Wireless Gaming Headset - What do you recommend?

As the title says, I'm searching for a new gaming headset and am considering wireless.

Budget: $200

Please post recommendations below! First-hand experience is also much appreciated.

Thank you,
J.Dre

 

I don't recommend a wireless gaming headset at all, for the following reasons:

• Buy your audio gear from companies that make audio gear (Sennheiser, Audio Technica, Beyerdynamic, etc). Don't buy audio gear from companies that put flashy colored RGB lighting on keyboards and mice (Razer, Logitech, Kingston, etc).
  
  
• You won't find a wireless gaming headset from a company that DOESN'T fall into the colored-RGB-on-keyboards-and-mice group.
  
  
• There are significant drawbacks to wireless. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that wireless must be better, simply because it uses newer technology.
  
  
• The usual reasons of lower sound quality, etc.

For $200, I'd recommend:

• Wired headset: Sennheiser G4ME One; $159 from Amazon (link). I could go on for pages about how awesome this headset is. But let's just say that if you just want to buy the one item that is the best headset** for your money, this is it.
  
  
• I guess if you are dead-set on wireless, and don't care about audio quality, crappy build quality, wireless interference, inconvenience of charging batteries, annoying shut-off timers, and extended-wear comfort, look into the Steelseries Siberia H840 or Corsair H2100.

FYI. There are some people that would recommend you take your $200 to buy an entry-level pair of audiophile headphones, and add a detachable mic (including me). However, in your case, I am not recommending that route. It's less convenient than a true headset, due to the 2nd cable from the mic. You might get better sound quality for your money. But compared to a Sennheiser G4ME One (which uses Sennheiser HD558 drivers, which give excellent bang-for-your-buck), you're hitting diminishing returns. Yes, it might sound better. But unless you have a trained audiophile ear, and are specifically listening to music, you won't be able to tell the difference. Especially if your primary use for this headset is gaming, and not listening to lossless-encoded music.

 

I'd probably use a nice USB mic that can be placed below the monitor and get a wired headset. Wireless is cool but you can get much better audio quality out of a wired pair.

That being said, I'm an audiophile using DACs and amps, so going kents route is probably the best solution as that's still a very nice pair of cans.

Just think that apple earpods are like 30 bucks while the wireless version is like 170 for similar sound.

 

Ok, so I voted wireless and the audiophile in me in cringing right now, but the pragmatist is pretty happy.

A wireless headset is convenient, it is an overpriced peace of somewhat ok audio gear, but has some major convenience. If you're looking for good sound quality, this ain't it, it'll be ok on some, but nothing above that.

The Corsair Vengeance is ok, I got one (the 2000, aka the first gen one) that I only for VOIP: teamspeak, skype, etc. and since I tend to get away from my keyboard a lot, it is useful. When I mean that I will be away from my keyboard a lot, it's the kind of keeping the discussion going with friends while I do the dishes kind of away from the keyboard. That said, I have never and will never use it to listen to music. I got a nice pair of Sennheiser HD598 for that. My Vengeance headset has lasted for ~4 years now and as long as I plug it in to charge once I'm done with it, never ran into an issue of low batteries. If I forget to recharge it after a lengthy gaming session, it will remind me that it is running out of battery with a rather annoying beep some time the next gaming session.

Basically, unless you are likely to get away from desk with the headset on often, don't go wireless. If you want good sound quality, go headphones + separate mic.

 

Appreciate the detailed posts!

If I were to go with a regular pair of headphones (wireless) and a desktop microphone, would the Sennheiser RS 175 be a suitable option, even for a gamer? They seem to have very good reviews.

I'm not a fan of wired headphones. They'll be used primarily for gaming, anyway. I don't use studio software or anything. However, I do love movies, listening to music, and gaming.

 

No. If you're going wireless (which again, I don't recommend for multiple reasons - see the tiny text on Post#2 of this thread), go with a wireless headset. Do not get a desktop mic. It does not apply to you.

Desktop mics are typically for people that need better-than-headset microphones, for things such as podcasts or YouTube videos. And even then, I wouldn't recommend anything less than a $100 microphone for that (Blue Yeti).

You aren't doing any of that. You are using a headset, for VoIP communications while in-game with your teammates. You don't need a studio-quality microphone for that. A headset mic will be just fine, even as crappy as they are. If you decide to ditch wireless, and get the Sennheiser G4ME One, you'll find that it has an excellent microphone on it. Again, because you're buying audio gear from a company that makes audio gear.

If you go wireless, expect the sound quality to be about on level with a $30 pair of Apple earbuds, with the bass turned WAAAY up to the point where it's headache-inducingly muddy and unclear. That is why I am trying to recommend you against $200 wireless gaming headsets. They don't focus on audio quality. They focus on l337 G4M3rZ bL1nG instead, like RGB lights, virtual surround sound, and super-heavy bass.

A wireless gaming headset can be used to listen to music, movies, and gaming. But then, ti comes down to how much you care about audio quality in those activities. Gaming headsets typically have muddy super-heavy bass, which will make it hard to listen to human speed in movies, and mid-to-upper frequencies in music. If you care about audio quality in those activities, don't get a wireless headset. Get a wired headset, from a company that makes audio gear.

This is why I said wireless headsets have drawbacks, and that wireless isn't better simply because it's newer technology. You're basically forced to pick between audio quality of wired, or the convenience of wireless. With the technology we have today, you can't have both.

 

I had a pair of Logitech 930 that had decent sound and an great mic and I enjoyed the freedom from the wires but one of my kids friends broke the mic off during a lull in my gaming so I just went to using speakers until recently I started playing BF4 again ended up buying and using a Blue Yeti along with my speakers, I sound great on TS and in game but the mic is overkill. Whats cool about it is no I'm free to use whatever headset I can find and plug them into my desktop Bose speakers, I haven't found the perfect pair yet but I'm looking around, whats nice is that I can take the Mic out of the equation and focus on a pair of cans that will met my audio needs.

 

You can pretty easily get a cheap usb mic that works fine, I wouldn't say he would need a Blue Yeti. But... Other wise I agree 100%.

It literally boils down to wireless is convenient but sounds poor (30-50 dollar wired equivalent). Wired will sound a lot better but is inconvenient. Both of us clearly care more about sound quality, but that may not be you. Weight the pros and cons for you and decide what you want.

 

I agree if you have any preference at all towards sound quality you should avoid wireless.

If however you are like me and you have 3-4 different devices where you use a headset (Xbox, PS4, PC, etc.) it is really handy not to have to constantly switch the input cables. Maybe with your budget you can get a super cheap pair of wireless plus a dedicated wired solution and decide whether to keep the wireless or return later.

 

All right, Kent. You seem certain about those Sennheiser G4ME One's. Just watched a few reviews of the G4ME One's and they do seem like a good pair. I'll add it to the top of my list of choices. The thing I dislike most about them is the large mic in your face, but it seems built well.

That said, I actually just found a pair of G930's in my closet. They seem to be new(ish) but I think I just repackaged them. If I don't use these, I may give them away during my unboxing video (along with some other stuff) and will consider purchasing a new wired headset as suggested above.

However, I am looking forward to Streaming game-play from time to time, so perhaps a desktop microphone would do me well. Whatever my next headphone or headset may be, I want one with a USB connector, not two audio ports.

I appreciate the feedback, guys. Thank you. Keep it coming!

 

These look good. Good in the sense that it doesn't look like a spaceship and would be something I'd take into the office. Sound is supposed to be decent too. I love going wired but wireless is easier with multiple devices

http://www.lucidsound.com/headsets/ls-30.html


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