Hey guys I was asked today about choosing a headset and thought I would share some info with you. I practically live in a headset between work and play time so I take buying a headset very seriously. Of late we have had a chance to review quite a few headsets and wanted to pass along my thoughts.
Steelseries Siberia v2These are a great headset choice if comfort is your first consideration. While very light weight these are very durable and deliver good sound with a solid microphone. While not a "budget" choice, they are reasonably priced and the various color options give you choices. They are available in an analog model or USB models, both give the same sound quality. Over the last year these are the headset I have used the most. I have been able to game for as much as 6 hours at a time in these with no comfort issues.
Corsair Vengeance 1500The Vengeance 1500 headset won the Computer Ed Radio Golden Mic Award this year for headsets. The reason is some of the best sound we have heard in a headset along with the BEST microphone I have yet used in a headset. The only downside to these is the clamp system used in the design is very tight and can make these uncomfortable during long duration use. With use they do break in some but even after extended use to break them in I found that about 3 hours was my limit before I needed a break. However for pure sound quality they are hard to beat and their 7.1 emulation is spot on.
Corsair Vengeance 2000The Vengeance 2000 is the wireless headset that is based off the 1500 design. I was a huge skeptic of wireless sound until I heard these in action. The sound quality matches that of the 1500 meaning these sound incredible. The microphone was not quite as good as the 1500 but still a solid mic. In the area of comfort these were a huge improvement over the 1500 with the ear cups moved to the end of the arms and thus reducing the clamping effect a great deal. While not quite as comfortable as the Siberia's, these are still god for long gaming sessions. Plus, until you experience the freedom that wireless gives you in a headset you cannot really understand it. The price on these is a bit high, around $150 but they are worth it if you want the freedom of wireless.
Plantronics Gamecom 307These are a pure budget headset, they can be found at Best Buy for around $30. However do not let the budget price lead you to think these are cheap. Plantronics does one thing, make headsets and that quality shows through. In fact until this last year Plantronics were my headset of choice. This particular model is a pure middle of the road headset with good sound, good mic and reasonable comfort. However it does all this for about half the price of most other gaming headsets of it's quality level. If the budget is tight get the Plantronics.
Now to be clear I own ALL of these headsets and use them all at least sometime during the week. My current headset of choice is the Corsair Vengeance 2000, I love the wireless feel. However I get these for free because I do show reviews on them. So if you were to ask me if I would buy them personally, I would say no. Not because they are not awesome, they are. But rather because I just do not have a personal budget that could justify this cost I would not be looking at this price point.
If I was spending the money personally I would be torn between the Siberia and the Plantronics. The Siberia is of better quality but the difference is not enough for me to justify the cost difference unless I had gotten birthday money. The Plantronics is a tremendous value that delivers a very serviceable headset for the money. If you have the money to move farther up then by all means do but if the budget is tight the Plantronics are an awesome value.
