Gaming headsets

I've been looking into getting a headset for awhile, but I'm having the hardest time choosing. I know astro has a really good reputation and solid equipment, but sennheiser just put out the g4me zero and g4me one. I personally want the g4me zero because I like the quality of sennheiser's. But I know it doesn't have the whole 7.1 surround sound she-bang. In your guy's opinions which would you choose and why?

Also, the astro A50 wireless is pretty nice being no cords unless its an xbox, so that's a plus... thanks in advance!

 

The Zero looks like a retooled PC 350 to me. I wasn't too impressed - I'd rather pick something like a Corsair USB headset instead of that.
Similarly, the One looks like a retooled 360, which is an open phone.

Astro's surround is pretty good. You can obviously add the same type of surround to the Sennheisers using either Razer Surround or a dedicated soundcard, but their effects are variable (I personally don't find Razer Surround that great - on a par as the Asus Essence STX for example, which I think is massively overrated).

 

Hrmm.. Where the 360? Bad?

I haven't read a bad review about the sennheisers, then again, there's not that many reviews.

I've read too many mixed reviews on the A50's, good, bad, terrible, perfect. So I'm uneasy about them.

 

I have a Sennheiser gaming headset I bought on Amazon a year or two ago (pretty good to me, but I'm not a crazy audiophile). I also have heard favorable reviews about all Sennheiser products in general, online and word-of-mouth.

 

360 - better than the 350 from what I've heard in terms of audio clarity, but being an open phone probably even less lacking in impact than the 350. I was so nonplussed by the 350 I haven't bothered to pick up the 360, so I can't give you a personal opinion. The mic was also barely better than e.g. the Logitech G35.

Can't speak for the A50 specifically. Maybe the wireless imposes additional limitations, who knows. Not a fan of wireless so not getting an A50.

 

I'd like to use them for PS4, the Xbox one, and PC gaming. But, I'm not sure how the sennhiesers are going to pan out with that.

 

I think the Senns have converters available. You could also go with a Midmic and a headphone of your choice, using the same converter.

 

I think so too. But how will the gameplay sound work with that? Or I'm assuming they won't and will only be mics?

 

Going to make this simple.

If you want a headset that can be used across multiple devices (PC, PS4, XBoxOne), then just get yourself an Astro A40 or A50. The reason is because you'll want some kind of setup that can accept multiple types of audio input (RCA, optical) and can do virtual surround sound downmixing in hardware. Just bite the bullet, buy this item, and call it a day.

If you want a headset that you will only use for PC gaming purposes, then you're best off getting entry-level audiophile headphones + clip-on mic for about $150. Something like the Audio Technica ATH-A700, and the Zalman ZM-1 clip on mic would be a solid choice. Use Razer Surround Sound software driver for virtual surround sound downmixing, and call it a day.







P.S. You're going to find mixed reviews all over the place for gaming headsets.

Some reviews will say "A+++++!! 10/10!!! Best product ever!". These reviews are typically from people who typically review games / hardware, and not audio gear. Or, they will be individuals posting reviews on forums / blogs to justify their own purchase decisions.

Some other reviews will say "Pssh. Garbage. I wouldn't even give these for my dog." These reviews are typically from audiophiles who very frequently review audio gear for audiophile purposes. You need to keep in mind that an audiophile wants the most accurate reproduction of 2.0-channel stereo sound. They value things like balanced sound, soundstage, neutral signature, etc with as little digital sound processing as possible. A gamer wants fun sound. Quite often, that means intentionally **un**balanced sound and intentionally processed sound for virtual surround sound. These two groups of people want very different things out of their audio hardware. It's important to keep that in mind when reading reviews.



If you really want to go far down the rabbit hole, then this forum post on Head-Fi.org by MadLustEnvy is pretty much considered to be the bible when it comes to gaming-grade headphone audio.
Mad Lust Envy's Headphone Gaming Guide: (Updated 9/2/2013: Sony MA900 added)

But if that rabbit hole goes too far down, just remember my generalization:
* PC and console gaming? Astro A50
* PC only gaming? Audio Technica A700

 

That's a fair point, sometimes you have to take the customer reviews with a grain of salt because you don't know their usage and motive. But since you said you like quality (Senn) you should go with the Astros