What Gaming Headset do you Use & Recommend

[hondaf17]

Just as the title says.

I have a Corsair Vengeance 1300 and the cord is going bad causing sound to drop from left speaker. In the market for a new one. My requirements:

1) Wireless
2) Microphone incorporated
3) Good directional surround sound and sound quality

I have the sound card in my signature, which has digital and optical out, and outputs for speaker channels. Seems like all the wireless options use USB and then their software to "fake" surround. Surround is important to me as directional cues in games.

Here are some I've looked at:

SteelSeries Arctis 7 for $150
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYNEIE...olid=3LTH9J6QZZFIS&coliid=IZYSVXACZ1X3F&psc=1

Corsair VOID for $100
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013GMX9H...lid=3LTH9J6QZZFIS&coliid=I3GKJC2PF37Z3O&psc=1

Logitech G933 Artemis for $139
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0148NPJ7...olid=3LTH9J6QZZFIS&coliid=IS6VVWXGCJIC0&psc=1

Razer ManO'War for $130
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0148NPJ7...olid=3LTH9J6QZZFIS&coliid=IS6VVWXGCJIC0&psc=1


So, what headset do you use and can you recommend for PC gaming?

TYIA,

 

[Sabrewings]

I've had the G933s for a year or so. Awesome headsets and I really don't have a complaint. Very customizable, comfortable, good audio (on par with a pair of wire Sennheisers I have), and a pretty good microphone. I get about 12 hours out of them at a time and I find the muxing ability pretty useful.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

I just suffered this decision myself, I was using a gaming Sennheiser headset I've had about 12-13 years which has survived really well but i snapped the boom mic so decided to upgrade. My brother and a friend both have the Logitech G930 which I've heard really good things about, so I ordered mine and it arrived yesterday. I've been gaming, listening to music and youtube and I have to say the quality is excellent, the comfort is great and it meets all your criteria, it's wireless with a boom mic and with 7.1 surround (or optionally you can select traditional stereo)

I did consider the newer Logitech model the G933 which you mention but near as I can tell the mic is less good/reliable from reviews, the LEDs are stupid to me because you can't even see your own headset during use, I think this is a step too far with LED gaming kit (and I do have an LED mouse, so I'm OK with it as an idea). I couldn't justify the price increase of the G933 over the G930, you can find the G930 for really cheap online.

A friends just broke after about 3 years of use but logitech replaced it for him which is awesome, my brothers is about 2 years old I think and his only complaint is battery life on wireless has dropped a bit, which I guess is expected for anything which runs off batteries.

I am by no means an audiophile though, some audiophiles I know recommend getting a non gaming brand headset and attaching a separate boom mic but they're after supreme quality and of course a separate wired mic means cables, I just don't think this is appropriate for gamers, so I'd recommend going with the "gamer" kit but with the least amount of BS like LEDs, overall the G930 is a very balanced model and stood the test of time.

 

[Sabrewings]

I agree on the LEDs of the 933s. Luckily they turn off. The added benefits of muxing, improved wireless performance and audio quality, and great battery life sold me. I did have a pair of G930s before.

 

[Craig234]

I was very happy with the affordable Plantronics Gamecom headsets you can get on ebay for $40.

Then I got Sennheiser 363D - my first impression was that the sound was a bit flat but over time it's fine.

Recently, I used some high end audio headphones, and other than directional sound, the quality surpasses any game headsets I've tried clearly.

So probably the best bet is some audio headphones and a separate mic, but the above are 'fine'.

 

[sandorski]

Most Gaming Headsets suffer from being manufactured cheaply. One thing or another are prone to break after awhile. Sometimes that's a cable, but in my experience it usually is structural and occurs where the earcup attaches to the headband.

Of the 5 different headsets I have had, my Logitech G930s lasted the longest, about 5 years, although I didn't use them for about a year or so during that stretch. The reason for not using them was that I was somewhat disappointed with how they sounded. They were not terrible, they were just kinda meh sounding.

My Corsair HS1 headset were the set I loved the most for how they sounded. Really good Bass and soundstage. Unfortunately they only lasted just over a year before the cable broke where it enters the earcup, but I loved them so much I bought another set....which also lasted just over a year before the cable broke.

Loved the HS1s so much I bought the Corsair wireless h2100 expecting them to sound like the HS1s. They didn't sound the same, but were still better than the G930s which were gathering dust. The h2100s lasted almost a year before the clamp that attached the earcup to the headband broke, the screws literally were pulled through their holes stripping out the threading in the holes.

The Kingston HyperX Cloud's were real nice for the price. Sounded great, look great, and were half the price of all the previous headsets. The lasted about 8 months. The cable on the right earcup comes out of the headband right where I tend to grab the band to put on and take them off thus breaking them.

After the HyperX Clouds broke I just came to a conclusion about headsets: If I am going to continue using them, I'm not going to spend more than $100 on them and I'm going to expect having to replace them at least once a year. The engineering that goes into them just doesn't seem to take into account how they will be used and how best to design them for durability. This is why I am now using a Diamond Xtreme Gaming headset. They are cheap, look cheap, gimmicky, sound meh, but when they break I won't be disappointed.

 

[Andy T]

Logitech is on my excrement list due to continuous problems with G930. I went through 2 headsets over a 2 year period. Both had the common issue of crackle and headset recycling in the middle of game/watching movie. It's a well and widely known issue that Logitech has never fully addressed.
Recently I decided to try SteelSeries. I got both Arctis 7 and Siberia 800. Of the two, I ended up keeping Arctis 7 which will become my "standard" headset. I didn't like Siberia 800 due to it squeezing my head quite a bit. The audio quality was the same between the two. The only other advantage of Siberia 800 is the ability to have multiple audio sources connected. However, SteelSeries always recommend using only the Optical In. When I was having some sound level issues with the analog input, their tech support's reply was "use optical or return the headset for refund"...

 

[hondaf17]

Thanks all.

Seems like hits and misses.

One thing that's nice about the Logitech G933 is that I can plug in a normal aux cord. Then I can take them traveling and use them on a plane instead of the crap earbuds from the airlines. I have had good support from Logitech in the past. My wife spilled water on my keyboard, shorting it out, contacted them to ask about a fix or anything and they gave me a coupon for 25% off their online store. I didn't use it, but I appreciated the gesture.

The Logitech G933 could've been bought for $100 this Holiday season, I'll wait for a bit to see if another sale pops up.

 

[Sabrewings]

I took my G933s when I traveled for work a couple weeks at a time earlier this year. They're a bit bulky to be used in place of earbuds on the plane (IMO), but if you're used to that size headphones it might not matter to you. Mostly what I used them for was wireless music listening in my hotel room. I plugged the USB transmitter into a phone charger and plugged my phone into it use a line plug. That way I could listen to music in my hotel room anywhere without wires. It was pretty handy since I like loud music but I don't like to be that guy you can hear next door. I could also answer phone calls with it.

Just make sure to set the LEDs to off before you're away from a PC. They might look a bit goofy using them in public.

 

[JTDSR]

I am using the Corsair Void RGB and loving it. It is the most comfortably styled headset I have personally used to date.

 

[Slappy00]

Went with HyperX

Good sound, good fit, good value for a 7.1 set.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SAYCXWG

Got it on sale at the almighty Microcenter, so I didn't pay the $98 list.

 

[HumblePie]

Used the G930 in the past and have had two break on me in the exact same spot. The spot where the can's swivel on the headband is a tiny piece of plastic that holds the cans to the band. It is only a matter of time after you start using them before they break. Actually, same thing with the other ones of similar design like the G35s and the 120s. All will break.Of course with the wired ones the cord itself may become the failure point before the swivel part, which I've experienced with a few G35's.

In fact, practically ALL gaming headsets I've owned tend to failure just after a year, with the longest lasting barely 2.5 years for a Razor Blackshark headset I had that recently failed with the cord.

Currently though I'm using a V Moda M100 with a Samson microphone on a boom arm. Works great, sounds great, and from everything I can tell should last far longer that anything I've had in the past.

 

[WhiteNoise]

I have a G930 myself. The headset is nice but the software is terrible. Too many issues. Mine is sitting in it's retail box on a shelf. I currently use a Corsair Gaming Void (wired) and it is great.

 

[OCNewbie]

I've had a pair of G930's for a little over 2 years now. I've been quite pleased with them overall. They were way too tight on my head when I first got them, but I just kept them clamped onto something wider than my head overnight for a few nights, and that made a huge difference in comfort. The pads on the ears are starting to peel off, and that's a common issue I've heard with this model in particular.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Been using the Razer Tiamat 7.1 for about four-five years now. Had a Corsair headset that hurt my ears after about an hour of use, but I've had (kinda) no complaints with this Tiamat since I got it.

**The "kinda" part was because my first headset I got was clearly a refirbished or defective unit. The magnetic cover didn't fit right and the sound in one of the rear channels popped on occasion before killing an entire side. Their customer support is pretty good and how Razer makes you prove your unit is defective is definitely different than the rest.**

 

[werepossum]

I'm currently using the Logitech G35 headset. It broke twice within a year and after months of perfect operation a Microsoft Windows 10 stability update decided it was not compatible with Windows 10 and removed the virtual 7.1 Surround Sound so I don't recommend it. However, it is comfortable and the sound is fine.

My SteelSeries Siberia headset is bulletproof and even more comfortable. But it does not have Surround Sound and the sound quality is noticeably worse than the G35's, although good enough for me.

 

[hondaf17]

OP checking back in here.

I went to Best Buy to demo / try some on. The Logitech G933s sounded awesome in the store. However the Razer ManOWar also sounded good and were more comfortable. Reviews of the Razer on Amazon point to bad QC though.

Seems like everyone has different opinions. I think I'm still settling on the Logitech G933. Has the features I want including wireless & surround, I liked the sound at the store, and added bonus I can take on travel for movies/plane.

 

[hondaf17]

OP checking back in again...

The Steel Series Arctis 7 is now attracting my attention. One poster above mentioned he really liked them. They are wireless while also being mobile for travel/planes.

I plan to go to Best Buy today to compare the G933 vs the Arctis 7 in person.

 

[hondaf17]

I bought the Steel Series Arctis 7. Reviews are better than the Logitech G933. Plus I like the looks - more stylish/refined and less "kiddish."

Initial thoughts from a couple hours last night:
Range is spectacular
Audio quality is very good
Steel Series software is easy to use and provides good feature
Seems like good build quality
Comfortable
Good microphone

Not too impressed yet with directional audio / surround sound. I have enabled DTS for in-game (Titanfall 2). It's OK. Is there a way in Windows I can test the directional sound? A DTS sound test or demo of some sort?

 

[WhiteNoise]

I recently picked up the Steel Series Arctis 5 and I am really impressed. I'm sure the 7 is great considering it is wireless. I don't care about directional sound myself so I haven't even tested it.

 

[werepossum]

I recently picked up the Steel Series Arctis 5 and I am really impressed. I'm sure the 7 is great considering it is wireless. I don't care about directional sound myself so I haven't even tested it.

Think I'll pick up a set of these next time my G35's break. I prefer wired and these look pretty sweet for a price I can handle.

 

[biostud]

Beyerdynamic dt880+modmic 4.0, because I use it for music as well.

 

[WhiteNoise]

Beyerdynamic dt880+modmic 4.0, because I use it for music as well.

I thought really long and hard on buying the modmic 4.0. and using it with one of my higher end headphones but all i kept thinking about is having not one but two cords running from my head. Then I thought I could clip the wires together but then every time I want to NOT use the modmic I would have to remove the clips. Also I don't like the idea of sticking the mount onto the side of any of my headphones that cost me anywhere from $300 to $1200. Unless they stick with some sort of gel that is easily removed? All in all I think the modmic is great but not for me at this time. Maybe I might try one down the road but for PC duties I only need a headset when gaming with family or friends so I'd prefer an all in one package. Any other time I would be using a much better headphone anyway.

 

[biostud]

I thought really long and hard on buying the modmic 4.0. and using it with one of my higher end headphones but all i kept thinking about is having not one but two cords running from my head. Then I thought I could clip the wires together but then every time I want to NOT use the modmic I would have to remove the clips. Also I don't like the idea of sticking the mount onto the side of any of my headphones that cost me anywhere from $300 to $1200. Unless they stick with some sort of gel that is easily removed? All in all I think the modmic is great but not for me at this time. Maybe I might try one down the road but for PC duties I only need a headset when gaming with family or friends so I'd prefer an all in one package. Any other time I would be using a much better headphone anyway.

I don't notice the cords while using the modmic.

from their page: "The adhesive is a name brand 3M adhesive compound that should not damage nor leave any residue on any hard surfaces"

"How do I remove the base clasp?
Simply prying the clasp off with a fingernail should be enough. No tools necessary."

 

[WhiteNoise]

from their page: "The adhesive is a name brand 3M adhesive compound that should not damage nor leave any residue on any hard surfaces"

"How do I remove the base clasp?
Simply prying the clasp off with a fingernail should be enough. No tools necessary."

That's good to know. Really it was my main concern.