Update (Jan 1st, 2021) The Good and Mediocre sections have been removed. But they will be added back once some more decent options hit the market. Beta Grading Has been removed for now and will return soon (I'm removing it because it seems people are misunderstanding it.) Penrose finally in the studio.

-----------------------------OLD Introduction----------------------------------

So this guide used to be separated into 2 sections.

1. Good Wireless Gaming Headsets

This section will feature any Wireless Gaming Headsets that release are actually good and what criteria they have to meet will be listed there.

Originally I was going to include a section for Low Latency Bluetooth options but the set up isn't simple and needs a full page for itself. So I will either link it here or ill alter the guide to show that option elsewhere.

2. Mediocre Wireless Gaming Headsets

This will be the last resort option. This is pretty much the old guide I had where I talk about how all wireless gaming headsets are a disappointment. If nothing under the Good section works for you then you'll have to look here.

Some here at the right price is decent and could be considered for the good category.

If you have a large budget a Bluetooth Low Latency Gaming Setup is an option. _Link_

----------------------------PLEASE READ FIRST----------------------------

Please read all of this before buying a Wireless gaming headset.

Sadly wireless gaming headsets are still very behind and huge disappointments. Wireless peripherals in general have started getting really close to wired. You still make some sacrificed and have to pay more but they're getting pretty good. But for some reason, Wireless gaming headsets are still very poor quality and overpriced. This is because most gaming headsets are still terrible and because of the "No high-end gaming headset issue" which I will detail more in a separate post at a later time. So please read this list and then decide if going for a wireless gaming headset is worth it for you.

• You will get below-average to bad sound quality for the price. Wired options at lower prices outperform them.
• They are more unreliable and don't last as long. Much shorter lifespan and a lot more issues. More E-Waste.
• They all have pretty awful mics, and when they are decent or good the rest of the headset is usually very bad.
• 99% of the time if it offers a wired connection that connection will sound worse and isn't worth using because the headset was tuned via DSP.
• You have fewer options, and even of those options they pretty much all rank below average.
• Wired headsets have their fair share of interference issues but there even worse in regards to wireless gaming headsets, and near impossible to fix.
• Higher latency, most have gotten it below 60ms which is solid but many are over that.
• None are very good for FPS. But some can be useable.
• Lower platform compatibility.
• Higher cost for what you get.
• Pretty much all of these are virtually E-Waste and these type of disposable poorly made products I don't support. If you have no idea what E-waste is and why it's bad please look it up before you buy crappy disposable electronics every couple of years. Instead, invest in something that will last you a while.
• Sadly because of the dumb way Xbox certifies USB audio, all Xbox one headsets are crap, either because there very overpriced or because they use the awful direct connect to the console. If you're on Xbox one stay wired if you want half-decent quality.

So understandably many will get to the end of this list and still be interested in a wireless gaming headset and that's completely fair, so below will be the best of the worse to help you pick one out.

So if the sacrifices are worth it for you to go wireless then proceed.

---------Wireless Gaming Headphones/Headsets Guide ----------

Info:

1. Core Price - is what I think it would be worth as an analog wired headphone with no features.

None of the recommended prices here are what you really should pay in a perfect world but there a semi-realistic price that I could see it going on sale for and still not be a huge waste of money. If there were more good options I wouldn't recommend most of these.

Some here at the right price could land in the Good category.

Penrose

• MSRP - $299.00USD (Preorder Price $249.00USD)
• Core Price -
• Max you should Pay -
• Latency - 30ms
• Battery Life - 15hr Claimed
• Wireless Type - 2.4GHz RF + Bluetooth (SBC, AAC)
• Charging Connector - USB Type C

Notes: Yep its hands down the best sounding Wireless Gaming Headset, the Penrose actually is the first and only wireless gaming headset to even pass a C grade for audio quality making it the first wireless gaming headset to have above-average audio quality and to have good audio quality not just for a wireless headset but good in general. Very nice. It has that distinct quality of a planar with better seperation, it really is in a different league from the rest.

The mic is a bit of a disappointment but they may be able to dial it in more via firmware updates(but don't count on the mic improving take it for what it is right now).

Comfort is good but only if your not sensitive to high clamp. That will be the make or break for most people.

Interference wise from my interference testing it's the same as most wireless headsets. But the wireless range is just below average. So when I do my range test I try to hit 6 points on my property,

• 0 = All-round my office
• 1 = All-round my second floor (where the office is)
• 2 = Entrance to my home (below my office)
• 3 = Kitchen (excluding the odd dead spot I have where even WiFi I struggle to get)
• 4 = Kitchen Dead-zone
• 5 = Near Deck

The Penrose started having issues at 3. I consider having no issues at 3 average, so since it struggles there it's slightly below average. But when using it on 1 floor I was able to move anywhere on that floor with no interruptions. So for most use cases I think range shouldn't be an issue. Unless you have a lot more wireless interference or have it slightly closed off like in a desk cabinet.

Feature-wise, that where the issues start as some are working a little janky, but most of this should be worked out.

If you're looking for a wireless headset that sounds above average this is the only option. It has its issues, but the audio is not one of them. I can still see many people wanting a more feature-rich product and are willing to sacrifice audio quality, in that case, something else on this list should offer that for you.

With the removal of optical jacks on the new wave of consoles and USB support being a shit show, high-end audio on consoles is going to be hard for people who don't want to spend a ton. This may be the best solution. The Penrose offers very good audio quality that bypasses the BS USB issues and the issues that come from audio over the controller. On Xbox 100% just grab this, maybe even over going wired (only if you need closed-back) for PS5 there seems to be some ability to use USB DACS but very limited.

G533

• MSRP - $149.99USD
• Core Price - Pending
• Max you should Pay - $70USD
• Latency - 50-60ms
• Battery Life - 16hr
• Connection Type - 2.4GHz RF
• Charging Connector - Micro USB

Notes: The G533 was a cut down G933 that has a tuning closer to the new G935. The biggest downsides of the G533 is the awful rough pads that don't isolate well. Aside from that id call it a cut down barebones stereo G935 with a slightly better mic. The build is still terrible and the mic isn't good, comfort also kinda sucks because of the awful pads.

Flight

• MSRP - $159.99USD
• Core Price - Pending
• Max you should Pay - $80USD
• Latency - 60-80ms
• Battery Life - 30hr
• Connection Type - 2.4GHz RF, 3.5mm Wired
• Charging Connector - Micro USB

Notes: The cloud flight aside from a few hick-ups is a fairly ok headset. The comfort isn't the best, the sound is not to bad but very uneven and the stock fr is super aggressive, listening to louder volumes is really rough. The mic isn't great. But it does sound fairly ok and should last longer than the G533. If the Flight dropped to $80USD permanently id move it to the Good category.

Flight S

• MSRP - $159.99USD
• Core Price - Pending
• Max you should Pay - $100USD
• Latency - 90-100ms
• Battery Life - 32hr
• Connection Type - 2.4GHz RF
• Charging Connector - Micro USB

Notes: Better comfort, more features, slightly better mid-range tuning, but worse treble tuning. Staging takes a hit, which I expected because there are so much electronics stuffed into the cups.

MH670

• MSRP - $119.99USD
• Core Price - Pending
• Max you should Pay - $80USD
• Latency - Pending
• Battery Life - 20hr
• Connection Type - 2.4GHz RF, 3.5mm Wired
• Charging Connector - Micro USB

Notes: The MH670 doesn't really do anything that wrong, mic isn't great fr isn't great, sound overall is fine, comfort is fine, build is fine, its pretty much fine across the board. It doesn't stand out or do anything wrong. It's still just your normal meh wireless headset and I would have hoped for better. Some will like it better than the Logitech E-Waste series and some will like it better than the average flight series and of course, some won't. It at least doesn't sound a ton worse when wired as most do.

G935

• MSRP - $169.99USD
• Core Price - Pending
• Max you should Pay - $120USD
• Latency - 65-80ms
• Battery Life - 13hr
• Connection Type - 2.4GHz Wireless, 3.5mm Wired
• Charging Connector - Micro USB

Notes:

The replacement for the G933, lower MSRP, fixed most of the big QC issues and has a better FR. Still sucks via analog and should only be used wireless. Sadly it's still built like crap, the mic is still garbage, the overall design is still awful and sound delivery is worse. Pads are now fully closed which helps with isolation and for the sale price, it does have surprisingly decent sound (but to bassy). So if you want a wireless gaming headset that sounds decent and has useable VSS this is the best on the budget side. But the mic is terrible and the build and design are pretty awful. Look at the G933 not as a first-gen but more as a beta product and this is just the same headset without most of the issues.

GSP370

• MSRP - $199.95USD
• Core Price - $70USD
• Max you should Pay - $140USD
• Latency - Pending
• Battery Life - 100hr
• Connection Type - 2.4GHz RF
• Charging Connector - Micro USB

Notes: Sounds very decent. It sounds very much like a GSP300, so the best sounding stock headset in this section, but everything else kinda sucks and issues for days. If you have none of the issues this is a fairly comfortable fairly decent sounding headset with crazy high battery life. Awful software and connection issues make its high price a joke. Worth a try and if it works in your area its a fine buy on sale.

HyperX Cloud II Wireless

• MSRP - $199.95USD
• Core Price -
• Max you should Pay - $140USD
• Latency - 15ms
• Battery Life - 30hr
• Connection Type - 2.4GHz RF
• Charging Connector - USB Type C

Notes: Honestly I'm pretty impressed. It almost is just a Cloud 2 but wireless. there is a lot of changes.

Changes:

• New bigger housing, which I can only assume is to try and offer a similar stage as the wire version.
• The housing also has bass vents on the top, which could make the sound quality better.
• No soft-touch coating on the plastic parts, just a matte textured finish. I love this choice.
• New yolk, which is more styled, seems thinner but the kind of swop that add on it makes it about the same durability wise but lighter. They also removed the plastic parts at the bottom of the yolk that was prone to cracking.
• The headband entry point that the yolk connects into has been changed in terms of shape. I assume inside it has been reinforced a bit.
• The headband has some changes. Rather than a loose leather on top with a stitched logo, it now has a tighter stiffer leather with the name stamped into it. A cleaner look.
• New headband padding, which its a lot more plush and soft but it's gonna flatten really fast. I found even after a couple of hours it would flatten and feel like no padding. So this is actually the only place where I think it may have been a downgrade. Not that I think it will affect overall comfort for most people. I would call it a concern for the longevity of headband comfort.
• Pads have a slightly new foam that feels a bit more of a slow rise memory foam. It May not be as comfortable DAy one but will break in quick and be comfortable longer.
• ​

Steelseries Arctis 9x (not the 9)

• MSRP - $199.95USD
• Core Price -
• Max you should Pay - $140USD
• Latency - 85ms
• Battery Life - 28hr
• Connection Type - 2.4GHz RF + Bluetooth (SBC)
• Charging Connector - Micro USB

Notes:

Since Xbox has more limited options in terms of audio in general, I have added this to the list. Sound quality isn't very good, and it has all of the build, comfort, and design issues as the rest of the Arctis line, but for some reason, it actually has a decent tuning. The only base Arctis with a decent tuning, and aside from bass extension it's tuned better than the APW.

Lots of connection issues but if you don't get ones it's an ok option.

I don't recommend the Arctis 9, or for some reason it's not tuned the same and it's really bad. It's a step down from even the Arctis 7. The normal 9 is just bad.

Inflated High End

This section is in reference to the inflated high-end gaming headsets that are in it and how that there really are no high-end gaming headsets. There all low-end products inflated with features and marketing.

I can't really recommend any of these 3, but on a big sale, these may work for some people.

EPOS | Sennheiser GSP670

• MSRP - $349.95USD
• Core Price - pending
• Max you should Pay - $160USD
• Latency - pending
• Battery Life - 16hr
• Connection Type - 2.4GHz RF, Bluetooth (needs re-confirming)
• Charging Connector - Micro USB

Notes: The First wireless gaming headset to have Average sound quality. Sadly it has no extra features and has wireless issues and costs way too much. It already feels kind of outdated and doesn't really compete in terms of feature or sound now that the Penrose is out. I said when it launched that it was going to feel outdated really quick and it has. If you can find it cheap enough and want sound over features it can be decent.

These are the best-sounding wireless gaming headset of these 3.. The build is fantastic. But comfort isn't that good and the mic is terrible. The high-end GSP design is just the worst and needs reworking. This sounds better than the APW and the a50 by a fair bit but the APW has a more balanced FR. But its hard to recommend any of these 3.

If you don't need the high feature set and don't have interference issues this is the best of these 3.

Arctis Pro Wireless

• MSRP - $329.99USD
• Core Price - pending
• Max you should Pay - $160USD
• Latency - 45-55ms
• Battery Life - 12hr (per battery)
• Connection Type - 2.4GHz RF, Bluetooth (SBC), 3.5mm Wired
• Charging Connector - Micro USB

Notes: The Arctis Pro offers the opposite experience of the Penrose, feature-wise it just works and has lots, has very good range, but offers fairly poor audio quality. Build wise it's fine but the yolk design is fairly poor and prone to breaking. Comfort for anyone with a smaller head will be great, but for larger heads, it will be given or take mostly leaning towards poor comfort. The ear pads use very loose density foam so no break-in period but that means they will wear out faster and OEM pads are not the easiest to get.

The tuning is decent so people who have no experience with good sounding headsets can find some enjoyment here. It's not perfect it has too much upper bass that does bleed into the mid-range, there is way too much upper mid-range emphasis and some issues in the treble, but that is because the stock tuning is done VIA DSP, and it's a fairly poor quality DSP tuning not very cleanly done. But it's still above average tuning-wise. In general, is gaming companies cant start to make good quality headsets they should at least tune them well. That way people who don't know audio can still find some enjoyment in them, so that is nice to see. Just wish Steel-series didn't make you pay over $300 to have it. This proves they can DSP tune decently and it would cost them no more to make all the only digital models have a tuning like this. But with the audio quality jump not being really a thing they need some reason to get people to buy the higher end stuff. Also, these are not Hi-Res, not that that matters as the Hi-RES certification (which this doesn't have) is meaningless marketing.

The Arctis Pro Wireless is a good option for people looking for all the features and are ok with the poor audio performance. But you're going to be spending a lot on them. Audio quality would be considered just below average at $100 if it was wired so keep that in mind. If they dropped below $200 I would consider them a solid overall headset (with some flaws like bad staging and weak overall design). But at their price there a hard sell based on their quality.

(Old notes) The Arctis Pro line doesn't actually sound that bad, FR is pretty good and the sound quality would be solid if it was a $100 wired headphone. Everything else is where it mostly falls apart, bad design, not great build, comfort that is only good for smaller heads, terrible pad design, bad mic design, not great mic quality in general, moronic cable design.

The audio driver has some potential and in a housing that wasn't made for looks first could be very good. But sadly their audio team made a solid driver and the design team made an awful headset, then it was priced way to high. The normal Arctis line should be discontinued because it's not good and the pro line should drop in price and be either redesigned to be less stupid or they need a new line of products. But these sell well so Steelseries has no reason to make them good or even improve them because as poor quality as they are they sell super well and at the end of the day if its selling and there making money why change it.

But seriously Steelseries the Arctis Pro line could be fantastic with a few changes or a full design change, please do something in the interest of the market and the consumers and do a redesign at the very least. Also while we're at it get rid of all the BS marketing like "Hi-Res capable drivers".

Astro A50 Gen 4

• MSRP - $299.99USD
• Core Price - pending
• Max you should Pay - $160USD
• Latency - 80-90ms
• Battery Life - 16hr
• Connection Type - 2.4GHz RF
• Charging Connector - Micro USB + Charging Dock.

Notes: The A50 is a tough sell, the Arctis Pro Wireless is just better if you want a feature over the sound headset and if you want sound quality this doesn't cut it. It does do somethings better than the APW, it stages better so for pure FPS it would actually be better. But build, design, durability, and comfort as all similar to the APW in the way that there kinda MEH.

Overall it's not that bad, its just ultra overpriced for what you get. The build isn't that good but is made to seem good with the two metal posts that only add weight and hurt comfort. The mod kits only make it worse. But it does have a ton of features and has a model for every platform. The sound is just average overall, not that good, the mic also isn't very good and at 90ms latency, it isn't ideal or latency-free. I couldn't recommend it at full price, but on an extreme sale if you need its features and are ok with meh audio then this may work for you. But overall at its core, its not a very good headset considering its price, and its price is inflated by marketing, sponsorships, and features. In general, I'd take the Arctis pro wireless over this for sound quality, but the dock this has is nice but kinda pointless now that wireless charging is a thing, and overall both are kinda meh.

The A40 and A50 are another set of products that need a redesign to fix, as the housing isn't working, the tuning gets better but the resolution doesn't change. But with how bad all aspects of the a10 and a20 are I don't see this changing any time soon.

This would be my last choice of the 3.

Edit: Hard to recommend at all honestly. While the arctis isn't really any better in terms of design, build, mic, sound quality, or connectivity. It has a slightly better feature set, lower latency, and better tuning. Neither are amazing, both are overpriced, in general id take the Arctis over the A50 at the same price.

​

They need a Price Drop

This is a small section i have decided to add for products that while not bad is just overpriced or are kind of bad but feature-packed and some people may want them.

A lot of the above handsets will get moved here.

---------------------------------------Retired---------------------------------------

HS70 (non-Pro) - Retired

This was actually a decent wireless gaming headset and sadly with the new crappy Pro model, this one is discontinued. DO NOT BUY THE HS70 PRO.

Logitech G933

Replaced by the G935.

---------------------------------------Failed/Pending---------------------------

​

Failed:

Not all products here are terrible, some just don't stand out enough to bother buying even on sale, others are terrible. Not all Wireless Gaming Headsets I have ever tested will be listed here, as many are discontinued and just not relevant.

• Astro A20 Gen 1
• Steelseries Arctis 7/7p/7x
• Steelseries Arctis 9
• Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 1
• Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 1
• Turtle Beach Atlas Aero Wireless
• Steelseries Arctis 9
• Steelseries Arctis 7/7x/7p
• Sony Gold
• Sony Platinum
• Sony 3D Pulse
• Audio Technica G1WL
• Razer Blackshark v2 Pro 
• Razer Kaira Pro
• Razer Kaira 
• Razer Nari Product Line
• Razer Thresher Product Line
• Plantronic RIG 800 Product Line
• Corsair HS70 Pro
• Corsair HD75 XB
• Corsair Void Wireless
• Corsair Void Pro Wireless
• Corsair Void RGB Elite Wireless
• Corsair Virtuoso
• Corsair Virtuoso SE
• Logitech G933
• HyperX Cloud Stinger Wireless
• HyperX Cloud Stinger Core Wireless
• Mpow Air 2.4G
• Anything Before 2016
• Xbox wireless headset (extreme failure)
• Beoplay Portal (only failed because of its poor xbox wireless sound and very overpriced msrp)

Pending:

• Astro A20 Gen 2 (re-testing)(failed first round)
• Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 (re-testing)(failed first round)
• Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 (re-testing)(failed first round)
• Roccat ELO 7.1 Air (re-testing)(failed first round)

---------------------------------------Thanks--------------------------------------

Special Thanks to all of the companies that have sent products out for review/testing.

• Logitech (G533, G933, G935)
• Cooler Master (MH670)
• Audio Technica (G1WL)
• Sennheiser Communication A/S, Now EPOS (GSP370, GSP670)
• HyperX (Flight S, Cloud 2 Wireless)
• Audeze (Penrose)
• Astro (For Offering an A50)

Big thanks to all the other companies who offer to send stuff out, and to all the people who offered to send in headsets.