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The gaming headset you use when you game affects the overall enjoyment of your sessions, and as such, the best experiences come with the best headsets on the market. The gaming peripheral market is so saturated that it’s easy to find a multitude of inexpensive, adequate headset options.
But what about those who operate outside of a budget and want a premium gaming experience, regardless of the cost?
The most expensive gaming headsets on the market today offer the same basic functions as less expensive options, but with higher quality and a wider range of special features. At higher price points, you get premium features like noise-canceling, head-tracking, and customizable EQ suites.
There are too many options out there to sift through all of them; that would take hours. In this article, I’ll save you some time by discussing five of the most expensive gaming headsets available today, and their various advantages over others.
An incredibly versatile headset, the QuietComfort can be used as a wired gaming headset and a wireless music headset with ease. It sports noise-canceling features (when charged), a detachable and built-in microphone, and an impressive battery life for hours of use and quick recharge times in between sessions.
Wired/Wireless: Wired for gaming, wireless for music
Battery Life: 40 hours wired, 20 hours wireless
Microphone: 2; built-in and detachable
Review
Bose’s QuietComfort 35 Series 2 gaming headset is the top choice for best overall on this list, and for a few reasons. Most importantly, this headset is ultra-comfortable with a lightweight design and heavily cushioned earcups. This is one of the best headsets on the market for marathon gaming sessions.
Additionally, this headset has noise-canceling features, which reduce the sound bed to virtually zero to deliver ultra-crisp sound with minimal noise obstruction.
This headset can be used both for gaming and music by simply removing the cord you connect it to your PC or controller with. It has great phone call quality, and the built-in microphone makes talking on the go a simple task.
When gaming, you get a noise-canceling, detachable boom mic certified by Discord and Alienware for its exceptional sound quality. That, paired with the intense sound delivery, makes this a great headset for casual and pro gamers alike who enjoy an immersive gaming experience above all else.
What We Like
Comfort
The large, comfortable cushioning on this headset’s earcups are extremely easy on your ears, and the headset is rather lightweight on the whole, making this headset one of the most comfortable to use for marathon sessions.
Battery Life
With a wireless battery life of 20 hours, you can use this headset on the go all day long. Wired, it lasts up to 40 hours, so get your Totino’s Pizza Rolls ready; you’ve got at least a day and a half of gaming in store with this headset.
Compatibility
This headset is universally compatible, so there’s no need to worry about finding the headset designed for your platform; this headset does it all.
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Charging
The main downside to this headset is the battery situation. They are designed to work wirelessly, which means that to work wired, they need regular charging. You can use the headset while charging, but there is a slight buzzing sound audible enough to be an issue for some gamers.
HyperX’s Cloud Orbit S is easily one of the most expensive gaming headsets out there today, but for good reason. With innovative noise-canceling and head-tracking technology, as well as an EQ suite, this headset delivers poignant sound relentlessly to where you need it most.
This headset could be considered expensive even in the company of the most expensive gaming headsets; its price triples that of some of the other options on this list, but with the increased price, you get a host of special features not typically found in gaming headsets.
The most notable feature of this headset is the Waves Nx technology built into the headset. This software enables your drivers to adjust the sound output based on where the headset sits on your head, and produces a 3D soundscape, which provides peak sound positioning.
The Audeze planar magnetic drivers have an ultra-fast frequency response, which helps minimize distortion and interference to give you the best, most immersive gaming experience.
This amazing HyperX headset is nearly twice the weight of the Bose QuietComfort, which means that sensitive heads won’t love sitting under this headset for hours. However, the large, padded cushions on the earcups keep your ears from getting sore, making this headset a perfect blend of functionality and comfort.
Finally, with this headset comes an EQ suite where you can customize the sound profile, depending on what you use them for most. With so many great features, it’s hard to ignore this headset, even at its steep price.
What We Like
Sound Quality
This headset provides the most immersive sound of any headset on this list, and with noise-canceling surround sound, gaming feels like you’ve got two subwoofers strapped to the side of your head.
Microphone
With a detachable, noise-canceling boom mic, this headset enables you to chat with your teammates with zero interference or distortion, making multiplayer gaming feel smoother.
Waves Nx
There really aren’t enough good things to say about Waves Nx. HyperX’s ingenious sound system tracks the movement of your head 1000x per second to deliver the most accurate sound, and develops an immersive 3D sound environment. Personally, I would buy ten of these headsets for that feature alone.
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Price
While this is an article about the most expensive gaming headsets, it’s worth mentioning that this headset is priced high even compared to headsets of similar quality. Definitely not for beginning gamers or budget builders; definitely a great item for a Christmas wish list.
Fragile
While this headset is a little bulky and heavier overall, the earcups have been known to be damaged by simple things like falling off a desk. With caution, they’ll last forever. In the end, if you’re knocking expensive things to the floor frequently, you probably shouldn’t opt for the most expensive option.
The SteelSeries Arctis Pro + GameDAC headset stands out with its incredible comfort, DTS surround sound, and GameDAC controller, making this one of the best wired headsets in the expensive headset niche.
The SteelSeries Arctis Pro is a wired headset, but with that sacrifice of convenience comes an increased level of comfort, sound quality, and control to make up for the difference.
The headset includes a ski goggle suspension head strap to keep the pressure of the headset off the top of your head and evenly distribute the weight. That, paired with the comfortable earcups, makes this a great headset for marathon sessions.
Most notably, this headset includes the SteelSeries GameDAC controller with an OLED display. This controller allows you to quickly and easily toggle microphone functions and volume for in-game convenience.
This headset also sports DTS surround sound to provide an immersive, accurate soundstage, which introduces a new level of sound quality to gaming.
Additionally, the microphone on this headset is one of the best in the industry; with SteelSeries’ ClearCast bidirectional microphone hardware, your voice will reach your teammates with crisp clarity.
What We Like
Comfort
With the ski goggle head strap and comfortable earcups, this headset sits lightly on your head and prevents aching for hours of gaming.
Microphone
SteelSeries’ ClearCast microphones are one of the most noteworthy microphones on the market today, and this headset is no exception to the trend. With ultra-clear pickup and relay, this microphone beats most others in terms of performance.
GameDAC
The GameDAC controller didn’t have to be included, but SteelSeries proved they like their customers by putting it in anyways. A super-fast alternative to the traditional side control buttons, this neat little controller makes adjusting your audio and microphone easier than ever.
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Breathability
The earcups on this headset are comfortable, but a little on the thick side. If your head or ears typically get hot after long gaming sessions, this might not be the best option for you.
Frame Quality
Frame quality doesn’t affect cautious people much, but this headset has been known to have issues with the connections that join the earcups to the frame when dropped or twisted too far.
Beyerdynamic, an uncommonly heard name in the gaming world, created the MMX 300 to provide top-tier audio and premium microphone performance in a relatively affordable package, at the expense of comfortable earcups.
This headset was designed to produce audiophile surround sound quality for gaming and other multimedia purposes, and it delivers. The earcups are not very comfortable but if you aren’t too picky about how it feels on your head, you’ll get world-class sound for your sacrifice.
The cord includes a built-in audio controller for ease of access, and the speakers transmit frequencies as low as 5Hz to a maximum of 35,000Hz. This is the widest frequency range of any headset on this list.
The condenser microphone is optimized for team communication, which means it will pick your voice up and deliver it clearly to your teammates. With a pop protection cover, you won’t have to worry about breathing or coughing in your friends’ ears.
What We Like
Sound Quality
The 7.1 surround sound this headset delivers is something to bring home to Mom; this headset delivers the cleanest audio of any headset in its price range and plays game audio to its fullest potential.
Frequency Range
With a frequency range of 5-35,000Hz, this headset can pick up sounds of any pitch and deliver them smoothly to your ears.
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Uncomfortable
This headset is not the most comfortable for some, as its earcups are a little thinner than traditional earcups and the heavy headset puts a bit of pressure on your head. Not a great headset for big heads.
Logitech’s G Pro X Wireless headset does a stand-up job of providing exceptional sound quality, brilliant microphone adjustments, and ample battery life in a sleek, wireless package. The versatility of this headset is unparalleled by less expensive wireless options.
This wireless headset is ultra-comfortable with big, soft, memory foam padding on the earcups and frame to give your marathon gaming sessions a boost.
With Blue Vo!ce advanced microphone technology, you can choose voice filters preset by Logitech, or even create your own to make your voice richer, clearer, and more pleasant for your teammates to hear.
Logitech’s advanced Pro-G 50mm drivers provide DTS surround sound that accurately delivers sound, making this a great headset for gamers who rely on sound position for effectiveness.
Arguably the best feature of this headset is Logitech’s proprietary Lightspeed technology, which gives you a 13m wireless range with near-zero latency.
What We Like
Advanced Microphone
The Blue Vo!ce technology allows users to fully customize the way their microphone picks up and delivers their voice, so if you have a remarkably high- or low-pitched voice that typically doesn’t track well on microphones, this is the headset for you.
Sound Quality
Logitech’s Pro-G drivers and DTS surround sound deliver rich, complex sound profiles with ease, giving gamers a uniquely immersive gaming experience.
Know Before Buying
Consoles
This headset can wirelessly connect to consoles, but it does not support surround sound when playing on a console. Make note of this if you want surround sound on all of your devices.
At the risk of sounding like the fabled Captain Obvious, the best expensive headsets have a brilliant, crisp, and accurate sound quality and, ideally, noise-canceling capabilities.
That being said, not every gamer has the same preferences for sound quality, so the first step is to determine what you value most.
Do you like being able to fiddle with your sound profile? Look for a headset with an EQ suite. Do you prefer immersive, noise-canceling headsets that lock you into the game? Look for a headset with 3D sound functions. It all depends on the individual, but if you’re buying an expensive headset, make sure it checks all your boxes. If you are still undecided whether to purchase a noise cancelling or a noise isolating headphones, read this article that might help you decide.
Special Features
When you start looking above the average price range, you start finding gaming headsets with special features that competing headsets either imitate in their own way, or don’t have at all. Such features include head-tracking, EQ suites, varying control setups, magnetic drivers; you get the point.
Some features, like head-tracking, come at a much higher cost than other special features, so you want to make sure you know what you want in a headset before you start searching.
It’s easy to get swept up by the blingiest, most expensive options, but if you begin your search with some special features in mind, you might be able to save yourself a few bucks.
Comfort
One of the biggest detractors of a marathon gaming session is an uncomfortable headset, either as a result of a low-quality frame or thin, tough earcups. The most expensive gaming headsets all have comfortable earcups, but they are made from a variety of materials that differs by manufacturer.
If you have big ears or your head gets hot easily, you want larger, wider earcups with ample padding, ideally with a mesh cover or something else more breathable than leatherette.
Conversely, if you have a pointed skull or short hair, you want a headset with a comfortable frame or head strap to prevent getting a headache after marathon sessions. We have an article here for the most comfortable gaming headsets.
Connection
Not all expensive headsets are universally compatible, so you need to make sure the headset you buy will work with your most frequented platform. Some expensive headsets sell adapters, but why spend more money when you could get the right headset the first time?
Microphone Quality
If you play a lot of multiplayer games that require clear, effective team communication, you want to make sure your headset can deliver crisp voice to your teammates’ headsets.
Many of the options on this list have noise-canceling microphones, but not all of them function the same way, so determine what kind of microphone would suit you best before making a purchase. We have an article here comparing gaming headset vs. headphones and mic. If a microphone is distracting to you, check this article about headset without mic or with a detachable mic.
Overall, the best headset in terms of quality, comfort, and performance is Bose’s QuietComfort 35 Series 2, but the other options on this list provide various other features that might stand out more to some gamers than others. In the end, you just need to determine what you want most in a headset, and one of these options is sure to have it.
FAQs
What Headset do Pro Gamers Use?
Just like casual gamers, pro gamers have different preferences for headsets from each other. Generally, though, you’ll see pro gamers using SteelSeries and HyperX headsets most frequently.
Can I Get Similar Quality at Lower Prices?
It depends on what you’re looking for. You won’t find head-tracking or surround sound in most headsets under $100, but you can get some of the same features, just with lower quality, at lower price points. In the end, if you want premium features, you’ll need to pay premium prices.