In recent decades, the number of people who are addicted to video games and eSports has been growing. The virtual world is becoming an increasingly significant part of the real world every year. It is not surprising that the role of technical devices is also growing, allowing a person to feel in the game not even at home , but rather, as in an improved version of reality.

These devices, without a doubt, include gaming headphones. With all the richness of choice, music headphones cannot fully replace gaming headphones, as they solve somewhat different tasks. For high-quality gaming headphones, in particular, such a characteristic as the ability to position sound is very important, that is, the accuracy of transmitting the direction to the sound source to the listener and estimating the distance to it. Also, gaming headphones are favorably distinguished by an increased ability to detail sounds: different sounds, even if they sound at the same time, for example, a game explosion of a grenade and a shot, should not “clog” each other.

In addition, for gaming headsets, the presence of a directional microphone is of particular importance, which allows you to communicate without interference with your game partners. The requirements for ensuring comfort and convenience for the user are also increasing, because staying in virtual reality sometimes drags on for very, very long hours.

This means that a player who chooses modern high-quality gaming headphones not only wins in comfort, feels the overall atmosphere of the game more fully, but also, with some experience, gets noticeable advantages in it. Therefore, we will try to further answer the question of how to choose gaming headphones and what characteristics should be guided by in the selection process.

Types of gaming headphones

The main types of gaming headphones are in-ear and overhead headphones.

Intracanal so-called because they are small in size for insertion directly into the ear canal. They should not be confused with the cheapest and simplest in-ear headphones that resemble a pill or a button. The latter do not fit well in the ear, have poor noise isolation and, as a rule, a short cord, which is why they should not be seriously considered as headphones for gamers.

Noise isolation of in-ear headphones for games due to a snug fit to the surface of the ear canal is much better than in-ear headphones. However, they do not fit perfectly in the ear, they can slip out, which interferes with the game. And in terms of sound quality – due to the small size of the inserted porous part – such headphones are usually inferior to overhead gaming headphones. Their only advantage is that they are cheaper.

On-ear headphones are placed over the ear and may differ in the size of the ear pads, that is, the pads adjacent to the ears. If the user’s ear is completely covered by the ear cushion, then they are talking about full-size on-ear headphones. For games, it is preferable to use full-size headphones, as they do not disturb the blood circulation on the surface of the ear and put less pressure on the head, which is very important during long gaming sessions. The size of the membrane of the on-ear headphones provides a greater range of reproducible frequencies. Yes, and on the head they also hold much better than intracanal ones due to the arc fastening.

On-ear headphones can be open or closed. Sometimes a half-open (half-closed) type intermediate between them is distinguished. The back side of the cup of the closed earpiece has no holes, so the sound resonates better in them, the bass sounds deeper, the sound isolation is impeccable. The disadvantage may be the appearance of discomfort and headache during a long game – the increased sound pressure on the ears affects.

The back side of the cup of an open earpiece is completely open or slightly covered with a mesh with many pores. Therefore, the pressure on the ears is minimal, the sound quality, with the exception of the bass, is very good, but the sound isolation is poor. Consequently, game sounds can be heard by others, and real-world noises can be distracting to the player. However, the volume of game sound is provided in open headphones even better than in closed ones.

The compromise is the use of full-size semi-closed headphones, in which the back of the cup has only a few small holes: such an intermediate design softens the disadvantages of fully closed or open models.

Monitor headphones can also be attributed to the varieties of overhead headphones of a closed type. They have good sound insulation and a minimum of distortion in sound transmission. However, these are usually bulky and very expensive professional or semi-professional models. Their primary use is for maximum control when recording or editing sound. Therefore, game sounds, for example, those responsible for creating a game atmosphere, often do not sound in them as intended by the game developers. And the use of such models as game models can rarely be justified.

What characteristics to look for when choosing headphones

When choosing headphones for the game, you should consider the characteristics of various kinds.

First of all, these are the parameters specified in the documentation, on which the quality and volume of sound directly depend.

Sensitivity is one of the relative parameters that affect the volume of sound reproduction in headphones. The optimal values ​​for headphones are in the range from 90 to 120 dB.

Resistance, or impedance, is a parameter that also affects playback volume. Headphones with an impedance of 32-40 ohms are suitable for connecting to a computer. With higher impedance, headphones can be used if an external audio amplifier is available.

Power is a characteristic that affects sound quality and richness. Traditionally, the allowable power range is from 1 to 5000 mW. If the recommended values ​​are exceeded, the headphones may fail.

Frequency range. The human ear is able to hear sound waves with frequencies ranging from approximately 18 Hz to 20 kHz. If the frequency range of the headphones is even wider, this indicates that the frequencies of the audible range will be reproduced better.

Frequency response – a graph of the frequencies reproduced by this model. By the form of the graph, one can draw a conclusion about the presence or absence of dips in the quality of the output signal at low, medium or high frequencies.

The degree of sound distortion, or the coefficient of non-linear distortion. This characteristic is measured in percent. The smaller this parameter, the better. Values ​​in the range from 0.5% to 2% are considered normal, while greater distortion is acceptable for low frequencies than for high ones.

Support for surround sound technologies such as 5.1 or 7.1.

Noise Reduction : Few models have this feature. Noise-canceling gaming headphones are known to be quality devices. At the same time, some users, who usually have a weakened vestibular apparatus, do not tolerate the active noise reduction system well, and headaches can often occur.

Such a characteristic of gaming headphones as isolation from external sounds, or passive noise reduction, is largely determined by the material from which the ear pads are made. So, ear pads made of soft or foam materials show the highest sound insulation parameters. And of course, closed full-size models lead in terms of sound insulation efficiency.

Among the most important parameters of gaming headphones are their ergonomic characteristics. Since a player sometimes “freezes” in headphones for half a day or more, not only his gaming achievements, but even his health can depend on their convenience and comfort.

In the case of overhead gaming headphones, an important parameter is the method of fixing the headphones on the head.

The most common variant are the bow-mounted models held in place by a headband . In them, the arc connecting the left and right cups goes around the head from above. If the headband is too tight and presses hard on the temporal zone, then after a while the player may feel a headache, experience nausea.

Another option for attaching headphones is using the occipital arch . In it, the cups are connected by a light bow resting on the back of the head.

There are models that use hooks for fastening , which cling to the auricles like the temples of glasses. Such designs are inconvenient for people using glasses. Yes, and the weight of the headphones with this type of attachment is severely limited.

Whatever type of headphones the player chooses and whatever characteristics are specified in the documentation, the final decision, if possible, should be made after a trial use of the model.

An extremely useful additional option is the presence of a volume control in the headphones. Moreover, it is desirable that it was possible to adjust the sound without removing the headphones and without being distracted from the game.

Part of modern gaming headsets is a built-in microphone. Especially often the microphone is used to communicate in online games in order to coordinate interaction with other players. In this case, the microphone can be circular, or it can be directional. Directional microphones are convenient because the recipient hears exactly what the player is saying, and background noise is mostly cut off. Another important parameter is the recording range of the microphone. Noise reduction systems, sensitivity controls, and so on can also be built into modern microphones.

As with other types of equipment, the prestige of the gaming headset manufacturer should be taken into account. The products of a company with a reputation for reliability are highly likely to stand out for their excellent build quality. The cost of such models exceeds the average market, however, they will serve for a long time and will not require urgent replacement soon. Which will ultimately save the player money.

Wired vs Wireless Gaming Headphones

Speaking about the ergonomics of the headphones, it is worth dwelling in more detail on such a parameter as the type of connection to the sound source.

In wired models, you need to make sure that the length of the wire is not less than one and a half, and preferably 2-3 meters, otherwise it will be difficult to reach the computer connector. It is important that the wire has a reliable braid, otherwise it may be damaged, for example, due to a kink or falling under furniture.

In recent years, traditional wired gaming headphones have gradually begun to give way to wireless ones. However, wireless models are still far from complete success in this market.

If wired headphones receive a signal from a computer via a cable, then wireless headphones receive a signal without wires, by means of remote transmission of a digital or analog signal. The main signal transmission options are as follows:

via the built-in Bluetooth module . This is the most popular wireless communication standard, its range is about 9-10 meters. From year to year, the sound quality via Bluetooth is gradually improving, but interference is still not uncommon;

via a radio channel with a frequency of 2.4 GHz. The range of the device can be up to 100 m, the sound quality is usually better than when communicating via Bluetooth;

through an IR sensor , based on the use of an infrared channel for communication. Such channels have a large bandwidth, which provides a fairly high sound quality. The disadvantage is a small radius of action, within the line of sight.

The advent of wireless gaming headphones is explained by a number of inconveniences of using a wired headset. It’s easy to get tangled in long wires, and headsets often fail due to chafing of the cable. In addition, wireless headphones are not so tied to a computer in every sense: they can be used to listen to music, radio programs or audio books, for example, during sports exercises, and not necessarily at home. That is, wireless gaming headphones are not only mobile, but also much more functional than wired ones.

The common disadvantages of wireless models are the high price, some loss of sound quality, possible desynchronization of audio data with the image, limited operating time without recharging, and increased bulkiness of the headphones due to the need to include batteries in them. Batteries must be replaced with new ones no later than after five years of operation. If during this time the right type of battery disappears from the market, there will be nothing left but to buy new headphones and throw away the old ones.

A compromise option, an attempt to get rid of some of the shortcomings of wired and wireless headphones, was the appearance of hybrid models: in them, the wire, if the player needs to move away from the computer, is disconnected easily and without signal loss. That is, the wired model of the earphone with a slight movement of the hand turns into a mobile wireless and vice versa.

Among the gaming headphones, there are several models that have received special recognition.

Wired headsets:

Audio-Technica ATH-PG1 and ATH-PDG1,
beyerdynamic Custom Game and MMX 300.2,
Sennheiser GSP 500 and GSP 600.

Wireless:

Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930,
Razer ManO’War,
Steel Series Siberia 840,
Sennheiser MB 660 UC MS.

Hybrid:

ASUS Strix Wireless,

Sony Platinum Wireless Headset.

Thus, gaming headphones have their own characteristics and cannot be fully replaced by musical or otherwise. In the selection process, you should carefully study the technical and ergonomic characteristics, evaluate additional options, such as sound control, the presence of a microphone. The most suitable option for games is the use of over-ear headphones of a closed or semi-open type. The trend of our time is the growing popularity of wireless models, characterized by mobility and versatility, as well as hybrid models.