Which gaming headset should I buy (good mic required)

[ltsune]

Hey guys


So, I wanted to help my 9 year old nephew find his (first) new gaming headset (he's getting into gaming - yay ).

I'm looking for anything between $30 - $90 ($90 would probably be too expensive, but I want to keep the option open).

The most important thing is NOT necessarily the sound quality, but rather the quality of the microphone. He would like to use the headset to talk with his friends via Skype, which is why the mic is important.

Any ideas?

[poehalcho]

Does it need to be a headset? Headsets notoriously are pretty bad at both sound and recording quality afaik. If looks are not a factor, you're usually better off buying a good microphone and headphones for a lower total price.

[ltsune]

Does it need to be a headset? Headsets notoriously are pretty bad at both sound and recording quality afaik. If looks are not a factor, you're usually better off buying a good microphone and headphones for a lower total price.

Yeah, it kinda has to be a headset. He has got a laptop and would probably like to be able to take the headset with him and have both headphones and the microphone in one.

From a quick research online, it seems that the Plantronics GameCom 788 should be pretty decent for its price-range. In Denmark you can get it for $67.

Another, cheaper, option is the SteelSeries Siberia 200, which is substantially cheaper, but I'm guessing the mic is also worse.

[Tokughavita]

ahh, another generation of squeakers

[omier]

Siberia's mic didn't sound that bad imo.

[cin]

Ive had my Siberia V2 for a few years now.
Seemed fine when I just got it, but nowadays I always get comments on the mic making too much noise.
And no, they don't mean me talking

[ltsune]

Ive had my Siberia V2 for a few years now.
Seemed fine when I just got it, but nowadays I always get comments on the mic making too much noise.
And no, they don't mean me talking

Thanks for the input, man

The Siberia V2 is also nearly $90 in Denmark (so substantially more expensive than e.g. the Plantronics), so I'll probably recommend my nephew to stay away from it.

[ShaDeVi]

If he got decent phone he could use that with some app.

Then all you have to do is get him this bad boy.

[iztupido]

Yeah I was gonna say Siberia v2 like cin already did up top, this is the headset I've been using since 09 (not exactly the same, I've bought 2 more since) but I'm pretty satisfied with it, thus the 3 purchases I've made over 8 years

edit: its 79€ in Portugal though

[ltsune]

Thanks for all the input, guys. After spending a lot of time looking into it with him, he got the HyperX Cloud II. It had the next-best mic in the price-range I was looking at, but seemed like the best overall package (more sturdy design, detachable mic etc.).

[40Shades0fShame]

Good choice.