Whether you're gaming, taking video calls, listening to music, or doing all three, a good headset makes a huge difference. There are tons of choices on the market, lots of them good, but this week we're looking at five of the best, based on your nominations.
Earlier in the week we asked you which headsets you thought were the best for whatever you may want to do—whether it's chatting with teammates in-game, talking to coworkers on Hangouts or Skype, or listening to music when you're not doing the other two. You offered tons of great nominations—way more than we have room for here. Even so, here are the five options that rose to the top, in no particular order:
Sennheiser PC350 Special Edition
Sennheiser's PC line of headsets has always been popular, largely because Sennheiser goes to great lengths to not compromise sound quality with the addition of a microphone. Technically the PC 350 SE has been discontinued, but it's still easily available ( about $127 at Amazon) and it earned more praise in the call for contenders round than its successors, the pricier Sennheiser G4ME ONE (about $180 at Amazon) or the G4ME ZERO ($200 at Amazon). In any case, the PC 350 represents a great compromise between high-end headsets and comfort. They're closed back, circumaural (and large, even in my experience) so they rest on your head without compressing your ears, and the drivers are designed to be more like headphones and optimize the listening experience over anything else, without anyone around you having to hear what you're listening to. That means they'll also function as a great pair of headphones when the noise cancelling microphone isn't in use. The microphone, for its part, uses Sennheiser's patented noise cancellation technology, and can be muted just by flipping the boom mic up and out of the way. The headphones are wired (analog via two 3.5mm audio output and input jacks), but the cord is long enough to connect and use without it getting in your way or it being too short. Finally, the collapsable design means the headphones are portable enough to take with you, but they don't look like huge, bulky, garish gaming cans when they're on your head and you're video-chatting with coworkers.
Those of you who nominated the PC 350 SEs noted that you love audio quality as much as you love hearing every detail of the games you play, or hearing your teammates when you're playing together, so it was important to have a headset that didn't compromise on either. You also noted that the PC 350 SEs were comfortable to wear, your ears won't sweat, and several of you praised the microphone quality above others in the roundup for its noise cancellation and clarity. Integrated volume control on the earcup and the fact that the microphone has an audible "click" when you swing it up to mute it or swing it down to speak were also nice features mentioned in the nomination thread. You can read more in that thread here.
Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma
The Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma headset will set you back $89 at Amazon, and for your money you get a closed-back, circumaural design with virtual 7.1 surround sound and a digital microphone. You can customize and "calibrate" (according to Razer) your own personal audio profile in the included software, to specifically accentuate highs, boost bass, or if you do a lot of video chatting or Skype calling, to bump up the mid-range so voices sound clearer. Plus, like any Chroma device from Razer, the lighting on the earcups is customizable (not that you'll see it while you're wearing them, but it's a nice perk.) The headphones connect via a 6.5ft braided USB cable to avoid kinks and tangles, and the microphone is retractable, so you can pull it out from the left earcup when you need to speak and push it back when you don't need it.
The Kraken was a fairly controversial nomination, but it earned enough support to make it to the top five. Some of you praised its customizable sound profiles and the virtual 7.1-channel surround sound, which makes for great positional audio in games. You also praised the mic quality, but the audio quality was a different matter. At best you referred to it as "great," but others of you complained that listening to music through the Krakens is muddy at best. Since the Kraken is actually a line of headphones, some of you noted that other models were better than the Chroma, like the Kraken Pro. You can check out Razer's other Kraken models here. One of you suggested the nigh-indestructable Razer Tiamat ($180 at Amazon) as a far superior option, with better sound quality and more robust controls, even if they are much more expensive. You can read more in its nomination thread here.
Logitech G930 7.1 Wireless Gaming Headset
Logitech's leading headset is, like many others in the roundup, designed for gaming. It's a 7.1 channel, Dolby surround sound wireless model that connects to a small, USB-powered 2.4Ghz receiver you can rest on your desk. The fold-up, noise-cancelling microphone makes sure that your teammates (or coworkers) don't pick up a ton of background noise when you need to talk to them, and the closed-back, circumaural headphones themselves sound great when you just need to hear your surroundings or listen to some music while you work, and block out external noise as well. On top of the audio and voice quality, Logitech has three programmable buttons on the headset in addition to the volume wheel and mute button. If you have Logitech's configuration software installed, you can program those buttons for specific commands in your favorite apps and games. Since they're wireless, you'll need to keep them charged though, and Logitech boasts 10 hours of use with every charge—enough to get you through a workday, or a few solid gaming sessions. If you run low on juice mid-use, you can plug in the included USB cable to charge and use at the same time. If you want one, it'll set you back about $100 at Amazon.
If wireless isn't your thing though, the Logitech G35 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset is the USB, wired option, and it'll set you back about $90 at Amazon. Those of you who nominated the G930 praised both models for their superior audio quality, and solid voice quality. Most of you noted great experiences gaming with it, like playing World of Warcraft, but a few of you said that you were more than pleased with them on Skype calls or Hangouts as well. Some of you reported about nine hours or so on a battery charge (in line with Logitech's promises), and great value for the price. You also noted that even though the headset may look oppressive, it's actually quite comfortable to wear for long periods. You can read that—and more—in its nomination thread here.
SteelSeries Siberia V2
Steelseries' Siberia V2 made this roundup the last time we looked at the best headsets, so it's no surprise to see them here again, even after several years. A number of you specifically noted that you've had these headphones for ages and they stand up to the punishment of regular use, too. The Siberia V2 are open-back, circumaural headphones, large enough to rest comfortably around your ears, and sport a retractable microphone in the left earcup. They're lightweight and comfortable to wear for long periods, and don't feel like you're wearing a huge, bulky pair of cans on your head while you game, or while you work. The flexible "suspension system" headbands stretch and move so you can wear them comfortably, and the individual earcups are adjustable inside their housing. The microphone can be adjusted to any position as well, instead of just "out" or "in," so you can position it close to your mouth (or farther away, if you're a loud talker), and the in-line volume control and mute button is easy to reach even when you're wearing them. The Siberia connects to your computer via 3.5mm analog audio input and output cables, and will set you back $59 at Amazon. It's also available in several colors, just to add a little personalization to your workspace.
Those of you who nominated the Siberia V2 praised them for being light, comfortable, and for being able to take a beating and keep working well. You praised it for its audio quality along with its comfort, especially at its price point—much lower than some of the other contenders in the roundup. One of you even mentioned that you rarely use it as a head set, and instead just use it for music because the audio quality is so good. A few others of you noted that you're on your second or third pair of them, and still love them even though there have been newer, flashier options since you originally bought them. In fact, one of you said you didn't like your pair....but you're still using them and have used them for the past 15 years. You can read all about it in the nomination thread here.
ASTRO A50 Wireless System
ASTRO's A50 wireless headphones are generally regarded as some of the best when it comes to both audio quality and voice quality, but you'll pay to own them—the "wireless system," which comes with a USB wireless 5.8Ghz (really using two-channel 2.4Ghz receivers) transmitter, display stand, and Dolby 7.1 channel surround sound. You'll drop over $250 for them at Amazon for the PC version, or $300 at Amazon for the latest Xbox One or PS4 versions. On the bright side, whichever one you buy you can use with any system, as long as you have an ASTRO MixAmp (a desktop amplifier and DAC that will set you back $130 on its own.) They're also over-ear, circumaural headphones with a closed back design that's comfortable to wear. Build quality is amazingly solid (and appropriate for the price), and the flip-up boom noise-cancelling microphone mutes when it's up and offers great voice isolation when it's down and in front of your mouth. The built-in battery should give you around 10 hours of use before you have to recharge it, and it can either charge while it's in use or attached via microUSB on its display stand. You also have the option to customize the audio profile (there are three EQs to choose from) to match the type of music you listen to or games you play.
Those of you who nominated the A50s praised them for great audio quality and fine tuning for in-game and positional audio. You noted that it's not exactly the clearest for picking out the nuances in music, but for games and voice or video chat, it's great. One of you noted that you work from home and use the A50s all the time—not just for chatting with coworkers and gaming, but listening to music, getting up and moving around the room, and then coming back—you praised its range and clarity even when you move away from the transmitter. Those of you who don't need the wireless aspect may consider the near-legendary ASTRO A40s, ($225 at Amazon, including a MixAmp, and $125 stand-alone) a wired alternative that also brings high-quality sound and voice to a well-built, high-end package. You can read more first-hand thoughts in the nomination thread here. Then, check out Kotaku's review of the A50s here, and their review of the A40s here.
Now that you've seen the top five, it's time to vote for the all-out community favorite.
Honorable Mentions
We have a few honorable mentions this week. The first one goes out to the Logitech Wireless Headset H800, which many of you nominated as an option for people who use their headsets primarily for video and voice chatting, and not necessarily for gaming. One thing about many of the gaming headsets—they kind of look like gaming headsets, which means they can be large, over-ear, closed back cans that boast great isolation and try to pump up audio quality for an immersive experience. If you're doing a video call or on a podcast, you may not want huge cans on either side of your head, so the Logitech H800s offer a slimmer profile that's still cable-free and Bluetooth enabled so you can use it with multiple devices. It'll set you back $100 direct, but they're rugged, portable, solid-sounding, with great battery life and can charge while they're in use. You can read more in its nomination thread here.
We should also tip our hats to the V-Moda BoomPro and the Antlion Modmic, both of which allow you to take your favorite pair of headphones, whatever they may be, and just attach a microphone to them when you need to be heard. That way you don't have to buy a new headset or compromise audio quality by giving up your favorite cans or earbuds. They cost much less, too, and offer solid voice quality. We discuss them—and some more options—in our guide to turning your favorite headphones into a headset.
Have something to say about one of the contenders? Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Don't just complain about the top five, let us know what your preferred alternative is—and make your case for it—in the discussions below.
The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at [email protected]!
Title photo by jayakrishnan.