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Hey guys,

I'm looking to do some co-op gaming and have been holding out on acquiring a legit head set for some time. Money is not really an issue here, I'm willing to spend 200-300 to get what I want here.

I'm looking for premium wireless headset. There plain and simple. I know there are lots of limitations on this type of device in terms of how you get good audio quality. End of the day I'm looking to you guys and your expertise. I never can seem to find a wireless headset with quality sound. Mind you I have a 30 pair of headphones and no sound card currently and things sound great to me, so you can use that as a comparative analysis. The reason I need go go wireless is to be able to walk around when using it (in the same room but the longer the reach the better)

Blow my mind, I have found that many expensive head sets are just expensive POS's using branding to promote the premium wireless features that aren't super good. That's why I defer to you guys.

I don't have a solution for you- I'd probably be duplicating your research if I tried to find one- but in my previous research, the biggest issues aside from using branding to sell crap cans and mics has been in the wireless protocols themselves. Typically a custom solution that doesn't attempt to share the ~2.4GHz band has more success, and to be honest, you might look into getting a wireless audio transceiver, jacking the remote end (on your person) into a headphone amp and microphone pre-amp, and then using a custom solution i.e. a lapel mic and a set of nice open cans (assuming you'd want some situational awareness) like Sennheiser's 5x8 series (or earlier in used/refurb form).

I'm sure you know to stay away from any so-called "surround sound" sets. I've got a pair of Logitech F540s (now discontinued) and they're quite decent. Not as good as my Sennheiser 595's, but quite good for a pair of $150 wireless headphones. My only gripe is that they're a bit tight on the head, even when adjusted. You can still find them around.

I've tried many of them. Don't do it - they're all crap, even Astro models. If money are no object and if you actually care about quality - try wired models instead, something like Beyerdynamic MMX-300 or something similar from Sennheiser.

You might also check out the Head-Fi Forums, as they deal specifically in headphones. The folks there can be a bit snooty, but you should still get some decent answers.

This list is probably a good place to start if you just want wireless headphones.

However, if you need a mic, too, Head-Fi might give you some better information. I think there is a dedicated thread for "gaming headsets" in one of the subforums.

Don't WIFI cans with mics have latency? If I'm right, I would think that would not be a great idea for gaming...

Everything has latency. It's just a question of whether it's large enough to matter to you.

Is your WiFi spectrum crowded? What results do you get when you ping your gateway?
http://chimera.labs.oreilly.com/books/1 ... /ch06.html

BIF wrote:

Don't WIFI cans with mics have latency? If I'm right, I would think that would not be a great idea for gaming...

Latency is not an issue at all. More noticeable are things like overall low sound quality (that includes crappy frequency response for both mic and headphone, extra "noise" at higher volumes, random "pops"/"clicks"), firmware/software issues (including compatibility issues with other devices or future OS/software progs), rechargeable battery issues/lifespan (especially with the proprietary batteries) and overall mediocre physical build quality/durability especially compared to a good wired models from non-"g3m4r" headset manufacturers.

superjawes wrote:

This list is probably a good place to start if you just want wireless headphones.

However, if you need a mic, too, Head-Fi might give you some better information. I think there is a dedicated thread for "gaming headsets" in one of the subforums.

Yes, I need a mic. Its the primary reason I'm getting this item. I have Great wired headphone already. I have a so so webcam mic I use with it. But I'm tired of it and want to finally cross the thresh hold to a decent wireless headset.

I would put this question to you guys. If premium headsets(mic included) are a joke at what price point do they stop getting better? I mean to say if a 300 dollar set is the same as a 80 dollar set please let me know and I'll just pull the trigger on the more budget item.

Surround sound in a headset is enticing and if there is an option that works I would probably go for it, but I don't need it. I have 7.1 home theater stereo setup already. This is about getting at the least the best stereo headset I can. It needs to be wireless.

JustAnEngineer wrote:

Everything has latency. It's just a question of whether it's large enough to matter to you.

Is your WiFi spectrum crowded? What results do you get when you ping your gateway?
http://chimera.labs.oreilly.com/books/1 ... /ch06.html

I have a dual band wireless router. I currently have no other wireless devices in the same room as my desk. how would I ping my gateway?

kamikaziechameleon wrote:

I have a dual band wireless router. I currently have no other wireless devices in the same room as my desk. how would I ping my gateway?

Open a command window. Type "ping 192.168.1.1" (assuming your router uses the default IP address and is not configured to block ICMP ping requests). If your router is not at 192.168.1.1, type ipconfig /all in a command window and find out what the gateway address is.

Airmantharp wrote:

I don't have a solution for you- I'd probably be duplicating your research if I tried to find one- but in my previous research, the biggest issues aside from using branding to sell crap cans and mics has been in the wireless protocols themselves. Typically a custom solution that doesn't attempt to share the ~2.4GHz band has more success, and to be honest, you might look into getting a wireless audio transceiver, jacking the remote end (on your person) into a headphone amp and microphone pre-amp, and then using a custom solution i.e. a lapel mic and a set of nice open cans (assuming you'd want some situational awareness) like Sennheiser's 5x8 series (or earlier in used/refurb form).

That is simply too involved. I do like the inventiveness but I'm not that inclined towards perfection. By promoting the idea of premium I guess I wanted to more so promote the idea that I wasn't deterred by price so if price buys quality I was down with that. I'm definitely more inclined towards a product than towards a DIY solution. I want the best quality wireless headset w/ mic quality I can purchase. I have great wired headphones for legit quality and I have a great stereo for open play.

But it sounds by your responses that wireless is horrible. Is that the case? Is it so bad its not worth using? I can't imagine that silly little blu tooth headsets are as good as they are but a honking beast of a head set can't use a wifi bandwidth or something clever... I guess that was my expectation that some company had resolved the issues.

Gosh reading around it is amazing how bad all the wireless headsets are. Simply astounding that a 150-300 dollar headset can't seems to beat a 30 dollar blue tooth dongle.

Any other recommendations for wired headsets. I'm not looking to blow money here cause its not something I'm super excited about.

The highest reviewed wireless set I can find ( and correct me if I'm wrong) is this one:

Corsair Vengeance 2100 Wireless

Its actually about 1/3 the price I was expecting but it is currently considered the high point for wireless consumer audio. Oddly its also about 1/2 the price of its nearest competitors.

Please sound off on your thoughts.

*EDIT!

Is there appreciable difference in quality between a 80 dollar Corsair Vengeance 2100 Wireless and a 300 dollar Creative Sound Blaster EVO ZxR ???

I mean according to much of what you guys say there isn't. I get that reviews can be paid advertisements but there is allot of positive push on those headphones. If you think its a wash I'd be stupid to get the more expensive option.

I honestly think that if you're not getting audiophile cans, stick to the basics- get the largest drivers in an open headset available at a reasonable price-point and call it done. Having the headset sound 'good' at this point should really take back seat to finding an 'effective' solution, in my opinion.

Airmantharp wrote:

I honestly think that if you're not getting audiophile cans, stick to the basics- get the largest drivers in an open headset available at a reasonable price-point and call it done. Having the headset sound 'good' at this point should really take back seat to finding an 'effective' solution, in my opinion.

So if sounding good isn't effective you want to focus on it? I don't mean to be obtuse but your phraseology is confusing.

Being that I already have wired headphones that I like and I currently use a 5$ webcam as the mic and have for like 10 years I'm ready to unplug. Not that these headphones are meant to replace my stereo as that is how I prefer to listen, the desk is in its own room so there is never a need for headsets besides talking to people.

I may literally have to buy and try things and return if they are inadequate... I've never done that before but it seems to be the eventuality.

'Sounding good', i.e., having a pleasing overall sound, isn't necessary in order to hear what you need to hear through the cans, and likewise, it isn't necessary in order to have what you need heard, heard, through the microphone. That's what I mean.

For instance, a set of HD515's will allow me to hear everything I need in game, but a set of HD800's would make it all actually 'sound good' . If the equivalent of HD800's doesn't exist for wireless headsets, then finding the equivalent of the HD515's becomes a priority- pardon the hyperbole.

I would think that for the intended purpose (co-op gaming), having perfect fidelity and acoustics wouldn't be as important as comfort and ergonomics (not to mention wireless range, microphone performance, battery life). I understand wanting to have good sound, but you're also not going to be critiquing lossless symphony recordings.

For music listening, I would stick with your stereo....or a pair of truely high-end wired headphones, plus a DAC and a headphone amp. For co-op gaming, I can legitimately recommend the set of Logitech F540's that I have. Feel free to keep looking, but I don't think you're going to find audiophile quality wireless HEADSETS (not just headphones) for a reasonable price.

The Egg wrote:

I would think that for the intended purpose (co-op gaming), having perfect fidelity and acoustics wouldn't be as important as comfort and ergonomics (not to mention wireless range, microphone performance, battery life). I understand wanting to have good sound, but you're also not going to be critiquing lossless symphony recordings.

For music listening, I would stick with your stereo....or a pair of truely high-end wired headphones, plus a DAC and a headphone amp. For co-op gaming, I can legitimately recommend the set of Logitech F540's that I have. Feel free to keep looking, but I don't think you're going to find audiophile quality wireless HEADSETS (not just headphones) for a reasonable price.

I guess this last shot in the dark goes out to anyone reading not just you. So Turtle beach makes a dual band wireless Headset option that is supposed to be hands down the best right now. The way it works is it had a router that broadcasts the dual band wifi to a synced device for lossless wireless audio it recieves over optical cable. It literally makes sense as wifi has the greatest range, bandwidth... well basically everything. Then they use a Blu tooth channel for mic only. So the router handles only playback and is supposed to support up to 7.1 with a dolby something or other... Anyway Just thought I'd inquire about that. Everything else uses blu tooth or 2.4ghz and those are not supposed to be good enough, but wifi should be???

Here are the pair I'm looking at:

http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Wireless- ... roduct_top

I remember when these came out few years ago they were like $300. Bonus would work with my PS3, and 360... Not so excited cause they are outdated.

It will depend on how configurable the router is, and just how capable it will be at working around what's likely an already polluted wireless spectrum.

Airmantharp wrote:

It will depend on how configurable the router is, and just how capable it will be at working around what's likely an already polluted wireless spectrum.

I think I'll give these a try then, see how they fair. They do have a auto shut off glitch that seems to not detect sound on some of the headphones and powers them down, that would appear to only be a glitch though as otherwise the high rating wouldn't be there and no professional reviews mention the issue. Sets with this issue seem to arrive with it, it does not develope over time.

kamikaziechameleon wrote:

I guess this last shot in the dark goes out to anyone reading not just you. So Turtle beach makes a dual band wireless Headset option that is supposed to be hands down the best right now. The way it works is it had a router that broadcasts the dual band wifi to a synced device for lossless wireless audio it recieves over optical cable. It literally makes sense as wifi has the greatest range, bandwidth... well basically everything. Then they use a Blu tooth channel for mic only. So the router handles only playback and is supposed to support up to 7.1 with a dolby something or other... Anyway Just thought I'd inquire about that. Everything else uses blu tooth or 2.4ghz and those are not supposed to be good enough, but wifi should be???
Here are the pair I'm looking at:
http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Wireless- ... roduct_top
I remember when these came out few years ago they were like $300. Bonus would work with my PS3, and 360... Not so excited cause they are outdated.

I don't have time to look those over thoroughly right now, but such an elaborate setup makes me concerned about audio delay/lag. That's a big deal if you're using them for gaming.

The Egg wrote:

kamikaziechameleon wrote:

I guess this last shot in the dark goes out to anyone reading not just you. So Turtle beach makes a dual band wireless Headset option that is supposed to be hands down the best right now. The way it works is it had a router that broadcasts the dual band wifi to a synced device for lossless wireless audio it recieves over optical cable. It literally makes sense as wifi has the greatest range, bandwidth... well basically everything. Then they use a Blu tooth channel for mic only. So the router handles only playback and is supposed to support up to 7.1 with a dolby something or other... Anyway Just thought I'd inquire about that. Everything else uses blu tooth or 2.4ghz and those are not supposed to be good enough, but wifi should be???
Here are the pair I'm looking at:
http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Wireless- ... roduct_top
I remember when these came out few years ago they were like $300. Bonus would work with my PS3, and 360... Not so excited cause they are outdated.

I don't have time to look those over thoroughly right now, but such an elaborate setup makes me concerned about audio delay/lag. That's a big deal if you're using them for gaming.

The issue I do read about is rather that interference use to be a massive problem. Lots of flicker and pop in the original iterations of this design, don't turn on your microwave. But of late (this and the prior gen models)the only issue is the auto turn off feature, it comes broken on a notable portion of items shipped across their entire product line, reading reviews it would appear in 5-10% of sales. But to those who don't have that issue it is a non issue. Interestingly the audio quality of the cans is reported to be very amazing because of the bandwidth. I see your concern indeed but it seems to be a issue regardless what wireless set I get. But I've not read any complaints that line up with, "laggy audio". For the life of me I have no idea how you can simulate 7.1 on a 2.0 system. If things worked like that then no one would buy 7.1 systems.

kamikaziechameleon wrote:

For the life of me I have no idea how you can simulate 7.1 on a 2.0 system. If things worked like that then no one would buy 7.1 systems.

You have exactly 2.0 ears. They don't hear the discrete sound point sources in space; instead, they each hear an audio signal modified by frequency and phase shifts that correlate to the position and movement of the source relative to each ear. Your brain then compares them in order to identify and localize the source in three-dimensional space, partly by relying on both the memory of previous interactions with similar sound sources, and on information from your other senses (when available).

A multi-speaker audio system tries to process the signal in such a way that your ears will receive equivalent information from external sources in an open room, and reach the same conclusions about the sound position. But most of the effect can be achieved using two closely-positioned drivers and some signal processing to mimic the required signal modifications. Since a full 7.1 source already has the general positional information encoded in the channels, the signal processing algorithm ahead of the 'phones can use that as part of its calculations.

^This.

ludi wrote:

kamikaziechameleon wrote:

For the life of me I have no idea how you can simulate 7.1 on a 2.0 system. If things worked like that then no one would buy 7.1 systems.

You have exactly 2.0 ears. They don't hear the discrete sound point sources in space; instead, they each hear an audio signal modified by frequency and phase shifts that correlate to the position and movement of the source relative to each ear. Your brain then compares them in order to identify and localize the source in three-dimensional space, partly by relying on both the memory of previous interactions with similar sound sources, and on information from your other senses (when available).

A multi-speaker audio system tries to process the signal in such a way that your ears will receive equivalent information from external sources in an open room, and reach the same conclusions about the sound position. But most of the effect can be achieved using two closely-positioned drivers and some signal processing to mimic the required signal modifications. Since a full 7.1 source already has the general positional information encoded in the channels, the signal processing algorithm ahead of the 'phones can use that as part of its calculations.

Ok, that helps allot. So it isn't a totally wasted gimmick I frequently forget to setup my 7.1 sound system in each game and they always default to 2.0 so after setting up D3 last night for the first time it was pretty awesome. You can hear the directional sound of off screen monsters

I might actually put the effort into setting up the surround sound option on my new headsets when they arrive based on your input.

Its funny that my first attempt at this is the same turtle beaches I looked at like 2 years ago. I came so close to buying them but the issue was that they were just so much money at the time ($300) and the reviews stated they were amazing and a must have but the drivers weren't worth $300. Now with the refresh the quality is up, the price is down, and I'm buying

Will post my observations here after I get some time with them.

Side not any recommendations on a bargain headset for a friend of mine. He needs to replace his it makes lots of unpleasant interpretations of his voice, lots of ambient hissing and other shenanigans.

Ok, first impressions time. To put it bluntly I was let down. There are 2 things you expect when buying a $190 pair of cans. #1 you expect completeness, everything you need to use it in the package. #2 you expect given the rather elegant design to have some acceptable audio. These are not my first wireless audio devices they are my first PC wireless audio devices.

So the great thing is the aesthetic aspect of this product is really captivating. These things look great IMHO, not perfect as a metal frame would be the obvious path to better develop these but still the plastic feels solid and the application of fabric and padding is to my liking. The router/stand combo looks real nice and the entire thing just looks Premium. I found the wireless works perfectly for my application, I can move about in my room w/o issue. Leaving my room is out of the question though as pops and hissing becomes unbearable.

#1 So this thing advertises it works with everything from your phone to pc to ps3/ps4 and 360. It comes with everything but a little blu tooth pc adapter. Such a affordable piece of kit that the omission seems ridiculous. I have not gotten to use the mic yet as that works exclusively over blutooth. The dongle is in the mail.

#2 I didn't know that they made speakers sound this bad. There is a point that I get its wireless, I've used wireless before but this is different. This thing is supposed to be broadcasting uncompressed audio, to that point my Bluetooth headphones for my phone sound 1,000 times better. I was ok with the gentle hiss it has in moments of silence, but the complete lack of respectable bass is unforgivable, the overall quality of sound is that of some free ear buds I received on my flight back from china. NOT GOOD.

My friend is grabbing the corsairs and will have them this weekend I'll try his out next week to see were mine are at comparatively and make a decision as to if I keep or return by next Friday. Seems this might be the beginning of a long trial and error process.

Encase your wondering the device works by plugging into a optical audio port and power using USB. Why it needs optical given the quality of the sound is beyond me. The entire dual band wifi thing seems wasted on the actual drivers, the sound is clearly one of BAD speakers not bad source. Its so frustrating. I still don't know why my $70 jogging bluetooth headphones are better than these. #1 they use bluetooth, #2 they are earbuds, #3 they are $70... Blows my mind.

Uh.....so what did you buy?

I think something's clearly wrong with the BT streaming on that thing. Probably compressing the audio down to 1200bps.