Table of Contents
The 10 Best Audiophile Gaming Headphones
1. Massdrop x Sennheiser PC37X - Best Audiophile Gaming Headphones Overall
The Massdrop x Sennheiser PC37X are the best audiophile headphones for gaming overall. They pack in incredible sound quality, comfort, and performance while hitting a moderate price point. If you are looking for incredible bang for your buck, this gaming headset won’t disappoint.
Construction and Design
These gaming headphones feel very well-built, with high quality materials and a sturdy design. These headphones should last you a long time and stand up to regular use.
The plush velvet earpads and headband padding are fantastically comfortable, and will be comfortable on your head for hours at a time. With these headphones, you’ll be equipped for long gaming sessions.
Sound Quality
These headphones deliver a fully immersive gaming experience with angled drivers that deliver the ultimate sound clarity and accuracy. The audio quality is amazing in these headphones and you’ll be hearing every detail in the game. The open-backed design delivers the ultimate in audio quality and accuracy.
The surround sound of these headphones also works incredibly well. It is easier to locate enemies in a game by sound, giving you a great advantage when playing.
The built in microphone is much higher-end than the typical microphones you see in cheaper gaming headphones. Your voice will come through loud and clear.
Pros
- Incredible value and performance for the price
- Amazing sound quality
- Comfortable and durable design
Cons
- Wired design with no bluetooth
- Bulky and not good for traveling
2. Audeze LCD-GX - Best Audiophile Gaming Headphones Under $1000
If you’ve got money to spend and are looking for the absolute best audiophile headphones for gaming, the Audeze LCD-GX. With metal construction, open-backed design, four inch drivers, and planar magnetic action, these are designed to be the ultimate audiophile headphone for gaming.
If you want the absolute best audiophile headphones for gaming that money can buy, this gaming headset doesn’t compromise on quality or performance.
Construction and Design
Built in Southern California, these high-end audiophile headphones are made with uncompromising attention to detail. You can count on them to deliver amazing performance for years.
The instant you pick up these headphones, you’ll notice the difference. The magnesium construction adds a satisfying weight, and all the materials are top-end. This gaming headset just feels premium.
Of course, the extra weight can also be considered a downside. These audiophile headphones are quite heavy, and can definitely weigh you down after wearing them for hours on end. Some people may not have a problem, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind.
Sound Quality
These planar magnetic headphones deliver sound quality that is out of this world. The accuracy, depth, and detail is jaw-dropping. The massive 4-inch drivers are about two-times the size of most other gaming headphones, and the power and clarity they give is astonishing.
Pros
- Top-of the line quality audio with planar magnetic design
- Durable metal construction
- Suspension headband adds comfort
Cons
- These are quite heavy and may not be the best for extended use
- Expensive
3. VZR Model One - Best Audiophile Gaming Headphones Under $500
The VZR Model One is the culmination of VZR Audio’s years of audio engineering expertise. Designed specifically for gamers, this is one of the most impressive headphones on the market, with innovations that help it perform better than headphones twice the price.
Construction and Design
Gaming headsets often appear bulky and unattractive, with big black plastic casings. This gaming headset breaks that paradigm with a stunning design that features a stainless steel headband, premium materials, and carbon fiber detailing.
These audiophile headphones are built to last, with the stainless steel construction and durable, well-engineered pivot points. In hand they have a reassuring (but not excessive) weight that seems to disappear when you put them on thanks to the well-designed headband.
Sound Quality
These headphones are designed to offer the ultimate in audio clarity and definition, and pack in years of acoustic research and innovation from VZR’s team.
The biggest innovation in these audiophile headphones is the CrossWave passive acoustic lens. This component reshapes sound waves for improved separation and realism and creates a true surround-sound experience.
Pros
- Immersive surround-sound for 3D audio experience
- Beautiful design with fantastic build quality
- Unmatched audio separation and clarity.
Cons
- Not much to complain about!
4. Sony INZONE H9 - Best Audiophile Gaming Headphones Under $300
The Sony INZONE H9 is a high-end gaming headset from Sony that hits it out of the park in terms of style, gaming performance, and design. These audiophile headphones deliver fantastic sound, comfort, and noise-cancellation.
Construction and Design
The design of these gaming headphones is sleek, stylish, and simple. They also feel very well-built and are a joy to put on every time. With plush earpads and a cushioned headband, they are comfortable to wear for hours at a time.
Unlike some other headphones on this list, these use bluetooth connectivity, so you can play wirelessly. These are even capable of simultaneous bluetooth and 2.5 GHz connection so you can be on a call while gaming. The battery life is excellent and won’t leave you needing a charge in the middle of a game.
Sound Quality
The place where these audiophile headphones really shine is in their spacial soundstage that lets you quickly determine where noises are coming from in-game. This surround sound makes for an immersive gaming experience.
Pros
- Excellent noise cancelling to keep you immersed in the game
- Fantastic 360-degree spacial sound
- Stylish design
Cons
- Doesn’t compete with similarly-priced studio headphones
5. Logitech G Pro X Wireless Gaming Headset - Best Audiophile Gaming Headphones Under $200
The Logitech G Pro X is one of the best audiophile headphones for anyone wanting to stay under $200. With an ultra-comfortable design, detailed audio, and high-performance microphone, these are ready for serious gamers.
Construction and Design
The main thing I have to say about the design of these headphones is that they are fantastically comfortable. The plush oval ear cups fit comfortably around your entire ear, and the headphones feel like they are gently cradling your skull. Seriously, it just feels good to put these on.
The overall construction is very solid, with a metal headband construction and smooth pivots. These audiophile headphones for gaming will last you years of frequent use.
Sound Quality
The sound of this gaming headset is excellent: it is clear, precise, and accurate with great separation and a wide soundstage. Every detail of audio is crystal-clear, and you’ll be able to pick out the slightest sounds.
One area where some people may find the sound to be lacking is in the bass. These don’t have the same amped-up rumbly bass as some other headphones out there. These are designed for optimum clarity and accuracy rather than a skull-rumbling low end, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you might be happier with a different option.
Most audiophile gaming headsets focus on the headphone sound and cut corners on the microphone, but that's not the case with these audiophile headphones. The microphone was designed and built in conjunction with Blue Microphones to deliver premium-quality voice capture. You also can take advantage of Blue’s voice filters to level up your game live-streams.
Pros
- Incredible comfort for long gaming sessions
- Bluetooth wireless headphones
- Fantastic microphone for live-streaming, voice recording, or calls
Cons
- Less low end bass than some other headphones
6. HyperX Cloud II - Best Audiophile Gaming Headphones Under $100
The HyperX Cloud II is one of the best budget audiophile headphones on the market. They combine fantastic surround sound, audio clarity, and construction while staying under $100. If you want good audiophile headphones for gaming without breaking the bank, this is a great choice.
Construction and Design
The build quality of these headphones is impressively good. They have a sturdy-feeling stainless steel headband that is flexible and strong. It should stand up to some abuse over the years.
I love the array of colors and designs that are available. Most gaming headsets give you the option of black, black, or black, but these let you pick a color option that fits your personal sense of style.
These headphones are wired, but for about $20, you can upgrade to a wireless setup.
Sound Quality
These gaming headphones are not as premium or high-end as some of the others on this list, but they still are worthy of being called audiophile headphones as long as you take the price into account. It is hard to find a set of gaming headphones that sound this good.
With large drivers, these deliver powerful, crisp sound that will fully immerse you in your game.
Pros
- Virtual 7.1 surround sound
- Fantastic sound quality for the price
- Many color and style options available
Cons
- Battery life isn’t great on wireless version
7. JBL Quantum 100 - Best Audiophile Gaming Headphones Under $50
If you’re looking for the best budget audiophile headphones for gaming, the JBL Quantum 100 is a $30 gaming headset that delivers surprising performance for its price. It just goes to show that you don’t need to spend your life savings to have a fantastic gaming audio experience.
Construction and Design
As you’d expect in lower-end gaming headphones, these are built with somewhat cheaper materials. Still, they don’t feel overly plasticky and are surprisingly well-made. If your headphones fall apart, it defeats the purpose of saving money, and they feel like they will last a long time.
Sound Quality
With large, virtual surround sound, you get impressive detail in these budget audiophile headphones. For most gaming, you will be very happy with the impressive clear sound you get from these.
Of course, they aren’t studio-quality planar magnetic headphones, but for the price, these are some of the best headphones you can get.
Pros
- Low price and awesome value
- Great sound clarity and detail for the price
- Nice, deep bass
Cons
- Mids can get lost in the bass
- Not as detailed as more expensive audiophile headphones
8. Sony WH-1000XM4 - Most Versatile Audiophile Headphones for Gaming
If you want a pair of headphones you can use for gaming use one day and then use on the go the next day, the Sony WH-1000XM4 is a fantastic choice. You’ll sacrifice the up-front microphone of dedicated gaming headsets, but these audiophile headphones are more practical for everyday use.
Construction and Design
The design of these headphones is very understated and minimalist, and they look fantastic in any situation. From business calls to rocking out on the go to intensive gaming sessions, these are ready for anything.
Not all gaming consoles have bluetooth, so the fact that you can also use these wired is a bonus.
Sound Quality
Most wireless headphones sacrifice some of their audio clarity due to bluetooth compression, but these bluetooth headphones level up the wireless experience with technology that preserves signal clarity. I’ve never tried another pair of bluetooth headphones that sound this good.
Pros
- These are wireless headphones with great battery life
- Audiophile gaming headphone that works for everyday use
Cons
- No headset microphone (though these do have a smaller microphone built in)
9. Audio Technica ATH-G1X - Best Studio-Quality Headphones for Gaming
Audio Technica is best known for making high-end equipment for studios and audio professionals. Their line of studio monitor headphones are some of the best in the business. The Audio-Technica ATH-G1X carries this technology and studio-quality engineering into the gaming realm with a gaming-specific headset design.
Construction and Design
One way these headphones are unique is that you can choose between getting either an open-back or closed-back design.
Closed-back headphones offer the best noise isolation, so if you’re playing in a louder environment and want to seal out background noise, that’s the way to go.
Most studio professionals prefer an open-back design because it preserves the absolute best audio accuracy and detail. If you are mainly gaming in a quiet area and want the absolute best sound, you may want open-back headphones.
These headphones are also awesomely comfortable with huge ear cups that fully wrap around your ears and a suspension headband that relieves the weight on your head.
Sound Quality
As you would expect from audiophile gaming headsets based on professional-studio monitor headphones, the sound detail from these cans is outstanding. Whether you’re listening to music or dropping deep into a game, you will feel like you are right there in the middle of the action.
Audio Technica’s headphones designed for studio use are meant to focus on absolute clarity and accuracy, so the bass isn’t as powerful as some people like. With these gaming-specific headphones, Audio Technica changed that, and their double air damping system gives you deep, rumbly bass.
Pros
- 53mm drivers provide awesome clarity and powerful bass
- Studio-quality audio in a gaming-oriented design
- Comfortable headband suspension system
Cons
- Only available in a wired design
10. Sony WH-1000XM4 - Best Earbuds for Gaming
If you tend to do lots of gaming on the go, whether mobile or on a laptop, earbuds can be a more convenient and compact solution for your audio needs. The Bose QuietComfort earbuds are a fantastic choice that deliver noise cancellation and surprisingly good sound in a compact package.
Construction and Design
These are true wireless earbuds that come with a compact storage/charging case to keep them safe and secure when you’re on the go.
These small earbuds have silicone tips with small “wings” attached that really do a great job of helping to keep the earbuds secure and snug in your ears.
Unlike some earbuds like the Apple AirPods, these fit much more compactly in your ear and don’t have a long extension sticking out awkwardly.
These also have impressive earbuds. You can listen for six hours on a single charge, and the charging case gives an additional 12 hours.
Sound Quality
For the limitation of having small drivers, these earbuds deliver impressive sound. Of course, the bass won’t be as deep and powerful as in headphones with two or three-inch drivers, but it’s still very present. You will be surprised at how easy it is to fully immerse yourself in the game with the sound these earbuds deliver.
This is helped by the fact that they have active noise cancellation. This isn’t a common feature in earbuds, and it’s great to have in earbuds for gaming.
Pros
- Active noise cancellation
- Fantastic sound for tiny earbuds
- Great battery life
Cons
- You won’t get the same depth and detail as full-sized headphones
- Expensive for something that’s easy to lose
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