The gaming headset is an essential element of your gaming setup and all pro players are equipped with one. That said, it's a fairly technical element and it's not necessarily easy to fully understand all the specificities that make a good gaming headset, but it's necessary in order to choose it well. That's why we've written this complete guide that will let you make your final choice from the preselection of headsets available on Maxesport.gg.
The headset can be used to listen to music or to watch a film, but for a gamer it will mainly be used to play. It can moreover become a real asset in game and even sometimes make the difference, notably in FPS games. That's why we've selected headsets designed first and foremost for this purpose, even if most remain very versatile. The goal of this guide is to help you find the gaming headset that will best suit your expectations, taking your budget into account of course!
How to choose a gaming headset?
To choose the best gaming headset, you need to take into account many characteristics such as the sound quality but also the comfort, the immersion it provides or the options it has. To do this, you need to understand each of your headset's attributes.
You'll also have to make basic choices such as opting for a wired or wireless headset, or the type of microphone. Then, depending on the importance you give to each element and your budget, you'll be able to make an informed choice. You'll also certainly have more affinity with certain brands.
How much should you spend on a gaming headset?
There are very large price disparities between headsets; you can find headsets at €20 (we strongly advise against them) and headsets at over €350. To have a decent headset, you need to budget at least €40-50 — that's the price of an entry-level model at Corsair with the HS35 or at Nacon with the RIG 300, which are very good headsets at that price.
To gain in sound quality and comfort, you'll need to budget between €70 and €110 — at that price there are many excellent headsets, and it's moreover the budget we recommend for most gamers.
Then, you reach high-end headsets with perfect finish like the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless or the SteelSeries Arctis Pro, with 7.1 surround sound and sometimes built-in sound cards, but you need to have the budget.
What are the best gaming headset brands?
There are specialists as with everything; each peripheral brand offers at least one headset model. But some brands have proven themselves and offer complete ranges that meet all expectations and all budgets. This is the case with brands like Corsair, Razer, SteelSeries, EPOS or Logitech. Note that brands like Fnatic Gear have released excellent headsets too!
The characteristics to know:
The sound standard of a gaming headset
The audio standard will have a big impact on your headset's sound; there are several sound standards for sorting headsets, each with their own characteristics:
Stereo: The stereo standard is the most widespread standard on gaming headsets. This type of sound is created with a driver in each earcup of the headset. It's therefore with two channels (left and right) that the sound is played into your ears. This standard is found on entry- and mid-range headsets; they can have very good sound, but surround will be more immersive and precise.
Surround: 5.1 surround or 7.1 surround is, originally, a standard for "home cinema"; these numbers correspond to the number of speakers present in the room to offer the best possible immersion. As for the gaming headset, it's the same thing but in the form of a virtual representation of this sound spatialisation. It's what offers a real advantage in game, because with surround sound you can hear precisely where the enemy is coming from!
DTS:X: This standard is roughly the same as the Dolby standard. If you're a pro, you'll see a small difference in the DTS:X sound that purists judge "slightly better" than Dolby. In both cases, these standards are often a guarantee that the headset is a high-end headset.
The spectrum
A headset has a sound spectrum; this spectrum corresponds to the range of sounds the headset will be able to reproduce. To simplify, tell yourself that for good sound with good bass, you need a wide spectrum that will cover as much sound as can be captured by the human ear. Some headsets go even beyond the human spectrum (20 to 20,000 Hz), which allows better treble and better bass without any saturation.
Impedance
The impedance of a gaming headset is the resistance it will have to the current. Basically, the higher the headset's impedance, the more power it requires to send out similar sounds. You should therefore favour headsets with low impedance, but as this aspect is generally well managed by manufacturers, there's no need to dwell on it too much.
The neodymium diameter of a gaming headset
The diameter of the speakers or the "neodymium", for connoisseurs, plays on the overall sound quality and especially on the bass. So, the larger the diameter, the better.
The microphone of a gaming headset
Knowing how to locate your opponent through sound alone is already a hell of an advantage, but communicating the info to your teammates, or being able to ask for an assist, is even better. For that you need a microphone; fortunately all recent gaming headsets are equipped with one, but they're not all the same.
There are different types of gaming headsets with a built-in microphone; these microphones can be:
Retractable: The microphone slides into the headset; you can use it like that or pull it out to bring it to mouth level.
Adjustable: The microphone boom is flexible, so the microphone head can be positioned perfectly.
Detachable: It's possible to detach the microphone, handy for playing solo or watching a video for example.
In our opinion, the microphones that offer the best voice reproduction are unidirectional microphones, because they capture it better.
Also opt for those that have active noise cancellation. This active noise cancellation will create a filter that will stop all the background noise behind your voice.
Your teammates will thank you if you get this type of microphone.
The sound card
To start with, you need to know that nowadays all motherboards include a basic sound card, often of fairly good quality. In our opinion, two reasons can justify adding a sound card:
- Wanting to enjoy a high-end headset 100% (over €150)
- Having a dedicated high-end microphone for streaming
Sound cards can be dedicated and installed in the central unit, but some high-end headsets include a sound card, notably to manage 7.1 surround.
The criteria to take into account for a comfortable headset:
Sound quality is a very important element for a gaming headset; that said, you shouldn't neglect its comfort. Indeed, it's not uncommon to feel discomfort after some time playing… which is very annoying. Comfort must therefore be a main element, and with a good gaming headset you should be able to play for hours without a second thought. Here are the main elements that will come into play.
A wireless headset
We've put the notion of wireless in the comfort section because today wireless gaming headsets offer the same sound quality as wired headsets without any latency. The advantages of a wireless headset are obvious: the wire won't get in your way and a wireless setup is always cleaner.
On the other hand, you'll need to recharge the headset regularly and they're often heavier and also more expensive.
So, if you play a lot and you have a limited budget, it might be better to opt for a good wired headset.
The headband
The headband is the part that rests on top of the head. It's very important because it greatly contributes to gaming comfort.
We advise, above all, choosing a headset with adjustable headbands; it may seem odd, but some headsets aren't suited to all head shapes. In our opinion, the best is to equip yourself with a dual-headband headset — one flexible that will hug your head shape and the other rigid to support the rest of the headset. If possible, favour headbands with wide and generous foam to best hug the shape of the head and properly distribute the headset's weight.
As for the weight, the lighter the headset, the more it will be forgotten. A headset that's too heavy could create a feeling of fatigue during long gaming sessions.
The ear
On-ear vs over-ear:
- On-ear (supra-aural): this is the type of headset where the earcups rest on your ears. You'll find these headsets rather in the entry range, because comfort is often lower for a majority of people and you'll hear the surrounding noises. On the other hand, if you prefer to hear what's happening around you, it can be a good choice.
- Over-ear (circum-aural): these headsets entirely enclose the ears, they rest around them. This characteristic is often found on high-end and mid-range gaming headsets. They offer unparalleled comfort, especially when the padding is generous. Moreover, the noise isolation will be optimal to let you fully concentrate on your game. Pro players all use headsets of this type.
The padding
The covering of the earcups' padding can be made of several materials. In leather, which will give better isolation and lifespan; in faux leather; or in perforated fabric to avoid the feeling of heat and sweating. It's up to you to see what seems most important to you, knowing that the covering material is more a question of comfort than of performance.
The best options on a gaming headset:
RGB gaming headsets
For fans of lighting effects, there are of course RGB gaming headsets. Sure, you don't see it while playing since it's on your ears, but on a setup it still looks great! In any case, most high-end headsets today offer RGB.
Remember to check the software compatibility if you want to create effects with your other RGB peripherals.
The buttons
The majority of gaming headsets feature buttons integrated directly on the headset to be able to adjust the volume without having to do "alt+tab", or to enable or disable the microphone. Small features that we like to have for conversations with parents in the middle of a game, for example.
Sometimes, all or part of the controls are located on a remote attached to the wire, which can be handy.
Compatibility
It's essential that you check the compatibility of your gaming headset, especially if you play multi-platform. Some headsets are only compatible with a PC, others only with certain consoles… to overcome this problem, some headsets offer adapters in their box. To be checked especially for use on several platforms.
The software
The software is much more than simple LED management. It lets you adjust the sound settings down to the smallest detail. Do your research before buying, that way you can select the brand whose software seems the simplest and most intuitive to you. If you already have peripherals from the same brand, it may well be the same software.
Which stand for my gaming headset?
Surprisingly, there are quite few gaming headset stands on the market and only a few brands offer them. Yet in our opinion it's a must-have for any headset owner; it lets you store it neatly and show it off.
There are basic stands like the Corsair ST100, but also stands that bring extra features like the Razer Base Station V2 Chroma with USB ports on the front and RGB backlighting, or the Cooler Master GS750 which features a sound card and even an IQ inductive charging station.
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