Sennheiser Game Zero review: This headset’s sound quality justifies its price - reidsuffed

I'm reviewing Sennheiser's Game Nil headset to answer a question. Late, information technology's become increasingly common to get word the following advice on gaming headsets: Don River't buy one. Instead, you should drop your money on a swell pair of headphones and a standalone mic from a estimable company.

But what about when a reputable keep company makes its possess gaming headset?

I've been investigating that scenario for the unalterable some months, looking at a selection of gaming headsets from mainstream audio frequency favorites Sennheiser and Audio-Technica. Besides the Sennheiser Game Zero, I also evaluated Sennheiser's GSP 350 and Audio-Technica's ATH-AG1X.

Sennheiser's updated Game Zero headset, which I tested some standalone and using Sennheiser's GSX 1000 amp, is expensive. All the same, my clock with IT showed that IT's surely a worthwhile purchase—and a successful challenger to popular sentiment happening Internet forums.

This review is part of our roundupof best gaming headsets . Go thither for details happening competitory products you bet we proved them.

Professional grade

I'll say this: Gaming-centric companies could learn a lot about presentation from their boutique counterparts. The Game Zero comes ensconced in a semi-solid guinea pig, making it eminently more portable (and stowable) than well-nig headsets I've used. HyperX and Astro are the only companies I've seen to take similar pains on the gaming side of things. Maybe also Razer on a few of their higher-end products.

Hayden Dingman/IDG

The Game Zero is also pretty inoffensive as far As "gaming" products are involved. Sennheiser's decked out it outer with antimonial red highlights, and so it's a bit flashier than your middling pair of studio cans. That's really the only difference, though—otherwise, the Game Zero looks equivalent a pretty standard pair of headphones. Black earcups, black frame, Sennheiser logo emblazoned on the ears and the band. Simple.

The most notable feature—and the cardinal I appreciate most—is the size of the Game Zero's earcups. Beaked as "XXL," each is an enormous ovate that fits over my ears with probably a fractional-inch to spare in every direction. Despite that, they still seal exceptionally well and with minimal gossip-squeezing—just amazingly comfortable, whol more or less. Being closed-backed, I did get slightly uncomfortable wearing them, but that's a pretty common problem with some headset decked out in leatherette.

The Game Zero likewise feels healthy-built. The band itself is gold-bearing, evenhandedly flexible and whippersnapper, and connected to the ear cups by two hefty metal pins. The ears also swivel matt with a smooth fluid question I can only think to describe equally "high-oddment" even though IT's…intimately, something every bit banal A rotating the ear cups.

Hayden Dingman/IDG

On the right ear you'll find an embedded volume cycle, a flat disk with small notches on information technology. IT's large adequate to happen in a panic just insidious enough to not call attention to itself. As for the microphone, it's a flip-to-mute manikin that makes an audible click when you've moved it to the open position.

I'm a flip-to-dumb fan, so that's delicately. My but real complaint is the Game Nothing's inflexible design. The microphone is large, firmly affixed, and very obvious. You can swivel it up out of the manner, sure, but there's still an large microphone fast to the side. That makes this readiness really only suitable for interior consumption. Sennheiser's not alone in this, only I would've preferred a articulated lorr-hidden microphone at the really least—specially for the price.

The telegraph is obliterable though, and that's a definite addition in my book. I've become progressively skeptical of headset cables. It seems like they're always the first piece to get out, and while there are some switch-offs with removable cables, the sport at least prevents your headset from turning into a paperweight.

Hayden Dingman/IDG

I get rattling few quibbles total, and the few that exist also apply to many other (lesser) headsets. This is a damn nice bit of engineering overall, in a no-frills, takes-few-risks sort of way.

All connected its lonesome

Which brings United States to audio. Later each, we want to know if a play headset from a honorable, audio-first brand a unhazardous buy.

I'm going to start remove talking about the Game Zero in isolation, Eastern Samoa I arrogate that's how most people will use it. This is also brave new territory for the Crippled Zero—the previous version had a rated impedance of 150 ohms, which for the majority of people substance "You need an external amp to private road this properly." The updated version we're reviewing is a first gear-impedance 50-ohm model, significance it should be right for use with pretty much any motherboard's on-board audio.

Put simply: It sounds great. Euphony is peculiarly fulgurous—I generally run headsets through those tests showtime, because play-centric devices often lack the subtlety and limpidity you'd get from normal headphones.

Hayden Dingman/IDG

The Gage Nada? Beautiful. It sounds a bit muddy at very low volumes, merely get it into the 20-percentage range (or higher) and everything becomes nappy. Highs phone sharp and spruce, while mids have a refreshing loudness to them. Sometimes overly intense—I call up they've been boosted a bit. I didn't find it particularly offensive, though.

Those XXL earcups also come in handy. Like HyperX's original Cloud, with its oversized earcups, the Game Zero feels like it has a heavy sound poin compared to most gaming headsets I review. Regular plugged flat into my motherboard's audio with no frills, the sound has that wide-cut pseudo-fence in quality you only get from exceptional stereo headsets.

The only aspect whatever might find disappointing is the bass answer. It's real precise, only lacks the zing or s people want from explosions, gunshots, and the like. Personally I'm fine with that—I prefer a more natural sound. There's likewise a lot of headroom, so you could always fiddle with the EQ settings and insert more bass part. My sole concern is that some people might bump it lacks punch straight come out of the box.

Hayden Dingman/IDG

The mike is also top-notch. I've left hand information technology until ripe in this limited review to discourse, but don't let that tomfool you: The Game Zero has the best microphone I've detected on a play headset. Most headsets leave people sounding muffled, or wish it's coming through an antique telephone. The Game Zero is the only gaming headset I've victimised that captures a voice's plangent tone. Would you want to criminal record a podcast on it? Eh, still probably not. It's excellent though, as far as headsets go. Crystal-shed light on.

With a unimportant help from its friends

Okay, that's unassisted biaural yield. Sennheiser likewise sent along its GSX1000 amplifier/DAC to test with the Game Zero—an additive $230 monetary value. Uncomparable I'm sure just about Game Zero buyers won't make.

It's a nifty little unit, though. The GSX1000 is a small and unassuming black square with a silver disk embedded in the top—volume ensure, it turns out. Connect it to your calculator with a USB cable length, then plug the Gimpy Zero (or another 3.5mm-supplied with headset) into the plunk for, and you get access to a whole host of radical features.

Hayden Dingman/IDG

Adjustable reverb, 7.1 audio, simple EQ, sidetone—it's all adjustable from the GSX1000, with touch controls easily accessible on the top of the disk, close a red digital intensity read-out. It looks like HAL 9000 went into building audio accessories. You john also save different profiles to for each one of the unit of measurement's corners, which is important to know because otherwise you'll (equal ME) wonder why it keeps resetting to the defaults whenever you adjust the volume. Hint: It's your palm hitting the profile selector.

The Game Zero sounds slightly better direct the GSX1000, especially through the music setting—that's where you'll find the clunk bass that's missing when you use the headset on its own. Like, really thumping bass.

Equally far as adding virtual 7.1 to a pair of stereo headphones? The GSX1000 is pretty decent. It's a lot more pernicious than the virtual 7.1 implemented by Razer and Logitech—pernicious enough you rump even leave it connected while listening to euphony, without getting that awful echo-chamber effect I associate with a lot of essential 7.1.

Get a nice in-game desegregate and information technology all sounds pretty damn good, though. Battlefield 1 and Doom are some excellent test subjects, especially when combined with the Game Zero's oversized earcups—the union provides for an imposingly wide sound stage. IT's non as obvious as, say, Razer's Man O' War, nor does it approach "real" 7.1 sound, but equally an improver for whatsoever 3.5mm headphones or headset? Not bad.

Hayden Dingman/IDG

Is information technology deserving $230? Harder to say. The GSX1000 is an attractive unit of measurement, and if you're after 7.1 specifically, it's a solid option that's bolstered past its tidy shape, small size up, and hassle-footloose setup.

Merely for most citizenry I think the standalone Gimpy Zero would be enough, especially with progressively motherboards coming with imitation-7.1 made-up in. And if you're just looking a earphone amp? Look elsewhere. Non only does the GSX1000 not add together much major power (information technology's more of a DAC than an amp), but thither are plenty of sub-$100 options that do a good job. You canful find justified more options in the $100 to $200 cooking stove.

Bottom line

Disregarding of whether you spring for the GSX1000, Sennheiser's Lame Zero is an excellent device. When I last wrote about Astro's A50, I cautioned that they didn't really provide the sound I expected from a $300 duet of headphones. The Game Zero illustrates my point—at $280, they bear much wagerer audio than the A50.

Yeah, $280 is pricey for a connected gambling headset—IT's definitely pricier than the vast majority of wired gambling headsets. As always, I will say that you hindquarters get already get pretty damn good gaming audio for subordinate $100, courtesy of HyperX.

But for the person who wants one step better than gaming-centric audio frequency, but still needs that built-in microphone? The Crippled Zero is a good choice. Yeah, I know that you could still likely get slightly better headphones and a better standalone mic for to a lesser degree $280, simply not much less. And if you infernal region that choice against Amazon's perpetual sale price of $180 for the Gamy Null, that find of thumb mostly withers away.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/406605/sennheiser-game-zero-review.html

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