Top 5 unusual gaming headphones

If headphones with an emphasis on listening to music are often devoid of microphone, it is always present in gaming. Although in some models it can be hidden in the case or even completely removed. And the microphone is paid just as much attention, or even more, than the speakers. It has strictly cardioid directionality, flexible boom and foam wind protection. Also, a gamer's headset should fit comfortably on your head, without excessive pressure. Otherwise, you won't be able to play for hours, especially in eSports games. Wired connection is on average more reliable and with less latency. But today's wireless headphones are also quite good for gaming, especially on a smartphone or console in front of the TV.

GamePro Headshot HS1240 - your first gaming headphones

Reasons to buy: 50mm drivers, low impedance and as a result unpretentiousness to your sound card, steel headband, low price.
Reasonsnot to buy: The eco-leather ear cushions can float in the heat.

GamePro Headshot HS1240 - gaming headphones, or rather a headset with a microphone, from a Ukrainian electronics brand. When designing this model, GamePro engineers were clearly inspired by the popular HyperX Cloud headphones, which in turn were developed by Germans Beyerdynamics with almost a century of history. At the same time, Headshot HS1240 are half the price, and their impedance is only 16 ohms, which allows them to use seamlessly even with a "free" integrated sound card.

The diameter of the speakers is a solid 50 mm, which is larger than the typical 40 mm for most budget headphones. The frequency range is standard 20 - 20000 Hz. For the demanding audiophile, of course, narrow, but for the movie buff and gamer quite enough. The ear cushions are made of eco-leather, so they are easy to clean, but can be a little steamy in the summer heat. The steel headband with a "gamer" red color provides a tight fit and adjustment for different head sizes. It comes with an extension cable and an adapter from one to two audio plugs.

Modecom Volcano Prometheus - for fans of RGB-lighting

Reasons to buy: USB connection, its own sound card, virtual 7.1-channel sound, lightweight double headband, RGB-lighting.
Reasons not to buy: You will need an OTG adapter for your smartphone.

Modecom Volcano Prometheus is a stereo gaming headset with USB connection. On the one hand, it complicates the use with a smartphone or tablet (OTG-adapter is required). On the other hand, it makes the user of a desktop or laptop independent of the quality of the built-in sound card, because the headphones have their own audio chip. This gives the speakers a 7.1-channel surround sound effect, which adds to the atmosphere in movies and allows you to better navigate the sound in games.

In multiplayer shooters, for example, you get a better sense of which side your enemies are coming from. And you can watch or listen to orchestral concerts recorded with multiple microphones. Multichannel sound is not the only outstanding feature of Modecom Volcano Prometheus. The lightweight double headband that reduces fatigue from long gaming sessions is also worth mentioning. And, of course, RGB backlighting, which, like the volume, can be adjusted with the remote on the cable. There are seven fixed colors and an iridescent shimmer mode to choose from.

Nubia RedMagic Cyperpods TWS - for smartphone gaming

Reasons to buy: True Wireless Stereo form factor, Bluetooth connectivity, music and gaming mode, minimal intu-lag.
Reasons not to buy: A Bluetooth dongle will be required for a desktop PC.

Nubia RedMagic Cyperpods TWS is an example of how true gamer headphones can be made not only for PC, but also for smartphone, in the now fashionable True Wireless Stereo format. The headphones are able to switch between two modes on the fly: music and gaming. In the first case, the bitrate is higher, and therefore the sound is clearer. But in the second mode, the delay is lower, which completely eliminates the problem of many non-gaming Bluetooth headphones - the lag of sound from the picture on the smartphone screen. The intuit-lag is a paltry 39 milliseconds.

The two closest competitors, also positioning themselves as gaming TWS, have higher latency - 45 and 60 ms, respectively. The non-gaming solutions have a delay of well over 100 ms. The diameter of the dynamic drivers is 8 mm, and the frequency range is 20 - 20000 Hz. The battery life of the headphones themselves and together with the case is 4 and 16 hours respectively. If you want, you can connect Nubia RedMagic Cyperpods TWS not only to a smartphone or tablet, but also to a laptop and even a gaming console.

Xtrfy H2 - for the novice eSportsman

Reasons to buy: Aimed at eSports, 53 mm speakers, extended frequency range of 15 - 25000 Hz, breathable fabric ear cushions.
Reasons not to buy: Fabric ear cushions get dirty faster than leather ones.

The Xtrfy H2 is a gaming, or rather cyberport stereo headset from a young Swedish brand. In the process of designing its products, Xtrfy works closely with world-renowned cyber athletes, taking into account their experience and advice. As a result, H2 turned out to be really those headphones, in which you can sit for many hours in a row. And even in summer heat, because the ear cushions are not made of eco leather, but of tactile pleasant fabric. There is memory foam inside and the ear fits inside the cup, which greatly reduces pressure.

The diameter of the speakers is 53 mm, larger in gaming headphones and no longer put. The frequency range is wider than usual: from 15 to 25000 Hz, you can hear the bass and vocals well. Simply put, the Xtrfy H2 is a rare gaming headphone that is also good for listening to music. They can be called if not audiophile, but audiophile for sure. The microphone is detachable, with cardioid directivity, frequency of 45 - 18000 Hz and a foam pop filter for passive noise suppression.

EPOS H3 Hybrid - to play everything, everywhere at once

Reasons to buy: Mini-Jack, USB or Bluetooth 5.2 connection, 37 hour battery life, two independent audio streams, button to switch between stereo and 3D sound.
Reasons not to buy: High price.

EPOS H3 Hybrid is one of the most functional gaming headsets from the gaming sub-brand of the German audio-giant Sennheiser. It supports three variants of connection: 3.5 mm Mini-Jack, USB-cable or Bluetooth. And the Bluetooth version is the latest 5.2, which provides clear sound and moderate battery consumption. The built-in battery lasts up to 37 hours on a single charge, which is something that typical wireless TWS headphones would envy. The reproducible frequency range is from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

The microphone has software noise suppression through the proprietary EPOS Gaming Suite. If you decide to remove the microphone completely, it comes with a cap for a neater appearance. On the body of the headphones is a programmable button, which by default switches between stereo mode and 7.1-channel surround. The most interesting, perhaps, is the Audio Mixing feature, which allows you to broadcast two independent audio streams to the headphones. For example, a game and a voice chat, each at a different volume.

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