Gaming headsets for Xbox One (Gaming)

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Thursday, July 23, 2015, 14:52 (3233 days ago) @ cheapLEY

Full confession: I’m kind of an audio snob, or I would be if could afford truly high-end stuff, but I’m not crazy (for instance, I used lamp cord for speaker wire).
Also a disclaimer: my issues may be my own.

I had a40s for years and they worked really well with my 360, but not consistently with my Xbox One or my PS4. Microphone issues have driven me nearly crazy. I can’t tell you the number of things I’ve tried. I’m a decent troubleshooter, and just when I thought I’d found a workaround, the workaround would stop working. Replacement cords, replacement adapters—tried everything. When one of my A40s ear cups would no longer stay in place, I decided to start investigating other options—maybe there were better options! Maybe I could finally have some true high-end headphones for music that I could also use for gaming!

I found this site. That’s when I went down the rabbit hole.

After much research and thinking I found something that I thought would work, so I purchased some AKG Q701 headphones, an Antlion ModMic, and a Schiit Audio Vali amplifier (translation: I spent mucho delores). I use all three with my original Astros Mixamp (which, BTW, is not an actual amp, but a sound processer that creates faux surround sound).

The good news. This setup works great with my PS4, and I’m sure it’s because the PS4 uses USB for audio output. The sound is truly great—noticeably better than Astros. The modmic works fine.

The bad news: Can’t get the mic to work on the Xbox One. I won’t go into details, but it could be something about the way I’ve got it hooked up to the controller. I even bought one of the newer controllers that doesn’t require the stereo adapter, and it still doesn’t work. Could be user error, but I gave up. I spent months researching and working on this, and ended up just using the standard Microsoft headset when I want to talk just because I grew tired of dealing with it. I’ve heard the newer Mixamps with upgradable firmware work fine, but I haven’t had the inclination to spend another $100 on something I’m not sure of. I’ve also heard the bass is punched up more than the original mixamp, and that tendency to punch up the bass was why I avoided buying another headset designed for gaming—most of them are base heavy. At some point I’ll probably dive back in and actively pursue tech support or something, but for now, I’m done.

I know several people who are happy with their Sennheisers, and I probably would’ve gone that route if I hadn’t read that they can be a tight fit, and I have an enormous noggin.

Bottom line: the new A40s or A50s probably work fine, but you might consider others like Sennheisers or Turtle Beach.