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We have a new also-great pick in this guide, the 2023 Razer BlackShark V2 Pro. Bluetooth Gaming Earbuds
Great audio can draw you into a video game with bold effects, realistic details, and immersive soundtracks. A good gaming headset allows you to enjoy all of that while you chat with your friends and teammates, too. But even the best sound quality won’t do you any good if the headset isn’t comfortable to wear for long periods of time. After testing close to 25 new headsets in 2022 and 2023, we’ve found that the Razer BlackShark V2 is the most comfortable, best-sounding gaming headset for the price.
Comfortable across a wide range of head sizes, this headset provides detailed, spacious sound that’s perfect for games, and it works on every modern platform and device.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 offers clear and impressive sound quality seldom found in headsets at this price, and it’s comfortable enough for most people to wear for hours on end without complaint.
May be out of stock
Indisputably the best headset we tested in the past year, this model has rich, enveloping sound with superb clarity, as well as a lightweight build that makes it easy to forget you’re wearing a headset—even while wearing glasses.
This updated version of our upgrade pick has the same great sound, look, and comfort as its predecessor, but the microphone is vastly improved.
Comfortable across a wide range of head sizes, this headset provides detailed, spacious sound that’s perfect for games, and it works on every modern platform and device.
The Razer BlackShark V2 can adjust to fit a range of head sizes and shapes, and it has crisp audio with clear distinction across the bass, mids, and highs so you can hear rumbling explosions, dialogue, and light footsteps. The combination of comfort and sound quality is rare at this price, and it works with nearly any console or device. Its microphone also works well enough for casual chats, and doesn’t pick up excess noise leaking from the earcups.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 offers clear and impressive sound quality seldom found in headsets at this price, and it’s comfortable enough for most people to wear for hours on end without complaint.
May be out of stock
If you don’t want to spend more than $50 on a headset, buy the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2. Its leatherette earcups feel good against the skin, and it’s lightweight and comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time. The Cloud Stinger 2 also delivers clear, balanced sound that keeps its integrity at any volume, and this headset has the best microphone of all our picks. After our first-impression audio test, we were shocked to learn that it costs only $50.
Indisputably the best headset we tested in the past year, this model has rich, enveloping sound with superb clarity, as well as a lightweight build that makes it easy to forget you’re wearing a headset—even while wearing glasses.
No other headset we’ve tested in the past year has matched the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2020) in crispness and detail. Its immersive surround sound makes playing familiar games feel like a new experience, and it’s light and breathable enough to wear all day. Although it’s a wireless headset, it also comes with a 3.5 mm cable that makes it compatible with any console.
This updated version of our upgrade pick has the same great sound, look, and comfort as its predecessor, but the microphone is vastly improved.
The 2023 version of the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro looks the same as our upgrade pick, but it comes with a few enhancements—and a couple of tradeoffs. Compared with the previous edition, this headset has an improved microphone with higher quality voice reproduction, and it includes sidetone. It also has a longer battery life, USB-C charging, and an onboard button to switch between wireless USB-A dongle and Bluetooth connections. But it’s more expensive than our upgrade pick, the sound quality is comparable, and it can’t be used with a wired connection.
In preparation for this guide, I spent a full year learning more about the recording, mixing, and mastering processes of audio production, which included a semester-long course with Berklee College of Music to study critical listening analysis of music and sound. I also read Understanding Audio by Daniel M. Thompson and practiced ear training to distinguish different frequencies and instruments. Additionally, I have more than 23 years of combined musical experience in classical piano, vocal accompaniment, and voice. I’ve also covered gaming hardware and video games for more than five years.
A gaming headset is the best option if you play a lot of multiplayer games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortnite, or Overwatch 2 and you want to communicate with your teammates. If you don’t play multiplayer games with voice chat, you should buy a good pair of headphones instead; for less money, you’ll get a better-sounding, nicer-looking set.
If you stream games online or you’re looking for a headset that can also work for the occasional meeting, podcast session, or professional recording, a gaming headset is not the best option. If mic sound quality is important to you, a USB microphone paired with good headphones will give you better clarity and vocal fidelity.
Audiophile headphones focus on delivering the best sound quality, period. We’ve tested hundreds of them and selected our favorites for specific uses.
After our tests of 30-plus mics over eight years, the Blue Yeti remains our favorite USB mic for people who want an easy, noticeable upgrade over built-in mics.
There are so, so, so many gaming headsets, and it’s impossible to differentiate between them based on specs alone. In our research and testing, we look at the following criteria:
In addition to the above criteria, for wireless headsets we consider the following:
We try each headset on a variety of head and ear sizes to rule out those that squeeze too hard, have uncomfortable headbands, have itchy or creaky earpads, or feel uncomfortable with glasses. For every headset that passes the initial comfort test, we test audio quality by listening to a playlist of songs and other clips selected to evaluate detail, bass, and soundstage. We eliminate headsets that sound too inaccurate or unpleasant, or that lose significant elements when set to lower volumes.
Next, we test each headset with games on our budget gaming-laptop pick and various game consoles. We turn off sound-processing software installed on the laptop, though sound and microphone quality can be affected by your PC’s motherboard or sound card. We also don’t use external DACs or amplifiers, unless they come in the box with the headset. We wear all of our picks for five consecutive hours or more while gaming to test for long-term comfort.
We test the microphone performance of our most promising contenders by recording voice samples over background coffee-shop noises and while typing on a mechanical keyboard to evaluate audio quality and noise cancellation. We also chat with friends while playing loud action games to make sure that sound coming from the headset doesn’t bleed and echo into the mics. Finally, we look for any glaring latency issues by watching YouTube videos and TV shows with lots of dialogue to check the synchronization between the sound we are hearing and the mouth movements on screen.
Comfortable across a wide range of head sizes, this headset provides detailed, spacious sound that’s perfect for games, and it works on every modern platform and device.
The Razer BlackShark V2 is the best wired headset for most people thanks to its solid combination of comfort, price, and audio quality.
It’s comfortable enough to wear for hours. It adjusts to a wide range of head sizes and shapes, and the headband doesn’t push down on the top of the head with too much force. The memory foam ear cups feel soft against the skin, though they may feel too warm to people who tend to sweat or run hot.
It has great audio quality for the price. The roomy soundstage spreads directional sounds better than some other headsets at this price, which is especially useful in online games and shooters. It also sounds crisp and clear, and doesn’t sacrifice much quality at lower volumes.
It doesn’t pick up sound bleed through the microphone. Some microphones pick up in-game sounds that leak through the earcups, which can annoy your friends or teammates. The BlackShark V2 doesn’t have this issue, and its detachable microphone reproduces your voice clearly without making it sound nasally or muffled.
It’s compatible with any console. The Blackshark V2 uses a wired 3.5 mm cable to connect to any console or controller you may have. It also comes with an optional USB-A connector for PCs that enables THX Spatial Audio through Razer’s Synapse software. We didn’t notice a significant difference between audio quality through the sound card compared with the standard 3.5 mm connection, but it didn’t hurt our listening experience, either.
It has decent noise cancellation that makes it easy to stay immersed in the game. Compared with many of the other headsets we tested, the BlackShark V2 blocks out a lot of noise. But because it doesn’t have sidetone, it can leave you prone to shouting through the microphone.
The Razer BlackShark V2’s cable isn’t detachable. If some part of the wire breaks after the headset’s two-year warranty period is over, you’ll have to open up the earcup and solder a new wire to replace it.
The onboard audio controls are minimal. This headset has only a volume knob and a mute button on the left earcup. Some people may want more controls, such as chat-volume adjustment.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 offers clear and impressive sound quality seldom found in headsets at this price, and it’s comfortable enough for most people to wear for hours on end without complaint.
May be out of stock
We were surprised to find that the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 costs only $50. It’s well balanced and comfortable to wear for long periods of time, it has the best microphone of all our picks, and it sounds better than many of the more expensive headsets we tested.
It sounds better than many headsets that cost triple the price. The results were spacious enough for us to distinguish similar sound effects and tones from one another. It has less audible complexity than our other picks, but the quality is still impressive for a headset at this price.
It doesn’t sacrifice quality at lower volumes. Many gaming headsets—including more expensive models—clip off certain frequencies when set to lower volumes, but in our tests the Cloud Stinger 2 kept all of the elements of music and in-game sounds no matter how quiet it was.
It has decent virtual surround sound. This headset comes with a two-year software license for DTS Sound Unbound, which creates virtual surround sound for certain devices on PCs and Xbox consoles. The difference isn’t drastic, but it’s worth taking advantage and enabling DTS:X Spatial Audio to widen the headset’s soundstage even more. It never delivers true 360-degree surround sound—most directional sounds can be heard in an arc of about 180 degrees around the front and sides—but that’s better than most budget headsets can promise.
It has the best microphone of all our picks. The microphone on the Cloud Stinger 2 swivels out of the way and automatically mutes when raised, which we love—as might anyone who has ever had a mute-button mishap in the past. The mic offers clear and accurate voice reproduction, and in our tests, it didn’t pick up ambient background or typing noises. While we wouldn’t use the mics on any of our other picks for something like streaming or recording a podcast, we believe the Cloud Stinger 2’s mic would fare just fine in such instances.
It’s compatible with all consoles, but its 3.5 mm cable is built into the headset. If the cable breaks after the headset’s two-year warranty period is over, you’ll have to open up the earcup and solder a new wire to replace it.
The build quality feels cheaper and more rickety than our other picks. It’s still comfortable enough to wear for hours, and the leatherette earcups feel nice against the skin. And, if they wear out over time, you can replace them with a number of third-party options.
Indisputably the best headset we tested in the past year, this model has rich, enveloping sound with superb clarity, as well as a lightweight build that makes it easy to forget you’re wearing a headset—even while wearing glasses.
The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2020) looks nearly identical to our top pick, the Razer BlackShark V2, but it offers wireless connectivity and an upgraded listening experience with its crisp audio and immersive surround sound.
It’s more comfortable. The BlackShark V2 Pro has the same soft memory-foam earcups and wide range of adjustment as the BlackShark V2, but it weighs about 2 ounces more, which actually makes it feel sturdier and more balanced on the head.
You can ditch the cable. This headset connects wirelessly with a USB-A dongle and charges via micro-USB, but it can also work with any console thanks to the included 3.5 mm cable.
It sounds amazing. We played a number of games with the BlackShark V2 Pro, including titles we’re very familiar with, and we were in awe of the new sounds we heard through this headset that we’d never noticed before. We could hear characters speaking behind us from a distance more clearly than ever before in games like God of War and Grand Theft Auto V, and atmospheric details like wind blowing and birds chirping sounded realistic in tone and proximity. The BlackShark V2 Pro’s soundstage is extremely roomy, and the audio quality is crisp and balanced. It’s also an excellent headset for simply listening to music.
The detachable microphone is terrible. It’s functional enough for basic chat, but it makes voices sound muffled, distant, and nasally. If high-quality voice reproduction is essential for you, any of our other picks would be more appropriate.
This updated version of our upgrade pick has the same great sound, look, and comfort as its predecessor, but the microphone is vastly improved.
The 2023 edition of the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is indistinguishable from our upgrade pick in audio quality and design. It’s just as comfortable to wear for hours on end, and it delivers the same crisp, spacious sound we loved in the 2020 version. The most noticeable improvement is this headset’s microphone, which produces voices clearly and accurately, and it includes sidetone. But most people shouldn’t buy the 2023 model until the previous edition goes out of stock. You can’t use it with a wired connection, and you can still find the older (but still excellent) V2 Pro for a significantly lower price.
Compared with our upgrade pick, the microphone is substantially better. The 2023 V2 Pro has a detachable boom mic that looks identical to the previous version, but the increase in quality is staggering. My voice sounded clear and well-articulated, and the new sidetone feature worked without issue. Our budget pick is still the best option if you intend to record your voice or stream on Twitch without an external microphone, but for regular chat functions, this headset will work just fine.
It has a longer battery life, and it’s rechargeable with USB-C. Razer says this headset lasts up to 70 hours on a single charge. We didn’t formally test the battery life of the 2023 V2 Pro, but the improvement from the previous version is observable. Two of our staff members have been using the older V2 Pro for over a year, and we’ve rated it for about 20 hours of battery life. In contrast, we didn’t have to recharge this headset once over our two-week testing period. It also swaps the 2020 version’s micro-USB port for USB-C charging.
The 2023 V2 Pro adds an onboard button to quickly switch between audio sources. If you pair the headset to one device with Bluetooth, and connect it to another via 2.4 GHz dongle, you can use the built-in button to swap between the two devices. It worked seamlessly in our tests, and it was especially useful when we took advantage of the headset’s incoming phone call functions.
This button can also cycle through preset and custom EQ profiles. Using the same SmartSwitch button that shifts between audio sources, you can toggle through three different EQ presets, or make your own custom audio profile in the Razer Synapse software.
For now, you should opt for Razer’s 2020 BlackShark V2 Pro. The previous version of this headset is being phased out, but you can still find it in stock at most major retailers for a much lower price. If you need a higher quality microphone or if the 2020 model is unavailable, we recommend the 2023 version.
We’ve been testing two new pairs of true wireless gaming earbuds: the Sony inZone Buds and the PlayStation Pulse Explore. Both models launched this fall starting at $200, and although they’re each made by Sony—and therefore optimized for gaming on PlayStation consoles—they do have some key distinctions. First, the Pulse Explore earbuds use planar magnetic drivers, which tend to reproduce smaller auditory details better than conventional headphone drivers. In contrast, the inZone earbuds use the same dynamic driver as the Sony WF-1000XM5, our pick for the best noise-cancelling earbuds. Second, the Pulse Explore is compatible with the PlayStation Portal, while the inZone Buds are not. However, the inZone Buds offer active noise-cancellation and sidetone, but unlike the Pulse Explore earbuds, they do not support Bluetooth connections. We will update this guide with our findings once we’ve finished testing these earbuds.
For our next round of testing, we will also evaluate the wired and wireless HyperX Cloud III headsets, and the new Logitech Astro A50 X. The Astro A50 X promises multi-system, wireless compatibility that allows you to instantly switch between three different platforms, including Xbox consoles. At $380, it’s more expensive than most headsets we test for this guide, but it’s one of the few options out there that offer wireless compatibility for Xbox.
We dismissed the following headsets because they’re uncomfortable for a variety of head and ear sizes, have a poor range of adjustment, slide off the head easily, or apply too much pressure in one or more areas:
These headsets were dismissed for poor audio quality, or quality that couldn’t beat our current picks:
We dismissed the following headsets for connectivity limitations or issues, such as wireless headsets offering no option for wired connections, or USB-A-only connection types:
This article was edited by Arthur Gies and Caitlin McGarry.
Some wireless gaming headsets use Bluetooth to connect to computers or mobile devices, but it’s less ideal for consoles or as the primary form of connection. Most headsets connect through a USB-A 2.4 GHz dongle because that type of connection is more stable and reliable.
Only officially licensed USB headsets work with each console via USB—be sure to do a quick Google search to see if your headset is supported. We have a compatibility table for our picks at the top of this guide.
Haley Perry is an associate staff writer at Wirecutter covering video games and technology. She used to review video games full-time, and she’s also a big fan of mezcal. If you get enough in her, she may just admit that she still plays The Sims ... a lot.
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Bluetooth Headset Over Ear Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).