Audio technica | Geektick

Best microphone for gaming

So, from my perspective, video games are a big part of our lives now, or at least the industry of computer entertainment is. Whether you like it or not, video games won’t go away. From numerous consoles and entertainment systems all the way to personal computers, video games have been in our lives for quite a long time now.

When you think about it for a moment, quite a lot of people have actually grown up alongside video games as one of the entertainment types. All the way from the simplest forms such as ping pong, to tetris and now, well, everything. If it weren’t for the entertainment video games have given me, I probably wouldn’t have a life I have right now, just like many others. Then, there are various types of video games and I’m sure in the future, there will be many more categories of them, but I just like to put them as following: singleplayer games and multiplayer games. It’s simple as that, if you ask me, because some of them are made to be simply played alone so you can get immersed in the story and just, enjoy it for a few hours, all by yourself.. and then you have those which are only made for multiplayer entertainment. That means you play it with other people from around the world. It can be your friend from the neighborhood or a random person from a different side of the planet.

Nonetheless, video games have created a brand new form of entertainment that will continue to grow and won’t go away for a long time, for sure.

Now, if you’re playing a multiplayer game, communication is a very important aspect of the game itself, so how do we achieve that? Well, in the distant past, you would have simple interaction dialogues with predefined messages. Then it moved onto an interactive chat interface, meaning you could type your message on a keyboard or using your joystick to communicate with other players.

Now, you have all of those combined, but there is a very big difference. We have voice communication now. I’m sure you already know of this as it’s been around for quite a long time now, if not since the 1990s, but it has since grown into an industry of its own. What do I mean by this? Well, let’s just say that the voice communication industry is a big part of not just video games and entertainment, but every other part of IT.

Taking that into consideration, sure, you could just call up your friend and invite him over to your place so you could play some games together, but imagine if that friend didn’t live near you, but rather in a different city, or perhaps even a different country? Say he was on the other side of the world, right. You can’t just call him up and invite him to your place so you could play some games. Sure, you could still play together online, but that’s not it, right? The laughter, the fun you have together, it’s just not right. Well, what you can do is tell your friend to get headphones with a microphone and say you will do the same. Now you can speak to each other almost exactly the same way as if you were in the same room. That’s perfect, right? Sure, there MIGHT be some drawbacks, but voice communication is very important not just for gameplay, but the entertainment itself.

Due to the fact that I have been in this ‘gaming‘ world for quite a bit now, over ten years actually, I decided to help out similar people around the world by advising them which products to buy in the whole gaming industry. In this article, I will go over some of the best headsets and standalone microphones for gaming. Some of them are inexpensive, some are not, but I can tell you for certain that all of them are good. Some more, some less, but whichever appeals to you the most, you won’t regret the purchase.

[BEST] ASTRO A50 Headset

compatible with PS4 & PC
amazing audio quality
adjustable microphone
Dolby headphone 7.1 Surround Sound
WIRELESS

Well, aren’t they beautiful? I mean, just look at them. Eye catching colors, beautiful design and the best comfort you can get out of headphones. What else could you ask for?

The Astro A50s are built and made with extreme care and precision because they’re made by people who know the industry extremely well and have spent years in it researching and developing the best headphones you could get so you can achieve the utmost gaming experience ever. As we all know, the audio in video games is one the most important things. Whether you’re playing Starcraft or Counter Strike, the sound is of great importance. No matter what game it is, without the sound, it is boring and in some cases, unplayable. That’s why you need great headphones, such as these.

I mean, just look at them. Other than the fact that they shine with elegance and coolness, you actually do get the top notch product out there. Of course, there are other really well made headphones out there which rival the Astro A50 very well, but as far as I have seen, I came to a conclusion that these, really are the best you can get right now. Other than the fact that they are wireless, they are also extremely light, which means you can have them on your head for a really long period of time and you wouldn’t feel any discomfort. Now, of course, video games might not be everything you like, perhaps you like music so you’re looking from that perspective as well.. In that case, these are also a good choice, however, due to the fact that they are wireless, there might be the slightest difference between the wired version and these.

The wired version is, obviously wired, but also half of the price of these. Why? Well, the obvious reason is because you don’t need the additional receiver/transmitter as they are wired so they’re just plug and play, but the other factor is that they’re a bit older than these, meaning you will get a slightly worse audio quality, but as far as I have seen, it’s really not that much of a difference, but if music is of the greatest importance to you, you should look at a different type of headphones then. Back onto the A50s from the technical aspect, honestly, you’re getting the best there is out there at the moment. The microphone on it’s own is a wonder when you see its quality, ability and everything else.

When I’ve tried this headset, I knew I was going to get really good results, but I really wasn’t expecting them to be THAT good. The microphone, not only is it directional, meaning it will pickup YOU and only you, but the quality it gives is absolutely astonishing. Alongside some of the software you can get from ASTRO, you can freely adjust the settings of the microphone using various settings, lowering its sensitivity and similar. You really are given all of the settings you can get so you can fully control this headset. Other than the glorious microphone, let’s not forget the audio you hear. The sound quality for video games is by far the best I have experienced, no matter what game you’re playing. I’ve tested it on Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2, Battlefield 4 & 1 and really, it’s absolutely amazing.

No one complained about the noise in the background I intentionally made as no one could hear it. This headset truly is made for gamers. If you choose the wireless version, that means you can walk around your whole room, if not the whole home without any impairments to the sound. My friend from the UK did this test specifically for me over TeamSpeak as he has the same headphones. He would get up from his desk and just walk around his home while constantly talking to me. I could hear a bit of a quality drop when he was outside his home, but while he was on the inside, there were no problems whatsoever. So yeah, that’s why this headset is gilded with the BEST category tag.

[BEST SELLER]SteelSeries Siberia 800

SteelSeries next-gen speaker drivers
closed ear-cups
Dolby cirtual 7.1 surround sound
Retractable microphone
WIRELESS

Simply said, this headset just shines with elegance, comfort and luxury. It looks sleek and simple, but it offers so much. First off, it’s wireless, which is a great addition, especially to gamers on the move as these headphones are very compact, so if you like to play games a lot, but you travel quite often, this headset is a very good option as you can rotate the speakers so it can be placed in a tight area, such as a bag or a briefcase. Other than that, the microphone is retractable and it basically disappears if you decide not to use it. All you have to do is push it inside the left speaker and that’s it. When it’s retracted, only its reddish tip is visible, so it’s really nice for various types of entertainment. Other than the luxurious look, the sound fidelity is astonishing due to the fact that the ear cups are closed inwards so you achieve total isolation from the surroundings and none of the sounds will leak out directly, but that’s not it. They are really, really comfortable on your head and ears. There’s no excess pressure being exerted onto your ears and due to their low weight, they’re pretty much perfect in that category. They come in black and greyish color which both fit nicely on this design of headphones. They’re somewhat similar to the older versions of the Siberia series, but they are more different than similar if you look it at from the greater perspective. You still have the round shaped speakers which are able to rotate. The additional full length padding on the arc which covers the head is there, as well, so yeah, the design is somewhat still the same, but they have certainly upgraded the specifications and abilities of the Siberia series. As always, due to the fact that these are wireless, you will always gain higher quality on wired versions, but as far as I have noticed, there isn’t a difference. You are paying for quality product, that is for certain, so if sound quality worries you, it shouldn’t as the Steelseries products have proven high quality over a lengthy period of time in the past and I stand behind this decision as both my friend and me had a different version of Steelseries products, and there is no doubt.. They do deliver quality and luxury.

A unique thing about this headset is the fact that you receive two Li-Ion batteries. Not one, but two. You can charge the second one while using the first one, so when the first one is depleted, you just swap them out and continue gaming, no hassle in that! As per me, this headset really does deserve the BESTSELLER category tag as it’s not overly expensive and I’ve seen a lot of Twitch streamers and YouTube gamers use these. If you consider the pricetag of $240 and the quality this headset offers, it’s a very good trade off.

[BESTBUY] HyperX Cloud Revolver

Studio grade sound quality
Steel frame
Detachable microphone
50mm sound drivers
Compatibility with PC/PS4/MAC/Xbox One

If you’ve ever followed up with HyperX products, then this one will look very similar to one of their most popular products ever, the HyperX Cloud II headset. We can say this is the version two of that headset as this one looks very similar to the Cloud II and obviously, it’s better. As stated previously, it’s built from a steel frame which makes it extremely durable and stiff while at the same time it provides comfort. Don’t let the steel frame worry you as this headset is actually very comfortable on your head. It’s not too lose and it’s not too tight, it’s pretty much perfect. I mean, it’s made from steel, there’s no way you can break this, so if you accidentally drop them on the ground or something similar, there shouldn’t be worry about them breaking or anything.

Of course, there’s the iconic red colour which braids the top part of the headphones, the headrest and in addition to that, the sides of the speakers are glowing in red as well, representing the HyperX logo alongside some stylish lines in a circle, as you can see in the picture. Other than the great design, they provide really good functionality as well. There’s an additional software you can obtain from HyperX for extra sound effects and adjustments, but it’s not necessary. The headset itself is plug & play so it’s pretty straight forward. There is one slight drawback though. They aren’t very compact as other headsets. They’re bulky and slightly heavy. The weight isn’t a problem as it’s countered by the huge amounts of ear and head padding which makes them very comfortable actually, but you can’t carry these around everywhere. I mean, you just can’t due to their size and inability to rotate and bend, but they are absolutely amazing for their price if you plan on using them at your home.

The microphone itself is the main part of these as it looks relatively small and simple, but in reality it really isn’t. The best thing about it is that you can detach it very easily and it will look as if it wasn’t there, so if you just want to chill in the evening hours while going through the gameplay of your favorite game, just detach the microphone and enjoy. The great quality of the microphone is just an extra cherry on the cake as well, as I personally had no trouble using it in communication with random players and my friends both in game and over TeamSpeak & Discord, so I can say with certainty that it is very good. Because of that and its great price, I decided to place it as the winner of the BESTBUY category. If you’re on a budget, but you’re also looking for great quality, then you wouldn’t make a mistake by purchasing this headset.

Blue Yeti Pro

Four different polar pattern settings
Cutting edge A-D converter chip
Built-in amplifier for zero-latency monitoring
15 Hz – 22 kHz frequency response

Now, this microphone caught my eye with quite a few things. First off, it looks amazing. The vintage look really appeals to the user and it’s just, pretty. Reminds me of those old microphones in studios before the 2000s. There’s also the fact that this microphone has multiple outputs. An XLR output if you really want to use this microphone to its maximum potential, and an USB output, for the quick plug & play action.

I wouldn’t say it’s great for portability as it really isn’t, but if you really have to, you wouldn’t have much trouble moving it around, just be careful, because it is absolutely amazing. It is somewhat heavy, but when you see what it has to offer, you will understand why the extra weight.

The single greatest thing anyone has ever implemented onto dedicated microphones is the simple and separate button for muting it. And it’s there. You don’t have to unplug the cable, you don’t have to mute it in sound manager, you just press the button and it’s muted, so if someone walks into your room, just press that button and no one will be disturbed. There’s also a volume knob for, well duh, adjusting the volume of the microphone output and it’s that simple, really.

The additional XLR output on the bottom of the microphone is amazing as you can use an additional external amplifier or a different device for other uses and hook it up directly to the microphone using the XLR output, provided you have the necessary wiring. This means, that if you ever want to record music, instruments, vocals, anything that is very dependent on quality of the sound, you can achieve it with this microphone. I’ve heard numerous popular YouTubers claim that this is one of the best microphones out there and I can’t disagree. I haven’t encountered a better one so far.

The coolest part about this one is the four different pattern settings. What does that mean? You can choose what type of monitoring (recording) you want the microphone to be in. It can be stereo, cardioid, omnidirectional and bidirectional.

The stereo mode means it will pick up sounds on both the left and the right channel and it is ideal for recording almost any type of sound. Cardioid mode is crafted for podcasts, vocals or game streaming. It captures the sound only from one direction, so positioning the microphone in front of you while live streaming and picking this mode is the perfect combination.

The omnidirectional mode is quite cool, to be honest as it captures audio coming from all directions. If you want to capture 3D sound or gain the 3D effect with sound, this mode will suit you the best. Last but not least, we have the bidirectional mode and simply said, it records from two sides, which is perfect if you are recording two vocals, or you’re playing with a friend in the same room.

This microphone combined with an adjustable stand you can also purchase is pretty much the perfect combination. It has all you want out of a microphone and it won’t disappoint you.

Audio-Technica AT2020 USB microphone

Condenser microphone with USB output
A/D converter with 16 bit, 44.1/48 kHz sampling rate
Internal headphone amplifier for clarity and musical detail

Now, the point of this article was to review microphones for gamers and so far it has been a great trip, but it was headsets only, meaning you would receive a microphone and headphones in one. However, as the primary focus is on microphones, I’ve decided to count in dedicated microphones as well because they really do stand out in that business as they are made for detecting and recording audio. Now, sure, it may not be very convenient to carry both headphones and a dedicated microphone at the same time, so this is a better option if you are certain you won’t be moving around quite of ten. Dedicated microphones are especially handy for live streams and YouTubers as they will always provide better quality than headset microphones. We also have to remember the fact that you can literally put this microphone on a microphone stand and position it anywhere you like, so there’s that. It can be above your head, it can be below your chin, on the side of your face, anywhere you like.

Now, onto the microphone itself. Made by Audio-Technica, an amazing audio-oriented company which not only produces superb microphones, but they’re also in the business of headphones and headsets, and they’re good at it. Previously, I have reviewed one of their noise-cancelling headphones with a microphone and honestly, I was left speechless. The stuff these people make is just amazing. When I was reviewing this microphone, I wasn’t skeptical about it whatsoever, because I simply knew that it would deliver what I wanted. Excellent sound quality without any issues and trouble.

The size of this microphone is very impressive as well because you would usually expect a dedicated microphone to be relatively bulky and large, but this model actually is not so big. You could certainly put it in your front pocket of your pants if you wanted to. Now, of course, the sound quality is the main thing about microphones and I can tell you with assurance that you would not regret buying this. You get a quality-made stand which can have its angle adjusted, so technically saying, you could have this microphone placed anywhere on the desk and it will pick up your voice. It is almost fully omni-directional, meaning it can pick up sound coming from almost all directions. The exception being its two sides which are covered with the frame and the bottom part. Other than that, you really do get an amazing product for the price you pay, which actually isn’t as high as you would expect for such a great product. Then again, even if you’re not a gamer, this microphone is still great for you. Say you’re an instrument player. Buying this microphone is a perfect product for you as it will record all of the sounds you create with your instrument and voice, no joke.

One last thing I would like to note about this microphone as seen in the title of it is that it is USB connected, which makes things even easier. You don’t need any other external adapters and/or converters. You just plug it into the USB port and it’s ready to go. It’s that simple!

Rode NT-USB Condenser Microphone

USB connectivity
On-mic mix control
Tripod stand, pop filter and ring mount included
Ultra-low noise

Very similar to the previous microphone from Audio-Technica, the RODE NT-USB microphone has a few more additional features at a slightly more elevated price, but the trade off is quite worth it. RODE is without saying, a great producer of quality and well made microphones and they offer numerous bonuses with their products. As you can see in the picture, just by purchasing this model, you receive a tripod stand, a ring mount and the most important of all, the pop filter shield which filters out those annoying ‘pop’ noises. Other than the great extras you receive with this microphone, there’s also one really useful thing on it and that’s the two mix wheels on it which lets you adjust the volume of the microphone itself and volume of the headphones you can plug into the microphone itself for realtime sound feedback.

The great visual aesthetic design is really pleasing to the eyes. The color is a perfect match and the USB cable is detachable so that makes this microphone quite portable, if you don’t mind disassembling everything every time.

It provides amazing sound quality, especially for instruments, but it is also great for gamers as it can capture even the slightest whispers, so you can truly get immersed into the video game you’re playing without yelling your heart out in an effort to signal your friend. The pop filter shield is a really useful thing, especially if you use the microphone on a daily basis as it filters out the ‘pop’ noise as previously stated, which can get really annoying in a very short time period.

The microphone stand is adjustable so you can place the microphone anywhere on the desk and just point it towards yourself and it will capture your voice without any problems. The additional volume wheels on the microphone are very useful, especially if someone walks into your room, you can lower the volume very easily without unplugging the microphone, so the usability of it is really good.

Other than that, it’s a really great piece of hardware for the price you pay.

HyperX Cloud II

USB Audio Sound Card
7.1 Virtual Surround Sound
Noise cancelling microphone
Echo cancelling
15 Hz – 22kHz frequency response
53mm sound drivers

Bulky. That’s the main characteristic of this headset. But don’t let that put you down, they’re pretty good in my opinion. I already had a chance to review these some time ago, but I decided to give them another shot as they were pretty good and I wanted to test them out further. This variant comes only in color of black which makes them look pretty cool. One would think that with great size, great weight comes, but surprisingly, these headphones are pretty light. They’re made out of plastic, but I tested how strong it was by trying to bend it, and it didn’t break. I did bend it quite a lot, but it didn’t break, so it is some high quality plastic. The reason these headphones are inexpensive is because they’re made out of plastic I assume because the technicalities are really good. I had no problems with the sound quality of both the speakers and the microphone, so there’s that.

The microphone itself is detachable, meaning you can’t retract it upwards or downwards, but you actually have to detach it to move it out of sight. That is a great thing if you have to move these headphones around quite a lot because you can’t rotate their speakers, but you can detach the rather large microphone, which is a good thing. They are VERY COMFORTABLE on your ears and head when you put them on and as sketchy as it may seem, the material the padding is made of does not look cheap as it doesn’t rip apart, doesn’t come off and doesn’t give off that weird odor after a prolonged usage of the headphones.

It also has an active noise cancellation on the microphone, meaning you won’t be picking up a large amount of unnecessary sounds coming in from the background which makes this headset a great choice if you’re playing video games in a loud room. There is also a 7.1 audio mode which turns the audio into more realistic sounding audio, but I personally didn’t like it on any of the headphones, but that’s just personal preference, so it shouldn’t cause you any problems.

All in all, a great piece of hardware for avid gamers for a relatively low price.

Turtle Beach – Elite Pro

50mm sound drivers
extremely soft ear padding
rotational microphone
12 Hz – 22kHz frequency response

The orange color on these headphones is what makes them look cool, aside the amazing design of course. The customizability is one of the key characteristics on these as they were made for one specific audience.. and those are hardcore gamers. Sure, you don’t have to be a hardcore gamer, but a lot of professional teams in various popular video games use these in tournaments and live streams as they are really, really good. Oh and did I mention they look cool?

The extremely soft ear pads are so soft you could fall asleep with these without any trouble. They don’t cause any excessive pressure on your ears nor your head so there’s no worry in getting a headache or sweaty ears. I mean, of course, if it’s blazing summer and the temperatures are high, it will always be not so pleasing to wear headphones, but these are one of the most comfortable I’ve seen so far.

The microphone is relatively simple and straight forward. You can rotate it upwards and downwards, so lining it up with your mouth won’t be a problem at all. The quality of the microphone is pretty good, but in this case, they have focused more on quality of the sound you receive through the speakers, which I understand, as it is very important in the tournaments. Of course, we cannot ignore the voice communication between the players, but I believe they have prioritized the sound quality of speakers over the microphone.

Now, I’m not saying it’s bad, it is very good actually, but you can get better ones for somewhat the same price. Other than that, a really great pair of headphones in my opinion.

Conclusion

If you’re a gamer, and I believe you are if you’re reading this article, let’s be real.. you need good gear to perform well. Whether it be a mouse, a keyboard, in this case a headset, it has to be quality made. If you’re reading this segment of the review, you will get the general understanding of the best headsets there are in the market right now. Maybe, just maybe none of these suit you, and I’m sure that will happen as each gamer has their own and unique play style and requirements, and if that’s the case, feel free to contact me through the comment section and I will gladly help you out in picking the best headset for yourself.

All in all, this article was made in an effort to help out numerous people who seek the best voice communication device there is that they can afford and no matter what you are, a musician, a hardcore gamer, a casual gamer, I’m positive this article can help you pick your ideal microphone/headset.

Noise cancelling headphones with microphone

Audio, Other

Noise cancelling headphones – an interesting piece of hardware , and as far as I have witnessed, they are worthy of buying.

Just recently, I have come up to a great deal on one of these so I decided to purchase them, and to my surprise, they had a microphone attached. Now, you may be wondering, a microphone on noise cancelling headphones? What? That’s the same reaction I had when I found these and I was pretty hesitant about them due to the uniqueness, however, I have decided to proceed down with the purchase.

To my surprise, they have turned out to be, actually very good, both in physical and audio quality. Now, one may ask, why would you ever need noise cancelling headphones with a MICROPHONE? Who knows, perhaps you like listening to music while isolating yourself completely from the outside noises, or you are an avid gamer such as myself and require crystal clear sound.

No matter the reason, the headphones I had bought the first time encouraged me to test out a few more with same or similar capabilities, and I have ventured far throughout the course of a whole month to reach the conclusion you all want to hear. THESE THINGS ARE MARVELOUS.

Each of these provide amazing noise cancelling technologies paired with superb microphones to provide you with excellent audio quality.

Myself, I have tested seven of these and all of them turned out to be great in what they claim to provide. They come from multiple brands, if that’s what concerns you, and almost each of all these have their own unique selling point, which is great. Now, to get onto the reviews themselves, I shall present each of the headphones individually and determine the three winners in three of the categories: BEST, BESTBUY & BESTSELLER according to their specifications, usability, price and market value. Below is a table of contents for easier navigation.

Content:

[BEST] Sennheiser HMD 27
[BEST SELLER] Razer Blackshark
[BEST BUY] HyperX Cloud II
Audio-Technica ATH-ADG1x
Bose QuietComfort 25 ANS
Jabra Evolve 80 ANS
Sennheiser PC 350
CONCLUSION

[BEST] Sennheiser HMD 27

dynamic microphone
protection against noise peaks(>110dB)
modular microphone
impedance: 64 ohms
frequency response: 8 – 18 000 Hz
distortion: <0.1% @ 1KHz
extremely accurate sound reproduction

Now these headphones are really unique, first off with it’s design and second off by the precision of the sound. It is absolutely amazing what people at Sennheiser are able to do. These are professional broadcast headphones made for audio engineers and commentators and the price of these is very high as they have been released very recently, however I think the functions it offers out-weight the high price bar. Now, honestly, I would not recommend this to a casual music listener because the price is really high and you can probably get a somewhat better product if you searched a little for way less money.

As I have said, these headphones have been made with a goal to be used by commentators and mostly audio engineers out in the field, however that does not prevent anyone from buying these and using them at home for recreational use. I must advise you, if you do decide to ever buy these, you will not give your money away for nothing, that is for certain. This is pure quality. When they were creating these headphones they were aiming for low weight, high accuracy headphones, and they managed to accomplish that. The ability to be so modular is what makes these headphones really shine. For example, you can use any other cable from these series of headphones with these headphones, or, another good example would be the fact that you can mount the microphone on either the left or the right side, the choice is completely yours, both sides have support for microphone so it’s all up to you and personal preference. Technically speaking, these are heavy-duty headphones made for work in the field such as big events and similar, but they have proved themselves to be also good in casual environment, like your home or office space.

It’s ability to produce sound at such clarity and accuracy is the selling point of these headphones. When you first try them out, you will never want to go back to anything else, seriously. Alongside the exceptional sound quality, you have great noise isolation which comes from carefully engineered ear cushions which are so nice and comfortable for your ears that you will never want to take these off. The ability to be modular is one the crucial points as well. You can take it apart if you have to travel, you can fold it, but that may be slightly difficult because it is quite large, however, like I said, you can always disassemble it for easier packing up. The cushion on the top of headphones is amazingly done as well, while it may mess up your haircut just like any other headphones, it will leave your head without any irritations or pain.

Sennheiser has really given their best with this piece, the comfort bar is through the roof. Even if you are an audiophile, you will like these, no matter how big and expensive they are. They are made for perfection and accuracy, and that’s what they offer.

One last thing I would like to talk about when it comes to these headphones is the round microphone which I have already mentioned a little. The best thing about it is that you can attach it to either the left or the right side of the headphones, it all depends on your preference. The technicalities of the microphone itself are rather interesting because you would expect a bigger microphone with such powerful features. It’s a dynamic microphone which stands out due to a strong and powerful pattern for audio recordings and transmissions in the highest quality even in really loud and noisy environments.

Whether you are an audio engineer, a studio producer, a casual gamer or a really big fan of music, these headphones will set you down for $500, but it’s worth every penny.

These headphones are very pricey, but they do reason that high pricing with it’s build quality and the features it brings, so we’ve decided this is the winner of the BEST category.

You can buy these below:

[BEST SELLER] Razer Blackshark

military helicopter headset design
superb sound isolation
great flexibility
3.5mm audio cable, 4 feet cable
40mm sound drivers (neodymium)
frequency response: 20Hz – 20KHz
impedance: 29 ohms

Well, isn’t she a beauty? These headphones have caught my attention the most by far. They are robust, big, bulky, flexible and I love these sort of headphones, however most people may not as they are looking for simple and useful headphones. Right, well, these are really made for a specific group of people, and I know for certain that those people need these sort of headphones.

Amazing sound isolating combined with a unique-style heavy-duty microphone that is actually good is what really makes these headphones stand out, other than the look of course. First thing that catches everyone’s eye is the fact that they are absolutely huge. Well, yes, they are designed after military helicopter headsets, that was the grand idea, which turned out to be actually very good. They combined excellent hardware with a flexible and heavy-duty design and added just a little bit of that green color to make it look even cooler.

Right, well enough about the looks, let’s move onto technical aspects of these headphones. They are big, so you may think to yourselves: “Well, if they are this big, they have to be powerful, right?“. You’re not wrong if you thought that. These pack a punch, like, a big one. First off, the sound quality itself is superb. These headphones can be used for music, podcasting, watching movies, series and shows, playing video games, whatever you like and want. They are that powerful. A bit heavy, but that is out-weighted by the technical aspects. I have tried various music genres on these headphones because I liked these the most, so I really wanted to put them to the test, and I did. Honestly, I have nothing negative to say about the sound quality. I may not be a musical prodigy but I can hear the difference between decent, good and excellent, and these fall under the ‘excellent’ category when talking about sound quality. If you like getting loud and freaky, the volume won’t be a problem either, because these can go really loud, however as it is the case with every headphone out there, if they can be really loud, they can also leak sound, so if you really turn it up to 100% volume, some of the sounds will be audible for the people around you, so keep that in mind.

Moving onto the microphone, simply said, it’s a piece of art. You can move it in pretty much any direction. Three anchor points allow you for pretty much any sort of customizability and flexibility, so there is absolutely no reason to get worried if the microphone is going to be hitting your mouth, or your nose and similar. As these headphones kept reminding me of those big and bulky headphones commentators use on sport matches, I decided to test the microphone possibilities in a podcast, and was that a great idea? Well, yes it was. The sound quality this microphone is able to capture is astonishing. Taking into effect it’s noise cancellation, this thing is a beast. It can do whatever you need it to do, whether you’re on a huge tournament in a loud arena, or simply in a noisy room, this thing will do everything it can just to block out the unnecessary sounds from the background, and damn does it do a fine job at it. One thing I have not mentioned which makes these headphones even better is the ability to detach the microphone in such a way that when you take it off, the headphones don’t even look like they had a microphone there. There are no holes left over, nothing.

The thing that impressed me the most about these headphones is the microphone. The fact that it can capture such high and low frequencies basically means it can be used for almost anything. Studio? Sure. Gaming? Sure. Skype Calls? Sure, though it is overkill if you are only going to use these headphones for Skype calls.

All in all, a great piece of hardware that you should definitely get in my personal opinion, especially if you are into video games quite a lot.

These headphones win the award of a BESTSELLER as they do prove their build quality as really good and the features it brings alongside that. All of that while considering great pricing, these headphones are truly the bestseller from the headphones we’ve reviewed.

You can buy these below:

[BEST BUY] HyperX Cloud II

7.1 Virtual Surround Sound
53mm sound drivers (neodymium)
USB connectivity
passive noise cancellation
active noise cancellation microphone
weight: 272 grams

These are my favorite when it comes to video games. They have everything you’d ever look in headphones for gamers. Cool design? Check. Great microphone? Check. Wide range of frequencies? Check.

It’s basically a perfect match, if you are looking for something like this. I myself have tried these with both music and video games and I have come to a conclusion that these do excel more at video games than music, however you can still listen to music on these on daily basis without any issues. It’s just the fact that these headphones are very, very bulky. They’re large, but the low weight compensates for that which makes wearing these very weird due to the fact that you are wearing huge headphones, but they feel so light.

As big as they may look, you can do a few customizations which prove to be very useful. You can take off the microphone, which makes it detachable so if it’s bothering you and just causing distractions, you can detach it just by unplugging out from the left headphone. It’s that simple, just make sure you don’t lose it! You can also replace the cushions to a color you want, but the default color is black which fits the theme and design really great in my opinion.

But let’s talk about the main point of these headphones, the noise isolation/cancellation. Yes, it is passive, but the big cushions really make up for it due to the fact that you can raise the volume so high, you wouldn’t be able to hear a drill next door if that was the case. Even if you do not want to increase the volume to high levels, the cushions themselves provide great sound isolation. The most you will hear from common background noises are just muffled sounds that make it through, so really, it shouldn’t be a concern.

The amount of features these headphones have is mind blowing. From custom software support to a custom made sound card in the headphones themselves, they should and will satisfy your every gamer need when it comes to sound. One of the key features that really caught my eye was the unique audio control box these headphones have. It offers so many features while keeping itself pretty small. You can mute, unmute your microphone, lower and raise the volume of course, turn on and off the 7.1 mode, and the best thing about this control box is the fact that it has it’s own amplifier sound card inside of it that modulates and amplifies the sound as needed for optimal gaming experience.

The microphone is really well built too. You would usually expect a well made microphone to look elegant and luxurious, and while this one doesn’t look luxurious and such, it is well made and it has proven itself on that point. It looks simple and it is simple. There’s a phrasing I like a lot and it goes along the lines of: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” and this microphone is a good reflection of that quote.

The best thing about it is it’s quality. Due to the fact that these headphones offer active noise cancellation for the microphone, you shouldn’t be worried about that AC or fan in the background causing trouble on TeamSpeak, Skype or similar. It isolates and cancels out the unnecessary sounds perfectly and basically, it does its job perfectly.

Sure it may do it’s job, but we also have to take in effect the fact how the headphones themselves look like, and in this case, for gamers, it’s perfect, if you ask me, however I may contradict myself here. No matter the look, if the technical specifications satisfy your needs, you should not worry about the looks and visual aspect of the headphones.

We were really in detail with the grading and we’ve concluded that these headphones deserve the BESTBUY award from us as it presents great quality and features alongside a reasonable price.

You can buy these below:

Audio-Technica ATH-ADG1x

53mm audio drivers
frequency response ranging from frequencies of 5 Hz to 35,000 Hz.
sensitivity: 99dB/mW
impedance: 48 ohms
weight: 285 grams, without the cable
microphone: Condenser, with sensitivity rated at -41dB
connector is the usual 3.5mm gold-plated stereo mini-plug

These headphones shine with elegance and uniqueness. With specially designed 53 mm drivers, they provide high-fidelity sound which you seek for. Despite their bulkiness and a weird looking design, these are one of the most comfortable headphones I have personally tried, and trust me, I have went through many. The comfortable ear padding they come with is pure bliss for ears, especially if you have to wear these for extended periods of time. Well suitable for long gaming events and extensive music sessions, depending on your choice and need.

A major problem for me was that after extensive use of any type of headphones, I’d start to get uncomfortable and all, and I just couldn’t get rid of the feeling. Well, due to the fact that these headphones have really well made and comfortable ear-cushions, it makes using these headphones a job without problems.

Now, the second most important thing to look at is the microphone build and sound quality. So far, I haven’t had any issues with it, it records my voice perfectly due to the active noise cancellation it comes with as well, so I can safely say that Audio-Technica did an absolutely great job with these.

You can buy these below:

Bose QuietComfort 25 ANS

weight: 195 grams
4.6 feet long cable
bulky and comfortable design
a stylish carrying case
inline microphone

One of the greatest headphone brands I have ever seen. Like, really, these people make such great headphones that it’s astonishing. In general, they are heaven made for music enthusiasts as they provide low, mid and high frequencies at amazing clarity. You like bass? They got it. You like crystal clear vocals? THEY GOT IT. This is what years of experience and constant work makes, and trust me, once you try these, you will not want to go back. They are quite pricey, hitting the $300 line, however you will not regret giving that money to BOSE for these headphones. They have their own active noise cancellation which works really well and will suppress those annoying background noises you always hear when wearing headphones and trying to listen to some music.

However, there is one notable thing about these.. They do have a microphone, but it’s inline, meaning it’s not your conventional headset microphone that is foldable or detachable. It’s on the cable itself, so I would not recommend using these for something that really requires constant use of your voice as you might be hard to hear, may sound muffled and such, depending on the situation. It will however suffice for general Skype calls and phone calls, if that’s what concerns you. So, basically, if you are looking to play some video games with these, it can be done as the sound is impeccable, but if you need voice communication and interaction, well, I would recommend looking at a different headphones then.

Other than the great features these headphones bring, you also get a very stylish and aesthetic carrying case for your headphones and as they have the ability to be folded, that comes in handy quite well. The quality of the headphones themselves is amazing. After hours of constant use, I have not felt any pain or irritation on my head. The ear cushions are really well made and make it comfortable to wear these for more than a few hours. There is also the leather padding on top part of these headphones that lays upon the top of your head once you put the headphones on, so basically, nothing is uncomfortable.

I have to say, they really did look out for everything with these headphones. While there may be better alternatives depending on what you’re looking for, BOSE QuietComfort 25 really reach in multiple areas of comfort and sound.

You can buy these below:

Jabra Evolve 80 ANS

noise cancelling microphone
USB connectivity
‘busy light’ feature
folding microphone
one click noise cancellation

There is a lot to be said about these headphones. First off, the brand. I myself was skeptical about these as it’s from a brand I haven’t heard of before and in my experience that usually means it’s a bad product, however I decided to try them out as the build quality looked very good according to numerous pictures on the internet I checked out, and I have went through multiple reviews of these as well due to my skepticism about the brand and to my surprise, people were talking good and positive things about these, so I decided to try them. They arrived in a very good package which prevented any damage so that’s a plus for the seller. I believe the unique thing about these headphones that you can always recognize them by is the red decal that elongates around the headphones on specific places. The cable is also red, which is a nice addition if we’re looking at these from a design aspect.

The bulkiness is really a big factor with these. I mean, they are big. Big BIG. You wouldn’t be going outside with these I’m sure, maybe on a train or airplane, but that’s the most I’d go with due to the fact that they are so huge, it’s impossible to keep them low-profile, especially when they do not have the ability to fold, however, they are absolutely amazing for your home. I suppose the reason they aren’t foldable is due to the fact that they have so much padding that it doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable at all, even after really long use. I have found out that these headphones were specifically targeted for marketers, but they are excellent for video games and voice communication. One key thing these marketers needed was some sort of an indicator that will tell others that you are currently on a call, so if you are in Skype call, or your microphone is actively transmitting, a red light will turn on on the headphones indicating that you are most likely busy, so if there is someone in your room with you bothering you, they will know you probably cannot respond, which is quite useful when it comes to video games, speaking from experience.

They provide active noise cancellation (ANS) and you can activate or deactivate it by pressing the small button on the bottom side of one of the headphones, which is amazing. The actual cancelling isn’t a joke either, it really does its job as it is supposed to. Just imagine yourself in a relatively large room with quite a lot of people, and there’s a constant chatter, right. Well, when you activate the active noise cancellation on these headphones, the volume of that chatter and background noise around you falls down by roughly 90%. It might sound like a large number, but I have tried it myself and it literally works. Obviously it is more noticeable on less audible sounds, such as hums from your computer and such, and those will be completely cancelled out which is pretty impressive.

The sound quality overall is excellent. I mean, you are paying a little more than $300, so you would be expecting the best, right? Well, I understand the still present skepticism due to an unknown brand and such, but these headphones do what they say they do. The sound quality is absolutely amazing. You can hear the lows, mids and highs, depending on the music you’re listening to, but whether you are an EDM fan and like some bass or such, or a classicist and like the classical pieces, you will hear what you want to hear. Everything. I myself am a big musical enthusiast and I listen to multiple genres of music, like, quite a lot, and I have tried these out on multiple types of music and sounds. Guess what? They are amazing for all of those. You will not regret spending $300 on these, that’s for certain.

The last thing I’d like to point out about these is the microphone. It looks small, sure. It feels small, sure. But damn is that thing powerful. The sensitivity on it is quite a punch. I mean, they do offer noise cancellation for the microphone as well, but that microphone can pick up anything you want, if you want it to do that. So if you are a gamer that plays fast paced video games or something similar where voice communication is a virtue, these headphones are a great pick then. The active noise cancellation on the microphone comes in really useful if you’re in a busy room or something and you’re playing with teammates. You would usually hear them complaining about the noise coming from your side of the microphone, but with this one, in 95% of the cases, will not happen anymore. They really wanted to make a good product, and they did, gotta give them that.

Overall, these headphones are great, absolutely, however they are quite pricey and that may be the only factor that will affect your purchase of these, but if you have the money, go for it if it is what you are looking for.

You can buy these below:

Sennheiser PC 350

impedance: 150 ohm
frequency response: 10 – 26000Hz
sound pressure level (SPL) : 108dB
microphone: frequency response: 50 – 16000Hz
sensitivity: -38dBV at 94 dB SPL
standard 3.5mm audio cable

Sennheiser, a wonderful company who keeps surprising me every time I buy one of their headphones. Those people really know how to make headphones and I mean it. Whether you like full active noise cancellation or just casual cool looking headphones, Sennheiser is a wise choice to take. Over time, I have tried a few of their products and each time I would try a new one out, I would be left impressed and surprised, because the quality and features these people give to their products is just amazing. Sure they may look simple, or even cheap at first glance, but for the price of $180, they are quality made.

Starting off from the visual design and looks, they look pretty decent, even though I am not a big fan of the oval shape of the speakers, however to each their own. There is a reason for the oval shape though. If we go in detail about these headphones, we will find out that the primary goal was to create headphones for gamers, and this is what they came up with. Nothing overly attractive, right? Well, it’s not the looks that give it good points. Sennheiser has aimed for absolute precision when it comes to sound for gamers, because let’s face it, sound if really important when it comes to 95% of currently existing games, and people who play those games need good hardware to properly interpret the sounds coming from the games. From my perspective, the most notable game from that area is Counter Strike: Global Offensive and as that game and it’s tournaments are becoming more and more popular, more brands revolving around the headphone industry try to create products for gamers.

Well, this is one of them, and Sennheiser really killed it, if I may say. Not only can you play video games with these headphones, but you can also enjoy to any musical genre you want. Whether it be hard metal, or perhaps some relaxing classical pieces, these headphones will serve you that purpose. So, basically it doesn’t just go into one direction, but it goes in multiple. Would you rather buy headphones that are only good for listening to music, but you also play video games sometimes? Or would you buy headphones which can do you both at pretty much equal quality?

To be more detailed, if you are listening to music most of your time, you will be satisfied with these headphones as they provide you all three of the following: lows, mids and highs, when it comes to frequencies in sound, so there should be no worry revolving around that. Myself, I listen to various genres of music so I decided to put these to a test. I have tested different types of songs and musical pieces on these headphones to reach a conclusion that they will excel at it if you only want to listen to music while having a microphone available for Skype calls or similar. But if it’s not the music that interests you that much as gaming, well, I could not notice any negative sides about that aspect. I mean, I like games quite a lot so I did try them out in multiple scenarios, in a quiet atmosphere, in a relatively noisy one and a loud one and the results were quite similar, due to the noise isolation and suppression these headphones offer.

The microphone it self seems to be quite big at a glance, but in reality it’s not as big as it seems because if it were, it would constantly be in your field of vision which would bother you quite a lot if you had to focus on something specific, so Sennheiser did think of a lot of things before making these headphones. I’ve tried it out in Audacity and Adobe Audition and the pure recording you make, without any effects sounds like you recorded it in a quiet studio, granted the surroundings were quiet when I was recording, so you have to take that in account. The point I’m trying to make here is that you will have no issues in daily use of the microphone as it captures sounds and your voice clearly without any problems, and if you take a closer look, the microphone itself has an integrated pop filter behind the plastic part so in most cases, you wouldn’t need an external pop filter if that’s what concerns you.

All in all, amazing headphones if you like to play video games on daily basis and voice communication is a vital part to your strategy.

You can buy these below:

Conclusion

In conclusion, it really depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re more into gaming, but you need good sound isolation, you either go with Razer Blackshark or HyperX Cloud II, however if you are looking for headphones with which you can listen to any sort of music while also having an agile microphone there for your daily use, then it would be wise to go with Sennheiser PC 350. But like I’ve said, it’s all up to your personal preference and what you’re looking for, but no matter which of these headphones you decide to purchase, you won’t regret it as all of them are absolutely amazing.

To conclude it all, we present to you a very simple grading picture which displays the winners in each of the category.

We have analyzed all of the headphones in different aspects, such as their usability, build quality, price & market value and have picked a winner for each of the categories.