Five things I think you should know before buying your first gaming headset
So, you’re enthusiastic about buying a gaming headset. Good for you! An amazing gaming headset is among the greatest quality-of-life upgrades you could make to any PC, and we spend all 12 months lengthy testing candidates for our greatest gaming headset information.
Nevertheless, there are some things you should know before you make your buy, and by chance for you, I’ve put collectively a suggestions record that should information you in the direction of buying the suitable gaming headset for you.
I’ve spent numerous hours immersing myself in audio, from my early days knocking round recording studios, to dwell music, to boutique headset evaluations. Meaning I’ve obtained a superb set of ears on me, and greater than that, I take each music and gaming audio very significantly certainly. There are many potential pitfalls to keep away from right here, however comply with my suggestions and you will not go far unsuitable.
So seize a cup of espresso and a snack, get comfy, and let me inform you all of the things which are most vital to recollect when buying an excellent gaming headset. Black Friday 2024 is quick approaching, and we’re already amassing the perfect Black Friday 2024 headset offers, so now’s an ideal time to select up a set of gaming cans that may deliver you audio pleasure for a few years to come back.
- Wired might mean ultimate audio, but wireless has come a long way
- Drivers make the difference
- If it looks uncomfortable, it usually is
- Built-in mics are nice to have, but not necessarily essential
- Battery life = quality of life
Written by…
Written by…
Andy Edser
{Hardware} author
Andy’s at all times had an obsession with audio, and took it to its pure conclusion by immersing himself on the planet of studios, audio system, and extreme quantities of quantity. Mix that with a love of PC gaming, and you get somebody ideally certified to information you on what to search for in your subsequent gaming headset buy.
1. Wi-fi or wired?
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Wired may imply final audio, however wi-fi has come a great distance
First up, are you going to tie your self to your PC with a cable, or go wire-free? There are good arguments to be made for each right here, and it is in all probability one of many greatest concerns to make early on.
Wired headset followers will argue that it is one of the simplest ways of guaranteeing glorious audio high quality, and eradicating any issues about connection points and latency. And to be trustworthy, they don’t seem to be unsuitable. That being mentioned, wi-fi connections have come a great distance lately, and you’ll discover {that a} good RF 2.4 GHz connection supplied by a devoted dongle will sound nice, join robustly, and have zero-perceptible latency usually.
There’s a reasonably large caveat right here, so let’s get it out of the way in which early on: I’d keep away from Bluetooth-only units for gaming. Bluetooth is helpful for taking your headphones on the transfer, reworking a gaming headset into one which you may also put on on your each day travels. Nevertheless, even the newest variations of the connection normal (Bluetooth 5.4 on the time of writing) nonetheless introduce a substantial quantity of latency, so for gaming, it is no bueno—as you’re more likely to discover your audio lagging a bit of behind the motion on display.
Nonetheless, as a bonus characteristic, it is undoubtedly price looking for. Headsets just like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X Wi-fi include each a 2.4 GHz wi-fi dongle for lag-free PC connection, and Bluetooth for journey functions. Units like these are undoubtedly price contemplating if you’d like your gaming headset to rework into an excellent set of normal headphones for day-to-day utilization.
That being mentioned, a tried and examined wired connection will take away any issues about connection points, or battery life. If all you need your subsequent set of cans for is for sitting in entrance of your PC, wired often is the method ahead for you—however correct 2.4 GHz wi-fi cans are properly price contemplating regardless.
2. Drivers
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A high quality set of drivers should deal with each music and gaming with aplomb
Contained in the earcups of a headset lies a set of drivers, and these are the things that may transmit sound to your earholes. Primarily what we imply once we say “drivers” in relation to headphones is “small speakers”, and so the standard of those models makes all of the distinction to the sound you’re going to obtain.
Measurement is vital, to a point. 40 mm or up should be able to rumbling your eardrums with applicable weight and substance, though there are definitely barely smaller models that may nonetheless ship correctly nice sound. After all, earbuds have tiny, weeny little drivers, however as a result of they nestle deep in your ear canal they nonetheless present the suitable impact.
What you’ll actually need to know right here is whether or not you should be buying gaming-focused drivers or all-purpose ones, and my reply is categorically the latter. Whereas loads of headsets promote their gaming and probably even surround-sound prowess, a very good set of drivers is a very good set of drivers.
Principally, in the event that they sound nice for music, they should sound nice for gaming, too. Good audio system are good audio system, in any case, and whereas it could be tempting to go for hyper-positional gaming audio setups for immersion’s sake (or for detecting enemy footsteps in a multiplayer sport) until you’re an esports professional it actually is not going to make that a lot distinction.
High quality drivers from revered manufacturers like Razer, HyperX, Beyerdynamic, Corsair and lots of others will sound improbable for video games, motion pictures, music, and anything you may want to hearken to via them. Purchase from a identified model, test the evaluations to seek out out different folks’s impressions of them, and look out for trusted reviewers gushing in regards to the sound. They should do you properly.
One fast facet be aware: Our favorite wi-fi audiophile headset, the Audeze Maxwell, makes use of planar magnetic drivers, and so they’re really fabulous. Expensive although, however properly price contemplating if you’re in search of the perfect sound conceivable for all functions.
3. Consolation
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If it seems to be uncomfortable, it often is
Consolation is a kind of horribly subjective classes that depends upon so many variables, it is typically very troublesome to get throughout in a headset assessment. We prefer to deliver our headset samples into the workplace at hand them round to varied members of the group as a result of we have all obtained otherwise sized heads, differing quantities of hair (or full lack of), and in Jacob Fox’s case, bizarre little ears.
There you go, that should have made me in style. Anyway, I prefer to comply with a normal rule: If it seems to be uncomfortable, it often is. It doesn’t matter what your specific head form or hair configuration, you’re possible going to need some correct padding inside the scarf to cushion the highest of your bonce over lengthy gaming and listening periods.
Earcup padding is vital, too. Many headset producers use artificial leather-based substitutes on the earcups, and a few are good for sound isolation, audio dampening, and total consolation. Others, although, can get a bit sweaty over lengthy periods, and any good reviewer should level out if that is so. Some headsets, just like the really magnificent Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Professional, make consolation a high precedence, with super-plushy velour pads that actually could make a distinction over an extended day.
Once more, it is troublesome to provide normal recommendation right here, however I’d significantly take note of any point out of consolation in a headset assessment before placing down your hard-earned money. In spite of everything, it does not matter how great your new headset sounds if it leaves you a sweaty, headache-filled mess after just a few hours.
One other factor to be careful for is any point out of clamping power. Some headsets appear very cozy on the first put on however need to slide off your head the second you look down at your cellphone, or mess with a cable. check right here when receiving your new headset is to place it atop your head, after which tilt back and forth. If it needs to fall off, I’d contemplate sending it again and making an attempt one thing else as a substitute.
4. Microphones
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Constructed-in mics are good to have, however not essentially important
It will be no shock that, as an audio nerd, I care about microphone high quality. Any good gaming headset with a microphone included should have a point of richness to the tone, a readability that permits it to chop via a frantic multiplayer audio soundscape, and a rejection of ugly distortions and plosive sounds, like “puh” and “buh” that may grow to be blown out on cheaper fashions.
Nevertheless, I’d be remiss if I did not level out that, to many, this may occasionally not matter. If you rarely voice chat, or do not plan on utilizing your headset for work conferences, I would not blame you if microphone high quality is a low precedence.
Nonetheless, it is a good factor to have regardless, so I’d look out for headsets with cardioid condenser microphones just like the Audio Technica ATH-M50x STS StreamSet to make sure that when you do enter your subsequent voice chat, you sound like an actual human being and never a robotic making an attempt to make a long-distance name to Mars.
I additionally choose headsets with a detachable microphone, as this implies you can detach it completely for journey functions or to get it utterly out of the way in which for consolation.
Nonetheless, if you’ve discovered a improbable pair of headphones however the mic evaluations aren’t nice (or one thing from our greatest audiophile headphones for gaming information, a few of which eschew mics completely), there’s at all times the potential of buying a separate mic that is more likely to do a good higher job of selecting up your vocal tones. We check the perfect gaming microphones on a regular basis, so you’re spoilt for selection if you need to go for a standalone unit as a substitute.
In reality, for streaming and podcast functions, I’d extremely suggest it. Nonetheless, a superb mic is a pleasant factor to have, so do not ignore it completely when selecting out your subsequent headset if you plan on utilizing it on the common.
5. Battery
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Battery life = high quality of life
So, for example you’ve determined to go wi-fi for your subsequent headset buy. To be trustworthy, I do not blame you, as (to reiterate my earlier point), wi-fi headsets are darned good nowadays. One factor you actually should concentrate on, nonetheless, is that battery life rankings make an enormous distinction to your high quality of life—and because of this should be excessive on your record of priorities when choosing the right wi-fi gaming headset for you.
Our high choose for wi-fi gaming headsets is the HyperX Cloud Alpha and a giant motive for that’s its 300-hour battery life. That is a merely astonishing determine and signifies that you can probably go weeks with out plugging into the wall.
It is a bit of an outlier, although. In reality, most first rate gaming headsets are available someplace across the 25- to 50-hour mark nowadays, and that is a superbly respectable determine to purpose for.
Lower than that, although, and you’ll discover your day being interrupted by the annoying beep of a low battery indicator on the common, and that is a ache within the proverbials. It won’t matter an excessive amount of if you hold a charging cable free at your desk, however belief me when I say that not having to think about your headset’s battery life fairly often does make you really feel like you’ve purchased a product from the longer term, and never one which makes itself an annoyance a number of occasions every week.
All of us want battery life was longer on our units, however good wi-fi headsets are main the cost in that regard. Battery life = high quality of life, and because of this I’d pay correct consideration to that determine on the spec sheet, and cross-reference it with the evaluations to make sure that it truly delivers the determine that it says on the field.