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HEADPHONES
Headphones: What to Consider Before Buying
Every pair of headphones has its own acoustic signature, but before making a purchase, it’s important to consider a few fundamental factors. There are countless opinions about what makes the best “gaming headphones,” but our approach is simple: if a headset delivers exceptional clarity and quality while listening to music, it will naturally provide equally detailed, immersive audio while gaming.
While design preferences are subjective, the right choice should be based on technical parameters and personal needs rather than marketing labels.
Headphone Type
One of the most important aspects when choosing headphones is the earcup design, which comes in three main types: open, semi-open, and closed.
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Open-back headphones provide the most natural and spacious sound. They create a wider soundstage and a more realistic audio environment, making them ideal for immersive gaming or music sessions. However, they let external noise in and leak some sound out.
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Closed-back headphones isolate better from outside noise, allowing for deeper focus and immersion. They’re ideal in noisy environments or for players who prefer not to be disturbed.
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Semi-open headphones combine elements of both, balancing openness with moderate isolation.
Frequency Range and Impedance
These specifications don’t define quality on their own but help you understand how a pair of headphones performs technically.
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Frequency Response: This represents the audio spectrum a headset can reproduce, typically from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (the human hearing range). Professional headphones sometimes extend beyond that range for richer tonal reproduction, though extreme highs or lows can still lose precision depending on driver quality.
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Impedance (Ω): This measures the electrical resistance the drivers present to the amplifier. High-impedance headphones generally produce cleaner, more accurate sound but require a stronger amplifier or dedicated DAC to power them properly. Lower impedance models can easily be driven by phones, controllers, or standard PC sound cards.
Functionality
Many modern headsets include built-in features to enhance usability:
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Microphone mute buttons
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Volume wheels or inline controls
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Voice monitoring
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Active noise cancellation (ANC)
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Integrated mixers for balancing game and chat audio
Choose a model that fits your daily use—whether it’s for gaming, streaming, or studio work—so you can stay comfortable while maintaining precise control over your sound.
Connection Type: Jack, USB, or Wireless
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Jack (AUX 3.5 mm): These headsets rely on your sound card (internal or external) for audio processing. The signal travels through the cable, and quality depends largely on your DAC or amplifier.
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USB Headphones: Contain an integrated sound card inside the headset itself. They process sound digitally and don’t require an external DAC.
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Wireless Headphones: Transmit audio through a USB receiver or Bluetooth base station. Latency in modern wireless headsets is minimal, but a tiny delay can still be noticeable in fast-paced competitive games or real-time applications.
“Gaming” Headsets
So-called gaming headsets are, in essence, regular headphones with an attached microphone—nothing more. Manufacturers often market them aggressively with promises of “enhanced footsteps” or “optimized gunfire sound,” but these claims are highly situational and game-dependent.
The smart approach is to invest in well-balanced headphones that reproduce sound accurately and then customize the EQ (equalization) settings yourself for each title or preference. This approach gives you far more control than relying on preset “gaming” sound profiles.
Audio Equalization (EQ)
Each game emphasizes different frequencies—bass, mids, or highs—so custom EQ tuning helps optimize your experience.
Many sound cards and USB headsets include software to fine-tune EQ settings. If yours doesn’t, third-party programs such as SteelSeries GG or Equalizer APO allow you to adjust the sound profile for any headset.
Start with a flat (neutral) profile and make subtle changes; overboosting bass or treble can distort sound and mask important game cues.
PS: If you use ASTRO headphones, skip third-party EQ apps and manage your settings through the ASTRO Command Center software, which is designed specifically for those models.
Dolby Surround / Virtual 7.1
True Dolby Surround requires multiple physical speakers (5.1 or 7.1). Most gaming headsets only simulate this experience through virtual surround, using two speakers (left and right) to emulate directional sound.
While this can make audio seem more “immersive,” it often causes imprecise positional cues—for instance, footsteps coming from your left may also be faintly audible in the right ear. For competitive gaming, this can be counterproductive.
In our view, stereo sound with high-quality imaging provides more accurate positioning than virtual 7.1 effects.
ASTRO Headsets
ASTRO models are particularly popular among console gamers due to their advanced software customization options. However, from a hardware perspective, their build quality and components don’t fully justify the premium price tag.
One limitation to note is that newer consoles lack optical outputs, so you may need an adapter to use ASTRO headsets to their full potential.
What Are the Best Headphones?
The best headphones have always come from audio-focused brands—companies that specialize in sound engineering, not gaming accessories.
Brands like Sennheiser, Shure, Audio-Technica, and Beyerdynamic consistently deliver superior clarity, precision, and durability compared to mass-market “gaming” models.
Professional studio headphones typically connect via AUX (3.5 mm jack) instead of USB, leaving sound processing to an external or dedicated sound card. This ensures cleaner, interference-free audio reproduction.
To fully unlock their potential, pair studio headphones with a high-quality external USB sound card (preferred over PCIe options to avoid electrical noise from the motherboard).