Corsair Vengeance 1500 and they are excellent, highly recommended.
Razer Tiamat 7.1 and I definitely reccommend them even if they are quite pricey. Very comfy to use for long periods of time with great surround sound reproduction. The microphone could be better but it's really my only issue with the headset and it's a small quibble.
Corsair 2000 and Logitech 930.
I like the Corsair more in both sound and comfort (I ware glasses and yet to find a headset that is really comfortable…). But with Corsair's new color and logo I am not sure I will go for them again and probably try another next time.
Also had the Steelseries Siberia V2 which I probably like best comfort wise with it being light and the stretchy headband.
Some cheapo headset I got from eBay. Works a treat for team speak.
Razer Kraken Chroma 7.1 for my everyday gaming on PC/PS4 and Razer Kraken Pro for my phone/PS4 games. love them, sounds great especially with 7.1 boy you can hear everything on the game. the mics on these headsets are great, played a lot on Multiplayer games and team mates can hear me loud and clear. bit pricey but ill recommend this one.
Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset
Roccat Kave, although I am testing out my Damson Headbones at the moment so I can hear what's going on in my surroundings too :)
Sennheiser PC360
Light on weight, heavy on the sound. How I like it.
Sennheiser G4ME one's for TS usage & some AKG K712 Pro powered by a iFI iCan Micro for single player games…
I am using a Plantronics Gamecom 788 headset.
After years of using more expensive Turtle Beach headsets I got sick of constant complaints from my friends about the noise every time my mic was open (and not just the noise from my mouth). The Plantronics headset has performed flawlessly.
I did break the headband on my first set and when I contacted them about a replacement headband they sent me a full brand new headset as a replacement, so, brilliant customer service too.
Well my Superlux HD681-Evo arrived the other day, they are absolutely amazing so far, significant step up from the Sennheiser PC31 which is pretty much a call-center headset too. Did have to swap out the pleather ear pads that are on by default with the velvet ones that come bundled in the box as many reviews suggested, far better.
Ofcourse they don't have a mic however so youd have to get a Zalman lapel mic or a desk mic if that bothers you, for me its a non issue at least currently. That said the Plantronics Gamecom 780/788 (and older versions too ofcourse) that keep being mentioned are very well reviewed too so while I can't speak from personal experience they seem to be a solid alternative if you want a Mic, only bad thing I read was that they are a little more fragile than most but their audio is supposed to be great out of the gaming headsets.
In the end I opted for a pair of music headphones with the option to just buy a cheap mic later when I need one though and so far I don't regret it.
Also for those of you looking at the surround sound gaming headphones, try out Razer Surround first, it's free and seems to work well, even on my PC31s. You don't get full access to the EQ with the free version but you do get the actual surround sound. You can save yourself some cash to spend on better sounding headphones if you ditch surround sound headphones and get solid headphones+Razer Surround.
Sennheiser PC350 SE's - Lack Bass but the sound clarity is hard to beat, been toying with the idea of getting a ModMic and just a decent set of normal cans.
Apex
Sennheiser PC350 SE's - Lack Bass but the sound clarity is hard to beat, been toying with the idea of getting a ModMic and just a decent set of normal cans.
I tried the Modmic with my AKG's & I didn't like it ! The Wire on the Modmic isn't very flexible & the extra wire annoyed me due to the thickness.
Have you seen the V-moda mic ? You can use it with lower to mid range cans like the Philips X2 that fit into the headphones & make a single wired headset !
Headset? Ew!! I use a FiiO E17 as DAC/Headphone Amp, feeding my Akg K551 cans, as microphone I use a Snowball iCE on a cheap chinese scissor arm, hanging from a shelf which is right above my monitor.
Some serial headphones being listed, I like it.
Sennheiser 558 with a Asus Xonar D2X 7.1 soundcard here.
The side question from reading these comments is: Are you all using onboard Audio?
Oobie-
Some serial headphones being listed, I like it.
Sennheiser 558 with a Asus Xonar D2X 7.1 soundcard here.
The side question from reading these comments is: Are you all using onboard Audio?
No way ! Asus STX here….
Gaming headsets are for chumps! :D
Biscuit
Gaming headsets are for chumps! :D
And what's wrong with being a chump?? :P
No wait, I mean, what's wrong with gaming headsets?
I tried a pretty expensive headset from Jabra out and ended up keeping it:
http://headsetplus.com/product1712/product_info.htmlI was thoroughly impressed by it's performance, and it's ability to plug and play with a 3.5mm cable with my smart phone. You really do get what you pay for. Ill be using this for a while…
Oobie-
Some serial headphones being listed, I like it.
Sennheiser 558 with a Asus Xonar D2X 7.1 soundcard here.
The side question from reading these comments is: Are you all using onboard Audio?
Use to but swapped to a soundcard, i noticed the difference.
Andi-C
I tried the Modmic with my AKG's & I didn't like it ! The Wire on the Modmic isn't very flexible & the extra wire annoyed me due to the thickness.
Have you seen the V-moda mic ? You can use it with lower to mid range cans like the Philips X2 that fit into the headphones & make a single wired headset !
Werid the AKG's were the ones i was looking at too… might check the v-moda mic out either that or go with a pro mic setup….not that i use it a lot.
Like i said, the PC350 SE's lack bass but they are the clearest sounding set of cans i have ever had.
The AKG's (my ones) have a Mini-XLR 3-pin & the V-Moda Mic's have a 3.5 jack connector, you can buy a adaptor to make the Mini-XLR 3-pin in to 3.5 jack but they seem to be rare !
I really like the AKG's, the best part is they aren't coloured/warm & quite neutral sounding.
Well I've just bought S\H Turtle beach earforce X11 for my PC…they work OK but I have a problem in that I'm a bit deaf in one ear, so is there away of adjusting the balance i.e. more vol in my R ear and less in my left?
audio technica ath-ad900 with mod-mic, I removed the mic's volume and switch and braided the cables together, the sound destroys the Sennheiser PC-360 and Steelseries 5Hv2 that I have used in the past.
sumvision Nemesis Akuma 7.1 headset. cheap and very cheerful. ive bought over brands over the years and for the price this one really good. beats the turtle beach headset i had last
Steelseries Siberia V1? very comfortable but usually listen through a 5.1 surround system
Headphones from Astro, Logitech or HyperX happens to be a good deal.
If you want to go with budget gaming headset then you can find variety of headsets from Logitech.
HyperX caters to people who are looking for headsets that weigh less but still happen to be affordable and within budget (read as ~$100)
Astro gaming headsets on the other hand tend to go all out in terms of pricing, looks, comfort and weight too. If you want a gaming headset that also acts as a fashion showpiece when not in use; Astro gaming headset happen to fill the bill correctly.
My personal choices from all three brands:
Logitech: G230 ($40) - Cheapest gaming headset from a reliable brand, doesn't looks cheap at all, High on comfort, design and style.
HyperX: Cloud II (~$100) - Lightweight, basic design, gets the job done, nothing fancy, easy to get started with.
Astro: A40 ($150) - Nothing beats it in terms of styling, usability and being a complete package, Available in variety of colors and caters to all types of Gaming Consoles, Excellent Built quality, slightly on the pricier side.
Steelseries siberia v2. Great sound and mic but had it for over 2 years now and the mics just died on me!
Considering the corsair wireless H2100 headset next
I've given my HyperX Cloud set to my son and I've reverted to my trusty Vulcan ANC set. Better noise isolation (with or without the ANC switched on).