Wirecutter

If you’re at a computer all day and don’t need to use a headset with your phone, the Jabra Evolve2 30 offers a similar microphone quality to that of our wireless picks—for less than half the price.

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TechGearLab

The New Bee USB Headset has some admirable and commendable elements. We think that this model has a solid construction. It's comfortable, the controls are straightforward to use, and the extra few inches of the cord can make a difference in those particular situations. This computer headset showed extraordinary performance during our microphone noise-canceling capability assessments. 
Regrettably, we recorded a very low volume while recording anything with the New Bee Computer Headset during our microphone noise-canceling assessment. If transceiving audio with your computer headset is an essential feature for you, this model may not be your best bet. If you plan on using the New Bee as a 3.5mm only model, remember that the USB controls will be lost when you disconnect the dongle. 

The New Bee USB Headset has some admirable and commendable elements. We think that this model has a solid construction. It's comfortable, the controls are straightforward to use, and the extra few inches of the cord can make a difference in those particular situations. This computer headset showed extraordinary performance during our microphone noise-canceling capability assessments. 
Regrettably, we recorded a very low volume while recording anything with the New Bee during our microphone noise-canceling assessment. If transceiving audio with your computer headset is an essential feature for you, this model may not be your best bet. If you plan on using the New Bee as a 3.5mm only model, remember that the USB controls will be lost when you disconnect the dongle. 

RTINGS

The Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019 is the best wired gaming headset that we've tested. You can purchase these headphones in either a PS4 or Xbox One variant; it's important to get the right variant for your console. They also come with a MixAmp, which offers controls like channel mixing, EQ presets, and volume as you game. It offers a few inputs, and you can daisy-chain several amps together if you're at a gaming tournament.

They have a comfortable fit with soft padding and feel well-built. Their ear cups have swappable speaker tags, and you can purchase different styles from the manufacturer to give the headphones a different look. Thanks to their open-back design, they have a great passive soundstage to help immerse you in your audio. They also have a warm default sound profile to help bring out sound effects in your gameplay. Their detachable boom mic does a great job of recording your voice and can separate it from background noise so that you're heard clearly.

Unfortunately, they leak a lot of audio due to their open-back design, and others around you can hear it, even in a moderately noisy environment. They don't block much background noise. If you plan to game in quieter spaces like at home, they're a suitable wired choice.

The Astro A40 TR + MixAmp Pro 2019 are the best open-back headphones for gaming that we've tested. Unlike other open-back headphones on this list, they have a boom mic that offers a great performance so that your teammates hear you clearly. Their passive soundstage also seems wide, natural, and spacious, which can help create an immersive gaming experience. 

What makes these headphones stand out from the pack is their in-line MixAmp. This device puts controls like volume, chat mixing, and EQ presets at your fingertips, so it's easy to adjust their performance on the fly. Out of the box, they have a warm sound profile that adds a touch of extra boom, which can help emphasize sound effects while you game. That said, you can adjust their sound to your liking using their companion software's graphic EQ and presets.

On the downside, they're prone to some inconsistencies in bass and treble delivery, so it's important to take the time to adjust their fit in order to get a more consistent sound. Keep in mind that these headphones also come in PC/PS4 and PC/Xbox One variants, so it's important to ensure you get the right model. That said, these open-back headphones offer a lot of customization features and have a built-in mic suitable for gaming.

The Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019 is the best Xbox One headset with a wired design that we've tested. These headphones come with a MixAmp that gives you access to helpful controls while you play, including volume and channel mixing. You can also use it to cycle through different EQ presets and turn the virtual surround sound feature on and off.

They're impressively well-built and very comfortable, so they shouldn't hurt your ears during longer gaming sessions. Their warm default sound profile can help to emphasize sound effects in action-packed games. If you prefer a different sound, their companion software includes a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization. They also have a boom mic with great performance, so your voice sounds clear, even with some noise in the background.

Unfortunately, their open-back design means they don't isolate you from ambient sound and leak a lot of audio at high volumes, so they may not be ideal for noisy or shared spaces. This design helps them create an open-seeming and out-of-head passive soundstage, making your audio more immersive.

The Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019 is the best open-back PS4 gaming headset that we've tested. Open-back headphones are a great choice if you're looking for a more immersive audio experience. Thanks to their design, audio is able to leave the ear cup and interact with your surroundings, which helps create a spacious passive soundstage. 

These comfortable and well-built wired headphones come with a MixAmp, which puts controls such as channel mixing, and EQ presets at your fingertips. Out of the box, they have a warm sound profile that adds a touch of extra boom to mixes. You can customize their sound to your liking using their companion software's graphic EQ and presets though. If you like to game with others, their boom mic does a great job of recording your voice, so your teammates should have no problems hearing you clearly.

There are a couple of drawbacks to an open-back design. They're not able to block out most background noise and they leak a lot of audio, which can be annoying for others around you. That said, these over-ears offer a great, customizable performance for gaming. They're even among the best open-back headphones that we've tested. 

The best gaming headset for Xbox Series X/S consoles with a wired design that we've tested is the Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019. Attached to the audio cable is the MixAmp, which places the headphones' controls at your fingertips. There's a dedicated channel mixing knob and a volume knob, and you can also cycle through EQ presets and enable surround sound.

Unlike other headphones on this list, they have an open-back design, which helps them create an open, spacious, and wide passive soundstage to immerse you in your audio. While their default sound profile leans warm, which can help bring out sound effects like footsteps as you game, you can customize their sound to your liking using their companion software's graphic EQ and presets. Afterward, you can map your custom preset onto the MixAmp for easy access. Their detachable boom mic also delivers a good overall performance, ensuring your voice sounds clear, even in moderately noisy environments.

Unfortunately, since they have an open-back design, they won't block most kinds of noise, like ambient chatter. They also leak a lot of audio at high volumes, so you may disturb others around you if you're gaming in a shared space. Still, these wired headphones have a unique design that allows you to tweak and adjust your settings on the fly, which is worth checking out.

The Astro A40 TR + MixAmp Pro 2019 are the best open-back gaming headphones we've tested. Unlike other open-back headphones on this list, they have a boom mic that offers a great performance when you're gaming with friends. Their passive soundstage also seems wide, natural, and spacious, which can help you feel immersed in your gameplay. They also stand out for their MixAmp, which puts controls like volume, chat mixing, and EQ presets at your fingertips.

Out of the box, they have a warm sound profile that adds a touch of extra boom, which can help emphasize sound effects while you game. You can adjust their sound to your liking using their companion software's graphic EQ and presets. Unfortunately, they're prone to inconsistent bass and treble delivery, so it's crucial to take the time to adjust their fit to get a more consistent sound. These headphones also come in PC/PS4 and PC/Xbox One variants, so it's important to ensure you get the right model.

The Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019 is the best wired gaming headset we've tested. If you're looking for gaming headphones that won't run out of battery at the wrong moment, a wired headset is the way to go. You might find wired headphones provide slightly better audio and mic quality, although you may not notice a difference from our top wireless picks. Unlike most budget options, which are wired by default, these premium cans come with a MixAmp that puts controls like channel mixing, EQ presets, and volume within easy reach. It also offers several different wired inputs like optical and USB. There are separate PS4 and Xbox One variants of these headphones, so you have to be sure to get the right version for your console. They're a solid choice if you only use one console or if you're looking for the best PC gaming headset.

Unlike the similarly-priced HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, they have an open-back design, which helps them to create an immersive and out-of-head soundstage. Due to this design, they leak a lot of audio and block out practically no audio. However, they're comfortable enough for long gaming marathons, and their ear cups even have swappable speaker tags, so you can purchase different styles from the manufacturer to give the headphones a different look. They also have a warm default sound profile to help bring out sound effects in your gameplay. Their detachable boom mic does a great job recording your voice and can separate it from background noise, so you're heard clearly.

The Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019 is the best wired Xbox One headset we've tested. Unlike other wired picks on this list, these very well-built headphones have a MixAmp on their audio cable, letting you adjust controls like volume, channel mixing, and surround sound on the fly. It also allows you to cycle through the different EQ presets that you can create via their companion app if you want to alter their warm default sound profile. They also have a very comfortable fit suitable for long hours of gaming, and their boom mic offers great performance, ensuring your teammates hear you clearly, even in moderately noisy places.

Thanks to their open-back design, sound can escape the ear cups and bounce around your environment. It helps the headphones create an open and out-of-head passive soundstage, which can sound more immersive. Unfortunately, this also means that they won't block background noise, and their leaky sound might annoy others around you. If this is a dealbreaker, you may want to check out the SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC instead. These wired headphones have a closed-back design, which helps improve noise isolation and lower audio bleed. Unfortunately, their passive soundstage seems closed off and unnatural.

The Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019 are the best open-back PS4 gaming headphones we've tested. Although they occupy the same price point as the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, they offer a very different performance worth checking out if you want a more immersive gaming experience. These well-built over-ears have an open-back design and are among the best open-back headphones we've tested. While this means that they purposely leak sound, which can bother others around you, and won't block out background noise, the headphones can create a spacious, out-of-head soundstage. They also come with a MixAmp, which puts controls like EQ presets, chat mix, volume, and surround sound right at your fingertips.

Out of the box, they have a warm sound profile. Their extra high-bass emphasizes sound effects like footsteps or explosions in your gameplay. Dialogue and instruments sound clear, but they're a bit veiled and dark. Their companion app has robust sound customization features like an EQ and presets that you can save to the MixAmp, though. If you like to game with others, their boom mic does a great job recording your voice, so your teammates should have no problems hearing you clearly.

If you want to avoid issues like battery life and latency, then the best gaming headset for Xbox Series X/S consoles with a wired design that we've tested is the Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019. Unlike the Astro A50 Gen 4 Wireless 2019, they have an open-back design, which helps them create an open, spacious, and wide passive soundstage to immerse you in your audio. This design means they block out even less ambient noise than the other picks on this list, although most gaming headphones aren't ideal for that purpose.

These headphones come with a MixAmp that places the headphones' controls at your fingertips. It has dedicated channel mixing and volume knobs, and you can also use them to cycle through EQ presets and enable surround sound. Their default sound profile leans warm, which can help emphasize sound effects in games, but you can also customize it to your liking using their companion software's graphic EQ and presets. Afterward, you can map your custom preset onto the MixAmp for easy access. Their detachable boom mic also delivers good performance, ensuring your voice sounds clear, even in moderately noisy environments.

The best headphones for PS5 with an open-back design are the Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019. Although they occupy the mid-range alongside the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, these wired over-ears have very different pros and cons. Their open-back design allows sound to leave the ear cups and interact with your environment. It creates a more out-of-head and spacious soundstage that can help immerse you in your audio. However, this also means they won't block out any background sounds, which can be frustrating if you share a space with others and leak a lot of audio, even at moderate volumes.

They come with a MixAmp with dedicated channel mixing and volume controls built-in, making it easy to adjust your settings while gaming. There's also an EQ preset button that you can use to customize their otherwise warm default sound profile. The MixAmp comes in PlayStation and Xbox variants, though. If you like to game with others, their boom mic does a great job recording your voice so that you're understandable, even in moderately noisy environments. They have a comfortable fit suitable for long gaming marathons too.

The Jabra Evolve 40 has an excellent mic and decent headphones, and it’s comfortable to wear during long calls throughout a workday.

bazaarvoice

If you know that you're going to be using your computer headset for long hours regularly, we think that the affordable EBODA Headset is a great option. Not only does it offer top-notch cushiness, but this model also comes with extra features such as noise-cancellation and utilizes a volume wheel rather than buttons on the controls, which is preferable for many people. Not only is this version comfortable, at only 1 ½ ounce, it's also outstandingly light. 
However, it's not all roses. The EBODA USB Headset doesn't offer anything special in the way of audio excellence. Although this budget model does not produce a poor sound by any means, it can't compete with the super high-end models that have made sound quality their main priority and selling point during the design process. Also, the noise-cancellation element of the microphone does not perform as well as some other models we've tested that include this feature. Despite these flaws, this model is still an outstanding value for the price, and we'd recommend the EBODA USB Headset for anyone on a budget seeking comfort and performance.

If you know that you're going to be using your computer headset for long hours regularly, we think that the affordable EBODA Headset is a great option. Not only does it offer top-notch cushiness, but this model also comes with extra features such as noise-cancellation and utilizes a volume wheel rather than buttons on the controls, which is preferable for many people. This headset is very comfortable, and at only 1 ½ oz, it's also outstandingly light. 
However, it's not all roses. The EBODA USB Headset doesn't offer anything special in the way of audio excellence. Although this budget model does not produce a poor sound by any means, it can't compete with the super high-end models that have made sound quality their main priority and selling point during the design process. Also, the noise-cancellation element of the microphone does not perform as well as some other models we've tested that include this feature. Despite these flaws, this model is still an outstanding value for the price, and we'd recommend the EBODA USB Headset for anyone on a budget seeking comfort and performance.

expert-review

The 4 Best Computer Headsets of 2022

If you're looking for a budget-friendly USB-C headset for phone calls, you may prefer the Sennheiser SC 160 USB-C Headset. This headset isn't as well-built as the Samsung AKG Type-C, and its sound isn't as well-suited for listening to music, but it's meant for office use and has a boom mic. The mic has a great overall performance, so your voice sounds clear and understandable even if you're calling from a moderately noisy place like a call center. There are also in-line controls that include a dedicated call management button and voice assistant support if you're using an Android device. It's decently comfortable for long days at work, but unfortunately, it doesn't isolate you from ambient sound and leaks audio at high volumes.

If you're looking for more portable headphones or prefer earbuds, go for the Samsung, but if you're looking for a USB-C headset for calls, the Sennheiser is worth considering.

Headset Comparison