Latest news with #headset
CNET
5 days ago
- CNET
These $130 Asus Gaming Headphones Get Almost Everything Right
CNET's expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. Asus ROG Pelta $130 at Amazon Pros Sound great Comfortable Customizable sound Affordable Three connection modes Cons No noise cancellation No Xbox support Minimal headband adjustment Asus ROG Pelta $130 at Amazon After reviewing the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 headset last year, I was impressed by just how much a good headset can improve the gaming experience. While headsets like the Stealth 700s are great, they're also expensive. The ROG Pelta headphones from Asus, on the other hand, nail the basics while being more affordable. I've been testing the Pelta's for several weeks now and I'm quite impressed. They get just about everything right and only cost $130. That's still a fair amount of money, but much of what you get with the Pelta is often only found on headsets that cost twice as much. What I like about the Asus ROG Pelta CNET/Jason Cockerham For starters, the 50mm titanium-plated drivers sound great. No matter what game I played, I heard everything clearly. Both music and movies sounded fantastic, almost as good as my $300 Sony XM3 headphones. The best part is that with the Asus Armory Crate app you can customize the sound profile in detail. Asus gives you lots of options for tuning the headphones precisely to your liking, which is a welcome touch at this price. There are some custom profiles as well for those who just want to pick one and leave it. To be honest, I never felt the need to switch from the default settings during my entire time with the Peltas. They're also comfortable to wear. The earcups fit well over my ears, and the cushions are comfortable -- more so than the Stealth 700s. They're made of soft mesh material that gives them greater breathability than others I've used. They're also very lightweight. There's no carrying case, which is disappointing. CNET/Jason Cockerham Microphone quality is also solid. I never had any teammates complain about not being able to hear me, and I even took a few video calls with them and didn't have any issues. The mic is also removable, which is convenient, so it doesn't get in the way when you're not using it. The 70-hour battery life (90 on Bluetooth) is quite decent, and you can get 3 hours of usage with 15 minutes of charging. The Pelta's can connect to PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch and mobile devices via Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle. There's also an included USB-C cable with an adapter if you want to go the wired route. The odd part is that there's no Xbox support. What I didn't like about the Asus ROG Pelta CNET/Jason Cockerham The only real downside is that the headband is not telescoping, which means there are only three predetermined positions for adjusting the headset. This may not be a problem for most, but I have a small, weirdly shaped head and the Pelta never quite fit as snugly as I would have liked. I always felt like they would slip off at any moment. They never did, but it always felt like they were about to. There's also no 3.5mm headphone jack. I get that this is becoming more common these days, but it's still annoying. There are still those of us who want a good analog connection from time to time. Noise cancellation also doesn't make an appearance, but that's not uncommon on gaming headphones, especially at this price. Should you buy the Asus ROG Pelta? Overall, for $130, there's really not much to dislike about the ROG Pelta headphones. They work with almost any device, sound great, have good battery life and are quite comfortable. If you're looking for a good gaming headset that won't have your wallet complaining, and you don't have an Xbox, the Pelta's should be high on the list.
Geek Tyrant
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Audeze Maxwell Headset Makes Gaming Premium — GeekTyrant
Audeze recently sent me what is possibly the best gaming headset I have ever had the chance to try out for Xbox. The Audeze Maxwell headset is available now in two varieties (one for PlayStation with MSRP of $299 and one for Xbox with MSRP of $349) and I'm in love with it. Before I really get into it, I want to talk about some of the specifications. The Maxwell features over-the-ear and closed back headphones with 90mm drivers. It has a suspension headband instead of the more typical adjustable headband and is advertised to have a battery life of 80+ hours. As far as connectivity, the Maxwell can use Bluetooth 5.3, wired USB, wired 3.5mm, and a USB dongle with ultra low latency wireless. It also has Xbox Wireless via the USB dongle. Maxwell also offers integrated A.I. noise filtration for the microphone as well as microphone EQ controls. In addition, the Xbox version comes with an embedded license to Dolby Atmos for the optimal audio experience while gaming. That's enough boring talk. The Maxwell is absolutely incredible. The audio quality is absolutely fantastic. Everything sounds so clear and crisp. Combined with the fact that it is very comfortable to wear, and it's just a fantastic headset. The padding they use for the cups is just very comfortable yet secure. The use of the suspension headband actually works better for staying on my head when I bend over versus pretty much any adjustable headband headset. Before the Maxwell, my only other Xbox headset was the Razer Kaira Pro. This was a decent headset, especially for the price. However, it's safe to say that the Maxwell blows it out of the water (albeit with a price tag over double). I recorded a few samples using the Kaira Pro, the Maxwell, and my go-to PC mic the Dark Matter Sentry. I had fairly loud music playing in the background as I recorded each sample and tested external and internal microphones on both headsets and various levels of noise suppression on the Maxwell. In my opinion, the Sentry gives the best audio quality, but it also lets a lot of the background music through. The Maxwell is definitely in second place though with the external boom mic and has much quieter background noise, even with the noise suppression turned off.
CNET
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
The $39 SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 Gaming Headset Has Rarely Been Cheaper
Whether you're playing with your friends or getting competitive with strangers, a good gaming headset is vital. It means you can hear what's going on around you, and a built-in mic means you can talk to your friends (and foes) at the same time. Wireless headsets are cool, but sometimes you just want the ease of use -- not to mention the reliability -- of a wired solution. They're often cheaper as well. That's definitely the case with this StealSeries Arctis Nova 1 deal, with Amazon slashing the price of the black version to just $39 . This headset would normally sell for around $60, so you're saving 35% here without the need to enter any of those irritating codes or clip any easy-to-miss coupons. Just place your order as normal and your new headset will be with you in no time at all. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. When it does arrive, your new Arctis Nova 1 will work with just about anything you point it at. That includes your PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch, thanks to the use of the universal 3.5mm headphone jack that's been around for decades now. Just plug it in and it works -- you can't always say that about Bluetooth now, can you? The headset itself supports 360-degree spatial audio, and its retractable mic has noise-cancelling features so everyone will be able to hear your words of "encouragement" or, more likely, clearly. It's also designed to be comfortable for long play sessions thanks to a lightweight construction, too. Why this deal matters Gaming with headphones means that you can crank up the volume without bothering the people you live with. And if you're serious about your games, you'll already know how much easier it is to pick out threats when you can better hear where they're coming from. At this price, why struggle when you can pick up a wired headset that'll work with everything you own?
The Verge
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The Verge
These are Sony's new noise-canceling headphones for NFL coaches
Sony is finally debuting the headset that it developed specifically for NFL coaches, after teasing it almost a year ago as part of a new partnership with the NFL. The headset features technology and engineering borrowed from Sony's popular consumer-focused wireless headphones, such as the WH-1000XM6. That includes the same noise-canceling technology that Sony uses in its 1000X headphone series, although it's been optimized for use on the sidelines. Sony tested the headset using real crowd noises at 100 decibels to fine-tune its active noise cancellation for use in NFL stadiums. The headset will be available in two configurations featuring either one or two ear cups. It features a new oversized microphone that helps keep the coach's voice clear while concealing their lip movements so that other teams can't easily see what play they're calling. (They usually hide their mouths anyway.) Sony designed the new headsets to handle most of the weather teams face during the season, including extreme heat and cold conditions, as well as snow, sleet, and rain. They were drop tested to ensure they can endure the 'physical demands of the sidelines'— cut to a scene of a coach tossing a headset to the ground after a bad play. All 32 teams in the NFL will use Sony's new hardware. The headsets will be wirelessly connected through a belt pack using a Verizon private 5G network in each stadium to ensure secure communications. Sony was announced as an official technology partner of the NFL in July 2024. In addition to replacing Bose as the official headset provider for the league, the use of Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking technology was also expanded this past season. The technology will be used to assist with important calls on plays.
Digital Trends
11-07-2025
- Business
- Digital Trends
The best budget gaming headset is even more affordable for Prime Day — hurry!
If you need a new gaming headset for Prime Day but you've already spent a lot on gaming PC deals or gaming laptop deals, the good news is that the budget-friendly HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 is on sale for an even lower price for the shopping event. From $50 originally, it's down to just $37 following a 26% discount. We're not sure if the $13 in savings will hold until the final minutes of Prime Day, but if you want to make sure that you're able to take advantage of this bargain, you should proceed with the purchase right now. Why you should buy the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 gaming headset While most of our picks for the best gaming headsets cost more than $100, the roundup includes the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2, which we've tagged as the best budget headset for PC gaming. Despite its affordable price, we described it as 'a great gaming headset' in our review, giving it an outstanding score of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars. It still provides premium audio when playing the best PC games with its DTS Headphone:X virtual surround sound support, and while you'll have to mind its cable as it's a wired headset, that only means it will work with any device with a headphone jack for no need to worry about compatibility with specific platforms. The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 is budget-friendly, but it doesn't feel cheap. The gaming headset is very comfortable as it's extremely light — you won't feel anything on your head at all — and you can rotate its earcups until you find the best position for you. The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2's swivel-to-mute microphone will let you flip it out of the way when it's not needed, and it has physical audio controls so you don't need to navigate onscreen menus to make volume adjustments while you're in the middle of a boss fight. The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 already offers amazing value at its original price of $50, which is why it's a must-buy at its lowered price of just $37 from the gaming headset deals of Amazon's Prime Day. The $13 discount may expire at any moment though, so there's no time to waste if you're interested in this bargain. Grab the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 while it's 26% off, as this affordable gaming headset could be the missing piece to complete your gaming setup.
