Gaming Peripherals Spot!
By Kiarna Jul 5th 2013 at 11:07 am MDTWe’ve all been there.
You switch the computer on and eagerly anticipating the login screen to your current game when you become aware that your headphones have gone silent. After disconnecting and reconnecting them, restarting your computer and fiddling around with the sound controls (and a few hasty expletives) reality slowly sets in…. it’s time to get a new gaming headset.
If you’re anything like me you honestly couldn’t be bothered shopping around for the best quality at a decent price. You are just as likely to go out and buy the exact same set that you have been using just so that you don’t have to go through the drama. Well that’s where I come in! I’ve been gaming on and off (just lately it’s been a lot more off than on =P) for around 10 years online and before that on PC based single player games. I also have a deep and abiding love of electronic gadgets. Until just recently I had more gadgets than shoes ….. for a girl, that’s saying something! My headset is still working well but it is beginning to moult and leave embarrassing amounts of black vinyl stuck to my face when I pull them off.
I set out recently to purchase a new wireless gaming headset and so I’d like to take you on my voyage of discovery… and maybe I might make your next wireless headset purchase a bit less stressful. =)
As I’m sure you can understand, these are my own opinions and I apologize in advance if I insult your favorite brand of headset!
Turtle Beach Ear Force Z6A
Pros: Comfortable to wear and mic quality sounded good to me. Sound was decent (nice bass!)
Cons: They looked really cheaply made, there was a little bit of hissing as the sound was turned up higher. It requires you to install a 5.1 channel sound card to your PC in order for the surround sound to work (and personally I wasn’t too thrilled with their idea of “surround sound”). Price - $AUD 98
Skullcandy PLYR 2
Pros: Bright colors! Mic quality was good and reasonably clear. Controls on the earpieces for convenience. Comfortable fit.
Cons: Sound quality was very ordinary. Price - $AUD 130
Logitech G930
Pros: Excellent sound quality with no hissing or distortion as the volume increased. Controls are on the earpiece with a mic that auto mutes when pushed up. FUN ALERT! - You can “morph” your voice to sound like a troll or a squirrel … this could get annoying after a while though! (For my friends but not for me! ^.^)
Cons: Bass was lacking a little for me. Price - $AUD 189
Sennheiser PC 163D 3D G4ME
Pros: Very light (7oz /200g) headset, sound quality was very good. Mic sounded clear.
Cons: Surround sound wasn’t true to form but it was more realistic than the other models I tried, however this didn’t detract from what I was hearing. Earpieces sat on my ears rather than around them which didn’t really give me an “immersive” experience. Price - $AUD 268
Astro A50
Pros: Well designed, controls located on earpiece. 3 modes - Media, Core and Pro. Media for music, Core has extra bass, Pro highlights ambient sounds. Mic auto mutes when pushed up. Headset goes into idle if not active in 5 mins to conserve battery life (8-10 hours). Ear cups were quite large and very comfortable, headset was light (12.8oz/363g).
Cons: Once again the surround sound wasn’t spectacular. Price - $AUD 348
After considering all of my options I ended up ordering the Logitech g930’s. They seemed to me to be the best sound quality while still in my price range. You have my solemn word that I won’t go squirrel on you ….. ok, maybe once or twice. =)
