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1 | Name | US MSRP | UK | AU | Amazon stars (late March) | Amazon reviews (late March) | The angriest user reviews often say: | USB? | PC? | PS4? | Xbox? | Switch (v5.0.0) | Steam Link? | Optical jack? | USB wireless audio quality | 3.5mm jack? | How well does 3.5mm work? | Bluetooth? | How well does Bluetooth work? | Retractable mic | Voice quality | Fan test | Mic monitor/sidetone? | Downstairs wireless range and penetration test | Weight (w/mic, approximate) | Design | Fit | How well did it fit Sean? (fairly large head) | Any annoying creaks? | Cushions | How much audio leaks in? | How much audio leaks out? | Battery quote | User-replacable battery?* | Lighting? | Built-in EQ presets? | Programmable EQ? | Surround sound included* | Features Sean liked | Annoyances | Wireless band | Drivers | |
2 | Astro A20 | $150 | £120 | AU$250 | 2.6 PS4, 3.4 Xbox | 6 and 21 | Some complain headsets won't turn on or charge after use | Y | Y | Y, PS4 version | Y, Xbox version; PS4 version does not work | N | N, only mic works | Y | Wide, can be pretty clear, but harsh treble and inflated bass. Well above average for the category but not a front-runner | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, flip up w auto-mute | Same deep and resonant as A50, but a bit more background/noise cancel fail intruding. Good for the price? | No hum, buffeting is barely a whisper with default "noise gate" setting. 3 other noise gate options available. | Y, adjust in PC software | Fails when I walk downstairs. Goes out of range very easily, gets badly garbled. Graceful recovery tho. | 318g (11.2oz) | Minimalist gamer | Average | A little hard on top of my head | A few | super comfy fabric | Barely any | A little | 15 hours | N | N | Y | Y | N | MixAmp for easy control of game/chat mix, mini base station has optical and 3.5mm line-in | Awkward adjustment mechanism, sometimes need to flip mic up and down again to unmute | 5GHz | 40mm | |
3 | Astro A50 | $300 | £250 | AU$480 | 3.4 overall (PS4 + Xbox) | 283 | robotic mic (Xbox specific?), connection cuts out (Xbox specific?) charging issues, no mute button, quit holding charge | Y | Y | Y, PS4 version | Y, Xbox version; PS4 version will output audio via optical but mic doesn't work | Y w/3.5mm in base station | Y | Y | Fantastic. Plenty of bass, rich mids and clear highs. Maybe not as clear as HyperX Cloud Flight or as rich as SteelSeries Arctis Pro but more bass than both. Better all-around sound IMO but some will probably disagree. | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, flip up w auto-mute | NO background noise. Clear, deep and resonant. Maybe a bit too deep. Def shortlist | No background noise until I talk with default "noise gate" setting. 3 other noise gate options | Y, adjust in PC software | Fails. Graceful recovery | 369g (13oz) | Gamer | Average | pretty comfy. Adjusts down super small | A few | super comfy fabric. Leather-like replacements aren't as comfy, kind of stiff | Barely any | Very leaky | 15 hours | N | N | Y | Y | Dolby Headphone | MixAmp for easy control of game/chat mix, base station has charge indicators you can see from across a room, optical audio passthru and 3.5mm line in | Short battery life, difficulty positioning headset on base station for charging, no auto-shutoff | 5GHz | 40mm | |
4 | Asus Strix Wireless | $150 | £100 | AU$150 at Mwave | 3.5 | 57 | Bad mic, left side breaks | y | y | Y | N | N | Audio works but mic doesn't | N | Decent bass! Can get quite loud. But muddy. Meh. | Y | Cheap, deflated. Not the worst but not in the running | N | N/A | N, removable | Background static for sure. A little quiet at 0.5 inch. A little harsh too, and harsher at 0-inch. Def below average. | Constant background static but not noticible fan noise. Doesn't trip Discord auto mic threshold | Nah? | Fails. Graceful recovery | 429g (15.1oz) | Giant owl | Average | Meh. A bit too tight in both directions | Y, when you're wearing it... annoying | Plush thick leatherette | Some | Some | 10 hour | N | N | N | EQ software available | Asus Sonic Studio | Super flexible mic is nice I guess. Folds flat, including a groove that mic fits into when flat. | Doesn't seem to auto-shutoff when not in use. No volume dials... gotta use buttons | 2.4GHz | 60mm | |
5 | Corsair Void Pro Wireless | $100 | £110 | AU$200 | 4.3 | 528 | Too large/loose fit, no bass, mic not great | Y | Y | Kinda. Works but no volume control, volume not very high even at max on PS4. Mic mute works. | N | N | Y | N | Bass and treble heavy to the point it feels a little artificial... even though crisp and clear. Sounds less distorted than original Void, definitely prefer it. | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, flip up. Auto mute! | Clear but a little jittery... like some data being lost. Also a little sharp. | Soft background white noise, barely-there wind buffeting. | Y, hold down Mute | Better than standard Void. Very little drop downstairs. Quickly resumed connection after a drop. | 375g (13.2oz) | Modern but very gamer | Runs large | Feels fantastic. Almost forgot it was there. Maybe too loose on occasion. | Barely any | Comfier padding than original Void. Memory foamish | Some | Moderately leaky | 16 hours | N | Programmable RGB | Y | Y | Dolby Headphone | Optional voice prompts, can set auto shutoff to conserve battery. Mic mute LED is bright and visible unlike regular Void | Only works with PCs. | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
6 | Corsair Void Wireless | $100 | £100 | AU$190 | 3.8 | 728 | Too loose, cuts out, mic breaks | Y | Y | Kinda. Works but no volume control, volume not very high even at max on PS4 | N | N | Y | N | Gets VERY loud and distorted. Uncomfortably so at high volume. Decently bassy to start, bass boost crushes too much. Not enjoying most music with it. | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, flip up. Doesn't auto mute when up | Same as Void Pro | Did not run | Y, hold down Mute | Only slight drop going downstairs. However, disconnected after a while down there. Autoshutoff? | 368g (13oz) | Modern but very gamer | Runs large | Feels fantastic. Almost forgot it was there. Maybe too loose on occasion. | Very slight if twisting band. | just the teensiest bit abrasive, nice and cushy tho | Lots; barely any isolation | Very leaky | 16 hours | N | Programmable RGB | Y | Y | Dolby Headphone | Optional voice prompts, can set auto shutoff. | Mic LEDs are hard to see. No mic flip mute. Game/voice mix was rough. No analog volume control, purely a digital rocker switch. Only works with PCs. | 2.4Ghz | 50mm | |
7 | HyperX Cloud Flight | $160 | £140 | AU$230 | 3.9 | 23 | White noise, can't use when charging (seemingly not an issue on my unit) | Y | Y | Y, w/volume, nice and loud | N (not even 3.5mm) | N | Y | N | So good. Crisp and clear mids with thumping bass and smooth highs. Makes me want to listen to my test tunes again and again, instead of feeling like a chore. Not as rich as Steelseries Arctis Pro or Astro A50 though. | Y | completely passive, power disabled in use. Sounds good! Wider soundstage than anything else over 3.5mm. Some actual bass thump. A little harsh on the high end. No mic over 3.5mm, and doesn't work with Xbox | N | N/A | N, removable | No background noise but def some jitter like Man O War. | No hum! Occasional buffeting, rarely (but sometimes) trips Discord auto mic threshold | N | Not really. Breaks away when I walk downstairs | 295g (10.4oz) | Simple, not too huge and bulky. Slight gamer touches but could pass for music cans | Average | Super comfortable. A favorite. Still a little tighter and heavier than the featherweight QC25 but pretty good and similar fit. | No | Very comfy leatherette | A little | A little | 30 hours (we got 30h4m) | N | Constant or breathing red | N | N | N | Nice big volume dial, super easy to find mute | No software for tuning. 3.5mm jack is slightly recessed so some chunky cables won't fit. Mic doesn't work over 3.5mm. | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
8 | Logitech G533 | $150 | £140 | AU$220 | 4 | 228 | Mic quality, rough earpiece fabric | Y | Y | Y, with volume control and mic mute. | N | Y | Y | N | Similarly bassy to G933 below, but gets muddy much quicker. Can't maintain the same clarity. Above average but not top tier | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, flip up w/mute | Some background static, a bit tinny, but generally pretty crisp. Serviceable. | Very soft background noise, rare wind buffeting that's also very quiet but DID trigger Discord threshold once. | Y, adjust in PC software | So good. Was able to walk outside my house, to my car, and get in before audio cut out. | 349g (12.3oz) | Slightly less bulky than G933 but very gamer | Average | Comfy side to side, could use a little more pad up top | A little | Abrasive fabric cover | A little | A little | 15 hours | Y, twist off side panel | N | N | Y | DTS Headphone X | Removable battery, best wireless range | Rough earcup fabric, plastic scuffs and scratches easily. | 2.4GHz | 40mm | |
9 | Logitech G933 | $200 | £170 | AU$300 | 3.5 | 2301 | Headset cuts out, mic mutes itself... over 20 percent of Amazon reviews are 1 star | Y | Y | Y | Y, but only when tethered to gamepad w/3.5mm | Y | Y | N | Bassy even before turning on the "Drop the Bass" profile. Bass lovers should check it out. Can crank up the volume really high without quality suffering too much. A front-runner. | Y | Works passive or powered, comes with in-line mic and volume control -- on-ear volume control also works when powered. Nice bass punch but high end can be a bit grating. Boom mic works when powered. | N | N/A | Y, very hidden | Voice sounds slightly richer than Logitech G533 but also more background static. It's just OK. | Light background static but no noticible fan | Y, adjust in PC software | Disconnects. Reconnects easily when you get back in range, but still fails | 366g (12.9oz) | Big, bulky gamer | Runs a little small | A little tight even at maximum | Yes | A little stiff, abrasive cover | A little | Some | 8, 12 hours (lighting off) | Y, pop off side panel | Programmable RGB | Y | Y | Dolby Headphone or DTS Headphone X | Hidden mic and USB dongle compartment, removable battery, best damn 3.5mm cable with actual volume control and inline mic option, RCA splitter cable for older game consoles, programmable G keys for PC | Really annoying creaking sounds, mic can sometimes be stuck in mute mode on PC until you launch Logitech's software | 2.4GHz | 40mm | |
10 | LucidSound LS30 | $150 | £130? | AU$250 | 3.4 | 298 | USB dongle too large (to fit PS4 Pro, for example), stops charging, disconnects, hissing and popping, PC audio devices disconnect when headset loses connection | Y | Y | Y | Y, but only tethered to gamepad w/3.5mm + optical from Xbox to USB dongle | Y, trick it by plugging 3.5mm into dongle then insert | Y | Y | Flat to start, slight bass boost if wanted, slightly grating treble | Y | Totally passive, no volume control. Similar to LucidSound LS40. Some distortion at high volume compared to Logitech G933 | N | N/A | N, removable | Got some dimension, not too flat. Teensy bit of static in background but barely noticible. Way above average! | Light background hum and occasional buffeting but does NOT trigger Discord | Y, hold down Mute | Disconnects, has trouble reconnecting. | 365g (12.9oz) | Close to wear-around everyday headphones | Average | Tighter fit than LS40 above. Definite pressure | Yes, lots of them | Smooth and cushy but thinner than LS40. Also cooler fabric to the touch | Very little | A little | 15 hours | N | N | Y | N | N | Hidden game/chat volume dials are neat but weird to have independent controls instead of balancing sources against each other. Metal arms are nice. Dials are nice and smooth. | Had some issues where sound didn't work at all. Also transmitter gets hot. Can get FAR too loud if you're not careful. Not clear which direction is volume up. Audio devices in Windows disappear when headset disconnects, even for a moment. No auto-shutdown. | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
11 | LucidSound LS40 | $200 | £140? | AU$380 | 3.6 | 144 | Disconnects on PS4, breaks, no ability to adjust mic volume in Windows | Y | Y | Y | Y, but only tethered to gamepad w/3.5mm + optical from Xbox to USB dongle | Y, trick it by plugging 3.5mm into dongle then insert | Y | Y | Flat, slightly grating treble, little bass, nothing all that special | Y | totally passive, no volume control. There's some clarity and some bass but it's definitely a bit narrow | N | N/A | N, removable | Got some dimension, not too flat. Teensy bit of static in background but barely noticible. Way above average! | Light background hum and occasional buffeting but does NOT trigger Discord | Y, hold down Mute | Disconnects, has trouble reconnecting. Range is not great even in the same room. | 374g (13.2oz) | Close to wear-around everyday headphones | Average | Comfy, a little bit too much pressure imo but good earcups, good close-to-head fit. | No | smooth, comfortable, cushy | Very little | A little | 15 hours | N | N | Y | N | DTS Headphone X | Hidden game/chat volume dials are neat but weird to have independent controls instead of balancing sources against each other. Love the metal arms | Had some issues where sound didn't work at all. Transmitter can get hot. Can get FAR too loud if you're not careful. Not clear which direction is volume up vs. volume down. Don't like the scratchy plastic sound when turning the dials. | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
12 | Plantronics Rig 800HS | $150 | £160 | AU$250 | 3.4 | 19 | Doesn't charge right out of the box | Y | Y | Y, w/volume, chat dial, mic mute | Y, Xbox version; PS4 version has no mic on Xbox but can do audio over optical | Y | Y | Y | Clear, crisp mids, gets pretty loud... modest bass in bass boost mode, but a little tinnier than I'd like on the high end no matter the preset. Far, far above average but not sure it's a front-runner. | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, flip up w/ auto mute | Light background noise. Very flat, but very clear | Very soft, quite acceptable white noise followed by very clear voice. Didn't trigger Discord threshold | Y, but barely there. No way to adjust or turn off? | Passed. Doesn't quite make it down the steps outside of my house, but no dead spots in my downstairs area. | 293g (10.3oz) | Skeleton gamer | Average | Super adjustable and very, very comfy. Slightly tight on most adjusted setting, but still forgot it was there. | No | comfyish padding | Some | Very little | 24 hours (we got 26h52m) | N | N | Y, four presets | N | N | Modular adjustments for various heads; game chat mixer. | Easy to leave power switch on. Should have a 3.5mm jack for more use cases. Game/chat mixer doesn't work on PC -- only offers one audio device there. | 2.4GHz | 40mm | |
13 | Razer Man O' War Wireless | $170 | £170 | AU$330 | 3.4 | 784 | LOTS of users say the flimsy plastic frame breaks. Some claims it stops working/charging, mic doesn't work-- Over 20 percent of Amazon reviews are 1-star | Y | Y | Y but no on-ear volume control | N | N | Y | N | Crisp, detailed, a bit flat. Not very spacious. Bass boost in software helps but sounds a little unnatural. Gets muddled when sounds or instruments are competing. | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, full retract | quieter than Thresher, less jitter but still there | Completely quiet until I speak! Voice doesn't sound amazing but great ambient noise filtering | Y, in PC software | Fail... it's graceful but range is relatively short. Lots of disconnects | 376g (13.3oz) | Like Razer Thresher below but smaller, more plastic-y | Runs a little large | A little tight horizontally and not great vertically. For smaller heads? | Some yeah. | comfy leatherish padding... Not enough up top, decent cushion on sides | Some | A little | 14 hours / 20 hours (no lighting) | N | Programmable RGB | N | Y | Razer Surround | Razer software gives nice bass boost option. Good clarity on mic monitor. Independent mic volume control dial. Cool USB dongle fits into headset for transport | dials are tiny and can be hard to find by touch, mic mute LED is a bit dim. Not comfortable hanging off neck | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
14 | Razer Thresher 7.1 for PS4 | $150 | £150 | AU$230 | 3.6 | 83 | Not enough similar complaints yet | Y | Y | Y | No mic but can do audio over optical | N | Y | Y | Super tinny and no easy way to adjust. Some warmth in the mids, separation, a little bass, but those highs are harsh. | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, retracts | Fairly clear but definitely jittery, which is not great. Susceptible to interference perhaps? | Lots of fan noise audible. Doesn't trigger Discord auto-threshold tho. Can lower mic volume period, but that lowers your mic as well. | N | Fail. Drops before I even get partway downstairs | 404g (14.3oz) | Look like studio headphones... reasonably stylish but heavy and bulky | Runs a smidge large | A little tight vertically.. super comfy horizontal. | No | Super comfy leatherish padding. Perhaps my favorite pads. Eyeglass indents are a nice touch. | A little | Very little | 16 hours | N | Constant blue | N | N | Dolby Headphone | Independent mic volume control dial. Nice red mic mute LED. | dials are tiny and can be hard to find by touch | 2.4Ghz | 50mm | |
15 | Razer Thresher for Xbox One | $150 | £150 | AU$230 | 3.6 | 83 | Not enough similar complaints yet | N, Xbox direct connect | Y, requires Xbox One wireless dongle (not included) | N | Y (native wireless) | N | N | N | Super tinny and no easy way to adjust. Some warmth in the mids, separation, a little bass, but those highs are harsh. | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, retracts | Very clear. Also a bit quiet tho and no easy way to turn it up -- no mic volume dial like on Ultimate. | Soft background white noise that isn't annoying. Not bad. | N | Fail. Drops before I even get partway downstairs | 407g (14.4oz) | Look like studio headphones... reasonably stylish but heavy and bulky | Runs a smidge large | A little tight vertically.. super comfy horizontal. | No | Super comfy leatherish padding. Perhaps my favorite pads. Eyeglass indents are a nice touch. | A little | Very little | 16 hours | N | Constant green | N | N | N | Game/chat balance dial. Nice red mic mute LED. | dials are tiny and can be hard to find by touch. Only Xbox One connectivity. | 2.4Ghz and 5GHz | 50mm | |
16 | Razer Thresher Ultimate PS4 | $250 | £250 | AU$430 | 3.8 | 52 | Not enough similar complaints yet | Y | Y | Y | No mic but can do audio over optical | N | Y | Y | Super tinny and no easy way to adjust. Some warmth in the mids, separation, a little bass, but those highs are harsh. | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, retracts | Fairly clear but definitely jittery, which is not great. Susceptible to interference perhaps? | Soft background white noise that isn't annoying. Not bad. | N | Almost passes... but not quite. Little pops downstairs and occasionally fails. | 404g (14.3oz) | Look like studio headphones... reasonably stylish but heavy and bulky | Runs a smidge large | A little tight vertically.. super comfy horizontal. | No | Super comfy leatherish padding. Perhaps my favorite pads. Eyeglass indents are a nice touch. | A little | Very little | 16 hours | N | Constant blue | N | N | Dolby Headphone | Independent mic volume control dial. Nice red mic mute LED. | dials are tiny and can be hard to find by touch | 2.4Ghz | 50mm | |
17 | Razer Thresher Ultimate Xbox | $250 | £250 | AU$430 | 3.6 | 14 | Not enough similar complaints yet | Y | Y | Y but no on-ear volume control AND you have to press the button on transmitter after wakeup. Both mutes work tho. | Y | N | Y | Y | Super tinny and no easy way to adjust. Some warmth in the mids, separation, a little bass, but those highs are harsh. | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, retracts | Fairly clear but definitely jittery, which is not great. Susceptible to interference perhaps? | Soft background white noise that isn't annoying. Not bad. | N | Almost passes... but not quite. Little pops downstairs and occasionally fails. | 408g (14.4oz) | Look like studio headphones... reasonably stylish but heavy and bulky | Runs a smidge large | A little tight vertically.. super comfy horizontal. | No | Super comfy leatherish padding. Perhaps my favorite pads. Eyeglass indents are a nice touch. | A little | Very little | 16 hours | N | Constant green | N | N | Dolby Headphone | Works on PS4 too-- with caveats. Independent mic volume control dial. Nice red mic mute LED. | dials are tiny and can be hard to find by touch | 2.4Ghz | 50mm | |
18 | Sony PlayStation Gold Wireless | $100 | £70 | AU$130 | 4.1 | 5220 | LOTS of users say flimsy plastic band breaks near the earpieces. Some claim poor mic quality, disconnects, short battery life | Y | Y | Y | Y, but only when tethered to gamepad w/3.5mm | Y, with on-ear volume control | Y | N | Nothing to write home about. Better balanced than the Platinum perhaps. | Y | Completely passive, power disabled when 3.5mm plugged in. Not great sounding honestly. They're fine in a pinch, but lacking in detail, bass. | N | N/A | No boom at all | Super tinny and robotic. | No hum but also terrible voice audio. Fan doesn't trigger Discord | Y, hold down Mute | Not quite good enough. Some range issues in general. But recovers smoothly | 297g (10.5oz) | Stylish, foldable | Runs a little large | Pretty good. Def some pressure on jaw. More comfortable than the Platinum for sure. | Slight | Just plush enough | Some | Very little | 8 hours | N | N | Y, bass boost only | Y, on PS4 | PlayStation Virtual Surround Sound | Folding design, assuming it doesn't break on me later -- see user reviews. Dedicated game/chat balance rocker buttons | No boom mic of any sort. Plastic scratches and scuffs easily. | 2.4GHz | 40mm | |
19 | Sony PlayStation Gold Wireless (NEW) | $100 | Not yet | Not yet | 4.2 | 27 | Not enough similar complaints yet | Y | Y | Y | Y, but only when tethered to gamepad w/3.5mm | Y, with on-ear volume control | Y | N | Slightly clearer mids and less harsh highs than the old Gold, at the expense of bass. Still nothing to write home about. | Y | Completely passive, power disabled when 3.5mm plugged in. My least favorite of the Sonys over 3.5mm -- super tinny, cold sound. | N | N/A | No boom at all | Super tinny and robotic. | Very light hum. Not bad. Doesn't trigger Discord auto-threshold unless wind directly hits it | Y, on PS4 only; hold down Mute | Epic fail. Cut out before I even got down the stairs. Graceful recovery. | 232g (8.2oz) | Minimalist, could be everyday wear | May run a little large -- more testing/user reviews needed | Very comfortable. Not too much pressure on jaw, barely rests on top of head | No | Comfy leatherish padding with extra ear relief | Very little | Some | No mfgr quote | N | N | Y, bass boost only | Y, on PS4 | PlayStation Virtual Surround Sound | Super lightweight, unobtrusive design, dedicated game/chat balance rocker buttons | No boom mic of any sort. Lots of tiny controls hard to ID by touch alone. | 2.4GHz | 40mm | |
20 | Sony PlayStation Platinum Wireless | $160 | £130 | AU$260 | 3.6 | 428 | Uncomfortable, poor mic quality, poor sound in left ear, cuts out, wireless adapter stops working | Y | Y | Y | Y, but only when tethered to gamepad w/3.5mm | Y, with on-ear volume control | Y | N | Harsh highs, can get muddy when tracks get too busy... but everything else sounds fine, even good. | Y | Completely passive, power disabled when 3.5mm plugged in. A little tinny, a bit lacking in bass... but not bad at all. | N | N/A | No boom at all | Tinny and a bit robotic. | Constant annoying background hiss but doesn't trigger Discord auto-threshold | Y, hold down Mute | Fail | 331g (11.7oz) | High-end, if you don't look close. Foldable | Average | Not a fan. Some pressure on jaw, and also some on the top of my head from the elastic band (which isn't padded) | No, but loose buttons can rattle noisily when touched | Just plush enough | A little | Very little | No mfgr quote | N | N | Y, bass boost only | Y, on PS4 | PlayStation 3D Audio | Folding design, dedicated game/chat balance rocker buttons | No boom mic of any sort. Lots of tiny controls hard to ID by touch alone. | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
21 | Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Rage Wireless | $90 | £80 | AU$150 | 3.6 | 74 | Uncomfortable, poor mic quality, stops working -- Over 20 percent of Amazon reviews are 1-star | Y | Y | Y | N | Y, with on-ear volume control | Y | N | Muddy and soft | N | N/A | N | N/A | N, removable | Not good. | Annoying background hiss, sometimes activates Discord auto threshold. | N | Epic fail. Cut out before I even got down the stairs. | 322g (11.4oz) | Ugly, super plasticy with rough edges | Runs small | Terrible. Earcups too small with not enough padding and too much pressure | A little | Not plush enough | A little | Modestly leaky | 16 hours | N | Programamble RGB | N | PC software available | SBX Surround | When you don't have anything nice to say... | So cheap and uncomfortable | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
22 | Steelseries Arctis 7 | $150 | £140 | AU$280 | 3.8 (including other non-wireless models) | 1620 (including other non-wireless models) | Poor sound quality w/ no bass, poor surround, stops working/charging, presses uncomfortably on some ears due to shallow earcup padding, poor customer support | Y | Y | Y, w/volume and chat | Y, but only when tethered to gamepad w/3.5mm | Y, w/3.5mm only | Y | N | Nice and loud. Clear, can hear little details in audio, but pretty flat out of the box. VERY little bass. A little distorted / jagged highs at higher volume | Y, w/included Steelseries 3.5mm cable only | Not powered at all. Kinda quiet. Not great but still way above average for this category. Some clarity, some wideness. Left volume dial kinda works, mic works tho. Mixer dial does not work. | N | N/A | Y, retracts | Some background white noise but pretty good. Fairly clear and relatively rich. No spikes. | Constant low static from nearby fan. Doesn't trip Discord auto mic threshold | Y, in PC software | Pretty good. Only slight drops downstairs, stays connected | 370g (13.1oz) | Close to wear-around everyday headphones | Runs a little large horizontally, a little short vertically | Mostly comfy on head but some pressure on top of scalp. | No | comfy fabric padding, very slightly abrasive, could stand to be slightly thicker. | A little | A little | 24-hour+ (we got 22h48m) | N | N | N | Y, sidetone and EQ seems to stay after app is off. Check on console tho | DTS Headphone X | truly excellent controls, two audio devices on PC for chat mix, super bright mic mute LED (doubles as easy pulsing charging indicator), looks pretty cool, 3.5mm external input and passthrough on USB dongle, share jack to plug in a second set of headphones | Can't easily retract mic with one hand; mic doesn't work well unless pretty close to mouth, which also makes sidetone less useful. Weird proprietary 3.5mm audio cable, instead of using a standard one. Only one velcro point for headband adjustment. | 2.4GHz | 40mm | |
23 | Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless | $330 | £300 | AU$350 | Brand new | Brand new | Not enough complaints yet | Y | Y | Y | No mic but can do audio over optical | Y (set input to PS4) | Y | Y | Top-tier. Loud, rich, detailed, and can crank up the volume pretty loud without nasty distortion. Still no booming bass, though. Pick between these, HyperX Cloud Flight (flatter but slightly clearer), and Astro A50 for best audio quality | Y, w/included Steelseries 3.5mm cable only | Completely passive, power and controls disabled when 3.5mm plugged in. Similar sound to powered on (which is good!) but notably less clarity. | Y | Impressively close to USB quality. A tad muddier, but close enough that I sometimes pressed pause on the wrong device when comparing Bluetooth and USB side by side. Mic works nicely for calls. | Y, retracts | Almost identical to Arctis 7. Some background white noise but pretty good. Fairly clear and relatively rich. | Constant low static from nearby fan. Doesn't trip Discord auto mic threshold | Y, adjust using transmitter | Passed with flying colors. Can walk downstairs and outside the house a short distance | 372g (13.1oz) | Close to wear-around everyday headphones | Runs a tad small | A little tighter than I'd like on the sides of the face, and very snug even with elastic headband set to minimum. More pressure than Arctis 7. Would prefer less pressure | A little | Comfy fabric padding, stiffer and slightly more abrasive than Arctis 7 | A little | Very little | 10h per pack, 2 packs | Y, pop off side panel; comes with extra battery | N | Y | Y | DTS Headphone X v2 | two swappable batteries, cables to connect to almost anything, great audio quality, can pipe in Bluetooth and USB audio simultaneously, good controls, two audio devices (with mixer!) on PC, share jack to plug in a second set of headphones | Blindly swapping settings on the fly using the headset scroll wheel can lead to accidents -- including a complete disconnect if you accidentally switch inputs. Would rather have a second separate mixer dial like on Arctis 7. Scroll wheel doesn't sound smooth. Only one velcro point for headband adjustment. | 2.4GHz | 40mm | |
24 | Steelseries Siberia 840 DISCONTINUED | $330 | £280 | AU$500 | 3.5 (including Siberia 800) | 592 (including Siberia 800) | Not enough similar complaints on Siberia 840 | Y | Y | Y, with volume | Y, but only tethered to gamepad w/3.5mm + optical from Xbox to USB hub | Y | Y | Y | Similar to Arctis 7: clear, little bass. BUT can tune with breakout box. | Y | No volume control and too muddy to be top-tier here. Above average but that's not saying much. Active only works if base station connected wirelessly which kinda defeats purpose. Base station's 3.5mm port isn't great either. A bit quiet | Y | technically works fine, nice to have, but audio is just OK. Mic works for calls but callers told me I sounded muffled | Y, retracts | Lots of background static and a little flat. Not great. | Lots of background noise. Doesn't trip Discord auto mic threshold but should be noticible once talking | Y, adjust using transmitter | Pretty close, but fails in one particularly tough spot downstairs. | 330g (11.6oz) | Studio headphones but smaller and more plastic-y | Average | Too tight IMO but not as bad as many. Pads are in all the right places, it's just the clamping force. | Yes, lots of slight creaks | Comfy leatherish | Some | Very little | 10h per pack, 2 packs | Y, twist off side panel; comes with extra battery | N | Y | Y | Dolby Headphone, Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic IIx, on PC only | two swappable batteries, cables to connect to literally anything, super customizable. Have to use optical plus chat cable but can even do competent Xbox One wireless + voice with mixer that way. Only everything headset on the market. | Confusing setup, confusing menus, confusing controls. | 2.4GHz | 40mm | |
25 | Turtle Beach Elite 800 | $250 | £180 - £250 | AU$430 | 3.5 | 328 | Poor audio quality, audio cuts out, too quiet, poor mic quality, poor noise cancelation mode, white noise, oversensitive buttons activate accidentally | Y | Kinda -- needs optical or it doesn't sound clear | Y | Y, but only tethered to gamepad w/3.5mm + optical from Xbox to USB hub | Y | Y | Y | Muddy, narrow soundstage. Yuck. | Y | Works passively and sounds better than when powered on! Less harsh on Ss and things. Not bad. Smaller soundstage than HyperX Cloud Flight though. | Y | very similar to powered 3.5mm, just slightly slightly less harsh, softer | N, removable | so bad people refused to play with me | Can't hear fan because mic barely picks up anything | Y, dedicated buttons on headset | Fail | 374g (13.2oz) | Mostly plastic but higher quality look and feel than all other Turtle Beach | Runs small | A little tight even at max... some pressure, not terrible | Minimal | Comfy leatherish | Very little | A little | 10 hours | N | N | Y | N | DTS Headphone X | Noise canceling was OK. | Hard to adjust while it's on your head. Not very comfortable. Audio is sub-par. Crazy easy to accidentally adjust settings or power on merely by brushing controls. | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
26 | Turtle Beach Stealth 420X+ DISCONTINUED | $120 | £120 | AU$277 at EBGames on clearance | 3.8 | 485 | Audio cuts out, stops working/charging, mic issues, breaks at the earpiece | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Did not test | N | Tinny highs... Punchy bass (particularly bass boost mode) and yet surprisingly decent clarity, distortion at high volume but not bad. | Y | Works and sounds identical to Turtle Beach Stealth 520. | N | N/A | N, removable | Did not run | Did not run | Y, dedicated dial on headset, but dial controls overall volume in PC mode | Did not run | 257g (9.1oz) | Cheap, plastic | Runs small | Definitely a bit too tight to start. Cramped no matter what but bearable... | Nah | Stiff perforated pleather | Barely any | A little | 15 hours | N | Constant green | Y | N | N | Cheap, independent chat volume dial | Cheap, USB dongle has annoyingly bright green LED | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
27 | Turtle Beach Stealth 450 | $130 | £80-£110 | AU$200 | 3.9 | 446 | Too tight, too quiet, poor mic quality, not enough bass, headset arms crack after extensive use, surround sound driver doesn't always work on Windows 10, auto-shutdown sometimes shuts down headphones during use | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Punchy bass (particularly bass boost mode) and yet surprisingly decent clarity, distortion at high volume but not bad. | Y | Has to be powered and flashes blue pairing lights the whole time. Also no on-ear volume control in 3.5mm mode. Also tries to auto shutdown every 15 min vocally and you have to cancel each time. Plus not as clear as Stealth 520. | N | N/A | N, removable | Richer than TB 600/700 but also more bground noise | Slight buffet every few seconds triggers Discord auto-threshold | Y, dedicated dial on headset | Not even close. Lots of dropouts. | 247g (8.7oz) | Cheap, plastic | Runs small | Definitely a bit too tight to start. Cramped no matter what but bearable... | Nah | Dry and scratchy fabric | Barely any | A little | 15 hours | N | Constant white | Y | N | DTS Headphone X | Cheap, independent chat volume dial | Cheap | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
28 | Turtle Beach Stealth 520 DISCONTINUED | $130 | £100 | AU$200 | 3.9 | 321 | Uncomfortable, stops working/charging, background static, headset arms can crack, superhuman hearing feature merely makes audio tinny | Y | Y | Y | Y, but only tethered to gamepad w/3.5mm + optical from Xbox to USB dongle. Sounds a bit tinny. | Y | Y | Y | Nice! Good bass, fairly clear audio. Decent stage but not amazing. Sounds surprisingly good cranked up. Gets quite loud while staying clear. | Y | pretty clear! decent bass thump! but has to be powered and flashes blue pairing lights the whole time. Also no on-ear volume control in 3.5mm mode. Also tries to auto shutdown every 15 min vocally and you have to cancel each time. | N | N/A | N, removable | Getting some weird noise each time but not hard to hear | Completely silent until I talk. Very nice. | Y, dedicated dial on headset | Not even close. Lots of dropouts. | 249g (8.8oz) | Cheap, plastic | Runs small | Definitely a bit too tight to start. Cramped no matter what but bearable... | Nah | Pretty warm. Cushy enough but nothing special. | Barely any | A little | 15 hours | N | Constant blue | Y | N | DTS Headphone:X | Value for money is super high assuming you can find it, Independent chat volume dial | Tight fit | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
29 | Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (PS4) | $100 | £90 | AU$170 | 4 | 90 | Too quiet | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Width, separation... a little bit of bass punch. Not bad but not as good as Stealth 520 on all counts. On PS4, max volume isn't that loud. Nice not to worry about blown eardrums but maybe not enough for hard-of-hearing. | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, flip up w/ auto mute | Super tinny | Can totally tell there's a fan in the background. So not great, but not a high-pitched whine either | Y, second volume dial adjusts mic monitor | Fail, graceful recovery | 285g (10.1oz) | Cheap, plastic | Runs a little small | With careful adjustment, can keep it from being too vice-like... comfier than Stealth 700 but only slightly | A few | Soft fabric cushions, not too abrasive. Could stand to be a little thicker, barely enough to cover ears | Barely any | Some | 15 hours | N | N | Y | N | Turtle Beach Surround | Independent chat volume dial | Independent sound and voice mix doesn't work on PC; both control wheels become volume dials, each responsible for half the volume. | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
30 | Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Xbox) | $100 | £90 | AU$170 | 3.8 | 212 | Xbox Wireless loses connection easily, hissing/ringing in left earpiece. | N, Xbox direct connect | Y, requires Xbox One wireless dongle (not included; mic monitor doesn't work with XB1 dongle) | N | Y (native wireless) | N | N | N | Width, separation... a little bit of bass punch. Not bad but not as good as Stealth 520 on all counts. | N | N/A | N | N/A | Y, flip up w/ auto mute | Super tinny | Fan noise audible as a bit of a hum but pretty acceptable. | Y, always engaged when mic is on, adjust in desktop app. | Makes it down the stairs but some dropouts and gets weirdly distorted downstairs. Fine when walking upstairs again. | 288g (10.2oz) | Cheap, plastic | Runs a little small | With careful adjustment, can keep it from being too vice-like... comfier than Stealth 700 but only slightly | A few | Soft fabric cushions, not too abrasive. Could stand to be a little thicker, barely enough to cover ears | Barely any | Some | 15 hours | N | N | Y | N | Turtle Beach Surround | Independent chat volume dial | Xbox PC dongle turns both control wheels into volume dials, each responsible for half the volume. | Dual-band 2.4/5GHz | 50mm | |
31 | Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (PS4) | $150 | £130 | AU$270 | 3.2 | 106 | USB receiver stops working, sound cuts out, clicking and popping. 20% of reviews for PS4 are 1-star | Y | Y, USB or Bluetooth | Y | No mic but can do audio over optical | Y, with on-ear volume control | Y | Y | Muddier than Stealth 600 by quite a bit... prefer practically any other Stealth headset for clarity. | Y | no passive mode and yet no on-ear volume control. Even muddier and narrower than 800. | Y | very similar to powered 3.5mm, just slightly slightly less harsh, maybe slightly less bass, softer. Volume dials and EQ button do nothing in Bluetooth mode. | Y, flip up w/ auto mute | Super tinny | Slight hum and hiss. Not terrible but not amazing. Doesn't trigger Discord auto-threshold. | Y, second volume dial adjusts mic monitor | Fail, can't even get downstairs. | 284g (10oz) | Slightly high quality materials than Stealth 600 but uses old headband design | Runs a little small | A little tight | A few | moderately comfy leatherish, could stand to be a little thicker | Some | Very little | 10 hours | N | N | N | N | DTS Headphone X | Bluetooth nice to have, can pipe in Bluetooth and USB audio simultaneously, and can trigger phone voice assistant with long-press. Active noise cancellation is neat but not very effective. | Headband construction feels cheap. I worry about breakage. Easy to mix up the two volume dials by touch due to the 700's design | 2.4GHz | 50mm | |
32 | Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Xbox) | $150 | £130 | AU$270 | 3.1 | 207 | Xbox Wireless loses connection easily, hissing/ringing in left earpiece. 35% of reviews for Xbox are 1-star | N, Xbox direct connect | Y, requires Xbox One wireless dongle (not included; mic monitor doesn't work with XB1 dongle) or Bluetooth | N | Y (native wireless) | N | N | N | Pretty similar to Stealth 600. Louder, though, after a firmware update. | Y | no passive mode and yet no on-ear volume control. Even muddier and narrower than 800. | Y | very similar to powered 3.5mm, just slightly slightly less harsh, maybe slightly less bass, softer. Volume dials and EQ button do nothing in Bluetooth mode. | Y, flip up w/ auto mute | Super tinny | Did not run | Y, always engaged when mic is on, adjust in desktop or mobile app | With Xbox One wireless PC dongle = fail, but recovers gracefully within a short time period after firmware update. | 289g (10.2oz) | Slightly high quality materials than Stealth 600 but uses old headband design | Runs a little small | A little tight | A few | moderately comfy leatherish, could stand to be a little thicker | Some | Very little | 10 hours | N | N | N | N | DTS Headphone X | Bluetooth nice to have, can pipe in Bluetooth and Xbox audio simultaneously, and can trigger phone voice assistant with long-press. Independent chat volume dial. Turns on Xbox with power button. Turning off Xbox turns off headset too. Active noise cancellation is neat but not very effective. | Headband construction feels cheap .Easy to mix up the two volume dials by touch due to the 700's design. Xbox PC dongle turns both control wheels into volume dials, each responsible for half the volume. | Dual-band 2.4/5GHz | 50mm | |
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