Everyone wants the freedom of a great wireless gaming headset, but it's hard to find one that's budget-friendly without compromising on... well, a lot. HyperX's new Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is a budget-friendly (ish) wireless headset that doesn't compromise on much — it's got large, 50mm dynamic drivers with a frequency response range of 10 - 50,000 Hz, an ultra lightweight, comfortable frame with reinforced metal yokes for durability, and it gets up to 80 hours of battery life on a single charge, which is a number we usually only see in much pricier products. The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless comes in at just under $100, which isn't nothing, but is significantly cheaper than the $200 - $300 price range of headsets with similar specs.

Design and Comfort of the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless

The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is an over-ear (circumaural) wireless gaming headset with a lightweight plastic frame and a non-detachable flip-to-mute boom mic. It's mostly made of plastic, with a matte black finish and some machined texturing around the outer edges of the large, oval earcups, but it does have stainless steel sliders in the headband for durability. The earcups are independently height-adjustable, and they also tilt and swivel 90 degrees for flat storage (though the headset doesn't come with a travel bag or case). The earpads and the underside of the headband are padded with soft, leatherette-covered memory foam, which does an excellent job of passive noise cancellation.

It looks like a gaming headset, mostly because it has a non-detachable boom mic. HyperX's HX logo is glossily debossed on both earcups, while the HyperX text logo adorns the top of the headband. It's not unattractive, but it does look a little cheap — I blame the matte black plastic; it's hard to have this particular finish without looking like you're cutting corners at least somewhat. It feels relatively sturdy for its weight, and the flexible frame makes me think it would hold up decently well if you take care of it. The leatherette-covered memory foam padding feels more premium than the rest of the headset, so that's a nice touch.

The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is expectedly lightweight, weighing in at just 10.1 ounces (286.5g). It's almost two ounces lighter than the extremely comfortable HyperX Cloud III S Wireless (12.05oz / 341.5g), and it's half an ounce lighter than the Turtle Beach Atlas Air (10.61oz / 301g), which is one of the lightest wireless headsets we've tested. It's still heavier than wired lightweight headsets, however, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 (8.3oz / 235g).

Weight isn't the only factor when it comes to comfort, but it certainly helps — and the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is a very comfortable and adjustable headset. The headband measures around nine inches (228.6mm) with the earcups fully retracted, and each earcup can be extended around 1.5 inches (38mm) for a total headband length of just under 12 inches (304.8mm). While it wasn't so comfortable that I forgot I was wearing it, I had no problems wearing the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless for hours at a time.

It's a wireless headset, so it's got several on-ear controls. On the left earcup, from back to front, there's a power button and a USB-C charging port. On the right earcup, from back to front, there's a multi-function button, a volume wheel, and a mode switch for switching between 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth.

In the box, the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless comes with a short, 1.6-foot (0.5m) USB-C to USB-C charging cable, a 2.4GHz wireless USB-C dongle, and a USB-C to USB-A adapter.

Audio Performance of the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless

The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless has large 50mm dynamic drivers with a listed frequency response range of 10 - 50,000 Hz, which is pretty far outside the normal range of 20 - 20,000 Hz (though we often see headsets outside this range these days).

Music on the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless sounded good — a fairly neutral profile with no immediately noticeable distortion at either end of the spectrum. The bass in songs such as Kaskade's POW POW POW was powerful-feeling without being muddy, and I could hear the full reign of the kick drum at the beginning of Lorde's Royals. It wasn't the absolute clearest bass I've heard, but I was impressed with the balance between power and restraint. The mid- and high-range also sounded good, though perhaps a little too neutral for my taste. The high strings in Britney Spears' Toxic were well-curbed, but the dynamics in songs such as Farruko's Pepas and David Guetta's Titanium (ft. Sia) felt a little... lacking in excitement.

Games also sounded good on the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless. While it doesn't have a particularly wide soundstage, the headset did a good job of picking up detail in dense, layered audio environments such as the cities of Baldur's Gate 3 and Where Winds Meet, or the jungle of Uncharted 4. In noisy environments these details did tend to blend together in a way that was more cacophonous than artistically rendered (but I suppose that's pretty realistic to how audio works in the real world, too). Directional sound was accurate, if not as finely-tuned as it is in premium, performance-oriented headsets such as the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro.

The headset features dual-wireless connectivity, though not simultaneous — a switch on the right earcup lets you quickly switch between the headset's 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 2 connections. Audio sounded a little compressed over the headset's Bluetooth connection, but it was fine for taking calls or scrolling through TikTok.

Specs

Microphone of the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless

The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless has a non-detachable flip-to-mute boom microphone that sits on the end of a 3.5-inch (89mm) flexible gooseneck arm. The mic is a 6mm back electret condenser microphone with a unidirectional polar pattern, and it does a decent job of keeping background noise at bay, even without any software-based noise cancellation active.

As for quality, the mic isn't anything to write home about — it's a pretty typical headset mic that picks up vocals loud and clear, but won't make you sound like you're a professional podcaster (or anywhere near that level). My voice sounded decently full over both voice chat and in recordings, but it still had the thin, slightly fuzzy quality that easily gave away the fact that this was a headset mic and not a standalone USB gaming mic. But as long as you're not creating content, this mic is perfectly capable for communicating with coworkers, friends, and teammates.

Features and Software of the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless

The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is supposed to be configurable via HyperX's Ngenuity software, but I downloaded both the new Ngenuity (Ngenuity 3?) and the legacy version of Ngenuity, and neither was able to recognize the headset when it was connected to my PC (wired or wireless).

Luckily, the Cloud Stinger 3 works pretty flawlessly out of the box, so you shouldn't need the software (HyperX's Ngenuity software generally tends to be lacking on features, anyway) to use the headset. The headset comes configured by default with voice prompts that tell you when you're switching between connections and when your mic is muted/unmuted (though this is fairly obvious given that it's a flip-to-mute mic), and tapping the power button once gives you the headset's current remaining battery life. There aren't any settings I desperately wanted to change, though I did want to see if tweaking the EQ could pull out footstep details, and HyperX does boast about its software-based spatial audio on the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless' product page.

Battery Life of the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless

HyperX rates the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless' battery life at "up to 80 hours" over 2.4GHz wireless, which is pretty impressive given how light the headset is. The BlackShark V3 Pro, which weighs 12.96 ounces (367g), gets up to 70 hours of battery life, while the 1.23-pound (560g) Audeze Maxwell 2 gets over 80 hours. Of course, HyperX's other headsets also have battery life that far outclasses their peers — the HyperX Cloud III S Wireless, which weighs 12.05 ounces (341.5g) and retails for $180 gets up to 120 hours over its 2.4GHz wireless connection.

Bottom Line

The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is a lightweight, comfortable wireless gaming headset that offers impressive performance and battery life for its $99.99 retail price. It has large dynamic drivers with a wide frequency response range and a fairly neutral (if a little boring) sound profile and up to 80 hours of battery life. It's extremely lightweight and comfortable, though it does look and feel a little cheap overall, and its flip-to-mute boom mic is perfectly adequate for most typical gaming situations. At $100, it's not quite what I'd call budget-friendly (more like the low end of mid-range), but it's definitely worth the price. My only real complaint is that it's a little boring (in both sound profile and looks) — for something a little more fun, I'd still recommend the $120 Corsair Void Wireless v2.

Corsair showed off the latest iteration of its lightweight gaming headset lineup — the Corsair HS35 v3 headset, in both wired and wireless versions, at Computex 2026. These lightweight headsets feature a new floating headband design, 50mm dynamic drivers, detachable boom mics, and Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio compatibility.

Both versions of the HS35 v3 feature custom 50mm Neodymium dynamic drivers with a frequency response of 20 - 20,000 Hz and an impedance of 32 ohms. The wired version weighs a mere 8.11 ounces (230g), which makes it one of the lightest gaming headsets we've seen (though, not the absolute lightest — Logitech's G325 weighs just 7.47oz / 212g) — while the wireless version is slightly heavier at 8.82 ounces (250g). The wired version is over 2.5 ounces lighter than the HyperX Cloud III (10.86oz / 308g), which is one of the comfiest headsets we've tested, while the wireless version is almost 2 ounces lighter than the Turtle Beach Atlas Air (10.61oz / 292.5g), which is, well, basically as light as air. Weight doesn't necessarily guarantee comfort, but it's certainly a major factor.

The headsets also feature a "floating" headband design — an elastic strap connected to both sides of the headband, so the headband doesn't sit directly on your skull and instead "floats" above it — which is a design we've seen several of our favorite comfortable gaming headsets use. Other design features include a lightweight plastic frame, memory foam-padded earpads covered in breathable mesh fabric, and a detachable omnidirectional boom microphone with on-ear controls for both muting and volume control.

The wireless version of the HS35 v3 features 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired connectivity, while the wired version has a universal 3.5mm wired connection. Corsair says you'll get up to 30 hours of battery life over the wireless version's 2.4GHz wireless connection at 50% volume, which isn't the most impressive battery life we've heard of but is probably more than enough for someone who doesn't play days-long gaming marathons.

Both the HS35 v3 wired version and the HS35 v3 Wireless are available now, for $49.99 and $79.99, respectively, in black and white colorways.

Several of the best gaming headsets are designed for connecting to multiple devices, usually via a base station like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro to the Astro A50 X. The base stations of these headsets usually let you plug multiple devices in — such as a PC, a PlayStation 5, and an Xbox — and switch between them seamlessly with the press of a button. But you still need to connect your devices to the base station via a USB-C cable, which means your devices need to be at least somewhat close to each other.

Turtle Beach's new Stealth Pro II, however, does not have this wired limitation. While it does come with a base station (that acts as both a transmitter and a charging dock), it also includes a wireless dongle transmitter that you can plug into a different device. And it can connect to up to four of these transmitters, meaning you can connect to up to four different devices wirelessly, which is sort of a game-changer for those who don't have their PC next to their Xbox next to their PlayStation 5.

The Stealth Pro II also features dual-wireless connectivity with Bluetooth 5.3, a detachable 9mm boom microphone, and a fully redesigned frame that looks much better than its predecessor. It's available for pre-order in black and white colorways (our review unit was white) for $349.99. Also, if you pre-order on Turtle Beach's website, you'll get a free additional wireless transmitter — extra transmitters will cost you $35, otherwise.

Design and Comfort of the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II

The Stealth Pro II is an over-ear (circumaural) wireless gaming headset with dual-simultaneous wireless connectivity and a detachable flip-to-mute boom microphone. It's the second generation of the brand's Stealth Pro, and it's been completely redesigned.

The headset features a plastic and metal design that's a lot more attractive, in my opinion, than its predecessor. It has a soft, rubbery-feeling headband with suspended mesh "padding" that keeps the rigid parts from pressing into your skull. The headband attaches to the earcups via curved aluminum yokes that slide in and out for individual height adjustment. The earcups are made of smooth, soft-touch plastic and have machined metal speaker plates with Turtle Beach's palm tree logo printed on them. The left earcup is magnetically detachable and allows you to access the headset's hot-swappable battery. The earpads have sculpted memory foam padding and are covered in breathable fabric, and are very good at passively keeping ambient noise out — though the headset also has active noise cancellation for an even quieter experience.

The earcups are independently height-adjustable; to adjust them you just slide them along the metal yoke. Each earcup extends a little over one inch (25.4mm) and the inside of the headband measures approximately 12.5 inches (317.5mm) fully extended. The earcups also swivel 90 degrees, tilt, and the headband is flexible enough that you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a good fit for your head. I found the headset to be extremely comfortable — at 13.86 ounces (393g), the Stealth Pro II is not nearly as airy and lightweight as the Turtle Beach Atlas Air (10.61oz / 301g), but it's comfortable enough that I didn't feel the need to take a break, even after hours of wearing it. That said, I can see how the suspension mesh part might bother some people — it's definitely firmer and presses more directly on your skull than a more traditional suspension band, such as the one on the Atlas Air or even the Audeze Maxwell.

The Stealth Pro II has controls on both of its earcups. On the left earcup, from back to front, there's a mode button, a volume wheel, a chatmix wheel, a USB-C charging port, and a power button, as well as a Mini USB port for the detachable boom mic. On the right earcup, from back to front, there's a CrossPlay button for switching between sources, a second volume wheel (for Bluetooth volume), and a Bluetooth button. The chatmix wheel and the mode button on the left earcup are both programmable, so you can swap in different functionality, but the wheel defaults to chatmix on the Xbox version and mic monitoring on the PC version, while the mode button defaults to toggling ANC on/off.

The Stealth Pro 2 comes in a nice, sturdy, zipped carrying case, which is rigid on the outside and has custom cut foam on the inside. It comes with a wireless USB-A transmitter, a battery charger (that also acts as a second transmitter) and extra battery pack, a detachable boom mic, and a 6.5-foot (2m) USB-C to USB-A cable.

Specs

Audio Performance of the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II

The Stealth Pro II sports Turtle Beach's 60mm "Eclipse" dual dynamic drivers, which have a frequency response range of 10 - 40,000 Hz — wider than the average gaming headset, which usually sticks close to the standard 20 - 20,000 Hz range of human hearing, but not quite as wide as the Audeze Maxwell 2 (10 - 50,000 Hz). These drivers are both larger (at 60mm, versus other headsets' 50 or 40mm) and feature a design with distinct woofers and tweeters for "vastly improved audio detail over conventional drivers," according to Turtle Beach.

I was impressed with how both music and games sounded on the Stealth Pro II — there was plenty of detail in atmospheric games such as Where Winds Meet and God of War: Ragnarok, and the sound stage sounded wider than I'm used to on closed-back gaming headsets. Music on the Stealth Pro II was also bright, punchy, and detailed — I could hear the full flow of the timpani in the beginning of Lorde's Royals, as well as the deep nuanced bass in Hans Zimmer's Time, with very good clarity. While the bass on this headset was solid, the highs were a little too turned up out of the box: Footsteps and gunshots in games were unnecessarily present, and the strings at the beginning of Britney Spears' Toxic were close to being painful.

The headset sounded decent with the ANC turned on — ANC tends to affect sound negatively, and while the Stealth Pro II wasn't an exception, the difference wasn't unbearable in gaming (it was more noticeable with music). As far as noise cancellation, the ANC did an excellent job of canceling out ambient noises, such as the low hum of my computer fans. But the earpads also did an excellent job of passive noise cancellation, so much so that the ANC almost seemed superfluous.

Usability is always a bit of a concern when it comes to multi-device headsets, but the Stealth Pro II felt pretty intuitive and straightforward. I appreciated the dedicated Bluetooth volume wheel for dual-simultaneous wireless connections, and switching between USB connections was fairly quick and painless. While there are a few different headsets with base stations that let you connect to more than one device at a time, the Stealth Pro II's multiple wireless dongles means you can connect to devices that aren't within USB-cable-range of each other — not necessarily in separate rooms, but just further away than standard 6.5-foot cables will let you reach (plus, it's neater). Turtle Beach says you can connect up to four sources via CrossPlay, but it only includes two connections (the transmitter dock/battery charging station, and one USB-A dongle) in the box.

Microphone of the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II

The Stealth Pro II has a detachable 9mm flip-to-mute boom microphone as well as beam-forming mics built into the earcups. The boom mic has a floating design that uses spokes to suspend the microphone away from the boom arm for "pristine vocal clarity," according to the company.

It sounds good — very good, for a headset mic — but it didn't blow me away, as many headset mics these days are pretty impressive. My voice came across full and warm and close to (but not quite) broadcast quality over the boom mic, but everyone I spoke to over voice chat could tell I was wearing a headset. As always, I love Turtle Beach's flip-to-mute system — it's the perfect system, and the only one that's never confused me. I wasn't sure how muting the inline mics worked, however, as there's no dedicated mute button out of the box, but I also couldn't get the inline mics to work at all (...maybe that's the trick). I can only assume this is something that might need to be set up or switched to in Turtle Beach's Swarm II software, but I also couldn't get that to work — at least not by time of writing (I'll revisit this a couple of days after launch to see if anything has changed).

Features and Software of the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II

The Stealth Pro II works with Turtle Beach's Swarm II universal peripheral software, which has never worked smoothly for me and certainly wasn't about to start with this review. While I was able to perform an initial firmware/software update, the software continued to prompt me with "Update Available" — blocking me from accessing other parts of the app, of course — but simply giving me a "you are up-to-date" message when I tried to update. Presumably, Swarm II will let you do things like change settings, adjust things such as noise gate and mic monitoring, and access audio and microphone EQs. This is also where you can program the programmable button/dial on the headset, and where you can (god willing) update your firmware.

Luckily, not being able to actually see the software wasn't too much of a setback for me, as I long ago realized that it seems to have some sort of personal vendetta against me. The Stealth Pro II works very well out of the box, and while the EQ and mic EQ would be nice to access, they're not absolutely necessary (for now). Let's hope the firmware updater is working by the time these get into consumers' hands, though.

Battery Life of the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II

Turtle Beach rates the Stealth Pro II at 80+ hours of battery life if you take advantage of its hot-swappable battery system. It comes with two 40-hour batteries that can be hot-swapped — similar to the previous Stealth Pro.

This isn't really the most convenient system for traveling, but it's a pretty solid system for a gaming headset that will live primarily on your desk, as it means you can swap out the battery in just a few seconds without having to worry about any downtime, basically. (Although, I guess simply plugging your headset into a charging dock while you play isn't really that much of a hassle, either, if you're already tied to your desk.) Forty hours is a big improvement over the original Stealth Pro, which had two 24-hour swappable batteries.

Bottom Line

Turtle Beach's Stealth Pro II is a big improvement over its original Stealth Pro in both design and functionality — it's sleek and pretty (I wasn't a big fan of the original Stealth Pro's design), comfortable, and it connects wirelessly to multiple devices simultaneously. Switching between my PC and my PS5 was pretty seamless, though I did have a few wireless hiccups when I was signing onto the staff morning meeting, and the simultaneous Bluetooth playback worked very smoothly. The Astro A50 X did manage to do the device switching just the tiniest bit better, but the Stealth Pro II's wireless connectivity is definitely a game-changer. At $350, the Stealth Pro II isn't cheap, but it's cheaper than similarly multi-tasking headsets, such as the $400 Astro A50 X or the $600 SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite.

Logitech-owned gaming headset brand Astro is all about gaming. So much so that its headsets are not really designed for any type of non-gaming listening, which is why they connect with multiple gaming devices and are surprisingly... unportable. But since we're looking for the best gaming headsets, this is right up our alley.

The Astro A20 X is a lightweight wireless gaming headset designed to connect to two devices (it's compatible with Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and, of course, PCs), with a detachable boom microphone, and bright, attractive RGB lighting. It looks a lot like the Logitech G522 we recently reviewed, because the design is practically identical — the main difference is that the A20 X comes with a multi-device base station while the G522 does not. The A20 X is also about $40 pricier than the G522, at $179.99.

Design and Comfort of the A20 X

The A20 X is a wireless over-ear (circumaural) headset with a lightweight plastic build, an elastic strap for adjustment, and bright, customizable RGB lighting on the earcups. It features a detachable boom microphone and it comes with a small wireless base station that lets you connect the headset to two devices at once — PC, PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch. The A20 X comes in black and white colorways; our review unit came in white. The white headset features light gray cloth-covered earpads and red accents — the underside of the headband, the quick-switch button, and the mic-mute button are all red. The black version has the same red accents, but the earpads are black to match the frame.

The A20 X doesn't look too different from other lightweight, all-plastic wireless headsets, such as the Corsair Void Wireless v2. But it especially doesn't look different from other lightweight, all-plastic headsets from Logitech — in fact, it's virtually identical to the Logitech G522 headset. It's the exact same headset, build-wise: It has the same angular plastic earcups, the same split plastic headband, the same stretchy, elastic adjustment strap — it even has the same mirrored silver Logitech G logo on the yokes. The main difference between the A20 X and the Logitech G522 is the A20 X's base station, which allows you to connect to two devices, e.g. a PC and a console, and quickly switch between them.

Adjustment-wise, the A20 X is pretty minimal — perhaps too minimal. The earcups tilt and pivot slightly to better fit your head, but do not swivel to lie flat (or anywhere close to that). They are not height adjustable at all — instead, height adjustment is via the elastic ski-band-like strap that connects to two plastic protrusions on the inside of the headband. The strap has two notches on each side, which gives you a total of three different lengths (four, I suppose, if you count removing the strap altogether). This isn't a lot, and the headband is pretty stretchy — I found that even the shortest setting was a little too big for me. Luckily, the headset was light enough that it didn't cause much discomfort, but I did occasionally feel like the headset was slipping down/off.

Speaking of weight, the headset is super lightweight — it weighs around 10.23 ounces (290g), which makes it one of the lightest headsets we've tested. It's even lighter than the airy, open-back wireless Turtle Beach Atlas Air, which weighs 10.32 ounces (292.5g) without the microphone (10.61oz / 301g with the mic). It's a very comfortable headset, with a low clamping force and soft, fabric-covered memory foam earpads, but it feels like it might fall off if you turn your head too quickly.

The earcups feature bright, attractive lighting on each side, which can be customized using Logitech's G Hub. Each earcup has four RGB zones, all of which can be changed individually. The lighting is on the face of each earcup and is slightly recessed, so it's not something that people will see if you're facing them (e.g. if you're facing the camera while streaming) — they'll only see it if you turn your head.

There are several controls and ports on each earcup. On the left earcup, starting from the back, there's a power switch, a Bluetooth button, a volume wheel, and a microphone mute button, as well as a USB-C port and a 3.5mm microphone jack for plugging in the headset's detachable boom microphone. On the right earcup, starting from the back, there's a quick-switch button for switching between the two devices you have connected to the base station, as well as a chat mix rocker that lets you adjust the volume between game and chat audio.

The A20 X comes with a few accessories in the box: two 6-foot (1.8m) rubber USB-C to USB-A cables (presumably for connecting devices to the base station), the very slim base station, and the detachable boom microphone.

Specs

Audio Performance of the A20 X

The A20 X features Astro's 40mm bio-cellulose dynamic drivers, which have a frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz. This is the standard frequency response range on many gaming headsets, though we've been seeing more and more headsets push beyond this range (on both sides).

The A20 X sounds, unsurprisingly, a lot like the Logitech G522. It has a semi-neutral sound profile, with the mids standing out and a slightly pumped up low end, and relatively restrained highs that are turned up just enough to make footsteps and gunshots stand out slightly. It's not the most exciting or dramatic sound profile, but it's... fine, out of the box. All forms of media — games, music, movies, podcasts, etc. — will sound adequate on the A20 X out of the box, but you'll need to play with the EQ if you want to get the most out of this headset.

Logitech G Hub comes with a handful of "curated presets" to get you started, including "bass boost," gaming, FPS gaming, and "media." You can also create your own presets, and you can get a pretty solid bass response with some tweaking. The headset also features plenty of detail, though it has a somewhat narrow soundstage, making rich audio environments like cities and jungles in games sound particularly alive (though perhaps a bit oppressive).

You will need to use Logitech G Hub to tweak and switch between EQ presets, however, as there doesn't seem to be a way to quickly switch between them on the headset itself. However, like the Astro A50 X, the A20 X doesn't really work without its base station (it does, but... not really), so I guess that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Microphone of the A20 X

The A20 X has a detachable boom microphone with an omni-directional polar pattern and a frequency response range of 70 - 20,000 Hz. The mic plugs into a 3.5mm jack (trapezoid-shaped, to direct the orientation) on the left earcup, and sits on the end of a semi-flexible 4.5-inch gooseneck arm. It can be manually muted using a button on the left earcup, and it features a bright red light at the tip when it is muted, so you know whether people can hear you.

The microphone is pretty solid for a headset mic, though it's not the absolute best we've used and it doesn't compare to a standalone USB gaming mic. But it does a very good job of capturing your voice and making it sound full and well-rounded, even without any of the Blue Vo!ce presets turned on. It does a pretty good job of keeping background sound to a minimum, even though it's omni-directional (not cardioid or hypercardioid) — though, of course, typing on a loud keyboard will still be somewhat obvious.

But like all Logitech mics, the A20 X is supported by Logitech's G Hub software, which means you also have access to the Blue Vo!ce microphone technology. This includes a mic EQ as well as several signal cleanup options, such as noise reduction, a de-esser and a de-popper, a noise gate, and a compressor. The EQ comes with several curated presets, including AM/FM radio presets, two broadcast options, and a night/whisper preset that works surprisingly well.

Features and Software of the A20 X

The A20 X is configurable through Logitech's universal peripheral software, Logitech G Hub. You can use G Hub to update firmware, tune the headset and microphone EQ, and customize the headset's RGB lighting, as well as adjust several settings such as sidetone, game/chat mix, audio prompts, and power management. (It also gives you access to a sound board, if that's something that interests you.)

The A20 X has three forms of connectivity — 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.3, and wired via USB-C. Both the 2.4GHz wireless and the Bluetooth connections work through the base station, which means that the headset does not work wirelessly without the base station. You must be within range of the base station for both the 2.4GHz wireless connection and the Bluetooth connection to work. It does, however, work without the base station if you plug it in via USB-C, so it's at least somewhat portable — and the base station is extremely slim and lightweight, so you could take it with you pretty easily if you wanted to travel with it. But you'd still need to have it plugged into your PC for it to work, so it's not what I would call travel-friendly.

Also, the wireless connections do not support simultaneous playback — you'll need to press the Bluetooth button on the left earcup to switch between 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth. The switch is quick and seamless, but this feels like it makes the Bluetooth connection even less useful. Still, I understand the point of this headset is to be able to seamlessly connect to multiple devices and switch between them simultaneously, and I have seen how connections can get mixed up in headsets that attempt to do it while also making the headset fully portable. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro ambitiously attempts to connect to multiple devices and have simultaneous dual-wireless Bluetooth connectivity that's not dependent on the base station, and I have had several issues

Logitech rates the battery life of the A20 X at up to 90 hours with the lighting turned off, and up to 40 hours with the lighting turned on. This is actually better than I expected, considering how bright and flashy the lighting is.

Bottom Line

The Astro A20 X is a pretty solid gaming headset if you're looking for a multi-device headset and you don't need something you can take out of the house. The base station is convenient and small, and switching between devices is quick and seamless — though it doesn't have simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity like the Astro A50 X. But if you don't want to switch between your PC and your console, the Logitech G522 is the same headset without a base station, and it costs just $129.99 versus the A20 X's $179.99.

Do you remember Nvidia’s 3D Vision 2 glasses, which launched about a decade and a half ago? It isn’t clear whether retro gaming Redditor sinrivers does, exclaiming, “I can’t believe this find” after unearthing a pair buried in a thrift store’s home décor bric-a-brac section. They bought this sealed Nvidia retail box featuring the 3D glasses for just $2.99. That’s a great saving on the launch price of $149 or $99, depending on whether they included the IR transmitter. But what use are these artifacts in 2026?

I can't believe this find from r/nvidia

If we wind back the clock to the early 2010s, there was some momentum behind 3D gaming with the added magic of 3D monitors combined with active-shutter 3D glasses. This was the peak 3D monitor era, with several big-name monitor vendors supplying compatible 3D monitors and graphics cards with the requisite port selection. Big PC brands like Asus could provide a whole ecosystem at the time: monitor, glasses, and graphics card.

Nvidia’s solution was 3D Vision (AMD offered HD3D), and to enjoy the experience as intended, you would want a compatible GPU plus a LightBoost-certified monitor, providing both a 3D HDMI 1.4 input and a dual-link DVI input. On the human side, you’d wear active-shutter glasses like these Nvidia 3D Vision 2 spectacles, and an IR emitter was also necessary – but sometimes built into the 3D monitor you bought.

The experience was loved by some, but others considered it overrated. For a snapshot of the ecosystem and its capabilities at the time, check out the Tom’s Hardware archives. For example, in September 2011, we published a 22-page, 18-game comparison featuring the best solutions for Nvidia 3D Vision vs AMD HD3D glasses users.

Whatever your opinion, it is undeniable that the 3D glasses and 3D monitor-driven experience faded rather quickly. So, what can sinrivers do with their $2.99 bargain today?

As the simplest option, they could leave the package untouched as a shrink-wrapped pristine tech artifact. It would also probably be possible to make a quick profit through sites like eBay. Alternatively, if enough complementary ecosystem components are within sinrivers’ grasp, there are classic 3D gaming experiences of the era to enjoy, some 3D movies of the era to soak up, and even some emulators covering consoles of the era that support this system. Please note that Nvidia removed 3D Vision support from its GeForce drivers in 2019.

Gaming headsets come in all shapes and sizes, and when you’re a company as large and influential as Logitech, it can be wise to have an option for gamers at all price points. Last week, we looked at the affordable G325 Lightspeed Wireless, which, while not yet finding a place among the very best gaming headsets, offered an impressive value at only $80. With the Logitech G522 Lightspeed, we get to see if that value proposition holds true as we move higher up the chain. And — spoiler alert — at $130, it definitely does.

Logitech G522 Lightspeed Wireless Specs

Design and Comfort of the Logitech G522 Lightspeed Wireless

The Logitech G522 is unmistakably a gaming headset. You don't need to look any further than the bright RGB rings on either earcup to see that — but even if you were to turn off the lighting, its distinctive futuristic appearance still allows it to stand out. Turned off, the lighting rings become gray plates. The yokes seem to float over the back of each cup.

It’s a balanced design, striking the middle-ground between comfort and flair. Its physical design definitely hits the visual notes of a gaming headset, but I was surprised by how light and comfortable it is. At only 290g, it's airy — but Logitech has also employed a ski-band like headstrap to evenly distribute its weight, preventing hot spots on the top of your head.

The cushions are also designed with comfort as the top concern. They’re soft and conform to the shape of your head and are very breathable if you play in a warmer environment. As expected, isolation suffers with this type of design, but it’s an intentional decision. Sound can bleed in and out, but you don’t need to worry about sweaty ears or a sore dome after wearing it for a few hours.

As Logitech’s mid-range flagship and a headset well over $100, you should go in expecting a few basics. Enjoyable sound quality for gaming as well as other types of content, a comfortable design, and versatile connectivity to use it with multiple devices you may own. The G522 checks all of those boxes.

The G522 packs upgraded 40mm Pro-G drivers to deliver bigger sound with improved detail. These drivers and the headset’s integrated DAC (digital-to-analog converter) allow the headset to offer a full-spectrum 20 Hz - 20kHz resolution and wide dynamic range with plenty of volume. They sound great out of the box, but can also be customized with preset or custom EQ settings in the Logitech G Hub software.

The microphone is detachable and can be muted with a button on the left earcup, where you’ll also find controls for power, Bluetooth, and volume. Like the sound you’re hearing, the vocals it captures can also be equalized and post-processed with studio FX to fine-tune how they come through to your listener.

The headset delivers solid connectivity options, supporting Logitech’s 2.4GHz Lightspeed audio, Bluetooth 5.3, and USB connections. It does not support simultaneous dual wireless connectivity, so you'll need to toggle between connections. Simultaneous dual wireless connectivity usually comes at a premium, so I’m not surprised by its absence, but I still miss it every time it’s not on a wireless headset.

Audio Performance of the Logitech G522 Lightspeed Wireless

I'll be frank. The Logitech G522 didn't blow my socks off at first listen. It sounds tame, with neither highs nor lows jumping out in either games or music and only the footstep frequencies seeming slightly elevated. There’s enough detail to provide an enjoyable listening experience and the warmer tone essentially ensures a comfortable listening experience free of sharp edges.

But believe me when I say that this headset is capable of much more. You can hear it immediately by cycling through the included presets. The G522 is quite versatile, and its out-of-the-box sound is really best viewed as a starting place if you want to see what these drivers are capable of.

With finessing, I settled on the custom EQ above. It looks a little wonky, but the G522 sounds amazing with it. Originally designed for music, I’ve taken to using this EQ profile for everything. Acoustic guitars sparkle, sniper rifles ring with spent shots, explosions rumble, vocals are lush and nearby, and the soundstage wraps around you.

Logitech highlights that “PRO-G drivers are built to reproduce audio from multiple sound layers simultaneously so you hear each sound layer as clearly as possible” with its drivers. First, to nitpick, all headphones reproduce multiple sound layers simultaneously. If they didn’t, we would call them broken.

That aside, what Logitech is getting at is resolution. In the audio world, a headphone’s resolving ability is its ability to reproduce tiny details that make the whole recording sound higher resolution. Think of the jump between 720p and 1080p and then again from 1080p to 4k. Headphones scale the same way, but with your ears.

And the G522 does an exceptional job at pulling out and isolating those tiny details and spatial cues so you do wind up hearing each layer more clearly. Of course, a high-end pair of headphones designed for music will do an even better job, but for $130, this headset is a performer.

Microphone of the Logitech G522 Lightspeed Wireless

The detachable boom microphone that comes on the Logitech G522 Lightspeed is omnidirectional and noise canceling, offering good clarity and acceptable gain without any software tweaks. It also includes a red light around the capsule that illuminates when it's muted, which is a helpful feature to avoid mid-stream faux paux’s.

But just because you can use it straight out of the box doesn't mean you should. In fact, G Hub and its Blue Voice features are so integral to the microphone's quality that it should be a consideration for anyone thinking of adding this headset to their wishlist.

If you’re anything like me, the first thing you’ll want to do is try out some vocal presets and effects to sound more “broadcast-worthy”. Logitech includes a half dozen presets to play, learn from, and customize. Helpfully, G Hub lets you record and loop a sound sample so you can hear how each preset or setting change impacts your voice.

The other half of customizing the mic comes from the range of vocal FX built into the software. Here, you’ll find broadcast favorites, like a noise gate and compressor to block out background noise and balance levels. There’s a De-Esser to remove sharpness from S sounds and a De-Popper to get rid of plosives when your P- and B-sounds send bursts of air into your microphone. There’s also a high-pass filter to gate out low, droning sounds like HVAC units.

The final effect you’ll find is Noise Removal. This is the classic filter that gaming headsets have used for years. Turn it up too high and you’ll sound compressed and nasally. Leave it all the way down and you’ll sound your best, but so will any noise-makers around you.

If all of this sounds like Greek to you, don’t worry. Next to each effect, Logitech has included a tooltip that explains what each tool does and how your adjustments will impact the end result.

Like the headphone side of this headset, tweaks are required to get the best performance from the G522, but if you put the time in, this is a mic you could take into a stream without fear that its quality will drive viewers away.

Software and Features of the Logitech G522 Lightspeed Wireless

I’ve discussed the software features at length already, but it’s worth highlighting again just how integral Logitech G Hub is to the G522. If you’re not interested in keeping software running in the background, the G522 probably isn’t the headset for you.

In addition to the deep customization options for sound and recording quality, it also offers another unique trick: a customizable soundboard. You can load up your own samples and background music and be free to launch those stingers and segues with ease.

Of course, you can also customize the headset’s lighting. There are five device-based presets to choose from, including a static lighting option, and a screen and audio sampler that will synchronize the earcup lighting to what you’re seeing or hearing. There’s also a Freestyle mode where you can set each of both earcup’s four lighting zones independently.

The final element we haven’t discussed is the device settings menu. The usual options and battery readout are all present and accounted for. I appreciate some of the additional power-saving options that Logitech has incorporated, however. Being able to customize how the headset behaves during low power or sleep mode, and when sleep mode and shutdown occur, are welcome options and add granularity to battery management.

Battery Life of the Logitech G522 Lightspeed Wireless

The Logitech G522 Lightspeed offers extended battery life of up to 90 hours when lighting is disabled and volume is limited to 50%. Using the out-of-box lighting animation and the same volume, that drops to 40 hours. Using it every day over the last couple weeks, lights on full brightness, I recharged it once after 33 hours and a second time at 36 hours — both of which could have been extended if I kept to the 50% volume used in the battery life claims.

Bottom Line

For $130, the Logitech G522 Lightspeed wireless gaming headset offers an excellent value to gamers that want flagship features and sound quality without flagship pricing. Its lightweight, mostly plastic construction feels a little cheap, but lets the headset remain lightweight and comfortable. The sound quality, while not to my taste out of the box, can transform into one of the best in its class with some tweaks to EQ — and the same can be said about your voice thanks to its powerful vocal processing.

If you want something that costs a little less and feels more robust in the hand, the Razer Blackshark V3 Pro is worth a look, and the Blackshark V2 Pro even more so, if you can find one. On the other hand, if you love what Logitech is offering here but don’t get on with its sense of style, the Logitech G325 Lightspeed Wireless is another recent release worth your attention.

While I wish the tweaks weren’t necessary, what sounds “best” is subjective and the fact that the G522 can “get there” makes all the difference. With the right changes to match your taste, it punches well above its class and is an exceptional value at its current asking price.

The cost of gaming headsets is on the rise, just like with most peripherals. If you don't want to spend over a hundred dollars but are still hoping to pick up one of the best gaming headsets, the Logitech G325 Lightspeed Wireless might be the headset you’ve been waiting for. With budget conscious gamers in mind, it offers dual dynamic drivers, 24-bit audio, 2.4 GHz Lightspeed Wireless, up to 24 hours of battery life, and a stylish design that could let it slide into One Headset for Everything territory. At $80, it’s middle of the market for price — but it punches above its class in comfort and sound quality.

Design and Comfort of the Logitech G325 Lightspeed Wireless

The Logitech G325 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Headset is designed to balance affordability with comfort and sound quality. It accomplishes both of those goals with ease. However, hitting its $80 price point necessitated some simplifying along the way. This isn’t a headset designed to be flashy and catch attention; it’s a headset designed to nail the fundamentals and feel like a good value.

After spending the last couple of weeks with it, I can say that if my assumptions are right on its intentions and target audience, the G325 is a smashing success. There’s no RGB flashiness, but the sleek, greyed out design still looks good. More importantly, it’s exceptionally lightweight at only 212 grams, which allows even a short-hair like me to wear them for hours without experiencing any pain at the crown of my head — and believe me, it doesn’t take much.

But while I’ll take the end result, and especially like the reasonable price it comes in at, its light and almost entirely plastic design causes the headset to feel a bit flimsy. Is it actually more likely to fail? My gut says no, especially because Logitech headsets typically age well, but it doesn’t feel substantial in the hand at all.

The emphasis on comfort is clear in more than its weight. The ear cushions and headband are made of soft, isolating foam and trimmed in breathable fabric. The earcups are tight enough to properly seal but aren’t so tight that they feel clampy. While I still prefer headsets with channels built in for the arms of glasses, I was able to wear my specks with these no problem. Like soreness on the crown, this is another easy pain point for me, so it’s good to see Logitech release another glasses-friendly headset.

The controls for the headset are all positioned on the left earcup and are raised or imprinted to make them easily identifiable by touch. There are buttons for power, turning Bluetooth on and off, volume, and muting the microphone with some of them pulling double duty for media controls. It’s straightforward and easy to learn.

The microphone is also embedded into the earcup so there’s no boom mic to clue passersby in that you’re wearing a gaming headset. I’ll talk more about its quality in the microphone section below, but know that it features beamforming tech to narrow in on your voice, improving clarity and volume. It works better than most embedded microphones I’ve heard, which is a big compliment at this price, but still falls short of having a capsule directly in front of your mouth. It will be perfect for calls and teammate chats, but it doesn’t come close to the best gaming microphones.

The look of the headset, in part due to its embedded mic system, is very minimal and sleek. I was sent the white version, which has grey cushions and teal accents in the small bits of coiled wire. The G325 can also be picked up in Black or Lilac with purple and orange accents respectively. There’s no RGB or other visible customization.

This type of design makes it a good fit for taking outside of the house for mobile gaming, music, and general use as a pair of normal wireless headphones. The design is futuristic, so it still stands out a bit — but if you didn’t know what to look for, they could easily pass as traditional music cans.

Of course, if that’s the case, then the headset needs to have proper audio chops — not just gaming bass bloat. To that end, Logitech has outfitted the G325 with 32mm dynamic drivers. That’s on the small side of average but they get plenty loud and otherwise don’t sound “small” in any way. Part of this is because of the quality of the drivers and the tuning that Logitech has done, but the other part is the built in DSP (digital sound processing) and high-quality DAC Logitech has leveraged.

Unlike most gaming headsets, which transmit at 16-bit, 44.1kHz resolution, the G325 locks in with 24-bit audio, increasing the acoustic bandwidth of the headphones. Unless you go out of your way to source high-res audio (or set streaming quality to its highest setting and only on certain providers), you’ll likely still be streaming in standard resolution. For gaming, however, you can more frequently count on those sweet, uncompressed sonics bringing your game to life.

Flowery language aside, 24-bit audio is a nice-to-have feature and raises the ceiling on sound quality, but don’t expect that alone to result in a massively improved listening experience. Tuning is much more important to immediately hearing differences between headphones, and Logitech has virtually guaranteed that you’ll be able to find a tune that works for you.

Using the headset’s built in sound processor, you’re able to choose from a selection of premade EQ presets or choose your own completely custom sound. This, in my testing, was preferable but takes considerable trial and error if you’re new to the process. Still, it works well and is a very welcome feature for a headset as resilient to adjustments as this one is.

Logitech G325 Lightspeed Wireless Specs

Audio Performance of the Logitech G325 Lightspeed Wireless

The Logitech G325 features a gaming-first sound profile, but thanks to a high-quality equalizer built into G Hub, it also offers a greater-than-average ability to customize the sound to your taste for different types of content. Out of the box, however, they buck expectations when it comes to the amount of bass.

Out of the box, the sound is mid-forward with accentuation in the treble. Bass, while not absent, takes a backseat and fills in the foundation of the sound so it never sounds thin, but the stock balance is clearly aimed at the footstep range, increasing your situational awareness. It’s a smart choice by Logitech, because you’re able to add more bass at any time through the G Hub software but it’s refreshing to see an affordably priced gaming headset that’s actually designed to benefit your performance versus just sounding “big” with a fattened low-end.

That isn't to say that the headset makes things sound thin or unenjoyable if you're looking for that action-packed experience, or if you slip away with a movie’s cinematic score. But where the average gaming headset overplays the bass and winds up crowding out the mids and highs, the G325 provides a much more balanced experience.

That said, this is definitely a "gaming-first" headset. For music, I found myself raising the low end with the in-app EQ. A word of caution here: Start with small changes. Pushing the bass too much quickly bleeds into the mids and will leave you with a similar listening experience to other gaming headsets: bloated lows and masked audio cues. Slow and steady wins the EQ race.

For music in particular, the headphones are fine but aren't going to compete with the best music headphones but get the job done well enough to provide an enjoyable experience. While the G325 provides adequate detail and clarity to hear what's happening in a game or track, a great pair of music headphones like the Sennheiser HD HD 600 are better tuned to bring out the nuance, layering, and sense of space crafted into a track.

This is a closed-back headset, so you shouldn't expect a massive soundstage. I was impressed to find that the G325 is significantly more spacious-sounding than it looks like it will be. I'm not sure if it's the inner geometry of the earcups or the supporting action of the pressure vents, but there’s more width, depth, and layer separation to songs than I anticipated. A pleasant surprise, to be sure, and all but uncommon in the closed-back headset space without the help of digital surround sound.

On that front, it’s important to note that the headset is fully compatible with software-based spatial surround sound. Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos can both be used with this headset and definitely seem to enhance the verticality of songs and audio cues. I recommend choosing one and leaving it enabled for the best listening experience across all types of content.

Microphone of the Logitech G325 Lightspeed Wireless

The microphone in the Logitech G325 is good for calls, but there’s audible distance that reduces presence and volume. I give Logitech credit because it is one of the better-sounding earcup microphones I've heard, but the extra reverb and ambient noise make it obvious that you’re not actually talking “into” a mic and are instead just being picked up by one.

That said, it is better than most other embedded mics and is clear enough that your teammates and the recipients of your voice calls will be able to hear you well. In other words, the microphone is great for what it is, but it’s still an earcup mic.

Software and Features of the Logitech G325 Lightspeed Wireless

Logitech G325 Lightspeed uses the G Hub suite for all of its customization options. Even if you're not a fan of keeping software running in the background, it's worth downloading because it can make a meaningful impact on the performance of the headset.

As with my other recent experiences with Logitech software, I found it to be polished, straightforward, and beginner-friendly. After choosing the headset on the launch page, you're greeted with a selection of tabs to customize its general behavior (such as how long it needs to be idle before going into sleep mode), sound, and microphone characteristics.

Like I mentioned previously, you're able to choose from a limited range of genre-based EQ presets to customize the sound or to dial in your own using a 10-band equalizer. The combination of quality drivers and DSP make the headset especially responsive to and accommodating of different EQ profiles without risking distortion. Since most of these are designed around gaming, you'll want to take care to try the different options or your own tweaks using content you actually plan to listen to when using the headset outside of games. A mid, low-treble emphasis might be great for hearing footsteps but can make music sound nasally.

Just as importantly, given its lack of adjustable boom mic, G Hub also allows you to customize the tonal character of voice with more or less bass and treble, as well as apply a limited selection of effects to dial in its quality and noise rejection. While it's not a complete solution for the sense of distance created by hiding the mic inside the earcup, it definitely helps and can also give you golden pipes in the process.

Battery Life of the Logitech G325 Lightspeed Wireless

Logitech quotes battery life at roughly 25 hours. It’s important to note, however, that this is at 50% volume. The headset gets plenty loud, and I rarely found a need to turn it up past 70%, but you should expect less than this the higher you go over 50%.

In my case, at roughly 70% volume and connected over Lightspeed wireless, I averaged about 20 hours. Depending on how much you use it, that could mean anything from recharging every few days to uptime of a week or more. In my case, my job doesn’t require or allow me to wear headphones all day and I was able to stretch the battery life to 12 days before I needed to plug it in.

While the headset doesn't offer the absolute best battery life, it does offer enough to be functional and not feel short. This isn’t a headset you can use for months at a time between recharges, but, depending on how much you use it every day, it could go weeks — and that’s solid for this price point

Bottom Line

At only $80, the Logitech G325 Lightspeed is an exceptional deal. It’s lightweight, comfortable for full workday sessions, and offers an impressive and versatile sound for the price point… even if you trade metal for plastic to get there.

If you're looking for something that feels a bit more solid in the hand, the HyperX Cloud III is a very good alternative with a slightly higher weight and price point. Or, if you can stretch your budget, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless more than doubles the battery life while maintaining impressive comfort and customizability.

Overall, Logitech has done an impressive job balancing price and performance with the G325. For the price, it’s a great budget option that is well worth considering.

The best gaming headsets are often set up to connect to multiple devices — after all, if you've got a PC and a console (or two), you don't want to have to buy a separate headset for each. And some gaming headsets are designed to connect to multiple devices at once, like Logitech's Astro A50 X.

The Astro A50 X is a wireless over-ear (circumaural) gaming headset designed for multi-device use — it comes with a powered base station that acts as a wireless charging dock and can connect to your PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox at the same time. It has a lightweight, comfortable design with easy-to-replace parts and offers simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity between any of those three devices and Bluetooth, but with one (big) caveat: All connections, including the Bluetooth connection, are routed through the base station, which means that you need to be within range of the headset’s dock for it to work. It's a great-sounding headset, thanks to Logitech's 40mm Pro-G graphene drivers, and the multi-device situation works seamlessly, but it's pricey for something you can only use in one place — it retails for $400, and even its current sale price of $350 is still far above that of most premium gaming headsets.

Design and Comfort of the A50 X

The Astro A50 X is a wireless over-ear (circumaural) gaming headset with a flip-to-mute boom mic and a wireless base station designed to connect to multiple devices at once.

The A50 X has moderately large, angular earcups that swivel (90 degrees), tilt, and are independently height-adjustable. The earcups are attached to the headband with a sturdy metal cylinder, and slide up and down for adjustment — approximately 1 inch (25mm) of adjustment on each side, for a total internal headband measurement of just over 12 inches (300mm). The headband is a lightweight plastic frame with fabric-covered foam padding at the top. It's very flexible, and the padded part is inside the frame, which allows it to tilt to better accommodate the shape of your head. It allows for a very comfortable fit, as long as your head isn't too big. The padded section is designed to be easily replaceable, and it just snaps out of the frame.

The foam-padded earpads are covered in fabric, which isn't uncomfortable but looks and feels a little cheap. I also found that the fabric kept snagging on my earrings (granted, I have several piercings on the surface of my ear; specifically, this kept snagging on my forward helix and double flat piercings). While this was definitely due, in part, to the jewelry and the piercing locations, this is the first time I've had it happen with a gaming headset, ever. The earpads are super easy to replace — they're attached magnetically — which is nice, though the headset doesn't come with alternate earpads like the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed. This feels like a let-down, especially given how much the headset costs.

The headset's on-ear controls are all located on its right earcup, along the edge and on the speaker plate. There's a power switch with an LED indicator light near the top, a quick-switch button that lets you quickly switch between devices connected to the base station, a Bluetooth button, and a Bluetooth volume wheel. The speaker plate has tilt buttons to control the mix between game and chat audio (forward for game audio, backward for chat audio). There's also a USB-C charging port on the right earcup, for when you want to charge the headset without the base station. The left earcup has no buttons or ports, just the flip-to-mute boom microphone attached to the speakerplate.

The wireless base station is a medium-sized, plastic rectangle with angular edges, measuring approximately 5.75 inches (146.05mm) wide by 4.75 inches (120.65mm) deep, and is 1.5 inches (38.1mm) high. It has a screen that indicates connectivity and battery life/charging status. On the back of the base station, you'll find six ports: Three USB-C and three HDMI (two HDMI In, for PS5 and Xbox, and one HDMI Out, for a TV).

The headset comes with a few accessories in the box: the wireless base station, a 6-foot (1.8m) USB-C to USB-A cable, a 6.5-foot (2m) dual USB-C to USB-A / USB-C to power cable, and four plug attachments for the power cable.

Specs

Audio Performance of the A50 X

The A50 X sports Logitech's 40mm Pro-G Graphene dynamic drivers, with a frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz, which is the normal frequency range for gaming headsets. There are a few other gaming headsets with graphene drivers, including the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed and the Corsair Virtuoso Pro. Graphene drivers are more rigid than traditional dynamic drivers, which allows for more precise, detailed audio that's less prone to distortion.

Music on the A50 X sounds pretty good out of the box, but graphene drivers aren't my favorite for pure listening. The A50 X has a slightly bass-heavy sound profile, which can be tweaked in Logitech's G Hub companion software. Despite being slightly bass-heavy, I wouldn't say the bass was impressively powerful — it was loud without being muddy, but it lacked the lower-range power you'll get in headsets with a wider frequency range, such as the Audeze Maxwell 2. Mids and highs sounded good; the strings at the beginning of Britney Spears' Toxic were bright without being too shrill, even at higher volumes, and there was almost no distortion in the runs of David Guetta's Titanium (ft. Sia).

Where the A50 X really shine, however, is in gaming. The graphene drivers do an excellent job of picking up and maintaining detail, even in dramatic, bass-heavy cutscenes and layered multiplayer city environments. It also does a great job with directional audio. I've been playing a lot of Where Winds Meet, which relies perhaps a little too heavily on directional audio cues, and I was impressed with how easily it was to follow those cues while wearing this headset. For competitive gamers, directional footsteps and gunshots come through crystal clear.

The headset has simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity that works with all devices — you can simultaneously connect to a Bluetooth device and your PC, PlayStation, or Xbox, and listen to audio from both devices at the same time. While this is a nice feature, there is one big limitation: The headset needs to be within range of the docking station for Bluetooth to work. That's right: This headset doesn't work at all on its own. So you won't be able to travel with it, or even walk across the house with your phone.

While the simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity works very well — the headset connects to everything, and stays connected, seamlessly, and audio is easy to control . The volume wheel controls overall audio. And between that and the chatmix controls on the speakerplate, I never had any issues quickly switching between devices and mixing audio, which is almost always a bit confusing on other headsets with simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity. I do understand why the A50 X has Bluetooth connectivity, as I often use my phone while I'm sitting at my PC. But if I bought a $400 headset advertised as having Bluetooth connectivity, I would absolutely expect that connectivity to extend beyond the 40-foot range of the base station.

Also, the Bluetooth connection isn't as strong as the 2.4GHz wireless connection: While the 2.4GHz wireless connection didn't start degrading until I was on the other side of my apartment (the normal range for wireless gaming headsets), the Bluetooth connection was already unusable in my bathroom (which is about 10 feet from my office) with the door partially closed.

Microphone of the A50 X

The A50 X has an omnidirectional flip-to-mute boom microphone that sits at the end of a flat, flexible gooseneck arm. The arm, including the mic, is about 7 inches (177.8mm) long and bends toward your mouth for better pickup. The arm also swivels lower than most. Flipping the microphone all the way up mutes it, and there's a small bump when it's all the way up and muted, which can be easy to miss — I would like some sort of auditory cue when the mic mutes, but that might just be me being paranoid about microphones.

The mic sounds very good out of the box — it's not broadcast-level, but it's close. My voice came through loud and clear when I was speaking over Discord and Google Meet, and sounded full and crisp in recordings. There was more sibilance and distortion in volume spikes than I heard on the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro. But the mic is about average when it comes to omitting background noise; this improves when you turn on noise gate in Logitech's G Hub software, but it's not particularly impressive.

Features and Software of the A50 X

The A50 X doesn't actually have that much to customize, but it can be configured via Logitech's G Hub software or via its mobile app (Logitech G). The mobile app is handy for PS5 / Xbox users who aren't also connected to a PC. The software has just three screens: Headset EQ, microphone EQ, and routing. Logitech includes a couple of EQ presets for both the headset and the mic side, and you can also find and download more presets provided by the community. Routing is where you can set up and mix audio for streaming output.

You can also change some of the A50 X's device settings, including power management (time to sleep), base station brightness, and tones (all, minimal, or none), and adjust the mic's sidetone in the settings screen.

Battery Life of the A50 X

Logitech rates the A50 X's battery life at 24 hours, which is definitely below average for premium wireless gaming headsets in today's market, but is also not too much of a hindrance, considering you can't take these too far from the base station, where it charges. There are other headsets with base stations that have similar battery life, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro (22 hours) — but the Arctis Nova Pro has a hot-swappable battery system that charges in the base station for "essentially unlimited" battery life. The HyperX Cloud Alpha 2, on the other hand, has a base station and simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity and gets up to 250 hours (with only one wireless connection active) or 125 hours (with dual-wireless connections).

Bottom Line

The Astro A50 X is an interesting headset that's perfect for very, very specific setups. If you have a gaming setup with a PC, a PlayStation, and an Xbox all in one place, and you need a headset for that setup and only that setup, the A50 X is exactly what you're looking for. It sounds great, especially for gaming, and — more importantly — it connects to all of your devices and lets you easily and seamlessly switch between them, while also letting you mix in audio from your phone or other Bluetooth device.

But if you don't have all of these devices in one place, and/or you're looking for a headset you can use anywhere else, the Astro A50 X is not for you. Just about every other wireless gaming headset with built-in Bluetooth is a better option, since you absolutely cannot travel with the A50 X. Even the HyperX Cloud Alpha III, which only has 2.4GHz connectivity and no Bluetooth, is a better option for travel, as it has a USB-C dongle that you can easily take with you — not a powered base station.

Desk space is limited these days — that's why most of the best gaming keyboards are 75-percent or TKL (or smaller). You don't need multiples of things for your desk to start feeling cluttered, especially if they're not all wireless.

Now, I realize that most people are not like me, and do not have hundreds (or even tens) of headsets, keyboards, and other PC peripherals. But you still probably have some — and let's face it: Even if you only have one keyboard, you probably need somewhere to store it when you're using your desk for other things (unless you also, like me, have multiple desks, I guess). Or perhaps you'd like to display your older, retired peripherals that you can't sell or give away (you can recycle them, though — here's where to recycle electronics). I don't care why you have so many products, but here's how you can organize, store, and display them.

Hanging headsets

If you only have one headset, I personally prefer a nice wooden display stand — it's sturdy, attractive, and will keep your headset in shape when it's not on your head. It's also great for taking pictures, but you do need somewhere to put it.

If you don't have space for a display stand, I'm a big fan of Elevation Lab's The Anchor under-desk headset mount, which sticks to the underside of your desk (or the underside of anything) and holds two headsets (it comes with mounting tape, but it also has holes for screw mounting). If you happen to have the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, this under-desk mount that also holds the wireless base station (SteelSeries also makes its own under-desk headphone hanger, but it doesn't hold the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless' base station). If you don't want to screw something into your desk, there are plenty of desk clamp mounts for fairly cheap (like this $7 aluminum one), and they come in a variety of styles — rotating (so you don't run into the mount when you're walking past your desk), dual (holds two headsets), and over-desk. If you've got a bunch of gadgets to keep track of, you can also grab something multi-functional, like this under-desk cup-headset-controller clamp mount.

If you have an entire wall of headsets, like I do, you can't go wrong with, well... a wall of headsets. I used a mix of headset wall mounts and heavy-duty adhesive hooks for mine, though this would also be the perfect place to implement a pegboard setup.

Accessory accessories are also a great project for your 3D printer. There are plenty of free print files for headset holders online, like this pretty headset display stand (and this more gamer-oriented display stand), this clamp-on desk mount, and this pegboard headset holder designed to fit the Ikea Skadis pegboard. (If you're ambitious, you can just print a whole head.)

Stacking keyboards

I know I'm not the only person with multiple keyboards: As a keyboard reviewer, I probably don't have more keyboards in rotation than most keyboard enthusiasts. Even if you're not a reviewer or an enthusiast, you might still have a couple of keyboards for various things, like typing, gaming, and maybe traveling. The easiest (and probably safest) way to store keyboards is to keep them in the box they came in, but then it's hard to rotate them — and it's not as fun as having them on display. But you can't easily keep two or three keyboards on your desk, and you definitely shouldn't stack them on top of each other without their boxes. As usual, how you choose to store them depends on how many you have and how frequently you rotate them.

If you have two keyboards — let's say one for work and one for play — then the easiest way to keep them both right at your fingertips is to mount one under your desk (and keep the other on top of your desk). If your desk doesn't already have a built-in keyboard tray, I like this sliding wooden one, which has holes for screw-mounting and comes in a variety of colors to match your furniture. That said, if you don't sit at your desk exactly the same every day, you might want to look into a more flexible under-desk mount that tilts and swivels. And if you don't want to (or can't) drill something into the underside of your desk, there are also sliding mounts that attach via clamp (this one has built-in RGB lighting).

If you rotate your keyboards frequently and you like them to be easily accessible but not necessarily mounted to your desk, a tiered wooden or acrylic display stand that holds three boards is handy — assuming you have the shelf or desk space to display them. (These stands also come in double and single board configurations, depending on your setup.) Of course, if looks aren't a priority, you can also stack keyboards vertically or horizontally, using a pot / lid organizer (these are designed to hold heavy pots and pans, so they're sturdy enough to hold keyboards.

If you don't have the shelf space and you can mount things to your walls, a keyboard wall mount display might be a better option — though I'm not sure I would try this with some of the heavier, full-aluminum enthusiast keyboards. I would also not recommend storing heavier keyboards on non-industrial pegboards. If you have enough space for a new piece of furniture, shoe storage racks are almost perfectly sized and angled to display several boards, though I wouldn't go higher than a couple of feet without first verifying the rack's sturdiness. Also, Ikea has some handy inserts for its Kallax line of shelving that are nicely sized for keyboard storage (though you'll need to store them sideways).

Other Peripherals?

Headsets and keyboards are the peripherals people are most likely to have multiples of, and I don't have a ton of great ideas for how to store mice (as they can't be hung, and they don't stack nicely... I just toss mine in a box). For that, you might want to try the 3D printing route, again. But if you also happen to have a desk stacked high with 10 mouse pads or lined with 16 boom-mounted microphones, let me know. Maybe we can start a peripheral and accessories overload support group.

Audeze's Maxwell is one of the best gaming headsets you can buy, mostly because it sounds fantastic. There's nothing quite like Audeze's 90mm planar magnetic drivers when it comes to pure audio quality — for both music and gaming. So we were naturally excited to see Audeze drop a new version of its now-three-year-old headset: the Audeze Maxwell 2.

The Maxwell 2 is the second generation of Audeze's foray into gaming, and it looks... a lot like the Maxwell. Not identical, but basically the same — both physically and on paper. Same overall gray-and-black build with big round earcups and suspension system with a leatherette head strap (though the strap is now wider and ventilated), detachable boom mic, and 80+ hour battery life. Also, same connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.3 — not simultaneous and not manually switchable. Upgrades for the new generation include updated 90mm planar magnetic drivers, the aforementioned head strap, roomier earcups, "punchier bass response" from the brand's patent-pending "SLAM" technology, and better AI microphone noise reduction technology. If those don't necessarily sound like a reason to buy a whole new headset, well... you're not the only one who thinks so. The Maxwell 2 is a great-sounding headset, but it's got the same issues as its predecessor — and some new ones.

The Maxwell 2 is available now, starting at $329 for the PlayStation version and going up to $349 for the Xbox version (both versions work with PC).

Design and Comfort of the Maxwell 2

The Maxwell 2 is a wireless over-ear (circumaural) headset with a detachable boom microphone. It looks very similar to the original Maxwell headset: It has the same large, round plastic earcups with plush, leatherette-covered memory foam earpads, the same lightly-padded steel headband with an adjustable leather headstrap, and it comes in the same gunmetal gray color scheme. It's not identical to its predecessor, however — there are a few visually noticeable differences, such as the Maxwell 2's wider ventilated headstrap and the fact that all of the controls are now located along the edge of the earcups. But for the most part, it's very similar.

It's not a particularly attractive or sleek-looking headset, though it does look very well-made. The gigantic earcups are necessary to house the 90mm planar magnetic drivers, so this might be about as sleek as you can get. Audeze's branding is fairly minimal — there's a small "A" logo printed in silver above each earcup, and "Audeze" is printed in black across the top of the headband; it's a pretty generic-looking headset, overall. There is future potential for customization, however, as the Maxwell 2 has magnetic, swappable side plates, and Audeze is planning on releasing side plates in different styles in the future. We don't know when, exactly, in the future, nor do we know the details — how much they'll cost, whether there will be bundles, etc.

Adjustability on the Maxwell 2 is about the same as it was on the original Maxwell, which is to say, somewhat limited. The earcups tilt and swivel but are not independently height-adjustable — to adjust the length of the headband, you'll need to pop off the headstrap, which comes with three adjustment points on each side. This gives you five different length options (six, if you count using the headset without the headstrap at all, but I wouldn't recommend this), which is definitely not as nuanced as most other gaming headsets. This isn't as bad as it sounds, though. The headset doesn't need an incredibly nuanced height-adjustment system, because it has gigantic earcups (which are now roomier on the inside, so there's plenty of leeway for fit). The earcups are so large that the earpads are sculpted, like all of Audeze's earpads, to fit the curvature of your skull.

Also, while the original Maxwell's earcups swiveled 90 degrees (flat) for easier storage and traveling, the Maxwell 2's earcups do not. They swivel about 45 degrees backwards and maybe 10 degrees forward, which is great for when they're on your head but not so great when you're trying to stuff them in a bag or put them around your neck (this is a heavy headset — I find it much more comfortable to wear the original Maxwell around my neck with the earcups swiveled flat).

Speaking of heft, the Maxwell 2 has all of it. This headset weighs 1.23 pounds, or 19.75 ounces (560g), which makes it about 2.5 ounces (70g) heavier than the original Maxwell, which was already one of the heaviest headsets we've ever tested. Audeze has widened the leather headstrap (from about 1.75 inches / 44.5mm to 2.75 inches / 70mm) for better weight distribution, but it's still very heavy. (The headstrap is also ventilated, now, so you won't get too sweaty under all that weight.)

Despite its giant (and heavy) earcups, the Maxwell 2 is a surprisingly comfortable headset. In fact, with the new, wider headstrap and roomier earcups (they're wider on the inside), it's slightly more comfortable than the original Maxwell.

The Maxwell 2 has all of its controls along the sides of the earcups. On the right earcup, from back to front, there's a small power button and a tiny, recessed microphone mute switch. On the left earcup, from back to front, there are two clickable wheels (the first controls volume / EQ; the second controls game/chat mix and mic sidetone), a 3.5mm port for wired (analog) listening, a USB-C port for charging, and a 3.5mm port for plugging in the headset's boom mic. There's also a small button at the front that controls the headset's AI noise reduction feature.

I'm not a big fan of the new mute switch. It's small and recessed, which makes it pretty hard to operate (especially quickly). I have fairly small fingers, so I imagine it will be even trickier for people with larger hands. It is on the right earcup, which is the earcup without the boom mic plug, so hopefully whoever you're speaking to won't hear too much of your struggle when you try to mute.

The headset comes with a handful of accessories in the box, including a 5-foot (1.5m) USB-C to USB-C charging cable, a 4-foot (1.2m) 3.5mm analog cable, and a 1-foot (0.3m) USB-C to USB-A converter. It also comes with a 2.4GHz wireless USB-C dongle and a detachable boom mic with a removable foam pop filter.

Specs

Audio Performance of the Maxwell 2

The Maxwell 2 has Audeze's 90mm planar magnetic drivers, which have a frequency response of 10 - 50,000 Hz (wider than most gaming headsets, which typically stick around the 20 - 20,000 Hz range). These are an updated version of the 90mm planar magnetic drivers you'll find in the original Maxwell, and they sound great — though there were some issues with bass power when I first received the headset that seem to have been mostly fixed by a recent firmware update.

If you're looking for a gaming headset that you can also listen to music on, this is it. There's nothing quite like planar magnetic drivers (in my opinion) for hearing all those crisp, minuscule details in your favorite tracks, without sacrificing that powerful, thumping bass. As I mentioned earlier, there were some issues with the bass when I first received the headset (it just wasn't as powerful as I expected it to be), but a recent firmware update seems to have largely addressed that issue. (So, that's also good news — there's a lot that can be fixed through firmware updates, and the Audeze team seems to be paying some attention to issues people are having.)

Anyway, thanks to the firmware update, music sounds great on the Maxwell 2. You can hear all of the details and layers in complex songs like Beyonce's Single Ladies, and the subtle roll of the timpani at the beginning of Lorde's Royals. Mid-range heavy songs such as Enya's Orinoco Flow and K-391's Lonely World are especially dynamic, and there's plenty of spark in the high end without anything feeling too unbearable. The firmware update brought back the thumping bass you'll "feel" rather than hear in songs like Kaskade's POW POW POW, but it's still not quite as powerful as the bass in the original Maxwell, so hopefully we'll see another firmware update in the near future. It is a little disappointing, however, as a "punchier bass response" was one of the promised upgrades in the Maxwell 2, and I have yet to be impressed.

Games also sound excellent on the Maxwell 2, though I didn't notice much difference between the game-specific EQ presets (e.g. "Footsteps" didn't seem to do much to boost the sound of footsteps or reloads for me). Immersive audio is especially good, thanks to the Maxwell 2's wide sound stage and highly-detailed planar magnetic drivers: I was (finally) able to effectively track those crickets in Where Winds Meet by auditory cues alone (though I still needed to look at the screen to capture them).

Microphone of the Maxwell 2

The Maxwell 2 has both a detachable boom microphone and built-in mics in the earcups. The boom mic sits at the end of a 4-inch-long flexible metal gooseneck arm, and is pretty good — it's not the best boom mic I've seen on a headset, but it does a decent job of capturing the fullness of your voice and giving it a broadcast-y quality.

The built-in mics are still pretty bad, though. They don't seem to be quite as bad as the built-in mics on the original Maxwell, but that might be the AI noise reduction tech at work. There's definitely a noticeable difference between the boom mic and the built-in mics; the built-in mics sound hollow and have a lot of echoing, though they're decent enough for casual communication. Both mics work with the headset's "AI-powered noise removal," which can be activated by pressing the button on the front of the left earcup. There are three levels (high, low, and off), and while it doesn't seem to do much to reduce background noise (though background noise pickup was pretty minimal to begin with in my testing), it does boost your voice so it comes through louder and clearer.

Features and Software of the Maxwell 2

The Maxwell 2 works with Audeze's new Audeze app, which is fairly simple and straightforward, with a handful of settings that can (mostly) also be adjusted directly from the headset.

These include game / chat mix, microphone sidetone, and the AI noise reduction feature for the mic. It also has a 10-band EQ, with six presets and four custom options. Your custom options save directly to the headset, and you can cycle through all options on the headset by pressing the volume wheel and scrolling. I was a little disappointed to find that only the custom options are customizable, especially since I didn't find the game-ready presets to be quite what I was looking for. It would be nice to be able to customize the existing presets, in addition to being able to add your own.

Battery Life of the Maxwell 2

Battery life and connectivity of the Maxwell 2 is basically the same as what you'll find on the original Maxwell. The Maxwell 2 has 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, but not it’s simultaneous and there's no way to manually switch between the two: It switches automatically, prioritizing the Bluetooth connection. I cannot emphasize how frustrating this is — while it's true that not everyone needs or will find a use for a simultaneous dual-wireless connection (like you'll find on the HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 or the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro), I cannot imagine most people will always want their Bluetooth device to take priority, without the option to manually switch.

The Maxwell 2 gets up to 80 hours of battery life over both its 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connection, which is still pretty solid. It's no longer leagues ahead of the competition, but it's longer than you'll get on most wireless gaming headsets, and it's especially good for planar magnetic drivers.

Bottom Line

The Maxwell 2 is a great headset, because the original Maxwell was a great headset. And the Maxwell 2 is... very, very similar. Maybe too similar. This feels more like a product refresh than a second generation, and not much of a refresh at that — it is heavier, after all (though, in my opinion, more comfortable). Even with its slightly lackluster bass response, music and games sound very, very good on the Maxwell 2, and I want to recommend it on audio quality alone (including outgoing audio quality; the mic's pretty good). But it seems to be going through some stuff at the moment: It's heavier than the original Maxwell, the earcups no longer swivel flat, and it still has the most frustrating application of dual wireless connectivity I've ever seen in any headset, ever. As far as I'm concerned, this is not practical as a dual-wireless headset: I don't want my Bluetooth device to take priority every single time, so I end up having to disconnect Bluetooth.

And, well, you can get all these things — great sound, decent mic, extremely frustrating Bluetooth situation — in the original Maxwell headset. The Maxwell 2 starts at $329 for the PlayStation version and goes up to $349 for the Xbox version (both versions work with PC), which makes it one of the priciest gaming headsets around. The BlackShark V3 Pro may not sound as good, but it's lighter and has real dual-wireless connectivity and costs almost $100 less.

The original HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless still beats out all other wireless headsets in at least one category: battery life. At a whopping 300 hours over 2.4GHz, no other headset has even come close — and the recently-launched HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 is, well... still only sort of close.

The new Cloud Alpha 2 is a wireless over-ear headset with an impressive battery life of up to 250 hours over a 2.4GHz wireless connection. It also features a slew of other updates, including a premium redesign, simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity, and a customizable desktop base station so all your audio controls are right at your fingertips. Of course, we should point out that the headset's 250-hour battery life drops to just half that (125 hours) if you're using the simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity. That's still pretty impressive — and it still beats almost all of the best wireless headsets we've tested (HyperX's Cloud III S Wireless gets 120 hours over just a 2.4GHz wireless connection).

The Cloud Alpha 2 Wireless is available now, in black, for a retail price of $299.99, though it's currently on sale at HyperX for $279.99.

Design and Comfort of the Cloud Alpha 2

The HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 Wireless is a wireless over-ear (circumaural) headset with a detachable boom microphone and a separate, customizable desktop base station. It features a sturdy, premium build with a dark gray stainless steel headband and curved aluminum forks attached to large, oval-shaped plastic earcups. The headband has leatherette-covered foam padding, while the earcups have soft, velvety microfiber-covered padding.

The Cloud Alpha 2 has an updated design that puts it in line with the other headsets in HyperX's current Cloud series — specifically, the wired HyperX Cloud III, the HyperX Cloud III Wireless, and the HyperX Cloud III S Wireless. The Cloud Alpha 2 has a more streamlined overall look than its predecessor, with aluminum forks that curve alongside the earcups and a premium-looking monochromatic dark gray-and-black color scheme. HyperX's HX logo is printed in silver on the side of each earcup, and "HyperX" is also printed across the top of the headset's steel headband. The headset doesn't have removable magnetic speaker plates like the Cloud III S Wireless, but I don't think that's a particularly big selling point for the Cloud III S Wireless.

Unsurprisingly, given its extremely similar design to the other headsets in HyperX's Cloud series, the Cloud Alpha 2 is a very comfortable headset. The steel headband is extremely flexible and well-padded, and the padding at the top of the headband is especially soft — so there's no pressure at the top of your skull. The earcups tilt and swivel both ways (they also swivel flat, making the headset easier to travel with), and are independently height-adjustable. The inside of the headband measures approximately 9 inches (228.6mm) long, and each earcup extends an extra 1.5 inches (38.1mm), for a total length of about 12 inches (304.8mm). The earcups extend in notches (10 notches per side).

I had no issues wearing the Cloud Alpha 2 for hours at a time, though it wasn't so lightweight or airy that I forgot I was wearing it. It feels very similar to the Cloud III series, though the earcups are angled slightly more and feel a bit wider. The Cloud Alpha 2 weighs 12.16 ounces (344.7g), which is only slightly heavier than the Cloud III Wireless / Cloud III S Wireless (12.05oz / 341.5g), but is definitely heavier than the wired Cloud III (10.86oz / 308g). It's also heavier than its predecessor: The original Cloud Alpha weighed 11.84 ounces (335.7g). All in all, the Cloud Alpha 2 isn't a particularly heavy headset, but it is noticeably heavier than the wired Cloud III.

The headset has several ports and controls on each earcup (such is the nature of a wireless gaming headset). On the left earcup, from back to front, there's a power button, a microphone mute button, and three ports: a 3.5mm audio jack for wired listening, a USB-C port for charging, and a 3.5mm port for plugging in the headset's detachable boom microphone. On the right earcup, from back to front, there's a switch to move between "adapter mode" (2.4GHz wireless only) and "dual mode" (2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth) mode, a multi-function button, and a volume wheel.

Instead of a traditional USB-A (or USB-C) dongle for its 2.4GHz wireless connection, the Cloud Alpha 2 comes with a desktop base station that plugs into your PC and serves as both a wireless receiver and a convenient way to quickly tune your headset and adjust settings without having to open up any software. The base station has a large multi-function volume wheel with a convenient tap-to-mute mic button in the center, as well as six colorful, fully-programmable buttons. In addition to the USB-C port on the back, it also has 3.5mm line-in and line-out ports, if you'd like to connect the headset via its 3.5mm cable (or connect a different wired headset, I guess). There's a switch on the side that lets you toggle between the base station's line-in port and the 2.4GHz wireless connection. At the moment, none of the settings you tweak in HyperX's companion software seem to save directly to the headset, but you can use the software's EQ features over a wired connection if you're plugged directly into the base station.

The Cloud Alpha 2 comes with several accessories in the box. This includes the aforementioned base station, a microfiber cloth drawstring carrying bag, as well as three cables: a short 1.6-foot (0.5m) USB-C to USB-C cable, a longer 5-foot (1.5m) USB-C to USB-C cable with a USB-C to USB-A adapter, and a braided 5-foot (1.5m) 3.5mm aux cable.

Specs

Audio Performance of the Cloud Alpha 2

The Cloud Alpha 2 features multi-layer, dual-chamber 53mm angled dynamic drivers with a frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz — the standard for most gaming headsets, though we've seen quite a few premium gaming headsets outside that range recently. Audio on the Cloud Alpha 2 is quite good — it's better than the audio you'll get from the Cloud III / Cloud III Wireless / Cloud III S Wireless' 53mm drivers, but I'm not sure it's $300 good.

I've been playing a lot of Where Winds Meet lately, so I started my testing with that. The details and layers were certainly there — I got all the atmosphere and background conversations as I walked through the streets of Kaifeng, but the soundstage was a little closed in general, which isn't surprising for a closed-back headset. The headset's bass was more powerful than I've noticed in the Cloud III series, but it still wasn't that deep, resonating power I've gotten from headsets like Audeze's Maxwell.

Virtual surround on the Cloud Alpha 2 did sound very good, however, and I was able to pinpoint exactly where sounds were coming from — whether they were voices, gunshots, or footsteps — without needing to second-guess the accuracy. The headset is also well-tuned for first-person shooters in general, as gunshots and footsteps are especially discernible.

Music on the Cloud Alpha 2 is good, but not great; I'd definitely pick a headset like the Maxwell or even Razer's BlackShark V3 Pro over the Cloud Alpha 2 for pure listening. Bass is present but not particularly impressive overall — the sound profile is pretty mid-heavy and there's a lot of sibilance even in the upper mids. While I could hear all the details in songs like Beyonce's Single Ladies and Enya's Orinoco Flow, everything sounded a little too compressed for what I expect from a $300 headset. Overall, the Cloud Alpha 2 does sound better than the Cloud III series, but not much better. And the Cloud III series is significantly cheaper.

Microphone of the Cloud Alpha 2

The Cloud Alpha 2 has a detachable boom mic that sits at the end of a flexible gooseneck arm, as well as built-in microphones in the earcups, so you can use the headset for chatting on the go. The detachable boom mic is a 10mm omnidirectional mic that's very similar (possibly the same?) as the mic that comes with the Cloud III series. It's a solid headset mic, but it's still a headset mic — vocals are moderately full and warm, and nobody I spoke with had any issues hearing or understanding me, but nobody was particularly impressed with how I sounded, either.

I did appreciate having the tap-to-mute button on the base station, though — while I haven't had the mute button blip issue I had with the Cloud III on any of HyperX's recent headsets, I just really love this whole tap-to-mute thing. The built-in mics are about what you'd expect — not great (my voice sounded a bit thin to listeners), but (probably) better than nothing.

Features and Software of the Cloud Alpha 2

The Cloud Alpha 2 is customizable with HyperX's Ngenuity Beta software — not to be confused with HyperX's non-beta Ngenuity software. You can use the Ngenuity Beta software to customize both the headset and the base station — you can adjust a handful of standard controls on the headset (volume, mic volume, mic monitoring, and game/chat balance), play with the equalizer, and add mic effects and presets such as AI noise reduction, compressor, limiter, and low/mid/high boosts. You can also tweak the headset's virtual spatial audio (direction, distance, etc.), which is already pretty impressive.

You can also use the Ngenuity Beta software to customize the base station. You can customize the light ring with various effects (and layer them), and you can change the colors of the buttons.

The buttons are also fully programmable, though they do come preset with the indicated functions: mic volume, game/chat mix, mic monitoring, mute, EQ settings, and play/pause. You can adjust the mic volume, game/chat mix, and mic monitoring levels by pressing the corresponding button and turning the multi-function wheel (press the button again to exit). Hitting the EQ settings button lets you switch between music, gaming, and voice chat EQ settings (fully customizable), and the mute and play/pause buttons perform as you would expect. But, as I said, the buttons are fully programmable — you can rearrange the preset functions however you like, and you can also map keyboard functions, media keys, and macros.

I will point out that Ngenuity Beta is still in beta — while it's better than it was when the headset launched, the software still leaves quite a bit to be desired. None of the changes you make in the software seem to save directly to the headset or to the base station, so you'll need to be running the software in order to use most of the features. This probably won't be an issue if you're using the headset solely for gaming, but it's definitely a little frustrating if you're hoping this can double as a lifestyle or travel headset.

Battery Life of the Cloud Alpha 2

The original Cloud Alpha boasted a genuinely unmatched battery life of 300 hours over 2.4GHz wireless. The Cloud Alpha 2 is rated for up to 250 hours — which is less than 300, but still more than twice what you'll get from almost any other wireless gaming headset. However, there is a catch: The Cloud Alpha 2 gets 250 hours over 2.4GHz wireless in "adapter mode" — that is, when you're connected to 2.4GHz wireless only. If you're in "dual mode," connected to 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth simultaneously, that figure drops to around half of that (125 hours). Don't get me wrong — 125 hours is still excellent, and would be even without simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity, so there's not much to complain about here.

Bottom Line

The HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 Wireless is a pretty solid successor to the original HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, but there's more competition these days. The Cloud Alpha 2's 250- or 125-hour battery life is very impressive, and the headset itself is very well-built and comfortable. Audio quality isn't nearly as good as you'll find in other similarly-priced headsets, however — the Audeze Maxwell (and the Audeze Maxwell 2, which we're currently testing) both offer much better audio quality. Of course, gamers don't necessarily need or want pure, perfect audiophile-level quality, and the Cloud Alpha 2 does do a great job with details — especially high-pitched details like footsteps and gunshots — and virtual surround and spatial sound. So the Cloud Alpha 2 Wireless is still a great gaming headset, even if it's not my favorite music-listening headset.

Turtle Beach's Atlas Air is one of the best gaming headsets we've reviewed — despite its relatively cheap-looking (and feeling) build. Turtle Beach's Atlas 200 has a very similar look and build — but with a price tag that matches.

Okay, they're not the same headset — far from it, in fact. The Turtle Beach Atlas 200 is the budget-friendly part of the Atlas lineup: a wired over-ear headset with a non-detachable cable and a non-detachable boom mic that costs just $60 (versus the Atlas Air's retail price of $179.99). It features the same design as the Atlas Air, with a lightweight plastic frame, a mesh suspension headband, and large, round over ear earcups that don't swivel and aren't height-adjustable. And, like the Atlas Air, it sounds... surprisingly good?

Again, it's not the same headset. At all. But all the things I had problems with in the Air are much more forgivable in a headset that's less than half the price — and the audio quality still managed to surprise me, so it's definitely worth a look. The Turtle Beach Atlas 200 is available now in black and white colorways for $59.99.

Design and Comfort of the Atlas 200

The Atlas 200 is a wired over-ear (circumaural) headset with a lightweight frame and a flip-to-mute boom mic. It looks pretty similar to the (much) pricier Turtle Beach Atlas Air — it has the same large, round earcups and lightweight plastic "floating" headband with a mesh-and-elastic-band suspension system. It is a closed-back headset, however, so it doesn't have the same "floating" earcups as the Atlas Air, but these two headsets look very similar considering the large difference in price.

The Atlas 200 features an all-black design with silver accents — the headset is made of matte black plastic, with "Turtle Beach" printed above each earcup and the brand's palm tree logo embossed on the sideplates. The earcups tilt but do not swivel, nor are they height-adjustable — the headset has a "floating" headband design with an elastic band encased in mesh that keeps it from touching your head (you can adjust the fit by tightening or loosening the elastic band). Of course, this works best if your head is smaller than the headset's maximum size, since there's no padding once the elastic band is at its loosest. The headband measures approximately 12 inches (304.8mm) long, so you'll want at least an inch (or more) of space, I think. Also, the elastic band is adjusted via velcro — the hooks of which face inside the headset. I didn't have any issues while testing, but I can see hair getting caught if you're not careful.

Despite its relatively limited adjustment options, the Atlas 200 is a very comfortable headset if it fits your head. It's extremely lightweight, weighing just 9.88 ounces (280g). It's not the lightest headset we've ever tested — the similarly-priced SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 weighs just 8.3 ounces (235g) — but it's close. It's also lighter than the Atlas Air (10.61oz. / 301g). Ultra light weight aside, the Atlas 200's headband is extremely flexible, which sort of makes up for the fact the earcups don't swivel. It also seems to have identical earpads to the Atlas Air: moderately thick foam padding covered in slippery "athletic weave" fabric, with Turtle Beach's "ProSpecs" dual-foam (basically: the foam is softer around the front, so the headset is more comfortable for users with glasses). The earpads are large and roomy and do a decent job of passively cancelling noise.

The Atlas 200 is a budget-priced wired headset, so it has just one control: a volume wheel on the left earcup. The left earcup also houses the flip-to-mute boom microphone, as well as the non-detachable 6.5-foot (2m) rubber 3.5mm 4-pole audio cable. The only other accessory in the box is a 3.5mm-to-USB-A audio adapter for plugging the headset into your PC.

Specs

Audio Performance of the Atlas 200

The Atlas 200 sports Turtle Beach's 50mm "Nanoclear" dynamic drivers, which have a standard frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz. The headset plugs into any device with a standard 3.5mm audio jack, and it comes with a 3.5mm-to-USB-A adapter dongle that is also a DAC. If you plug the headset directly into your PC (or any other device), it will use your PC's (or device's) built-in soundcard, and this will affect the audio quality. The included USB adapter / DAC functions as a sound card, allowing for (probably) better audio than you'd get from whatever built-in sound card you have. Specifically, the Atlas 200's adapter allows for 24-bit / 96 kHz audio, and also lets you access a handful of fancy Turtle Beach software features in its Swarm app: Waves 3D audio, "Superhuman Hearing," and the customizable 10-band EQ.

Gaming sounds very good on the Atlas 200 when it's plugged in via the USB adapter. Audio performance is pretty impressive all around for the price point: The Atlas 200 features fairly powerful bass and full, rounded mid-tones, and highs are present but not too shrill. I could hear a decent amount of detail in games like Where Winds Meet and Uncharted 4, and I especially liked how large the soundstage sounded — almost like an open-back headset, though the Atlas 200 is closed-back. It wasn't quite as good as the sound on the Atlas Air, but it had a similarly open, airy feel in general.

Music also sounded very good on the Atlas 200 — while I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a headset solely for listening to music, I enjoyed listening to music on the Atlas 200. As I mentioned earlier, the bass was pretty powerful in games and it was perhaps a little too powerful in some of my bass-heavy songs (like Kaskade's POW POW POW), overwhelming the rest of the score. But midtones were also nicely present, and the open, dynamic soundstage made listening fun.

I did have some trouble with getting the 3.5mm plug to work perfectly with the adapter — even though it was fully plugged in, I had to wiggle it around a few times during my testing to get the sound flowing correctly. This does concern me a little, as the Atlas 200's wire is non-detachable and is a pretty basic rubber cable. So if anything goes wrong with the cable, you're basically going to need to buy a new headset. It's not a great sign if there are connection problems out of the box.

Also, while the Atlas 200 is not an open-back headset (like the Atlas Air), it does have a pretty open soundstage. However, it also has a decent amount of sound leakage for those around you — this is probably not a great headset if you've got sleeping roommates or family members, or if you're otherwise trying to keep your gaming and/or music contained.

Microphone of the Atlas 200

The Atlas 200 has a non-detachable uni-directional boom microphone that sits on the end of a flexible gooseneck arm. The mic has Turtle Beach's signature flip-to-mute feature, with three positions — flipping it up halfway still mutes it, so you don't have to fully stow it away every time.

While the microphone is a pretty standard headset mic, I was impressed with the quality given the headset's price. My voice was loud and clear to everyone I spoke to, with minimal background noise from my PC fans (though it was pretty easy to hear more erratic background noise, such as typing). I didn't sound like I was ready to start a podcast or anything, but people could hear and understand me without issue, and the flip-to-mute worked very well — what more do you need from a $60 headset? You can also tweak the mic's sound in Turtle Beach's Swarm software, though it doesn't have any extra settings for noise suppression.

Features and Software of the Atlas 200

The Atlas 200 works with Swarm, Turtle Beach's universal peripheral software. There isn't too much you can customize on the Atlas 200, but you can also use the software to update the firmware for both the headset and the USB adapter.

The Atlas 200 setup in Swarm is pretty straightforward. There are a handful of standard controls — volume, mic mute, mic sensitivity, game/chat mix, and mic monitoring — as well as some extra features you can toggle, such as Turtle Beach's "Superhuman Hearing" (amplifies footsteps, weapon noises, etc.), chat boost (increases chat volume when in-game audio volume increases), and Waves 3D (virtual surround/spatial sound). The software also has a customizable 10-band equalizer for both the audio and the mic (with a handful of preloaded presets to get you started).

Bottom Line

The Turtle Beach Atlas 200 is definitely a budget headset — but it doesn't look or feel much cheaper than Turtle Beach's $180 Atlas Air (although that might be more of a ding to the Atlas Air than it is a boon to the Atlas 200). There are a few caveats, but if you're looking for a wired PC headset and you don't have a large head, the Atlas 200 is a pretty impressive fpr $60, especially if you use it with the included USB-adapter-slash-DAC. The non-detachable wire is a little concerning, but if you can keep your cables organized and out of the way of pets, children, and wayward chair casters, you shouldn't have problems.

Audeze has updated one of the best gaming headsets we've tested — the Audeze Maxwell 2 sounds better for both gaming and music, has better noise-canceling tech in its mic, and is (hopefully) more comfortable and versatile, design-wise.

The big update in the Maxwell 2 is the inclusion of Audeze's SLAM technology, which, according to the company, "produces heightened spatial immersion and precision along with punchier bass response." This tech first debuted in the brand's flagship CRBN2 electrostatic headphones in 2024, and is now part of the Maxwell lineup. It seems to have the same excellent 90mm planar magnetic drivers as the original Maxwell — which offer an impressive frequency response range of 10 - 50,000 Hz (much wider than the typical gaming headset frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz).

Tom's Hardware's Jeffrey Kampman had a chance to stop by Audeze's suite at CES and check out the headset, and he was especially impressed by the detail and positional audio — hopefully this will be even better for pinpointing directional footsteps or gunshots in games. As for music listening, he found the headset to be very transparent to the source material — he said the soundstage was perhaps a little stuffy (somewhat expected with the large, closed-back design) but that everything sounded great overall.

The headset also features improved AI-powered noise canceling technology for its detachable boom microphone — though, no word on whether this also applies to the built-in mics. Jeffrey said the sidetone sounded good, though noise-canceling was a little difficult to evaluate on the show floor.

Design-wise, the Maxwell 2 looks pretty similar to its predecessor — large, round plastic earcups with plush leatherette-covered memory foam earpads and a sturdy steel headband. It does have a wider, ventilated head strap, and Audeze says the earpads now have more space to accommodate a wider range of users. It's still a pretty hefty headset, however — it weighs 1.23 pounds (560g), which is almost 2.5 ounces (70g) heavier than the original Maxwell (1.08lbs / 490g). So we hope those nods to comfort end up paying off. The headset also has magnetic side plates that can be swapped out for ones with custom designs, though there are no alternate options available at launch. Like its predecessor, it features 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired connectivity, and gets up to 80 hours of battery life on either of its wireless connections.

The Maxwell 2 isn't the only planar magnetic gaming headset we've seen on the show floor: Asus also showed off its ROG Kithara, which is part of a collaboration with HiFiMan. The wired ROG Kithara features 100mm planar magnetic drivers and an open-back design, similar to the Audeze LCD-GX. It comes with a detachable full-band MEMS boom microphone and swappable 4.4mm, 6.3mm, and 3.5mm single-ended plugs, as well as a USB-C to dual 3.5mm adapter.

The Maxwell 2 is available to order now, and costs $329 for the PlayStation version and $349 for the Xbox version (both versions are also compatible with PC, Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch).

I did not have a partnership with Asus’ gaming arm and planar magnetic pioneers HiFiMan on my CES 2026 bingo card, but the ROG Kithara open-back planar magnetic gaming headset has just been announced. And after spending a few days with the fancy gaming cans before heading to Las Vegas, I can confirm they sound amazing – especially when I broke out a few CDs rather than relying on streaming. And at least to my head, they are extremely comfortable, despite weighing in at 0.93 pounds. That said, they will undoubtedly remain a niche product, as they come with all the trappings of audiophile headphones, like easily lost removable cables and adapters, a large, travel-unfriendly design, and a $359 price that – while reasonable for what you get – is pricier than our current pick for best gaming headset for audiophiles, Audeze’s Maxwell.

Asus ROG Kithara Specifications

Asus clearly wants this headset to feel like an audiophile investment. Opening the box, I was greeted by a removable “sound signature certificate” and a note signed in foil ink by Kris Huang, the company’s GM of the gaming and workspace gear business. Under this foam-backed sheet, the headset and its four connectors (3.5 mm, 4.4 mm, and 6.3 mm) present themselves, along with a USB-C adapter that lets you connect the headphone and audio jacks and plug into a PC or other device. The various connectors screw onto the balanced audio cable, which plugs into the bottom of each ear cup. This is all pretty standard stuff for high-end wired headsets (or in-ear monitors), but will probably feel fiddly and foreign to many coming from the gaming headset realm.

But that’s just for using the Kithera as a pair of headphones. If you want to use the mic (you know, to use the headset as a headset), you’ll need to use the shorter braided cable with its permanently attached mic and in-line controller for muting and volume adjustment. The microphone plugs into the left earcup, with the other jack connecting on the right side. This cable is OK, but at only about seven feet, it could be restrictive if you plug the headset into the jacks at the rear of your PC (as you generally should for the best possible audio).

The in-line controller on this cable is the cheapest-feeling part of the Kithera kit, by far. The front houses a large plastic slider for muting the mic (with some red plastic visible so you can tell you’re muted if you look down at it). And there’s a volume wheel on the side, which I’d honestly suggest just not using. Like the in-line controller as a whole, it feels cheap, and it is so sensitive that you can go from zero to max volume with just slightly more than one roll of your thumb. When starting at full volume, I found it difficult to get to a pleasing level of around 75%. As soon as I started to move the wheel, the sound output was too quiet. I quickly resorted to just leaving the volume roller at max and adjusting sound output levels from my keyboard.

In all, there are a lot of connectors, adapters, and cables here. I personally feel like I’d lose something important before too long. But Asus does at least include a full-sized sheet of translucent paper documenting how to connect and use everything. I’d probably lose that, too.

The headset itself feels quite solid, and the only nod to its gaming cred is the ROG logo embossed on each large earcup. Otherwise, the design looks a lot like a stealthier version of HiFiMan’s Ananda line.

I’m not a huge fan of the bare steel headband, which feels a bit utilitarian for something this inexpensive, but the leatherette and mesh interior band, combined with cushy ear pads, make the Kithara the most comfortable headset I’ve worn in… possibly ever. Two sets of ear pads are included, with a second velour pair letting more sounds in and out than the pre-installed pads. To me, both were similarly comfortable, though I might prefer the velour pads in the warmer days of summer, as they feel a bit more breathable. Sound quality aside, there’s a lot to be said for paying a premium for comfort – especially in a device that you may be wearing for several hours a day if you use the Kithera both for work, gaming, and media playback. So I like that these cans are comfy, and that Asus included two sets of ear pads – which are also fairly easy to detach and swap.

These are open-back headphones, though. So don’t expect exterior sounds to be muted or silenced like with closed-back and / or noise-cancelling headphones. And people near you will definitely be able to hear what you are listening to.

Personally, I prefer open-back headphones for their wider sound stage and lower general ear fatigue. For the same reason, I prefer using my AudioEngine PC speakers when working and gaming. But I mostly work from home, with nothing to annoy or distract me other than my cat – open-backs certainly aren’t for everyone, especially if you don’t have other audio solutions for travel or in-office work.

But as these are large, wired headphones, it isn’t likely that many people will regularly be taking the Kithara on their commute or long treks of travel. I have a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 4s for on-the-go listening, and sometimes use them at home, too. But the ROG Kithara headset sounds better and is more comfortable for long-term listening.

I didn’t have enough time to truly test the headset’s removable mic in games. But in a quick check using Windows’ Sound Recorder, it seemed plenty sensitive, but not great at minimizing plosives, despite its foam covering.

Not quite four years on from the industry-bending success of the Steam Deck, Valve is back with its most ambitious collection of gaming hardware yet. Today, the pioneering PC gaming company is taking the wraps off the Arm-powered wireless Steam Frame gaming headset, a new Steam Controller that takes its design cues from the Steam Deck, and something I never would have guessed, given its past failures: a new compact, cube-shaped Steam Machine gaming desktop, rocking some more semi-custom AMD silicon.

Valve invited us to its headquarters for some early hands-on time with all this new hardware, and I came away mostly impressed. These are big swings for a company that has a tiny number of employees compared to competitors like Epic Games or Microsoft.

But after the huge success of the Steam Deck (and its many pricier copycats), Valve has firmly established itself on the hardware front. Its controller and Linux-powered gaming desktop have a good shot at success if the price is right (Valve isn’t talking pricing on any of its new hardware yet).

For those more interested in traditional PC gaming, we’re breaking the cube-shaped Steam Machine and new Steam Controller out into its own story. We’ll dig into the new headset in detail below, because as much as we love desktops and controllers, the Steam Frame headset is both the most interesting and complex of its new devices, and the one that might be the hardest sell.

But the company’s secret weapon might be one of its simplest features, which applies to both the Steam Frame headset and the Steam Machine: the ability to pull the microSD card from your Steam Deck and insert it into either of the company’s new SteamOS machines and get instant access to your library and saved games. We’ll have to see how well that trick works once we get review hardware, but it sounds like a great way to get gamers to further buy into your hardware ecosystem and your game store.

Steam Frame: Arm meets SteamOS in a feature-packed gaming headset meant for more than VR

The Steam Frame headset, formerly known in leaks as its codename, Deckard, is the real wildcard in Valve's new lineup, as well as the most complex. Aside from, perhaps, Valve's own Half-Life Alyx, compelling, high-production AAA VR games haven't materialized, despite a decade of hardware pushes from Valve, HTC, and most notably Meta.

Valve's solution? The Steam Frame (and its controllers) are designed to play VR titles, as well as traditional PC and mobile games in a resizable in-headset window that actually felt like a big-screen experience during my hands-on time with the headset. Valve engineers told me the company thinks of the Steam Frame less as a VR headset and more as “a new way to play your entire Steam library.” The Frame can do this both by streaming titles wirelessly from your PC, or running them internally on its built-in Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip.

This is all a major change from Valve's previous headset, the Valve Index. That headset, released in 2019, was purely for VR gaming, used base stations for tracking, and required attaching to a computer to play.

With the Steam Frame, streaming from a PC is one option, but the company uses the Fex (officially stylized as FEX) software emulation layer that brings SteamOS to the Arm instruction set, which certainly has implications beyond this device. But I’m very curious how much running Windows titles via Proton and Fex is going to affect battery life and performance.

Steam Frame Specs

Controllers and comfort

Valve had to design its Steam Frame controllers to handle traditional games alongside those that involve head and controller tracking. In short, in addition to the thumbsticks and triggers, there’s a D-pad to the left controller and ABXY buttons on the right, as well as a second set of finger triggers. This is a major difference from Valve's previous VR controllers for its Index headset, which each included an A button, B button, thumb stick, gyroscope, and advanced finger tracking.

In short demos, this seemed to work fine, but I am not sure I’d want to play something like a platformer or other gamepad-focused title for long periods with a separated D-pad and button setup. That said, lots of Switch players have been doing that for years.

Comfort of a headset is going to vary between individuals, and I didn’t spend hours using the Steam Frame, so I’m not ready to fully pass judgment yet. But the headset was fairly easy to put on and adjust the IPD (via a knob between the lenses), it never felt heavy in my demos, and I didn’t experience nearly as much lens fogging as I have with previous VR headsets. But the latter might have more to do with the climate control in Valve’s offices than the headset itself. Like so many other aspects of the Steam Frame, the fit feels good at first blush, but I’d need to spend a lot more time with it on my head to tell just how good it is.

At the very least, the Steam Frame’s 440 gram weight (including the battery, padding, and straps) is less than the 515-gram Meta Quest 3.

A “streaming-first” headset

Valve’s engineers emphasized that the company sees the Steam Frame as a “wireless streaming-first device.” So while the headset (specifically, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip it runs on, which was a flagship smartphone processor back in 2024) technically supports Wi-Fi 7, for gaming that’s streamed from your desktop or laptop, the company includes a dedicated Wi-Fi 6E dongle with the headset. That dongle uses the 6GHz band for game streaming, while the 5GHz band handles Wi-Fi communication duties, like downloads and multiplayer communication, and chat.

To improve streaming further, Valve is also offering up some new (but familiar) streaming tech. Foveated rendering — essentially saving compute resources by using eye tracking to render only the center of what you are looking at in the greatest detail — has been a staple of VR for nearly a decade now. But with the Steam Frame, Valve is taking that concept and applying it to game streaming, calling it Foveated Streaming, and pointing out that this isn’t something developers need to get involved with.

"The game just renders the full field of view, like it normally would,” said Valve’s Jeremy Selan. “The games don't have to do anything to take advantage of the technology."

In my brief time playing Half-Life: Alyx on the Steam Frame at Valve’s headquarters, performance was flawless, and the controllers were intuitive. But, of course, we need to spend more time with the headset in settings that aren’t Valve’s HQ to pass judgment on how well the Steam Frame is at streaming titles from a PC.

Fex brings Steam games to Arm

But that’s not the only way the Steam Frame can game. The company also showed off the x86 version of Hades 2 running standalone (as in not streaming from a PC) on the Steam Frame. And the game ran just fine and looked good at what Valve reps told me was 1400p in a window inside the headset, which I could actually resize to something that filled a large part of my field of view.

“The magic trick is that the game doesn’t know it’s running on an Arm chip,” designer Lawrence Yang told me. The game may be designed for a Windows PC, but “it’s actually running on Linux, running on Arm.”

That happens thanks to Fex, which is an emulation layer, so that will almost certainly mean increased power consumption / shorter battery life. Valve isn’t saying anything about battery life yet (except for the 40-hour per AA controller claim), as they continue to work on the software for now. But like the Steam Deck, this means your gaming time on the Steam Frame is going to vary dramatically, depending on whether you’re streaming from a PC or playing something directly on the device.

And the headset definitely felt like it was working harder when running games on the Arm chip rather than streaming. The only time I actively noticed the Steam Frame’s fan whirring was when playing the second game that Valve had me test on the headset itself, the VR title Ghost Town. It was very noticeable, but that was likely at least in part because the part of the game I was playing, exploring a small ship at sea, was pretty quiet.

You can see the fan, heatpipe, and other internals in this clear version that Valve had made solely to show off the internal layout. There is definitely a lot of hardware inside a fairly small headset.

This level of fan noise wouldn’t be problematic for me when playing an action title or something with steady music, but it did slightly spoil the immersion in this one game. Hopefully, that’s more the exception than the norm.

Adding your own headphones or earbuds might help with fan noise, but the speakers in the Steam Frame are part of the head strap mechanism. This was good for listening to Valve’s engineers while I ran through demos, and sound generally felt fine when gaming, it’s not the kind of isolating audio that you might want to be truly immersed in your game world.

Valve’s software developer, Jeremy Selan, tried to assuage some of my fears about what Fex might do to battery life, saying the device uses Vulkan, that many games now are natively Vulkan, and that as soon as the game engine makes API calls, they start running in on “natively compiled Arm processing code.”

Similarly, on the CPU side, Selan says it’s mostly things like the user interactions themselves (what happens when you pull a trigger or hit a jump button) that go through the Fex layer. He says there is about a 10-20% performance hit with the emulation, but that it only applies to specific aspects of the code.

“When we set out, we didn’t know quite how far this would get,” said Selan. “But on games like Hades 2, where we are seeing 1440p at 90 Hz, while running the full VR stack. We’re really very happy with it.”

Streaming or Local gaming?

As for which games you'll want to (or have to) run streaming from a PC to the Steam Frame, versus playing locally, Valve says all games (VR and non-VR) can be streamed to the headset from a PC. And similar to the Hades 2 demo, non-VR games will run in a resizable window.

For games installed and running on the headset itself, Valve tells me there will be a "Verified" game program similar to what already exists for the Steam Deck, where the company is going to test titles in the Steam catalog and provide guidance. The company's goal is for the Steam Frame experience to be as frictionless as possible, so that people can focus on playing their Steam titles. But obviously there needs to be some distinction between games that you'll need to be near your gaming PC to play, and games you've installed natively and can play while you're at home or traveling with your headset.

More software tweaks to come

Selan also says the Valve team is working on a way to pre-cache the CPU shaders, in a similar way that the company already pre-caches GPU shaders ahead of time on the Steam Deck. This should further reduce the overhead of the Fex emulation layer, but it’s not shipping yet.

That all sounds good, but Hades 2, which happily runs on the Nintendo Switch, obviously isn’t the most demanding title. Again, I’m quite curious to see how the promised “new way to play your entire Steam library” holds up when we get review units – as well as what battery life is like. Obviously, I don’t expect the Steam Frame with a smartphone chip to run games like a dedicated gaming rig, but Borderlands 4 is a recent addition to my Steam library, and it can bring my RTX 4090 to its knees.

“From the partner’s perspective, we’re trying to minimize the effort to get their software on this device,” said Selan, wrapping up my Steam Frame session.”And from a customer’s perspective, they shouldn’t have to think about anything. They’re just going to hit play.

”We’ll learn more about how smooth the streaming and native experience is, as well as battery life and how much the Steam Frame costs, as we get closer to launch, which Valve representatives said should be early next year.

Razer's BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is one of my favorite gaming headsets ever. It's comfortable, sounds great, and it has a fantastic microphone. But it was still missing a couple of features that I wanted — namely, simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, so pesky things like phone calls or the sudden impulse to scroll through TikTok don't disrupt my gaming flow. When I asked PR at Razer if the company would ever consider implementing this feature, they said "no promises," and cited battery concerns as the reason. But it appears Razer's gotten over that concern, as its latest flagship headset, the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro, features simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as active noise cancellation — and still gets up to 70 hours of battery life.

The BlackShark V3 Pro is a circumaural wireless gaming headset that's really aimed at premium gamers. Like its predecessors, it doesn't pretend to be a lifestyle headset at all: Its earcups don't swivel flat, and it features a sleek but very "headset" design with wire steel yokes, a prominent volume knob, and a large, detachable boom microphone. Design-wise, it's pretty similar to the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) — sleek, black, and surprisingly comfortable. And it's much more versatile, with four forms of connectivity (2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB-C, and analog), plus ANC, and the ability to mix audio from more than one input. These features don't come cheap, however; the $250 BlackShark V3 Pro is on the pricier end — and it might be moving too far away from the line's "elite gamers only" philosophy.

Design and Comfort of the BlackShark V3 Pro

The BlackShark V3 Pro is an over-ear (circumaural) wireless gaming headset with a detachable boom microphone. It looks very similar to the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), with plastic earcups, thin, steel wire yokes, and a leatherette headband with fabric-covered foam padding. It features an all-black colorway, which makes it look sleek and premium despite being made mostly of plastic and some sort of stretchy, sporty sweat-wicking (I assume) fabric. The headset also comes in a white colorway, which still has black fabric on the headband and earcups, as well as black wires and a black boom mic.

The headset is heavier than its predecessor, weighing 12.96 ounces (367g). This isn't too much of an issue, as it's still very comfortable, but I can definitely feel the difference between the BlackShark V3 Pro and the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), whic weighs 320g . The earcups swivel, tilt, and are height-adjustable; unlike most headsets, the earcups themselves slide down the yokes (instead of the yokes moving). Because the earcups slide on the yokes, they are not locked in place in any way — this isn't an issue when the headset is on your head, but they can sometimes slide out of place when you're taking it off, and I found that minorly frustrating. Also, while the earcups swivel (the earcups on the V2 Pro didn't really swivel at all), they still don't swivel flat, so this is not really a headset that's easy to travel with.

The headset has replaceable magnetic speaker plates — similar to the higher-end of SteelSeries' Arctis Nova series, such as the Arctis Nova Pro and the Arctis Nova 7 — but at the moment Razer doesn't sell any replacement plates separately. The company did, however, send me some custom speaker plates with the LA Thieves' logo. I naturally wondered if this was some sort of Triple-A team I hadn't heard of; turns out it's a Call of Duty eSports team. (Sorry, guys, I'm a real-life sports person.) Razer's site says other designs are "coming soon," but it looks like you'll only be able to buy the full headset with custom plates — not the custom plates themselves (at least, not yet). This definitely has the potential to be a cool feature, but we'll have to see what the eventual options are.

The earcups have several ports and controls, which is sort of expected when you have so many features. The left earcup features the signature BlackShark volume dial, which is perpendicular instead of sleekly hidden along the side of the earcup. This makes the headset more of a dedicated gaming headset in general, but I don't mind it — it's a sleek machined-black volume dial, and it looks and feels very premium.

Along the side of the left earcup, from front to back, you'll find a 3.5mm microphone jack, a USB-C charging port, a power button (textured to distinguish it from other buttons), and a physical mic mute switch. I do not love this mute switch — while it is nice to have a switch, rather than a button, so you can tell what position it's in... I always forget what position is muted. Perhaps that's because the pressed-in position is muted, and it just feels like that should be the un-muted position. I don't know, but I've spent weeks with this headset and it hasn't gotten any more intuitive.

Along the side of the right earcup, from front to back, there's an ANC button, a configurable roller (by default, this adjusts the balance between your two wireless inputs), and a multi-function button that switches between EQ presets and acts as a pairing button for Bluetooth.

In the box, the BlackShark V3 Pro comes with a removable boom mic, a 2.4GHz wireless dongle (which plugs into your PC via a USB-C cable), a 5-foot (1.5m) USB-C to USB-A cable, and a 5-foot USB-C to 3.5mm (analog) jack.

Specs

Audio Performance of the BlackShark V3 Pro

The BlackShark V3 Pro features Razer's 50mm Triforce Bio-Cellulose dynamic drivers, which have a frequency response range of 12 - 28,000 Hz. That's a little wider than the typical gaming headset frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz, though it's not uncommon to see gaming headsets with wider frequency response ranges (especially premium flagship headsets). It's the same frequency range as the 50mm titanium drivers in the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), however.

Listening to music on the BlackShark V3 Pro sounds okay — lows are decently powerful and mids are nicely present, especially in my favorite mid-heavy song, K-391's Lonely World. I wasn't particularly impressed with the detail in the low end — I did not get anywhere near the full run of the drums in the beginning of Lorde's Royals, but at least nothing sounded too muddied in Kaskade's POW POW POW. The high end, unfortunately, was less good: The strings in Britney Spears' Toxic were so distorted they were painful to listen to. Needless to say, this would not be my go-to headset for music.

Luckily, just because a headset isn't great for music doesn't mean it can't still be pretty decent for gaming — and the BlackShark V3 Pro performed well as a gaming headset. The headset does an excellent job with directional audio — I had no problem telling which direction footsteps or gunshots were coming from in Counter-Strike 2, even without THX Spatial Audio turned on. The headset does come with built-in THX Spatial Audio (Razer owns THX), which gives you access to THX's preset game profiles — both competitive and immersive.

The BlackShark V3 Pro also features active noise cancellation, which is a somewhat rare feature to see in gaming headsets — especially gaming headsets that aren't designed to double as lifestyle headsets. However, since the V3 Pro doesn't really double as a lifestyle headset, I'm not sure how valuable this feature will be for most gamers; it might be useful if you've got roommates or loud PC fans, but the headset's seal is fairly tight (especially now that the earcups swivel), and I found the passive noise cancellation to be more than enough.

Microphone of the BlackShark V3 Pro

I had high hopes for the BlackShark V3 Pro's detachable boom mic, as the boom mic on the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is the best boom mic I've ever seen (or heard) on a gaming headset. The mic on the BlackShark V3 Pro should be better, as it's a full-band 12mm "HyperClear" microphone (versus the V2 Pro's 9mm). It comes with a removable foam pop filter and sits on the end of a 4-inch flexible gooseneck arm, and plugs into the headset via a 3.5mm jack.

Unfortunately, the BlackShark V3 Pro's mic did not live up to my expectations. It definitely didn't impress anyone the way the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)'s mic did, and it actually sounded a little worse than your average gaming headset boom mic. I thought this might be due to the software, but it sounded the same even with all software "enhancements" turned off — my voice was full enough, but I sounded a little muffled and fuzzy over various video conferencing platforms, including Discord and Google Meet. Razer did push out a firmware update designed to improve the mic's out-of-the-box performance, but it didn't do much to improve the fuzziness issue.

Features and Software of the BlackShark V3 Pro

The BlackShark V3 Pro can be configured using Razer's universal peripheral software, Synapse 4. The software features a 10-band equalizer for tweaking the audio presets, as well as the ability to set up game profiles for each of your games, which is a nice touch (you can set this up so each game points to one of your custom EQs or THX's existing game profiles). The headset comes with five stored EQ presets out of the box: default, game, movie, music, and eSports (Valorant). You can store up to nine EQ presets on the headset, including up to five eSports presets, and you can switch through these presets using the multifunction/EQ button.

Synapse also lets you tweak some audio enhancements (some of which can also be tweaked on the headset itself), including ANC and in-call audio mixing, which lets you set how you want simultaneous dual wireless connectivity to work (if you want it to work at all). You can also adjust some power settings, such as how long the headset stays on while idle, and pick what you want the light on the dongle to indicate (connection status, battery status, or low battery warning).

You can also tweak the microphone in Synapse, though it's not great out of the box, and I couldn't find any settings that improved it particularly well. You can adjust the microphone's input (gain) and play with the 10-band equalizer (there are a handful of presets to get you started), and you can turn on "mic enhancement," which has several features that do various things (though none of them worked particularly well for me), including normalizing volume, upping vocal clarity, and turning on noise cancellation. There's also mic monitoring, which allows you to hear your voice back as you speak, but I didn't love the way Razer implemented this — my voice sounded fuzzy and distorted, which was distracting.

Battery Life of the BlackShark V3 Pro

Razer rates the BlackShark V3 Pro's battery life at 70 hours of a 2.4GHz wireless connection, which is solid — not the highest we've seen, but in line with other premium, flagship gaming headsets from mainstream gaming companies. Of course, the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is also rated at 70 hours, so this isn't an improvement over the previous generation.

Bottom Line

Razer's BlackShark V3 Pro is sort of a toss-up. While Razer has added all of the connectivity I wanted in the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) — simultaneous dual 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as wired via analog and USB — I don't necessarily need multiple forms of connectivity in a gaming headset. Or, well, I certainly don't want it as much as I want other features, such as well-tuned audio and an excellent boom mic. I was impressed with how well the BlackShark V3 Pro's simultaneous dual audio mixing worked. Not only did it manage to stay connected to both of my devices (even when I was switching things around, as I often do), the volume mixing wheel on the right ear cup worked perfectly for balancing audio between two devices.

But I'd give up simultaneous dual wireless audio mixing for great all-around audio and an impressive mic — and a cheaper price tag. At this point, the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) may not be quite as convenient or as feature-rich as the BlackShark V3 Pro, but it's $50 cheaper (and likely on further discount) and it sounds better — and makes you sound better.

It’s not Black Friday yet, but there’s a brilliant Razer gaming headset deal to be had at Amazon right now. The Razer BlackShark V2 X has dropped to just £28.40 , which, according to the Camelizer, is an almost record low sale price, and one that’s saving you a whopping 53% in the process.

• Check out this deal on Amazon

When we tested this Razer BlackShark V2 X gaming headset out for ourselves a while back, we found it to be a comfortable option that drops some of the more expensive Razer extras, like RGB lighting, for a more subtle approach that doesn't forget about the essentials. This is a headset built for the budget-conscious gamer with a pretty decent spec sheet.

Unlike most modern headsets released today, this entry-level Razer model instead uses a 3.5mm aux jack for connectivity. This means that, while you’re more than able to use it with your PC, you can also use it with a wide range of other devices with little fuss. Razer does ship a version of the BlackShark V2 X with a USB connector, with additional variants that also support the PS5 and Xbox, but those models are more expensive than the one on sale here.

One of this headset’s best features is its 50mm Triforce titanium drivers, which are designed to make your audio’s treble, mid, and bass levels sound clearer and more distinct. Audio input is well catered for, too, with the adjustable cardioid mic, which uses passive noise cancellation to help free your voice comms from any extraneous noise.

The Razer BlackShark V2 X’s closed ear cups provide a good seal around your ears to avoid external noise pollution. These cans use a thick memory foam, wrapped in a breathable fabric, to make them comfortable to wear during those long gaming sessions. That’s supported by the headset’s weight, too, with its lightweight plastic exterior helping it to weigh just 240g.

Razer headsets often cost considerably more than this, so if you're due for a new headset, take advantage of this Razer BlackShark V2 X's £28.40 sale price before the deal runs out.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, or CPU Deals pages.

Earlier in the day, we tipped everyone off to some rather enticing deals on the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini. If you'd like to "keep it in the family" regarding your audio products, Amazon is currently running Prime Day deals on AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, the AirPods Pro 2, and the flagship AirPods Max.

• Check out Mac deals in Amazon's Prime Day Sale

All of Apple's earbuds and headphones are specifically designed to work within the iOS and macOS ecosystems, but also function as standard Bluetooth devices with non-Apple devices.

Here are the latest deals on Apple's wireless earbuds and over-ear headphones:

The entry-level AirPods 4 support Apple's Spatial Audio technology and feature the in-house H2 processing chip. The AirPods 4 are rated for 5 hours of listening time per charge, while the included USB-C charging base provides an additional 30 hours of runtime. The AirPods 4 carry a retail price of $129, but are currently $40 off, taking the price down to just $89.

The next step up on the totem pole is the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). These build upon the foundation of the AirPods 4, but bring the ability to filter out background noise while supporting Adaptive Audio and Transparency mode. The AirPods 4 with ANC also support Conversation Awareness, which automatically lowers the volume of your music when it detects that you are speaking with another person. The USB-C charging case also gets an upgrade with built-in Qi wireless charging support. The AirPods 4 with ANC have a list price of $179, but are currently on sale for $119.

Next is the AirPods Pro 2, which are Apple's most advanced earbuds. Apple states that the AirPods 2 offer a 2x improvement in active noise cancellation performance over the AirPods 4 with ANC, and they feature touch controls instead of the touch sensor found on the AirPods 4 models. However, the most significant feature upgrade is that the AirPods Pro 2 can be used as hearing aids.

You'll get up to 6 hours of listening time with the AirPods Pro 2 (up from 5 hours on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC), and the wireless charging case adds another 30 hours of endurance. The AirPods Pro 2 are available for $149, representing a $100 drop from the usual selling price.

Finally, the flagship AirPods Max are Apple's over-ear headphones. The AirPods Max have been around for quite some time, and still use Apple's older H1 chip while the rest of the AirPods family has transitioned to the H2. With that said, you still get active noise cancellation and transparency modes, but you lose out on Adaptive Audio (which is only supported with the H2 chip).

Although most people will likely use the AirPods Max over Bluetooth, they support lossless audio when connected directly to a device via USB-C. Additionally, the AirPods Max can operate for up to 20 hours on a single charge. Apple's flagship audio product is rather pricey with an MSRP of $549, but Prime Day savings drop the price to just $399 (Blue color only).

We are working hard to find the best computer hardware deals for you this Amazon Prime Day. We cover the hottest deals in real-time at our Best Amazon Prime Day Deals Live page. If you're looking for more savings, check out our Amazon Prime Day deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, or CPU Deals pages.

The latest generation of Turtle Beach's Stealth 700 — the Stealth 700 Gen 3 — looks like a better, sexier version of its predecessor. This large, wireless over-ear gaming headset comes in three colors — including the luxe-looking cobalt blue — and does it all: 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth (simultaneous), a flip-to-mute mic, connections for both PC and Xbox, and a sound profile that works well for both music and gaming. It's heavier than most of the best gaming headsets you can buy right now, but it's still pretty comfortable, especially for glasses-wearers.

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 is available now with a retail price of $199.

Design and Comfort of the Stealth 700 Gen 3

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 is a wireless over-ear (circumaural) gaming headset with a built-in flip-to-mute microphone. It has a wide, flexible headband with leatherette-covered memory foam padding and curvy yokes that wrap around the back of the headset's large plastic earcups.

The headset comes in three colorways — black with silver accents, white with silver accents, and "cobalt blue," which is actually navy with copper accents. Our review unit came in the "cobalt blue," which has always been one of my favorite peripheral colorways — the navy and copper just looks so luxe, despite the headset being mainly plastic.

The headset's headband and earcups sport its primary colors, while the accent colors show up on the yokes and as accent slivers on the earcups. All three colorways have black padding on the headband and earpads.

The earcups are large and curved to follow the shape of your ear, and tilt, swivel, and extend (approx. 1.25 inches on each side) so you can find the perfect fit. They feature plush, padded earpads covered in leatherette and fabric. The padding is thick but soft, and the earpads do a good job of passively keeping out noise. There's also padding on the headband, which is flexible and extends to about 12 inches (300mm) — larger than most. This is, in general, a larger headset than most, and it's also heavier than most: our review unit weighed 14.2 ounces (402.5g). For reference, the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed weighs 12.17 ounces (345g), while the HyperX Cloud III S Wireless weighs 12.05 ounces (341.5g) — so the Stealth 700 Gen 3 is around 2 ounces heavier, and you'll feel it on your head. It is, of course, still lighter than the 17.28-ounce (490g) Audeze Maxwell.

While the headset is on the bulky/heavy side, it's still very comfortable to wear — I had no issues wearing it for a full day straight, though I also never forgot I was wearing a headset. It has a moderate clamping force and the earpads have softer memory foam around the front to make them comfortable for glasses-wearers.

There are several controls on each earcup — it's a little overwhelming, to be honest. I don't think we need quite so many. But two of them are programmable (to a limited degree), which is a nice touch. On the left earcup, from back to front, you'll find a programmable Mode button, two wheels — the top one is for 2.4GHz wireless volume, and the bottom one is for microphone sidetone volume (programmable). Moving toward the front of the left earcup, there's a USB-C charging port and the power button.

On the right earcup, from back to front, there's a quick-switch button that switches between the two 2.4GHz dongles, a volume wheel that controls Bluetooth volume, and a multi-function Bluetooth button that works for pairing and also acts as a play/pause/call pickup button.

In front of this there's also a small LED that flashes different colors to indicate Bluetooth status. Because this headset does have simultaneous dual-wireless — meaning it can playback audio from two sources (2.4GHz and Bluetooth) at the same time, mixing the incoming streams — it's nice to see separate volume wheels for each source. But the third volume wheel does start to make things a little confusing.

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 comes with a couple of accessories in the box, including a 2.3-foot (70cm) rubber USB-C to USB-A charging cable and two 2.4GHz wireless USB-A dongles — one for PC and one for XBox.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 Specifications

Audio Performance of the Stealth 700 Gen 3

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 features Turtle Beach's 60mm Eclipse dual dynamic drivers, which have a frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz. This is pretty standard for gaming headsets, but we have seen several flagship headsets — such as the Audeze Maxwell and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro — with wider frequency response ranges, recently. That said, frequency response range isn't the only or even primary measure of audio quality, especially when it comes to gaming headsets.

Frequency response range aside, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 sounds good for both gaming and music, though it does have more of a typical "gaming headset" sound profile than it does a flat, neutral "audiophile" sound profile. This isn't terribly surprising, as it's a gaming headset, but it's worth pointing out as there have been several gaming headsets that have tried to tone down the bass and treble in their out-of-the-box settings.

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 features relatively powerful bass, lower mids, and slightly turned up highs — good for electronic music and games with high-pitched audio cues (e.g. footsteps and gunshots). Mid-heavy songs such as K-391's Lonely World still sounded pretty good, however, thanks to the headset's bright dynamics, but bass-heavy songs, such as Kaskade's POW POW POW sounded especially deep and powerful. The high strings in the beginning of Britney Spears' Toxic made it clear this headset is tuned for gaming, but they weren't so bright that they were unbearable. Turtle Beach's Swarm II software also includes a 10-band EQ, so you can tune the headset to your liking.

Where the Stealth 700 Gen 3 really shined was in games, though — it sounded great in both first-person shooters, such as Counter-Strike 2, as well as RPGs with detailed, layered audio environments, such as Uncharted 4 and Baldur's Gate 3. Directional sound was also excellent, and while the soundstage wasn't particularly wide, the passive noise cancellation and the large earcups made for very immersive audio.

Microphone of the Stealth 700 Gen 3

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 has a flip-to-mute boom microphone that fits seamlessly into the left earcup when not in use. It's not quite as inconspicuous as the fully retractable boom mics in SteelSeries Arctis Nova lineup, but it's relatively unnoticeable, despite jutting out slightly past the earcup for easy flipping.

It also sits at the end of a stiff, plastic arm, so it doesn't bend toward your mouth for better pick up (like the flexible gooseneck arms you'll see on other gaming headsets), but I think this is a better implementation for a flip-to-mute mic, as it doesn't end up smacking you in the face (an issue I had with the Corsair Void WIreless v2).

As for performance, the mic is fine — it sounds good for a headset mic, but it still sounds like a headset mic. My voice sounded relatively full and clear when I was chatting with friends and colleagues, but it wasn't otherwise impressive — and it was clear that I was wearing a headset and not using a standalone USB gaming mic. Turtle Beach's Swarm II software also lets you tweak some mic settings, including sensitivity (gain), mic monitoring, and noise gate, as well as a 10-band mic EQ.

Features and Software of the Stealth 700 Gen 3

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 works with Turtle Beach's Swarm II universal peripheral software. Upon plugging the headset's dongle into my PC and opening the software, I was unsurprisingly prompted to update everything — the software, the headset, and the dongle — despite having just updated the software two minutes prior. Once the software, dongle, and headset had updated, I was prompted to update the headset's firmware (hadn't I just done that?!), but this time I needed to download an app.

I downloaded the app and was prompted to pair the headset with my phone before proceeding with this apparently mandatory firmware update. I opened the app and was prompted to ensure my headset, phone, and both dongles were plugged in and connected before proceeding. Luckily I didn't need to plug the dongles into separate devices — I plugged both into my PC. Finally, after only 73 updates, 27 downloads, and 592 rounds of plugging and unplugging everything in my entire office (an exaggeration, but not by much), the headset was ready to use.

The Swarm II software does have functionality outside of delivering an endless barrage of mandatory firmware updates (though I'd understand if you didn't stick around long enough to learn what those were, once you made it through the initial onslaught).

You can use the software to tweak the headset's sound profile with a 10-band EQ (it comes with a handful of presets — bass boat, treble and bass boost, vocal boost) and change the functionality of the Mode button and the lower volume wheel on the left earcup. You can switch the Mode button to either cycle game (audio) presets or toggle noise gate on/off, and you can set the lower volume wheel to adjust the mic monitoring level, bass boost, treble boost, or noise gate volume.

You can also change the headset's auto shutoff time and voice/tone prompts, and assign various headset features (mute, noise gate, mic mute, mic monitoring, and superhuman hearing) to hotkeys.

Battery Life of the Stealth 700 Gen 3

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 has two forms of connectivity — 2.4GHz wireless (both PC and Xbox) and Bluetooth. Like many wireless gaming headsets we've seen recently, it doesn't even have the option for a wired connection. It does come with two wireless dongles — one for PCs and PS5s, and one for Xbox — and you can plug in both dongles at the same time, but you'll have to switch between them (using the "CrossPlay" quickswitch button — on the right earcup). While the headset can play audio from both a 2.4GHz wireless source and a Bluetooth source back simultaneously, it cannot play simultaneous audio from two 2.4GHz wireless sources. That said, I had no issues with the simultaneous dual-wireless playback, which was surprising as this setting is often finicky. I also had no issues with the quick switch button, which switched between the 2.4GHz dongles quickly and easily.

Turtle Beach rates the Stealth 700 Gen 3's battery life at 80+ hours, which is very good for a wireless gaming headset and on par with the battery life of several other flagship wireless gaming headsets. Audeze's Maxwell also boasts an 80+ hour battery life, while the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) comes in at 70+. There are, of course, headsets with longer battery life (HyperX's Cloud Alpha Wireless still takes top place, with 300 hours), but 80+ hours is enough to get you through a full week of heavy usage, or, more likely, two to three weeks before you need to charge.

Bottom Line

I've always liked the Stealth 700 lineup — even though it's a bulky headset, it's not uncomfortable and it looks pretty good (though it's not necessarily something I'd wear outside my home as a lifestyle headset). The Stealth 700 Gen 3 is sleeker and better-looking than its predecessor, and seems to have gotten the connection game down — though I am a little concerned that I might lose one of the dongles. It's one of few headsets with simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth playback (and one of even fewer that do this well), but I can't see myself ever getting used to all the on-ear controls.

Still, if you're looking for a headset that can connect to several devices at once and switch between them — or not have to switch between them, this might be your best bet. SteelSeries' Arctis Nova Pro and Arctis Nova 7 also offer a variety of connectivity options, but I've had trouble with getting simultaneous playback to work consistently. If you don't need simultaneous playback, HyperX's Cloud III S Wireless is similarly priced to the Stealth 700 Gen 3, and is lighter and more comfortable.

Flagship gaming headsets these days have everything — finely-tuned drivers, fancy wideband mics, simultaneous wireless audio connection mixing, and lights you probably don't need — and Asus' ROG Delta II headset is no exception. The ROG Delta II features everything you expect in a premium wireless headset, including 50mm titanium-plated drivers, a detachable 10mm super-wideband boom microphone, attractive, on-ear lighting, and simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connections, as well as up to 110 hours of battery life over its 2.4GHz connection. It features the Delta line's signature triangular earcups and comes in both black and white colorways — and it costs $230, which isn't too expensive for a flagship headset, but is still pretty pricey.

The Delta II is a very good gaming headset, but you can get some of the best gaming headsets for quite a bit less than $260 — Asus might have to step it up if it wants to compete.

Design and Comfort of the ROG Delta II

The Delta II is a wireless over-ear (circumaural) headset with a detachable boom microphone. It features a padded, leatherette-covered headband, aluminum yokes, and plastic earcups in the Delta line's classic "D"/triangle shape, with Asus' ROG logo and RGB lighting on the face of each cup. (As far as additional branding goes, the headband has "Republic of Gamers" debossed across its leatherette top, while the yoke of the left earcup has "For Those Who Dare" printed along it.)

The headband is thin and flexible, with fabric-covered memory foam padding at the top. The padding is somewhat thin, and it did put enough pressure on the top of my skull that I needed to take it off every couple of hours to take a break. This wasn't a size issue — the headband is actually pretty large, measuring about 10 inches at its smallest and 13 inches with both earcups extended — it was just the way the headset sat on my head.

Each earcup extends 1.5 inches, delineated by 10 subtle notches, and also swivels (flat) and tilts for adjustability. The earcups' D-shape already works very well with ear shape, and the earcups are large enough that there's plenty of room for the headset to be fully over-ear (and not on-ear). The earcups come with leatherette-covered memory foam padded earpads installed; these do a decent job of passive noise cancellation but can be a little hot, so Asus also includes replacement/alternative earcups with an athletic mesh-type fabric. The earpads aren't super easy to replace — they stretch around the rim of the earcup instead of twisting off easily like many earpads. It's not too difficult, but it stands out as a little clunky for a premium headset.

The headset is fairly lightweight, weighing just 11.22 ounces (318g). That makes it lighter than SteelSeries' Arctis Nova Pro (11.96oz / 339g) and HyperX's Cloud III S Wireless (12.05oz / 341.5g), but neither of those headsets put pressure on the top of my skull the way the Delta II did. Minus the pressure issue, however, the headset is fairly comfortable: it has a mild clamping force and well-padded, roomy earcups with plenty of adjustment nuance.

The Delta II has several controls and ports on the earcups. On the left earcup, from back to front, there's a volume wheel and a multifunction button for the 2.4GHz wireless connection, as well as a power switch, a USB-C charging port, and a 3.5mm port for the detachable boom mic. The volume wheel click also acts as a mute button. On the right earcup, there's a volume wheel (not clickable) and a multifunction button for the Bluetooth connection, as well as a 3.5mm jack for the analog connection. The headset features simultaneous wireless connectivity — meaning you can connect to both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth at the same time and listen to audio from both connections at the same time, and you can use the separate volume wheels to mix that audio. I will say that this is probably the best way to implement this kind of mixing feature, as opposed to something like the Logitech G735, which has only one volume wheel for both connections.

In the box, the Delta II comes with a 2.4GHz wireless USB-C dongle, a detachable boom mic, a 5-foot (1.5m) USB-C to USB-A charging cable, a 6.5-foot 3.5mm aux cable, and an extra set of earpads with a sporty, mesh fabric covering.

Spec

Audio Performance of the ROG Delta II

The Delta II sports 50mm titanium-coated dynamic drivers with a frequency response range of 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz, which is typical for a gaming headset but perhaps a little underwhelming for an expensive flagship headset. We've seen a lot of other flagship headsets with wider frequency response ranges, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro (10 Hz - 22,000 Hz) and the HyperX Cloud III S Wireless (10 Hz - 21,000 Hz), and while frequency response range isn't the only (or primary) measure of audio quality, I did expect more from a headset that retails for $260.

The Delta II's sound profile is fairly balanced, which isn't too surprising as it's what I've been seeing from a lot of high-end gaming headsets — gaming companies are trying to move into the audiophile realm, at least somewhat, with their tuning. It features somewhat restrained bass, solid but slightly thin mids, and highs that are decently bright without being too painful.

The bass offered enough detail in songs like Lorde's Royals and Kaskade's POW POW POW, but it still felt... underwhelming. The lack of bass did highlight the slight stringiness of the mids, though my favorite mid-heavy song — K-391's Lonely World — still had some fullness. Overall, this isn't a headset I'd pick for listening to music — it just sounded a bit boring, even after I fiddled around with the EQ in Armoury Crate.

While music playback was a little disappointing, games sound great on the Delta II. Bass isn't usually a major player in games, and the Delta II's drivers do feature very detailed, precise, and well-layered sound — I was able to easily pick out the details in noisy, layered environments in Baldur's Gate 3 and Uncharted 4.

Voices also sounded good — full and detailed, and clear enough that I could hear what was going on even with various explosions in the background. Directional audio was also excellent, and the headset's slightly too-bright highs were very good for picking up footsteps and gunshots in first-person shooters like Counter-Strike 2.

Microphone of the ROG Delta II

The Delta II has a detachable boom mic that plugs into a 3.5mm audio jack and has a unidirectional polar pattern. The mic sits at the end of a flexible 3.5 inch (88.7mm) gooseneck arm and comes with a foam pop filter. It features a small light ring at the end of the gooseneck arm that lights up red when the microphone is muted, but this is pretty difficult to see even when the microphone is bent up toward your mouth and it's in your peripheral vision.

I'm not a big fan of the microphone's placement on the Delta II: the jack is located right at the point of the earcup, which is too low and pointed too far downward. I had to bend the mic up awkwardly in order for it to be near my mouth, and I needed it to be near my mouth, both so it would pick up my voice and so I could see the red mute light ring — it just felt like I was bending the gooseneck arm up at an awkward angle.

The mic itself is decent — it's a pretty typical flagship headset mic, meaning it sounds a little better than many headsets but it doesn't otherwise stand out. My voice came across loud and clear to friends I was chatting with, and it sounded full enough but not particularly warm. The mic did pick up a lot of pops when it was close to my mouth — the external foam pop filter did little to fix that — and it has no built-in noise cancellation so it also picked up a lot of background noise, including my PC's fans. Asus' Armoury Crate software, which we'll look at in detail in the next section, does have some microphone tweaks, including noise gate, but then you have to use Armoury Crate.

Features and Software of the ROG Delta II

The Delta II can be customized using Asus' Armoury Crate app, which is — in my opinion — the worst peripheral software on the market. Asus does have a "Lite" version of Armoury Crate, but it's still terrible — and it still asks you ridiculous things, like whether you want to install Asus' virtual pet (no, Asus, I have never wanted a virtual pet from a piece of software I use to program a headset or mouse), and it still took several minutes to install and required me to reboot my PC and then update my headset and every other Asus product I've ever used and then reboot my PC again before I could use it. Asus also has new device-specific versions of Armoury Crate ("Armoury Crate Gear"), but after looking around for several minutes and not being able to figure out how one finds or installs these versions, I gave up.

Armoury Crate has a few features you can use to customize your headset, though it may not be worth the hassle. There's an 8-band equalizer with a handful of basic presets (hiphop, jazz, metal, rock, voice, etc), and some audio settings that can be toggled such as reverb, bass, and voice clarity. The EQ is fine, but it's not so impressive that I'd install Armoury Crate just to use it.

For the microphone, there's noise gate and "perfect voice," as well as software-based sidetone which sounds terrible and distracting (like most software-based sidetones). The software-based noise cancellation works decently well for consistent background noise (like my PC fans). You can also change the lighting, see the headset's battery life and charging status, and change how long it takes for the headset to automatically shut off, as well as update the firmware.

The Delta II is one of only a few gaming headsets that have built-in lighting, because built-in lighting in headsets is largely pointless — you're not going to see it, the people you're talking to aren't going to see it, even your viewers probably won't see it if you're a streamer. So all it really does is look attractive when you're not using the headset, and drain battery life. But if you want a headset that will look cool on your desk when you're not using it, the Delta II does have very attractive, customizable RGB lighting in the form of a strip around the earcup and on Asus' angry eye logo on the face of each cup. The lighting customization in Armoury Crate is fairly basic as far as lighting customization goes — it's only one zone and you can pick from five presets (static, breathing, strobing, color cycle, and rainbow) or sync it with your other Asus peripherals using Aura Sync.

Battery Life of the ROG Delta II

The ROG Delta II has three forms of connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired (3.5mm aux), and it also features dual wireless connection mixing — you can listen to audio from two sources simultaneously. This is a feature that we haven't seen in too many headsets recently, though it still exists in some flagship headsets, and it's one that I love — I am the type of person who loves multitasking and hates having to interrupt my music to do something like take a phone call. (This only works with 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth, though, not with the 3.5mm analog connection.)

Asus says the Delta II will get up to 110 hours of battery life over a 2.4GHz wireless connection with the lighting turned off. This is better than average — many headsets these days are touting somewhere closer to 70 hours of battery life.

Bottom Line

The Delta II is a fairly solid gaming headset, and it sounds especially good in games — but I'm not sure it can compete with other flagship gaming headsets on the market. Even with the Delta II's top-of-the-head comfort issue aside, while it's a well-made headset it's still mostly plastic and cheapish-feeling leatherette — it's geared more toward gamers, aesthetically, than other high-end headsets, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro or the Audeze Maxwell.

While it does have simultaneous dual-wireless connections, there are other headsets with this feature — the Arctis Nova Pro is one, Corsair's Virtuoso Max is another (though the Virtuoso Max is even less comfortable). And while gaming sounds excellent on the Delta II, music is only so-so — and even if you're not buying it for music, if you're spending over $200 on a headset, you probably don't want to buy a second headset just to listen to music. HyperX's recently released Cloud III S Wireless sounds just as good, feels better, and is $50 cheaper.

Corsair's Void lineup of gaming headsets has been around for a while — and it's always been pretty solid, especially for the mid-range budget it's aimed at (well... there aren't a ton of mid-range headsets on the market to begin with, but still). The newest headset in the lineup — the Corsair Void Wireless v2 — looks a lot like its predecessors, with large, angular earcups, a flip-up boom mic, customizable RGB lighting, and a fairly palatable $120 price tag.

The headsets on our list of best wireless headsets are all excellent in several ways — extremely comfortable, impressive audio, premium materials, and lifestyle-worthy aesthetics. The Void Wireless v2 plastic, mesh, and memory foam, and it looks like a gaming headset that's trying to be, well, a gaming headset.

It's comfortable, sure, but while it can connect to both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth, it's not trying to be an Airpod replacement, or anything of the sort — it's unapologetically part of the Void lineup. Perhaps that's not such a bad thing, though. Because while the Void Wireless v2 may not be a headset you can wear outside without looking like you forgot it was on your head, it's a great headset for when you're actually at your PC. It's light and easy to wear, with breathable mesh fabric and a handy flip-to-mute mic, and it sounds good across all types of media: games, music, movies, and TV shows.

Design and Comfort of the Void Wireless v2

The Void Wireless v2 is a lightweight, wireless over-ear headset with a non-detachable boom mic and built-in lighting. It has a flexible plastic frame with large, angular earcups and mesh-covered foam padding on the headband and earpads (which are replaceable — like they are on all of Corsair's newer headsets). It comes in both black and white; our review unit was white, with a matte white finish, silver accents, and light gray mesh fabric.

The Void Wireless v2 is almost entirely plastic, and it feels like it — the headset weighs a mere 10.58 ounces (300g), which makes it one of the lighter headsets we've tested. It's still heavier than a few headsets — the wireless Logitech G735 weighs 9.6 ounces (273g), while the wireless SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 weighs 9.5 ounces (265g) — but it is almost an ounce lighter than the most comfortable headsets we've tested: the HyperX Cloud III (11.29oz / 320g) and the HyperX Cloud III Wireless (11.64oz. / 330g). That said, the Void Wireless v2 feels pretty sturdy — not like you can run over it with a semi, but like it will last a few years even if you throw it across the room in a gaming-induced rage (try not to do that, though).

The headset has plastic headband with mesh-covered memory foam padding at the center. Though the padded area was a little smaller than I expected, I found it to be perfectly comfortable — I was worried I might end up hitting the sides (the padding sort of deceptively starts about an inch in from where the mesh starts), but I had no issues. The earcups are attached to the headband via silver plastic yokes, which each extend about 1.5 inches (38mm) for a total inner measurement of approximately 11.5 inches (292mm). The yokes simply slide out, so you aren't beholden preset notches when you're adjusting.

The earcups are large and angular, and in addition to being height-adjustable, also swivel (flat) and tilt. They feature Corsair's ship logo on the side in mirrored silver, and have dual-zone RGB light strips on the front, so anyone who's looking at you (such as your streaming audience) will see the lighting. I mostly don't see the point of having lighting in headsets in the first place, but at least this way the lighting will be seen by someone if you're looking at your webcam, as opposed to no one (e.g. the lighting on the sides of the Corsair Virtuoso Max). The earcups have mesh-covered foam earpads, which are replaceable. The foam is soft and seems like it should be thick enough, but I did find my ears bumping up against the insides of the earcups every so often (I have two flat piercings on my right ear, and a helix and forward helix piercing on my left ear, so I'm always instantly aware of when my ears touch the inside of an earcup).

Minus the earcup issue, which may not be annoying if you don't have four cartilage piercings like I do, the headset was fairly comfortable. It has a low-moderate clamping force (just enough that it didn't fall off my head if I tilted back slowly) and a flexible frame, and I didn't feel like I needed to take it off of my head, even when I wasn't actively testing it. The mesh fabric is breathable and otherwise comfortable, and while I haven't been the biggest fan of this light gray mesh Corsair has been putting on all its headsets recently, I didn't mind it on the Void Wireless v2 — it looks a lot less out of place with the plastic frame.

The headset has a handful of on-ear controls and ports, all of which are located on the left earcup. On the face of the earcup are two buttons: a power button, which you'll also use to switch between connections, with a textured multi-function button below it.

When the headset is turned on, tapping the power button will switch between the 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connections, if you're connected to two devices. The multifunction button works like a pretty typical headset multifunction button: you can press it to answer/hang up phone calls or play/pause music, double-tap it to skip a track, or triple-tap it to go back one track. You can also use it to enter Bluetooth pairing mode by holding it down until the status LED (located along the bottom edge of the earcup) blinks rapid blue and red.

Along the edge of the earcup, starting from the back, you'll find a volume rocker, which can also be pressed ("scroll press") to access the headset's onboard EQ presets. The scroll press can also be remapped in iCue to, well, basically do whatever you want. I didn't have any issues with the volume rocker, but the scroll press felt mushy and inconsistent — though it seemed to work consistently enough. Moving forward along the edge of the earcup, there's a USB-C charging port, a small LED status light, and the flip-up boom mic.

The Void Wireless v2 comes with a short (approx. 1.8ft / 50cm) USB-C to USB-A charging cable and a 2.4GHz wireless USB-A dongle. Corsair's website lists the included cable as 1.8m (it's 1.8ft).

Specs

Audio Performance of the Void Wireless v2

The Void Wireless v2 has 50mm dynamic drivers with a frequency response range of 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz — fairly standard for a gaming headset, though we've recently seen a lot of gaming companies trying to push their headsets a little outside of that range. But frequency response range isn't the only measure of audio quality, and the Void Wireless v2 does a good job of demonstrating that: while not perfect, this headset sounds very good in just about every situation, especially at its price point.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the Void Wireless v2's audio quality — games, music, movies, and TV shows all sounded great. The headset sounded especially good in games — it separated out detail nicely in my favorite layered environmental scenes (Uncharted 4, God of War: Ragnarok, Baldur's Gate 3). It also did a very good job with directional sound (though the preloaded "FPS Competition" preset in the EQ was a little too keyed up for my liking), and it also supports Dolby Atmos spatial sound for an even more impressive surround sound experience.

Music also sounds pretty good on the Void Wireless v2 — it's not a headset I'd buy for pure listening, but it's good enough that you won't feel like you need to switch headsets. The headset has a mostly-balanced sound profile, with deep but slightly restrained bass, solid mids, and clear, comfortable highs. My favorite mid-range-heavy song, K-391's Lonely World, sounded great on the Void Wireless v2, thanks to the full, balanced range and impressive dynamics. While I did notice some distortion in David Guetta's Titanium (ft. Sia), the well-tuned mids still made it fun to listen to.

Voices — in games, movies, and meetings — also sounded good on the Void Wireless v2 (though I haven't come across many gaming headsets where vocals are much of an issue).

Microphone of the Void Wireless v2

The Void Wireless v2 has a non-detachable omnidirectional boom mic, which sits at the end of a flexible gooseneck arm that you can angle toward your mouth. It's a flip-up mic, with flip-to-mute — which is by far the best way to implement hardware muting on a headset, in my opinion.

Flip-up flexible boom mics are always a little awkward: what do you grab to flip them up/down? Grabbing the gooseneck arm doesn't really work (and it also looks awkward, if you happen to be streaming or otherwise on camera). The mic does have a decently robust attachment point, which is easy to grab once you know what you should be grabbing. This doesn't solve the issue of trying to flip up the mic and having it smack into your forehead if you forget to bend it away from your mouth, however.

The mic is omnidirectional, and sounds decent for a headset mic — vocals are loud, crisp, and clear, but my colleagues could tell I was talking on a headset. My voice sounded relatively full (though not particularly warm, but perhaps that was just me), but it still had enough hollowness that there was no question I was on a headset and not using a standalone USB mic. There's also not much you can do about it, either, without third-party software:

Corsair includes Nvidia Broadcast in its iCue software, but this only works if you have an Nvidia GPU (and is mostly for noise/room echo removal). Otherwise, all you can do in iCue is turn up the mic's volume (gain) and sidetone. The sidetone is, unfortunately, terrible — I couldn't hear anything until I turned it up to around 80%, and when I finally heard it, my voice was extremely staticky/fuzzy.

Features and Software of the Void Wireless v2

The Void Wireless v2 can be customized through Corsair's universal peripheral software, iCue. iCue is one of a couple of peripheral softwares I have to re-install every time I test something that uses it, because it's too annoying to leave on my PC when I don't actively require it (the other is Armoury Crate).

You can use iCue to customize the Void Wireless v2's RGB lighting, which has two zones. You can also remap the "scroll press" button to whatever you like and turn on Nvidia Broadcast for some microphone adjustments if you have an Nvidia GPU. Finally, there's a 10-band equalizer with a couple of basic presets already loaded (flat, movie, FPS, and bass boost); you can tweak these or add your own.

Battery Life of the Void Wireless v2

Corsair rates the Void Wireless v2's battery life at "up to 70 hours" over a 2.4GHz wireless connection, and up to 130 hours over a Bluetooth connection. It also features quick-charging — 15 minutes of charging will get you six hours' worth of playtime, which is decent if you find yourself out of juice (and also necessary, as the Void Wireless v2 does not offer a wired connection).

Of course, there are plenty of things that can make the battery go faster, such as listening at a high volume or keeping the headset's RGB lighting turned up to the maximum. Still, I didn't have to charge this headset more than once during the week when I was testing it (over 2.4GHz wireless, with the lighting on), so you shouldn't find yourself too tethered.

Bottom Line

The Corsair Void Wireless v2 is a solid addition to Corsair's Void lineup — it's lightweight and comfortable (unless you have piercings), with a sound profile that will work across all sorts of media. It also looks pretty good: it's still got the Void aesthetic, which is a little more gamer-y than a lot of headsets we've seen lately, but, hey — sometimes you want a gaming headset (complete with forward-facing RGB lighting). It's also got decent battery life and a flip-to-mute mic — I still love flip-to-mute, even if flipping up the Void Wireless v2's mic meant it kept smacking me in the face and getting stuck in my hair.

The Void Wireless v2 is very similar to SteelSeries' Arctis Nova 5, which is also lightweight, comfortable, and features dual-wireless connectivity. The Arctis Nova 5 is geared a bit more toward the Bluetooth side of things, with its discreet retractable microphone and its companion app full of EQ presets, but the Void Wireless v2 supports Dolby Atmos, which is more appealing in a gaming headset than a companion iOS app. The Arctis Nova 5 is also a little pricier, at $129.99.

HyperX's Cloud III is one of the best gaming headsets we've tested — it's lightweight and super comfortable, with redesigned, angled 53mm dynamic drivers that deliver great directional sound and let you hear all the details in complex game environments. The wireless version — the Cloud III Wireless — is also lightweight, comfortable, and sounds great, but it only connects one way: 2.4GHz wireless. There's no Bluetooth option, nor is there an analog option, which is pretty limiting — especially at its retail price of $170.

I hope that means you waited for HyperX to come out with a wireless version of the Cloud III that can be paired with more than one device, because it's here: the HyperX Cloud III S Wireless, which features both 2.4-GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity (and also works with HP's Instant Pair feature built into select HP Omen laptops). The new headset is extremely similar to its predecessor, but it's got a handful of new features to make it more Bluetooth-friendly — including a built-in mic in addition to the detachable boom mic and a multi-function button for answering phone calls and skipping tracks. It also has removable speaker plates, for when you want to... replace them with something snazzier (though what, exactly, that might be has yet to launch — HyperX has shown some 3D-printed concepts but hasn't confirmed anything).

And while the HyperX Cloud III Wireless' price is a $60 premium over the wired Cloud III's $99 price tag –, the Cloud III S Wireless will launch on May 12, 2025 for $179.99 — it’s just $10 more than the Cloud III Wireless.

Design and Comfort of the Cloud III S

The Cloud III S is an over-ear (circumaural) gaming headset with a detachable boom microphone. It looks very similar to the Cloud III Wireless, with a padded, leatherette-covered headband, curved aluminum yokes, and oval plastic earcups with padded, leatherette-covered earpads. It comes in two colorways, black and black/red; our review unit was black/red, which is mostly black — minus the red aluminum forks and the red HyperX logo on the earcups. (The black colorway has black aluminum forks and a white HyperX logo.)

As far as comfort goes, the Cloud III S is almost identical to the Cloud III Wireless. The padded, leatherette-covered headband features HyperX's logo debossed across the top, and plastic caps, and it just feels impressively high-quality. The aluminum forks curve around to connect to the earcups, which are slightly angled to match the angle of your ears.

Each earcup is independently height-adjustable with nine notched steps (10, if you count the default), extending an extra 1.5 inches (38.1mm) for a total internal length of about 11.75 inches (298.45mm). The earcups tilt but do not swivel — the headset's headband is highly flexible, so the lack of swivel doesn't affect comfort, but it's not a great headset for traveling as it doesn't fold flat.

The earcups have soft, moderately thick memory foam padding covered in leatherette, which offers very good passive noise cancellation. The earcups are angled to match the angle of your ears, which gives them a sleeker look — this headset is pretty sleek-looking overall, especially compared to the previous generation. The earcups also have magnetically-attached caps — which are new for the Cloud III S Wireless — so you can replace them with decorative caps. At the moment, however, HyperX has not announced any specific decorative caps you'll be able to buy, but... for the future.

Each of the earcups has several on-ear controls. On the left earcup, starting from the back, you'll find a round microphone mute button and an oblong power button, as well as a USB-C charging port and a 3.5mm analog jack for the headset's detachable boom mic. Although the power button is a different shape from the mute button, I still found myself expecting the power button to be the mute button and vice-versa (I'm not sure why, but it feels like the mute button should be closer to the mic). I would prefer a different type of switch, like the soft-toggle mute switch on the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed or the regular switch on the Audeze Maxwell. Tapping the mute switch once toggles mute, while holding it down for two seconds toggles mic monitoring (through HyperX's Ngenuity software).

On the right earcup, starting from the back, there's a multi-function button, a volume wheel, and a connectivity switch for switching between the headset's 2.4-GHz wireless and Bluetooth connections. Like the Cloud III Wireless, the Cloud III S has no option for a wired/analog connection. The multi-function button is new for the Cloud III S Wireless and acts like most multi-function buttons on Bluetooth headsets do: single tap to play/pause music or answer a phone call, double tap to go to the next track or end / reject a phone call, and triple tap to go back a track. Holding this button down for two seconds will also activate your phone's voice assistant.

The headset is fairly light, weighing just 12.05 ounces (341.5g) without the microphone plugged in (it weighs 12.4oz / 353.5g with the microphone plugged in). This makes it slightly heavier than the Cloud III Wireless (11.64oz / 330g), which is, in turn, slightly heavier than the Cloud III (10.86oz / 308g). But even as the heaviest headset in the Cloud III lineup, the Cloud III S Wireless is still fairly lightweight. Plus, like the Cloud III and the Cloud III Wireless, this headset is extremely comfortable: it has a light clamping force that somehow manages to be just enough to keep it on my head without making me feel like I'm wearing a headset.

The Cloud III S Wireless comes with a drawstring microfiber cloth carrying case, a short, 2-foot (60cm) USB-C to USB-C charging cable, a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle with a USB-C to USB-A converter, and a detachable boom mic.

Specs

Audio Performance of the Cloud III S

The Cloud III S Wireless sports the same redesigned, angled 53mm dynamic drivers as does the Cloud III and the Cloud III Wireless. These drivers feature a frequency response range of between 10 Hz and 21,000 Hz, which is wider than the standard 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz frequency response range of most gaming headsets — but this isn't uncommon to see in flagship gaming headsets these days. Razer's current driver line (such as those in the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)) has frequency response range of 12 Hz - 28,000 Hz, while SteelSeries' Arctis Nova line (such as the Arctis Nova 7) has a frequency response range of 20 Hz - 22,000 Hz. And, of course, Audeze's Maxwell headset has a frequency response range of 10 Hz - 50,000 Hz.

Of course, a wide frequency response range isn't the only (or even the primary) measure of audio quality in a gaming headset — the Cloud II's drivers had a frequency response range of 10 Hz - 23,000 Hz, and the Cloud III drivers sound better: more balanced and more refined.

While the Cloud III S Wireless isn't necessarily the best headset for pure listening — it has a nice, deep bass response and clear highs, with slightly restrained mids, and I love mid-range-heavy songs — it's a great headset for gaming. The details aren't just present, they're discernible — you can pick out different animals in the jungles of Uncharted, and hear all the various (repetitive) NPC lines in the city of Baldur's Gate.

It also does a great job with directional sound for games like Hunt: Showdown (though Hunt: Showdown also just has very impressively-designed directional sound), without the DTS Spatial Sound turned on. DTS Spatial Sound, which is the headset's virtual surround sound that can be toggled on in HyperX's Ngenuity software, remains... underwhelming. (I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong, but I can barely hear a difference when I turn it on.)

Microphone of the Cloud III S

The Cloud III S Wireless has both a detachable boom microphone and an inline microphone, so you can use it when you're out and about without looking like someone who wears a full headset when they're away from their computer. The detachable boom mic sits at the end of a 2.75-inch (69.85mm) flexible gooseneck arm and has a uni-directional electret condenser, while the built-in mic is omni-directional.

The boom mic is the same detachable boom mic found on the Cloud III Wireless, and it sounds... the same. Vocals are clear and relatively full-sounding, but are not particularly impressive, and the microphone has a relatively low recording volume, even with the gain turned all the way up in HyperX's companion software. My friends and colleagues had no issues hearing and understanding me when I used the Cloud III S Wireless, but they also didn't have anything to say about how I sounded otherwise.

The built-in mic is also decent — it is omni-directional and therefore picks up more ambient noise than does the boom mic, but aside from that it was surprisingly comparable. (I'm not sure if that's good news for the boom mic.) Again, my voice didn't sound particularly impressive over the built-in mic, but it also didn't sound terrible — everyone I talked to was able to hear me clearly, even when I was walking around downtown Los Angeles, and that's about the most I need from a built-in mic.

Features and Software of the Cloud III S

The Cloud III S Wireless works with HyperX's Ngenuity software, which is fairly lightweight in terms of features — though it somehow still managed to interrupt my flow by downloading a driver update and requiring a restart as soon as I connected the headset to my PC.

With the Ngenuity software, you can do a handful of things — most of which you can also do on the headset, such as adjusting the volume, muting the microphone, and toggling mic monitoring. The software also has a slider for adjusting your mic's volume (gain) and a toggle for turning on the headset's virtual surround sound (DTS Spatial Sound), as well as an adjustable equalizer. The gain and mic monitoring work for both the detachable boom mic and the inline mic. Finally, you can adjust the headset's auto-shutoff feature (10 min, 20 min, 30 min, or never — default is 20 min) and turn off the voice prompts.

While I'm not a big fan of overly-ambitious peripheral software, Ngenuity feels like it could use a couple of extra features, such as some microphone adjustments (like Logitech's G Hub) or a mic EQ (like SteelSeries' GG).

Battery Life of the Cloud III S Wireless

The Cloud III S Wireless offers two forms of connectivity: 2.4-GHz wireless and Bluetooth. Well, it also works with HP's Instant Pair, which is just a 2.4-GHz wireless receiver built into select HP Omen laptops. If you pair the headset with an Omen laptop, you can also pair it with another device using the 2.4-GHz wireless USB-C dongle — double-pressing the multi-function button while on 2.4-GHz wireless mode will let you switch between the two devices.

HyperX rates the Cloud III S Wireless' battery life at 120 hours over 2.4-GHz wireless (the same as the Cloud III Wireless), and "up to 200 hours" over Bluetooth. This is impressive — most flagship gaming headsets today are rated for a little over half that (our favorite Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) clocks in at around 70 hours). Of course, HyperX's Cloud Alpha retains its place as the headset with the best battery life by far, at up to 300 hours.

Bottom Line

We loved the HyperX Cloud III and... really liked the Cloud III Wireless, so it's probably not surprising to hear that we also love the Cloud III S Wireless. The Cloud III S Wireless is everything the Cloud III Wireless should have been — a competitively-priced wireless headset with more than one form of connectivity. While the Cloud III S Wireless' $179.99 price tag is pretty high compared to the wired Cloud III, it's still $20 cheaper than Razer's BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), which also connects via 2.4-GHz wireless and Bluetooth (and not wired/analog).

Whilst browsing around for deals I noticed that a pair of headphones I own are discounted by an extra 50% on top of their already low price. They might not be the most premier headphones in existence, but for $29, the value is amazing. I originally bought these to pair with my laptop while working away from home, but now I use them for the gym and long walks. The battery life of these headphones at 123 hours or so is top-class for such a budget-priced set of cans, and they even feature hybrid active-noise-canceling (ANC), although, don't bother with the App and EQs as they're not great.

If you head to Amazon, the SoundPeats Space Headphones are just $29 when you apply code SPWTSPACE at the checkout. The code lowers the price by 50% from the original $59 list price, making this the lowest-ever price these headphones have been available for. I pair these with my laptop or use them at the gym, where they're cheap enough that if I break or lose them, I won't cry.

The SoundPeats Space wireless headset is a very affordable and great-sounding wireless Bluetooth 5.3 over-the-ear headset. It's super light and primarily constructed of lightweight yet sturdy plastic with a reinforced steel headband. In each ear cup is a 40mm dynamic driver that provides a surprisingly punchy bass and clear highs. The active noise canceling works well for such a moderately priced pair of headphones, with the passive and normal modes also performing up to par.

The phenomenal battery life is my favorite thing about these headphones with the battery lasting about 60 hours if kept in ANC mode and an impressive 123 hours in normal mode. The SoundPeats Space headphones charge via USB-C rapidly and connect seamlessly to any Bluetooth 5.3 device.

Don't forget to look at our Amazon coupon codes for April 2025 and see if you can save on today's deal or other products at Amazon.

Corsair's Virtuoso line of headsets has been a Tom's Hardware staff favorite for years — the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT is on our list of best wireless headsets because several of our editors still use it as a daily driver. Corsair has finally updated the line with a new flagship headset: the Virtuoso Max (the open-back, wired Virtuoso Pro didn't count).

The Virtuoso Max is a premium over-ear gaming headset with simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity, bright RGB lighting in the earcups, and a detachable boom mic. It sports 50mm graphene drivers with a frequency response range of 20 Hz - 40,000 Hz, gets up to 60 hours of battery life, and retails for a whopping $330 — though it's now down to $250, and it's only been out for about five months. The tagline for the headset is "Sounds so good. It changes everything." — and it does, actually, sound very, very good (in games). But there's a reason (or, well, several reasons) that it's been slashed to $250 after being on the market for just a few months.

Design and Comfort of the Virtuoso Max

The Virtuoso Max is a wireless over-ear (circumaural) gaming headset with a detachable boom mic. It features customizable on-ear lighting and comes in two colorways: carbon (black/dark gray) and silver (silver/light gray). Our review unit came in silver, with silver metal hardware, a light gray leatherette and mesh padded headband, and light gray mesh padded earcups. I appreciate Corsair's attempt at making this headset look more premium with the monochrome color scheme, but it doesn't exactly work — I'm not sure what it is, but the style of the mesh in this light gray color makes me think of the inside of a 1996 Chevy Astro. The metal earcups, which are large and round and have brushed metal caps surrounded by a thin ring of light, do look very premium — it's just the mesh and leatherette that's bothering me. But I suppose it is a (small) step up from the Corsair Virtuoso Pro's plasticky build.

The leatherette headband has Corsair's text logo debossed across the top and features moderately thick but stiff padding underneath. I started to feel painful pressure on the top of my head after around an hour of wear, which became uncomfortable enough that I had to take a break after another hour — not a long break, but a break nonetheless. Likewise, while the earcups look like they're very thickly padded, and are even sculpted to better accommodate the curve of your skull, there's less than half an inch (10mm) of actual padding. This didn't bother me as much as the pressure from the top of the headband did, but I'm sure it would have become more of an issue had I been able to keep the headset on for more than a couple of hours at a time.

The headset is on the heavier side — our unit weighed 14.87 ounces (421.5g) without the microphone attached, which is heavier than the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT (13.47oz / 382g), the Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE (12.7oz / 360g), and the Virtuoso Pro (11.92oz / 338g), and is quite heavy in general. There are heavier headsets, such as the Audeze Maxwell (17.28oz / 490g), but I didn't have the same head-pressure issue with the Maxwell as I did with the Virtuoso Pro.

The headset has a fairly stiff headband, but the earcups do swivel (they can lie flat) and tilt, and the headband extends an extra 1.5 inches on each side (10 notches) for a total interior measurement of about 13 inches (330.2mm). While I didn't have any issues with the clamping force, the stiffness of the headband suggests someone with a larger head might find it to be a little too tight (especially with the lack of padding in the earpads).

The Virtuoso Max has a handful of controls on its earcups, most of which have multiple functions. The left earcup has a power switch near the back, which lets you switch on 2.4GHz wireless mode or slide down to connect Bluetooth (you can enter pairing mode by sliding it down and holding for two seconds). The left earcup also has a USB-C port for plugging in the headset's detachable boom mic. On the right earcup, you'll find a "custom" button at the back, which is set to control the headset's active noise cancellation by default — pressing and holding it briefly cycles you through ANC, transparency mode, and off. Next to the custom button is the "action switch," which is a multi-function switch that changes based on what you're doing — you can press it to answer/hang up phone calls or to pause/play music tracks, and you can slide it forward to skip a track or slide it backward to go back a track. Finally, the right earcup also has a USB-C charging port.

Both of the earcups have textured dials around the edges that turn to adjust the volume: by default, the left earcup adjusts your 2.4GHz wireless volume, and the right earcup adjusts your Bluetooth volume. You can use these dials to mix the sound playing over your two wireless connections, and it's one of the best implementations of this feature I've seen — other headsets, such as Logitech's G735, try to have you mix the two inputs using a paddle button and a single volume control for both, and it just gets... very confusing. But the Virtuoso Max's dual volume wheels work perfectly, and can also be swapped in iCue if you're so inclined.

The Virtuoso Pro is one of only a few gaming headsets with active noise cancellation built-in — others include the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro and the Razer Barracuda Pro — but its fabric-covered earcups actually do a pretty good job of passive noise cancellation. I could barely hear the ambient noise in my home office when I had the headset on with the ANC turned off. That said, turning on ANC was even better — maybe a little too good, even — with a small but acceptable drop in audio quality. Transparency mode, however, is not good: There is a noticeable drop in sound quality, and the right earcup is much more "transparent" than the left earcup — you hear more incoming noise from the right earcup.

In the box, the Virtuoso Max comes with a hard, sturdy leatherette travel case, which fits the headset and its accessories: a 2.4GHz wireless USB-A dongle, a 6-foot (1.8m) braided USB-C to USB-A charging cable, and a detachable boom mic. While a carrying case isn't something we really look for in gaming headsets, it's always nice to see one included — especially for $300+ headsets like the Virtuoso Max.

Specs

Audio Performance of the Virtuoso Max

The Virtuoso Max sports dynamic 50mm graphene drivers with a frequency response range of 20 Hz - 40,000 Hz — much wider than the typical gaming headset range of 20 - 20,000 Hz. This isn't too surprising, however, as it's the same as the Virtuoso Pro, Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT, and Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE headsets. Other headsets with impressively wide frequency response ranges include the Audeze Maxwell (10 Hz - 50,000 Hz) and the wired version of SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro (10 - 40,000 Hz). But, of course, frequency response range isn't the only measure of audio quality in a gaming headset.

Out of the box, the Virtuoso Max's sound profile is... not my favorite. It's trying for neutral, and it is more neutral than a lot of gaming headsets that come with a lot of pumped-up bass, but listening to music is a bit difficult: The bass is somewhat weak, and the highs are tuned up enough to be almost painful in tracks like Britney Spears' Toxic . Even the clapping and percussion in Beyonce's Single Ladies was too tinny and thin for me to get through the whole song (to be fair, I don't really like the song). The bass was present but not very heavy in my bass-heavy favorite, Kaskade's POW POW POW, and turning up the bass in iCue's equalizer made it trend toward muddy rather than powerful.

While some messing with the EQ did make the bright highs of the Virtuoso Max at least tolerable, it's not a headset I'd reach for to listen to music.

But it is a headset I'd reach for for gaming, because — and I'm not sure how this is even possible with its mediocre music performance — the Virtuoso Max sounds fantastic in games. When I first popped on this headset, I was standing around on a street in Baldur's Gate 3 (as I often am) and talking to some friends on Discord. After a few seconds, I said, "Wait... is that the ocean I'm hearing in the background?" — and it was. I quickly switched headsets (to the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed, which I happened to have nearby — and which also sports graphene drivers) to double-check, and, sure enough, I was hearing detail on the Virtuoso Max that I couldn't hear with other gaming headsets.

I then went ahead and tested this in several other games, just to be sure, and I can confirm that the amount of detail you'll hear with the Virtuoso Max is impressive. Single-player games with rich, layered soundtracks are especially immersive with this headset, thanks to the detail and the passive noise cancellation (or active noise cancellation if you want to never hear the outside world again). Directional audio in competitive first-person shooters also sounded great — the headset comes with Dolby Atmos — but the extra auditory detail isn't really necessary for those kinds of audio cues. Voices, both cinematic and not, also sounded very good on the Virtuoso Max — so good, in fact, that I thought the headset's detachable boom mic was pretty good, only for my friends to tell me it was just so-so.

Microphone of the Virtuoso Max

The Virtuoso Max comes with a detachable omnidirectional boom microphone that sits at the end of a flexible, 4-inch (101.6mm) flexible gooseneck that bends toward your mouth. The mic features a physical mute button on the base where it attaches to the headset (via USB-C), and there's a bright ring of light at the other end that's white when the mic is on and red when the mic is muted (this can be turned off in iCue).

The mic sounds okay — while it does produce loud, clear vocals, it doesn't make you sound particularly good. It's fine for casual chatting and playing with friends, as it does a good job of picking up your voice, loudly, but otherwise the quality is just around average for a gaming headset microphone: You won't sound like you're using a standalone mic, nor will you sound particularly broadcast-y or impressive, but it's certainly better than the built-in mics on your AirPods or (heaven forbid), the built-in mic on your webcam. Corsair does connect you with Nvidia's Broadcast software in its iCue app for noise cancellation features, but these didn't seem to do much — the mic didn't pick up too much of my background noise, including typing on a clicky keyboard, to begin with.

Features and Software of the Virtuoso Max

The Virtuoso Max is configurable with Corsair's iCue software, which is one of my least-favorite peripheral software suites. However, if you want to get the most out of the Virtuoso Max, you'll need to open up iCue at least once to download and install firmware updates (if you can — I could not) and adjust various headset settings. You can use iCue to check the headset's battery life, adjust the RGB brightness, swap the volume wheels, and toggle sleep mode, voice prompts, and the mic status LED.

The software also features a 10-band equalizer that you can use to tweak the headset's sound. There are a few built-in presets (flat, movie, FPS, and bass boost) and you can create your own. You'll find a couple of microphone settings on the equalizer screen — volume and sidetone, though I always find software-based sidetone to be off-putting because of the lag. The Virtuoso Max's sidetone is, somehow, even worse than Iexpected — I couldn't even hear it until I had the volume pumped to about 90%, and at 90% the sidetone was very fuzzy and grainy-sounding, like I was speaking to the cabin from a cockpit. On the plus side, it sounded so bad that I didn't notice or care about any lag. iCue also connects you with Nvidia's Broadcast software, which is a separate download (though it can be performed from within iCue) and adds some software-based noise and room echo removal features.

And, of course, you can also use iCue to customize the Virtuoso Max's RGB lighting — each earcup has three zones of RGB, and all six lighting zones can be customized individually (if you want that). You get iCue's standard lighting configuration screen, which includes several presets (with adjustable colors and speeds), as well as custom options and the ability to layer effects and link the lighting with your other Corsair accessories. It's unnecessarily complicated, as most lighting customization software is, but the lighting looks good — bright, even, and vibrant. I don't put too much stock in lighting on headsets as I can't actually see it while I'm wearing it, but if you're looking for a headset with pretty, customizable lighting, this is one of only a few on the market.

Wireless Performance and Battery Life of the Virtuoso Max

The Virtuoso Max offers two forms of connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth. Like some of the other wireless gaming headsets we've seen recently, it does not offer a wired connection (analog or USB), which isn't necessarily a dealbreaker but is a bit disappointing — sometimes you need to be able to plug your headset in. The headset does offer simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth, however, meaning you can connect to two devices wirelessly and play audio from both sources simultaneously, without having to switch between the two. This is actually a rarer feature these days — a few years back it seemed to be in every premium headset, but many headsets, such as our current favorite Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) are opting for quick-switch between connections rather than simultaneous playback.

Corsair rates the Virtuoso Max's battery life at "up to 60 hours," but does not give details on the parameters used to calculate this, though we can probably assume it's with the RGB lighting turned off. This is actually pretty good, especially if it's measured with both wireless connections active (not playing simultaneously, but active), since Razer told us that the reason they didn't implement simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth in the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) was because of battery concerns.

Bottom Line

The Corsair Virtuoso Max is... a difficult sell. It's Corsair's latest flagship headset in the Virtuoso line, and several of our Tom's Hardware editors are still using the older Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT / SE headsets. The Virtuoso Max does a couple things very well: It sounds fantastic in games and it implements simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connections flawlessly. But it's so uncomfortable that I can't wear it for more than an hour or two without taking several breaks, and basically everything about the software is frustrating, from the truly awful sidetone to trying to update the firmware (which I was never able to do, but luckily the headset still works without its firmware update). Plus, since the headset's out-of-the-box tuning gives you middling bass and screechy highs, you will need to use the software.

Unfortunately, a great gaming headset is only worth it if you can actually wear it, so the Virtuoso Max's impressive audio will probably have to stay on the shelf, at least for me.

With the lead-up to Presidents' Day on Monday, the 17th of February 2025, many of our favorite retailers have been hosting sales or discounts on some of our favorite tech bits and pieces. Today's deal is on a pair of headphones from Beyerdynamic that offer a balanced audiophile-grade soundscape perfect for a studio, hobbyist, or home user looking to up their sound game.

Available directly from Beyerdynamic, you can save $60 off the usual list price of $429 and grab the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro MKI for just $369. This takes them close to half the price of the recently updated MKII DT 1770 Pros. Yes, these are the last generation of the DT 1770 Pro, but not a great deal has changed with these terrific cans to easily justify an extra $300 for the MKII variant.

Used everywhere, from producing music in professional studios to podcasts and content creation, the DT 1770 Pro is a well-engineered and durable product with plenty of long-established audio experience has gone into the design of the headphones. Using a well-built construction, the DT 1770 Pro uses closed-back ear cups for sound isolation. Housed in the cups are 45 mm dynamic Tesla neodymium drivers for powerful yet balanced audio reproduction.

These comfortable headphones are sturdily constructed with a rugged headband made of spring steel and covered with soft padded leather. The headphones only weigh 388 grams in total (minus the cable). If any parts of the headphones should start to get worn - i.e., the memory foam earpads - Beyerdynamic offers spare parts for almost every aspect of these cans, so parts are easily replaceable for more longevity.

The HyperX Cloud III is a superb gaming headset if you want to pick up a set of cans on a tight budget. I've bought one of these headsets for my son to game on his PC and so far the headset has lasted the rough and tumble of a teenager and is still going strong. This headset is a worthy successor to the HyperX Cloud II and continues to offer amazing performance at sensible pricing.

You can find today's deal at Amazon, where the HyperX Cloud III wired gaming headset is now only $65. We reviewed the HyperX Cloud III headset and awarded it 4 out of 5 stars for its superb value, build quality, looks, fantastic bass, and comfort. Our cons of this headset were the software, weak virtual surround sound performance, and a loud mute button, but overall, it was an improvement over the previous HyperX Cloud II, which was also a superb headset for the price.

One of our favorite gaming headsets, the Cloud III is super-comfortable to wear thanks to its lightweight design and soft memory foam ear pads, and on top of that the soundscape of the Cloud III is balanced yet powerful thanks to a set of angled 53mm drivers that let you listen out for enemy footsteps or enjoy the booming bass of a large explosion.

Extra features of the HyperX Cloud III include DTS Spatial Audio for conjuring up 3D directional soundscapes in-game, and a crystal clear microphone (with mute button) for in-game comms with friends. These well-priced cans are compatible with PC, PS5, or Xbox via a 3.5mm cable, USB-A, or USB-C adapter. It's hard to find anything to compete with the value of these gaming cans at this low price.

Don't forget to look at our Amazon coupon codes for January 2025 and see if you can save on today's deal or other products at Amazon.

One of our favorite gaming headsets is on sale for just $67 in these Black Friday sales, matching the lowest-ever price we've seen for this great budget gaming headset option. The HyperX Cloud III is a wired headset with powerful drivers, an amazing soundscape, great bass, and a premium-quality build.

You can find this deal at Amazon, where the HyperX Cloud III wired gaming headset is only $67 in the Black Friday sales. Our peripherals editor reviewed the HyperX Cloud III headset and awarded it 4 out of 5 stars for its superb value, build quality, looks, fantastic bass, and comfort. Our cons of this headset were the software, weak virtual surround sound performance, and a loud mute button, but overall, it was an improvement over the previous HyperX Cloud II, which was also a superb headset for the price.

The HyperX Cloud III is a worthy successor to the HyperX Cloud II and continues to offer amazing performance at sensible pricing. This wired headset is super-comfortable to wear thanks to its lightweight design and soft memory foam ear pads. The soundscape of the Cloud III is balanced yet powerful thanks to a set of angled 53mm drivers that let you listen out for enemy footsteps or enjoy the booming bass of a large explosion. They're also great if you just want to sit back and enjoy some of your favorite tunes.

Some of the features of the HyperX Cloud III include DTS Spatial Audio for conjuring up 3D directional soundscapes in-game, and a clear microphone (with mute button) to communicate in-game with friends. These cans are compatible with most platforms and can connect to a PC, PS5, or Xbox via a 3.5mm cable, USB-A, or an included USB-C adapter. It's hard to find anything to compete with these gaming cans at this low price.

If you're looking for other products, check out our Black Friday Computer Hardware Deals Live blog for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals Live blog, Monitor Deals Live, Graphics Card Deals, or CPU Deals pages.

One of our favorite gaming headsets in the "budget" category is on sale for just $66 on Amazon's October Prime Day, the lowest-ever price we've seen. The HyperX Cloud III is a wired headset with powerful drivers and an amazing soundscape, great bass, and a premium quality build. It's hard to find anything to compete with these gaming cans at this low price. 

You can find this deal at Amazon where the HyperX Cloud III wired gaming headset is only $66 in the Prime Day sales. We reviewed the HyperX Cloud III headset and awarded it 4 out of 5 stars for its superb value, build quality, looks, fantastic bass, and comfort. Our cons of this headset were the software, weak virtual surround sound performance, and a loud mute button. 

The HyperX Cloud III is a worthy successor to the HyperX Cloud II and continues to offer amazing performance for sensible prices. This wired headset is super-comfortable to wear thanks to a lightweight design and soft memory foam ear pads. Powering these cans are a set of angled 53mm drivers that manage to produce some fantastic bass, ideal for large explosions while gaming, or for listening to some pumping tunes.  

The HyperX Cloud III uses DTS Spatial Audio to conjure up a 3D directional soundscape in-game for listening to where enemy fire is coming from or hearing footsteps creeping up on you. Coupled with a clear microphone (with a mute button) to communicate with friends, this headset is ideal for online multiplayer gaming. Connect to a PC, PS5, or Xbox via a 3.5mm cable, USB-A, or an included USB-C adapter.

SteelSeries' Arctis Nova 7 Wireless is significantly more affordable than its $350 flagship, the Arctis Nova Pro — but at $180, the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless is still pretty pricey. So it's no surprise that SteelSeries recently came out with a less expensive wireless option to fill the empty seat between its (wired) Arctis Nova 3 and the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless. The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless is a wireless, over-ear gaming headset trying to snag a spot on our list of best gaming headsets (or perhaps best wireless gaming headsets) by compromising just enough to get a winning combo of comfort, features, and price. 

The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless features a lightweight, comfortable build, dual wireless connectivity — not simultaneous, but with quick-switch — and a fairly impressive 50 - 60 hour battery life. It also comes with a fully-retractable boom mic, a cross-platform-compatible USB-C 2.4GHz dongle, and the Arctis Nova 5 Companion app, which lets you change audio settings and switch presets without connecting to a PC. The Arctis Nova 5 is available now in black for $129.99.

Design and Comfort of the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless

The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless is a lightweight, over-ear (circumaural), closed-back wireless gaming headset. It features the same overall design concept as the rest of SteelSeries' Arctis Nova line, though its build is much closer to the lower-end Arctis Nova 1 and 3.

The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless sports an all-plastic build in simple matte black, with oval-shaped earcups that swivel, tilt, and are height-adjustable. The earcups have a stepped design, with SteelSeries' logo printed in silver on the round, slightly soft-touch speaker plates. The headset's memory foam earpads are covered in a soft, breathable athletic weave-type of fabric that won't make you sweat too much — though it does allow for a moderate amount of sound leakage.

An elastic, ski band-style strap is attached to the inside of the headset's plastic headband — designed to keep the actual headband away from your head for the sake of comfort. This entire design works very well, so long as your head isn't too big — the inside of the headband measures approximately 11 inches (280mm) long, and each earcup can extend an additional inch, for a total length of 13 inches (330mm). There are two pins on each side of the headband, and the ski band has three adjustment holes, allowing for four different symmetrical adjustments (or 16 asymmetrical permutations). The ski band is pretty stretchy, so as long as you're not pushing up against the plastic there's some leeway.

As you might suspect, given its all-plastic design, the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless is a fairly lightweight headset: it weighs just 9.5 ounces (265g), which is around the same weight as the very lightweight Logitech G735 (9.6oz / 273g). I found the headset to be very comfortable and had no problem wearing it for hours at a time — though I'll admit it wasn't the type of transcendent comfort where I forgot I was even wearing a headset. I was always aware of its presence, it just didn't bother me. The headset's clamping force is slightly heavier than that of the G735 (neither headset's clamping force presents an issue, but I could tilt my head back while wearing the Arctis Nova 5 — something I can't do while wearing the G735 without the headset falling straight off my head).

There are controls on both of the headset's earcups. On the right earcup there'a a power button and a quick switch button (separated by a status LED), a ChatMix dial, and a USB-C charging port. The left earcup houses the retractable boom mic and a physical mic mute button, as well as a volume dial.

While the number of buttons are pretty manageable, media controls do get a little confusing as they're spread between the power button and the quick switch button: the power button controls music and the quick switch button controls phone calls, because the power button adjusts phone call volume (not sure why we can't use volume for this) during a call.

The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless comes with two cables: a 5-foot (1.5m) USB-C to USB-A charging cable and a 5-foot (1.5m) USB-C to USB-A dongle extension. It also comes with an unnecessarily wide 2.4GHz wireless USB-C dongle, instructions, and some stickers. I'm sure there's a reason the dongle needs to take up this much space, but it seems SteelSeries could have designed it so it doesn't block other ports if you plug it into something directly (yes, you can use the dongle extender, but... still).

Specs

Audio Performance of the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless

The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless features the same drivers as the rest of the Arctis Nova line (except the Arctis Nova Pro). The custom-built 40mm neodymium drivers have a frequency response of 20 - 22,000 Hz, an impedance of 36Ω, and a sensitivity of 95dBSPL. These drivers have a slightly wider frequency response than the typical 20 - 20,000 Hz frequency response of many headsets, but they've got some issues that I pointed out in my review of the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless (and not much has changed in the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless). 

Music sounds decent, for the most part, on the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless, with moderately powerful lows and slightly turned-up mids and highs, with some noticeable distortion in the lower mid-range. The headset's drivers seem to have the most trouble with tracks that have a lot of layered details — especially crisp, layered details — and tracks such as Beyonce's Single Ladies sound messy and jumbled. Even Enya's Orinoco Flow has its midrange sort of smashed together instead of separately layered, and it ends up sounding somewhat dull. The headset also struggled with tracks that slide between ranges, especially from mid-to-high in a single, uninterrupted note; I heard popping and crackling noises as the notes slid into the higher ranges in both David Guetta's Titanium and Gesaffelstein's Hellifornia.  

Luckily, these auditory issues don't carry over significantly to other types of media: Gaming, movies, and voices all sounded pretty good on the Arctis Nova 5. The headset handled most layered game audio — such as the city streets of Baldur's Gate 3 and the jungle atmosphere of Uncharted 4 — pretty well, and I didn't hear any of the popping or crackling sounds in my testing. Scenes that were both loud and layered (e.g. big explosions) sounded a slightly compressed but were otherwise fine. The headset also managed directional auditory cues, such as footsteps and gunfire, fairly well. Voices, both in media and over chat, sounded good on the Arctis Nova 5 — crisp and clear, and full without being too heavy.

Microphone of the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless

The Nova 5 Wireless has a bidirectional noise-canceling boom microphone that retracts seamlessly into the earcup — the same design seen on the rest of the Arctis Nova lineup. The mic pulls out easily from the bottom of the left earcup and sits at the end of a flexible, four-inch arm that bends easily toward your mouth. The mic can be muted via a physical mute button on the back of the right earcup; when the mic is muted a red light along the top lights up to alert you (this can be turned off in the app).

The microphone sounds fine — vocals are clear and loud, but you'll sound like you're talking on a headset mic. Noise cancelation is moderate — people will still be able to hear most background noises but typing on a linear keyboard won't overwhelm your voice to the point where they can't understand you (you can turn on AI noise cancelation in the company's Sonar app, but aggressive noise cancelation just makes your voice sound thinner and more robotic).

Features and Software of the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless

The Arctis Nova 5 works with both SteelSeries GG (and Sonar) as well as the new Arctis Nova 5 Companion mobile app. While the Sonar app is useful for its virtual channel routing and 10-band parametric EQ, I preferred the Arctis Nova 5 Companion app because it was just... much easier to use.

The Nova 5 Companion app is a mobile app that lets you change the headset's EQ settings on the fly. It also lets you adjust the headset's mic volume, sidetone, mic mute LED brightness, and toggle the audio limiter and extended range mode. It does have some limitations — you can only change the EQ settings to a different preset; if you want to create your own presets you'll need to do that in Sonar on your PC (however, you can create your own presets and save them to the app). But there are over 166 presets preloaded into the app — most are for individual games, but there are presets for music and movies as well.

While you do need to connect to the app initially in Bluetooth mode, once connected you can use the app to change the audio settings over either the Bluetooth or the 2.4GHz wireless connection. The change happens in real time and saves directly to the headset. The app gives you control over the headset's settings without having to plug into a PC, so it's especially nice for console players.

Battery Life of the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless

The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless has the longest battery life found in any SteelSeries headset to date — it's rated at up to 60 hours (over Bluetooth) or up to 50 hours (over 2.4GHz wireless). While this is definitely not the most impressive battery life we've seen in a gaming headset, it's a solid enough showing for a headset this lightweight. Fifty hours over 2.4GHz will get you at least a week's worth of moderately heavy gaming before you need to recharge, and once a week is on par with how often you'd have to recharge headsets such as the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) or the Audeze Maxwell.

While the Arctis Nova 5's 2.4GHz wireless connection is generally pretty solid, I did have some issues with switching between 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth. Specifically, the headset occasionally ended up unpaired from its 2.4GHz wireless receiver when I switched between devices. This didn't happen consistently, but it happened enough in my testing that it needed to be pointed out. Re-pairing the headset with the wireless receiver was easy — there's a button right on the receiver to do so — but I don't want to have to re-pair my headset and wireless receiver multiple times a week. I'll point out that it does have quick-switch wireless, so it switches pretty quickly between the two connections... but sometimes it doesn't quite get there.

Bottom Line

The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless is a decent budget-friendly wireless headset option, though it's not that budget-friendly. It does have a sleeker look than most cheap wireless gaming headsets, however — and in combination with the Arctis Nova 5 Companion app, this makes it a nice option for something you want to double as a lifestyle headset. It has the same drivers as the pricier Arctis Nova 7 Wireless, but those drivers unfortunately have the same limitations we saw in the Arctis Nova 7. However, if you're looking at the Arctis Nova 7 and you don't need simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless/Bluetooth, the Arctis Nova 5 is worth a look.

MORE: Best PC Gaming Headsets

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Sound is one of the most important elements of gaming for me, being able to hear enemy footsteps sneaking up on you, or listening for the direction of incoming enemy fire - a decent pair of gaming headphones is high on the priority list. Having a set of wireless cans is even better, as going cable-less is just so convenient when you need to quickly run to the kitchen between rounds to grab a drink, or just get up, move around, and have a little stretch. 

Thanks to the Tech Fest sale at Best Buy, you're able to grab the Logitech G Pro X wireless gaming headset for just $119 - a saving of $110 from the original $229 asking price. This wireless headset deal delivers high-quality audio sound at a portion of the original price so that you can enjoy wire-free gaming without breaking the bank.

The Logitech G Pro X wireless is a premium gaming headset that ditches the cables for a long-range (up to 50 feet) 2.4 GHz wireless connection, loud 50mm drivers, and a great-sounding cardioid microphone. The G Pro X wireless is compatible with your PC and PlayStation, but to access the full potential of the headset and customize your sound profile, you are only able to do this on a PC with Logitech's software suite. 

We gave the G Pro X 4 stars, praising the headset for its premium look and feel but balking at the original expensive MSRP price. With $110 knocked off the price, the G Pro X is a much more attractive proposition. If you're looking for a more refined-looking gaming headset minus the gamified RGB, this could be the pick for you. Read our full review of the Logitech G Pro X for more information and our insights on this wireless gaming headset.

An angular-looking gaming headset from Corsair that features a retractable boom mic, plenty of gamified RGB lighting, and a wireless 2.4 GHz connection. You can use this headset with either a PC or a PlayStation 5 console via a wireless USB dongle. 

Today we're highlighting the Corsair Void RGB Elite wireless gaming headset that is now $79, on sale at Amazon and reduced by $30. The Void RGB Elite has been available since 2019 and In our Corsair Void RGB Elite review we noted its sleek design with a carbon finish, a clear microphone that "you could land planes with.", and a breathable fit thanks to the microfibre mesh fabric with very soft foam padding in the earpads.

These cans are also capable of 7.1 surround when connected to a PC and using Corsair's iCUE software. Unfortunately, the 7.1 surround sound is not available when connected to the PlayStation 5 console. When gaming or using Discord you can easily mute your voice thanks to a flip-up mute function and a built-in LED mute indicator to let you know when you're broadcasting. 

The Corsair Void Elite Pro RGB gaming headset houses large 50mm neodymium audio drivers in the earcups that can support a frequency range of between 20Hz and 30,000Hz. The earcups are held to the headband with strong aluminum yokes for durability and the earcups also house the bright dynamic RGB lighting that can be configured through the Corsair iCUE software. 

Useful for both general audio listening and for PC gaming/streaming, today's deal on a set of audiophile-grade headphones brings the entry price down to a new all-time low on Amazon. These Sennheiser cans come from a brand with a well-known reputation and pedigree in the audiophile field and would enhance any audio setup, even if it's just to listen to some of your favorite digital music, CDs, or Vinyl. 

Available at Amazon, today's deal introduces the Sennheiser HD 620S Headphones for only $299, an attractive $50 drop in price from the usual MSRP price of $349. The camelizer plugin for Amazon shopping shows that this is an all-time low price for these premium audiophile headphones.

The Sennheiser HD 620S is a wired headphone with a closed-back ear cup for passive noise cancellation. Sennheiser uses angled, 42mm dynamic transducers in the headphones with 38mm diaphragms to replicate a speaker-like spacial soundstage and provide some balanced bass. The construction uses metal and plastic for the headband and earcups, with leatherette material used on the foam earpads.  

The Sennheiser HD 620S has a wide frequency response of between 6 - 30,000 Hz and a low impedance of 150 Ω (ohm) so you will want some amplification to get the best sound out of these headphones, Either through a DAC/AMP or soundcard or motherboard with an included DAC/AMP. 

You might be surprised to learn that while I love a good gaming headset, I almost never wear one unless I absolutely must — I prefer to listen to everything over speakers instead. Headsets, especially gaming headsets, are designed to fully immerse you in your own little pocket of pure, isolated sound, and it's a little too isolated for me — I'm easily distracted and it's just too much sound. Or, maybe, too focused. 

What I do like, however, are open-back headsets, which have wider, more open soundstages and offer immersion without the isolation. There are several open-back gaming headsets on the market, but almost all are wired. Enter Turtle Beach's newest premium headset and the first wireless open-back gaming headset, the Atlas Air. The Atlas Air is a lightweight, airy open-back wireless headset with 40mm dynamic drivers and support for 24-bit audio. It offers 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.2, and wired connectivity, and it comes with a detachable flip-to-mute boom mic. It's the kind of headset I could wear forever... if it didn't suffer from a serious software problem. And software is kind of a big deal for a wireless headset.

The Atlas Air is available now for $179.99.

Design and Comfort of the Atlas Air

The Atlas Air is a wireless, over-ear, open-back gaming headset with a detachable flip-to-mute boom mic. It has a lightweight gray plastic frame with shiny gray speaker plates on its large, round floating earcups (we'll get to the "floating" part in a moment). It comes with a black mesh and elastic suspension headband and black fabric-covered earpads, but Turtle Beach sells brightly-colored "mod packs," consisting of a replacement headband strap and earpads, for $25. Turtle Beach is printed in silver above each earcup, and its palm tree logo is embossed in silver on each side of the strap, where it attaches to the headband.

The Atlas Air is well-named — it's incredibly lightweight at just 10.61 ounces (301g) with the microphone installed (10.32oz / 292.5g without the mic). It's not the absolute lightest gaming headset on the market, but it's pretty close — and combined with its mesh suspension headband, it really felt like I was wearing nothing on my head.

The headband uses a combination of mesh and an adjustable elastic strap to "float" away from your head. The mesh wraps around the plastic frame to hold the elastic strap in place, and the elastic strap is anchored to each side, fastened to the inside of the frame with Velcro. You can adjust the headband by adjusting the strap to make it tighter or looser. It's not particularly precise, but there's a lot of leeway because the elastic is stretchy and the frame is pretty flexible. The inside of the headband measures 12.5 inches (317.5mm), and the strap is the only means of adjustment — the earcups don't move or extend like they do in other headsets. While I found the Atlas Air to be very comfortable, my husband, who has a bigger head than I do, didn't like the way the elastic strap pressed down on his head, even after he adjusted it to be much looser.

The earcups are also "floating," in that they’re attached to the frame with rubber bungees, sort of like what you see on a microphone shock mount. This allows for a decent amount of movement in all directions, so the Atlas Air adapts to different head shapes pretty easily. The earcups have soft, memory foam padded earpads, covered in a shiny, athletic weave fabric. The padding is thick but very soft, and shouldn't be a problem even for people wearing glasses. The fabric is fine — my ears didn't get hot, but they don't usually get hot (they didn't feel particularly cool, either), and I wasn't too concerned about passive noise cancellation as this is an open-back headset. The fabric does look a little cheap, however. 

Actually, the whole headset looks a little cheap. I realize this is partly the sacrifice you make for a headset that's so lightweight — the 8.3 ounce (235g) SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 is also made of plastic, elastic, and mesh — but the Atlas Air is still a $180 headset. The thin, ultra-flexible plastic headband doesn't feel particularly flimsy — in fact, it feels fairly sturdy for what it is — but it doesn't feel like a headset you could easily toss into a bag (the earcups don't swivel and it's an open-back headset, so it's not too travel-friendly anyway). The HyperX Cloud III Wireless, which is also incredibly comfortable and retails for $10 less than the Atlas Air, has a full metal frame and weighs 11.64 ounces (330g) without its mic installed — about 1.3 ounces (37.5g) heavier than the Atlas Air.

The Atlas Air is more than just its looks and weight, of course, but just know that it's not a particularly premium-looking headset. Even the tonal color scheme isn't working for me — the entire frame is a generic dark gray plastic, save for the shiny (but still plastic) speaker plates, and the black accents aren't enough to give it that premium boost. I do like the bold, vibrant colors of the mod packs, which come in royal purple, "rebel pink," and "bermuda blue," but adding color won't make the headset look more premium (just more colorful). Plus, it feels like Turtle Beach could've included an extra set of earpads in the box — perhaps in an alternate color.

The left earcup houses the headset's buttons, ports, and controls. There are three buttons: power, input switch (for quickly switching between 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth), and a multi-function button (tap to play/pause, double-tap to skip forward, triple-tap to skip backward, and hold to enter Bluetooth pairing mode). The speaker plate on the left earcup twists to control volume, and the headset comes with a 3.5mm audio cable with a volume wheel. There are also three ports on the left earcup: a USB-C port for charging, a 3.5mm jack for a wired connection, and a 2.5mm port for connecting the headset's detachable boom mic. Once the mic is attached you can flip it up to mute it, so there's no mute button on the headset.

The Atlas Air comes with two cables — a 6-foot (1.8m) braided USB-C to USB-A charging cable, and a 6-foot (1.8m) braided 3.5mm audio cable with inline volume controls. It also comes with a detachable boom mic and a foam pop filter, a 2.4GHz wireless USB-A dongle, and a soft cloth drawstring carrying pouch.

Specs

Audio Performance of the Atlas Air

The Atlas Air features an open-back design and has 40mm "high-precision" dynamic drivers that support 24-bit (hi-fi) / 96 kHz audio (in PC mode) and have a frequency response rate of 20 - 40,000 Hz. The open-back design means there's sound leak on both sides — you'll hear what's happening around you, and those around you will hear what you're listening to — but it also means a wider soundstage and a more open and natural (yet still immersive) sound profile in general. There are several open-back gaming headsets on the market — we last tested the Corsair Virtuoso Pro — but Turtle Beach touts the Atlas Air as the first wireless open-back gaming headset.

Music sounds very good on the Atlas Air. I won't lie — I was prepared for disappointment, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The headset has a mostly-balanced sound profile that trends a little toward the low-end, but I don't hate that. There's enough power in the low end that you'll just feel the bass in songs like Kaskade's POW POW POW,  but not so much that there's any muddying. The low mid-range also has a little oomph in my mid-heavy favorite, K-391's Lonely World, but just a little. The highs, on the other hand, are slightly restrained (but still a little hissy, occasionally). But combined with the headset's open-back design, which allows for a nice, wide soundstage and plenty of airiness, I definitely enjoyed listening to music on the Atlas Air.

Games also sound great on the Atlas Air — though, with the headset's open-back design, it's better for games with richly layered, immersive environments and isn't quite as good for first-person shooters or competitive battle royales. The alien ocean in the Subnautica series and the jungles in Uncharted 4 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider sounded fantastic through this headset — with all the layering and detail you hear in a closed-back gaming headset, plus the openness of a wider, less processed soundstage. While the wider soundstage did mean I could hear footsteps and gunshots in games like Hunt: Showdown  (yes, I was on a 2018 nostalgia trip this weekend), the sounds were definitely less focused than what you'll hear in a closed-back headset — accurate, but harder to isolate and concentrate on.

Unsurprisingly, I did get a better, more accurate response from the Atlas Air's drivers when I turned it off and plugged it into a DAC (the DragonFly Cobalt), but the headset performed well over 2.4GHz wireless — for the most part. I had some trouble with the software thwarting the headset's wireless performance by switching settings at random and resetting things, but the wired performance remained consistent. (I was able to mostly resolve the software issue by uninstalling the app, but it's still a little shaky.)

Microphone of the Atlas Air

The Atlas Air has a detachable boom mic that also manages to implement my favorite Turtle Beach standby — flip-to-mute. It's not, however, a great implementation — the mic attaches to a movable piece inside the headset so you can flip it up and down, but it's not very easy to do so because the mic's bendable gooseneck arm is... too bendy. Also, if the mic is bent toward your mouth while you're using it, flipping it up without bending it out of the way means it hits you in the face. (Yes, I know this is an issue with any flip-up mic that also bends, but for some reason I ended up hitting myself more with this mic.)

Flipping it up does mute it though, and it also plays a tone (which you can adjust/turn off in the Swarm II software) to let you know when you're muted. If there's one thing Turtle Beach does very well, it's make sure you know the mute status of your microphone — and I'm not being facetious; I'm pretty paranoid about mic status, especially with wireless headsets. The next-best way to mute is to have a removable boom mic that you can rip out, just to be sure. (This actually isn't really an option with the Atlas Air, however — the boom mic is detachable but it takes some wiggling and finesse to detach it.)

Muting mechanics aside, the Atlas Air's mic is pretty standard for a gaming headset mic — it will work well enough for chatting with teammates, friends, and coworkers, but it won't make you sound great. I initially had some issues where my voice sounded very over-processed and a lot of my words were getting cut off (usually the result of aggressive noise gate), But once I managed to turn off the noise gate in the software — which was more difficult than it should've been, more on that in the software section — and disable audio enhancements in Windows' sound settings, my voice sounded less processed. It still didn't sound good, but people were able to hear me and understand what I was saying. With no processing, the mic did pick up more pops and hisses, but it wasn't too bad — people could still understand me without issue. 

The Atlas Air's mic will work in a pinch, but I would pick up a solid, standalone USB mic — like the $60 Logitech Yeti Orb — to use as a primary mic with this headset.

Features and Software of the Atlas Air

The Atlas Air works with Turtle Beach's Swarm II peripheral software. And, like most Turtle Beach headsets, when I first plugged in the headset and dongle I was immediately prompted to update the firmware, which then proceeded to "fail" several times until I restarted everything twice, out of frustration. Then it was suddenly magically fine. I wasn't a fan of the Swarm software when it was under Roccat, nor was I a fan of Turtle Beach's various disjointed firmware update apps, and it seems that merging everything into one app — Swarm II — has not improved the situation.

But first, let's go over what Swarm II is designed for. Swarm II lets you access a handful of audio and microphone settings, such as the master volume, game/chat mix, and mic sensitivity, monitoring, and noise gate. It also has a 10-band EQ for both the audio and the mic, and has some general settings (auto shut-off, voice/tone prompt volume, LED brightness), and lets you easily (ish) check to see if the firmware and drivers are up-to-date. Any changes you make in the software will (hopefully) save to the device immediately, and the Atlas Air has onboard storage with room for up to five profiles. You can create custom EQ presets for the audio but not for the mic (though this seems like it may be added in the future).

Now, this would all be fine — if it worked. But the software is very finicky and inconsistent. I know I say that about every piece of peripheral software, but this is even more finicky, and less consistent, than most. Sometimes my settings were immediately saved to the headset and implemented; sometimes they weren't. I frequently found the settings changed when I restarted something or turned off the headset, or switched back from a different device, or accidentally clicked on the app, etc. I finally just uninstalled the software and things seem to be working fine. I couldn't avoid the software completely, however, as the headset wouldn't pair with its wireless dongle without an initial firmware update.

Battery Life and Wireless Performance of the Atlas Air

Turtle Beach rates the Atlas Air's battery life at 50 hours — enough that you'll only need to charge it once a week or so. There are plenty of headsets, now, that last longer — the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) hits 70 hours easily, while the HyperX Cloud III is rated for 120 hours. But 50 hours is plenty for a wireless gaming headset you're not going to travel or commute with. As for connectivity, the Atlas Air has 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.2, and wired options. It doesn't offer simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.2, but the input button is easy to find and input switching is very quick — I'd rather have that than a simultaneous dual connection that keeps dropping.

Speaking of buttons, the buttons on the Atlas Air might seem like overkill (as many headsets combine functions like power and Bluetooth pairing), but I was impressed: I didn't have to fumble around to find them, nor did I forget which was which — not once. The speaker plate volume wheel, on the other hand, was a mess. It was inconsistent in just about every way — sometimes turning it one notch would raise the volume by a small increment and the next notch would jump to maximum... and the next notch would lower it. Sometimes turning the wheel would just jump the volume between a couple of steps before ultimately doing nothing. For what it's worth, this is something that could almost certainly be fixed with a firmware update (and was most likely broken by a firmware update). However, I would rather adjust my volume elsewhere than deal with Swarm II.

Bottom Line

I kind of love this headset — it's super comfortable, it sounds great, and the open-back design is perfect. But I also kind of hate this headset — or, at least, the firmware/software side of it. So, I'm at a crossroads: the headset has some issues that probably need to be fixed with a firmware update, but the software is so bad that I'm not even confident a firmware update would work (or fix things — more likely, we're going to need several firmware updates). It might sound a little dramatic to let terrible software stop you from buying a headset — something that really shouldn't even need software, but, trust me... it's bad. And firmware/software issues are more important with a wireless headset; this headset seems like it'll work fine if you only use it in analog mode, but then why buy a wireless headset?

On the hardware side, the Atlas Air is fantastic, and the good thing about software (and firmware) is that it can be updated — so there's hope. But you probably want a headset for now, not sometime (hopefully) in the future. The Atlas Air is the only wireless open-back gaming headset, but if you're looking for hours of comfort, you'll find it in the HyperX Cloud III or the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023). As for open-back, Corsair's Virtuoso Pro is similarly priced (currently on sale for $150; normally $200) but a little less fun, sound-profile-wise, and Audeze's LCD-GX sounds incredible but is a little less fun... price-wise ($899).

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The best gaming headsets are designed with audio in mind, but audio usually isn't the only factor — or even the most important one. Gamers aren't just looking for great sound, they're also looking for a great mic, a sturdy, comfortable frame, and built-in conveniences like wireless connectivity, virtual surround sound, or game-specific sound profiles. But when audio companies make gaming headsets, they tend to focus almost entirely on the sound, which usually makes for a great-sounding headset — but is it enough for a gaming headset? 

Beyerdynamic's MMX 300 Pro is the newest headset in its gaming lineup, replacing the second-generation MMX 300, which was released six years ago. The MMX 300 Pro is the epitome of an audio company's gaming headset: it brings the brand's studio-quality Stellar.45 drivers to its gaming lineup. These are the same drivers you'll find in the company's DT 900 Pro X and DT 700 Pro X studio headphones. With the MMX 300 Pro, Beyerdynamic promises impressive audio that's tuned for gaming and accurate, dimensional sound, as well as hours of unparalleled comfort and easy-to-replace parts. But it doesn't come cheap — the MMX 300 Pro is available  now for $300, which is pretty expensive for what seems like a pretty basic wired gaming headset.

Design and Comfort of the MMX 300 Pro

The MMX 300 Pro is a wired, closed-back over-ear (circumaural) gaming headset with a flexible spring steel frame. It comes with a long detachable cable with an inline remote that plugs into the left earcup and features a rotating non-detachable boom microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. It's a fairly simple, all-black headset, with a black leatherette-covered padded headband, black velour-covered padded earpads, metal forks, and large, round plastic earcups. Beyerdynamic's logo is printed all over it, from the top of the headband to the plastic hinge covers to the earcups.

It has a flexible steel headband and very sturdy metal forks that connect the plastic earcups. The earcups don't really swivel, but there's enough lateral movement to account for different head shapes. The headset feels sturdy and like it can withstand quite a bit of wear and tear without issue, but as it doesn't fold or come with a case (like its predecessor did), it's not a great pick for travel.

The MMX 300 Pro's steel headband is covered in a piece of padded leatherette, which is attached with snaps so it can be easily removed and replaced. The inside of the headband measures approximately 9 inches (228.6mm) long, and each fork extends the earcups an extra 1.25 inches (31.75mm) over a series of eight notches, for a total length of 11.5 inches (292.1mm). The padding is thick enough, and, in a nod to comfort, is recessed in the center to prevent the headband from putting too much pressure on the top of your skull.

Or, at least, that's what Beyerdynamic hopes — when I first tried this headset, I started to feel some pain near the top of my skull after I'd been wearing it for about an hour. I initially thought this might be because I'd somehow hit my head earlier and forgotten about it until the headset started putting pressure on the bruise — like any headset would (I don't normally wear headsets at home). However, after a couple of weeks of testing this headset and wearing other headsets alongside it, I've concluded that the pain is happening only with the MMX 300 Pro (and it's pretty consistently popping up around the one-hour mark).

The MMX 300 Pro weighs 11.08 ounces (314g) without its wire, which is on the lighter side. It's not quite as light as the Logitech G735 (9.6oz / 273g), but it is a little lighter than the HyperX Cloud III (11.29oz / 320g), which is, to date, the most comfortable headset I've ever worn. It's also nowhere near as heavy as the Audeze Maxwell (17.28oz / 490g), which is one of the headsets I wore while testing the MMX 300 Pro; the Maxwell didn't produce any pain after several hours, so it doesn't seem to be a weight issue. 

For what it's worth, the pain doesn't seem to be directly on the top of my skull (where the recess in padding is), but is instead right next to that (where the padding starts up again). I think it may have something to do with the slightly stronger clamping force of the MMX 300 Pro, which you'll feel more if you have a larger head. Comfort is, obviously, subjective, so you may not have the same experience with the MMX 300 Pro as I did, but it's something to consider while shopping. 

The headset's large, round earcups have padded, velour-covered earpads, which are also easy to remove and replace (the theme of this headset is repairability). You don't see velour too often on gaming headsets, but it's more comfortable (in my opinion) and more breathable than leatherette or leather, and it does a pretty good job of passively keeping noise out. The earpads' padding is a little stiff and is on the thinner side in general, but I didn't have any issues with my ears pressing against the drivers.

The MMX 300 Pro comes with an 8.2-foot (2.5m) PC cable with two 3.5mm jacks for the audio and the mic, as well as a 3.5mm single plug adapter for consoles. The PC cable features an inline remote, which has a volume wheel, a mic mute switch, and a button for standard controls (play/pause, answer/hang up phone calls).

Specs

Audio Performance of the MMX 300 Pro

The MMX 300 Pro features Beyerdynamic's studio-quality Stellar.45 drivers, which have a frequency response range of 5 - 40,000 Hz and an impedance of 45 ohms. The frequency response range is much wider than you'll find on most gaming headsets, which normally stick to 20 - 20,000 Hz, but there are a few headsets that come close. Audeze's Maxwell and LCD-GX have a frequency response range of 10 - 50,000 Hz, while the wired version of SteelSeries' Arctis Nova Pro has a frequency response range of 10 - 40,000 Hz. 

Music on the MMX 300 Pro sounds surprisingly good, considering the drivers are specifically tuned for gaming. The headset has a pretty balanced sound profile, with very flat mids and slightly turned-up lows and highs (I suppose that's the "tuned for gaming" aspect). The bass line in Lorde's “Royals” was just intense enough to be felt, but not so powerful as to overwhelm or lose any detail. The strings in Britney Spears' “Toxic” were very bright but stopped just shy of being painful. Songs with a lot of full-range detail, like Enya's Orinoco Flow, sounded especially good thanks to the headset's precisely layered, accurate sound. 

According to Beyerdynamic, the MMX 300 Pro's Stellar.45 drivers are tuned for gaming. While the company doesn't elaborate too much on what this means, it says that "atmospheric music is emphasized in the depths" and that "in-game sound localization is accurate down to the smallest detail." The atmospheric music did sound good in Subnautica: Below Zero and God of War: Ragnarok, and the headset also did a good job of keeping the layered sounds of cities in games like The Elder Scrolls Online and Baldur's Gate 3 vibrant and full of detail. 

The one place where the MMX 300 Pro falls a little short is soundstage, which is on the narrower side — music almost sounds like it's inside your head. This did make certain types of directional sound, like the immersive jump scares of Alien: Isolation, a little less impactful (though also a little more chaotic once you were in the fray). It wasn't too much of an issue with games in which directional sound is critical, however — the directional sound was accurate, just not distant. The headset is entirely analog and doesn't have any built-in virtual surround, nor does it come with software to replicate that.

Microphone of the MMX 300 Pro

The MMX 300 Pro has a non-detachable boom mic attached to its left earcup via a flexible metal gooseneck arm that measures around 7 inches (190mm) long. The mic has a 13mm condenser capsule with a unidirectional (cardioid) polar pattern and comes with a removable foam pop filter. There's a mic mute switch on the inline remote that displays red when the mic is muted.

The mic rotates up and out of the way for when you're not using it, but it's still very conspicuous when it's rotated up. If it were removable, like the mic on the Audeze Maxwell, or hidden in the earcup, like the mic on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, the MMX 300 Pro could double as a regular pair of headphones. However, because the mic is both permanently attached and very obvious, I probably wouldn't even recommend it for streamers using dedicated USB mics.

But if you're buying the MMX 300 Pro for the mic, performance is pretty good — definitely above average for a gaming headset, though I wouldn't go so far as to call it "broadcast quality." My voice sounded fuller and warmer on the MMX 300 Pro than it did on most mainstream gaming headsets (including the HyperX Cloud III, the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed, and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro), but the difference wasn't so big that my friends and colleagues could tell without hearing them side by side.

The mic has a cardioid polar pattern, which means it only picks up sound from one direction. While this is not the same as software-based noise cancellation, it's implemented very well here. The mic didn't totally shut out background noise, but it reduced it enough that people were still able to hear me perfectly clearly, even when I was typing on my loud, clicky keyboard and my dogs were barking in the background.

The mic on the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) remains the best mic I've used on a headset, and also benefits from an EQ in Razer's Synapse app. The MMX 300 Pro doesn't come with any software — and while I'm generally not the biggest fan of peripheral software, an EQ for the headset's audio and mic would be useful.

Bottom Line

The Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro is a great-sounding headset with an above-average mic, but it's missing a lot of the extras and conveniences you'll find on other gaming headsets. I also didn't find it to be very comfortable, but because comfort is subjective, that doesn't factor quite as much into the overall score — it does feel sturdily built and it's pretty lightweight, though the clamping force is a bit too strong even if you don't have the same top-of-the-head pain as I did.

The MMX 300 Pro's audiophile-quality sound definitely makes it worth considering, but for $300 you can also pick up the Audeze Maxwell. The Maxwell has a slightly better listening sound profile, but the MMX 300 Pro sounded better with games. Of course, the Maxwell is also wireless, while the MMX 300 Pro is wired and only comes with one 8.2-foot long cable, which is a little disappointing considering the second-gen MMX 300 also came with a shorter 3.9-foot cable for consoles and/or anything else where you might not want a mile of cable between you and your source. (The MMX 300 also came with a sturdy case and a 6.35mm jack adapter — the MMX 300 Pro comes with neither.)

Beyerdynamic's Stellar.45 drivers are in its DT 900 Pro X and DT 700 Pro X studio headphones, both of which are currently selling for $270 (MSRP: $350), so it doesn't really feel like you need to spend $300 on the MMX 300 Pro.

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If you're going to pay more than $200 for one of the best gaming headsets, you're probably expecting more than just a gaming headset. Maybe an audiophile-esque listening headset with a broadcast-worthy mic isn’t in the cards, but it should probably have something that pushes it beyond a typical gaming headset. 

The Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is the company’s current flagship gaming headset — and it's a great gaming headset. It's very sturdily-built, with a steel, aluminum, and plastic frame. It's very comfortable, with a moderate clamping force and plenty of adjustable parts. And it has an audio profile tuned for gaming — and that sounds great when you're trying to chat with teammates and play a game in the background. But it's a great gaming headset, and that's it — it doesn't bring anything unique to the table, and it's not particularly impressive outside of a gaming context. And that might not be enough for a headset that will set you back $250.

Design and Comfort of the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed

The G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is a wireless, circumaural (over-ear) gaming headset with a detachable boom mic. It has an adjustable steel headband padded with leatherette-covered memory foam, swiveling aluminum forks, and plastic earcups with machined aluminum speaker plates bearing Logitech G's signature G logo on each side. The headset comes in black, white, and pink. Our review unit was pink — a bright fuchsia that's been a staple of Logitech G's pro lineup for several years now, and which is, in my opinion, a nice break from the pale pink we normally see when brands try to brand things for "girls" (think: Razer's Quartz line). But that's probably just because I don't like pink.

The G Pro X 2 Lightspeed has a nice, sturdy build, and a design that's not too gamer-centric, though it's still a little bulkier than more lifestyle-leaning gaming headsets, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro. Measured inside, the steel headband is eight inches long, and both sides extend an extra 1.75 inches (divided into 10 adjustment notches), for a total length of 11.5 inches. The aluminum forks are attached to the headband via a swiveling hinge — a new feature in the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed and a notable upgrade from its predecessor, which had non-swiveling forks — to allow for the headset to fit the curve of the human skull. This also lets the headset's earcups swivel fully flat, which makes for something more travel-friendly.

The headset's large, oval-shaped plastic earcups have a premium feel and a matte finish, and are capped with machined metal speaker plates in pink, with Logitech G's logo in silver. They come with leatherette-covered memory foam earpads installed, but Logitech also includes a pair of fabric-covered earpads in the box, so you have options. The leatherette-earpads are a little firmer and better at passively blocking outside noise, while the fabric-covered earpads are softer and more breathable. 

The G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is a perfectly comfortable headset. The earcups are height-adjustable and swivel and tilt, which means the headset does a pretty good job of accommodating the size and shape of your head. The headset's clamping force is on the milder side of moderate — it's just strong enough that you won't forget you're wearing a headset, but it's not so strong that it won't fall off if you toss your head back. I had no issues wearing it for hours on end during my testing, but I also never forgot I was wearing a headset — it's not like the HyperX Cloud III, which I quickly forgot I was wearing. The G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is comfortable, but it's definitely always present. 

Logitech’s headset is fairly lightweight, though it's not the lightest we've tested. The G Pro X 2 weighs 12.17 ounces (345g), which makes it a little heavier than its predecessor, the Logitech G Pro X Lightspeed (11.2oz / 317.5g), and 2.5 ounces heavier than the Logitech G735 (9.6oz / 273g) — another headset I often find myself forgetting I'm wearing. It's also heavier than our current top pick, the Razer Blackshark V2 Pro (2023) (11.29oz / 320g). But the weight didn't make much of a difference in terms of comfort or wearability, and it's still over five ounces lighter than the Audeze Maxwell (17.28oz / 490g).

All of the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed's controls are on its left earcup. From back to front, you'll find a power switch, a volume wheel, a mic mute switch, a USB-C port for charging, a Bluetooth pairing button, and a 3.5mm port for plugging in the detachable boom mic. The headset has no lighting save for an indicator LED behind the power switch. On the right earcup, there's a 3.5mm jack for plugging in a 3.5mm aux cable, which is included in the box. 

The controls are fairly intuitive and easy to learn quickly, mostly because they're pretty simple — there are no multi-function clickable dials that do everything from skipping tracks to changing EQ settings that you have to memorize. Of course, this means you'll have to do all of your sound and mic tweaking in the accompanying software (Logitech G Hub), which is at least pretty straightforward when it comes to audio. The mic mute button is a push-button toggle (the mic is muted when the button is pushed out) and it plays a sound when pressed, but there's no other way to quickly tell that the mic is muted (e.g. a light on the mic itself). This is an issue with the majority of gaming headsets, however, and at least the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed's mic can be detached to guarantee others can't hear you.

The G Pro X 2 Lightspeed comes with several accessories in the box. These include a 5.9-foot (1.8m) rubber USB-A to USB-C cable for charging, a 5.9-foot (1.8m) 3.5mm cable for an analog connection, a 2.4GHz wireless USB-A dongle with a 3.5mm port, a detachable boom microphone, and an extra pair of cloth-covered memory foam earpads, as well as a soft, lightly-padded zippered storage bag.

Specs

Audio Performance of the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed

The G Pro X 2 Lightspeed has 50mm graphene dynamic drivers with a frequency response range of 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz. This is a pretty typical frequency response range for a gaming headset, though we've recently seen quite a few headsets with wider response ranges as brands have been trying to move toward a more audiophile-tuned sound profile. Graphene drivers are somewhat unique, though we also saw them in Corsair's Virtuoso Pro. The G Pro X 2 Lightspeed does not have active noise cancellation (few gaming headsets do), but the leatherette-covered earcups do a decent job of passively blocking noise and preventing sound leakage. 

Audio performance of the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is good, with fairly neutral mids and a slightly bumped-up bass out of the box. Without changing anything in G Hub, the headset's default sound profile is definitely better for gaming than it is for listening to music (not too surprising; it is, after all, a gaming headset). You can change the sound profile in G Hub, which has an equalizer and comes with a handful of basic presets, as well as virtual surround sound. 

This isn't my favorite headset for listening to music, but it's (mostly) not because of the sound profile. The headset does a decent job with both the low- and mid-range — the bass is turned up a little but it's not overpowering or muddy, though it doesn't have the power you'll feel from a headset like the Maxwell. Mids are nicely flat and balanced on this headset, which is nice to hear, even if it's not the most exciting sound profile for gamers. Highs definitely leave something to be desired though, and higher vocals especially sounded thinner and less bright than I'm used to hearing. 

But my bigger issue was the soundstage, which feels very narrow. Not that I expected something particularly wide — this is a closed-back gaming headset, after all — but music felt especially close and compressed around my head with the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed. This wasn't (surprisingly) too much of a problem with gaming: There was still enough room for decent directional sound, and I could hear and accurately pinpoint gunfire and footsteps without turning on the virtual surround sound (which performed better than I thought it would, too). It was slightly more overwhelming in multilayered audio environments, such as the jungles of Uncharted 4, but I didn't see this as necessarily a bad thing — jungles are kind of supposed to sound like that. 

The audio was also well-suited to voice chatting and listening to multiple inputs — whether I was chatting with teammates while playing a game or talking to my D&D group while listening to background music. It was easy for me to hear what people were saying without getting distracted by background tracks (but also without losing said background tracks to the conversation). It just wasn't great for listening to music — most gaming headsets aren't, but the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is pretty far down the list of headsets I'm going to reach for in that situation.

Microphone of the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed

The G Pro X 2 Lightspeed comes with a detachable boom microphone that sits at the end of a 3.35-inch (85mm) flexible metal gooseneck. It plugs into the headset via a 3.5mm jack with a shaped plug to guide orientation. The mic itself has a 0.24-inch (6mm) electret condenser capsule with a cardioid polar pattern and a frequency response of 100 - 10,000 Hz.

The mic is... not particularly impressive. Headset mics aren't known for their quality; if you're serious about sounding good, you can pick up one of the best gaming microphones for as low as $60. But the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed's mic is a little below average, especially if you use it without turning on the Blue Vo!ce effects in G Hub. Without any help from software, the mic makes your voice sound somewhat stilted and compressed — though it will still be fine for things like chatting with teammates while gaming, so long as you're not streaming. 

Turning on G Hub's Blue Vo!ce effects does help boost the mic quality a little — it has various options for tweaking sound, including a tri-band equalizer, a de-esser, a compressor, and noise reduction, as well as several preset sound profiles with names like "Broadcaster 1" and "Warm and Vintage." With the Blue Vo!ce features activated, the mic can make your voice sound warmer and fuller  — but still a little unnatural from the processing and filtering. The software did a good job of eliminating background noise — I didn't have any complaints about my loud typing or even my barking dogs when I was talking to people during my testing. 

This mic will get your voice through — pretty clearly, with some help from software — but it won't make you sound good.

Features and Software of the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed

The G Pro X 2 Lightspeed offers three forms of connectivity — low-latency 2.4GHz "Lightspeed" wireless, Bluetooth, and analog (wired, 3.5mm). It comes with a 2.4GHz wireless USB-A dongle and an analog cable, as well as a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging. The USB-A dongle has a 3.5mm jack, which you'll need to plug the 3.5mm cable into if you want to be able to control the headset with G Hub over a wired connection.

Gamers will mostly be using the low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection, which is solid and consistent so long as there aren't any major obstacles between you and your PC. Logitech cites the wireless range as 98.3 feet (30m), but I was able to get almost twice that distance from my PC and still maintain a solid connection. (Of course, the connection broke down as soon as I put a concrete wall between me and my PC, but that's pretty standard for basically every headset I've tested.)

Tapping the Bluetooth button on the left earcup once will switch between 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth. The G Pro X 2 Lightspeed does not allow for simultaneous listening from two sources, though. This is a little disappointing because we've seen simultaneous wireless connections in other Logitech headsets (e.g. the Logitech G735), but perhaps not too surprising as it seems to be a tricky feature to implement perfectly.

Like all of Logitech G's products, the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is configurable via Logitech's G Hub program. It's not my favorite software, but it's fairly straightforward when it comes to headset configuration — there's a section for audio tuning, which has an equalizer, some presets, and virtual surround sound; a section for Blue Vo!ce effects; and a virtual sound sampler which you're unlikely to use in a headset-specific capacity (you can set it up using most of Logitech's devices, but to play the sounds you'll need to assign them to buttons or keys — and the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed doesn't have any of those to spare). There's also a settings section, where you can change power savings settings and update the firmware.

Logitech says the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed gets up to 50 hours of battery life over its 2.4GHz wireless connection, which is good but not the best we've seen in a headset. That said, the headset definitely exceeded this in my testing — both while it was actively playing music/sound and while it was idle. You can adjust the headset's power management settings in G Hub so that it automatically turns off after 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes while idle, or you can set it to never turn off. I set it to never turn off and kept forgetting to manually turn the headset off, and the headset managed to go more than a week without a charge — quite a bit longer than 50 hours. (It wasn't active listening, sure, but it's nice to know that your headset will probably still have a charge if you leave it sitting around for a few days.)

Bottom Line

The Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is a good gaming headset — it sounds good where it counts (while gaming, or chatting and gaming). It has a solid low-latency wireless connection and better battery life than expected, and it's comfortable and well-built. But considering nothing really stands out about it aside from it being a solid all-around gaming headset, I'm not sure it's really worth the $250 asking price.

If you want something that connects to both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth, but not simultaneously, Razer's BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) offers dual wireless connectivity, better battery life, and a much better microphone for $200. And if you don't need the Bluetooth at all, HyperX's Cloud III Wireless is extremely comfortable and is also a solid all-around performer for just $170. While the G Pro X 2 Wireless does have more connectivity options than either of those two headsets, it's stuck in a weird in-between place where it can't even mix sources when one is analog (like the Audeze Maxwell can). Maybe it's just me, but I'd expect a little more for well over $200.

MORE: Best PC Gaming Headsets

MORE: Best Wireless Gaming Headsets

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MORE: Best Gaming Mouse

Today is Memorial Day, and the deals are showing no signs of stopping, with some absolute bangers on offer. A standout today for me is this deal on Corsair's Virtuoso RGB SE wireless headset. I've bought one of these in the past and was incredibly impressed with the audio quality of the 50mm drivers and the amazing voice reproduction of the omnidirectional microphone, especially on Discord. 

On the Corsair website, you can find the Corsaire Virtuoso RGB SE wireless headset on sale for $129, saving a tasty $70 off the $199 MSRP. The headset comes in a gunmetal gray color and is more silvery than in the photos, where it looks almost black. See our review of the Corsair Virtuoso RGB SE for more information on this pair of wireless gaming cans.

The speakers in the earcups of the Virtuoso use a matched pair of 50mm high-density neodymium drivers, which are large and powerful enough to deliver the frequency response range of 20Hz-40,000H, offering crystal clear high-fidelity audio reproduction. You do need Corsair's iCue software to get the most out of them, as all the EQ settings are in the software, and without the EQ tinkering, the sound of this headset can come across as a little flat.

The Corsair Virtuoso RGB SE has three ways to connect; a wireless connection using Corsair's Slipstream wireless technology, via USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable, and a 3.5mm adapter cable for connecting to a DAC or other sound solution. The wireless is very good, with exceptional range and fairly decent battery life. 

This headset is a solid metal construction - very sturdy, but also on the heavier side. The included earpads are a leatherette-covered memory foam and are very thick and comfortable. Coupled with the closed-back design of the headphones, the leatherette earpads offer extra noise isolation to keep that background noise out and stop the sound from the headset from bleeding out to annoy anyone else that might be in close proximity or from being picked up on a sensitive microphone.

For the majority of games, the importance of sound is paramount, not only for the ambiance of the game or a captivating soundtrack but also for the audio cues needed for tracking your prey or enemies. Today's wireless headset deal delivers high-quality audio sound at a portion of the original price. The Logitech G Pro X is a gorgeous-looking headset, with superb sound quality and a great-sounding cardioid microphone. 

You can grab this offer from Best Buy, where the Logitech G Pro X wireless gaming headset is available for just $119 compared to the original $229 price tag. A premium gaming headset that ditches the cables for a long-range 2.4 GHz wireless connection with an impressive range of almost 50 feet. The Logitech G Pro X also includes a detachable cardioid microphone and loud 50mm drivers. 

The Logitech G Pro X is a wireless gaming headset that oozes good looks and does away with the RGB-infused gamer aesthetic. This headset shines when combined with a PC, unlocking the full potential of the Logitech G software for extra EQ settings and voice presets. The Logitech G Pro X can also be used on certain consoles and is compatible with the Sony PlayStation 4/5 console and Nintendo Switch. Still, you're limited to stereo-only modes and lose the software functionality from the PC.

The Logitech G Pro X box includes a choice of either leatherette or cloth-covered memory foam earpads. Depending on your preference, you can easily swap out the cushions on the ear cups to your liking. This type of customization is what can help determine whether or not a headset makes it onto our Best Wireless Headsets list. 

We reviewed the Logitech G Pro X wireless headset and gave it 4 stars, praising the headset for its premium look and feel but balking at the original expensive price. At this reduced sale price of only $119, the Logitech G Pro X wireless gaming headset negates our concerns about the cost of this headset and makes for an excellent deal.

AI expert Shyam Gollakota from the University of Washington, together with his team of researchers, found a way to use artificial intelligence in real-time active noise cancellation, which can remove specific sounds without altering the headphone's audio. He presented this idea on May 16 at a conference held by the Acoustical Society of America and the Canadian Acoustical Association, where he showed a working prototype. 

Gollakota and his team used a smartphone-based neural network to identify, train, and filter 20 different environmental sound categories, such as sirens and alarm clocks, that one would typically hear daily. This requires the user to select a certain category on the smartphone, which then begins the process of filtering out the environmental sound. This would make headphones incredibly useful in many scenarios where avoiding environmental sound is not possible. 

"Imagine you are in a park, admiring the sounds of chirping birds, but then you have the loud chatter of a nearby group of people who just can't stop talking," said Gollakota. "Now imagine if your headphones could grant you the ability to focus on the sounds of the birds while the rest of the noise just goes away. That is exactly what we set out to achieve with our system."

The prototype shows microphones attached on both sides of the headphone earcups that are connected via USB to an OrangePi board that also provides audio to the headphones via the audio jack. Based on the board's layout, it is likely to be the OrangePi 5B, which uses the Rockchip RK3588S SoC (an eight-core 64-bit processor with a built-in neural processor with 6Tops computing power, which performs real-time filtering). The phone is likely connected wirelessly to the Pi board, where the user can make specific environmental choices. OrangePi has been actively producing boards with an integrated neural chip and recently worked with Huawei to create a development board. 

AI used effectively to enhance user experience

The words 'Artificial Intelligence' are becoming more associated with audio gear, but enabling it for noise cancellation will appeal to many users. This would require a neural network trained to target external sounds and to ensure it does not dampen the actual sound played through the headphones hence having the ability to learn and improve in time.

Since this is performed in real-time in under a hundredth of a second, the processing needed to be done on a connected device rather than by a cloud server, making such Pi boards perfect for such processing. All it needs is to somehow make a PCB with an NPU that can be integrated into the headphones. It also shows this processing can be done by any computing device with an AI accelerator, possibly using existing headphones on a capable system, provided there's a microphone to pick up background sound.

The team believes this technology can be implemented on audio devices and is ready for commercialization. If a new generation of audio headgear recognizes and can integrate this, it could enhance the audio experience, bringing an innovation in noise cancellation. As predicted and published in an IBM blog post, AI will likely play an important role apart from active noise cancellation and equalization. Hence, it is only a matter of time before we hear many such innovations in the audio space.

On this date, 19 years ago, Creative introduced the X-Fi brand to the world. Today, the company unleashed its latest Super X-Fi Gen 4 audio profile for its compatible audio headphones, speakers, and wireless audio ecosystem. The new profiles provide better dynamic range, clarity, and spatial awareness. They will be rolled out worldwide in June and will be available via its SXFI app. 

Since it requires an app, it will work with its USB audio range, which includes the Creative SXFI Air C and Gamer USB headphones, SXFI Trio USB Earbuds, Sounds Blaster X3 USB DAC and amp, and Outlier Gold wireless earbuds.

The company explains that it can do so by recreating an 'immersive soundstage' and further personalized by using artificial intelligence. However, it doesn't mention if it uses currently available artificial intelligence (AI) or its propriety tech. The company advertises that with this update, users enjoy an expanded dynamic range with richer, improved clarity and more detailed audio reproduction. Though initially designed for headphones, it will also be used in its speakers, earbuds, and premium headphone ranges. 

How does this AI engine work?

As multiple companies constantly use AI as a new buzzword, anyone will be curious about this process. AI technology drives interest and sales for many hardware systems, provided it uses components that work with existing LLM engines and apps. Creative Technology mentions that it uses a sophisticated head and ear mapping process. While it doesn't mention the mapping process, it does say it uses hundreds of anthropometric parameters extracted from the features of the head by using real-time image detection and analysis. 

However, this isn't the first time Creative had something similar for its USB audio devices. The Creative SXFI Air Gamer we reviewed a few years ago had a similar app that scanned the user's ear with the help of a smartphone. The earlier system created a different and noticeable sound stage, though it is clear the perception of this difference would vary among other users. While it may not be a feature that would encourage people to buy its Super X-Fi Gen 4 range of products, one would still be tempted to try to see if it brings an improvement. 

Any improvement, whether it uses an AI engine or simply an optimized version, is good. But using such words when it doesn't have any LLM technology does make it sound gimmicky. We'll only know for sure once the app is updated next month. There's also the part where this optimization might be discernible with its earbuds and headphone lineups over speakers. Audio experience is subjective depending on the user, the device, and the settings they use.

Gaming headsets are just as important as other gaming peripherals: The sounds of your virtual world and how you communicate with your teammates hinge on the device you wear on your head. (Well, unless you're listening through some of the best PC speakers.) And you'll likely be using your gaming headset to take work calls, stream shows, and listen to music, too.

Picking out the perfect gaming headset is harder than it sounds, as gamers now have more options than ever, from budget-friendly basics to ultra-premium audiophile-grade models. You've probably already got a budget in mind, but there's more to consider than just price: connectivity, audio and microphone quality, and, of course, comfort and adjustability are all important factors when you're shopping for a headset.

It's more than a little overwhelming, which is why we're here to help. We've tested hundreds of gaming headsets over the years and we've hand-picked the best gaming headsets you can buy today for every scenario — whether it's strategizing with teammates in multiplayer or immersing yourself solo in an open world.

(If you're looking for a wireless headset, specifically, check out our list of best wireless gaming headsets.)

The Best Gaming Headsets You Can Buy Today

Best Gaming Headset for Most

After months of testing, listening, and gaming with a rotation of headsets, my pick for best overall gaming headset is the Razer's updated-for-2023 BlackShark V2 Pro. This wireless, over-ear headset is lightweight and extremely comfortable and it has a detachable boom mic that makes your voice sound great. It has Razer's 50mm "Triforce Titanium" dynamic drivers and a sound profile that's tuned for gaming — complete with several built-in game-ready presets. While this headset isn't as great for listening to music, it can be tweaked in Razer's Synapse 3 software for a pretty solid listening experience.

And, before you ask: I did test the newer BlackShark V3 Pro. It's similar in design and build, and it has some convenience features (simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity; ANC) that might interest you if you're looking for a lifestyle headset, but I was unimpressed with the updates to the drivers and mic — everything ended up sounding just a little worse. So the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) isn't the newest product in the lineup, but it's still our favorite.

It does have some limitations when it comes to connectivity: it only offers 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity — no analog connection. The 2.4GHz/Bluetooth connections are not simultaneous, but I have yet to find a multi-device gaming headset that can switch seamlessly between devices consistently. Our previous top choice, SteelSeries' Arctis Nova Pro, might just be the gaming headset with the most versatile multi-device connectivity, and it's fantastic when it works — but it doesn't always work. Unfortunately, I've found myself wrestling with the Arctis Nova Pro's wireless connection too often to be able to recommend it as the best gaming headset for most people, but it's still worth a look if you want something that will connect to multiple devices at once.

If you're looking for a headset that can mix audio from 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connections, I've had the best luck with Logitech's G735, while several of my colleagues like the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT.

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is an update to Razer's BlackShark V2 Pro (originally released in June 2021). It looks almost identical to its predecessor — all black (or white/black), with a padded, leatherette-covered headband, stainless steel sliders, fabric-covered memory foam earpads, and smooth, plastic earcups. The headset is incredibly comfortable: it's fairly lightweight (11.29 ounces / 320g), and the stainless steel sliders allow for smooth, easy earcup height adjustment. The sliders are thin and flexible enough to allow for moderate earcup swivel, and while they may look a little flimsy, they've been reinforced as part of the update — and are still holding up well after a year. I will point out that the earcups don't swivel to lie flat like you'll see in some gaming headsets; the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is a headset designed primarily for PC gaming and isn't terribly convenient for travel. If you're looking for a gaming headset that can double as a lifestyle headset, Razer's Barracuda Pro is a lightweight, comfortable wireless gaming headset that packs away nicely in its included rigid travel case.

I have a love-hate relationship with headsets, especially when it comes to comfort: I'm particularly sensitive to tension and tugging on my head (seriously — I don't even like putting my hair up). So trust me when I say the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is extremely comfortable. The thin, flexible sliders make for a light (but not too light) clamping force, and the fabric-covered earpads are soft and breathable and do a very good job of passive noise cancellation (for the listener, anyway — those around me could still hear what I was listening to at higher volumes).

Audio quality isn't the only thing you should be looking for in a gaming headset, but it's still, arguably, the most important thing. The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) sports Razer's 50mm Triforce Titanium dynamic drivers, which have a frequency response range of 12 - 28,000 Hz. This is slightly wider than most gaming headsets, which typically stick to the standard 20 - 20,000 Hz. The drivers are tuned for — surprise, surprise — gaming, out of the box, and the headset comes with five game-ready EQ presets for Apex Legends, Call of Duty, CS:GO, Fortnite, and Valorant. These presets, along with the four default non-game presets, can be customized with Razer's Synapse peripheral software — and all changes save directly to the headset. The headset also features built-in THX Spatial Audio, which isn't overly impressive but offers a slightly wider soundstage and more layered environmental sounds in games with pre-built THX profiles.

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) comes with a detachable boom mic, and it is excellent. It's a 9.9mm condenser mic with a 32 kHz sampling rate and an internal pop filter, and it's the best-sounding headset mic we've tested — in one of our meetings, a coworker said I sounded better over the headset's mic than I did in real life. (Thanks, Andrew.) The headset doesn't have built-in mics, so removing the boom mic mutes you. There's also a mute button on the left earcup, but there's no visual indication that you're muted — and I find it difficult to remember which button state means mute/unmute (in this case, you're muted when the button is pushed in), so it's easier to just detach the mic and know for sure.

The biggest drawback of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is its connectivity — or rather, its lack thereof. Don't get me wrong: it's a wireless headset, and it does offer both low-latency 2.4GHz wireless (via a USB-A dongle) and Bluetooth 5.2. It doesn't offer the simultaneous audio-mixing of the two connections like you'll find on SteelSeries' Arctis Nova 7 or Corsair's Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT; the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) lets you connect to both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.2 at the same time, but you'll need to switch between the two connections manually using a multi-function button on the right earcup. The headset is also wireless-only. There's no wired connectivity at all — the USB-C port is just for charging. This might be a dealbreaker for some — I thought it would be, for me, but I found that it was actually not a problem as long as I didn't have a device that required a 3.5mm analog connection.

The main reason I look for wired, specifically analog, connections in gaming headsets is because wired connections just work where wired connections often do not — but the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)'s wireless connections are rock-solid. I haven't had any issues with getting the headset to connect to either of its wireless connections, or switch between the two, so I haven't had the opportunity to wish for an analog connection. The headset also offers excellent battery life — up to 70 hours, which is nearly three times that of its predecessor — and can be used wirelessly while plugged in and charging, so you shouldn't run into a situation where you need to stop and charge in the middle of playing. Plugging the headset in may not be quite as convenient as swapping out the battery in the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, because it does mean you'll be tethered to a USB port for a little while, but it's not too bad.

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) isn't the most versatile gaming headset you can buy, but it's excellent for gaming — especially PC gaming. It's lightweight and incredibly comfortable, with a game-tuned audio profile and a mic that's practically standalone quality, and while it's wireless-only, it at least does wireless very, very well. As long as you're not concerned with having a wired connection, this is the best headset for most PC gamers.

Read: Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) review

Best Budget Gaming Headset

You don't need to spend a lot for a great gaming headset. HyperX's Cloud III isn't the most feature-rich headset on the market, but it does the basics — balanced, detailed audio, a lightweight, comfortable frame, and a detachable boom mic — very well. And it's priced at a relatively budget-friendly $100.

Unlike the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), the Cloud III is a wired-only headset — it can connect to your PC via USB-C, and it also offers an 3.5mm analog connection. HyperX offers two wireless versions of the Cloud III: the Cloud III Wireless, which is very similar to the Cloud III but only offers 2.4GHz wireless connectivity and costs $170; and the Cloud III Wireless S, which features both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity and built-in mics (in addition to the detachable boom mic) and costs $180.

The Cloud III is one of the most comfortable headsets I've tested. Actually, I'll just go ahead and say it: it's the most comfortable headset I've tested (the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is a close second, however). It weighs 10.86 ounces (308g) and has a leatherette-covered padded headband, aluminum forks that curve toward the earcups, and leatherette-covered memory foam earpads. It also somehow has the perfect clamping force — light enough that you'll forget you're wearing a headset, but not so light that it falls off your head whenever you look up (or down).

This is the eight-years-in-the-making successor to HyperX's popular Cloud II headset, and it's an excellent update — but it's also mostly just an update. It sports the same 53mm dynamic drivers as the Cloud II, though they've been redesigned and angled to deliver "accurate, smooth, and detailed sound by directing audio into the ears at a more optimal position." The drivers have a frequency response range of 10 - 21,000 Hz, and offer a balanced audio profile with impressive bass and solid gaming performance. The headset has DTS surround sound when connected via USB-C to your PC, but it's very subtle (maybe too subtle) — however, directional sound is good and there's plenty of environmental detail in games like God of War: Ragnarok and Uncharted 4.

The Cloud III has a detachable boom mic with a built-in mesh pop filter that sounds... fine. That might sound like a bad thing, but it's not — most gaming headsets don't have the impressive mic quality of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), which is why it's always a good idea to pair your headset with one of the best gaming microphones. The Cloud III's boom mic is about what I expect from a headset mic — it made my voice sound better than if I was trying to talk through my webcam mic or a built-in laptop mic and it did a good job of removing background noise, but it wasn't anywhere near broadcast quality.

If you're looking for a headset that does the basics — well — and won't break the bank, the HyperX Cloud III is a great choice. It's still the most comfortable headset I've ever tested, and it offers great audio, a decent mic, and a solid, wired connection (and it actually has two forms of wired connectivity, which is more than most wired headsets). If you're looking for something even cheaper than $100, the $60 SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 is a wired (analog-only) headset that's also very lightweight and comfortable, with great audio and a retractable boom mic.

Read: HyperX Cloud III review

Best Budget Alternative Gaming Headset

Turtle Beach's recent Atlas line of gaming headsets doesn't look or feel particularly fancy — mostly because they're made of plastic and mesh, which makes them extremely lightweight (and kind of cheap-looking). But looks aren't everything and the brand's budget-friendly Atlas 200 is not only lightweight, comfortable, and capable of delivering some pretty decent audio, it also retails for just $59.99.

The Atlas 200 is a wired, over-ear headset with a lightweight plastic and mesh frame and a flip-to-mute boom microphone. It has a "floating" headband design, with an elastic band encased in mesh that keeps the plastic headband from touching your head; you can adjust the headband by tightening (or loosening) the elastic band. The large, round plastic earcups tilt but do not swivel — however, the headband is extremely flexible so it's not too hard to find a comfortable fit.

The headset has Turtle Beach's 50mm "Nanoclear" dynamic drivers, which have a frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz — standard for gaming headsets. You can plug the headset into any device with an analog connection (3.5mm audio jack), or you can use the included 3.5mm-to-USB-A adapter / DAC if you'd rather not rely on your device's internal soundcard. The DAC allows for 24-bit / 96 kHz audio and also lets you access the audio features in Turtle Beach's accompanying Swarm software. Both gaming and music sound very good on the Atlas 200 (using the DAC), with powerful bass, rounded mid-tones, and highs that aren't too shrill. Games sounded especially good, with lots of detail and a fairly wide soundstage. While the Atlas 200 didn't sound quite as good as its premium counterpart, the Atlas Air, it came impressively close for being (significantly) less than half the price.

The headset's flip-to-mute boom mic isn't particularly impressive, but it's solid for the price point. It didn't do the best job of eliminating all background noise, but everyone we spoke to could hear our voices loud and clear (and that's all that really matters when you're chatting with teammates, friends, family, and colleagues). And, of course, the flip-to-mute feature worked flawlessly.

The Atlas 200 is definitely a budget gaming headset, but it's a very impressive one. It's super lightweight and comfortable (though its adjustability is somewhat limited and may not work with larger heads), sounds great, and will make you sound... well, good enough to understand. The USB-adapter-slash-DAC is a great inclusion for anyone who has a gaming laptop or a PC with a less-than-impressive soundcard, and makes it well worth the $60.

Read: Turtle Beach Atlas 200 Review

Best Gaming Headset for Audiophiles

Here's the thing about PC gaming headsets: audio quality matters, but so do a lot of other things. That doesn't mean audio quality isn't the most important facet — it is — just that there are so many other factors to consider when picking a gaming headset that it often ends up being (somewhat) sidelined. But if you're a gamer who's looking for top-notch audio quality above all else, the Audeze Maxwell is the best gaming headset for you.

The Maxwell is a large, wireless over-ear headset with a steel and aluminum frame and a detachable boom mic. It features Audeze's newly-designed 90mm planar magnetic drivers — which are different from dynamic drivers and have a frequency response range of 10 - 50,000 Hz (much wider than that of a typical gaming headset, which is usually between 20 - 20,000 Hz). There aren't many gaming headsets with planar magnetic drivers, but there are a few, including Audeze's LCD-GX and HyperX's Cloud Orbit S.

The Maxwell's default sound profile is tuned for gaming, so it's a little unbalanced, with stronger lows and brighter highs than you're probably looking for in a listening headset. You can, however, use Audeze's software (Audeze HQ) to adjust the EQ for a fantastic-sounding, balanced audio profile that's clean, crisp, and full of detail. I might be a little biased as I've always been a big fan of planar magnetic drivers, but it's hard to beat the accuracy and detail they deliver — especially at this price point ($300 - $329, depending on which version you buy).

Unlike the LCD-GX, which is less of a gaming headset and more of an audiophile headset slightly rebranded to appeal to gamers, the Maxwell is definitely a gaming headset. It comes with a detachable boom mic and also features built-in beamforming mics in the earcups (though the boom mic is far superior to the beamforming mics). It offers four forms of connectivity — low-latency 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.3, wired via USB-C, and wired via 3.5mm analog.

The Maxwell comes in two variations, a $300 PlayStation variant and a $329 Xbox variant (which is more expensive because it includes Microsoft's license as well as an embedded Dolby Atmos license). It's also one of the best wireless headsets we've tested in terms of battery life: 80+ hours over 2.4GHz wireless (the best wireless headset we've tested for battery life, however, is still the 300-hour HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless — by far).

The Maxwell does an... okay job of executing its gamer-friendly features. The detachable boom mic is pretty good, with full-sounding audio and AI noise suppression, but the built-in mics are basically just a courtesy. It's always nice to see a headset with several forms of connectivity, but I wasn't the biggest fan of how Audeze chose to implement the 2.4GHz wireless/Bluetooth interaction — it's not simultaneous audio-mixing, which I love but can live without, nor does it support manual switching between connection types. Instead, it switches between connected devices automatically, prioritizing Bluetooth. While I understand the reasoning behind this choice — it's so you won't miss important notifications and phone calls on your Bluetooth-connected device — I would much rather switch connections manually. The automatic switching was so frustrating for me that I ended up just having to disconnect my phone from the Maxwell completely, because my immersive, fantastic-sounding gaming audio kept getting interrupted by robot-spam calls.

The Maxwell is also a large headset. That's not to say it's uncomfortable, but you're definitely not going to forget you're wearing it. It weighs 1.06 pounds (490g), and has large, round, glass-infused nylon earcups to house its 90mm drivers. It has leatherette-covered foam earpads that are contoured to fit the curvature of your skull — that's how large these earcups are. It's not super adjustable, either — there's a leatherette tension headband that can be shortened or lengthened via three sets of notches on either side, and the earcups swivel and tilt. The earcups also swivel to lie flat for travel/storage, but the headset doesn't come with a case and is pretty bulky for traveling. That didn't stop me from traveling with it, however — I wore it on a 12-hour flight and didn't once feel discomfort from the heft, clamping force, or overall size, but I also never forgot I was wearing a headset.

The Maxwell is the best-sounding gaming headset you can buy. It's definitely more of a gaming headset than Audeze's LCD-GX (and it's priced more like one, too), and while it's not perfect at implementing its gaming features — it's not bad.

Read: Audeze Maxwell review

Other Gaming Headsets We Tested

◼️Astro A50 X

The Astro A50 X is a comfortable, great-sounding wireless over-ear headset that's designed to connect to multiple devices — it comes with a charging dock that connects to your PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox at the same time. It's lightweight and comfortable, with easy-to-replace parts, and it offers simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity between any of these connections and Bluetooth. The caveat — the charging dock is a required component of the set up, and none of the headset's wireless connections work without it — not even Bluetooth.

The Astro A50 X features Logitech's 40mm Pro-G graphene drivers that sound pretty good, though they're a bit bass-heavy while also having less-than-impressive bass (this can be tweaked in Logitech's G Hub software, of course). The dual-wireless connectivity works better than most implementations, but perhaps that's because it's all routed through the base station. The base station is handy, however, as it makes it easy to remember to keep your headset charged (the A50 X's battery life is a mere 24 hours, but this shouldn't be a problem considering you can't take it too far from the charging dock).

There's not no reason to purchase the Astro A50 X — if you want a headset for gaming and only gaming, then this is a good option that will let you connect to multiple devices and switch quickly between them. But it does retail for a whopping $400, which is a lot to pay for something you can't even take on the road with you.

Read: Astro A50 X Review

◼️Audeze Maxwell 2

Audeze's original Maxwell is one of the best-sounding gaming headsets we've ever tested, and the second-generation Maxwell 2 is... well, very similar. Too similar, one might argue. It has an almost-identical design, with just a few upgrades (a larger, ventilated head strap and roomier earpads), the same drivers but with Audeze's patent-pending "SLAM" technology, and dual-wireless connectivity that still inexplicably switches between devices automatically.

The Audeze Maxwell 2 is a great-sounding headset, just like its predecessor: it has Audeze's 90mm planar magnetic drivers, which have a wide frequency response of 10 - 50,000 Hz. It sounds very good for both music listening and gaming, and while there were some issues with the bass response at first, this was quickly fixed by a firmware update. The problem is not with the headset itself, but with the fact that it hasn't really done much to improve upon the older generation — in fact, I'd argue that it's made a few things worse. It's heavier, though it does have a wider head strap, and the earcups now only swivel about 45 degrees (they swivel flat, or 90 degrees in the first Maxwell). It has the same battery life (80+ hours), and the same Bluetooth-prioritized dual-wireless connectivity.

While the Audeze Maxwell 2 is replacing the Maxwell on shelves, I'd get the Maxwell on sale first, if you can find it.

Read: Audeze Maxwell 2 Review

◼️ Razer BlackShark V3 Pro

Razer's update to the BlackShark lineup added some connectivity options we've been waiting for — specifically, simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity, as well as two wired options (USB-C and analog), plus active noise cancellation. But the updated drivers (Razer's 50mm Triforce Bio-Cellulose dynamic drivers) and new full-band 12mm "HyperClear" mic ended up sounding worse than the previous generation.

The BlackShark V3 Pro still sounded good during our gameplay testing, but I heard a lot of distortion in the highs during music playback. The active noise cancellation, while nice, isn't really that necessary in a gaming headset — especially not one that you're unlikely to travel with. And while the new V3 Pro does have earcups that swivel, they still don't swivel all the way flat. Combined with the wire yokes, this headset just seems to fragile to really take on the road with you, so the added convenience and lifestyle features aren't quite as impressive.

The BlackShark V3 Pro isn't a bad option if you're looking for a premium, feature-packed headset, and you're willing to sacrifice a little sound quality for said features. But if you're looking for pure performance, we still like the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) better (and it's cheaper, too).

Read: BlackShark V3 Pro Review

◼️ Asus ROG Delta II

Asus' ROG Delta II offers everything you'd expect to see in a premium, flagship gaming headset: 50mm titanium-plated drivers, a 10mm super wideband mic, simultaneous wireless audio connection mixing, customizable lighting, and over 100 hours of battery life. It's heavily branded, as most of the ROG lineup is, but it still looks sleek with the Delta line's signature d-shaped earcups. It features a sturdy enough build, but is mostly made of plastic, which isn't the most premium of materials. While the headset is lightweight, I didn't find it to be particularly comfortable — it put some pressure on the top of my head, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the Corsair Virtuoso Max.

The headset's 50mm drivers are a little disappointing for music playback, but sound great in games, with detailed, precise, and well-layered sound. Directional audio is also excellent, and voices come through full and clear. The microphone is decent enough for a headset mic, but it's awkwardly placed at the point of right earcup, which angles it downward — not toward your face.

The ROG Delta II is a pretty good headset overall, but it's also fairly pricey at $230. If you're spending over $200 on a gaming headset, you probably don't want to buy a second headset just to listen to music.

Read: Asus ROG Delta II Review

◼️ Corsair Virtuoso Max

Corsair's latest addition to its Virtuoso line of headsets is a wireless, over-ear headset with simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity and 50mm dynamic graphene drivers with a frequency response range of 20 - 40,000 Hz — quite a bit wider than the average gaming headset. The Virtuoso Max comes with a sturdy travel case and is made with premium materials — with brushed metal earcups and a leatherette-covered headband, and features a detachable omnidirectional boom mic. The tagline is "Sounds so good. It changes everything," and I won't lie — this headset does deliver on that, especially for gaming. I heard sounds I wasn't aware even existed in games when I was wearing the Virtuoso Max.

Unfortunately, where the Virtuoso Max didn't deliver was comfort: while it looks like it has thick padding on the headband and earcups, don't be fooled — that padding is stiff and much shallower than it looks. I had to take breaks every one to two hours while I was testing this headset because of the pressure it put on the top of my head and on my ears.

Read: Corsair Virtuoso Max Review

◼️ SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless

While the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless headset, which retails for $130, is quite a bit more affordable than the Arctis Nova Pro, it might make too many compromises. It does have a great design — a lightweight, comfortable build with the brand's signature stretchy ski band and a fully-retractable boom mic. It's definitely a headset you'll be able to wear all day without any issues, and it looks more like a lifestyle headset than a gaming peripheral.

The Arctis Nova 5 features dual wireless connectivity with a quick-switch button and 50 - 60 hours of battery life, which is the longest battery life seen in a SteelSeries headset to date (though it's nowhere near that of many competitors). It sports the brand's 40mm dynamic drivers, which have a frequency response range of 20 - 22,000 Hz and is supported by SteelSeries Sonar software as well as an iOS/Android app that lets you switch up sound profiles without connecting to your PC. I'm not the biggest fan of these drivers, as they tend to have some distortion in the lower mid-range as well as overall compression, but they sound decent for gaming and movies/shows and the headset handles virtual surround quite well.

Read: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review

◼️ Turtle Beach Atlas Air

Most gaming headsets have a closed-back design, with solid earcups that keep sound contained to the listener's ears. But for those who want a more open, airy soundstage, an open-back headset like the Turtle Beach Atlas Air is a good alternative (or, perhaps a set of solid computer speakers). The Atlas Air is a wireless open-back gaming headset with an ultra-comfortable, lightweight frame and a detachable flip-to-mute microphone. It features both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity — not simultaneous, but quick-switch — and gets up to 50 hours of battery life, which is pretty good considering its 10.61oz / 301g weight.

The Atlas Air has 40mm "high-precision" dynamic drivers that support 24-bit (hi-fi) / 96 kHz audio (in PC mode), and have a frequency response range of 20 - 40,000 Hz. The open-back design means there's some sound leak — you'll hear ambient noise around you and those around you will hear what you're listening to. I was impressed with the headset's open, natural sound and balanced sound profile. Games with rich, immersive environments sounded especially good on the Air, but directional audio cues were a little harder to pinpoint because of the headset's open-back design.

The Atlas Air has some issues — its detachable flip-to-mute boom mic is unique but not well-implemented, and Turtle Beach's Swarm II peripheral software is finicky and inconsistent. These issues could be fixed with a separate USB-powered gaming mic and a firmware update, though, and the headset is otherwise impressive in both comfort and performance.

Read: Turtle Beach Atlas Air Review

◼️ Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed

The Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is a great gaming headset, thanks to its low-latency wireless connection and decent battery life (up to 50 hours over a 2.4GHz wireless connection), and it's comfortable and well-built. It features 50mm graphene drivers with a frequency response of 20 - 20,000 Hz and audio sounds good, with neutral mids and bumped up bass out of the box. The soundstage felt somewhat narrow, but games sounded great and voices came through loud and clear.

It has a detachable boom microphone that's fairly average for a gaming headset, and it features three forms of connectivity: wired (analog, 3.5mm), 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth. It can only connect to one audio source at time (audio sources can't be mixed), but the wireless connections are solid. It's a great gaming headset, but it doesn't really do much to stand out in the world of gaming headsets.

Read: Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed Review

How We Test Gaming Headsets

Peripherals are as much about comfort, convenience, and usability as they are about performance, and headsets are no exception. First, we inspect each headset's build quality, materials, and included accessories, and try it on a number of different-sized heads to determine how easily and widely adjustable it is. We then spend hours with each headset in a variety of different listening situations — gaming, music, watching movies and TV, chatting over several different platforms. If a headset has multiple options for connectivity, we test the audio quality, latency, and strength of each connection across multiple devices, and we also test how well a headset handles switching between connections and devices.

We have a few standard game titles and songs all of our reviewers play/listen to while testing, but our reviewers use their own games and songs to do the bulk of the testing — because people are better judges of audio quality when they're listening to things they enjoy and are very familiar with.

My primary games for testing include Alien: Isolation and Battlefield 1, both of which are well-known for their impressive sound design. (Plus, I've played Alien: Isolation enough times by now that I'm — sort of — immune to the terror. I'm not great with survival horror games, in general.) Also on my roster are games with detailed, multi-layered, aurally-immersive environments: Uncharted 4, God of War Raganarok, and at least one game with vibrant, bustling city streets (most recently this has been Baldur's Gate 3). For music, I use my own audio test playlist, which includes classic audio test tracks (Journey's Don't Stop Believin', The Eagles' Hotel California - Live On MTV, 1994, Enya's Orinoco Flow), as well as some of my favorites (K-391's Lonely World, Kaskade's POW POW POW), and features a mix of genres and styles that showcase just about every aspect of a headset's sound profile.

Testing doesn't stop when the review goes up, however — we also check in periodically with our reviewers to determine how well headsets are holding up over weeks, months, and years. We loved the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro when it first launched, but we've had too many issues with it mysteriously dropping connectivity in the past year to still be able to recommend it as a top pick. We've had similar connectivity problems, as well as build quality issues, with the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT — at least three of our editors use this headset as their daily driver, and one has had to replace the earpads twice in two years (earpads aren't meant to last forever, but they should last longer than that).

Quick Gaming Headset Shopping Tips

• Wired or wireless: Wired headsets are less expensive, easy to connect, and don't need to be charged. If you typically game at your desk, a wired option will keep things cheap and simple — it's difficult to misplace and it won't die on you mid-game. But there's no denying the convenience of a wireless headset, which lets you move around without being tethered to your PC, and can connect to other devices — sometimes simultaneously — such as phones, tablets, and consoles.
• 2.4GHz vs. Bluetooth: If you do go with wireless, only a low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection will be fast enough for competitive gaming. Bluetooth is still convenient for when you're not gaming, however, and is a good additional feature to look for if you want a headset that can double as a pair of lifestyle headphones.
• Headband and earcups: Comfort is more subjective and difficult to measure than audio output/input, but it's probably the most important factor to consider when you choose your headset. Check measurements to make sure the headband expands enough to fit your head, and look for earcups that tilt and pivot to accommodate your skull. Earcup material can make a big difference when it comes to both comfort and acoustic performance — leather/leatherette offers better passive noise isolation, while fabric is more breathable. Gaming companies are starting to make earcups and headband padding replaceable, which is essential if you want your headset to last more than a couple of years (as earpads usually aren't designed to last more than 1 - 2 years — if that).
• Audio: In addition to detailed, accurate reproduction and good spatial resolution, the best gaming headsets can also connect to, and mix, multiple audio inputs. If you're looking for immersive sound, look for a headset with a wide, detailed soundstage and decent virtual surround-sound.
• Microphone: An external boom mic isn't strictly necessary, but will help pick up your voice (and only your voice) clearly. Of course, if you're planning on using this headset away from your PC, you'll want to make sure the boom mic tucks away or detaches from the headset. Detachable boom mics can also extend the lifespan of your headset, as they can be easily replaced.

Whether you're shopping for one of the best gaming headsets that we listed above or a similar model, you may find savings by checking out our lists of best Razer promo codes, best Corsair coupon codes and best Newegg promo codes.

MORE: Best Wireless Gaming Headsets

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When it comes to gaming headsets, gamers want the product to do a multitude of tasks, from playing their favorite games to listening to music and movies. And let's not forget talking to to friends (or enemies) on voice comms. Finding a headset that does all of the above and works on any current gaming platform puts the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless at the top of our Best Gaming Headsets and Best Wireless Gaming Headsets guides. See our review of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for more information on why we like it so much.

At Amazon, you can save $64 (18%) off the MSRP at the moment and pick up the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for $285. This deal combats one of our main concerns with this gaming headset — and that's the price. With an original MSRP of $349, the Arctis Nova Pro is an expensive headset, and even with all its features and functionality, it is enough to make pulling the trigger on a purchase a significant decision.

What makes the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless stand out is the multitude of included features that make the headset cover so many options that you previously may have needed multiple headsets to accomplish. First off, with its base station, you can connect to either a PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Mac, Nintendo Switch, or your phone. You can be connected via 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.0 simultaneously and game and answer a call at the same time and with the touch of a button switch between connected devices. This flexibility makes the headset incredibly user friendly.

High-fidelity 40mm Neodymium drivers provide sumptuous sound and clarity, with active noise canceling increasing your audio pleasure - especially in noisier environments. Dual batteries enable you to have one battery on charge at all times, essentially giving you infinite battery life, which is a major plus for a wireless gaming headset, and a comfortable headband means you can wear the headset for long gaming sessions without feeling the pain of headband fatigue.

Oh, and of course, this headset comes with an audio mic for chatting. When combined with SteelSeries' Sonar Software, the mic incorporates AI algorithms to silence background noise to give you crystal-clear communications. The mic also fully retracts into the earcup for a sleeker look when it's not needed.

A great gaming headset is key component of your battle station, especially if you can't crank up the volume on some of the best PC speakers.

There are many wireless headsets to choose from, both for gaming and for everything else. The sheer number of options can be pretty overwhelming, which is why we're here to help. We've tested dozens of wireless gaming headsets over the years — paying special attention to the specs and features gamers are looking for: detailed, directional audio, a low-latency connection, a decent mic, and enough comfort and adjustability to get you through a marathon session. These are the best wireless gaming headsets for every type of gamer, no matter what your budget is.

If you don't need (or want) a wireless headset, head over to our list of best PC gaming headsets.

The Quick List

The Best Wireless Gaming Headsets You Can Buy Today

Best Wireless Gaming Headset

While we always recommend a standalone gaming microphone if you want to sound your best, Razer's BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) headset is an excellent alternative — it has the best-sounding microphone we've heard on a gaming headset (and great audio, too). We've also tested the most recent update to this headset — the BlackShark V3 Pro — but didn't find its improved connectivity enough to make up for the comparatively lackluster audio and microphone quality.

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is the 2023 update to the BlackShark V2 Pro, and it has roughly the same design and drivers — 50mm dynamic drivers with a frequency response range of 12 - 28,000 Hz as the original. Audio sounds good with Razer's EQ adjusted, if a little mid-range heavy. The headset's stainless steel sliders have been reinforced and its battery has been upgraded to offer an impressive 70+ hours.

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) also has a new detachable boom mic: a 9.9mm condenser mic with a sampling rate of 32 kHz and an internal pop filter (plus an optional external pop filter). The mic made our voice sound full and broadcast-y, even without Razer's software-based EQ settings turned on. And, to quote a Tom's Hardware editor during one of our meetings, we sounded "better than we do in real life."

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) has both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity — it can connect to both simultaneously, but does not mix audio from both sources so you'll need to switch between the two. Its earcups also do not swivel to fold flat, and the reinforced steel sliders are still relatively fragile, so it's not a headset we'd recommend you take traveling.

Read: Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) Review

Best Mid-Range Wireless Gaming Headset

Corsair's Void Wireless v2 might not be the sexiest wireless gaming headset you've ever seen, but don't let its plastic-and-mesh construction fool you — it's a solid performer and it has the wireless connectivity options you're looking for. The Void Wireless v2 features a lightweight plastic frame, a non-detachable flip-to-mute microphone, built-in 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth, and it sounds great for both gaming and music. It did get a price increase since we reviewed it, but it was a minor one — from $119.99 to $129.99 — and it's still a great option if you're looking to spend under $150.

The Void Wireless v2 has 50mm dynamic drivers with a standard frequency response of 20 - 20,000 Hz. The headset's audio quality is surprisingly impressive across all forms of media — games, music, movies, and TV shows all sounded great in our testing. The sound profile is fairly balanced, though the bass is a little restrained, and the drivers do a great job of separating out detail in complex, layered game environments. It also did an excellent job of replicating directional sound — nobody is going to sneak up on you in Counter-Strike 2 when you're wearing this.

The headset is also very comfortable, even if it's not the prettiest headset you've ever seen. It has a plastic frame, so it's fairly lightweight at just 10.58oz (300g). Its large, over-ear earcups feature breathable mesh-covered memory foam earpads, and the headband also has mesh-covered memory foam padding — and both the earpads and the headband padding are replaceable. The headset's flip-to-mute microphone works well, though it is situated on a flexible gooseneck arm, which makes it slightly trickier to flip smoothly. And while the headset isn't much to write home about aesthetically, it does have forward-facing customizable RGB lighting on each earcup, just in case you do happen to be streaming or otherwise visible.

Read: Corsair Void Wireless v2 Review

Best Open-back Wireless Gaming Headset

An open-back headset is a good compromise for people who don't love the focused effect of closed-back headsets, but who aren't gaming in a place where they can crank up the sound on some of the best PC speakers. Turtle Beach's Atlas Air is the world's first wireless open-back gaming headset (yes, there are a lot of qualifiers), and it's a pretty impressive option. It features 40mm dynamic drivers with support for 24-bit audio, both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and a lightweight, airy open-back design.

The Atlas Air is incredibly lightweight and comfortable, weighing in at just 10.61 ounces (301g) with the microphone installed. It has a flexible plastic frame, "floating" earcups, and a mesh and adjustable elastic strap to keep the headband "floating" away from your head. It's a very comfortable headset if it fits you — if your head is on the larger side, the mesh and elastic strap don't work quite as well. It has plush, fabric-covered memory foam earpads, and both the earpads and the elastic band are replaceable. The downside to this ultra-lightweight construction is that it does look and feel a little cheap — it's all plastic and mesh.

The headset sounds great for both listening and gaming, with a balanced sound profile that trends toward the low-end. The open-back design allows for a wider soundstage and games with rich, layered audio (such as the jungle in Uncharted 4) sound especially immersive on the Atlas Air. This isn't the best headset for games that benefit from more focused, directional audio (such as competitive FPS games), but directional sound is still accurate.

There are a couple of downsides to this headset — the removable, flip-to-mute microphone is below average unless you tweak it in the software, and Turtle Beach's software is a mess. However, if you don't need a mic and you avoid installing the software, this is a great-sounding headset you can wear all day.

Read: Turtle Beach Atlas Air Review

Most Comfortable Wireless Gaming Headset

The HyperX Cloud III S Wireless is the most comfortable headset we've ever worn — in fact, it's just as comfortable as its wired counterpart, the HyperX Cloud III, and its slightly less feature-rich counterpart, the HyperX Cloud III Wireless. The Cloud III S Wireless is an over-ear headset with a padded, leatherette-covered headband and soft, leatherette-covered earpads. It weighs 12.05 ounces (341.5g) without the microphone plugged in (12.4oz / 353.5g with the mic plugged in), which makes it slightly heavier than the Cloud III Wireless (11.64oz / 330g) and the Cloud III (10.86oz / 308g), but it's still just as comfortable.

It sports the same 53mm dynamic drivers as the Cloud II Wireless, but they've been redesigned and angled for a better audio experience. The drivers have a frequency response range of 10 - 21,000 Hz — a little wider than the average gaming headset, but not the widest we've seen. It comes with a detachable 10mm boom microphone, which has an internal pop filter and a red mute indicator light. It also features interchangeable magnetic speaker plates — HyperX sells alternate options on its website, though they're kind of pricey at $40 - $50. Unlike the Cloud III Wireless, the Cloud III S Wireless offers more than one form of connectivity — specifically, 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth (not simultaneous). When it debuted, the Cloud III S Wireless was only $10 pricier than the Cloud III Wireless — $180 vs. $170, but HyperX seems to have since (wisely) knocked the Cloud III Wireless' price down to $150.

Still, even at $30 more, the HyperX Cloud III S Wireless is worth it for the extra connectivity option — you get the same comfort and audio performance, and you can connect to more than one device (and quickly switch between the connections, even if they aren't simultaneous). On top of that, the Cloud III S Wireless is also rated for an impressive 120 hours of battery life.

Read: HyperX Cloud III S Wireless Review

Best Wireless Gaming Headset for Audiophiles

The Audeze Maxwell is a large, over-ear headset with a steel and aluminum frame and Audeze's newly-designed 90mm planar magnetic drivers. It's larger and heftier than most gaming headsets, weighing in at a whopping 17.28 ounces (490g) — I won't pretend like you won't feel it on your head, because you will, but it's surprisingly comfortable nonetheless.

The Maxwell's 90mm planar magnetic drivers have a wide frequency response range of 10 - 50,000 Hz, and the headset has an impressively wide and detailed soundstage. The Maxwell is tuned by default for gaming, but music also sounds fantastic once you've adjusted the EQ slightly. The headset comes with a detachable boom mic, but it also has built-in mics in the earcups — they're not great, but they're convenient if you need to take a call and you don't have the detachable mic with you.

The Maxwell offers both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, but does not mix audio from both sources and — much to our annoyance — switches between sources automatically (prioritizing Bluetooth). This was our main source of frustration with this headset — otherwise, it's fantastic, with 80+ hours of battery life, solid connectivity, and audiophile sound quality.

Read: Audeze Maxwell Review

Best Lifestyle Wireless Gaming Headset

The Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless looks more like a lifestyle headset from Sony or Bose than it does a gaming peripheral from Razer. Featuring a surprisingly understated (for Razer) all-black design, built-in beamforming mics, and a sturdy travel case, the Barracuda Pro Wireless is a good option for anyone who wants a headset that can pull double-duty.

The headset is comfortable and lightweight, with a minimal all-plastic design. It has Razer's custom 50mm dynamic drivers, which have a frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz, and a pair of integrated beamforming noise-canceling mics in the earcups. They're not the best mics we've ever seen in a headset, but they do a good enough job of picking up your voice and keeping background noise low — they should be fine for most gamers. (And they're significantly better than the Audeze Maxwell's built-in beamforming mics, which are basically just a courtesy and nothing else.)

On the lifestyle side, the Barracuda Pro Wireless has three levels of active noise cancellation (a somewhat rare feature in gaming headsets to begin with), and it gets up to 40 hours of battery life — decent, but not particularly impressive. It offers both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, but does not mix audio from multiple sources (like the Arctis Nova Pro and Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT do), so you'll need to switch between sources using a dedicated "SmartSwitch" button on the right earcup.

The main drawback to the Barracuda Pro Wireless is its somewhat less-than-premium build — the plastic looks a little cheap and attracts fingerprints. But it's fairly lightweight, at 11.99 ounces (340g), and comes with a nice rigid travel case.

Read: Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless Review

Other Wireless Headsets We Tested

Astro A50 X

The Astro A50 X is designed for multi-device use, and comes with a powered base station that can connect to your PC, PS5, and Xbox at the same time. It features both 2.4GHz wireless connections to those devices as well as a Bluetooth connection, but there's a catch — all connections are routed through the base station, including the Bluetooth connection. This means the base station is required for the headset to work, so it's a good headset for your battle station (and only your battle station).

If you don't mind being tied to a 40-foot radius, the Astro A50 X is a nice, if pricey, wireless gaming headset. It's comfortable and lightweight, with a flip to mute boom mic and Logitech's 40mm Pro-G graphene dynamic drivers with a frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz. It has a slightly bass-heavy sound profile out of the box and it sounds especially good for gaming, with excellent layered and directional audio. It has simultaneous dual-wireless connectivity (2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth), which it implements seamlessly, and gets around 24 hours of battery life on a single charge.

Of course, it also retails for $399.99 (though it's currently on sale for as low as $349.99), which makes it pricier even than Audeze's Maxwell and Maxwell 2. And that's a lot to pay for a wireless headset that still sort of ties you to your desk.

Read: Astro A50 X Review

Audeze Maxwell 2

While the Audeze Maxwell 2 is a great-sounding wireless gaming headset, it's almost identical to the original Maxwell — and it has the same issues as the original Maxwell. The Maxwell 2 is a wireless gaming headset with 90mm planar magnetic drivers, 80+ hour battery life, and 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity (not simultaneous and not manually switchable). Upgrades for this generation include a wider, perforated head strap, audio improvements by way of the brand's patent-pending "SLAM" technology, and better AI microphone noise reduction.

If that doesn't really sound like a huge upgrade, it's because it...isn't. While I did appreciate the wider, perforated head strap, this is something you could easily put on the original Maxwell. Audio sounded great, but audio on the original Maxwell also sounds great; the AI noise reduction on the microphone wasn't particularly notable, but perhaps I wasn't testing it in the right environments. But, notably, Audeze hasn't done anything to fix the issue of switching between wireless connections — if you connect this headset to Bluetooth, the Bluetooth connection takes priority no matter what. This was so frustrating that I had to just disconnect it from Bluetooth completely, making it essentially a single-connection device.

If you've already got the Audeze Maxwell, there's no need to upgrade to the Maxwell 2; if you don't have a Maxwell... we suggest looking for it on sale.

Read: Audeze Maxwell 2 Review

Asus ROG Delta II

Asus' ROG Delta II is the brand's premium, flagship gaming headset, and it has a lot going for it: 50m titanium-plated drivers, a 10mm super wideband mic, simultaneous wireless audio connection mixing, customizable lighting, and a battery that lasts for over 100 hours. It doesn't look quite as premium as other headsets, however, as it features a primarily plastic build — and while it's lightweight, it's not particularly comfortable.

In my testing, I found the headset's 50mm drivers to be a little disappointing for listening to music, though they sounded very good when I was playing games. The headset has excellent directional audio and voices sound full and clear. The microphone performed well but was situated at an awkward angle — while it was still able to pick up my voice well enough, I didn't like that it pointed down and now toward my face. The ROG Delta II is a solid wireless headset, but it kept falling short of what I expected for a headset with an MSRP of $230.

Read: Asus ROG Delta II Review

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless

While the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless headset, which retails for $130, is quite a bit more affordable than the Arctis Nova Pro, it might make too many compromises. It does have a great design — a lightweight, comfortable build with the brand's signature stretchy ski band and a fully-retractable boom mic. It's definitely a headset you'll be able to wear all day without any issues, and it looks more like a lifestyle headset than a gaming peripheral.

The Arctis Nova 5 features dual wireless connectivity with a quick-switch button and 50 - 60 hours of battery life, which is the longest battery life seen in a SteelSeries headset to date (though it's nowhere near that of many competitors). It sports the brand's 40mm dynamic drivers, which have a frequency response range of 20 - 22,000 Hz and is supported by SteelSeries Sonar software as well as an iOS/Android app that lets you switch up sound profiles without connecting to your PC. I'm not the biggest fan of these drivers, as they tend to have some distortion in the lower mid-range as well as overall compression, but they sound decent for gaming and movies/shows and the headset handles virtual surround quite well.

Read: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Gaming Headset Shopping Tips

Quick Gaming Headset Shopping Tips

Here are some things to keep in mind when searching for the perfect wireless gaming headset:

• Connectivity: Wireless headsets have come a long way, but latency will always be a concern. For gamers, a low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection is a must for high-quality, lag-free audio. If you're thinking of using your headset away from your PC, you'll want to look for something that also has Bluetooth for connecting to multiple devices dongle-free. Premium headsets usually provide both options, and several even allow you to connect to both sources simultaneously and mix the incoming audio.
  
• Microphone: A cardioid or supercardioid mic, which pick up sound from one direction only, is best for a gaming headset. Also, make sure the headset has an on-ear mute button and an easy way to tell if the mic is muted — it's much easier to accidentally walk into the bathroom wearing a wireless headset and forget you're still broadcasting.
  
  That said, you’ll never get pristine audio from a headset mic — if you're streaming or podcasting, you may want to look into the best desktop microphones.
  
• Battery life and rechargeability: It's important to know whether your wireless headset can charge while in use and how long the device will last under a full charge. Headsets these days typically last between 30 - 40 hours between charges, but there are several that can last twice that long. There are also headsets that utilize a swappable battery system, where one rechargeable battery powers the headset and the other charges in the base station.
  
• Comfort: You can compare and contrast specs all day, but your headset has to be comfortable to wear. It should go without saying that anything made with cheap material like plastic shouldn’t be given the time of day. Plush memory foam, velour, leatherette, and knitted fabric are much more comfortable on the ear. And don’t forget about the headband — it should feel durable and be comfortably padded. If you can’t wear the headset before purchasing, be sure to look into how many points of adjustment it has.

Discounts on the Best Wireless Headets

Whether you're shopping for one of the best wireless headsets that we listed above or a similar model, you may find savings by checking out our lists of best Razer promo codes, best Corsair coupon codes and best Newegg promo codes.

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Sony usually keeps a low profile in the gaming peripheral arena, focusing mainly on PlayStation-compatible hardware. That’s changing, however, with Sony’s InZone “gaming gear” sub-brand, which includes PC-compatible monitors, headsets, and, now, the Sony InZone Buds. 

The gaming-oriented InZone Buds build on the company’s experience with wireless earbuds, like the well-regarded WF-1000XM5, to deliver punchy audio and excellent noise cancellation. Earbuds still have a ways to go before they can compete with the best wireless gaming headsets, but the InZone Buds are making a good case for it. 

Design and Comfort 

The Sony InZone Buds embrace the spacey, curvacious, white-and-black design language introduced by the PlayStation 5 — and it works well. A black colorway is also available for those who want a more subtle look, but the white-and-black design is conservative enough that it won’t look out of place in an office. Gamers will recognize their PlayStation heritage, but everyone else will assume they’re run-of-the-mill Sony earbuds.

The earbuds’ conservative look means RGB lighting isn't on the list of features. Whether this matters is up to you: I’ve never cared much for lighting on earbuds or headsets, but streamers looking for flair may be disappointed — and many similarly-priced competitors, such as the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed, do have lighting.

Sony’s design experience really comes through in one critical area: comfort. Comfort is subjective, but I found the InZone Buds to be very pleasant to use while still being stable in my ears.

The earbuds come in a charging case shaped like a treasure chest. The case is larger and more rectangular than most, which makes it hard to pocket. That said, this design does have some advantages — for example, the case easily sits flat on a desk or entertainment cabinet. The USB-C charging port is located on the back of the case so that the cable, when attached, exits directly from the rear of the case, which makes for easy cable management. The case also has room to stow the earbuds' included USB-C wireless dongle.

It’s a shame, however, that the included USB-C cable is comically short at just six inches long. It did the job, I guess, but it left the otherwise well-designed charging case dangling off the side of my PC. The USB-C charging port offered good clearance, at least, so most USB-C cables will work with the case.

Sony also provides four additional pairs of earbud tips (for a total of five) and a rod to hold them. This was a nice touch, as most wireless earbuds just toss the tips into a small plastic bag that’s difficult to sort through. 

Audio Performance

Sony arguably has more experience building headphones and earbuds than just about any company on the planet, and the InZone Buds are a clear product of this experience.

I started my testing with Boards of Canada’s New Seeds, a nuanced track that slowly builds towards a complex climax. The InZone Buds were stellar in this track, providing excellent separation and clarity among highs, lows, and mids, which is crucial for picking up the track’s details. I also noticed a warm, analog feel that was suited to the artist’s retro-future sound.

The InZone Buds’ warmth was similarly useful in Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero, a track that builds on retro vibes for a cozy yet creepy presentation. Thick, all-encompassing bass provided the perfect backdrop for Swift’s clear, crisp vocals, which cut through like a knife. 

DJ Shadow’s Nobody Speak (ft. Run The Jewels) was another winner with these earbuds — though for different reasons. The InZone Bud’s bass was a tad underwhelming, but taut, and the track’s saxophones moved into the soundstage with ease. I noticed significant detail and nuance to the saxophones, as well, which delivered a more realistic feel than most competitive gaming earbuds.

Yves Tumor’s Echolalia was the only test track that left me a bit cold. This artist has a harsh electric style that felt dampened by the InZone Buds’ warm, soupy delivery. It was still enjoyable, but the earbuds seemed to sand down the edges — and this lessened this particular track's impact. 

The Sony InZone earbuds also sounded great in games thanks to their impressive detail. The earbuds delivered a clear, defined, and reasonably wide soundstage — for gaming earbuds, at least — with enough room for sound effects and music to play without one immediately overwhelming the other. This is a major benefit in modern shooters, role-playing, and action-adventure games, all of which tend to throw big, bass-heavy explosions alongside dialogue and detailed background music. 

Starfield gave the InZone Buds a chance to shine. The recently-launched RPG has a lovely soundtrack, excellent sound effects, and tons of dialogue, but its freeform nature often results in a hectic presentation — with NPCs chattering behind waves of dramatic music and the repetitive tat-tat-tat of gunfire. All of these sounds came through clearly on the InZone Buds, with no single element dominating. It was especially noticeable in the game’s cities, where the constant NPC batter is often difficult to hear on less-capable earbuds and headsets. 

It was a similar story in Horizon: Forbidden West. Aside from the elements I mentioned in Starfield, this game also includes wide, grating bass effects from the part-biological, part-machine monsters. The InZone Buds handled these effects well — they sounded punchy, yet crisp.

That’s not to say the InZone Buds were perfect. A lack of oomph to deep bass is a common issue for earbuds, and gaming earbuds in particular. The InZone Buds were better than average, but still felt weak when huge, rumbling explosions shook the screen. 

Surround sound — another common weakness in earbuds — also failed to impress. The earbuds support Spatial Sound (after a multi-step process that includes photographing your ears — really!), but the results were very modest. While I noticed a good separation of left, right, up, and down, the sound stage didn’t seem to reach behind my ears.

I also need to call out Sony’s lack of clarity about how Spatial Sound should function in games. The multi-step setup process claimed to provide the best listening experience, but it offered no information about how the feature (which is turned off by default) should sound, or how it should be used in games. I suspect many less tech-savvy owners won’t even realize the feature exists.

Microphone

The InZone Buds have a built-in microphone that can’t be removed. It performed well for a built-in earbud mic, but it suffered from some common issues.

The microphone definitely sounds like an earbud microphone. It had a distant, muffled quality that made recorded audio sound like I was talking to someone on speakerphone, especially compared to a higher-quality headset mic. The microphone’s subdued presentation had trouble cutting through chatter. 

That said, microphone quality was good enough — your friends on Discord won’t have trouble understanding you — and benefited from Sony's AI noise cancellation. The microphone picked up louder, less repetitive noises, but it almost entirely removed the sound of my mechanical keyboard while I was talking on Discord — something most earbuds don't achieve. More distant sounds, such as a loud conversation in an adjacent room, also weren't picked up.

Features and Software

The InZone Buds have Sony's top-tier active noise cancellation, and it's easily the earbuds' best feature.

Placing the InZone Buds’ ANC in my ears was like putting a thick, warm, cozy blanket over my head. Nearly all sounds were reduced or even entirely obscured, from the rustle of wind through the trees in my yards to the distant tap-clack of roofers and the persistent whoosh of a space heater. Even the caws of the crows that hang out near my office were muffled (though still audible).

I can’t stress this enough: Sony’s ANC is in a completely different league than its competition. If you consider excellent ANC a must-have, and the InZone Buds support your gaming device of choice, you can end your journey right now — no competitor even comes close.

The InZone Buds’ features are controlled through a downloadable PC app. The app is attractive and responsive and provides a variety of adjustments, including an equalizer and customization of the earbuds’ touch controls. Sony has strangely decided to forgo making a mobile app for Android or iOS, however, so you can’t change some features while on the go.

Device support is hit-or-miss. The InZone buds officially support the PlayStation 5 and Windows PCs through a 2.4GHz wireless USB-C dongle. The dongle can also work with other devices, including the Nintendo Switch and USB-C smartphones, but not the Xbox Series X. Bluetooth is available but I only managed to pair it with my Android smartphone — the InZone Buds failed to connect with any of my Apple devices (an iPhone 12 Mini, iPad Pro, and Mac Mini) over Bluetooth, and a Sony representative confirmed this was expected behavior. The earbuds also failed to connect to my Switch over Bluetooth. 

The InZone Buds have the features and performance to work for both gaming and everyday personal audio, but their software and device support fell short of that goal. The restrictions placed on Bluetooth connectivity were especially strange, and not something I've seen in competitors — nearly all gaming earbuds that support Bluetooth can connect to Android and iOS devices, as well as PCs and Switches, with ease.

Battery Life

The InZone Buds boast up to 12 hours of battery life when using 2.4GHz wireless and up to 24 hours over Bluetooth. This is a significant improvement over most competitors: the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed offers a maximum of 6.5 hours, while the Logitech G Fits claim up to 8 hours. The InZone Buds’ charging case lengthens the maximum battery life to 24 hours (over 2.4GHz wireless) and a whopping 48 hours (over Bluetooth).

My experience lived up to these lofty figures. I charged the earbuds only once in a week of use — and since I’m still deep in both Starfield and World of Warcraft: Hardcore, my playtime was higher than average. 

Charging was easy — the case provides a full charge in two hours, similar to other wireless earbuds. The charging case itself charges via USB-C, so finding a compatible cable (that's longer than six inches) isn't an issue.

Bottom Line

Sony’s InZone Buds provide an excellent audio experience that puts the competition to shame. They feature industry-leading active noise cancellation, a decent built-in microphone, and significantly longer battery life. Unfortunately, the InZone Buds' plusses are soured by spotty device compatibility. While the earbuds' Bluetooth supports Android phones, most devices — including Apple phones and tablets — can only connect over 2.4GHz wireless using the included USB-C dongle.

That adds caveats to what could’ve been must-have earbuds, but the Sony InZone Buds are an easy choice for gamers who play one a PlayStation 5 or Windows PC. They easily defeat rivals like the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed in both audio quality and active noise cancellation.

Corsair’s Virtuoso line has held rank on our list of  best gaming headsets (and our list of best wireless gaming headsets) for some time now — it’s hard to beat the line’s combination of high-quality audio, premium build, and, of course, gamer-oriented features. But Corsair is taking the Virtuoso line in a new direction with its latest addition: the Corsair Virtuoso Pro. 

The Virtuoso Pro is an analog, wired headset with an open-back design — very different from its predecessors. There aren’t a ton of open-back gaming headsets on the market, mostly because the majority of people shopping for gaming headsets (or any headsets) are looking to contain their sound. But there are some, including the Audeze LCD-GX and the Drop + Epos PC38X. With its open-back design, the Virtuoso Pro sports a new overall look — one that’s much more plasticky and fabric-filled than previous headsets. It features 50mm graphene dynamic drivers and comes with two detachable audio cables — one with an inline boom mic, and one without —  as well as a rigid, zippered travel case that feels pretty sturdy. 

The Corsair Virtuoso Pro is available now, in black and white, and costs $199.99 — cheaper than its wireless predecessors, but expensive for a wired headset.

Specs

Design and Comfort of the Virtuoso Pro

The Virtuoso Pro is an open-back, over-ear (circumaural) wired headset with a lightweight plastic-and-aluminum frame and detachable audio cables. It has a different look from the other headsets in the Virtuoso line — specifically, the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT and the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE — and not only because of the open-back design.

The Virtuoso Pro has large, circular earcups like its predecessors, which measure approximately 3.78 inches (96mm) in diameter and are 0.85 inches (21.5mm) thick (not including the ear pads). The earcups have metal speaker tags with a mesh triangle pattern that exposes the headset’s 50mm drivers — and gives the headset its “open-back” design. The rest of the Virtuoso Pro looks very little like its predecessors: It has redesigned, round aluminum forks that fit snugly against the earcups and a plastic-covered headband with fabric-covered padding.

Both the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT and the Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE have some plastic in their builds, but, for the most part, they cover it well with leatherette-wrapped headbands, aluminum joints and buckles, and attractive, brushed aluminum speaker tags. The Virtuoso Pro, by comparison, is much more...plasticky and cheap-looking. This might be partly due to color. The headset comes in both black and white colorways, and my review unit was white, which is actually a mix of white plastic, silver aluminum, and light gray fabric (the black colorway appears to be solid black). The headset has a white, plastic-covered aluminum headband with a light gray fabric-covered Corsair logo plate along the top and light gray fabric-covered memory foam padding underneath (the same material comprises the headset’s earpads).

On the plus side, most of the headset’s various padding and parts are user-replaceable, including the earpads, headband padding, logo plate, and speaker tags. But I don’t love the fabric-heavy approach for comfort or aesthetics: The cheap-looking gray fabric on white plastic evokes all the luxury of a subcompact sporting the base trim level — a pretty big step down from the premium vibe of the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT. Even the matte silver finish on the aluminum parts of the Virtuoso Pro somehow makes the headset look cheaper than it is (though there is a sliver of shiny, polished aluminum along the outer curve of each fork).

I don’t hate everything about the way the headset looks. The metal mesh speaker tags feel sturdy and have an attractive, slightly-pearlescent white finish — and their geometric cutout pattern lets you see the machined aluminum Corsair ship logo that sits atop the otherwise exposed drivers. But you only see this if you’re looking pretty closely — at a glance, the Virtuoso Pro is kind of a visual letdown.

Looks aren’t everything, of course. Cheap-feeling fabric aside, the Virtuoso Pro is actually quite comfortable, especially for a headset of its size. The headset alone weighs 11.92 ounces (338g) — lighter than both the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT (13.47oz / 382g) and the Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE (12.7oz / 360g), and significantly lighter than the Audeze Maxwell (17.28oz / 490g), which has similarly-sized circular earcups. It’s not the lightest gaming headset you can find, but it’s on the lighter side in general — it’s around the same weight as the Razer Barracuda Pro (12oz / 340g), which we also found to be very comfortable for all-day wear. 

The Virtuoso Pro’s headband measures approximately 9.75 inches (247.65mm) long, with 1.25-inch (31.75mm) notched extensions on either side, for a total length of around 12.25 inches (311.15mm) fully extended. The headset has a moderate clamping force: I didn’t feel any discomfort while wearing it for several hours straight, but I also never forgot I was wearing it (to be fair, there are very, very few headsets I’ve forgotten I was wearing, even for a moment). I did feel like the Virtuoso Pro’s clamping force was on the cusp of being too strong — my head is medium-sized (22.25 inches / 565mm in diameter), and I think I would have started feeling some pressure from the headset if my head were any larger. 

The large earcups were nice and roomy, with an interior diameter of just under 2.5 inches (63.5mm). And the earpads, which measure about one-inch (25.4mm) thick, were soft — maybe a little too soft, because I could feel my ears grazing the drivers an hour or two in. It didn’t cause any discomfort — not even to my still-healing upper-cartilage piercings — but it does make me a little concerned for future wear-and-tear. According to my coworkers, who for some reason all seem to own Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT/SE headsets, Corsair doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to ear pad longevity (and the Virtuoso Pro’s feel cheap to begin with). But they are easy to replace, as are most of the other offensively-fabric-covered parts, so maybe we’ll see some premium third-party replacements on the market soon.

The Virtuoso Pro comes with a handful of accessories, including two braided 6.5-foot(2m) 3.5mm-to-dual-3.5mm audio cables (one with an attached boom microphone, one without) and a 9.5-inch (241mm) y-adapter (for plugging into separate headphone/microphone jacks). It also comes with a rigid, sturdy, zippered travel case, which fits the headset (folded flat) and all of its accessories.

The case is definitely one of the nicer travel cases I’ve seen included with a gaming headset — it’s not quite the heavy-duty, locking case of the Audeze LCD-GX, but it’s on par with the travel case that comes with the Razer Barracuda Pro.

Audio Performance of the Virtuoso Pro

The Virtuoso Pro has 50mm dynamic drivers with a frequency response of 20 Hz - 40,000 Hz — the same frequency response as the drivers in the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT and the Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE headsets. This is a wider frequency response than you’ll find on most gaming headsets — the average gaming headset usually sticks to the human hearing range of 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz, though we’ve been seeing more and more premium gaming headsets widening their ranges on both ends. SteelSeries’ Arctis Nova Pro Wireless has a frequency range of 10 Hz - 22,000 Hz, but its wired counterpart ups that to 10 Hz - 40,000 Hz. The planar magnetic drivers in Audeze’s wired LCD-GX and wireless Maxwell headsets go even wider — 10 Hz - 50,000 Hz. Even Razer’s new BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) has a wider-than-average 12 Hz - 28,000 Hz frequency response. So, while the Virtuoso Pro’s wide frequency response is still notable, it’s no longer as unique in the gaming headset landscape (and frequency response isn’t the only measure of audio quality).

The Virtuoso Pro’s drivers are made of graphene, which is lightweight and extremely rigid — which should mean less distortion and more precise sound reproduction over drivers made of something like, say, titanium. (Logitech’s new G Pro X 2 Lightspeed headset, which launched earlier this year, also has graphene drivers.) The Virtuoso Pro did offer up accurate, detailed sound reproduction in particularly layered tracks like Beyonce’s Single Ladies and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody — maybe even a little too sharply detailed on the high end. Lows were present but not terribly powerful in bass-heavy tracks (I test with Kaskade’s POW POW POW, Hans Zimmer’s Time, and Wiz Khalifa’s On My Level (ft. Too $hort), among others). 

The Virtuoso Pro has a somewhat restrained but relatively neutral sound profile, especially for a gaming headset. It does especially well with highs/upper mids, but the lower mids sounded a little compressed and the lows lacked that extra oomph. The good news is that highs and upper mids are usually pretty important in a gaming context, and games sounded great on the Virtuoso Pro. 

While it’s an analog headset, it has a wide enough soundstage to do directional sound relatively well. I was able to locate footsteps and gunshots fairly accurately in both Overwatch 2 and CS:GO without the help of any software-based virtual surround. Fairly accurately — I wouldn’t necessarily take this headset into a tournament. The headset’s detailed highs and upper mids also helped in noisier games — in Baldur’s Gate 3 (which is unsolicitedly the best PC game I have ever played) the Virtuoso Pro did a fantastic job of reproducing the multi-layered sounds of different environments — footsteps, animal noises, chatter, rustling fabric, creaking buildings, and, of course, rolling dice. 

The Virtuoso Pro is an open-back headset, which means the backs of the earcups are open and the drivers are exposed. That said, the Virtuoso Pro didn’t feel all that... open, considering. It had a reasonably wide soundstage (wide enough for “fairly accurate” directional sound), and its design was such that anyone within 15 feet of me could sing along to whatever I was listening to. But if you came along and plopped this headset over my ears without saying anything I would probably guess it was a closed-back headset — music especially sounded intimately close and somewhat isolated to my ears (despite being... not). 

While this kind of soundstage intimacy is probably better for certain types of games (e.g. ones with lots of directional audible cues), it’s not what I’m looking for in an open-back headset. It’s not even the size of the soundstage so much as it’s the wider focus — I prefer open-back headsets because closed-back headsets are too intense for me to use while multitasking (I need the open-back transparency or I end up getting overwhelmed and distracted by music). That’s not to say the Virtuoso Pro doesn’t sound good, because it does. It just lacked the open, airy ambience I’m used to feeling in an open-back headset.

Microphone of the Virtuoso Pro

The Virtuoso Pro comes with two cables, similar to the Audeze LCD-GX — one with an attached boom microphone, and one without. The boom microphone is attached to the left audio cable and sits just under the left earcup when plugged in. The microphone — a unidirectional mic with a frequency response of 100 Hz - 10,000 Hz and a sensitivity of -41dB (±3dB) — sits at the end of a flexible 5-inch (127mm) gooseneck arm. There’s also a manual mic mute switch on the joint that connects the left audio cable and the mic arm (again — just under the left earcup).

The microphone sounded very good, with more of that broadcast quality you don’t often see in headset mics, but I did have a little trouble getting it to pick up enough volume. My friends and colleagues said I sounded pretty quiet in video chats, even though I’m a very loud speaker and the mic was less than an inch from my mouth (and the mic did tend to pick up plosives when it was that close to my mouth — as you might expect). I’m sure this could be easily fixed with some gain-increasing software. The plus side of the mic not picking up enough overall volume was that it definitely didn’t pick up any of my PC fan noise in the background. However, it doesn’t have any built-in noise cancellation other than being unidirectional, so louder background noises (typing, talking, dogs barking) were still distantly audible.

Bottom Line

The Corsair Virtuoso Pro is Corsair’s first open-back gaming headset, and it sounds very good — excellent highs, solid mids, and present but not-super-powerful bass, detailed audio reproduction, and fairly accurate directional sound. It comes with a rigid travel case and two detachable audio cables, and the detachable boom microphone also sounds good (it’s just a little quiet).

The Virtuoso Pro sounds good for its $200 price point — better than many pricier gaming headsets. But it’s also analog, and a pretty stripped-down analog at that — there are no controls on the headset, not even a volume wheel. The mic sounds good, feels solid, and has an intuitive, easy-to-use manual mute switch, but it’s not exactly convenient to switch audio cables every time you want to stash your mic. Also, while I didn’t find the Virtuoso Pro to be as “open” as I like for an open-back headset, it is at least open enough that it will leak sound to your neighbors, so it’s not the best option for anyone who shares a space.

If you’re looking for a neutral sound profile that’s light on bass, the Virtuoso Pro is worth checking out. But if you’re looking for a good gaming headset, something like the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is similarly-priced, wireless, comfortable, and is stuffed with gaming features.

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Earlier this year, HyperX launched the latest in its lineup of Cloud gaming headsets — the Cloud III. Like its predecessor, the Cloud III offers decent quality audio in a surprisingly affordable package. So it’s not too surprising that HyperX has just announced a wireless follow-up at Gamescom 2023: the Cloud III Wireless.

The Cloud III Wireless takes the design, build quality, and tech upgrades of the Cloud III — including the latter’s fully redesigned 53mm dynamic drivers — and cuts the cord. This sounds like a great idea, as the Cloud III is one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever worn, and it’s impressively high-end looking for its modest $100 price. 

In fact, the Cloud II Wireless would be a shoe-in for one of the best gaming headsets if it didn’t take after its actual predecessor — the Cloud II Wireless — which was just like the Cloud II, but slightly too expensive and with only one connectivity option (2.4GHz wireless). The Cloud III Wireless also sports only one connectivity option — 2.4GHz wireless with a USB-C dongle, which makes it compatible with a variety of devices but unable to connect with more than one at a time. It’s also quite a bit pricier than its wired counterpart at $170.

Design and Comfort of the Cloud III Wireless

The Cloud III Wireless is a wireless, closed, over-ear headset with a detachable boom microphone. It looks just like the HyperX Cloud III, which launched earlier this year, minus the wires.

Like the wired Cloud III, the Cloud III Wireless comes in two colorways: black and black/red — our review unit was black/red, with red aluminum forks and HyperX’s HX logo printed on each earcup in metallic red. The Cloud III Wireless sports the same design upgrades as its wired counterpart: a sleeker overall profile with curved aluminum forks and a padded leatherette headband without the previous Cloud headsets’ contrast stitching, as well as extremely soft, comfortable leatherette-covered memory foam earpads. While neither headset has active noise cancellation (ANC), the earpads’ seal offers decent passive noise cancellation.

The Cloud III Wireless is slightly heavier than the Cloud III, but not by much: the Cloud III Wireless weighs 11.64oz (330g), while the Cloud III weighs 10.86oz (308g). With the microphone plugged in, the Cloud III Wireless weighs 12.06oz (342g), which is very close to what the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro weighs (11.96oz / 339g). Numbers aside, the Cloud III Wireless is, along with its wired counterpart, one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever worn. The clamping force is somehow perfect for me — just tight enough that the headset doesn’t budge when I tip my head back, but no tighter.

Each of the Cloud III Wireless’s earcups is independently height-adjustable with nine notched steps (10, if you count the default) that extend the headband an extra 1.5 inches (38mm) per side. The earcups tilt but do not swivel; the headband is very flexible, so the earcups’ lack of swivel shouldn’t prevent you from finding a good fit (though it’s not a great headset for travel, as it doesn’t fold flat).

The headset has three on-ear controls: a volume wheel on the right earcup, and a microphone mute button and a power button on the left earcup. The volume wheel is just a volume wheel — textured, unclickable, and with very light notching. The round microphone mute button is located above the oblong power button and (unsurprisingly) only functions when the mic is plugged in. Pressing the mute button with the mic plugged in plays a tone and activates a small red indicator LED located on the microphone, so you know when you’re muted.

The power button is located below the microphone mute button. Holding it for three seconds powers the headset on/off, and tapping it once triggers a voice prompt with the headset’s remaining battery life (by percentage). Also on the left earcup is a USB-C charging port and a 3.5mm microphone jack.

The headset comes with a USB-C 2.4GHz wireless dongle and a USB-C to USB-A converter, a detachable boom mic, a short (approx. 22 inches / 55.9cm) USB-C to USB-C charging cable, and a soft, cloth drawstring bag.

Specs

Audio Performance of the Cloud III Wireless

The Cloud III Wireless has the same drivers as the Cloud III — 53mm dynamic drivers with a frequency response of 10 - 21,000 Hz. The drivers are the same size as those found in the Cloud II, but they’ve been redesigned and angled for sound that is “accurate, smooth, and detailed,” according to HyperX. The Cloud III Wireless has the same overall audio profiles as its wired counterpart: deep, impactful bass that can be felt in the lower ranges, slightly pulled back mids, and slightly turned-up highs. It’s a fairly balanced profile, overall, but it’s not my favorite for pure listening — mostly because midrange-heavy songs (such as my go-to, K-391’s Lonely World) end up sounding a little dull and lacking in dynamics.

It’s very good for gaming, however, even without any of the software’s (disappointing) tweaks (more on this later). While the headset has a somewhat narrow soundstage, it does spatial audio fairly well — I could tell which direction footsteps were coming from in just about every game, easily, without turning on Ngenuity’s DTS Spatial Sound or Windows Sonic. And while the turned-up highs don’t make for an ideal listening scenario, there’s just enough detail and clarity there for audio cues such as footsteps, gunshots, and all those high-pitched birds and insects in every jungle game soundtrack to be clearly heard.

Microphone of the Cloud III Wireless

The Cloud III Wireless has a detachable 10mm boom microphone — the same mic as the Cloud III, it appears — with an internal mesh pop filter, unidirectional polar pattern, and built-in noise canceling. It sits on the end of a flexible three-inch (76.2mm) gooseneck arm and weighs approximately 0.42oz (12g). The mic can be muted from the headset or from HyperX’s Ngenuity software; muting the mic either way plays a tone and turns on a red indicator light just to the left of the mic. While I am a big fan of this kind of permanently-visible mute status indicator, the light could be brighter or perhaps located further along the mic itself, as it’s still a little difficult to see if you have the mic positioned lower.

The Cloud III Wireless’s microphone, like the Cloud III’s microphone, sounds fine — and that’s it. My voice was relatively full-sounding and clear on voice/video chats and in voice recordings, but the mic’s quality didn’t seem to stand out (for good or bad reasons) to anyone I talked to. The mic did seem to have a relatively low recording volume — an issue we saw on both the Cloud III and the Cloud II Wireless — even with the gain turned all the way up in HyperX’s Ngenuity software.

I’m happy to report that the Cloud III Wireless’ mic did not suffer from the same loud blips from pressing the mic mute button as did the wired Cloud III. Instead, muting the Cloud III Wireless’s mic using the on-ear physical mute button was nearly silent — as it should be.

The Cloud III Wireless’s microphone will work fine for most voice/video chatting scenarios — my teammates had no problems hearing me while we were gaming, and nobody commented on my mic’s quality unprompted. But if you’re looking for a mic that will make your voice sound better, you should look elsewhere. The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) has the best-sounding headset mic we’ve tested, though you’ll still do better with a standalone gaming microphone.

Features and Software of the Cloud III Wireless

The Cloud III Wireless needed a firmware update out of the box, which is performed through HyperX’s Ngenuity peripheral software. It’s not the most useful companion software out there, but it at least seems to have improved (slightly) from what I experienced with the Cloud III.

In addition to firmware updates, Ngenuity offers a handful of software controls including volume/mute, mic mute/gain, and mic monitoring. There’s also a toggle for DTS Spatial Sound, as well as an adjustable equalizer with a handful of presets. When I tested the Cloud III, almost none of these options (minus the redundant ones — volume, mute, mic mute) worked. The features do work, now, with the Cloud III Wireless, but they’re still not particularly impressive.

Mic monitoring turns on... mic monitoring, which allows you to hear your mic’s feedback as you speak so you’re not accidentally shouting at people. This feature is toggleable and works as expected. DTS Spatial Sound is a virtual surround technology that “expands audio into a virtual 3D space, creating a truly immersive environment,” according to HyperX. I’m not sure what this is supposed to mean, exactly, but all this seems to do is expand the soundstage slightly, making environments sound a little fuller. The difference was very negligible in gaming, movies, and music, though it did amplify voices in a slightly strange, echo-y way.

I also found the equalizer to be underwhelming, though it did at least work this time (it did not work when I tested the Cloud III).

Battery Life of the Cloud III Wireless

HyperX rates the Cloud III Wireless’s battery life at 120 hours over its low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection, which is impressive — most of the best wireless gaming headsets don’t get anywhere near that much battery life over 2.4GHz wireless. (Though it’s still less than half of the jaw-dropping 300 hours the  HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless gets.) And this estimate seems conservative — I wore the headset while playing Baldur’s Gate 3 over the past week (during which I logged around 75 hours — don’t judge me), and the headset’s battery life is still sitting at a little over 50%.

Bottom Line

The HyperX Cloud III Wireless is a great wireless headset — I would go so far as to say I might even be tempted to give it a perfect score if it had more than one connectivity option. It’s got a sturdy, great-looking build. It’s one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever worn, and its 2.4GHz wireless connection is rock-solid — this is one of the only wireless headsets I’ve used that still works when I’m in my kitchen, which is separated from my home office by an industrial steel-and-concrete wall approximately four feet thick. Almost nothing gets through this wall — I’ve used a few headsets that can keep a tenuous signal through it, but the Cloud III Wireless didn’t even hint at dropping its connection.

But I was surprised to find how much the Cloud III Wireless’s lack of a second connectivity option inconvenienced me. While the headset’s USB-C dongle is compatible with a variety of devices, most people don’t want to have to shuffle a dongle around. I don’t even need to have two wireless connectivity options — if the Cloud III Wireless had a wired option, I could plug it into my PC and stick the dongle in my PS5. I’m not surprised that HyperX decided to go this way, as its Cloud II Wireless and Cloud Alpha Wireless also connect via 2.4GHz wireless only, but it’s a surprisingly limiting choice nonetheless.

If you’re looking for a headset for only one device, such as your PC, the Cloud III Wireless is a great choice — but so is the wired Cloud III, which is only $100. The Cloud III Wireless’s $170 price is a lot to pay for a single-device peripheral, especially when you can pick up a multi-tasker such as the Corsair HS80MAX for the same price.

Corsair’s HS80 Wireless gaming headset arrived in 2021 to strong but mixed reviews, and was followed by the wired HS80 RGB. Our review of the HS80 RGB, which gave the headset four out of five stars, praised its build quality, design, and overall audio performance, but took issue with its inflexible connectivity, which only supported PC and Mac — not quite one of the best wireless gaming headsets around. 

Now, Corsair has the solution: the HS80MAX Wireless. It’s broadly similar to the HS80 Wireless and HS80 but improves connectivity. The PlayStation 5 is now compatible with the headset’s 2.4GHz wireless dongle, and Bluetooth joins the party with support for iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch. This bumps the price up to $179.99, up from the HS80 Wireless’ $149.99, which seems a fair price for the improvement in versatility. 

Design and Comfort 

Corsair’s HS80MAX Wireless struck a soft, inviting, modern profile that looked fantastic in a variety of home office and gaming setups. The white model, which I received, appears friendly and inviting: a matte black model is available for those with more reserved tastes. No matter the color you choose, the HS80MAX’s design is defined by rounded edges and tapered shapes. 

Build quality is good but not exceptional. The hinges which connect the earcups to the head strap are metal, but plastic dominates the rest of the design. That’s not a surprise given the headset’s price point: I can’t immediately think of similarly priced competitors with significantly more durable materials. Alternatives like the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X are in another league, though way more expensive. 

The Corsair HS80MAX has RGB lighting but, like the rest of the headset, it’s subtle. Lighting is only available in a few locations such as the Corsair logos on the exterior of each earcup and the microphone. I liked this approach, but I’m also not a fan of RGB lighting. Those who prefer more LED flair might be disappointed.

The power and volume buttons lurk around the rear of the left earcup, while the Bluetooth pairing button is on the right. The buttons activate with a firm, tactile click, and they have a textured surface that’s distinct from the material around them. The headset also has a USB-C port on the left earcup and ships with a six-foot USB-C cable in the box. 

Comfort was a highlight, as the Corsair HS80MAX has thick, substantial padding covered in supple, pleasant fabric. The headset’s size is adjusted with a simple velcro strap on the headband. I have a big head that can challenge some headsets, but the HS80MAX managed to accommodate my dome on its largest setting. 

The ear cups also fit nicely over my ears. I eventually felt a touch of pressure after wearing the headset for several hours, but this occurs with nearly all headsets I use (big head, remember?) — the Corsair HS80MAX was more comfortable than most. The Logitech G733, for instance, was too small for my head, and quickly became uncomfortable. 

While the Corsair HS80MAX is enjoyable in most situations, the fabric wasn’t especially breathable, and the headset felt warm on my ears after a couple hours of use in an air-conditioned room. I expect they wouldn’t be a great choice for gaming in a hot or humid environment. 

The Corsair HS80MAX’s overall design and comfort left me impressed. They fit well on my head, stayed in place, and caused little strain after several hours of use. I’d be more than happy to use them as my “daily driver.”

Specs

Audio Performance

The Corsair HS80MAX Wireless packs 50mm neodymium drivers. It also has support for Dolby Atmos and Atmos Spatial Sound, which holds hope for surround sound performance. With that said, it doesn’t offer 5.1 or 7.1 virtual surround.

First up, music. The HS80MAX proved a solid and well-rounded performer and made a good first impression, but it didn’t knock my socks off.

Boards of Canada’s New Seeds immediately revealed the headset’s limitations. This is a complex track that frequently hits high, bass, and mid-range simultaneously, and includes numerous details that can be difficult for any sound system to pick up. The HS80MAX had a warm and pleasant sound with good bass that didn’t overwhelm the mids, but the audio felt close compared to better headphones (such as the Denon AH-D2000s I typically use). The subtle shifting of the track’s gritty, static-like mid-range percussion was hard to pick out.

Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero, on the other hand, was a win. This a warm track to begin with, and it arguably benefited from the HS80MAX’s close, intimate sound stage. Swift’s excellent vocal delivery was mere millimeters from ear, and there’s nothing wrong with that. 

Yves Tumor’s Echolaila was a mixed win. Sean Lee Bowie’s vocals are, perhaps unsurprisingly, not on par with Swift, and the HS80MAX highlighted the less pleasant elements of his breathy, raspy delivery. The low end was present and accounted for, however, without overwhelming either the vocals or the mid-range, and the narrow soundstage continued to provide an immersive listening experience.

The HS80MAX’s overall performance in music was solid but didn’t entirely clear my (admittedly rather high) standards. My key issue was the close, narrow soundstage. Every track seemed to place me on the stage with the band which, though dramatic, isn’t always desirable. It was listenable, but certainly not on par with mid-range audiophile headphones.

Throw the HS80MAX into games, however, and the headset comes into its element. The HS80MAX supports Dolby Atmos surround and offers a rather good experience in games that provide surround sound support. 

The headset’s close, narrow sound, while a problem in music, was less of a problem in games and movies that offer surround sound. Explosions, blaster shots, and the rumble jet engines were presented with cinematic flair and provided plenty of audio drama alongside on-screen action. 

Sound staging, while not the best I’ve ever heard, was good for the price point. Lefts, rights, and center channels are extremely distinct. More dynamic audio effects, like a TIE Fighter screeching above me in Star Wars: Battlefront 2, weren’t entirely convincing, but the difference in audio staging was noticeable. I didn’t feel the urge to duck for cover, but my brain understood what the audio was trying to convey.

The warm, pleasant, and balanced bass is also a benefit for both audio quality games and the headset’s surround sound performance. Many of the most dramatic sounds in games move across the low and mid-range. Remember the TIE Fighter’s shriek: that piercing howl, when heard on a high-quality sound system, obscures a more visceral rumble. Effects like this were a joy on the HS80MAX.

Microphone

A retractable mic is attached to the Corsair HS80MAX Wireless’ left earcup. It automatically turned off when retracted, and back on when deployed. A soft feminine voice offered an audible reminder when moving between each mode.

The microphone’s audio quality was excellent. My voice picked up strong and clear without the boomy or hollow quality found in less capable headset microphones. In fact, it’s the best headset microphone I can recall hearing this year (although, admittedly, I haven’t had the privilege to try cream-of-the-crop models like the Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless).

A high-quality microphone is great for games, but also useful in less enjoyable tasks. The HS80MAX is an ideal headset for Zoom or Teams video conferences. Odds are you’ll sound better than anyone else on the call. I even think an amateur YouTube or Podcast creator could rely on this microphone until it makes sense to invest in a standalone mic.

Corsair opts for an omni-directional microphone and seems to rely on noise cancellation to filter out background noises. Owners of Nvidia video cards can use Nvidia Broadcast for AI noise filtration. Unfortunately, I was using an AMD video card and couldn't use this feature.

The microphone had a tendency to pick up background noises, such as a loud mechanical keyboard. However, this trait wasn’t so strong that capable video and audio communication software, like Discord or Zoom, couldn’t filter it out. Friends listening to my voice on Discord were satisfied with its quality and didn’t notice the click-clack of my keyboard unless I was speaking while typing.

Features and Software

Corsair’s iCue software, which is available for both Windows and MacOS, controls all headset features. This includes key assignments, lighting effects, and equalizing settings. ICue is an attractive, intuitive app, and it performed well on my desktop. The app also controls other Corsair devices, which is handy if you own other Corsair hardware. Corsair partners with Philips and Nanoleaf to allow control of Philips Hue and Nanoleaf light panels, though some setup is required.

Corsair includes a sound customization feature, SoundID, which I accessed through the iCue software. It presents an audio text that takes roughly five minutes to finish, once complete, customizes the sound of the headphones to meet your preferences. I highly recommend using the feature. It reduced my issues with the headset’s close and narrow sound, slightly widening the stage to help details stand out in complex tracks. An equalizer and sound presets were available, but can’t be used when SoundID is turned on.

The Corsair HS80MAX supports both Bluetooth and Wireless (via the included USB dongle), and offers broad compatibility which includes PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, Switch, iOS, and Android (though Xbox is left out). This is a broad range of connectivity of a gaming headset, and it makes the HS80MAX useful as both a gaming headset and general purpose headphones.

Wireless range is excellent, too. A USB dongle is provided to enable a low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection. It delivered a strong signal throughout my entire house. To my surprise, Bluetooth proved even stronger: I made it 30 feet out my front door before I lost connection to my iPhone 12 Mini, which was placed in the rear-most room of my house. That’s outstanding.

Battery Life (if applicable)

Corsair claims the HS80MAX RGB Wireless can achieve up to 130 hours of battery life over Bluetooth, and 65 over wireless. That’s not the best available — the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless leads the pack with up to 300 hours of battery life — but it’s pretty good.

Still, the HS80MAX should only require a charge once every few days even if used all-day for both work and gaming. More casual users could weeks between charges. I didn’t need to charge it even once during the week I reviewed the headset.

Bottom Line

The Corsair HS80MAX Wireless delivered dramatic, impactful sound in games and movies, an excellent microphone, and versatile connectivity in an attractive, comfortable headset with great battery life. Music was at times narrow and claustrophobic, but I suspect less picky listeners will have zero complaints.

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) has a better mic and includes (slightly underwhelming) virtual surround by way of THX Spatial Audio, but costs a little more at $199.99. And if you don’t mind the wires, HyperX’s recently-released Cloud III headset is an excellent option for just under $100. But all in all, the HS80MAX is a headset I’d be happy to use for all my tasks all day, every day, and it’s well worth its $179.99 MSRP.

Gaming earbuds burst onto the scene in the wake of Apple’s successful AirPods. It was hardly a surprise: the AirPods made earbuds cool and, in turn, made the thought of gaming on earbuds appealing. But earbuds face several challenges, such as Bluetooth latency, lackluster microphone quality, and a limited sound stage.

Razer’s Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds attempt to counter these problems with a fast, proprietary wireless connection, strong audio, and a few gaming-centric software features, but it’s only a partial success.

Specs

Design and Comfort of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed 

Razer’s Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds opt for a stemmed design that will look familiar to anyone who’s seen a pair of AirPods. These days it looks a bit old-fashioned, as many brands have swapped to a more compact, stemless design. 

Plastic is the material of choice. This is no surprise: nearly all earbuds are made of plastic. Still, Razer’s earbuds appear more plastic-y than do many competitors’, and feel a bit cheap as a result. The earbuds' piano black gloss finish contributes to this problem. Black gloss isn’t in fashion at the moment, and for good reason: it attracts lint, fingerprints, and earwax like a magnet.

What the earbuds lack in looks, they make up for in comfort. This, of course, is subjective based on the shape of each user’s ear, but I found the earbuds comfortable to use for several hours at a stretch. The stemmed design eventually caused fatigue due to how the stems press slightly into my ears, but the problem was no worse than any other stemmed design I’ve tried, and a short break improved comfort considerably. 

The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds come with three earbud tip sizes: small, large, and medium. I used the medium size, which is typical of most earbuds I use. They’re made of a soft silicone material — standard for most earbud tips. 

The earbuds support Razer’s Chroma RGB lighting with LEDs placed behind the Razer logo on each earbud. I don’t personally care about this feature, and there are obvious limits to the flair tiny earbuds can add to your setup. Still, the RGB lighting customization worked well in response to input on the Razer Audio App, and the LEDs are bright enough to easily see in a lit room.

One additional accessory lurks in the box: a 2.4GHz wireless “HyperSpeed” adapter, which you’ll need to  connect the earbuds over 2.4GHz wireless instead of Bluetooth 5.3. The adapter has a USB-C connection, but a handy USB-A adapter is provided, too.

Audio Performance of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed

Razer packs 10mm drivers into the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds and slaps on the THX certified label, but the company’s claims about audio quality are otherwise vague. This set modest expectations for audio quality which, fortunately, were exceeded — though I found the earbuds performed better for listening to music rather than for playing games.

The earbuds have a strong, voluminous character that often did justice to tunes. Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero was thick, even viscous, with great separation between Swift’s crystal clear vocals and the hum of the bassline underneath. I noticed a similar effect in Boards of Canada’s New Seeds, a complex but purely instrumental track which interrupts its grainy midrange and hypnotic bassline with a shrieking electronic siren’s call halfway through. The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds achieved a good sense of depth and separation that encouraged my feet to tap along with the beat.

It wasn’t all good. Yves Tumor’s Echolalia and DJ Shadow’s Nobody Speak had issues with a muddled midrange and indistinct vocals. While these tracks are very different, they share lower, more monotone vocals that stick behind the bass. But while this issue was noticeable, it didn’t ruin the experience.

Loading up a title like Cyberpunk 2077 or Diablo IV made it obvious the indistinct midrange was caused by bass that was turned up a bit more than the earbuds’ drivers can handle. Highs and lows had good distinction and were spatially separated, but details in the midrange — vocals and dialogue, in particular — were snowed under. 

The earbuds' strong highs and lows carried through to the gaming experience, and sounded especially good in those with great music — the tunes of Final Fantasy XIV’s zones and dungeons were a treat.

As for surround: 5.1 or 7.1 surround is not an option, so you’re limited to stereo. A Dolby sound test video showed the earbuds provided good stereo reproduction with distinct left, right, and center channels, but rear and height channels weren’t true to life. This was not unexpected given the specifications. And, to be fair, the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed performed better than many earbuds I’ve encountered. Just don’t expect the 360-degree aural experience found on some price-competitive gaming headsets.

Microphone of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed

The Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed has a fixed microphone, which is true of all earbuds. There’s no option to mute the microphone on the earbuds, though; it can only be silenced using software on a connected device. The earbuds include tap controls for receiving calls and increasing/decreasing the volume of calls, but no controls for increasing or decreasing the volume of the microphone. 

Audio quality from the microphone was strong — especially for earbuds. Your friends on Discord shouldn’t have trouble hearing you. While the sound could be a bit muffled, it preserved a bit of depth and bass and avoided the tinny, metallic quality often found on inexpensive microphones.

Ambient noise might be an issue, however. The microphone has noise canceling, but its physical location means it’s more likely to pick up nearby sounds. Even the tip-tap of a keyboard or click of a mouse came through in my testing. In short, plan on using push-to-talk — your friends are not going to be pleased if you roll with an open mic.

Features and Software of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed

Razer’s Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed offers the features typical of most wireless earbuds — and then some.

The earbuds can pair with up to two devices: one over Bluetooth 5.3 and one over Razer’s HyperSpeed 2.4GHz wireless. The low-latency HyperSpeed connection pairs with a dongle that’s included in the box, so it’s best for use with a PC or game console. To be honest, I could not detect any difference in latency between Bluetooth and HyperSpeed, but I did notice the HyperSpeed connection was stronger, allowing me to receive audio anywhere in my home. The Bluetooth connection cut out once I was a few rooms away, which is typical for Bluetooth audio devices in my home.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is included and offers three modes: ANC on, ANC Off, and Ambient. Razer’s ANC is unremarkable but functional. Low, repetitive noises, like a fan or air conditioner, were easily filtered away, but noises of a higher pitch, or irregular frequency, crept in. It’s not as good as what you’ll find on Apple’s AirPods Pro but still delivered a big decrease in ambient noise.

Ambient Mode failed to impress. It allowed clear, balanced sound to pass through, which was handy if someone pops in for a chat while you’re gaming. Unfortunately, it was accompanied by a distracting ambient hum, and some unpleasant or distant noises were significantly amplified. The roofers working on a house a block away suddenly teleported to my doorstep with Ambient mode turned on.

The ANC and Ambient Mode are joined with a layer of gamer-specific features, which include Gaming Mode (which blocks incoming calls when gaming over the HyperSpeed connection), customizable controls, and, of course, customizable lighting.

Most features are controlled through the sleek, attractive Razer Audio App, but some (such as ANC and Gaming Mode) also respond to a quick tap (or two, or three) of the earbuds. The app handles remapping of these controls, which is useful if you like a particular feature and crave easier access. 

I found the app quick and easier to use than the tap controls, however. Swiping open my phone to turn a feature on or off was much easier than remembering the exact finger-waggles and taps needed to achieve the same thing on the earbuds.

Battery Life of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed

The earbuds stash in a rounded charging case that’s extremely similar to Apple’s AirPods Pro — but in black instead of white. Razer wisely went for a matte finish on the charging case, so the fingerprints and grime that plague the earbuds are less apparent on the case itself. You can top off the charging case over USB-C or use a wireless charging pad.

Razer claims battery life is between 3 and 6 hours, depending on whether the lighting and ANC features are on or off. The charge case provides an additional 11 to 24 hours. That puts Razer behind the most popular wireless earbuds, like the Sony 100XM4 and Jabra Elite 3, and might be an issue for gamers who like to grind all day long. 

I typically play for no more than two hours at a stretch, though, so I only heard the low battery warning when I specifically didn’t charge it after use. In my tests, the earbuds managed almost four hours with lighting and ANC turned on.

Razer doesn’t get into specifics about charging speed, but the (optional) charging pad designed for use with the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed supports 10 watts of power, which suggests the earbuds receive at least that much when charged over USB-C. In my testing, the charging case received a full charge in roughly and hour and 30 minutes.

The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed’s overall battery performance is average but acceptable. Gamers who play all day will need to take a break to charge the earbuds — but that’s true if you’re using Razer’s competitors, too.

Bottom Line

Should gaming earbuds even be a thing?

That’s the question raised by Razer’s Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed. They’re a decent set of earbuds. Audio quality is good, ANC is functional, and the combination of Bluetooth and low-latency 2.4GHz wireless makes for easy connections with a wide variety of devices. 

Yet fundamental problems remain. The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed can’t provide the sonic oomph of a gaming headset, the microphone can’t filter out all ambient noise well enough to be left to its own devices, and the lack of virtual surround sound is notable. 

I can imagine scenarios where these earbuds make sense. Perhaps you’re a mobile gamer and just want to play on a smartphone, or you have multiple devices and appreciate the earbuds’ flexible wireless connection options. 

But the key issue is this: a lifestyle gaming headset such as Razer’s Barracuda Pro Wireless handily outperforms the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed in games (and music, and movies, and on Discord), and still gives you the device freedom you’re craving. Razer’s earbuds are decent value for a niche but difficult to recommend.

The wireless budget earbud market is almost comically overcrowded. A search of earbuds on Amazon reveals a dizzying barrage of no-name buds with lengthy feature lists that prove short on substance. 

HyperX’s attempt to muscle into this crowd with the Cirro Buds Pro, a set of budget earbuds priced at $79.99. Although sorta-kinda marketed towards gamers, the Cirro Buds Pro are better understood as budget day-to-day earbuds for use with a phone or tablet. They do this job reasonably well but don’t move audio quality, design, or features forward.

Design and Comfort

The HyperX Cirro Buds Pro are in-ear earbuds with a round plug shape that nestled nicely inside my ear. I found them comfortable — so much so that I sometimes forgot I was wearing them if I muted my tunes and forgot to resume them. They came with three earbud tip sizes, which is typical for most earbuds. I stuck with the “medium” tips installed from the factory.

The build quality and design of the Cirro Buds Pro left little else to remark on, however. They’re simple, plastic earbuds with a thoroughly conventional shape, adorned only by a subtle gloss-gray HyperX logo that barely contrasts against the surrounding matte black. 

Fashionable? Forget about it. The Cirro Buds Pro are the very definition of basic — in matte black, at least. HyperX also offers the earbuds in tan and blue. These add a bit of style, but the shape and design of the earbuds remains rather generic.

The earbuds are controlled with quick taps used to activate pairing, receive or end calls, and adjust audio modes. I found these controls a bit easier to use than on most earbuds, which I credit to their round, flat exterior surface. It was easy to feel out where your finger needed to land to activate the earbuds’ controls.

HyperX includes a charging case, which shares the earbuds’ functional approach. The case is flat — not rounded — across the top and bottom, and is less likely to slide off a table or desk. A bright LED on front shows the charging status. The case is charged via USB-C and does not support wireless charging.

There’s one more thing about the charging case I need to call out: its transparency — or, rather, lack thereof. HyperX’s product photography showed the case as transparent, and while it technically was, it appeared opaque in most indoor lighting. HyperX also sticks with a matte black charging case exterior even if you purchase the tan or blue earbuds (though a portion of the interior plastic does coordinate with the earbuds’ color).

Specs

Audio Performance

The HyperX Cirro Buds Pro feature 8mm dynamic drivers, but otherwise make few promises about sonic performance. In fact, HyperX’s marketing for the Cirro Buds Pro largely avoided talking about audio quality and instead focused on the earbuds’ features and battery life.

A quick tour through my audio sample tracks made the Cirro’s limitations clear. Boards of Canada’s New Seeds provided clear highs but largely obscured the subtle-yet-hypnotic bass. It was a similar story with Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero, where Swift’s vocals pierced through a thin lower-end. DJ Shadow’s Nobody Speak was especially disappointing: the bass was present but obscured, and the sudden appearance of the saxophones around the minute mark — normally one of my favorite moments — was yawn-worthy.

The lack of bass was the unifying theme, as Cirro’s 8mm driver was not up to task. For what it’s worth, the earbuds did manage to avoid the mistake of trying to compensate with overdriven bass that obscured and muddied the mid-range. There was at least some oomph present, which places the Cirro Buds Pro in front of the least-impressive budget earbuds. But the Cirro Buds Pro largely failed to do music justice. 

Gaming performance on the Cirro Buds Pro is best described as “usable.” The reasonably clear mid-range and crisp highs provided distinct, crisp dialogue, and the chirps and beeps of a typical in-game interface came through with ease. However, the lack of bass means=t dramatic and explosive scenes sound remote and wimpy. Cyberpunk 2077 lacked the cinematic heft and immersion it normally provides.

The Cirro Buds Pro are stereo-only — so surround was barely present. This was no surprise given the earbuds price, but it’s an issue for games — especially more recent, cinematic AAA games. I found the sound stage to be located clearly — and only — between my temples (a surround sound video confirmed this). Right, left, and center were distinct, but surround, rear, and height weren’t obvious. 

There is a silver lining: the earbuds have a versatile, balanced sound that didn’t annoy me. That’s not to be taken for granted in the sub-$100 earbud world. They also handled vocal audio well, so fans of podcasts, YouTube, and Tiktok will be pleased. But gamers shouldn’t mistake the HyperX branding on the Cirro Buds Pro as evidence of gaming chops — these are more suited to daily commutes than late-night esports.

Microphone

The HyperX Cirro Buds Pro have an omnidirectional microphone array with two microphones per earbud and built-in noise cancellation. Microphone quality was usable but unimpressive. Recorded audio was not too difficult to understand but had a flat, hollow quality and sounded a bit metallic at the edges. Nobody is going to mistake you for using a quality headset or a halfway-decent microphone if you take calls with the Cirro Buds Pro.

The mics feature “noise cancellation,” but I found this struggled to fit the bill. It canceled low, thumbing, predictable sounds, but would fail to obscure distant, brief sounds — such as a crow in a tree a few yards away, or the clickety-clack of a keyboard. The microphone will work for audio calls in a setting without too much ambient noise, but it’s a poor fit for an open mic on Discord — push-to-talk will prove mandatory. There’s also no way to mute the mic using the earbuds’ tap controls, so you’ll have to do any muting in an app used to record or transmit audio.

Features and Software

The HyperX Cirro Buds Pro have Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which, for some, may prove among its most alluring features. ANC isn’t guaranteed at the Cirro Buds Pro’s retail price of $79.99, though there are competitors, such as the Jabra Elite 4 and the EarFun Air Pro 3, which feature ANC and a similar price point.

ANC mode on the Cirro Buds Pro provided a moderate reduction in ambient noise and some reduction of quick, unpredictable noises. There’s a significant difference between the Cirro Buds Pro’s ANC and the ANC you’ll find on premium earbuds such as Apple’s AirPods Pro or Sony’s WF-1000XM, however. Noises that packed real punch — like a passing bus — muscled their way through with ease.

The ANC includes an Ambient Mode, which delivers ambient noises when you need to be audibly aware of your surroundings. I found the Ambient Mode tended to amplify distant and high-pitched sounds, which made the mode grating to use for any length of time. There’s also a Gaming Mode, which drops the Bluetooth connection into a low-latency mode and enables ANC. I didn’t notice any latency issues with these earbuds.

HyperX doesn’t offer a smartphone app for controlling the earbuds’ functions, so you’ll have to stick with tapping the earbuds to control them. This also means the controls can’t be customized, and there are relatively few functions available — if you want to mute a call or change the volume and your phone is inaccessible, you’re out of luck, as the earbuds can’t control these functions.

Battery Life

HyperX says the Cirro Buds Pro will hit up to four hours of battery life with ANC turned on, and up to seven hours with ANC turned off. The charging case stores an additional 35 hours of charge time. These are common figures for mid-range earbuds.

I found battery life to be similar to HyperX’s claims in my tests — the earbuds managed just under four hours with ANC turned on. I used the earbuds for a few hours daily, and the charging case powered more than a week of use for me.

The charging case charges via USB-C and does not support wireless charging. Topping off the charging case took around two and a half hours — again, these times are what I’d expect for modern, sub-$100 wireless earbuds.

Bottom Line

The HyperX Cirro Buds Pro are the earbud equivalent of popping by a grocery store to pick up ground beef: you pay for $80 worth of earbuds, and you get $80 worth of earbuds. No more. No less. If you’re looking for $80 earbuds, these are a fine choice — especially since they have ANC — but they don’t really stand out much from the oversaturated wireless earbud market.

Ultimately, it hinges entirely on price. The Cirro Buds Pro are a reasonable upgrade for shoppers eyeing extreme budget wireless earbuds (under $50). But if your budget is just a hair more, there isn’t really a reason to consider the Cirro Buds Pro. These earbuds remain in the minor leagues, despite their “Pro” monniker.

A new headphone concept by Olga Orel adds a whole new dimension to these popular (some would say essential) audio accessories. Dubbed the Futureahead headphones, this Behance-hosted "Future Nostalgia" product design mixes influences from retro-technology sources with the modern urge to integrate display panels into everything. The result is a set of cans that wouldn't look out of place in Cyberpunk 2077.

In the mix of product images shared by Orel, you can see a display covers almost the full extent of the ear cup exterior. The boxy shape of the ear cups would help any future manufacturer source an off-the-shelf display for this product.

Having displays hosted on your ears is of questionable merit, and we are therefore thankful that Orel seems to have thought about this question. According to the Futureahead headphone designer, the display will be useful for:

• Sharing your musical experience though album art
• Showing playlist, track information, or lyrics
• Showing music visualizations
• Showing user-configured videos or images
• Showing your feelings
• Device status display (volume, charging, battery, etc)

If you ever take public transportation, you will probably be aware that some people are keen to share the music they are listening to. The Futureahead headphone concept takes this type of conspicuous music consumption to another level with any kind of visuals you can imagine. However, building such a battery-sapping component into headphones for the dubious benefit of others will obviously mean you'll have to charge your square cans more often, unless you use them in wired mode, in which case they'll be sucking the juice from your phone or media player.

Orel shares some more technical specs for the Futureahead design. The headset will work in wired (USB-C) and Bluetooth wireless modes, it is envisioned. We also see that the ear cushions will be magnetically attached, allowing for easy replacements due to preferences or servicing. Some intuitive physical controls are included in the design, like a volume wheel, and a button to toggle the display on and off (that one is sure to be handy for when there's no one around to gawk at you). Outside of these physical controls, users will be expected to do much of the Futureahead headphone configuration via an app -- particularly for choosing and tweaking what is shown on the ear cup display.

Some readers may question the appeal of headphones with an ear cup display, especially those who think form should strictly follow function, and who appreciate minimal design. Even people who love PC frills like extraneous RGB lighting and integrated component displays might still question the worth of a display situated on one's ear. Meanwhile, those who are currently screaming 'take my money' for this product, will have to wait and see if a launch date / pricing emerges for this daringly different headset design.

For readers in the market for a more traditional set of headphones or headset, please check out our frequently updated Best PC Gaming Headsets 2023: Budget, Wired, and Wireless feature. Also, don't forget to invest in some essential audiophile computer equipment for the ultimate listening experience.

HyperX first launched the HyperX Cloud II eight years ago — and it’s been pretty popular since launch, which is why HyperX hasn’t launched a successor (though it has had some follow-ups, such as the Cloud II Wireless) until now. 

The HyperX Cloud III is a wired, over-ear gaming headset with a detachable boom microphone, and it’s actually a worthy update to HyperX’s core lineup of Cloud headsets. The Cloud III doesn’t look too different from the Cloud II, but HyperX has dropped the contrast stitching on the headband for a more upscale (and less aggressively gamer) aesthetic. The new headset comes in an all-black colorway as well as a black and red colorway, which features red forks and red logos on the earcups. 

The Cloud III is lightweight, comfortable, and has a similar sound profile to the other core Cloud headsets, such as the Cloud II Wireless and the Cloud Alpha — which was our top pick for best gaming headset until it was dethroned by the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro a year ago. Perhaps the most appealing thing about the Cloud III is its $99.99 price point, which is very budget-friendly given its build and sound quality.

Design and Comfort of the Cloud III

The HyperX Cloud III is a wired, closed back, over-ear headset with a detachable boom microphone. The Cloud III retains the general aesthetic of its predecessor, the Cloud II (and HyperX’s entire Cloud lineup), but it’s definitely been refined and it has a sleeker,  more premium look — though it comes in the standard HyperX launch colorways of black and black/red (our review unit was black).

The Cloud III has a steel headband with aluminum forks that curve toward the earcups, and a padded leatherette headband with single-piece plastic buckles. The headband still sports a debossed HyperX text logo along the top, but doesn’t have the bright contrast stitching of the Cloud II (or the Cloud II Wireless, or the Cloud Alpha). 

The Cloud III’s earcups aren’t significantly smaller than those of the Cloud II, but they’re a bit more contoured and slightly angled for fit. HyperX’s “HX” logo is still on each earcup, but is smaller and more subtle on the black colorway — printed in dark gunmetal gray rather than bright silver. Don’t worry, if you want a more eye-catching headset; the black/red colorway features bright red aluminum forks and red HX logos on the earcups.

HyperX claims the Cloud III delivers “unmatched comfort,” which is a bold claim but one that’s not entirely unwarranted — the Cloud III is extremely comfortable. It’s on the lighter side of average for a gaming headset, weighing 10.86oz (308g) including the cord (but without the boom mic, which adds 0.42oz/12g). 

This is about the same as the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), which weighs 11.29oz (320g), a little over half an ounce lighter than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, which weighs 11.96oz (339g), and heavier than the Logitech G735, which weighs 9.6oz (273g). It’s on par with the other headsets in HyperX’s Cloud lineup, however, which is a little curious, as the Cloud III is wired and doesn’t have a battery. But the HyperX Cloud II Wireless is actually lighter — 10.9oz (309g) with the mic attached; the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is slightly heavier at 11.81oz (335g) with the mic attached, but it also boasts a 300-hour battery life. 

The Cloud III’s weight isn’t an issue when it comes to comfort, though. The headset somehow has the perfect clamping force — relatively low but just high enough to keep the headset from falling off if you tilt your head back. Its clamping force feels slightly stronger than the Arctis Nova Pro’s and the G735’s — both of which are extremely comfortable and also fall off my head when I look up about 65% of the time. 

The Cloud III also has plush leatherette-covered memory foam earpads, which are slightly larger and thicker than its predecessor’s and feel great. This is definitely one of those headsets that’s easy to forget you’re wearing. The memory foam is soft enough that it won’t bother glasses-wearers, either.

The Cloud III is relatively adjustable: the earcups tilt and are independently height-adjustable; they don’t pivot but the forks allow for some lateral movement and the headband is very flexible. The earcups’ height adjustment is notched, with nine steps, and each earcup can extend an extra 1.5 inches (38mm). The headband is also leatherette-covered and padded with memory foam. The leatherette looks and feels very premium, and the headset definitely looks like it costs more than $100. 

The headset has two on-ear controls — a volume wheel on the right earcup, and a microphone mute button on the left earcup (which also houses the 3.5mm mic port). The volume wheel is just a volume wheel — smooth, un-clickable, The mute button is small but easy to press (and find, as it’s the only button), and there’s a red mute indicator LED located on the microphone itself. It’s relatively bright, but it could be slightly brighter for when the microphone is positioned at the edge of your vision. I like this feature a lot: it’s one of the more useful ways to indicate mute status, in my opinion, although my favorite is a physical flip-to-mute (most recently seen in the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro).

The Cloud III has a four-foot (1.2m) non-detachable analog cable with a 4-pole 3.5mm headset jack, as well as a 4.27-foot (1.3m) USB-C dongle cable. The dongle has a 3.5mm port for the headset’s analog jack,  (as well as a USB-C to USB-A adapter), which you can plug the headset’s analog jack into for a total cord length of 8.25 feet (2.5m). The Cloud II’s accessories include a mesh carrying bag and velour replacement earpads; the Cloud III doesn’t come with either of these, which is too bad — while I prefer leatherette to velour earpads for passive noise cancellation, it’s always nice to have options.

Specs

Audio Performance of the Cloud III

At a glance, the Cloud III’s specs do not look wildly different from the Cloud II’s. Like the Cloud II, the Cloud III sports 53mm dynamic drivers, which are slightly larger than most of the competition (40 - 50mm) but still only around half the size of Audeze’s planar magnetic drivers in the Audeze LCD-GX and the Audeze Maxwell, as well as HyperX’s own Cloud Orbit S. They’re not the same drivers found in the Cloud II — HyperX says the Cloud III’s drivers have been redesigned to deliver “accurate, smooth, and detailed sound by directing audio into the ears at a more optimal position.”

The Cloud III’s re-engineered drivers have a frequency response range of 10 - 21,000 Hz — slightly wider than the average gaming headset (20 - 20,000 Hz), but slightly narrower than the Cloud II (10 - 23,000 Hz). (Frequency response is only one aspect of audio; a wider frequency response range isn’t automatically better.) I can tell these are redesigned drivers (versus brand-new), as the Cloud III has a similar — refined, but similar — sound profile to the Cloud II Wireless (which has a refined-but-similar sound profile to the wired Cloud II). 

The Cloud III has an excellent bass response, which is deep and powerful, and can be felt even in the lower ranges where it can’t be heard. The kick drum at the beginning of Lorde’s Royals wasn’t as detailed on the Cloud III as it was on higher-end headsets, but the synth bass was present and clean. 

The headset’s mids are slightly restrained — enough to be noticeable in Enya’s Orinoco Flow, but not so much in songs that stick closer to the midrange, such as K-391’s Lonely World. Highs, on the other hand, are slightly turned up — the high-pitched strings at the beginning of Britney Spears’ Toxic were at the cusp of being painfully bright. 

Overall, the Cloud III’s sound profile was more balanced than you might expect (given the powerful bass). Listening to music on this headset was pleasant, but it’s not a headset I would grab for that purpose — the soundstage was a little narrow and the dynamics were disappointing compared to more audiophile-leaning headsets, such as the Audeze Maxwell.

Gaming on the Cloud III sounded quite good, though the DTS surround sound was either so subtle as to make no difference — or just not working. Directional sound was still pretty good, but it wasn’t quite the virtual surround sound experience I was expecting. The headset offered plenty of well-layered detail in games like Subnautica: Below Zero and Uncharted 4. The headset is compatible with Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo’s Switch via USB (it’s compatible with Microsoft’s Xbox via analog only). I plugged it into my PlayStation 5 and fired up God of War: Ragnarok (a game I’m playing through very slowly via headset reviews), and the headset’s detail didn’t disappoint. It wasn’t quite as immersive with its narrower soundstage, but the excellent fit and lack of sound leakage helped a lot.

Microphone of the Cloud III

The Cloud III has a detachable 10mm boom microphone, which HyperX claims has improved clarity over the Cloud II’s 6mm boom microphone. The Cloud III’s microphone features a condenser capsule with a unidirectional polar pattern, built-in noise-canceling, and an internal mesh pop filter. It sits at the end of a flexible three-inch (76.2mm) gooseneck arm, which feels very well-made and sturdy. Just to the left of the microphone is a red mute indicator LED that lights up when the mic is muted from the headset.

The Cloud III’s microphone sounds... fine. Yep, that’s it — just fine. My voice sounded full enough - though definitely not broadcast quality — and the microphone’s noise-canceling did a decent job of removing background noise (I have several very loud PC case fans) without distorting or thinning out my voice. The microphone has a relatively low recording volume — an issue we also saw with the Cloud II Wireless). It wasn’t too bad, but it was definitely on the softer side, even with the input gain dialed up to the max.

Moving the microphone closer to my mouth helped with the low recording volume, but made my speaking voice sound fuzzy (understandably; the mic was way too close). Luckily the built-in pop filter did a pretty good job of keeping the plosives at bay — even when I was far, far too close to the mic. The mic did pick up some sibilance at any distance, however, and I was also getting some surprisingly loud blips when I pressed the mute button. Because the mute button is a physical button, it’s normal to hear something, but these were unusually loud (especially considering the mic’s low recording volume).

When I asked my colleagues how I sounded on the Cloud III, they couldn’t tell I’d switched headsets (to be fair, I switch headsets with alarming frequency, and my colleagues are almost certainly sick of my asking how I sound every single day). They said I sounded “About the same? Probably?” — which is better than saying I sounded terrible, I suppose. The Cloud III’s microphone isn’t that bad, it’s just not that good, either. No headset microphone will make you sound as good as one of the best standalone gaming microphones, but the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) comes pretty close.

Features and Software of the Cloud III 

The Cloud III “works” with HyperX’s universal peripheral software NGENUITY, which is — shockingly — kind of a mess. It had trouble detecting the Cloud III about 50% of the time — it’s possible this is a pre-release bug, but I’m not confident that’s the case as I’ve had issues with NGENUITY detecting peripherals before.

Once you get NGENUITY to recognize the headset, you can change a handful of settings — many of which seem to do virtually nothing. (If all of them do virtually nothing, however, that means NGENUITY hasn’t really recognized the headset and you’ll need to unplug it or restart NGENUITY or find a new computer or something.) At the moment there are only two settings that seem to really make a difference, and those are the volume slider and the microphone slider. The volume slider is largely unnecessary as it controls system volume; the microphone slider controls input gain, which ranges from “unintelligible whisper” to “still a little quiet.”

There’s a toggle for mic monitoring, DTS Spatial Sound, and the equalizer, but none of these features appear to work as of this writing. I spent far too long toggling the Spatial Sound and EQ while straining to hear even the subtlest of differences, and I can confidently say that they’re just...not there. I’m not sure if this is a pre-release issue that will be fixed at launch, or if it’s something with my test unit/my PC (though I did try it on multiple PCs, including one stripped of other peripheral software, just in case, and nothing worked), or if it’s something that HyperX will fix in the future.

Bottom Line

HyperX has spent eight years riding on the success of its Cloud II headset, and the Cloud III is an excellent update — it retains most of the features people love about the Cloud II while improving build quality, comfort, and audio (somewhat). Its sound profile is relatively balanced, but has some issues in the higher mids and highs (the Cloud II had some very inconsistent highs, however, so the Cloud III has definitely improved, here). It also has a new microphone, which has some quirks but is fine for chatting with friends and teammates.

The Cloud III is one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve worn — I quickly forgot I was wearing it. And it looks and feels like it costs a lot more than its $99.99 asking price, with its premium leatherette padded earcups and aluminum forks. It’s not the cheapest headset on the market, but it’s definitely one of the best deals — SteelSeries’ Arctis Nova 1 and Razer’s BlackShark V2 X both retail for $59.99, and do not look anywhere near as high-end as the Cloud III.