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When you go out looking for the best gaming headsets, you’ll see there are hordes of choices to choose from. And the huge contrast among different price points doesn’t help either. For close to 100 USD you might be able to get a very hot deal for say, the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas headset. But will their claim of the best pro-gaming mic stand tall against the SteelSeries Siberia v3 or the HyperX Cloud II?
There are all varieties of reasons why you would pick a certain model. Great sound quality is just one of those when it comes to gaming ready over-ear headsets. Not only does the gaming community slide towards slick RGB headsets like the ROG Strix Fusion 500, the quality of mic also plays a more important role among esports enthusiasts.
Similarly, a wireless headset is always better than the risk of getting tangled by wire mesh leading to you. However, true audiophile-grade headsets aren’t cheap, so for under $100 we’ve had to go the extra mile in picking what suits you best.
Who Makes The Best Gaming Headsets Under 100?
While reviewing different headsets for gaming, we have given importance to the sound quality metrics like driver type, frequency response range, wireless and platform compatibility aspects, GameDAC controls and RGB lighting, as well as build quality elements like the type of material used, cushions and their level of comfort as well as waterproofing – if offered.
Having said that, here’s our list of the top headphones under 100 USD. The products have been picked for at least one special feature that they do well in. For instance, wireless, console, as well as chat, focused users will get the best that the market has to offer in each category. Other than that, we have also picked for you a couple of budget as well as high-end headset models.
Overall Best Gaming Headset
HyperX Cloud Alpha Headset
What’s a list of gaming headsets without an entrant from the infamous HyperX Cloud headsets.
Specs Overview: HyperX Cloud Alpha Headset
In case you didn’t know, HyperX is a brand name which is actually owned by Kingston the flash memory maker. Ever since they introduced their headsets, HyperX has been one of the go-to brands among gaming enthusiasts and newbies alike. The core philosophy is simple: affordability and quality.
Although we have also tested the HyperX Cloud II, on Amazon, it is a couple of dollars more expensive than the Cloud Alpha. Moreover, the latter is the most recent release from the American manufacturer. Therefore, it comes packing full compatibility for multiple platforms including the Xbox One S as well as the PS4 PRO. No matter the platform, many gaming headsets that claim stronger more powerful bass often end up compromising on the clarity of the sound. This is not the case with HyperX Cloud Alpha.
While it might not look the part, the build quality is as solid as it gets. The frame is a strong aluminum which we liked and there is more than enough padding. The HyperX Cloud model is even lightweight in comparison to other models offering similar quality. Due to that, extended use of anything like the Astro A50 can still be uncomfortable.
If you are a notorious gamer and those long gaming sessions are going to require the headset up and running, you might want to upgrade the ear cups on this one. Swapping the factory fittings with something like Brainwavz Velor earpads and you will be able to use them for twice as long!
Best Gaming Headset for eSports
Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Pro Performance
Just like the Logitech Pro G, this Turtle Beach headset also boasts of being made with professional-level competitive gamers in mind. You get a noise canceling boom mic, you can swap the speaker plates, and there’s a horde of their trademark technologies at play.
Specs Overview: Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Pro Performance
The Turtle Beach Elite Atlas starts off with its 50mm Nanoclear drivers to top the industry average and goes on to boast of the manufacturer’s trademarked Truspeak technology. While the former ensures better bass, the latter guarantees crystal clear voice over the chat.
One of the biggest issues with using over-ear headphones is weight. Sooner than expected, the ear caps start to cut into the ears and things get uncomfortable right when you want every pin drop to be heard without being distracted. The Turtle Beach headsets are much more comfortable in comparison to most of the competition. This is due to two more trademarked technologies of the company i.e. Aerolift for the sound cushioning and Pro-Specs for bespectacled gamers.
While you would easily be able to beat the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas on sound quality, any model doing that will probably cost well over 100 USD. With good audio and a great voice, it offers great value for money. In other words, the verdict is that Elite Atlas should be your top choice if you are a streamer or someone who players a lot of multiplayer online games.
Best Gaming Headset for Consoles
Sennheiser GSP 300
Sennheiser has had quite some success with the game series of headsets, the GSP 300 and GSP 350 are aimed towards the budget friendly crowd, with one feature similar to their game series headsets that is the mute mic by flipping the mic up.
Specs Overview: Sennheiser GSP 300
When these headphones arrived, the first thing to do with them would obviously be to wear them, but we did not do that, we wanted to check the build quality since they come so cheap. We tried bending them, but the material was so flexible, they bent and came back into their shape without even a creak or squeak. This alone made the Sennheiser GSP 300 a great buy for us, because they are super-flexible.
When we put them on, the first thing we noticed was how perfectly they sealed over our ears. I mean once they were on, you could almost not hear anything from outside due to how perfectly sealed they were. The earpads are huge, but their shape and design are so comfortable and we tested them for any discomfort over long periods of time, but we could game on these for hours without any problems.
The Sennheiser GSP 300 had a volume dial, and has a slight resistance to it has compared to their Game series headphones. It also truly feels like a volume dial with a knob-like feel, which is always great.
Sennheiser has had a history of high priced headphones, if you have heard of the Orpheus, then you would know what we are talking about, compared to those, these headphones might not be as great-sounding, but still, you cannot deny the quality that Sennheiser puts in their headphones.
The GSP 300 with all its qualities can be yours under the $70 price tag on Amazon, which was a great deal for us. And best of us, it has multi-device support, you can hook them up to your PS4, Xbox One, PC whether it’s a Mac or Windows, Nintendo switch and even your smartphone.
Best Gaming Headset for PC
SteelSeries Arctis 5 RGB
SteelSeries has been rapidly gaining fame as a gaming peripheral manufacturer, with some of the best gaming mice, keyboards and headsets we have seen. The SteelSeries Arctis 5 are super cool and amazing quality headsets, with an exceptionally good bi-directional microphone.
Specs Overview: SteelSeries Arctis 5
So, these headphones have a really cool feature in them, you can actually share your sound with another person via a 3.5mm jack that you can plug directly into the headphones and you can head what the person wearing the headphones is hearing. This function is very limited because let’s face it, why would you share your audio with anyone, unless you are watching a movie with your loved one, then you can both share the audio together.
So the headphones have a processor prebuilt in the USB jack, it uses a USB jack instead of a 3.5mm audio jack for two reasons, one the RGB lighting. It controls the RGB lighting using software, also there are separate plugs for the mic and the headphones, but with an adapter, you can plug them both in one jack.
You also get a quality USB soundcard that you can plug in. You can control the volume of voice chats through the knob on the sound card. This only controls the volume of the voice chat, so you can actually adjust the volume of the chat via the soundcard knob, but there is another voice dial right behind the jack, which is easy to locate. With that, you can adjust the overall volume of the headsets.
Just beside the main volume dial, there is a microphone mute button, the coolest feature is that when you push the mute mic button, the mic itself has a led that lights up indicating that the mic is muted. Though even if you retract the mic back and if it is not mute, you can still hear noise everywhere.
This headset has a cloth strap that helps in setting it on your head, the memory foam padded ear pads are soft and comfortable and fit right over your ears.
The Arctis 7, the big brother of the Arctic 5, which is just a little bit expensive has been declared the best headset for Esports and gamers due to its microphone capabilities. The RGB on the rim of the headphones is just mesmerizing to look at, highly recommended to gamers all around.
Best Wireless Gaming Headset
Avantree 40hr Wireless Bluetooth Headset
What if we tell you that for below 70 bucks you can buy one of the best bluetooth gaming headsets that will not bother you if you are as long as 30 feet away? Avantree has one for you; boasting low latency NFC technology, extra padding and more.
Specs Overview: Avantree 40hr Wireless Headset
When looking for the best wireless headset, the first thing you should never compromise on is batteries. The charging solutions and battery life of anything wireless are as important as the quality of sound is for a headset. Therefore, we tested more than just a few wireless gaming headsets including models like the ill-named Sony MDRXB650BT/B, CORSAIR Void PRO RGB headset, as well as a number of Turtle Beach headsets including the Stealth 600.
While the Turtle Beach model is state of the art in all aspects of sound, build and mic quality, it is limiting for being platform specific. The company markets different variants of the Stealth 600 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Similarly, the Sony headset might have sway with its sleek design just like the Corsair Void Pro does with its RGB. But either one of those isn’t as important as a 40-hour long battery life!
Among gaming headsets under 100 USD, we doubt you will get such a powerful battery on your caps. It matches the NFC chip of the Sony headset and gets one up by allowing connections with twp devices together. When listening to music you can also crank up the bass boost to add flavor to the audio though we advise against it during gameplay sessions.