EPOS I SENNHEISER GSP 500 Wired Open Acoustic Gaming Headset, Noise-Cancelling Microphone, Adjustable Headband with Customizable Contact Pressure, Volume Control, PC + Mac + Xbox + PS4, Pro –Black/Red

I'm writing this review after having upgraded from my pair of Sennheiser Game One headphones. Those bad boys served me faithfully for 6 entire years. They didn't break, I just wanted to upgrade! Secondly, I'm writing this review after having tested the GSP 550s, and not having a good experience with surround sound's virtual implementation for headphones (which is a different conversation). TLDR; I think stereo is superior for headphones - keep surround sound designated for physical speaker set-ups.As I mentioned, I did not care for 7.1 surround on the Sennheiser GSP 550s, and found myself using the stereo mode exclusively. So I traded those in for this pair of cans (which, by the way, is technically identical to the GSP 550s, and cheaper - all that differs is the green paint job, and the included surround dongle, which can be purchased separately anyhow).The sound quality is fantastic - comparable to the Game Ones, but with more pronounced bass. Nothing is muddy - just improved! The microphone quality is also best-in-class for a gaming headset. I do have one complaint. For my ears, and likely yours, this headset lacks adequate headroom. In other words, I routinely max out the volume on the headset, and within my computer applications, and still desire to push the volume further. Yet, I cannot - it simply is not possible without buying an audio DAC/amplifier. That is my only gripe with these pair of cans - they aren't quiet...just not loud enough at times.The comfort and quality is also top-notch. This pair of cans is aesthetically quite different from the Game Ones, which were entirely plastic (and still constructed extremely well, there's a reason why they still work after 6 years). This pair of 'phones is built like a tank. The comfort is definitely there, but I will warn you that you'll probably need a few days to break these in. They were quite tight on my huge noggin for a bit, but now they fit like a glove. The soundstage is exceptional for a gaming headphone, and I feel that the open-back design is quite beneficial.TLDR; this headset is likely a worthy upgrade from whatever else you're using - I can pretty much guarantee it's better than whatever you have. This company has 70 years in the business. The sound and build quality is class-leading, too. Just be aware that to get the absolute most out of these, you may want to invest into a DAC/amplifier to give them more oomph. I definitely recommend these, and I am sure they will serve me as long as my beloved Game Ones. Cheers!

Takes a little effort to adjust for comfort at first, but after a week or two breaking in, comfort is no issue at all (from what I can tell the clamp adjuster sliders, if they're closest to the ear cups have the highest tension at the bottom of the cup by the jaw line, all the way to the top is a more central natural feeling pressure, at least for my noggin). I also put over my couch arm rest for a few days when not using them, that seemed to help break in a bit.Here's the thing -totally worth it. Soundstage is huge, clear. Sounds wonderful. Directionality with 3d audio on ps5, zero complaints whatsoever. I had a friend who also purchased these and said for the PS5 they're quiet, recommended they turn the console headset volume all the way up, and then adjust on the volume on the headset directly, no longer an issue. But remember, these are not designed for noise isolation, cancellation-they're open, and designed for a full, natural sound with a huge soundstage.Sum up: If you're looking for immediate plug and play comfort, or need noise isolation and/or cancellation, these likely aren't for you.If you're looking for high quality, immersive, well balanced sound, and you want to feel like you're where your character is, hearing what they'd hear in the moment, and you want the sound to surround and envelop you... Buy these.Oh, p.s. - been told the mic sounds fantastic too.

I purchased both HD 660s and GSP 500 to compare for purposes of PC Gaming: tldr: HD660sIf you are shopping open backed headphones, you are most likely gaming from a closed, quiet, man cave like space or office.A word of caution regarding sponsored SteelSeries Arctis - make sure to research these outside of amazon... nuff on that.Initial impressions: I used lossless music for initial testing and then went in game. I appreciate, and love good sound but by no means an audiophile. For some reason one of my bigger hang ups was getting past the marketing of surround headphones. I learned that your sound card, windows, ect, will turn any headphone into surround should you choose, there is no need to buy a USB surround branded (marketed) headset for this.The GSP500 do sound wonderful, in fact they sound awesome. Without having anything to compare them too, I would have kept them because they do sound fantastic. However, between these and the HD660s it's a more difficult choice. I won't say it's a dramatic, but the difference is great enough to warrant spending the extra coin on the 660s, IF you will use your headsets for music, and desire a wider more accurate stage. It is pretty pronounced. Obviously the HD660s have to be used with a separate desktop mic.The GSP500 are a little more punchy, they seem to have a bias that is a little deeper, and lose some small details in the mids. An example, on the HD660s I could pick out the sound of a guitar note being plucked from the string, vs just hearing the guitar note on a particular acoustic song during the test. The most dramatic difference between them, was how wide the sound stage is on the HD660s. This could be attributed to the fully open design on the 660 verses the open port on the GSP500. The GSP500 sound wide, wider than a closed back set by a lot. This REALLY helps with positioning and range. The HD660 I found to be a little more accurate on positioning. The partially closed feature of the GSP does control some bleed out of audio leaving the cups. It also insulates from outside noise slightly more than the HD660s, while still maintaining open back feel and comfort. For gaming this might be the perfect balance. The GSP500s are 28 ohm, while the HD660s are 150 ohm. Remember to adjust your sound card for the difference in ohms. Mine had a selector.My cap size is 7 5/8", the GSP500 were comfortable, after some time the ear cups seemed to mold into place. No problem wearing them for 6 hours. The adjustable tension on the GSPs is really smart. The headband is a little bulkier on the GSP, I did ultimately find the HD660 to be more comfortable, lighter, less bulky all around. The GSP 500 offered a much nicer wire, its cloth wrapped, easily manageable, tangle and catch free, it's perfect. The little machined fittings on the GSP are a great touch, where the wire plugs in and on the ear cups, it has a machined, masculine, quality feel and look. They really feel and look like a quality set, because they are.I don't think any headset will recreate properly set up and adjusted 5.1 speakers in terms of surround positioning. However, the quality of the audio itself is 10x better than my (low end by comparison z906) surround speakers, that goes for BOTH the GSP500 and the HD660s.Mic quality on the GSP 500 had a noise canceling effect to it, which lessened some of the range of my voice as it transmitted. The blue yeti usb wins here. The GSP500 mic is very forgiving to background noises and does a good job noise canceling at the expense of some voice range. A desktop mic like the yeti, is going to give you added range but you need to stay on top of background noise because it's going to pick up everything. If you are shopping open back headsets though, you're prob already in a pretty quiet environment.Bottom line, if you can afford the HD660s, appreciate a little extra detail in sound, a wider stage, will listen to music, go for HD660s. If not, I believe the GSP500 sound 85%-90% as good as the HD660, include a great mic, for half the price, that is a TON of value.Specs: Win10, z170 i7 6700k, sound card: creative AE-5 used as direct sound to headphones, mic Blue Yeti usb