Tech Geeks

Category: Technologies

$90 at Microsoft
$90 at Microsoft

Reasonably priced dual-wireless headset pick for PC and Xbox

Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset

$90 at Microsoft

Even though it has some design and feature quirks, for $90, the Xbox Wireless Headset is a good deal. Simultaneous wireless and Bluetooth and chat-mix balance are usually only found in more expensive models, so here the performance and sound quality are worth the money.

Xbox Wireless headset

Xbox Wireless headset

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$250 at Best Buy$248 at Walmart
$250 at Best Buy

The pricey choice for PC and PS5

Sony InZone H9

$250 at Best Buy$248 at Walmart

If you feel like spending almost as much on a headset as you did for your console, Sony’s own InZone H9 (the new PC-targeted line from its electronics division rather than the PlayStation folks) delivers great audio quality in an exceptionally comfortable design that matches the materials of the PS5. It has decent, non-fatiguing noise cancellation, a natural-sounding mic, solid battery life and simultaneous Bluetooth and dongle connections on both platforms. Bluetooth behaved a bit wonkily when I tested it, so if it matters to you, check user reviews before you buy to see if other people have encountered it.

Sony InZone H9 gaming headset

Sony InZone H9 gaming headset

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Other notable gaming headsets we’ve tested

HyperX Cloud II Wireless ($154): This is an excellent 7.1 surround headset that features HyperX’s signature comfortable fit, which I ended up bumping from the list in favor of the Cloud Alpha Wireless because the Alpha’s battery life is a huge distinguishing feature. The Cloud II Wireless does have a better signal range as tested, though, and you can use it wirelessly with a PS4/PS5 and Nintendo Switch as well as a PC. Read our HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless review.

Razer Barracuda X ($80): The performance, audio quality, and design of the Barracuda X make it an excellent choice for cross-platform players. I wouldn’t recommend the headset for cloud gaming, though. Razer refreshed it in 2022, boosting battery life to a rated 50 hours and adding Bluetooth for the same price. I haven’t tested the updated model. Read our Razer Barracuda X review.

SteelSeries Arctis Prime ($43): The budget, cross-platform wireless Arctis Prime performs well, but if you’re sensitive to fit, weight and other design-related considerations, I suggest you give it a heads-on before buying. Read our SteelSeries Arctis Prime review.

Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense ($100): Razer’s updated haptic feedback debuted in this gaming headset — it basically vibrates when the signal contains certain frequencies, in order to provide positional information and a more immersive experience. The new version improves upon its predecessor found in the Razer Nari line by being able to work without specific support within a game and the ability to choose from two intensities. It has the same great sound quality as the other Razer headsets with the TriForce Titanium drivers. But I suspect the haptic feedback is an acquired taste, though. Thus far, I’ve found it more distracting than immersive. And without game support it’s too random; for instance, bass-voiced narration rumbles in a disconcerting way and it kicks in when I have mic monitoring on. Other issues I’ve had include it being a little too tight (especially with glasses), its THX Spatial Surround falling a bit short of other virtual surround technologies I’ve used, and the braided but thick cable tends to kink. I haven’t given up on it, though, and am giving it another shot with its higher-end sibling, the Kraken V3 Pro.

EPOS Audio H3Pro Hybrid ($150): This former top-lister is a somewhat controversial choice overall, but even a lot of people who don’t like the Epos gaming headsets in general tend to agree that they have great stereo audiophile-quality sound. Given Epos’ kinship with audio veteran Sennheiser — and unfortunately, the Sennheiser-level high prices — one expects no less. I really like the H3Pro Hybrid headset, though, for gamers who don’t need surround sound. The biggest problem with it is the barely adequate range the dongle gives it (about 16 feet in my testing) which may be a deal-killer for a lot of people. The software’s kind of lackluster as well. But it’s comfortable, sleeker than your usual gaming headset, has solid ANC and supports simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections.

More recently reviewed models:

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Why do I want a ‘wireless’ headset rather than a Bluetooth gaming headset?

Bluetooth lets you connect to most mobile devices as well as PCs and laptops, which makes it really convenient. But it’s also low-bandwidth and slow, which means it may compress the audio (and thus make it sound worse) and introduce delays between the device and the headset. The delays, referred to as latency, can range from just annoying to game-ruining, depending upon how important the audio and your chat is to responding quickly.

Bluetooth also requires that there be a pretty small distance between the headset and device it’s connected to. The best wireless gaming headsets come with a USB wireless adapter, usually 2.4GHz, to create a dedicated, fast, high-bandwidth channel between the headset and the system, and one that can maintain the connection over a larger distance.

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How do I hear myself talk?

The ability to hear yourself talk while you chat is referred to as “mic monitoring” or “sidetone,” and some people find it essential for more natural conversation; I find that without it I tend to shout, especially if the earcups suppress a lot of external noise. You generally need to have a USB connection — either a wireless dongle or wired — in order to get mic monitoring to work, and many times it’s dependent on the software utility that’s provided by the manufacturer, at the very least to control the volume of the monitoring so you don’t blast yourself with your own voice.

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    Samsung Galaxy A35 5G

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    Samsung's Galaxy A55 5G

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    If you find it increasingly difficult to understand others when you’re on a phone call or music just doesn’t right to you, you may have to adjust your settings to make the audio better for you. Your iPhone has EQs, which can boost vocals or reduce treble. Your AirPods also have settings, like spatial audio and transparency mode, to help with tailoring audio to your liking.

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    Which headphones support Headphone Accommodations on iOS?

    The setting to easily customize your audio, known as the Headphone Accommodations setting, is available only on supported headphones, like the most recent AirPods, EarPods and Beats. As long as you have iOS 14 and later (or iPadOS 14+), you can use Headphone Accommodations with the following:

    The AirPods Pro 2 now feature a USB-C port

    Before you continue…

    Under Headphone Accommodations, you have the option to manually configure audio settings, but the way we’re going to do this is through Custom Audio Setup, which runs a series of listening tests and provides you with suggested settings to configure based on choices you make after listening to a few audio samples.

    But before you run the test, you must do a few things:

    • Update to the latest version of iOS, especially if you don’t see Headphone Accommodations in your settings. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to update to the latest iOS (currently iOS 17.4).
    • Turn on Headphone Accommodations. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Headphone Accommodations and toggle the feature on.
    • Choose how you want Headphone Accommodations to work. At the bottom of the setting’s page, you can toggle on your recommended audio settings for phone (phone calls, FaceTime and third-party video calls) and/or media (music, movies, podcasts, audiobooks, Siri and voicemails).
    • Next, disable any EQ you might have. Go to Settings > Music > EQ and select Off.
    • Pair and connect your compatible headphones to your iPhone. The two devices must be connected for Custom Audio Setup to work.
    • Finally, find a quiet environment before taking the test.

    Run Custom Audio Setup to your customized audio settings results

    Now that your AirPods or other supported headphones are connected to your iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Headphone Accommodations and hit Custom Audio Setup.

    Custom Audio Setup settings on iOS

    First, you’ll see a see a brief summary as to what Headphone Accommodations can do for you. You can also upload an audiogram, which shows you how loud sounds need to be for you to hear them, but if you don’t have one, you can just skip that section.

    The test will start with an audio sample of someone speaking very softly. If you can hear it, hit Yes. If you can’t, tap No. The next few audio samples will be of the same music, in different tunings, with soft sounds being boosted. You’ll have two versions to choose from each time. If they sound the same, choose the first version. You may also be asked to customize transparency mode so that you can better hear what’s around you when the feature is enabled.

    Custom Audio Setup test for iOS

    At the end of the test, the audio settings recommended for you will automatically selected. You may see optimizations for boosting middle frequencies to improve vocal range or boosting of high frequencies for optimizing brightness in the audio you heard. You may also see the boosting of soft sounds, either slightly, moderately or strong.

    Custom Audio Setup settings on iOS

    For more, check out Apple Music’s monthly version of Replay Recaps.