If you love playing games but there are other people in the house/office that would rather not be subjected to the sounds of your speakers cranked up to 11, then you should invest in a pair of gaming headsets.
But which are the ones to buy? Here, we've taken a look at five of the best gaming headsets for 2011.
1. Sony DR-GA500 - �100
Web: www.sony.co.uk
Sony seems to have taken a leaf out of the Mass Effect design book with its headphones, which look like something Commander Shepard would wear while bouncing around the galaxy.
They're designed specifically for PC gamers, and they ship with a relatively large digital signal processing unit, which connects to your sound card or USB port. I'm not convinced by the ability of a stereo connector to deliver a 7.1 channel output, as Sony claims.
According to Sony's blurb the unit narrows the sound field, too, so that subtle sounds such as footsteps are enhanced whereas explosions are muted. It wasn't a hugely noticeable effect, though.
The DSP box of tricks is impressive, but you would probably be better off investing in a decent sound card and headphones for the money. What's more they're not hugely comfortable, especially when you feel your skull crack slightly upon putting them on.
Verdict: 63%
2. Logitech G930 - �132
Web: www.logitech.com
Logitech's headset has rapidly become my favourite cans of all time and not without reason: It's a wireless headset that actually works. The sound is incredibly clear and expansive, with subtle bass and a nice wide treble.
The technology of Logi has actually managed to get surround sound working on it, as well. They're rather weighty, but even weight distribution means that they are never uncomfortable.
Like Microsoft's Sidewinder, they can be charged while you're using them, and unplugged when they're full.
There are a couple of minor issues, however. The buttons on the side only occasionally seem to let you control Windows media centre, and the sound sometimes cuts out for a few seconds very.
Other than that, though, this is a pair of cans that actually deserves the high price tag. If you can afford them, you can't afford to miss them.
Verdict: 90%
3. Sennheiser PC333D - �100
Web: www.sennheiser.com
USB soundcards are all the rage these days, and every headset in our round-up comes with one. Sennheiser's is the of the smallest of the bunch, consisting of a mere switch to enable Dolby, and the ubiquitous mic-in and headphone-in ports.
The headset itself is comfortable to wear, and one of the cups handily bends back at an angle so you can actually hear what's going on in the real world. A nice tight fit means that background noise isn't too much of a distraction, and the mic is clear and doesn't pick up too much ambient chatter.
The only problem is that at �100 these are massively overpriced for what they offer. All the steel-looking bits are actually plastic, the cable is low-grade and that USB sound card can't have cost much over �10 to make.
If they were about �60 they'd be worth picking up, but at the moment they're simply too expensive.
Verdict: 82%
4. Sharkoon XTatic - �106
Web: www.sharkoon.com
This is a bit of an oddity from Sharkoon. These cans are marketed as a headset suitable for both consoles and PCs, provided they have SPDIF optical audio outputs. It takes the optical output, and converts it into 7.1 sound before chucking it out to the headphones.
It sounds like a great idea on paper, but my PC - and most in PCF towers - don't have optical outputs. They have digital coaxial out, yes, but there's no option to connect Sharkoon's headsets via that popular format. You can connect it via USB, but it seemed to merely generate a crackly mono signal. A totally missed opportunity from Sharkoon, then.
As comfortable and well-made as the headphones are, if there's no way to connect them to a 3.5mm jack or coaxial source, they're going to be fairly useless to most PC gamers. Unless you buy a sound card, which kind of negates the point.
Verdict: 57%
5. Creative Sound Blaster Tactic - �54
Web: www.creative.com
PC Format magazine was filled with high hopes for Creative's latest headset attempt. It was a chance for the sound expert to redeem itself after its risible WoW headset. After all, its Fatal1ty headset is still going strong and still sounds great.
The Tactic 3Ds are the cheapest in our test and they do feel slightly plasticky. There's the unusual decision to hollow out the 'phones, which means that putting them on is akin to holding a seashell to each ear. It means that certain background noises - such as clacking keyboards - are weirdly accentuated and echo.
The mic isn't great, either, and it didn't generate a very high volume. Installing software usually sorts these problems out, but Creative's Control Panel failed to do anything other than crash.
A shame, because these are the most bargalicious cans on test, and THX approval actually counts for quite a lot - when it works.
Verdict: 76%
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/gaming-news/~3/DnURKuMpOTc/story01.htm
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