Choosing the Best Wireless Gaming Headset: From Logitech, to Astro, Steelseries and beyond

[Rick]

The magnitude of gaming headsets out there is bewildering. If you’re in the market for a wireless headset though, the dizzying array of options dwindles to fewer than a dozen choices. With my existing wireless headset on its last legs, I enthusiastically delved into spec sheets, customer ratings and reviews to find the perfect headset. As a result, I decided to chronicle my hunt for the perfect wireless gaming headset. I hope you find the resulting comparison useful.

When it comes to needs and wants, not everyone shares the same priorities. I did have some strong ideas of what I was looking for though. Function is king: clear communication, good comfort and dependable wireless. I am also willing to spend money for perfection. Voice quality is important, too, particularly because my friends and I routinely record our gaming hijinks on YouTube.

With that in mind I procured the following headsets for this hands-on review: Logitech G930, Corsair H2100, Astro A50 Gen2, SteelSeries H, Turtle Beach i60, Turtle Beach Z300.

Read the complete article.

 

[Hammayon]

Razer has like a dozen headsets.
Logitech has more.
Corsair has more
Beats has so many (which can be used on PC with bluetooth)
There are so many headphones out there.

Why only these 5? And the price ranges are so broad? It's not like you are comparing sub $100 headsets.

You should so best headset in the below $100 range. $101-200. $201-$300. and $400 and above.

 

[Julio Franco]

Razer has like a dozen headsets.
Logitech has more.
Corsair has more
Beats has so many (which can be used on PC with bluetooth)
There are so many headphones out there.

Why only these 5? And the price ranges are so broad? It's not like you are comparing sub $100 headsets.

You should so best headset in the below $100 range. $101-200. $201-$300. and $400 and above.

The keyword is wireless.

 

[methodc]

So you start with an intro mentioning an old Creative headset that's still being used by a friend. But you dont review the best bang for buck Creative Sound Blaster Tactic3d Wireless V2.0? As a matter of fact.. no Creative at all!!?

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

I remember the days when I used to use a gaming headset (not wireless, I would never touch those) and I thought they were fine at the time. I couldn't go back to using them full time since having switched to proper audio headsets and DAC's. The difference is like night and day.

 

[Axle Grease]

I need a modmic for the h2100. The mic level is ridiculously low at just 5cm away from my mouth, and the hissing only worsens when increasing in mic volume. Corsair haven't released a new driver since October last year.

 

[darkzelda]

I want a comfortable headset to use it for hours

 

[TitoBXNY]

Not a fan of wireless headsets. I haven't had luck with gaming headsets. I had a G935 and the build quality was pretty bad. It fell 2 feet off my PC and broke. The replacement broke in the same place a few months later just from wearing it. A third one broke again and I was done with it. I bought a G230 a few months ago and while it sounded good, It was incredibly uncomfortable. I purchased a Syberia 2 and while very comfortable, people always say that the mike sounds low. A guy on YouTube did an article on regular stereo headsets where you get a separate microphone and get the best of both worlds. Looking into that now.

 

[Luay]

Spot on review. Headphones, monitors too, are not a product to skimp on. I too ended up with the A50 and Steelseries H along with the sennheiser PC363 to choose from , which makes me feel sad for you to part with $300 of your money without giving it a try. Forget about everything else . It's all about those three models .

If there is one thing left for you to do to make the review complete, it's to compare the sound processor on each headset . Some of us don't have internal sound cards and use USB instead of 3.5.

 

[Rick]

So you start with an intro mentioning an old Creative headset that's still being used by a friend. But you dont review the best bang for buck Creative Sound Blaster Tactic3d Wireless V2.0? As a matter of fact.. no Creative at all!!?

I know... It's a shame.

Although not quite the one you mentioned, I had hoped to get a Recon3D to review. Getting my hands on one in time didn't work out though.

 

[Rick]

Spot on review. Headphones, monitors too, are not a product to skimp on. I too ended up with the A50 and Steelseries H along with the sennheiser PC363 to choose from , which makes me feel sad for you to part with $300 of your money without giving it a try. Forget about everything else . It's all about those three models .

If there is one thing left for you to do to make the review complete, it's to compare the sound processor on each headset . Some of us don't have internal sound cards and use USB instead of 3.5.

In all cases, the USB chipset was used at least for awhile. For the headsets that allowed it (e.g. SteelSeries, Astro), both an internal Realtek 7.1 and Xonar were used. Honest truth: not much difference between the three outside of EQ settings.

For headsets that can mix USB with a secondary audio, you'll want to use your soundcard anyway so you can adjust your game/chat program volume independently. But these USB chips sound pretty good.

 

[Rick]

Razer has like a dozen headsets.
Logitech has more.
Corsair has more
Beats has so many (which can be used on PC with bluetooth)
There are so many headphones out there.

Yep, as Julio mentioned... wireless. There are definitely headsets that were not looked at for one reason or another. I'm sure readers will bring their favorites to our attention. :-D

Why only these 5? And the price ranges are so broad? It's not like you are comparing sub $100 headsets.

You should so best headset in the below $100 range. $101-200. $201-$300. and $400 and above.

Of the six headsets, not all of them are in the same price tier. The 3 highest-end ones are ($300) though. This article is really more of a personal endeavor than a formal head-to-head shoot-out with benchmarks, strict testing methodologies etc.. Comparison are frequently made for the curious though.

 

[Axiarus]

No idea why anyone would want a wireless headset.

 

[Valken7]

Great article Rick.

I am in a similar position, looking for a new wireless headset for mainly my PC and PS4.

I have it narrowed down to the SteelSeries H Wireless, ASTRO A50, and the Sound Blaster Recon3D Omega Wireless.

I was pretty sure I was going to go with the SteelSeries H Wireless until I read your review. I sit under a ceiling fan and its always on during the summer (the office is upstairs). Now I am definitely reconsidering this choice due to the experiences you had with the wind noise on the SteelSeries. Is it really that bad? I have had wind noise issues in the past on other headsets and its always frustrating when your friends cannot understand you.

I really wish you were able to include the Sound Blaster Recond3D Omega Wireless in this round-up. Have you had any experiences with them? The ASTRO A50's are really tempting, but the lack of proper firmware fixes is disheartening and I hear that they can have others issues.

 

[axiomatic13]

Going to have to ape what you said. "I’ve come to the conclusion the perfect wireless headset for PC gaming doesn’t exist. "

I did extensive research around the end of Q1 and I too could not find a headset that checked all the boxes. Wired still seems to be king. My Sennheiser PC360's still have a better mic and better audio than any wireless can offer so far.

 

[baN893]

What a coincidence! I just picked up the SteelSeries Wireless H on Friday! Really good sound quality, you stay wireless, and it feels comfortable. Just a little sweaty after an hour of gaming, since it is a hot summer especially. The Mic sucks, but I have a condenser desktop mic, so it doesn't matter to me.

 

[Rick]

I was pretty sure I was going to go with the SteelSeries H Wireless until I read your review. I sit under a ceiling fan and its always on during the summer (the office is upstairs). Now I am definitely reconsidering this choice due to the experiences you had with the wind noise on the SteelSeries. Is it really that bad? I have had wind noise issues in the past on other headsets and its always frustrating when your friends cannot understand you..

Yes, it is pretty sensitive. Even on my ceiling fan's lowest setting, the H Wireless would repeatedly "phhhhhhhh". It wasn't continuous though, so if you push-to-talk, then you may get away with it. It may be that your fan and environment won't cause as many problems, but the only way to know is to try it.

I really wish you were able to include the Sound Blaster Recond3D Omega Wireless in this round-up. Have you had any experiences with them? The ASTRO A50's are really tempting, but the lack of proper firmware fixes is disheartening and I hear that they can have others issues

No experience with the Recon3D. Seeing that Astro has some issues too, maybe take a chance with the Recon3D and let us know how it goes?

 

[Hammayon]

Razer has like a dozen headsets.
Logitech has more.
Corsair has more
Beats has so many (which can be used on PC with bluetooth)
There are so many headphones out there.

Why only these 5? And the price ranges are so broad? It's not like you are comparing sub $100 headsets.

You should so best headset in the below $100 range. $101-200. $201-$300. and $400 and above.

The keyword is wireless.

Yes Corsair, Razer, Beats all have wireless headsets. (Some are bluetooth some have their own reciever)

 

[Rick]

Yes Corsair, Razer, Beats all have wireless headsets. (Some are bluetooth some have their own reciever)

Corsair - their flagship (H2100) was reviewed

Razer - Yes, the Chimaera. This was actually lined up for a test run, but it came to my attention the Chimaera had been out of stock *forever* at MANY stores... even RazerZone. It was assumed discontinued and not worth checking out.

Beats - All of their wireless options are Bluetooth. Bluetooth-only headsets were not considered. If that is incorrect, then its fair to say Beats was overlooked.

 

[WangDangDoodle]

I swear to Creative Fatal1ty. This simple, cheap, old headset has the best mic I've ever tried, and the sound is really good as far as I can tell (good bass). The only drawback: It breaks all the time, and it's always cable related. However, that's my fault for constantly getting snagged on the cable and other silly accidents.

 

[Nobina]

No idea why anyone would want a wireless headset.

Maybe becase they don't have a cable? Who knows...

 

[Capaill]

I've used a wired Logitech G35 for years and had long gaming sessions without any discomfort. I haven't had any problems except the outer covering on the ear pads eventually flaked off but I easily bought a replacement from Amazon for a few dollars. Lately I've got a bit more space and changed to full speakers but I still keep the G35 nearby for skype calls.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I'm using an old Logitech ClearChat bluetooth wireless headset - the model escapes me (and no idea how to find out - the headset doesn't say anything on it nor does the USB receiver) and it's passable at best...

Just assembled a new PC and was looking into a good wireless headset - has to be wireless as the PC is fairly distant from where I sit... and I tend to move to the couch and still need to hear....

I would love to hear from anyone using a "good" wireless headset not listed here... Creative Labs used to make good stuff - maybe their headsets are good too?

 

[Rick]

I've used a wired Logitech G35 for years and had long gaming sessions without any discomfort. I haven't had any problems except the outer covering on the ear pads eventually flaked off but I easily bought a replacement from Amazon for a few dollars..

I had that same issue on my Logitech G930. Yes, thankfully the replacements are cheap.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I found the G930 for $99 CAD (like 65ish USD) and went for it... so far, have to say they are pretty awesome....