Finding the best headphones for enjoying your favorite music or online games is important. Sorting through so many potential options can be time-consuming, however. There are so many things to consider when it comes to what headphones will work best for your needs.
In this article, you will see a quick breakdown of the best headphones for music and gaming. These headphones can meet the needs of hardcore gamers, serious audiophiles, as well as meet some middle-ground requirements that will make them suitable for almost any use you have in mind.
How To Pick The Best Headphones for Music & Gaming
Sound Quality
The Meze 99 Neos are great headphones for gaming, featuring excellent sound quality, an in-line mic, and superior comfort.
You really can’t start a discussion about a pair of headphones to act as both your gaming headset and your music headphones without talking about audio quality.
The best gaming headsets that also sound great for music will feature accurate audio quality to ensure you’re hearing your enemies crouch around corners and to hear the precise treble from your favorite songs.
This aspect of a gaming headset (and headphones in general) is almost impossible to quantify which is why we’re here to give you recommendations for the best gaming headset.
Comfort
For gamers, this might be more of a concern than for one who may only be wearing their headphones for an hour or two a day. Comfort consideration includes the overall weight of the headphones as well as the headband thickness and support it provides.
In addition to the headband comfort, it’s also important to ensure the ear cups are sized correctly as well as being properly padded. Regardless of how long you might be wearing your headphones, ear cups that are too stiff or not well padded can quickly cause ear fatigue and discomfort.
Wired vs Wireless
Wireless headphones for gaming are an extremely common choice where sound quality is not as important as being able to move freely. Especially if you game at a standing desk, or happen to get up frequently for snacks and drinks.
We don’t typically recommend wireless headphones for those looking for the best audio quality. Wireless gaming headsets typically have poor sound quality because data passed wirelessly can reduce audio quality dramatically.
Going with a wireless headset means you’ll be constantly wrestling with battery life. These days, the best gaming headphones have a pretty long battery life but you do still need to remember to charge them because, if you run out of power while gaming, you’ll have to wait a bit (because the charger doesn’t power the headset typically).
If you pay a premium for a wireless gaming headset (specifically the HyperX Cloud II wireless – see our article on the best HyperX headsets), you can actually get sound quality that is about on par with other medium to high-quality wireless headphones but it still won’t compare to the recommendations we’re making in this article.
For audiophiles expecting things to sound their best, a wired gaming headset is vital. Wired headphones of all brands will give you a much more reliable and crisp audio result. However, the freedom of movement is obviously limited and you will be removing and replacing the headset on your head much more often. Wired headphones are also prone to twisting and tangling but if you know how to stop it from doing so, it won’t be a big deal.
2.4 GHz Wireless Connection vs Bluetooth
If you decide to go for a wireless gaming headset for both music and gaming, it’s vitally important to make sure you understand the difference between Bluetooth headphones and a lossless wireless gaming headset.
Bluetooth does not send audio fast enough for gaming!You need to make sure you’re buying a gaming headset with fast enough wireless connectivity (2.4 GHz, for example). Generally, this means that the headset comes with a USB dongle to plugin to your Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X (see how to use regular headphones on XBox), or PC which will facilitate this type of faster wireless functionality.
Microphone
Microphones are not normally a consideration for headphones that will only be used for enjoying audio. However, there are some headphones that can accept external microphones without too much hassle.
For gaming headsets(even budget gaming headsets), having a microphone is almost guaranteed. However, the quality of microphones can vary greatly. If your focus is on a gaming headset with a microphone, be sure to test the microphone quality before making your decision.
Compatibility
The standard connection for wired audio headphones is normally a 3.5mm jack. Some will have 6.35mm adapters as well, which is common for studio-quality headsets. You will very rarely find USB connections for studio headphones although it’s very common in headphones for gaming.
Open Back vs Closed-Back
When it comes to open back or closed back, the benefits of each will depend on the user’s focus and goals. The biggest benefit of closed-back headphones is the addition of sound isolation and/or noise cancellation. This gives you a very immersive audio experience but can limit you from being unable to hear things around you in the real world.
Using open-back headphones for gaming allows you to remain focused on hearing your audio in the headset, while also being able to switch your focus to sounds and voices in the space around you. The biggest downside, however, is that you will lack some of the depth of sound in the lower end. Another issue with open-back headphones is they let in a lot of background noise. If you’re gaming somewhere that is fairly loud, this background noise is going to be very apparent to you.
In headphones for gaming, a USB connection is extremely common. You will also find a large number of gaming headsets that have a 3.5mm jack. Between these two connectors, gaming headsets are compatible with PCs, consoles, tablets, and more.
Do I Need An Amplifier? Sensitivity & Impedance Explained
Most headphones are rated from 8 to 600 ohms of impedance, with a range of 32 or 35 becoming more and more popular. Audio impedance, however, normally stays around 4 or fewer ohms unless you’re looking at specialized amplifiers in which case the ohms can reach 120 or higher. Lower impedance-rated headphones before 50 are great for portable device usage, but higher ohms of 50 or more will require amplification to give their best performance.
Most headphone models are only found in a single impedance rating. However, the Beyerdynamic brand is currently the only major commercial producer of multiple versions of the same model. The reason for this redundancy is that each version can carry a different impedance to suit the unique needs of specific users.
Do I Need To Get An External Mic? What Are The Options?
Having an external mic will depend on your intended usage for the headset you have chosen. For online gamers, having some way to communicate through voice chat can be a vital part of your gaming experience, while for others this is not something they are concerned about. Most gaming headsets will have a built-in microphone, so no external mic considerations will be needed.
Headsets that are more focused on audiophiles or studio use will likely be lacking a built-in microphone. In this case, you will need to consider an external microphone such as an in-line mic, a desktop mic, or an entirely separate studio microphone option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get a high-quality gaming headset or a traditional pair of headphones for gaming & music?
A gaming headset will typically come with a good to great microphone built into it, which will be lacking in a pair of headphones, but the audio quality in these gaming headsets typically will be much worse. Some audiophiles may prefer using high-quality music headphones to get the best possible audio for their gaming and supplement it with a separate microphone. The choice comes down to whether you prefer higher-quality audio or a more convenient gaming experience.
Do I need 7.1 surround sound for gaming?
No, you do not need surround sound for gaming. While it can be nice to have surround sound and may give you an edge in fighting or first-person shooter games, this will not impact your ability to enjoy other kinds of games as well as music & movies. It’s also worth pointing out that if you use a pair of excellent headphones with dynamic full-range audio, you likely won’t notice the 7.1 surround sound missing.
