While they're not as good as an actual surround sound system, gaming headsets have come a long way.
Besides maybe you don't have the room or money for a 5.1 setup in your room or apartment.
I've been gaming with surround sound headphones for almost a decade now and I think if you're serious about having a respectable audio experience One of these high end gaming headsets is for you.
This is only a small sample of what's out there, but hopefully it gives you and idea of how to spot quality when shopping for a new surround sound gaming headset.
Okay, let's start with Turtle Beach.
Turtle Beach offers an endless amount of options for XBox and Playstation platforms, and the most expensive model is the 800 line of headsets.
The elite 800, and Elite 800X, offer surround sound and noise cancelling features for PS4 and Xbox One, respectively.
And they charge in these really convenient cradles.
Plus, they have obstacle ends and out on the base, so you don't lose sound on your AB receiver set up.
But, and this is a big but They both go for $300.
That premium price is mostly for the extra features and solid build quality, but actually they start to annoy me after I wore them for an extended gaming session.
Fortunately for PS4 owners I can recommend the Stealth 500P, which is only $100.
It removes the charging cradle, bluetooth, and noise cancelling features But it retains what you want.
That's the surround sound and chat.
Albeit, it's got this really, super awkward USB dongle set up.
For XBox 1, the 500X is a cheaper alternative, but it's still pricey at $230.
Gone also are the cradle, bluetooth and noise cancelling features, but at least you can chat wirelessly on XBox 1 and game with surround sound.
Okay, let's move over to Astro Gaming.
The new tournament ready A40s are super comfortable, light weight, and come in two varieties.
One for Xbox 1 and one for PS4.
And you can use them both with a PC connection as well.
Because their wired you get minimal sound delay like you might encounter with other wireless connections.
The A40TR's come with a mix amp pro that lets you mix game and chat audio in real time.
Now there's two versions available, they're available for $250.
The white version is for Xbox One that allow for chatting without a clunky adapter.
The Mix Amp can also connect to a PC where you can access EQ management software called Command Center.
It lets you customize the experience when you plug in the Mix Amp to a PC.
All you do is download the software and And you can do a ton of customization.
All these setting are available.
And then, you load that into the mix amp.
Now, if you're a twitch gamer and need to have a precise gaming, no delay experience, the A40's are really the headset to beat.
Astro also offers the ability to customize the headphones, and they sell a mod kit for the A40's that will actually let you swap out the ear cups, the headband, and a boom mic.
Those mod kits go for $60.
Finally, I want to take a look at a headset that is specifically designed for PC.
I absolutely love the Logitech G933 Artemis Spectrum Wireless Surround Headset.
It goes for around $200.
But it provides the best surround sound for PC that I've tested.
G933 lets you customize the RGB LED light that shines when it's turned on, and the Logitech gaming software allows you to assign commands for the buttons that are on the headset itself.
You can also customize EQ settings as well.
Now, for wireless PC gaming, it's all you need, but for $50 cheaper, the G633 does the same exact thing but with a wired connection.
Now, there are plenty of solid products that I didn't get to include here Steelseries make a great headset in the Siberia line, and Sony even makes proprietary headsets for the PS4, that are actually pretty solid as well.
Hopefully you've gotten a good taste of what to look out for in the high end surround sound gaming landscape.
Be sure to reach out to me on Twitter if you've got more questions about anything you've seen here I'm Jeff Bakalar for CNET, thanks so much for watching.
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