Headsets
Posted 05/06/09 at 5:34 AM by Vectivus
When I first started playing WoW, one of the big culture shocks to me was the expectation of voice chat usage. It was never an issue in competitive RTS for me, since most RTS stuff was solo; non-MMO RPGs simply didn't present the need. To contribute effectively in the MMO world, however, whether for PvE or PvP, being able to communicate quickly and effectively by vocalizing (as opposed to typing) concerns has obvious benefits.
As such, you're going to need a headset.
Headsets are a peculiar market space - you simply can't build a headset that is targeted at the high-end audiophile (one does not simply attach a microphone to the HD650!), and while you may love using a stand-alone microphone with your 5.1 surround sound system, your guild will have some feedback for you about your feedback.
So, what do you look for in a solid headset, knowing that you're not going to get mind-blowing sound quality?
1. Comfort
Comfort goes first here for a simple and obvious reason - this thing is going to spend a lot of time on your head. If you're in a position, as a gamer, to need a headset, odds are you're wearing it several times a week, for several hours per sitting. If you have to take it off every 30 minutes because your ears or head hurt, you may as well not have bothered.
2. Sound Quality
I know that I just finished saying that you can't have unreasonably high expectations of sound quality, but you should still look for something that you're going to appreciate. Caveat - test your headset with games and games only. Headsets are built with the intent of reproducing the sounds common to games or VoIP clients to the best of their ability - you're not going to get the impact-filled bass or crisp, tight high-end sounds of your music or movies from this device. Without getting too technical, look for:
- broad frequency response range
- high impedance
- larger driver size
3. Features
A good headset will be comfortable and have reasonable sound quality. A great headset will have those things, plus features like:
- fold-up to store/carry
- removable cable and/or cable management
- in-line volume control and mic switch
After experimenting with some cheap options from Logitech, Plantronics, etc., I eventually settled on the Sennheiser PC350 G4ME headset. This is not a device that I will listen to music on or watch movies with - it is, through and through, a gaming peripheral. Unmatched for comfort, it has sharp, clear sounds for gaming, and an excellent noise-cancelling microphone.
When I get a chance, I'll go back through and add some budget recommendations as well.
As such, you're going to need a headset.
Headsets are a peculiar market space - you simply can't build a headset that is targeted at the high-end audiophile (one does not simply attach a microphone to the HD650!), and while you may love using a stand-alone microphone with your 5.1 surround sound system, your guild will have some feedback for you about your feedback.
So, what do you look for in a solid headset, knowing that you're not going to get mind-blowing sound quality?
1. Comfort
Comfort goes first here for a simple and obvious reason - this thing is going to spend a lot of time on your head. If you're in a position, as a gamer, to need a headset, odds are you're wearing it several times a week, for several hours per sitting. If you have to take it off every 30 minutes because your ears or head hurt, you may as well not have bothered.
2. Sound Quality
I know that I just finished saying that you can't have unreasonably high expectations of sound quality, but you should still look for something that you're going to appreciate. Caveat - test your headset with games and games only. Headsets are built with the intent of reproducing the sounds common to games or VoIP clients to the best of their ability - you're not going to get the impact-filled bass or crisp, tight high-end sounds of your music or movies from this device. Without getting too technical, look for:
- broad frequency response range
- high impedance
- larger driver size
3. Features
A good headset will be comfortable and have reasonable sound quality. A great headset will have those things, plus features like:
- fold-up to store/carry
- removable cable and/or cable management
- in-line volume control and mic switch
After experimenting with some cheap options from Logitech, Plantronics, etc., I eventually settled on the Sennheiser PC350 G4ME headset. This is not a device that I will listen to music on or watch movies with - it is, through and through, a gaming peripheral. Unmatched for comfort, it has sharp, clear sounds for gaming, and an excellent noise-cancelling microphone.
When I get a chance, I'll go back through and add some budget recommendations as well.
Total Comments 2
Comments
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I have that same pair of headphones. The strength and durability of the unit is very important to me, but every single headset that I have tried only seems to pay attention to this on the headset itself, not the cord. And it is the cord that my cat likes to chew threw the day after I buy a new headset. Sennheiser has some nice curly cords like this set I have but I have not seen any of them on headsets.
Anyway, durability in general may be worth adding as something one looks for in a headset, whether it be because of a cat, or mid-wipe nerdrage, or general wear and tear. |
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It's hard to make a cable that meets everyone's perception of flexible and/or durable - there's a wide spectrum there, in my opinion. It's unfortunate that Sennheiser didn't make the cable detachable for simpler replacement, since you could then upgrade to a cable of your choice.
It's very strange that it's so long, too. Typical headset cable length ranges from 2" to 6", and this one runs 10" (if memory serves). Again, a good argument for detachable cables. You do raise a good point, though, about durability - I'll make mention of that in the future (and in this and my mouse posts, when I get a chance). The handful of Logitech headsets I owned, in addition to being uncomfortable, were cheap plastic - the reinforced band on the Sennheisers was one of the first things that drew me in, absolutely. |
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