The accessories for gaming are fashionable. The democratization of the on-line game and the popularization of electronic sports have contributed in a very clear way to the success of computers and peripherals specifically designed to play. It is good for users to have many options, of course, but when the market is saturated, separating “the dust from the straw” can be a real challenge. No Fluff Tech still have more latest gadget collections for our gamers to make them more interactive.
The headphones to play have not remained oblivious to this trend. Currently there are dozens of brands with striking and colorful proposals that promise us an unparalleled experience. Some even assure us that with their headphones we will acquire a clear competitive advantage over our rivals. Too much noise for, often, so few nuts. The headphones to play above all are headphones, and the most important thing is their sound . We hope that this article will help you to find yours without difficulty.
That the colored lights do not cajole us: what matters is the sound quality If we stick to its design and its sound properties there is no relevant difference between traditional headphones designed to listen to music and ones designed to play. Both are transducers to which we entrust the task of transforming the electrical energy that contains the sound information into acoustic energy (a transducer is a device capable of transforming one form of energy into another).
So far the only noticeable difference is that the sound in conventional headphones usually comes from a source with musical reproduction capacity, such as a stereo or a smartphone, and the headphones to play receive the audio signal from a computer or a console of video games. This idea allows us to reach a first conclusion: there is no reason why we can not use traditional headphones to play .
The biggest challenge that can face a headset is none other than reliably reproduce the music played by a large orchestral mass . If their sound quality is up to the task and they really manage to respect the timbre of the instruments, the dynamic loading of the whole set, the level of detail of the composition, and, in addition, they recreate in a convincing way the whole spectrum of audible frequencies , which extends between 20 Hz and 20 kHz (this range must be taken “with clamps” because almost none of us can hear frequencies near 20 kHz), the rest will be “easy”.
The harmonic complexity of many of the instruments we use to make music, including the human voice, is far superior to the sound we generate, often through digital procedures, for video games and movies (harmonics are subtle variations of a range of frequencies that largely describe the timbre of a sound source). In addition, when we listen to music we have a tangible reference because we know how many of the instruments we are hearing really sound. Our brain has an enormous capacity for analysis and is capable of perceiving even very subtle timbral variations.
The reason why I think it is important that we review all this is none other than defending the ability of good headphones designed to play music to deal with the soundtrack of a movie or a video game. It is likely that its sound is not as spectacular as that of a gaming headset designed to emphasize the low end , but they will offer us a more balanced sound , and, in the medium term, possibly also lower acoustic fatigue.
My intention is not to carry out an absolute defense of the use of audiophile headphones with video games. In fact, as you will see throughout the article, this is not what I propose. Fortunately, the market offers us specific models for gaming designed from an approach in which the sound quality prevails , and not that striking aesthetic so common in the products for gamers against which I have nothing at all, but sometimes It causes us to be distracted and forget that what really good headphones should offer is nothing other than a good sound.
Once we have given sound quality the importance it deserves, we can divert our attention to other features that should also be present in good headphones to play. Two of the most relevant are its ergonomics and its ability to isolate us from the environment in which we are playing to get us to immerse ourselves in the action of the video game that we are enjoying. And this brings us fully into the field of the architecture of the headphones.
The design that best meets the needs I have just described is the circumaural , which is why most manufacturers of gaming headsets opt for this architecture and not, for example, for the supraaural design. You can easily distinguish circumaural headphones, if you do not have them well placed, other designs because the pads completely surround our ears, and do not rest on them, which is what supraaurals do.
This design, precisely, offers us greater ergonomics because the pressure is distributed evenly through the headband and pads, which rest on our head and not directly on the pavilion of our ears. And this is a very important feature if it is possible that our game sessions will continue for several hours without interruption.
In addition, the circumaural design offers us a greater capacity for immersion in the sound content because by completely wrapping our auditory pavilion it masks a good part of the ambient noise. For the insulation to be even greater some brands of gaming headphones , which not all, opt for using a closed enclosure, which is one in which the pavilion containing the diaphragm, the magnet and the other elements of the transducer, is solid and lacks openings to the outside. This causes that the sound waves generated by the speaker are encapsulated inside the enclosure and do not go outside. And, at the same time, as we have seen, it largely prevents outside noise from reaching our ears.
SOME MODELS THAT ARE WORTH KEEPING TRACK
Before concluding this article we would like to propose several headphones to play that stand out for their sound quality, versatility or global benefits, and which are worth taking into account. However, this is a tiny selection of what the market currently offers, so we encourage you to use the comments of the article to suggest to us and to other readers other models that you know and that, for you, also they deserve an opportunity.
Astro A50 Wireless
These headphones have many of the characteristics that we have talked about throughout this article. They are well built, have a very convincing sound quality, their microphone has active noise cancellation and are compatible with Dolby Headphone 7.1 surround sound technology , which is one of the most successful multi-channel audio.
Its design, as you can see in the image, is quite striking, a feature that will appeal to some users and frighten those who prefer a more sober aesthetic. Do you hit? Without a doubt, its price , which is very high. Even so, it is an option worthy of being taken into account by those lucky enough to have a high budget.
ASUS ROG Strix Fusion 700
It is likely that the striking design of this model causes some users to see it as “another gadget for more gaming .” Nothing is further from reality. The Strix Fusion 700 are well built, have a careful ergonomics, have a quality microphone, and, best of all, its DAC is a chip Saber 9018 accompanied by a 9601 amplifier, both ESS Technology.
This Californian manufacturer specializing in D/A converters has managed to place their proposals in many high-fidelity components of high quality, as well as in some smartphones with a careful sound, as, for example, LG V30 / V35 ThinQ . The downside of these headphones, once again, is that they are not cheap, but not as expensive as the Astro model.
Audio-Technica ATH-PDG1
Some brands with audiophile pedigree know how to adapt to what the market demands, even if they are products that are beyond the reach of the traditional music lover and audiophile. Audio-Technica is one of these companies. From these headphones we can expect a balanced , detailed sound and extremely low distortion. In addition, its enclosure, with aluminum parts, is impeccably machined.
As you can see in the photograph, its design is modern but not as striking as that of other models of this selection. Of course, we must bear in mind that they are completely analog and stereo headphones , and, therefore, we can only connect them to our PC or console using the 3.5 mm jack . If this does not represent a problem, without a doubt, it is worth taking them into account.
