Having a good microphone is essential for wireless gaming headsets but most of them are actually terrible. So in this roundup we focus on finding the best microphones on a gaming headset and we ended up finding some of the worst too.
Buy our recommendations from Amazon below:
Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless - geni.us/HS80MAX
Razer Blackshark V2 PRO (2023) - geni.us/BLACKSHARKV2PRO
Beyerdynamic MMX 200 - geni.us/MMX200
Blackshark V2 Hyperspeed - geni.us/V2HYPERSPEED
SteelSeries NOVA Pro Wireless - geni.us/ARCTISNOVAPRO
SteelSeries Arctis NOVA 7P - geni.us/NOVA7P
Check out the Thermaltake Tower 200 - geni.us/TOWER200
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Expectations vs Reality
1:36 - Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless
2:18 - Corsair HS80 MAX Wireless
2:50 - Corsair HS65 Wireless
3:23 - The Audeze Maxwell Hype Train
4:34 - Sponsor Spot
5:05 - Razer Blackshark V2 PRO (Nailed it!)
5:48 - Razer Blackshark V2 Hyperspeed
6:33 - Beyerdynamic MMX 200 is NUTS
7:48 - Sony InZone H9
8:47 - Logitech G PRO X 2 Lightspeed
9:35 - SteelSeries NOVA Pro Wireless
10:21 - SteelSeries Arctis NOVA 7P
10:48 - HyperX Cloud Alpha
11:24 - HyperX Cloud III Wireless
12:00 - the ECHO chamber Test
13:14 - These are the BEST Microphones
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SUBSCRIBE ►bit.ly/SubHWC
This video is sponsored by Thermatlake. As per Hardware Canucks guidelines, no review direction was received from manufacturer. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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#hardwarecanucks
***CORRECTION: HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless and CLOUD III Wireless have a sidetone feature, by long-pressing the mic-mute button you enable "Mic Feedback". It's audible and does not introduce any hiss. Woops. -D.
Taking a page from LTT I see…
Hi, did you change the audio settings for the Cloud III wireless in Windows? cause for some reason it defaults to a lower resolution, when plugged in for the first time and must be changed to 16bit 32000hz or something. I had the MMX200 and have the Cloud III wireless now, mainly cause of the comfort and price difference. I like everything on the Cloud III wireless more😅. Thanks for this video and keep it up.
@@nevoburi1381 Is it possible to connect the mmx 200 mic to the Cloud III headset? That would be really good
@@Tobias-ru8xq Hi, i didn't/can't try that unfortunately, cause i send the mmx200 back before getting the cloud III wireless. But in my opinion the difference in mic quality is negligible and the comfort/build quality AND difference in price just speaks for the cloud III wireless.
@@nevoburi1381 Ahh okay I see. I heard the same, that Cloud 3 Wireless is superior in all other ways (battery life also). So I’ll probably go with this one. Thanks for your input :)
7:48 The fuck is Sony doing selling a 300$ wireless headset that sounds like this
Right ☠️
Also the soundstage is poor for the price and they are very plasticy... The ONLY good thing about them is comfort.
Just Sony being Sony
yeah the companies are just not giving a shit anymore AT ALL!!!!!!
😂😂 its for money players 🥲🥲🥲🤩😅😂😂
I literally just looked this up. Thanks for rounding everything up in a single video. Gonna watch it now.
Dimitri, another great presentation. You and Eber knock it out of the park.
Thanks for making a great comparison video without making it 30 mins long! 👏
Love the video! Hope you'll be making a video for wired headset microphones! Thanks for all the effort you put into these!
Just the video I needed! I've been wanting to replace my old Arctis 7 but I feel like the reviews these days are so mixed. Thanks!
Your reviews are amazing! Keep the good work friend
Including the HyperX Alpha is much appreciated. You have influenced my next purchasing decision. Thank you. 😊
Absolutely love my corsair hs80 from your recommendation of one of your previous videos!
Thank you for the fantastic video. Manufacturers should be prioritising more on the quality of their headset microphone. Of course for the purpose of gaming, all of these headset microphone are serviceable. However many of us are also working virtually having virtual meeting and interviews. That is where the quality of the microphone is so so important, Where in these case, the stakes is high (either winning/loss a job interview, make/break in clients' confidence), of course this are 10% of the scenario, but anytime when the zoom/teams ring, I want to pick up my headset and feel confident that I am delivering on my best. For that reason, I am very happy with my HS80 OG (thank you for your yearly recommendation, I got it last year after watching your videos). Manufacturers should not cut conner on the mic, and they should know that consumer are willing to pay more for headset with good sounding mic of the box.
2:21, what's happening isn't compression; it's actually a noise gate, often used for noise cancellation. Compression in audio, on the other hand, works to bring high and low volume sounds closer together, resulting in a more uniform and balanced volume output. I would actually increase background sound. A noise gate, on the other hand, acts like an automatic on and off switch. It opens when the input volume reaches a certain threshold, and it remains closed when the volume is too low. Essentially, it helps eliminate unwanted background noise. 12:00, it's not an echo room, it's a reverb room or chamber. Reverb mainly captures the direct bounce of sound, creating a hollow or spacious effect. It adds a tail to the sound, enhancing its depth. Echo, on the other hand, involves sound repetitions that take longer to bounce back, resulting in a distinct repeated effect.
Thumbnail is elite, plus the video was genuinely enjoyable to watch too
Thanks for this quick awesome video❤
Bro I just love your videos. I bought corsair listening to your videos and loooove it.
Great video with a lot of informative information! About Denon AH-D1200 mic sound? I'm very curious about this headset but found no place mention about its mic quality. Thank you very much!
Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooo much. amazing video! Keep it up please
Probably the most informative, useful and and honest review I have ever watched of the multiple products.
Thank you. I really liked this video, it actually showed us exactly what it sounds like... not just telling us! Thanks!!!
This is just the type of comparison that I have been looking for and I so much agree with everything you point out in terms of mic quality! Awesome job, man, thank you so much! I am looking for a wireless overear headset (with ANC) that allows for a really good call quality in a work environment and the headsets dedicated to this all appear to do a terrible job in transmitting the human voice in a natural way (I have heard call samples elsewhere on youtube and can hardly believe how bad those work headsets sound). However, when working with people over a distance, my voice is my most important instrument in getting through to them and it just has to sound good in the sense of natural. So, obviously, for that purpose, I need to resort to a gaming headset!
Awesome review! Thank you.
Great review! Straight to the point
great roundup Dmitri, thanks! looks like new blacksharks are even better :)
awesome round-up, thanks
I really appreciate how much works you puts in this video! Thanks!!!
This was super helpful, thanks!
Back in the day when I was reviewing for Microphones we actually had a decent test for looking for best solution as far as pure sound quality was concerned. I was doing the radio show so I had access to a VERY high quality microphone, properly calibrated. We spoke the shows catch phrase into the mic and recorded a raw audio file. Four our gaming headset testing we would compare the same audio file created raw to the input provided by these mics. We understood that the input we used at my office was not the same quality as the input use at the studio. However we where looking for how close the sound pattern could match, not looking for perfection. The closer the sound patterns matched the comparison the better the mic quality. For noise cancellation, we would again do a mic input in a "silent" room. We would then do the same sound input but add in background noise and again compare the two sound files to see which had the least deviation from the quite room sampling.
Excellent video!!! everybody is talking about the wireless headsets, but nobody talks about the mic, and i think is it the most important thing when you a have at least 2 friends and a discord comunity, thank you from Argentina
I see you included the Antlion Modmic at the beginning of the video. I would love to see a comparison between that and something like the V-Moda Boom Pro microphone.
Wow I have to say your reviews are very detailed as it should be :D Thanks what should i pick Hmmm. 👍
Really nice and detailed review. It’s been a while since I subscribed to a channel. This seems totally worth it.
Welcome welcome 🤗 -D.
I use the HS80 and bought it after trying multiple different wireless headphones specifically because of the microphone quality. I can barely distinguish it to my Rode NT-USB Mini. I almost got the HS80 MAX when it was announced. But after hearing it here, I am glad I didn't. Why did Corsair ruin a good thing? I will be replacing the battery in my HS80 to keep it for longer. I have also tried the MMX150, which are the wired version of the MMX200. I found them really uncomfortable, especially the earpads, which are not deep enough, so that my ears hit the speakers. The headband was also not ideal. The microphone sounds amazing though and I would love to get them!
Man I love your headset reviews. 👍
Really great video. But what if I prefer wired headphones. Is there a noticeable difference in microphone quality on wired headphones vs. wireless headphones? Which headphones should I go for if I want both great sound quality and a great microphone when I play with friends? At the moment I am looking at the wired version of the SteelSeries Nova Pro headphones but if the microphone isn't that good on the wireless version will it then be good on the wired version? Are there any other headphones I should be looking at in or around the same price range? You should know that I am not the most tech savvy person, so I would like some headphones that sounds good out of the box or with some minor adjustments with a guide that is easy to find and follow.
Goddamn I LOVE how you test microphones, this way of testing is the Future of reviewing on KZhead. !!
This is really the most important test for me. I use my headphones for gaming AND work meetings. I need something that will give me good audio but also sound clear for when presenting etc. I would have loved your opinion on the EPOS headphones or the Sennheiser gaming headphones. I currently have an age old Sennheiser wired set which sounds great and the mic quality is good. What did surprise me though was the modmic at the start, might be worth just going for a good set of open back audiophile headphones and that mic.
The HyperX wireless 3 does have sidetone. You can enable / disable it in the software, or by holding the mute microphone button for 3 seconds.
I have been looking for a video like this for a while, THANK you.
You're welcome :) So watcha getting? -D.
I love your reviews. Thank you for the comparisons. Now I don’t have buyers remorse for the Nova Pro Wireless as I can use them for all my consoles and pc.
I also have both xbox, ps5 and a PC. Would you recommend Nova pros wireless?
Glad you mentioned how important sidetone is. I still haven’t found one that’s good enough for me. Hence why I just stick with open back.
Luckily there was a mod for the steelseries arctis that let you crank the sidetone way higher than the software which kinda made it like a transparency mode. Wish more headsets prioritized audible sidetone as well as noise cancellation.
I haven't had a wireless headset for years and having the 990 Pro's I decided to order the MMX 200's. Thanks for the review StarLord and would love to see a more in-depth review of the MMX 200 from you at some stage.
Nice, Review thank you... The 2 Biggest features I am looking for in Comfort and Noise Reduction. My Surface Headphones 2 are by far my most comfortable Headsets to date and have excellent Noise reduction... except it picks up way too much clicky from my G910. Sadly, you cannot find replacement Ear Pads. I will have to watch the vide3o again, to focus in on your Noise reduction comments, unless you have a video coming focusing on that? Noise reduction is key do to hearing loss in Military.
Antlion's Modmic still seems like a great idea, but with micro-USB this really feels obsolete by now. Are there any news on a new version?
You guys deserve more views with the quality of your videos.
Hi, thank you for your reviews. They influenced the purchase of my current headset a couple years ago. Are wired mics in the works?
Fantastic review of mics !
very informative video.
Great video for judging the mic quality and pros and cons of headsets in 2023, thanks!
Based on your audio recording, the Blackshark V2 PRO is the winner. I agree about Logitech, but with their upgraded Blue Icepop and their Blue settings, it's sound pretty good, but that add on mic is another 50 dollars. It should have been the stock mic.
i use the astro a50's and i love the fact that it has 2 inputs going at same time so i can have my game sounds in surround sound, but my chat with people flat. After using this I could never go back to a headset that does not have this and i dont see this talked about much i would LOVE to know what other headsets do this, bc for myself, it was a game changer.
THANK YOU! So many headset reviews and 95% of them ONLY focus on the sound coming out of them and NOT the sound made by the microphone. And there are A LOT of really crappy microphones out there I can tell when playing online 😱
😂😂😂
Great video but quick question. In your opinion, what's the best wireless headphones for gaming? I have a standalone mic I want to use but want wireless gaming headphones that operate on 2.4ghz, closed back, 20+ hour battery life, super comfortable and have fabric for the ear pads and none of that fake leather garbage. Thanks!
I want to see which headset in this lineup is the best audio. Ive been stuck on going razer or logitech but i like having some semblance of bass compared to the corded seinheisers that have no bass.
Good video, was expecting more of these microphones tbh. Wireless tech isn't there yet I suppose
I have the HS80 and glad I made that decision a couple years ago. I'm looking to retire then soon and either get the max or something new. Thanks for the video
I would love to see this go further, some of the headsets have removable mic's. I have taken a modmic wired, and plugged into my old Blackshark V2 Pro Wireless as a test and it sounded better, so it makes me think some of these headsets isnt JUST a bandwidth or config issue but just a shitty hardware mic.
The best of these are the HS80, Cloud III, Blackshark V2, MMX 200.
love the thumbnail! 😄
Love your videos ❤😊❤
I went with the G PRO x2 because all of the headset microphone still doesnt cut out for me but what sets the X2 apart is the ability to connect a 3.5mm monitor through its USB dongle. I can finally hear myself with a good xlr mic wirelessly!
The quality of build and the looks and audio quality is better than most of these headsets too. I agree!
Sennheisers use very good condenser mics. I've used them for years. I am currently using the G Pro X2 as well just to mix things up. I do like the software features overall, and while the sound/mic quality is slightly less than Sennheiser, the wireless is very nice. Discord compression makes good mics not sound great anyway, so unless you're a streamer it doesn't matter too much.
Sennheiser has amazing mics and sound when paired with their audio unit. I am not sure if they even sell it anymore but had mine for 5 years and it's never missed a beat. @@TH-lo8mq
I own a Corsair VIRTUOSO RGB WIRELESS SE and I find the mic pretty good. It does pick up some background noise but it's not bad at all.
As always, colossal, voluminous titanic work has been done by Dmitry, who, in my opinion, is one of the best channels on KZhead for PCs and gaming hardware. By the way, I know Dmitry personally, we met at a conference in Cologne in 2018, he is not only a talented person, but also very simple in everyday life, sociable, and with a big heart. He doesn’t have star fever, for which he has even more respect! Continue to create and create, Dmitry, your creativity has become the gold standard in the PC world. Thank you!
Very good video. Sad to see/hear, that the HS80max mic sounds noticable worse, than the old HS80 (which I use). Also sad to hear, that the Beyerdynamic is uncomfortable to wear for longe sessions, while providing great mic quality. To me, noise suppression is not very important, but a clean, natural sounding mic is. I'm tempted to try the Blackshark V2 Pro 2023, but on reddit I often heard about a constant background hiss issue (even with side-tone disabled) and some build quality issues (breaking plastic). Also not sure, why Razer changed the earcup ring design, so that no existing replacement earpad will fit the 2023 edition. Wouldn't buy one, before replacement/3rd party earpads are available.
so... what's the best choice?
It wasnt mentioned in this video but the Corsair HS80 MAX's microphone when lifted mutes the microphone this is an amazing feature when used for online meetings, my wife and I use them for also listening to KZhead or any other media. But the being able to quickly mute the microphone when lifting the microphone arm is the just awesome.
after 7-8 months my mic light doesnt work correctly. i think a wire possibly got loose from muting the mic in the upright position so many times.
It's crazy how close to his literal studio microphones the Corsair HS 80s sound every time he does these tests. Closer than any of the other, that clearly have that plosive, I'm on a headset microphone, sound.
I had the Razer Hyperspeed headset, and I had to take it back immediately. I wear glasses, and the cans kept moving because of the way they connect to the headband. It made constant noise just from moving my head around. After adjusting several EQ settings, the headset sounded decent, but the noise from rubbing against my glasses was too annoying.
since i have a fan blasting at me every time I'm using my pc, which one would handle that wind the best...? Great comparison video though
Very nice video,what about the cooler master 670?
What about best wireless headset overall? Like sound, comfort and mic? I need to replace my current headset and was planning on going wireless this Black Friday.
great job!
Great video highlighting Sidetone for PS5. Such a deal breaker
Does anyone know if using the hs80s with noise-removing software (e.g. nvidia broadcast, or something similar) can maintain that stratospheric microphone quality with a minimum of background noise attenuation?
I was expecting to see the Corsair RGB Wireless XT, it would be nice if you can do a review of that headset guys!🙆🏽♂️
Sir Thx a lot! 🎉
very nice ive been looking at the epos h6pro with the usb dac but that razer headset isnt exactly a bad option i already stuck with the razer tarturus so i already have the software anyway
Super helpful. My preference? Razor all the way.
I’m trying to compare the EPOS PC38x, the stealth pro and razer black shark v2 pro. Weird line up I know. What do you think is best as far as microphone? I’m thinking about getting some stealth pros to have something wireless.
Dear Lord, you have done it again. Am always talking about how I love your thumbnails for headset reviews. Always makes my day
you mean Star Lord
Can the Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless stil compete with these headphones?
hey Dmitri, might want to include the latest version of Astro Gaming A50 headset. It is still one of the top headsets in rtings and I'm currently contemplating to replace my (almost decade old) G933 with G Pro X2, Nova Pro, Maxwell and A50 but I couldn't find a video that compares them all. The blackshark V2 Pro is also an option but since I bought the original Razer Phone, I swore I wouldn't buy another Razer product due to my very bad customer service experience with them.
I have the Corsair HS80 (wired-USB). It's slightly cheaper than wireless and max HS80 variants while having the best audio input and output of the 3. The microphone is exceptionally good! I also don't mind it being wired. I use it for work, conference calls, music etc during the day and competitive gaming with my mates at night and it just delivers. My wife uses the wired HS65 and it's amazing quality for the price as well. Point is, wired headsets will always perform better than their wireless counterparts even in 2023.
sometimes i cant afford to have 7 different wires on my desk
When you revealed the MMX I was like "why couldn't you release this a week ago when I bought my blacksharks" but through later testing, I think I would've went with t he blacksharks anyway (i love this headset). Also gonna make a thing on this soon, but DO NOT get the audeze maxwell. It's a great headset, but mine broke after 4 months of general use (which for $300 is sad.).
I have a Nova Pro, and since every review says it’s the best headset, I got it. And I was considering the blackshark, not because of the microphone, but because of the gel cushioning. My Nova Pro has the best audio I have ever listened to, but mic needs work. PC mag even said it has a great microphone, but after actually using it and seeing this, I’m reconsidering that🤔.
@hardware vanucks I have logitech X pro . i cant hear footsteps on games . if i use sound blaster card it will help me to fix it ?
Which Headset has the best sound? (not mic) I got the MMX300 since 4 years but im looking for wireless… The Audeze Maxwell is to heavy.. Blackshark has nice mic but the headphones were to bad :( Is the MMX200, Logitech or Hyper X 3 better? Thinking about the Logitech.. but the mic.. x_x
Thanks for this amazing comparison. now kindly find out the best wireless gaming headset under 100$ please 🙂
Got the HS80s but got an annoying bussing sound in the left ear, did you face this issue at all?
In first shot you shown Razer Barracuda X, but you don't mention them in the comparison. How they compare to rest of the headphones?
I've got a really deep voice *radio like* but i speak quietly, which headset you reckon will suit me best? .
I want to record my ps5 gameplay through inbuilt recorder in ps5 with my voice.. but m confused what kind mic i use? Gaming headphones mic is enough (hyperx cloud 3) ? Or i have to get separate mic ?? For my new youtube channel..
Hello man, i wanna buy one headset wireless for gaming , now i have hyperx cloud 2 wired and i want something similar to those , like the base and volume. I can t find one headset wireless with these specifications. Can u tell me what to buy ? Thank you
Can you do the same exact models for their audio speaker qualities, pleaseee.
From the logitecs what if instead of using their mic i plug in the razors balckshark i have now? would probably make a diference in mic quality since they're are detachable right?
The best Wireless Headphones comparison review for mic quality. BTW currently using HS80 Wireless for work because I watched your review last time and woah it works really well on Google Meetings 😍
If you swap the razer mic to a different headset is it the same quality? Replacement mic's are cheap and you could just buy the best headset and swap the mic(if detachable) for the razer for like $15
good review, but I want best sound headset, can you review for non-mic user?
litterly started doing my research for a good wireless headset with a good microphone today in the morning and then he releases this vid.... my prayers have been answered 😂
Me and my girlfriend both use the Corsair HS80 its a very good headset. The only Problem we have with it is that it Picks up each other voices(we sit next to echt other). Wetry to fix it with the gain of the mics but its not really working great.
Hi @hardwarecanucks. I was wondering why you didn't include the Epos h3 hybrid pro. I know it doesn't have the best mic or software (good lord), but im curious how it stacks against other headset.
Epos is out of the game unfortunately. Wish they didn’t separate from the good old Senny. -D.
The one test I haven't seen anywhere is headphone to microphone bleed. Simply play a game and record the microphone separately. Play back the recording and note the volume level of the game audio heard by the microphone.