Sound Quality
The sound quality from the PC160 is superior to that of the PC150 and naturally enough it handles things such as positional audio and bass much better. It is still no spring chicken for the price; with music it lacks the fullness and low end response one might expect of such a pricey headset. The headphones just don't carry across the weight of the sound, and as such anything from music to games and movies sound rather flat - acceptable, but once more we have to look at the price tag and scratch our heads a bit at the kind of deficiencies we'd only expect from headphones half the price.
Again Sennheiser deliver decent noise cancellation, and so long as one is not listening to a quiet piece, outside noises shouldn't intrude too much into the audible experience.
Conclusion
The PC160 is superior to the PC150, but is not worth the price tag in our opinion when one can go out and purchase a Medusa 5.1 for a good bit less. You are really paying for the panache of a Sennheiser headset, and while we can't argue with its sense of style, we do find a lot of fault in paying more for a 2.1 stereo system than a 5.1 behemoth. Compare Prices on Gaming Headsets
Feature Conclusion
As you can see we've assembled a wide range of headsets, each of which fulfils a specific set of needs. The high end of the market is the 5.1 Surround Sound headsets, the mobile end the HN-505's and the mid-range are similarly priced to the Medusa 5.1's (depending on where you shop) are represented by the Sennheisers.
What do we think? Well, for home and gaming use the Medusa 5.1 has found its place firmly on the desktop and if you have the hardware to handle the device and the need for such a headset, then the price and functionality of the 5.1 surround sound headset fits like a glove. The USB set provides an alternative for mobile users without a 5.1 soundcard, and while it has its drawbacks in terms of sound quality, it also receives big thumbs up as the second place runner up.
For truly mobile use one simply cannot beat the Creative HN-505. Between its extreme portability, noise cancellation and general sound quality, it makes the perfect companion for any laptop user on the go. It's only a shame that there isn't a built in microphone, but all the same it has become our mobile headset of choice.
The black sheep of this roundup has been the Sennheiser. While not bad per se, the PC150 and PC160 headphones deliver mid-range sound for the same price as the Medusa 5.1, which we feel actually has a better microphone than the Sennheiser They are stylish, do the job and in any other roundup might just have come out on top. However, when compared to a similarly priced 5.1 surround sound headset, they just fall flat on their faces.
