Next-Gen Headsets

[SteveH]

Just in case anyone has money to throw around (which I doubt considering fuel prices etc at the moment) Bang and Olufsen have now released the Portal headset for the PS5/PC. Rather annoyingly, unlike the Xbox version, this new set allows for two devices to be connected simultaneously and they also come with a soft carry bag. 

https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/gb/headphones/beoplay-portal?variant=beoplay-portal-black-anthracite-playstation-pc

[Captain Kelsten]

I’ve got the official Xbox series x headset (it’s great but I’ve hardly used it) and have just had delivered the ps5 pulse 3d headset. 
 

Speaking of headsets, when I use my headset with Xbox, it doesn’t mute my tv/soundbar, so I have to turn it down manually or I have the sound in both my headset and my tv; any way to fix this? 

[amorenod]

6 minutes ago, Doctor Shark said:

Speaking of headsets, when I use my headset with Xbox, it doesn’t mute my tv/soundbar, so I have to turn it down manually or I have the sound in both my headset and my tv; any way to fix this? 

 

There's a "mute when using headset" switch in the xbox sound options.

[womble9]

7 minutes ago, Doctor Shark said:Speaking of headsets, when I use my headset with Xbox, it doesn’t mute my tv/soundbar, so I have to turn it down manually or I have the sound in both my headset and my tv; any way to fix this? 

Yeah they added it a little while ago .

 

Go into Settings > general > volume and audio output > additional options > mute speaker audio when headset attached. Bingo! 

[Captain Kelsten]

Thanks, both! Was pissing me right off! 

[Calashnikov]

I’m sure it’s already been asked, but curious about the Pulse 3D headset for PS5 and wether or not they’d be worth upgrading to? I’m still using my PS4 Gold headset which works fine, albeit the plastic and flakey faux leather are both fucking battered.

 

Is the Tempest 3D audio and all that truthfully that much better on the Pulse headset? I also felt the PS4 Golds lacked a bit of volume, has that been improved? 
 

Anyone able to compare the two, and give an honest appraisal of the Pulse without having to validate their own purchase now that a bit of time has passed since they came out? 

[Captain Kelsten]

6 minutes ago, Calashnikov said:

I’m sure it’s already been asked, but curious about the Pulse 3D headset for PS5 and wether or not they’d be worth upgrading to? I’m still using my PS4 Gold headset which works fine, albeit the plastic and flakey faux leather are both fucking battered.

 

Is the Tempest 3D audio and all that truthfully that much better on the Pulse headset? I also felt the PS4 Golds lacked a bit of volume, has that been improved? 
 

Anyone able to compare the two, and give an honest appraisal of the Pulse without having to validate their own purchase now that a bit of time has passed since they came out? 

I’ve got the pulse 3ds and they’re very good, but the 3D surround isn’t limited to them - it works with any applicable headset. They’re very good for the money, but not as good as more expensive sets. 

[Calashnikov]

Yeah, I read that the 3D tempest tech works with any wired stereo headphones, which is how I use the PS4 Golds. It works pretty decent. I dunno if it’s worth me upgrading really. Anyone able to compare the two? Thanks.

[Captain Kelsten]

I’ve not used my golds for years but they suffered the same problem as yours - the pleather just flakes off and gets stuck to your head and ears, so for me it was worth upgrading just for that. I’m not enough of an audiophile to know if there’s any substantial difference in sound quality, but the reviews I read all were very complimentary and noted they were a significant upgrade over the golds. 

[Calashnikov]

I’m inevitably going to fucking get them, we all know this.

[Junker]

I had the Golds and yes the pleather fell to bits. I got the Pulses about a year ago and I really like them. Very comfy and holding up great. Sound quality is good, but as ever there are better options out there in terms of pure audio quality if you want to spend more. 

 The physical controls are a bit fiddly, but what I really like is that they show up in the PS5 HUD. For example an indicator confirms that you’re increasing chat vs game volume, or when you press mute you get an onscreen notification pop up confirming it. Just a simple quality of life feature that works seamlessly.

[CovisGod]

After literal days of trawling through reviews of next gen headsets I’ve finally bit the bullet and gone for the Steelseries Arctic 7+ 

 

The things that edged it for me were being able to us it on multiple platforms with ease so can use with both my Switch and Steam Deck, and the fact it was on sale so paid £130 for it.

 

Has anyone got the same? Generally happy with them?

[JoeK]

44 minutes ago, CovisGod said:

After literal days of trawling through reviews of next gen headsets I’ve finally bit the bullet and gone for the Steelseries Arctic 7+ 

 

The things that edged it for me were being able to us it on multiple platforms with ease so can use with both my Switch and Steam Deck, and the fact it was on sale so paid £130 for it.

 

Has anyone got the same? Generally happy with them?

 

I've got an Artic 7, and it's great really. I'm not entirely convinced by Artic's adherence to the fabric strap thing you have to tighten/loosen it around the head (I think whatever I try to do they always feel the tiniest bit loose, and I think there's definitely sound escaping from it a touch), but all in all it's good enough. I have a Pulse headset for the PS5 though, and I think the sound quality on that is a touch better maybe. But that may well be because the bastard clamps onto the skull like a vice  

[Harsin]

I've got an Arctis 7x and I'm on the verge of binning it off and getting the official Series X headset with my spare reward points because it's a complete crapshoot whether it'll work first time or if I'll have to switch it and off half a dozen times until it connects properly.

[Captain Kelsten]

43 minutes ago, Harsin said:

I've got an Arctis 7x and I'm on the verge of binning it off and getting the official Series X headset with my spare reward points because it's a complete crapshoot whether it'll work first time or if I'll have to switch it and off half a dozen times until it connects properly.

I have an older pair of arctis 7s and they’re great for the pc, but are a pain in the arse to get working on the Xbox and ps4/5 which is why I now have 3 pairs of gaming headphones, one for each platform…

[scoobysi]

I bought the Arctis 7P+ recently for the PS5 (equivalent of the 7X I think) and so far I’m really pleased with them. They’re very comfortable compared to my old Golds (I wear glasses too) and I don’t think the cups will suffer from the same pealing/shedding issues as the Sony Headphones due to what they’re made of, wait and see I guess. I’ve had no issues with compatibility, the PS5 defaults to the headphones whether they’re switched on or not, which is fine as I use them most of the time. However the biggest benefit of all is the battery life, it must be 3 or 4 times the PS Golds, which was the major reason I went for these.

 

Initially the sound was disappointing with quite a low max volume but I downloaded the PC app and configured the 10 sliders as per a You Tube recommendation which made a huge difference and now they’re great and potentially much louder. No idea what I was doing with the sliders but it worked, not sure why they ship with the flat settings as a lot of people will be disappointed if they don’t realise you have to plug them into a PC to adjust them.

[IainGamer]

So just ordered the new Arctic Nova Pro wireless headphones. 
 

Got the Xbox ones as these also work with PS5.

 

Will let you know what they are like when I get them tomorrow but they are reviewing well already. 

[krenzler]

Would love to know how effective the ANC is on the Nova Pro? Preferably compared to something like Sony WH-1000XM or Bose or Airpods Max. 

 

https://steelseries.com/arctis-nova

[watusi]

On 25/05/2022 at 06:53, IainGamer said:

So just ordered the new Arctic Nova Pro wireless headphones. 
 

Got the Xbox ones as these also work with PS5.

 

Will let you know what they are like when I get them tomorrow but they are reviewing well already. 

how are they? I am tempted to pick up a pair for work and gaming. 

[IainGamer]

53 minutes ago, watusi said:

how are they? I am tempted to pick up a pair for work and gaming. 

So had a full evening with them last night.

 

They are very comfortable, light and look more like proper headphones than just gaming ones.

 

Initially I was slightly underwhelmed when on flat setting but then realised I had the microphone on which means it picks up all ambient sound.

 

Once I figure the settings they have really good.  
 

For gaming- 

Cod was excellent compared to my old 7x and Audeze Penrose

 

Returnal -  good but not as good as the penrose.  The sound seems slightly muffled for some reason.  Probably need to amend the custom sound. 
 

Bluetooth music-  played Apple Music from my iPhone and really good sound.  Similar to xm4 but not as good as my AirPods max

 

ANC - again really good, surprisingly so tbh.  Again not quite xm3 or AirPod beating.

 

Overall -  definitely keeping these to replace my arctis 7x and they are better than these.  Love the fit and custom sound changes. 
 

not as good as xm4 or AirPods max for ANC but music not far off.  
 

If you just want one pair of headphones for both then these are excellent.  Great sound.  
 

A definite upgrade from 7x and the best headphones for multi use.  

[JoeK]

The Xbox version of the Nova Pros - I can see they work with a PS5 and PC too, but does this mean they have to be wired when using them for those two?

[IainGamer]

20 minutes ago, JoeK said:

The Xbox version of the Nova Pros - I can see they work with a PS5 and PC too, but does this mean they have to be wired when using them for those two?

I have the Xbox ones as wanted to use on both ps5 aswell.  
 

Works wireless across both.  
 

You have 2 usb cables in the box to connect both consoles to the hub you have.  
 

Everything on the hub can be controlled via the volume wheel on the headset.  Takes maybe 10-15 mins to get the hang of but dead easy now to swap between sources and custom sound modes.  
 

[watusi]

On 28/05/2022 at 19:21, IainGamer said:

So had a full evening with them last night.

 

They are very comfortable, light and look more like proper headphones than just gaming ones.

 

Initially I was slightly underwhelmed when on flat setting but then realised I had the microphone on which means it picks up all ambient sound.

 

Once I figure the settings they have really good.  
 

For gaming- 

Cod was excellent compared to my old 7x and Audeze Penrose

 

Returnal -  good but not as good as the penrose.  The sound seems slightly muffled for some reason.  Probably need to amend the custom sound. 
 

Bluetooth music-  played Apple Music from my iPhone and really good sound.  Similar to xm4 but not as good as my AirPods max

 

ANC - again really good, surprisingly so tbh.  Again not quite xm3 or AirPod beating.

 

Overall -  definitely keeping these to replace my arctis 7x and they are better than these.  Love the fit and custom sound changes. 
 

not as good as xm4 or AirPods max for ANC but music not far off.  
 

If you just want one pair of headphones for both then these are excellent.  Great sound.  
 

A definite upgrade from 7x and the best headphones for multi use.  

 

I bought some! they are very nice, the only issue for me is that I have oversized ears - they rub against the drivers a bit which might be enough to make me return them

[Jamie John]

Are these Nova Pros £330? That's a lot of money for a headset. I can't imagine the sound quality will be better than what you'd find in a dedicated pair of headphones, like the Sony XM4s, which are about £250. What are you getting for that much money?

[Shimmyhill]

12 minutes ago, Jamie John said:

Are these Nova Pros £330? That's a lot of money for a headset. I can't imagine the sound quality will be better than what you'd find in a dedicated pair of headphones, like the Sony XM4s, which are about £250. What are you getting for that much money?

 

Its all the mix amp type stuff to adjust game / party chat stuff / footsteps boost etc - while ive moved away from my 7x wireless headphone back to my Philips wired I do miss the ability to change the game/chat balance properly, its never as good on the console for some reason.

[The Boatman]

New gaming(?) headsets on the way from Sony 

 

https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/21/23176570/sony-inzone-gaming-headsets-leak-h3-h7-h9-monitors

[Fargo]

Are there any headsets that work wirelessly with both ps5 and Xbox ? 

[dataDave]

My advice is to buy headphones that don't have the term "gaming" anywhere near the title or marketing.

[smithstock]

30 minutes ago, Fargo said:

Are there any headsets that work wirelessly with both ps5 and Xbox ? 

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Xbox Wireless Headset

 

This is what I have - works flawlessly with both. Just make sure if you do plump for them, that you get the Xbox version of that headset. 

[Sane]

1 hour ago, dataDave said:

My advice is to buy headphones that don't have the term "gaming" anywhere near the title or marketing.

The downside of this is that you will be stuck using Bluetooth, which is less than ideal. In fact I think it's not even possible on Xbox (not sure about Ps5) to use Bluetooth headsets. Headsets that are made for use with Xbox use the 2.4ghz signal that the controllers use as well, which is much less laggy than Bluetooth. 

 

That said, if you dislike gaming esthetics and greatly value sound quality, I can recommend the Beoplay Portal. Made by B&O so very expensive but they are proper 'normal' headphones that look great, sound amazing AND are made to be used with Xbox (there's versions for Ps5 too).