I’ll go ahead and pull a Morpheus on you – audio is one big rabbit hole. The market is a matrix that’s directed and controlled by advertising and strategic media tactics, and gaming headphones are a good example.
If you’re one of those people who still believe that anything branded under gaming is credible, if much else honest, then I’m here to give you the red pill. This may or may not convert you into a believer of Hi-Fi but in the end, my simple aim is to restructure your perspective.
A Brief Reminiscing
Tracking down the first-ever pair of gaming headphones is quite the task. The internet is bound to point you to several different places and it’s safe to say that we might not know who actually made the first gaming headphones.
We do know that some brands were part of the early revolution.
Take for instance Sennheiser. Now we can’t say if we’re missing some obscure company that made a gaming headphone in the 2000s but we know for a fact that Sennheiser did. Remember the Sennheiser PC161? It’s a pretty basic-looking headphone with a microphone attached to it and back then, it was something novel.
After that, Steel Series came along expanding from gaming mice to gaming headphones in 2004, followed by Turtle Beach in 2005 and Astro in 2006. It went rolling from there with brands like Logitech, Razer, Corsair, and HyperX releasing their products, and now we have a saturated market full of gaming headphones.
Rome and the Copycat
Of course, as far as we’ve covered, we’ve only been talking about the big brands. As far as the ordinary person goes, the cheaper it gets, the more likely they are to buy it.
Along with the surge of gaming headphones under reputable brands, OEM and other “cost-effective” brands came to life. I’m not saying that these brands pump out products that are merely cash grabs but more often than not, it’s easier to bank on the SRP and some solid marketing to sell a headphone than rely to do so on its own merits.
On the other hand, positive attributes like build quality and packaging on bigger and renowned brands beget a higher price tag – naturally, right? You’d think this would be the opposite of getting cheap headphones due to “new toy syndrome” and a bad case of being a miser, but no.
Although these characteristics do bring about a certain level of satisfaction or comfort that benefits the user, you must remember that these have absolutely nothing to do with sound quality.
I’ll agree that no pair of headphones must be apprised solely based on their sound quality but the exact purpose you’re getting it is for that. So on the contrary, it’s a large part of what should make the headphones rack up in price.
The Gaming Tag
What irks me about the concept of gaming headphones is probably a mix of bad capitalism and marketing. Making a profit is good and all but I don’t see how something mediocre gets to have a price tag above $200.
I’m definitely a fan of value and I’m probably guessing you are too. It’s widely stated in an article I wrote just recently that I consider gaming IEMs a hoax. Does this apply to headphones as well? No, I’d think not.
While functionally similar, headphones replicate a more believable sense of soundstage than in-ear monitors. In my opinion, what makes gaming headphones suited for gaming is the amount of immersion they can give you.
The fact is the majority of all headphones advertised for gaming are closed-back headphones. I think it’s highly counterintuitive for these headphones to don the closed form factor especially if they’re advertised as gaming headphones.
A good chunk of people are going to be using their headphones at home so I’m thinking they’re at home in front of their PC, right? The need for isolation is unwarranted and hinders what could’ve been a more immersive sound.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve used commercial gaming headphones before, and from what I can remember, they sounded good then. However, they weren’t anything special on the technical front, and from memory, I can tell you that they weren’t that good for music either.
It sounds like I’m looking for a multimedia headphone instead of a gaming headphone. And although the idea of decent headphones that can perform for gaming is nice, being relatively worse for music sets off one of the major sirens: having the V-shape run off-the-mill tuning. A lot of headphones do this kind of tuning because it sounds dynamic and fun.
I’m a fan of neutrality but it doesn’t mean I don’t like V-shape tunings. I’d argue though that it’s a scratched coin when it comes to tuning diversities in gaming headphones and many companies that spring up with headphones nowadays just stick to the fad and hope their marketing sways the customer.
The RGB Craze
This section is utterly ridiculous so much so that I decided it needed a segment. A lot of gaming headphones ride and capitalize on the RGB train and as much as anyone would like to conceal what they’re using as a gaming headphone, the lights don’t lie.
For a time, the rainbow lighting fad with RGBs was so crazy and everyone wanted it on their PC fans, gaming peripherals, keyboards-heck, and even gaming chairs. Headphones weren’t in any way safe from this.
This was a particular preference thing and as much as the RGB fad was famous, the user base of many gaming peripherals now prefers more low-profile and less flashy gear. And I get it, not everyone wants to dress up with an alien saucer on their heads.
The RGB craze was something of a successful fad though.
It drove sales up but, personally, I just can’t justify purchasing something very expensive that lacks any standout features just because someone threw some RGB in. It’s like plastering a Volkswagen with RGB strip lights to make it look like some Tokyo streetcar.
Standard vs. Audiophile
The greatest charm of gaming headphones is their built-in microphones, right? An audiophile rig is unlikely to go with a built-in microphone.
What happens is you’ll need to get a separate attachment like a Modmic from Antlion, and you’ll end up paying a pretty dollar. And although I’d take this over any overpriced gaming headphone, it comes to a point where practicality-wise, it gets me thinking if it’s really worth it.
You could get solid-sounding gaming headphones without having to worry about anything else but again, I’d advise you to go the audiophile route if it’s going to be more or less the same price. The no-fuss set-up of gaming headphones is enticing and all but I don’t see any merit in it if it’s not going to edge out the value of an open-back headphone.
What Truly Matters
Okay, so closed-back headphones aren’t the devil after all. You actually need the isolation because you can be easily distracted. Closed-back headphones are good but you can’t really get enough clamping force to filter out the noise unless you’re getting mufflers instead of headphones.
This is where ANC comes in. Active noise canceling is a feature that feeds your headphones external noise and amplifies a similar amplitude that cancels out that noise. Think of it as a “do not disturb” function.
Although this feature is more popular with wireless Bluetooth headphones, there are many gaming headphones that have it in their features. If you’re going to choose a closed-back over an open one, be sure that you’re sacrificing the technical aspects for greater utility for your specific use case.
Final Thoughts
I’m not leading a pitchfork mob here trying to bring down gaming headphones. They’re not a scam but many aspects of their marketing are rather gimmicky.
There are a lot of decent and good gaming headphones out there, and although I’d never go with a closed-back option, I’d pick one up if it has ANC and an option to detach the microphone because then, I’d be able to use the headphones outside the house without looking odd.
Suffice it to say, I really do favor the open-back Hi-Fi options. Instead of getting an expensive gaming headphone with barebone features, for example, I’d get a decent open-back and a gaming soundcard. It’s better to allocate your resources for things that enrich the gaming experience rather than look cool but don’t really do much.
Are gaming headphones a scam? As an audiophile, I think they hardly are but at the same time, they usually aren’t the better option when it comes to sticking to a budget. Again, I’d veer towards something that’s really flexible. Something I could use for both gaming and listening to music as well as other activities.
I’d also go for something I could use in public without anyone giving me weird stares. There are always better options in the HiFi space sound-wise and unless a gaming headphone can trump that with good value and solid features, then it’s a no from me.
Gavin is a college student who has a lot going on. From collecting IEMs and modding mechanical keyboards, to different hobbies like digital drawing, music mastering and cooking. It is safe to say he is a complete multi-faceted geek (and he's kinda cool too)