Please help: need advice on Gaming Headsets

GeneticDeviant

I've been looking at purchasing a gaming headset. I want to have convincing surround sound and I would like to use it on my Xbox One X and Nintendo Switch.

I had thought about going for a Wireless headset, in fact many claim to be wireless but when you look Into them further they require a wired connection often via a 3.5 jack and in some cases do not support surround sound via wired connection. It's all very confusing.

I would like to use the headset obviously for gaming but also for watching ultra hd movies via my Xbox One X. I sit a good distance away from my TV which is why I figured a wireless headset would be best and wired would not be suitable.

Is wireless my only option?

Which headsets should I be considering? Don't mind paying premium price if the quality warrants it.

Thanks in advance.

drunkmonkey

This works with switch I just use it for Xbox and audio. I've charged it once and have it just over a month, great battery in it.
https://steelseries.com/gaming-headsets/arctis-3?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4t7wqZ7E4QIVq5XtCh3CswACEAAYASAAEgK5G_D_BwE
It doesn't look like a gaming headset which is a bonus, the mic retracts nicely.

GeneticDeviant

drunkmonkey wrote: »

This works with switch I just use it for Xbox and audio. I've charged it once and have it just over a month, great battery in it.
https://steelseries.com/gaming-headsets/arctis-3?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4t7wqZ7E4QIVq5XtCh3CswACEAAYASAAEgK5G_D_BwE
It doesn't look like a gaming headset which is a bonus, the mic retracts nicely.

I should say that I play my Switch mostly in docked mode. I see this headset attached via 3.5mm jack, is that correct?

drunkmonkey

Yea but you use the Bluetooth for switch chat. I use it wired with Xbox and then Bluetooth for music and movies etc.
It's meant to be best headsets for switch, I don't have a switch I wanted a gaming headset which is also a good Bluetooth headset.

TerrorFirmer

I have the Artis 7 and it's an amazing headset, love it. Pretty sure it and the 3 are almost identical, so the 3 is definitely a solid recommendation.

K.O.Kiki

"Surround sound" headsets are all junk.

Get the best stereo headset you can afford; a good game can give perfect surround sound as long as it's mixed properly in the studio.

GeneticDeviant

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

"Surround sound" headsets are all junk.

Get the best stereo headset you can afford; a good game can give perfect surround sound as long as it's mixed properly in the studio.

So I'm assuming I should be looking for DTS X 2.0 for a convincing surround like effect ?

K.O.Kiki

You can get amazing surround just from a good binaural stereo mix, e.g. Hellblade: Senua's sacrifice which is utterly creepy with headphones on - voices moving all around your head.

Mr Crispy

Cooler Master's MH751/752s are ones you should consider if you're willing to try a closed set. A headset that is actually built on very good OEM stereo headphones, but don't scream "gamer". They are wired though, but I wouldn't be looking at wireless for gaming personally.

Be warned; swearing and general douche-baggery in the video, but he knows his stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dov4ACf-Zj0

GeneticDeviant

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Yea but you use the Bluetooth for switch chat. I use it wired with Xbox and then Bluetooth for music and movies etc.
It's meant to be best headsets for switch, I don't have a switch I wanted a gaming headset which is also a good Bluetooth headset.

So just to verify ,. For the switch I can use this headset in docked mode wirelessly , as well as use Bluetooth to chat on discord at the same time also wirelessly ? Does it still try simulate a surround like effect ?

Robert ninja

GeneticDeviant wrote: »

So I'm assuming I should be looking for DTS X 2.0 for a convincing surround like effect ?

K.O.Kiki is making a lot of sense here.

Surround sound is done mainly software side https://toni.org/a3d/ but was ruined by patent trolls so we're left with inferior technologies. There is no such thing as real surround sound in headphones, they're right next to both of your ears so it's stereo. You just need a decent set of headphones. If you need a mic I use modmic https://antlionaudio.com/

My headphones are ATH-M40x if curious. Play some old games with amazing surround sound tricks. edit: the review that convinced me https://youtu.be/X6wBv03B1nk

The HyperX Cloud Headset is generally considered to be the best value for money?

https://www.hyperxgaming.com/us/headsets/cloud-gaming-headset?partnum=KHX-HSCP-RD

ZiabR

If you are after a wireless headset that does not completely break the bank, look at the Plantronics RIG 800XL.

Suckit

HyperX Cloud II are on amazon warehouse sale for €50 delivered at the minute (20% discount kicks in at checkout) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00SVE08FE/ref=olp_twister_all?ie=UTF8&mv_color_name=all

_CreeD_

There's some misunderstanding with the principle that because headphones only have 2 speakers then virtualised surround is useless. It's an overused over-simplification I see re-cycled on youtube/forums a lot. Even with a multispeaker surround setup you still only have 2 ears so the same (bad) argument could be made that all surround is useless as you still always hear in stereo. Technically yes but your HRTF (physical characteristics that alter sound, like the shape of your head, your ears etc.) allows your brain to correlate position from those 2 receptors. Virtualised surround seeks to take software defined audio positions and encode them in a way that makes sense for your HRTF.
SOFTWARE-Virtualised_Surround -> Stereo Mix -> 2 ears -> 'noggin correlated position.
Also true Binaural recording is NOT a simple stereo image, though it's often incorrectly used as justification for the stereo argument, it includes physical modelling of an averaged HRTF in the recording process. A game that touts Binaural is really using a dynamic HRTF in exactly the same way as virtualised DD, DTS, WavesNX etc. do they are just doing it 'under the hood'.

So, after all that I second the advice to get the best Stereo set you can, but marry it with a good virtualised surround option (of which there are many, including some great free options, you need to find the one that suits you best since they all use different HRTF models and at the same time our own physical HRTFs are also unique to an extent).

Varik

Second vote for the Plantronics, wired or wireless.

Headphones break and are a pain to repair but the RIGs bend rather than break and come apart.

Cordell

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

You can get amazing surround just from a good binaural stereo mix, e.g. Hellblade: Senua's sacrifice which is utterly creepy with headphones on - voices moving all around your head.

For that game they actually had recording sessions with binaural mics and voice actors moving around; afaik it's the only mainstream game that did it.