Best wireless headset $250 can buy?

Sokonomi

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Oct 21, 2011
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Its been a while since ive invested in a good headset, since my last purchase, a sharkoon Xtatic 5.1, lasted me a good 6 years. Unfortunately the plastic headband has given way after its lengthy service and its time to find a replacement.

This time around I have some requirements and points worthy of noting;

  • Wireless (RF) is a must.
    I PC game a lot, and Ive always found the wire to be a giant pain in the neck, since it always seems to find a way to snake back on top of my keyboard. IR might interfere with my 3D glasses, so id like to avoid running into that.
    Has to have some form of surround.
    I am used to having a 5.1 headset, and I do not want to abandon this luxury. I have never experienced "virtual" surround, and im a little skeptical about it replacing the real deal, so if there is anyone who has tried both virtual and real, id like to hear from them if virtual is actually convincing.
    Analog might be better.
    I have an Asus Xonar DX dedicated soundcard just laying around that I could use, this might be beneficial in combination of a good analog headset over one of those USB ones, but I am not sure, hopefully someone here could shine a light on this.
    Built in microphone is preferred.
    I do have one that plugs into the back of my logitech G110 keyboard, but it tends to pick up the noise of keystrokes a bit easy. It might be better to have (a detachable) one onboard the headset.
    Should do well with both games and movies.
    I hear some headsets might sound a little cold and crisp if they have drivers specifically tuned for gaming. I think you can do a lot with an equalizer, but people seem to find it a point worth griping about.
Ive done a little digging around and found a few sets that might do the trick.

One that keeps popping up very prominently in reviews is the Logitech G930. People say its virtual 7.1 is quite nice, though its driver range is slightly limited at 20 - 20000Hz. Opinions about its bass strength seem split though, some say its weak, some say it has plenty. It is a USB dongle headset , so my xonar would be wasted, not that I absolutely must use the xonar card though.

Sony also seems to be in the race with its MDR-DS6500. It takes optical (a rarity it seems), and has a nice charging station for its whopping 20 hour life battery. It has an impressive 6 - 25,000Hz range though its surround is also virtual and it lacks a microphone.

There are some more out there, but all the reviews seem a bit dated. Does anyone have some suggestions or other wise words to share?
 

Sokonomi

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Nobody around who cares to share a bit of thought on this?

The Sony headset has a much wider driver range and its battery lasts twice as long,
and it also has optical-in which might make good use of my Xonar DX card.
But is it worth the extra 30 dollars plus also losing the G buttons and microphone?
 

rwpritchett

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If you want wireless, then your Xonar will go to waste regardless of which headset you choose, right?

Just to throw out some more wireless options you may not have considered:

Astro A50
Creative ZxR
Skullcandy PLYR1
Skullcandy PLYR2

Personally, I have the G930. I don't have any other headsets to compare to them, but I think they sound great. The bass is not going to rattle your brain or anything. The software that comes with it has a 10-band equalizer that can fine tune the headset to how you like it though.
 

Sokonomi

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Well, the pre amp would be lost on wireless I suppose, but I thought maybe the xonar has superior virtual dolby surround emulating capabilities over any ol' USB stick thing. Could be totally wrong though, it IS an old sound card by now.

Ive seen the astro A50, though I didn't see a reason for the massive price difference other than it taking optic. Im also not a big fan of the material the ear cups are made of. It looks a little like that stuff that blocks wind on microphones, and my experience is that porous foam like that will not last very long.

The Creative one looks like its over ear, I dont think that would be comfortable for me, especially since I wear glasses while gaming (normal and 3D).

The skullcandy ones, ive read they can be awfully plastic and easy to crack. They wont survive a drop from a desk supposedly.

Meanwhile Ive ordered myself a G930. It seemed to be the one sticking out from most gamer headset reviews, even in reviews made late this year. So its definitely not a "has been", it still measures up in the current market. I saw a review with a man who was wearing the headset without seeing a game that was being played to test spatial awareness with virtual surround. They walked a character around him (in counterstrike I think it was), and he was able to point exactly at where the character was by listening to his footsteps. And that confirmed for me that I could use this headset the way I require it to work.

Thanks for pitching in!