Best Overall
Sades A60
The A60 ($26.79) is an excellent headset for the price. Sades managed to pack in a bunch of features, and you'll not be required to part with too much in order to strap it to your head. We've got noise cancellation, in-line controls, and comfortable ear cups for long gaming sessions.
Bottom line: Surprising quality at such a low price point.
One more thing: The design is also fairly unique, which helps make you stand out as the best gamer around.
Why the Sades A60 is the best budget gaming headset
The A60 is a solid headset. It's competitively priced (at just of $30) and has a bunch of features that make the price tag well worth it. It's driverless, meaning you'll be able to simply plug it in and get going, and the microphone works well for communicating with friends and random players in-game.
Thanks to the cup design and the over-ear form factor, you'll be able to shield your ears from outside interference to a certain degree. It's no digital noise-cancellation, but it works well enough. There's even in-line controls for quick and convenient adjustments.
Listed specifications:
- Loudhailer diameter: 50mm (NdFeB)
- Frequency range: 20 - 20KHz
- Sensitivity: 113dB +/- 3 dB at 1 khz
- Impedance: 16 Ohm at 1khz
- Distortion: Smaller than 2% THD
- Max Input power: 30mW
- Mic Dimension: 6.0*5.0mm
- Sensitivity: -38dB +/- 3 dB
- Cable length: Approx.2.2m
And the $27 gets you quality build with solid plastics and comfortable memory foam for extended play sessions.
Best Premium
HyperX Cloud II
The HyperX Cloud II may be out of range for many gamers ($96.99) who would rather spend their bucks on new titles. But should you want to enjoy an even higher quality experience in-game, the Cloud II is worth a look. Solid drivers produce excellent sound with virtual 7.1 surround sound.
There's even noise-canceling technology for the microphone so your teammates will be able to hear you scream on Discord better.
Bottom line: It's more expensive than Razer's Kraken Pro V2 but has its own highlights.
One more thing: The 53mm drivers are well matched with the USB connector and onboard sound card.
Best Comfort
SteelSeries Siberia 200
SteelSeries has gone all-out with the Siberia 200 headset ($59.99), which sports not only impressive 50mm drivers but also a suspension-based headband for optimal comfort. Take advantage of years worth of development, in-line volume, and mute controls, and support for the company's own software suite for personalization.
Bottom line: The headset not only looks good but also performs admirably.
One more thing: You may have an issue wearing the Siberia 200 with glasses.
Best Smart
Turtle Beach Ear Force PX24
The Ear Force PX24 ($40) from Turtle Beach is an affordable headset that offers 50mm drivers for playback that will make one smile when hitting the stars in No Man's Sky or taking on a heist in Grand Theft Auto Online with friends.
There's also support for virtual surround with the battery-powered amplifier, and while you'll not be able to reproduce audio at the same level of more expensive options, for general use and gaming you'll be absolutely fine.
Bottom line: It's affordable, at just $40, and has good build quality and adequate sound playback.
One more thing: It automatically adjusts voice input and chat playback levels.
Best Value
Razer Kraken Pro V2
While it's not technically budget-friendly (at $78.19), though that depends on what type of gamer you are, the Razer Kraken Pro V2 is a great little headset. Not only does it sport a retractable mic but also 50mm drivers, 16.8 million colors for lighting, as well as optional USB for enhanced sound and 7.1 surround emulation.
Bottom line: It's a solid headset that's comfortable to use, has great sound and looks great.
One more thing: You will need to turn up the microphone because it's seriously quiet.
Conclusion
Affordable headsets can be awful, but many can be brilliant. The Razer Kraken Pro V2 isn't cheap by any means, but it's also not a headset that will decimate your bank balance. Packing some advanced specifications and features, Razer's entry headset is a killer option for gaming and media consumption.
Best Overall
Sades A60
The A60 ($26.79) is an excellent headset for the price. Sades managed to pack in a bunch of features, and you'll not be required to part with too much in order to strap it to your head. We've got noise cancellation, in-line controls, and comfortable ear cups for long gaming sessions.
Bottom line: Surprising quality at such a low price point.
One more thing: The design is also fairly unique, which helps make you stand out as the best gamer around.
Updated October 25, 2017: We updated the list with only the best recommendations for budget headsets.
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