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Serious gamers know that wired tech is simply faster and more reliable. Going cordless may be convenient, but there are disadvantages to wireless headphones that make it impractical for power users to make the switch. Pro players need headphones with less than 50 milliseconds of audio delay so they can react to every cue instantly; hearing an enemy footstep a moment too late often means certain defeat. If you want the best audio quality when you're playing or competing, wired gaming headphones are the way to go.
Of course, price is a huge factor in the headphone market. That's why we already covered the best budget and expensive gaming headsets at every price point, but if you're looking for amazing sound, no matter the cost, you'll want to cut straight to the chase. We did the research for you, cross-referenced reviews from a variety of professional hardware testers, and took user feedback into consideration. These are the five wired gaming headphones with the best audio.
Asus ROG Kithara
The ROG line of products from Asus caters directly to hardcore gamers, and the Asus ROG Kithara headset is no exception. These are stylized open-back headphones that Asus touts as providing audiophile-grade fidelity and a spacious, natural soundstage. It also has a built-in boom mic and comes with a USB-C adapter for its dual 3.5 mm inputs. These features come as no surprise; at a price point of $289.99, you'd certainly expect the Kithara to deliver on premium game-ready quality.
The veteran hardware testers at RTINGS consider the Asus ROG Kithara to be the best open-back gaming headset for your money. One of the biggest differences between closed and open-back headphones is that open-backs, like the Kithara headset, can convey a truer sound and tend to be more comfortable for prolonged use. On the other hand, they may leak sound for everyone around to hear. However, the RTINGS team concluded that this headset's planar magnetic drivers make for a sound that's more similar to studio headphones than a gaming headset — which is high praise in a landscape where many gaming cans prioritize gimmicky features over audio quality.
Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro
The Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro is another open-back gaming headset, but this one attempts to push comfort and mic quality even further. Beyerdynamic designed this headset with velour ear pads, a buttoned head cushion, and a fontanelle recess that keeps pressure off of the most sensitive areas of the head. In creating a wired gaming headset with an even higher-end build, Beyerdynamics also pushes the price of the MMX 330 Pro to a bit of an extreme — it currently goes for $329.99.
The real question, though, is: how's the audio? When Stream Tech Reviews tested the MMX 330 Pro, it praised its 45 mm drivers as a perfect pairing with the headset's open-back soundstage. The reviewer noted, "This is one of the best headsets I've ever used for pinpointing the exact location of footsteps [in first-person shooter games]." For those who exclusively play single-player games, the sound detail may be audio overkill considering the high price of this headset.
Competitive gamers may gain an auditory edge, but it's worth noting that volume and mic mute controls are located on the wire, which some may find less preferable compared to on-headset controls. On the topic of the cable, the MMX 330 Pro does come with a Y-shaped adapter for converting its dual 3.5 mm inputs to a standard that can be used with Xbox, PlayStation, and other consoles.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is SteelSeries' wired option among its lineup of high-end gaming headsets. In fact, PCMag ranked it as the best high-end wired headset out of all gaming headphones it tested. It features a closed-back design, which is typically a knock against sound quality but is better for blocking external noise and preventing sound leakage.
At $219.99, the Arctis Nova Pro is actually considerably less expensive compared to some of the wireless options from SteelSeries. It still feels like a high-end piece of tech, and it certainly gives you the sense of reliability that only a wired headset can deliver, but it's worth noting that SteelSeries likely views the Arctis Nova Pro as a budget model compared to the wireless Arctis Nova Pro Omni that costs nearly twice as much.
When the expert team at PCMag tested the Arctis Nova Pro, they noted that it has strong high-res spatial audio. This gives it the ability to compete directly with the more natural-sounding soundstage of an open-back set of headphones in terms of audio quality. Reviewers are also impressed by the number of features packed into the Arctis Nova Pro, which includes an AI-powered noise-cancelling microphone, granular EQ settings, and the ability to connect to two systems at once via USB-C.
Drop PC38X
The Drop PC38X, previously known as the Drop + Epos PC38X due to a brand collaboration with Sennheiser's gaming division, is a lightweight open-back gaming headset with unique appeal. The reviewers at PC Gamer name the PC38X as the best budget audiophile headphones for gaming. Don't let its low cost fool you, though. At $199.99, it may be the most affordable option on this list, but that doesn't mean it compromises on audio quality.
PC Gamer praised the Sennheiser tech packed into this headset, which gives it an excellent sound and punchy bass response. For atmospheric and immersive gaming, the open-back soundstage provides wide audio that's as accurate as you could want. It's also fully compatible with consoles via an included 3.5 mm TRRS cable with no need for an adapter. If you're looking back at the price tag and wondering, "What's the catch," it's the microphone. It's a boom mic with a handy flip-to-mute function, but it's a bi-directional design that may pick up other sounds and is prone to plosives when transmitting voice audio.
Beyerdynamic Tygr 300 R
The Beydynamic Tygr 300 R is one of the best sets of wired gaming headphones for people who prioritize audio. TechRadar named them the best wired headphones for audiophiles while also noting that they are extremely comfortable. They even come at a reasonable price of $229.99. There is one big caveat, though: there's no built-in microphone.
However, one commenter on Reddit advocated for the Tygr 300 R by making the point that "it is miles better to buy a good pair of headphones and a dedicated microphone," rather than buying a headset that compromises on audio quality for the sake of a sub-par mic. The best way to optimize the sound in your gaming setup is to grab a pair of audiophile-grade headphones, then compare USB and XLR microphones so that everyone in the chat will hear your voice loud and clear.
Suffice it to say, the Tygr 300 R is not the ideal product for social gamers who want an all-in-one headset. But with their open-back design and TechRadar's assertion that they provide "some of the absolute best audio quality that we've ever heard," the Tygr 300 R may be the right choice for lovers of single-player experiences.
How we selected these wired gaming headphones
Our list of wired gaming headphones with the best audio only includes headphones that are specifically branded or labeled as "gaming" headphones or headsets. We narrowed down the list to only include products that appeared on at least two up-to-date rankings of the best gaming headphones across the following hardware testings and review outlets: PC Gamer, RTINGS, Stream Tech Reviews, PCMag, and TechRadar.
As an additional note, we exclusively considered wired-only headphones; we did not discuss wireless headsets with optional wired connections or plug-to-charge functionality. Our selected headphones strictly transmit audio over high-speed, low-latency wired connections. At the time of writing, each one holds a 4-star or higher customer rating on Amazon, with no prominent defects noted in the user reviews.
