Gaming Headphones VS Regular Headphones

April 9, 2018

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If one is going headphone shopping, the choices in the market might be confusing.
It is important to note right at the beginning that comfort and sound quality should be prioritised over everything else.

Primarily, there are three main types of headphones and it all depends on the user as to what he or she desires from the equipment.

The types are Studio, (Primarily used for recording and professional work) Consumer or music headphones (The fancy designed ones used every day) and finally the gaming headphones (The cool looking headphones with a microphone).

We are going to focus on which is better the gaming headphones or the music or consumer variety.

Gaming Headphones

Let us begin with the gaming headphones.
There are a lot of companies manufacturing what are fancied headphones for giving one the ultimate gaming experience. Manufacturers include HyperX, Razer, Turtle Beach, Steelseries and many more.

There are two main types of gaming headphones. The ones that use real surround sound and then the equipment that look at using virtual surround.

When we say Real surround sound it means that there are actual hardware or drivers in each of the headphones both on the left and right to give you an experience of multiple channels. That means, the drivers coordinate to give the brightest and as close to real surround sound as possible.
On the other hand, virtual surround sound is created using software either in the headphone or on the computer to emulate the surround experience.

Thus, the sound from these could be a little more muffled than the headphones using real surround sound technology. For instance, in a game environment, the gunshots could sound a little less punchy or be slightly softer.

Also read: What Gaming Headphones Should I Get?

Another important feature that gaming headphones possess are built in microphones.
The quality of these built in mikes vary but are good overall. This is an attractive feature for all those gamers engaged with in game activities, chat sessions etc. It makes it easier and more convenient to have ready mike to hand.

Gaming headphones are also designed with an eye to comfort as they must be worn for long periods of time. They boast taglines and are usually associated with how good the gamer is.

There however are a few caveat’s.

First, the heavy emphasis on base. If the headphones are used for listening to music, this might spoil the listening experience. There will be a mushiness to the entire music.

The next problem is the uncontrolled treble. Designed with games in mind, the finer controls for adjusting treble usually don’t exist in gaming headphones. The musical notes, instruments and voice might sound muffled or slightly unclear.

The final problem is with distortion. With lack of proper midrange and treble controls, the distortion may impact the music, disturbing or creating that additional fatigue for the listener.

Pros

Summarising the pros of the gaming headphones, they have surround sound technology.
The headphones come with a built-in microphone.
Designed with long game play in mind, they are often built for comfort.

Cons

Heavy base and uncontrolled treble.
Uncomfortable for long music listening and no proper midrange.
Lack of choices on wearing comfort, colours and other options i.e. call controls etc.

Having said that, a set of gaming headphones could be useful if they are used primarily for for playing and if the user is an enthusiast.

Consumer Headphones

Now let’s turn to the normal or musical headphones. These have the widest sets of selections. In fact, this is the category where the most amount of innovation and research takes place.

There are ones with call controls, wireless, Bluetooth etc. They also come in all colours, sizes and can fit apparel as well as glasses of the user.

Remember the question of comfort? Probably you can find a pear that fits your budget, preference and tastes. Major players include Beats, Bose, Sony and Skulcandy.

How are they different from gaming headphones?

First, they do not usually come with microphones. They are also better tuned, and the drivers provide tighter base, a full body midrange and a controlled treble for a pleasant less tiring musical experience.

With the widest range of choices, it is easy to find a pear that suits your comfort levels.

All kinds of preferences can find their choice. For instance, there are some who might prefer a warm base and a full body midrange. Others might prefer tighter base with more emphasis on the treble.

Distortion is also under control and the overall sound experience better.

The gaming headphones in their attempt to create surround sound, sometime sacrifice quality. The consumer variety try and deliver the highest end in listening pleasure.

There are also different types to suit different tastes.

For example, there are ones to listen to music and there are others primarily designed for phones and calling. The rich set of features also makes them ideal for playing games as the sound is of better quality.

Pros

Normal headphones come with many choices in features and designs.
They are usually more comfortable and offer a relaxed listening experience.
The sound is of high quality with tighter base, full midrange and a controlled treble.
Most innovation and research are first introduced to the normal consumer headphones.

Cons

They do not have a built-in microphone.
No hard-uncontrolled base.
They usually lack the seven points one real or virtual surround capability.

If a user does not need the functionality of a built-in microphone and the additional surround sound experience, these headphones could be the right choice.

Conclusion

No matter what you choose, the headphones should deliver the purpose they are bought for.

If the primary reason is to play for long hours and a built-in microphone is essential to game play, then a gaming headset might be the choice.

There are a lot of choices out there which look good. Moreover, PS4 and Xbox one both plan to bring in virtual surround capability to enhance game sounds through their respective gaming headphones.

A general-purpose consumer pear can help you with both game play and music listening pleasure. As a lot of research goes into designing these headphones, the drivers are better designed and offer a punch weather listening to a song or shooting up enemies in a gaming environment.

Manufacturers like Beats and Sony now offer headphones with a lot of options and features.

Remember always, the two things to focus on are the sound and comfort factors.

The differences in both the sets of headphones are primarily in the sound experience.
While the gaming headphones deliver loud punchy sound as far as the base is concerned, the musical headphones have a well-rounded listening experience.

This also is a preference with many as some users choose to have harder base in their music. For an uncluttered mind, it is better to listen to both types of headphones and take a call.