Topic: Gaming headsets

I’m currently looking to buy a new headset to replace my aging Astro A40s, after 3-4 years of daily usage it’s now starting to fall apart with the headband snapped and wires sometimes playing up. I’m looking to go wireless this time and I have a budget of no more than £300. Atm I’m looking at the Astro A50 Wireless 7.1 Green Gaming Headset for Xbox One which is £280, I’ll also be using it on the PS4 but I only play the PS4 for single player exclusives so really I want the mic to work on XB1 for chat.

Has anyone got these or know of any other headset which are better? I’m just wanting the best overall headset since I’m willing to pay a lot I’m expecting to get my monies worth. I play games from across different genres so I’m not just looking for a competitive headset for games like CoD, BF, PUBG etc just to hear foot steps and bullets from different angles, although that would be a plus since I play those games quite a lot.

@MaccaMUFC you can't use Astro a50 xbox version on playstation and vice versa, you have to buy two separate headphones. Just so you know. For how much they cost, I don't think they're worth it. My friend had two of them, one for playstation one for Xbox and for the money he paid, I wasn't impressed at all.

£300 on a pair of gaming headphones! 😲 That is an awful lot of money!

@NecuVise You can still use the Astro A50 Xbox version on a PS4, you’d only need to just plug in the optical cable then your good to go, it’s just the mic wouldn’t be compatible on the PS4 but like I said I only play single player exclusives so it’s not a problem for me. I’ve been looking at the Turtle Beach Elite 800X, those are £100 less than the A50 at £180 but I’ve never had a Turtle Beach headset before and I’ve heard their headsets are not comfortable to wear. Also with headsets you really do get what you pay for, get a £30-£40 headset and they are not going to be any where near the level of quality than a pair of headsets that are £200+. Do you know of any wireless headsets that are better than the A50 and Elite 800X in terms of overall quality?

@JohnnyShoulder Yeah it is a lot of money for just a headset but I don’t smoke, drink excessively, do any kind of drugs, gamble, don’t go out on the town every weekend. Without making myself sound like a complete bore, I do work, look after my family and go for a drink or two with some pals now and again but when I’m not wasting money on stuff I just said I don’t do, it’s nice to treat myself now and again 😁

@MaccaMUFC if you don't need a microphone, then you will get immensely better sound if you go for dedicated headphones from brands like sennheiser, bose, audio technica etc. Gaming headsets are overpriced and don't have really good sound while being overpriced at the same time, so my sincere suggestion is to just go with audio headphones from some well known brands. Google will surely give you some good recommendations. Don't waste your money on gaming headsets.

@MaccaMUFC Fair enough, it's your money. I'm the same, minus the family. Just seems a lot to spend on a peripheral for a console which costs just as much as the console.

@NecuVise I did as you suggested and came across the Plantronics Rig 800LX, it’s a gaming headset but Plantronics have only just branched out into the gaming sector in recent years. Apparently Neil Armstrong used a pair of their headphones when he landed on the moon!

The Rig 800LX supports Dolby Atmos and is currently priced at £128 but I’m a firm believer with the saying “you get you pay for” when it comes to headsets so that low price compared to the A50s £280 price tag is making me have doubts.

@MaccaMUFC I recommended you some recognized brands. Don't look into gaming headsets, look into good audio headphones and you'll end with some amazing products. There are many unsatisfied ASTRO a50 owners.

Take a look at this list and see if there's something for you:
https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-wireless-headphones/amp?es...

@MaccaMUFC Some of the costs of Astro's are to give freebies out to competitive (eSports) gamers and, if you are interested, it maybe worth checking out some gamers on youtube reviews as they often have a 5% or more discount code too. The gamers get money too so that also adds to the cost to the consumer.

Wireless too adds to the cost and the rechargeable batteries, mini amps and sound processors that 'boost' footsteps add to the cost. Sound for Sound - as in audio quality without 'boosting' footsteps or bass (or reducing the sound elsewhere to make footsteps stand out more), often a wired headset plugged straight into the controller is just as good, if not better because the Audio isn't affected by interference from wireless frequencies. I had to stop using my TB Elite 800 stealth as the audio would intermittently cut out or hiss because my wireless house phone, wireless laptop etc were in close proximity.

Its up to you of course, your money but you could try Lucidsounds, Plantronics or HyperX - not sure which models work on both PS4 and Xbox, which may be totally wireless on one or the other and which offer Atmos too but these can be £100-200 and as good, if not better than the A50's...

@BAMozzy I just want the best overall headset in terms of audio & build quality, comfort and decent battery life and preferably with a charging docking station. I’ve only ever owned 3 headsets, Tritton Pro+, Tritton Warhead 7.1 and the Astro A40 + mix amp which I’m currently using but wanting to replace.

At first I was more interested in the Plantronics RIG 800X as it is compatible with Dolby Atmos but there’s only about 10 Xbox One games that support Atmos and correct me if I’m wrong but buying the Atmos app already makes it compatible with which ever headset you own?

I’ve read some reviews across different sites and forums that say people who have had TBs and Astros that the Rig 800X sound on par or even better than TB’s Elite Pro/800 and Astro’s A50.

I appreciate NecuVise recommending me other branded headphones like Sennheiser, Audio-Techica etc but those aren’t build for games in mind, do they even have true 7.1 surround sound? I can tell I need some time to research which headset/headphones I really want.

@MaccaMUFC well you said your aren't looking for a headset oriented to cod, bf competitive side so if there are others offering better sound overall but not simulated 7.1, then why not go for that? definitely do the research on the internet, try some of those on the link I provided you and compare. Sound for sound gaming headsets are not even close. If you could buy headphones from a place where you can return them if not satisfied, then you could buy these audio headphones and try them. If you don't like it then return them and buy gaming headset.

@MaccaMUFC I think this deserves it own post.

If you're undecided and want some professional opinions, I'd suggest looking at rtings.com as they have a dedicated section from headphones and there are lots of reviewed headphones, including gaming ones, and their reviews are very technical, so I think that would be your best source of information.

@MaccaMUFC If you own the Atmos App, then any Atmos headset will offer Atmos. Some I know come with Atmos codes to 'purchase' the app but you obviously won't need that. All headsets simulate Atmos, 7.1 etc as they only have 1 speaker in each side. Atmos itself can use 10 speakers - the usual 5.1 surround sound set up but also top (ceiling or upward firing) front left & right and rear left & right to get the overhead spatial audio. Headsets simulate this with just 2 speakers.

At the end of the day, whether they come with Atmos codes or not, they still work for Atmos, Windows Sonic and 7.1 too and cheaper than A50's. Whether the A50's are worth that much more or not, you will have to decide but I was trying to show you can get decent wireless Atmos enabled headsets for a lot less money - maybe even buy 1 for each console for the price of A50's if they don't work on both - although most do say compatible with both but to what degree, I don't know. Ideally you want to get the best audio (7.1 on Sony and Atmos on Xbox) without compromising. on one or the other.

I am sure youtube has reviews of headsets too and like @NecuVise says, so does RTINGs and other websites. I was just trying to point out that you may get a great headset by looking beyond Astro or Turtle Beach for less money. If Astro's can give you a discount and still give money to a youtuber, then they are more expensive than they should be...

@BAMozzy I do own the Atmos app and the Plantronics headsets are the only ones I’ve come across that are compatible with Atmos. I’ve been reading more into the RIG 800LX and because they work with Atmos, apparently you can hear footsteps/noises when directly above or below you unlike in other headsets. Reading further on I found this only happens in games that support Atmos like Gears of War, AC Origins and among only 8 other games. Also Atmos isn’t just exclusive to the Plantronics, buying the Atmos app it works with any other headsets.

After reading many reviews on Plantronics website from people who’ve bought the RIG 800LX quite a lot of them have said they wouldn’t look back at Turtle Beach and Astro again after using the 800LX saying they sound either on par or better at less than half the cost. The only thing that’s bothering me is that it comes with a usb dongle that is only compatible with Xbox One, I don’t think it will work at all with the PS4 or TV, would have to buy the 800HS model but I’m not buying 2 headsets for 2 different consoles, would rather buy one that was compatible with both. I am using my Astro A40 right now and they work fine so I could possibly just use them for the PS4 and TV and then the 800LX for just the Xbox One.

Basically I’ve come dow to either the Plantronics 800LX (£120) or Turtle Beach Elite 800X (£180), definitely not getting the Astro A50 at £280. It’s a right carry on deciding which headset I want but I don’t just want to rush buying one then regretting it.

@BAMozzy @NecuVise If you were in the market for a new wireless headset/headphone mainly for Xbox One and PS4 with a budget of £300 which would you go for? I mean any, not just the two I’m deciding on.

@MaccaMUFC To be honest, I haven't done the research but Plantronics certainly isn't the only Atmos headset - Razer make one I believe (Thresher) and a lot of people seem to rate the HyperX Headset too but U haven't really looked into which ones work with both PS4 and Xbox and which if any offers the best audio on both - not stereo on one and 7.1/atmos on the other or can't use the Mic.

If I was buying for Xbox, I would probably look at the Plantronics but I wouldn't touch the TB as the sound isn't great. If the A40's work well (enough) with the PS4, maybe i would focus more on getting the 'best' Xbox headset I can £ for £ and the Plantronics one does seem to be excellent for the price. If you buy Online, you can always send it back and get your money back too. You get more buyers protection online...

@MaccaMUFC I'm type of a guy who researches for days or even weeks before I buy something and that's what I'd do here also, as I want to get best for my money, especially when I'm giving a large sum for something like you are (300 gbp is a lot for headphones). Hence, I cannot answer you as I'd have to research a lot before coming to a conclusion I may have sounded like I'm against a50 but that's mainly because I think gaming headsets are not worth the price you'd pay for them.

@BAMozzy @NecuVise I think I’m almost settled on getting the Plantronics, though I wouldn’t actually be buying them till next week. But there is one thing that’s bothering me.

While I’ve been on rtings.com checking their opinions on headsets they’ve tested, I’ve came across comments from the team members from the site who say they don’t review or test headphones with surround sound capabilities... what is the point of writing in-depth reviews of headphones if they are not testing them fully and at their best? Seems strange to me. Here is someone who commented with a question I’ve been thinking about myself but the response was they don’t review or test headphones with surround sound...

...”This, and many other headsets claim surround sound, in various forms. When the source doesn’t support surround sound such as the Dolby Atmos or Windows Sonic, does it simply default to stereo sound? For instance: in my Xbox one headphone audio settings, I can choose between stereo, Windows sonic and Dolby Atmos. If I choose Dolby Atmos, and the game doesn’t support Atmos, does it downgrade to Stereo sound, or does it create some sort of quasi surround sound? Is Windows Sonic the same idea as Atmos, in that respect?”

I’m confused because I’ve not seen the RIG 800LX advertised as having either 7.1 surround sound or stereo, is Dolby Atmos it’s own version of surround sound? Or is this just simply a stereo headset simulating Atmos?

@MaccaMUFC https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comments/6d1rd5/dolby_atmos_... have you read this? I would expect headsets that can offer Atmos to also deliver Windows Sonic, 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound depending on the audio the game uses. It won't or shouldn't default to just stereo. No headset is 'locked' to just Atmos and you can switch back and forth between Atmos and Windows Sonic. If it can 'do' Atmos, it can do Windows Sonic, 7.1, 5.1 etc depending on the source.

For peace of mind, you could try messaging Plantronics (or an owner) and ask what happens with games that don't offer Atmos. I think the emphasis on Atmos is because its a 'known' brand and comes with a code for the App where as Windows Sonic is free. From what I have read though, it seems Atmos is better for movies and Sonic for games...

@BAMozzy I’ve finally came to a conclusion and now I’m 100% settling with a pair of Lucidsound, either the LS35X or the LS41. The LS35X are fully wireless for Xbox One with Stereo, Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos, these were only released 2 months ago, are £200 and can be used on with the PS4. The LS41 are wireless but for Xbox One you need a chat cable running from the headset to the controller which is included with the headset, this is no problem for me. These will have 7.1 DTS Headphone:X Surround Sound. The thing is these are not out till the 31st this month apparently but Lucidsound did delay the LS35X for a whole year... Not sure I can wait much longer than past January for this LS41.

The reason I’m choosing Lucidsound over Plantronics is because the Rig 800LX only have Dynamic 40mm drivers opposed to Lucidsound’s custom tuned 50mm drivers with Neodymium magnets and the fact Lucidsound have a reputation of producing top quality headphones and I’ve heard nothing but good things about them and their products but also I’ve heard nothing but good things about Plantronics 800lx too. It’s just I’ve been reading comments from owners of the 800lx who say that the bass distort even at mid volume and to sort it you’d have to turn the chat volume all the way up to where it mutes the game sound, then turn the chat volume down to just where the game sound gets unmuted, then the bass sounds better... That alone put me off the 800lx. On my Astro mixamp pro I’ve always had the game volume on max and chat completely off to get the most out of the sounds in-game.

Now I need to figure out which would be better Windows Sonic & Dolby Atmos or 7.1 DTS Headphone:X, I’ve never heard/used any of them, been hearing 5.1 surround sound for the past 4 years.

@MaccaMUFC I am sure I mentioned checking out the Lucidsounds...

Anyway, glad you found the headset for you. I thought the Plantronics had 50mm drivers too - maybe that was a different model. At the end of the day, you have to go for the set that right for you so hope you are happy with them when you get them...