HyperX Cloud Stinger
Great sound at a price for everyone
Interface: 3.5mm analog wired | Features: Closed back earcups, Swiveling noise-cancellation microphone, Onboard volume slider, Multi-platform compatibility, Memory foam earcups
Lightweight
Excellent ergonomics
Unremovable microphone
Light on bass
Arguably one of the most affordable gaming headsets available today, the HyperX Cloud Stinger is designed to give players eSports quality audio at a bargain. While there isn't much to write home about with the red on black plastic design of the headset, the stereo sound is superb. It also feels comfortable to wear for extended play sessions thanks to a set of memory foam earcups. Although this isn't the ultimate gaming headset, it's a great starting point if you're trying to game on a budget.
Sennheiser GSP 350
Stellar Sennheiser audio quality for less
Interface: 3.5mm and USB (for 7.1 surround) | Features: Closed acoustic earcups, Memory foam ear pads, Right ear cup volume control, 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound, Broadcast quality noise-cancelling microphone, Automatic mic mute, Split headband design
Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound
Sturdy build quality
Comfortable memory foam earpads
Dolby surround only works with PC
More affordable than Sennheiser's flagship PC 373D while still packing an audible punch, the GSP 350 carries over that headset's stellar 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound and closed ear-cup design. It's equally a suitable for marathon gaming sessions thanks to its huge comfortable ear cups, with the right cup once again featuring a volume dial. The headset uses a closed-back design with an adjustable split headband, rather than the PC 373D's more solid and thicker continuous band. The GSP 350's noise-cancelling microphone is equally as good and once again mutes when lifted up while blocking out breathing sounds, much to the relief of your in-game team-mates. If you like the look of Sennheiser's flagship gaming headset but can't quite stomach its price tag, this one is a little lighter and slightly less solid, but still superior to many of its rivals.
Logitech G933 Artemis Spectrum
A command center on your head
Interface: Wireless or wired (3.5mm) | Features: 7.1 Surround Sound, Cup-mounted G-Keys (macro), Programmable RGB mutli-color lighting
Attractive design
Cup mounted macro keys
Comfortable
Average battery life
Logitech's flagship gaming headset packs in plenty of bells and whistles, the most useful being its cup-mounted G-keys that provide handy shortcuts to performing actions in-game. In terms of design, The G933 is certainly one of the snazziest headsets around and oozes gamer appeal, and if you're fed up of round ear-cups on headsets then you'll appreciate its large and comfortable ear-shaped ones. Logitech has ran a multi-colored lighting strip all the way down the cup, rather than placing a flashing logo on the side, which in our eyes is more appealing than the small glowing areas on Corsair's and Razer's flagship headsets. On the negative side, this cuts down battery life to around 10 hours. Turning off the flashing goodness will help you eke out a few more,
Corsair Void RGB
Lights up the room and your ears
Interface: Wireless or wired (USB) | Features: 7.1 software-based surround sound, 2.4GHz wireless, 40-feet wireless range, 16-hour battery life, Mic on indicator, RGB lighting, Corsair CUE software, 50mm neodymium drivers, Noise-cancelling microp
Well-built
Long wireless range
Surround sound works well
Cloth (rather than leather) ear cups
Microphone isn't great
If you're looking for a pair of 7.1 surround sound cans with RGB lighting that won't break the bank, Corsair's latest entry should be high up your list. Its excellent 40-meter wireless range means you can go for a wander without your team-mates' chatter cutting off, and the Void is capable of emitting fist-pumping bass that's powerful without muddying the mix. You can configure its lighting colors using Corsair's intuitive software and even make it dance in tandem with the company's K65 or K70 mechanical keyboards. Unfortunately, there isn't any way for adjusting the fold-down mic so its clarity often suffers, but it doesn't put us off what is a solid and affordable option for surround sound gaming.
HyperX Cloud Revolver
Affordable and comfortable with punchy bass
Interface: Wired (dual 3.5mm) | Features: 53mm drivers, Ear cup memory foam, Noise cancellation mic, Audio volume and mute controls, Detachable microphone
Good value
Decent build quality
Punchy, bass-driven sound
No surround sound
No headset controls
Here we have a no-frills headset that offers build quality that comes close to pairs that cost almost twice the price. You may have already come across Kingston's HyperX Cloud Revolver headset. Used by a number of eSports teams, its large interchangeable over-the-ear memory foam cups help block out unwanted noise, and the retractable mic allows clear and distortion-free communication with team-mates.
Despite its affordable nature, the Cloud Revolver is ready to rock. Its 53mm drivers have been tweaked to blast out punchy mid-range tones and pounding bass that's best described as in-your-face. Subtle they ain't. There's no surround sound support or RGB lighting to be found here, and you'll have to reach for the Cloud Revolver's braided cable to get to its in-line volume and mic controls. If those factors don't bother you then this value-focused headset comes highly recommended.
Asus ROG Strix Wireless
Low-input lag makes these great for gaming
Interface: Wireless | Features: 2.4GHz wireless technology; 900mAh battery; Headset-mounted control buttons; Virtual 7.1 Surround Sound; Sonic Studio software' Compatible with PC, PS4, Xbox One, smartphones, and tablets.
Great 7.1 surround sound
Soft padded earcups
Bulky plastic design
Looking like something straight out of Quake 2, Asus' Strix 7.1 wireless gaming headset immediately caught our eye thanks to its large black-and-orange ear cups that are decked in a circular pattern resembling an owl's eye. Those oversized ear cups makes them comfortable to wear for extended periods but there's no RGB lighting on them, which on the plus side provides up to 10 hours of continuous gameplay using 2.4GHz wireless to connect.
Asus claims that it provides lower latency than Bluetooth, and while it's difficult to verify that, bullets whizzing past our head in-game synched up pretty well thanks to virtual 7.1 surround sound being blasted into our ears from all directions. Asus' Sonic Studio software provides an easy method of tweaking sound settings, and we found cranking up the (already sufficient) bass in the app's equalizer particularly satisfying for both gaming and listening to music.
Turtle Beach Elite Pro
Like kicking back on your favorite comfy couch
Interface: Wireless or wired (3.5mm) | Features: 3.5mm upstream and downstream jack, 50mm drivers, Memory foam earpads, Glasses relief system, Optional Tournament Audio Controller, Standard microphone included
Comfortable
Tactical Audio Controller
No surround sound
Pricey with TAC
Aimed at PC and console gamers, using Turtle Beach's Elite Pro feels like sitting down at a command station and gearing up for war. This headset oozes gaming appeal, right down to the subtle orange ruler-type markings on the headset's automatically adjusting headband. It's a funky piece of kit that's reassuringly chunky while remaining supremely comfortable at all times thanks to its gel-infused Aerofit ear cushions. Most importantly, they sound great in the heat of battle. That's down to Turtle Beach's 50mm NanoClear drivers, which do an especially great job of bringing you into the heart of the action in shooters.
If you're particularly hardcore, you might want to shell out for the Tactical Audio Controller. At $199 (around £149) it's not cheap, but it grants an intuitive and fun of adjusting settings such as the game/chat mix, your own microphone level, in-game sounds, and there's also a mute button to cut game sound out completely. It also lets you chop and change between four surround modes (Game, Music, Movie and off), which is a lot easier than fiddling around with controls on the headset itself.
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