Last year we looked at some of the best gaming headsets available on the Xbox One. Our top pick, at the time, was the Plantronics Rig Flex LX. Since then though, a number of new headsets have entered the market including the updated SteelSeries Wireless line, as well as new sets from Kingston, Polk Audio and Astro.
Plantronics Rig Flex LX (Wired)
At $130 MSRP, the Plantronics Rig Flex LX is on the pricier side for a stereo wired headset, but it managed to snag our top spot in our previous round-up due to its combination of comfort, excellent chat quality, and clean, well-balanced audio. You can wear this headset for hours, which you’ll want to do: even on the most bass-heavy EQ setting, lows are nice and punchy without overwhelming the mids and highs, and it’s very easy to hear both small audio details and what direction they’re coming from.
The style of the Flex LX’s included controller dongle is an improvement over Microsoft’s stereo headset adapter, too. Instead of pressing buttons that show no indication of just how loud or soft you’ve made your game or your XBL party, you’ll use a knob to control the volume, and a dial to control the balance between game and chat audio. You’ll be able to see your settings at a glance.
And though it doesn’t take the sting away from the price tag, the Flex LX comes with a second cable that lets you ditch the boom mic—handy for when you’re using these cans with a mobile device.
Turtle Beach Ear Force XO One (Wired)
If the Flex LX is too expensive for your taste, the Turtle Beach Ear Force XO One is an $80 stereo headset that offers superior performance over Microsoft’s Stereo Headset. Audio details are a touch less clear than the Plantronics Rig Flex LX, but you can still distinctly hear sounds like grunts, footfalls, and distant gunfire, as well as the direction they came from. (That’s not the case with the Stereo Headset.) You’ll also be able to hear yourself from within the headset while chatting, which allows you to better modulate how loudly you’re talking.
The XO One is also very lightweight, which is nice for long gaming sessions. The only drawback to this particular set of cans is that its ear cups are on the smaller side, so if you have bigger ears, this may not be a completely comfortable fit.
Polk Audio Striker Pro ZX (Wired)
This is the Xbox One variant of Polk Audio's Striker Pro series. The ZX includes Microsoft's headset adapter for first generation Xbox One controllers. Anyone who picked up their console or controller late enough to have built-in 3.5mm jack on the bottom, can grab the slightly cheaper P1 instead.
Otherwise, everything here is the same. Solid audio with a show-stealing microphone all for a decent price.
Winner: Kingston HyperX Cloud Revolver (Wired)
The Kingston HyperX Cloud Revolver is Kingston's first crack at their own gaming headset. Now, I know you're probably about to cite the HyperX Cloud and Cloud II, but those were designed by a third party and modified by Kingston. The Cloud Revolver is entirely their own.
At first glance the Cloud Revolver looks much more aggressive than the subtle curves of its predecessor. Underneath the gruff exterior, though, there's some pretty solid tech. $120 will get you 50mm drivers, and a detachable, noise-cancelling mic, both of which punch well above their weight. Ear cups are made with high-density memory foam to hold the speakers a bit further from your ears, opening up the audio just a bit. Overall they're an excellent, practical choice, and a worthy, albeit pricier, successor to Kingston's previous sets.
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