Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Surround, Sound, Headsets | Themes: Desktop Computers
2. Plantronics Gamecom 777
The oldest set of the bunch, Plantronics' Gamecom 777 debuted nearly a year ago. It remains one of the most simple headsets we’ve encountered. Only two things come in the box: the dark gray headset, and a small USB card. The Gamecoms are the smallest in our roundup, yet they are sturdy and surprisingly durable. They’re rugged, yet flexible.
The oversize cans sit over the ears, but just barely. The top cushion is very large and covers most of the headrest, though most of the weight does land on the ears. The Gamecom unit is very tight on the ears, so while it may rest comfortably on them, that comfort doesn't last. Within 20 minutes there is slight discomfort, and by an hour the headset feels hot and outright uncomfortable. After two and a half hours, the discomfort became too much to deal with while watching a movie, due to heat and pain.
A microphone is hidden invisibly on the left side of the headband, and easily drops down for use. It is short, but extends out two inches and is bendable.
As the only headset that actually comes with a clip, the Gamecom has the simplest volume control of all. A volume dial goes from one to five, designated by thick lines that are meant to be felt rather than seen. Changing the volume is easy even without looking at the control. A mute switch sits right below the dial.
The 6-foot cable is the shortest we've seen for a surround headset. It is designed specifically to plug into the front of a PC. At the end of the cable is a standard 3.5mm jack and a headphone jack; there is no special surround sound input. When used in this manner, the headset becomes a standard stereo headset.
To get surround sound on t his unit, you have to use the included Dolby USB surround sound adaptor. This tiny external soundcard plugs in via a 1-inch USB cable, which is safely tucked away in the back of the card. A power switch sits on the right side, and a blue light turns on when in use. The Gamecom’s analog cables plug into the two 3.5mm ports on the back, and the soundcard renders all the surround sound for games and movies. Turning the soundcard off effectively places the unit in stereo mode, so we can’t think of a reason why you’d need the 3.5mm jacks.
While it is the smallest and simplest headset, it is also the oldest and least expensive. With a street price of $47, it may well be the best deal on a surround headset available today.
| Test | Score | High Points | Low Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comfort | 5 | Sturdy, sits on the head fine and stays on. The control pad is easy to reach and use without looking. | Becomes uncomfortable within 20 minutes. Did not pass our three-hour test, lasted only two hours. |
| Convenience | 9 | Simple. Plug and play, stereo to surround is a switch away, easy to store and very rugged. | 3.5mm jacks are useless for the headset. |
| Surround Quality | 8 | Good directional audio, no expected lag. | Poor sound quality for non-surround audio. |
| Stereo Quality | 7 | Quality identical with/without soundcard. Clear sound that isn't sharp. Strong bass. | Sounds are dull at higher frequencies. No bass settings. Bass gets crackly when loud. |
| Overall | 7 | Inexpensive headset that's good for travel and has good surround sound. | Very uncomfortable for longer periods. Quality not as high as other headsets. |
- GameCom 777 Headset
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I have the G35 headset myself and I am very happy with it. Its very comfy to wear for long periods of time, it looks cool, and I love the macro buttons on the headset. Fun for on the fly voice modding. Space squirrel always gets people laughing in vent. People tend to also mention to me that I sound very crisp and clear and always ask what kind of mic I use so they can get the same lol.
bump for Plantronics 777... great headset, built like a tank, unlike the review i find it very very comfortable and i have a pretty large head, mic is perfect(constant compliments over vent), loud enough to lay it down on the table and use as speakers... had it for about a year, no problems... used it for every type of gameplay (even used it for CPL CSS leagues, great if you rely on sound a lot)
The best surround sound headset I've ever tried is the Turtle Beach HPA2. It's very affordable (about $70), and the directional sound is really quite accurate. I'd say the only downside to it is the subwoofer, but what do you expect from a headset?
It's also very comfortable, but constantly gets bad reviews because of its HPA1 predecessor. The HPA2 has a new foam ear cup which makes it easily wearable for hours.
One other benefit (at least for me) is the USB powered amp. I was hesitant at first because of how dirty USB power is, but the transformer really does clean it up just fine. I game with my laptop, so it's nice to only have to plug in my laptop charger and get on with it (my laptop is a bit rare in that it has the 4 3.5mm ports for 7.1ch output).
I personally like the SteelSeries 5H v2 USB Headset. I don't use the sound card that it comes with though. The microphone retracts into the headset.
A buddy of mine has the Logitech G35s and loves them. I have the Tritton Ax Pros and love them as well. They can be a little heavy, but never uncomfortable. I love the detatching mic.
One thing to note about the Trittons is there is a version for less than $100 without the breakout box; it only has 5.1 analog jacks for your soundcard. It is a deeper silver color (and also the one I purchased).
i think im fine with the simulated surround sound from my creative hs-900's
Quantumrand, Turtle Beach does make some great headsets, but they stick with console-only, for the most part. On top of that, their latest headset came out almost 8 months ago, though they do have some new stuff coming up.
dvanholland, I have heard good things about the 5H v2, but they're also fairly old. Not sure what they've got planned for the future.
Airborne11b and gryphyn, the G35s are great, and I see why you and your friends like them. The Tritton AX Pro is also great, but I remember first opening it and cursing. Why the hell are there so many cables! They do have a cheaper set that doesn't include the audio controller, but that's a different model and its PC only. They've got some new ones out now that look pretty nice as well.
xc0mmiex, when I first used the 777's, I thought they were great. Literally did a drop test to see the damage, and it was a champ. But over time they became very annoying, at least to me and others testing them, very tight on the ears. If it works for you, great! Best deal on a surround sound headset out there yet.
Just so you all know, the market for surround headsets isn't going to grow very much. Tritton is pushing it hard, as is Razer with the Megalodon and soon Psyko Audiolabs, and Turtle Beach, so the expensive sets will have pretty big price drops come holiday season.
I just ordered a set of the tritton AX Pro based on this review. Dont let me down Toms!
Astro A40 are the best IMO...
Rol, we spoke with the guys at Astro for a while before deciding not to include the A40's in this roundup. They are obviously very good headphones; the reviews for them have been glowing for two years. But they are two years old, and we were looking for newer sets. Astro has something new planned, but not for a bit, and we already delayed the roundup to include Razer's Megalodon and Psyko AudioLabs' 5.1.
But I do agree, the A40's are a great set.
The cheaper Trittons with 5.1 analog inputs only are called the Tritton Ax51 Pro. The Tritton PC Pro has a USB connection, but the volume control box isn't great.
I personally don’t think any of these things are worth it. Whilst playing crisis a while back I started to really notice just how bad the sounds in the game was. Or more to the point the lack of sounds.
The trees were moving but I couldn’t hear them. The waves were smashing on the shore, nothing.
A good things animators where taught back in the good old Disney was “See a sound, Hear a sound”. “Immersive” games fail really really badly. The headphones may be great but the games don't show you want the head phones can really do. You're getting 40% value.
Other options:
Granted there is no mic for the Panasonic 5.1-channel Wireless Headphones type but they are very good. Used them whilst in japan.
But I’d say - get yourself a very decent set of stereo headphone. You’ll hear more detail and they can be used for more things than games.
I got these a month ago. Grado 80i http://www.gradolabs.com/frameset_main.htm
You need a good amp.
waxdart, I couldn't disagree more. While I haven't put in Crysis in awhile, games like Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, the recent Section 8 beta, and plenty of others use and have great surround sound. Stalker and Clear Sky are two more. Dead Space used surround sound excellently, and Mirror's Edge did it properly.
Some games don't even offer surround sound. If you can't hear things in other channels, I'd suggest making sure your PC settings are properly set, that your speakers/headphones are relaying in surround, and that the in-game settings are set for surround. Most are not default, so look into it.
As for high-end headphones, I can't comment on them. I know people who use them, audiophiles who think music is junk at anything less than CD quality, and are willing to put up thousands of dollars to get what they consider good equipment. Practically speaking, it's never worth it, though I do understand the reasons for it. If you like them, great, keep going. But surround sound is not up to the audiophile level yet. On the same token, it does work, though it is up to developers and producers to ensure content is made in surround.
i've been using Turtle Beach Ear Force HPA2 for a long time...
it has 5.1 input and i already have Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum so i didn't need AK-R8 headset...
a good headset is a must for playing games late at night and don't want to disturb others while having good directionality and sound quality...
i say spend a good money and get a decent set so you'll be happy with many hours of late night gaming session...
I have one question, if you are using surround headsets, what should the game's audio setting be? Headphone or 5.1/7.1? (if a game has those to choose from).
Th-z, it depends on your headphones. If they do 5.1, then you set it for 5.1. If they do 7.1, and mind you most do not, then you set it for 7.1.
Also, most games do not feature 7.1 surround sound. Neither do most HD movies. Valve titles like Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2 do, but very few others do as well.
the real question is how do these stack up to creative x-fi's cmss3d and a pair of decent sennheisers.
Sennheisers aren't surround sound. Not yet.
jamezrp , Well you missed the point didn't you.
yet I still do it.
Where in my post did I say anything about games not having surround sound? Or my PC setup? Even if I did have only 1 channel configured, why would there be silence at any point?
Do you have silent zones in your house? When I listen, I’m surrounded by sound 100% of the all the time. Air pressure being what it is.
So I'll try again just you.
The ambient sound in games is still awful. Not an mp3 background track playing rain fall or a storm. Real things you can see moving in the game with no sound attached.
Go out side and count all the sounds you can hear. It's in the 1000s.
If you think Mirror's Edge had accurate great sound then you have sold yourself a bit short. Sound in games is way behind the the RnD that goes into graphics.
We have Holophonic Effects - 3D Sound recordings which work very well with headphone. Why not have it in games? 5.1 / 7.1 setups are not needed. Just 2 earphones and a monster DSP chip to drive the soundscape.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiR-ZT4X4eg
>>it is up to developers and producers to ensure content is made.
Yeap and they are not.
??Practically speaking, it's never worth it ??
Spending 1000s on a machine to play games is practical.
waxdart, what you're talking about has nothing to do with headphones and everything to do with game development. No wonder we're not communicating properly. While I absolutely agree with you that sound in videogames, that triumphant on only the rarest of occasions and even then is still not great, ambient noise is perhaps the hardest thing to do in a virtual world. Having spoken with developers about this in the past, I can safely say that many don't want to touch the subject because of how complex it becomes.
I remember a few years back a discussion on water effects. Water, seemingly easy to program, is nearly impossible to do realistically. And the more realistic it becomes, the more stress it puts on the machine, not by multiples, but by magnitudes. Sound poses not only a similar problem in processing power, but of physical sound. Having thousands of sounds for one specific scene when there are hundreds of scenes, even if some are used several times over, is realistically impossible. No development studio would have the time, resources or budget to do it in the standard development cycle.
My personal opinion on how to make the best sound is to literally recreate real-world physics and give all objects in the world their true properties: a tree in-game will have the actual proportions to a real tree. Same density, same weight, same thickness...etc. Then, when an object (which has similarly true proportions) touches or hits it, the physics will calculate the actual sound, thereby reproducing it and not requiring any recording.
As for holographic effects and other 3D sound technologies, some work and some don't. The point of surround is to better spatially orient gamers in the game. It's not so much about immersion as you seem to be pointing out, but about making sure players can perform actions more accurately, be it listen for gunfire, aim at enemies or just turning the camera wildly while someone talks to you to hear the sound come from all directions.
And yes, for gamers even with nearly unlimited budgets, sound systems go up to millions of dollars. Thousands will get you, if you're lucky, a semi-professional set of 2.1 speakers, nothing more.