Anyone use the Sennheiser GAME ZERO headset?

walwalka

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I've been looking to get a new headset as the piece that holds the cup on to my G430's has snapped and I have it taped and ziptied together.

I'm having a hard time finding a new pair that I actually want, I know I could get better audio but for the amount of use they actually get a decent quality headset will do the job.

I mostly game and watch YouTube video with them, no music listening.

That being said, anyone use the Sennheiser GAME ZERO's? Or have another headset recommendation?
 
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Go buy a real set of headphones like the HD558's or HD598's and get a zalman ZM-MIC1 for the mic. The headphones will sound much better then any headset for an equivalent price.

The only advantage the Zero's have is that they are closed back, so escaping noise will be much less, but they will lack the dynamics of the 558 or the 598.
 
I looked into the headphones and those seem very nice, I'm going to add the HD598's to my list. However that mic sounds like garbage in most reviews, the game zero's mic sounds better across the board. I may look into a different mic, something a little better that sits on the desk.
 
The Antlion Modmic comes fairly close to the Sennheiser mic if you wanted to use headphones of your own choosing. Though, if you just wanted an open back version of the Senn Game Zero, the Game One fits the bill.
 
I have the G4ME ONE and they're very nice, I love the velour pads. My old beef is that the mic should have come with a windscreen but I'll eventually get one online and jam it on.
 
I have the G4ME ONE and they're very nice, I love the velour pads. My old beef is that the mic should have come with a windscreen but I'll eventually get one online and jam it on.

Cool deal. I'm still considering them, but I'm not really sure which route to go now.
 
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I usually recommend audio technica but there are a LOT Of choices
 
Go buy a real set of headphones like the HD558's or HD598's and get a zalman ZM-MIC1 for the mic. The headphones will sound much better then any headset for an equivalent price.

The only advantage the Zero's have is that they are closed back, so escaping noise will be much less, but they will lack the dynamics of the 558 or the 598.

You do know, of course, that the G4ME Zero = PC 350SE? Or that the PC 350SE = HD555/595? So the Zero is by no means your usual "crappy gaming headset". True, it is overpriced at MSRP, but on good deal seasons (like BF/CM right now), if you can get it at a significant discount to match a HD 555 + mic, why not?

I snagged the "overpriced gaming headset" in my sig for a truly ridiculous price, even lower than its parent model without a mic, so that's the perspective I'm coming from.
 
Amazon.com sale prices for BF were -

HD558 - $90 (expired, current $100)
HD598 - $95 (expired, current $170)
G4ME One - $150 (still going)
G4ME Zero - $165 (still going)

Personally I can't imagine buying these things (headphones in general) for MSRP, the markup is huge going by the sale prices. And headphones don't really get "outdated" like technology either.


BTW as an alternative to the Zalman MIC supposedly these are better (and a more functional clip) -
http://www.amazon.com/HDE-Computer-...d=1393142755&sr=8-1&keywords=hde+mini+clip+on
http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-3-5mm-...393142675&sr=8-1&keywords=neewer+mini+clip+on
 
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Go buy a real set of headphones like the HD558's or HD598's and get a zalman ZM-MIC1 for the mic. The headphones will sound much better then any headset for an equivalent price.

The only advantage the Zero's have is that they are closed back, so escaping noise will be much less, but they will lack the dynamics of the 558 or the 598.

The Game Zero's are basically the same as a 558 expect closed. Game One is opened. I have HD 555 and HD 650. I mostly use Sennheiser PC 360 for gaming, it replaced my HD 555 (with foam mod) and zm-mic1 setup. I think the quality of the PC 360 lies between hd 555 and 650. The Sennheiser Game One is the replacement for the PC 360 and is pretty impressive.

The Game Zero is good if you need/want closed headphones. I had the PC 350 before (also closed) but prefer the open sound so I returned them.
 
Took some time, But I ended up with a pair of Sennheiser HD 598s, bravo V2 tube amp and a snoball mic!
 
I have the game one and I think my audio technica ath ad700 sounds way better. There's a much wider Soundstage and it is far more comfortable to wear. Wish I just went with a decent stand up mic of some kind. Used to have the Zalman clip-on mic and hated that as it would pick up everything.

My roommate has the audio technica's as well and went with the blue microphone which sounds pretty darn good and doesn't pick up every little sound in the room.
 
I got the Game One and in my opinion it is one of the best as a total gaming headset compare to other brand like Astro a40-a50 (My old headset) , Turtle beach. and other "gaming" headset with mic.

What I like about the Senns is that they are way more comfortable than other brands and sounds decent. If you want a very good all in one gaming headset then I would highly recommend it. The mic is actually not bad at all. The noise cancelling is actually pretty decent on it compare to my Astro A50.
 
I tried out some usb surround heapdhones and was totally disappointed by the fact my 10 dollar sennheiser hd 202 sounded way better on my pc. I feel these surround heapdhones are scams.

So I went with the analog stereo game ones, then exchanged them for he game zeros because I needed more noise cancellation for my noisy room, and the game ones were hurting my ears. The game zeros are way way more comfortable then the game ones by far, they also sound just as good. hard to tell the difference once eq'd. I was worried that the game zeros would not sound as good and have no bass after reading many reviews. But this is not the case at all, they are awesome, I don't know what people are talking about. In fact I think the game zeros sound much better then the game ones cause the clarity is crystal clear. A great purchase. The game ones did have bigger soundstage meaning far and close sounds seemed more distinguishable, but not by much, positional audio is just as good.

I'm using them on my b250f with sonic studio on the front jack and they sound superb. sonic studio even improves the already stellar mic. And this thing has better sounding surround sound then the so called surround heapdhones in games.
Amazon.com sale prices for BF were -

HD558 - $90 (expired, current $100)
HD598 - $95 (expired, current $170)
G4ME One - $150 (still going)
G4ME Zero - $165 (still going)

Personally I can't imagine buying these things (headphones in general) for MSRP, the markup is huge going by the sale prices. And headphones don't really get "outdated" like technology either.


BTW as an alternative to the Zalman MIC supposedly these are better (and a more functional clip) -
http://www.amazon.com/HDE-Computer-...d=1393142755&sr=8-1&keywords=hde+mini+clip+on
http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-3-5mm-...393142675&sr=8-1&keywords=neewer+mini+clip+on


on amazon the hd598 is 170 dollars. the hd598C is 140. so 170 for the game zero, which is only 30 extra dollars for a real awesome convenient mic and a probably tweaked encasement for soundstage, is worth it imo.
 
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I tried out some usb surround heapdhones and was totally disappointed by the fact my 10 dollar sennheiser hd 202 sounded way better on my pc. I feel these surround heapdhones are scams.

So I went with the analog stereo game ones, then exchanged them for he game zeros because I needed more noise cancellation for my noisy room, and the game ones were hurting my ears. The game zeros are way way more comfortable then the game ones by far, they also sound just as good. hard to tell the difference once eq'd. I was worried that the game zeros would not sound as good and have no bass after reading many reviews. But this is not the case at all, they are awesome, I don't know what people are talking about. In fact I think the game zeros sound much better then the game ones cause the clarity is crystal clear. A great purchase. The game ones did have bigger soundstage meaning far and close sounds seemed more distinguishable, but not by much, positional audio is just as good.

I'm using them on my b250f with sonic studio on the front jack and they sound superb. sonic studio even improves the already stellar mic. And this thing has better sounding surround sound then the so called surround heapdhones in games.



on amazon the hd598 is 170 dollars. the hd598C is 140. so 170 for the game zero, which is only 30 extra dollars for a real awesome convenient mic and a probably tweaked encasement for soundstage, is worth it imo.

Your Sennheiser HD 202 is actually one of the "kings of budget headphones" in the $40 and under range, as per this review:

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/sennheiser-hd-202-inexpensive-headphones-done-really-well

So it's no real surprise that the HD 202 beat out some other gaming headphones (before you got your Game Zero, which is a good upgrade in all depts: gaming/music/movies).
 
I bought the G4me zero set but it was too tight for my head so I donated them to my son.
 
What about sound quality from those headphones?

The G4me zero is average in quality. It's better than the crappy entry level multimedia headphones but average compared to the non gaming Sennheisers. That is not to say they're bad but they're just not the best Sennheiser has to offer.

Then again with the other options you don't have a microphone...
 
Note about durability: my little brother bought a pair of the zero's and i've had to repair them a few times due to the mount of the cup's swivel bracket failing. first one ear, then the second, then the first again when my adhoc fix failed :p

It's only a few minute fix to cut a new bushing type mount out of credit card-like plastic (copying the old broken part) but it might annoy some a bit. He uses them for hours a day so that's a relatively heavy usage scenario just to note.
 
The G4me zero is average in quality. It's better than the crappy entry level multimedia headphones but average compared to the non gaming Sennheisers. That is not to say they're bad but they're just not the best Sennheiser has to offer.

Then again with the other options you don't have a microphone...

Depending on which non-gaming Sennheiser headphone, it can be average to bad ;)

The Sennheiser HD 800s is a real dream of a headphone (and it will destroy the Game Zero/Game One anytime and anywhere), but the cost is prohibitive to most (lowest, brand-new cost from a respected retailer I could find was $1000 USD).

The Game Zero has some clamp if you have a big head, while the Game One is great for big-head guys (like me).

I have a Sennheiser PC 360 (earlier version of the Game One) stored away in my closet.

When you start to want better sound quality than what the Kingston HyperX, Sennheiser Game Zero/One, Audio-Technica ATH-ADG1/1A, or Beyerdynamic Custom/MMX 300 have to offer, you're essentially looking at a separate headphone + mic combo.
 
If you haven't made your move yet...

Massdrop has the Sennheiser PC37X right now for $120 It's open back and uses similar angled drivers to the 598's. I had the Game Ones for a while, and from what everyone is saying about these is that they're better.

Check out the reviews on head-fi
 
Depending on which non-gaming Sennheiser headphone, it can be average to bad ;)

The Sennheiser HD 800s is a real dream of a headphone (and it will destroy the Game Zero/Game One anytime and anywhere), but the cost is prohibitive to most (lowest, brand-new cost from a respected retailer I could find was $1000 USD).

The good thing about audio equipment, for the most part, they don't immediately go obsolete as other technology. You can easily drop big bucks into the latest and greatest video card, motherboard, memory and to a lesser extent hard drives. Figure in a new video card at 700 bucks by itself. Every 2 years. Then factor in motherboards, memory, lights, a new case,...

If you have the money, spending on a 800 S for Christmas for the year is worth it. Get a good amp as well. I can't really recommend the 800 or the 800 S enough. The fitment of the series just is amazing. The pads are definitely thin, but since your ears fit in it without squishing you don't notice the padding.

I went ahead and boosted the low frequency sliders using Razer's EQ software. It's not as bass heavy as a closed-back headphones, but it's still got enough power and punch to get the message through and still has the benefits of it being itself.

You're absolutely right about them destroying the Game One headphones. There's no contest in the precise & large sound stage or just how crisp everything sounds.

I went with a mod mic 5 for my headset. It sounds better than my Game One mic which sounds pretty good already. It works with all headsets because the one side stuck on the headphones and a magnet sticks the microphone on.
 
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Truth is all "gaming headsets" suck, not a single one sounds good. Like others have said here, get proper audiophile headphones, a good amp and a proper dynamic or condensor mic.
 
The good thing about audio equipment, for the most part, they don't immediately go obsolete as other technology.

With the exception being home theater amps. It's almost insane to spend big bucks on one because chances are it will be obsolete in 2 years.
 
Recommend us good to great "gaming headphones" instead.

head-fi.org has all of the resources you need to make an informed decision, as well as r/headphones on reddit. Also, despite what others are saying in here, good gaming headsets do exist, with the Sennheisers the OP asked about being among them.
 
Wrong. There are a few good ones.

Recommend us good to great "gaming headphones" instead.

head-fi.org has all of the resources you need to make an informed decision, as well as r/headphones on reddit. Also, despite what others are saying in here, good gaming headsets do exist, with the Sennheisers the OP asked about being among them.

Mad Lust Envy's "headphone gaming guide" on head-fi is a very good reference point for a wide variety of headphones, from dedicated gaming types, to audiophile headphones that happen to be great for gaming. Keep in mind that with the slew of headphone releases over the past 1.5 years (when it was last updated), it's a bit out of date at this point (the most recent comments on its thread are your friend there).

Guide here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mad...-18-2016-mrspeakers-ether-c-1-1-added.534479/
 
Depending on which non-gaming Sennheiser headphone, it can be average to bad ;)

The Sennheiser HD 800s is a real dream of a headphone (and it will destroy the Game Zero/Game One anytime and anywhere), but the cost is prohibitive to most (lowest, brand-new cost from a respected retailer I could find was $1000 USD).

The Game Zero has some clamp if you have a big head, while the Game One is great for big-head guys (like me).

I have a Sennheiser PC 360 (earlier version of the Game One) stored away in my closet.

When you start to want better sound quality than what the Kingston HyperX, Sennheiser Game Zero/One, Audio-Technica ATH-ADG1/1A, or Beyerdynamic Custom/MMX 300 have to offer, you're essentially looking at a separate headphone + mic combo.


I disagree totally. I returned the game ones and exchanged them for the game zeros. And was pleasantly surprised that the game zeros are way more loose and way more plush for my big head. The game ones hurt my ears after a while. The game ones have a slightly better soundstage, The game zeros are isolated and way more clear. Don't believe the reviews saying they have no bass. I have a front op amp on my mobo and it sounds great. With them each eq'd you wouldn't be able to tel the difference between the two besides the open vs closed back.

Supposedly its up there with the sennheiser 598/595. I don't know how people come to this conclusion but its the general consensus. Its definitely way better then my sennheiser 202's. So figure your paying 40 dollars for the mic, which is also great quality.

I'm sure the sennheiser hd800 does sound great, but really expensive, so are the hd 600/650's. I think 170 dollars with a mic beats a 300-400 dollar pair plus a 200 dollar amp (minus the mic). I'm also skeptical any other closed back set of headphones will have as good a soundstage as the game zeros for gaming. The soundstage in these things is incredible.
 
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Mad Lust Envy's "headphone gaming guide" on head-fi is a very good reference point for a wide variety of headphones, from dedicated gaming types, to audiophile headphones that happen to be great for gaming. Keep in mind that with the slew of headphone releases over the past 1.5 years (when it was last updated), it's a bit out of date at this point (the most recent comments on its thread are your friend there).

Guide here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mad...-18-2016-mrspeakers-ether-c-1-1-added.534479/

Thank you so much.

But I already knew this guide, and I even posted it there. Unfortunately the first post list was not updated, as you've said.

Also after B00nie said that "Z" is a layman and his tests are irrelevant, I came to read his reviews with great reserve.

I would appreciate recommendations here in this thread.
 
I disagree totally. I returned the game ones and exchanged them for the game zeros. And was pleasantly surprised that the game zeros are way more loose and way more plush for my big head. The game ones hurt my ears after a while. The game ones have a slightly better soundstage, The game zeros are isolated and way more clear. Don't believe the reviews saying they have no bass. I have a front op amp on my mobo and it sounds great. With them each eq'd you wouldn't be able to tel the difference between the two besides the open vs closed back.

Supposedly its up there with the sennheiser 598/595. I don't know how people come to this conclusion but its the general consensus. Its definitely way better then my sennheiser 202's. So figure your paying 40 dollars for the mic, which is also great quality.

I'm sure the sennheiser hd800 does sound great, but really expensive, so are the hd 600/650's. I think 170 dollars with a mic beats a 300-400 dollar pair plus a 200 dollar amp (minus the mic). I'm also skeptical any other closed back set of headphones will have as good a soundstage as the game zeros for gaming. The soundstage in these things is incredible.

The Game Zero/Game One lines are "up there" with the Sennheiser HD 558/595 because they are, essentially, "tweaked gaming versions" of the 558/595 (HD 558 ~ PC 350 ~ Game Zero and HD 595 ~ PC 360 ~ Game One).

As someone who has a PC 360 (aka Game One), and has used the PC 350 (aka Game Zero), and a whole bunch of other gaming headsets and non-gaming headphones ... there are headphones both open and closed that will blow away the Game Zero.

Just in the "closed gaming headphones" dept, the Audio-Technica ATH-ADG1x (based on the well-respected & commonly used for gaming ATH-A700x) blows away the PC 350/Game Zero (I had it's predecessor, the [virtually similar] ATH-ADG1, and can personally attest to this). And let's not get started on the list of closed headphones that are superior, although a brief (over-ear) list can be found here: https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame-over-ear-sealed (the vast majority, except for the really cheap options, are superior to the Game Zero/One).

The "real rate of declining return" in terms of quality headphones tends to be around the $200-$300 mark, in general (I personally feel that my current all-around favorite, the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, bucks this trend, but I got it brand-new at a very good price, well below MSRP or most sale prices -- it clearly and thoroughly outclasses my HiFiMan HE-400i, Sony MDR-1A, and Sennheiser HD 630VB).

If you want a "worthy and respected audiophile quality" headphone within the $200-$300 mark, I strongly suggest buying a refurb pair of HiFiMan HE-400s headphones (available from HiFiMan's own website). Add the HiFiMan Focus pads to it (super-duper easy mod to do; even a caveman can do it) if you require more bass. Pair that to your separate dedicated external mic of choice (Snowball Blue or ModMic would be my choices, but any halfway decent mic will do), and you're all set to go (I leave it to you to choose between a sound card or an external DAC/AMP). Of course, the MassDrop runs on the Sennheiser HD 6XX (really a slightly tweaked HD 650) or HiFiMan HE-4xx (somewhat similar to HE-400i) are a great choice as well, if you can get into them, and can wait roughly 6 months or so.

The best all-around "budget option" for a basic headphone would still be the (new classic/venerable) Philips SHP9500/9500s, which is available for the (sale) price of $50 here: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...&cm_re=philips_shp9500-_-26-138-190-_-Product
Pair that with your mic of choice (I would add the V-Moda BoomPro as a mic option); it competes very well with headphones 2x-3x, even 4x (in some cases) it's price of $50.

Thank you so much.

But I already knew this guide, and I even posted it there. Unfortunately the first post list was not updated, as you've said.

Also after B00nie said that "Z" is a layman and his tests are irrelevant, I came to read his reviews with great reserve.

I would appreciate recommendations here in this thread.

"Z's" reviews are amusing to watch (sometimes), but I don't go by him (I did, very briefly, about a year ago, but then found more reliable resources, like InnerFidelity). Tyll @ InnerFidelity is great at understanding measurements and personal tastes/subjectivity.

As for headphones, a few recommendations were provided above.
 

It seems like you know what you're talking about, so I'll ask. Yes, I know sound is subjective to each person.

What are your thoughts on the Massdrop Sennheiser PC37X? Supposedly based on the PC373D, but without the USB sound card attached to them, instead just having the removable type cord the Game One's and Zero's have. I don't have a dac/amp, so they'd only be driven by the onboard sound (supposedly a 300 ohm amplified jack). I'm pretty sure it's Realtek 1150, but Asus calls it SupremeFX, it's an Asus z170i ITX board.

I can't really spend 200-300 for just headphones, and then a mic, and then a dac/amp. With all of that being said, are these a good value at $120? That's pretty much my price target.
 
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It seems like you know what you're talking about, so I'll ask. Yes, I know sound is subjective to each person.

What are your thoughts on the Massdrop Sennheiser PC37X? Supposedly based on the PC373D, but without the USB sound card attached to them, instead just having the removable type cord the Game One's and Zero's have. I don't have a dac/amp, so they'd only be driven by the onboard sound (supposedly a 300 ohm amplified jack). I'm pretty sure it's Realtek 1150, but Asus calls it SupremeFX, it's an Asus z170i ITX board.

I can't really spend 200-300 for just headphones, and then a mic, and then a dac/amp. With all of that being said, are these a good value at $120? That's pretty much my price target.

Well, the best "bang-for-buck" gaming headphone in the $60 and under category would be the Kingston HyperX Cloud Core, as that is essentially the super bang/buck Takstar 80 headphone with new paint (you can separately buy your own headphone & pair it up with the mic of your choice for a similar price point, but that requires knowledge of the headphones out there).

The Sennheiser PC37X/PC373D/PC363D/Game One/PC 360 are all practically the same headphone, with or without the USB sound card on certain models.

I have never used the HyperX Cloud Core/Takstar 80, but my understanding is that the Sennheiser PC 37x/(insert Sennheiser's marketing name bullcrap) would be a decent upgrade. Not incredibly great, just decent.

So $120 for the Sennheiser PC37X wouldn't be too bad (at 50 ohms inpedance, they have noticeable, but not gigantic, benefit from an amp). Not a great price, not even a good price, but an ok one (and one that should've been the original MSRP to begin with).

My personal preference, if I had a budget of $120 or less? I'd get the Philips SHP9500/s and pair it with a V-Moda BoomPro mic (connects directly to the SHP9500/s via jack). Total cost of that should not exceed $85 on Newegg, and the SHP9500 doesn't really need an amp in most cases, with its low impedance of 32 ohms. The SHP9500/s has an incredible soundstage for its price.
 
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