After spending three weeks on research and evaluating. We think that the HyperX Cloud Stinger is one of the best budget headset out there. HyperX Cloud Stinger satisfies gamers for its impactful sound quality, versatile compatibility for common Console sets and X-box as well as comfortable ear cups made of covered memory foam cushions that stops your ears from hurting after long hour of gaming. [Read more]
While gaming performance heavily relies on input peripherals such as your keyboard and mouse, your enjoyability depends on the quality of the response or output you receive.
This entails an HD screen with no lagging as well as high quality sound.
This is why choosing a reliable headset is just as important as picking any other online gaming equipment.
Good gaming headsets allow you to clearly hear the game you’re playing. To find these good yet affordable gaming rodents, we’re here to help you in finding the right budget gaming headset for you in this article.
The Best Budget Gaming Headsets [2018]
| Product Name | Material | Non Slip, Rubber handle | Maximum Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-fal E918SC Cookware | Hard anonized aluminum | No | 350 degrees F |
| Cook N Home 15 Piece Cookware Set | Aluminum | Yes | 350 degrees F |
| Cusinart MCP-12N MultiClad Pro 12 Piece Set | Hard Anonized Aluminum | Yes | 450 degrees F |
| Calphalon 8 Piece Classic Non Stick Cookware | Aluminum | Yes | 450 degrees F |
| WearEver C943SF Pure Living Nonstick Cookware Set | Aluminum | Yes | 350 degrees F |
What You Need To Know When Buying a Budget Gaming Headset
Comfort
Above anything else, consider the comfort that a gaming headset can offer. You'd want something that you can wear for long hours of gaming free from pain and fatigue to your ears. Scrutinize the materials that make up your ear pads. Ideally, you'd want leather but anything else that provides enough cushion will be comfortable. The headband pressure against your head should not be extremely tight. Lastly, consider the physical weight also affects how comfortable a headset is. The lesser the weight, the lesser fatigue you can experience in your head and ears.
Sound
This is quite obvious. Find a headphone that has an accurate and soothing sound. Surround sound headsets, which allows you to track which direction is coming from will be great for FPS players. However, if you are looking for a headset under 25, a headset with a stereo driver will be a safer choice for you.
Mic
Most gaming headsets come with a unidirectional mic which is great in blocking off external noise and producing clear sound audio. If you're annoyed by microphones attached to headphones, you may completely ditch them by finding other gaming headsets that do not have a mic attached to them.
Over-ear vs on-ear
Over-ear headphones encompass the entirety of your ears through its large earcups. Meanwhile, on-ear headphones have earcups that sit at the top your ears so they're less intrusive. Over-ear headphones tend to be more bulky but they're also arguably offer a more comfortable fit. Preferences differ from person to person so there's no objective way to illicit a conclusive judgement which one is preferable.
Wired vs. Wireless
A wireless headset that produces excellent sound quality is definitely great but let's get real: you won't be able to afford it. If you are on a budget, I highly recommend you to stay away from low-end wireless headsets. Buying a wireless headset at a budget price will be the worst decision you make.
Compatibility
Most gaming headsets are compatible only to PC and laptop devices. If you’re using an X-box or a Console, make sure that it’s compatible with the headset you’re planning to buy.
How We Assessed and Evaluated These Headsets
We spent a week in researching the best deals for budget gaming headsets in various online gaming forums, blogs and other sites that offer helpful insights about gaming headsets. We thoroughly looked into the feature sets and existing user reviews of various low-end gaming headsets. With the data we have gathered, we created a shortlist of products that we will test to further evaluate the merits of such gaming headsets. We tested each product in our shortlist and evaluated them based on their sound quality, comfortability along with their feature sets. After the testing phase of reviewing these headsets, we have carefully weighted the
Our Top Picks
1. Logitech H390 - Best Value Gaming Headset
Logitech H390 is a good gaming headset if you’re looking for something on the low-end.
I love how light and comfortable this headphone is and you can rely on it on long gaming hours without your ear or your head feeling fatigued or uncomfortable.
The earcups are made up of synthetic leather and both earcups swivel which means that it conforms to the shape of your ears when worn. The headbands are also made up of synthetic leather and their length is also adjustable. Design wise, It looks like a Beats headphone, if you ignore the mic.
The Logitech 390 has a cable wire that is about eight feet long and it’s powered by a USB plug. It also has a volume up/down and a mute/unmute button for easier sound control. Sound wise, the sound output is decent but there’s nothing exactly extraordinary about it. The sound is neither excellent nor is there anything that is offensive about it. Due to its massive earcups, this headset has a bit a noise cancelling capacity. It cancels some of the noise in your surroundings, but not exactly everything. Lastly, the mic is also reliable enough in capturing your voice. It also has a decent noise cancelling feature but it’s not exactly as powerful as products that are more expensive.
Overall, the Logitech H390 is a great budget gaming headset given how functional and reliable it is.
What We Liked
- Lightweight
- Comfortable Earcups
- Beats-esque Aesthetics
What We Didn't Like
- Sound quality is decent but not exemplary
The Sades A60s offers great sound quality and it has a frequency from 20 to 20,000 kilohertz.
The mic, which you can rotate by 120 degrees, is also highly functional. I can say that the sound and the mic quality of this headphone is relatively better when compared to other low-end gaming headsets.
The built is a little bulky but it still looks stylish and hip, thanks to the white LED lighting on its logo on both earcups. However, the LED color is not customizable so you’d have to stick to white. Nevertheless, this is still a great addition to the headset, especially considering its price.
Comfort wise, there’s enough padding on both earcups so you can use it for long hours. Its 7.2 feet wires are also long enough. There’s also an inline control pad which has controls for sound volume and mic/sound mute. Lastly, this headset is only compatible to PC and laptop so X-box and Console users might start finding a different headset.
Overall, the headset offers great sound and mic quality, design and comfort.
What We Liked
- Good Sound Quality
- Reliable Mic
- Minimal Noise Cancelling Capacity
- LED-lighted logo
What We Didn't Like
- Bulky
- Compatible only to PC and laptop
HyperX Cloud Stinger is considerably an underappreciated gaming headsets. The sound quality is surprisingly excellent. The directional audio is great which makes it an apt headset for FPS and MMO gamers.
The design of this headset is quite minimalist. There’s a volume slider at the bottom of the right earcup and to mute the mic, you’d only have to lift it upwards. Its 90-degree rotating earcups both have sufficient padding so it’s comfortable enough for long hours of usage. In terms of its built, it’s mostly made up of plastic which makes it extra light, weighing only 275 grams.
It’s also worth noting that the HyperX Cloud Stinger is not a USB headset. Its 3.5 mm connectivity enables you to use it in a wide variety of devices such as your PC, laptop, Xbox, smartphone and among others. This is a huge plus if you’re an Xbox or a Console player.
By and large, the sound quality and the decent set of features makes the HyperX Cloud Stinger a solid entry-level gaming headset.
What We Liked
- Excellent Sound Quality
- Lightweight
- Versatile Compatibility
What We Didn't Like
- Built is mostly plastic
The Kotion Each G1000 is a decent, budget gaming headset which is great choice for those whose budget is anywhere under 25.
It’s mostly made up of plastic but it looks sturdy and durable enough. The earcups also have a lighting LED display on the sides which emits seven different colors, which is a generous addition to its aesthetic appeal.
On face value, it looks heavy but it actually isn’t. There’s also enough cushioning foam on its headband and on its earpads so it is fairly comfortable.
Sound wise, the headset’s sound quality is decently accurate. It does need improvement when it comes to bass and higher frequencies. The cable wire is long enough (2.1 meters) and it has a USB and a 3.5 mm. connectivity. This dual connectivity, which is a great selling point, allows you to use this headset in a PC, laptop, smartphone, Xbox or any other compatible device. The Kotion Each G1000 is an over-the ear headset which covers your entire ear comfortably and it also has a fair amount of noise-cancelling capacity.
As for the mic, we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a high-quality mic. It’s decently functional but it does look flimsy so you may encounter reduced mic functionality after months of usage. Also, the mic is omnidirectional, which means it picks up external noises more often than a unidirectional mic. Nevertheless, it’s still capable of doing the job.
The Kotion Each G1000 may be an innocuous headset but at least it’s reliable and functional.
What We Liked
- Dual Connectivity (USB and 3.5 mm.)
- LED-lighted earcups
- Decent Sound Quality
- Less Costly
What We Didn't Like
- Flimsy Mic
- Sound Quality Needs Improvement on Bass and Treble Frequencies
The Turtle Beach Ear Force Z11 is an ultra-affordable gaming headset. Given its price, there’s nothing exactly impressive nor is there anything that is offensive about this headset. Let’s take a quick look at things if offers.
It has a 50 mm. speaker, which is slightly larger than most budget gaming headsets so you’ll get a little more bass and highs than other headsets. The sound quality, by and large, is decent but as expected, not as excellent as the sound produced by high-end headsets.
It’s built is mostly plastic but it looks sturdy. The earpads are covered by a mesh-like material and there is a bit cushion on its headband but this headset can be uncomfortable to the head and the ears after a few hours of usage.
Its 4.0 ft. cable is long enough to use it conveniently. It can be connected to your PC, laptop, smartphone, Xbox and other devices through its 3.5 mm. audio/mic jack.
There’s nothing much going on with its inline control pad. There’s just the volume up and down button and the mic mute button. There’s also a clip at the back of it which you can use to attach the entire control pad to your shirt for easier access.
As for the mic, it’s omnidirectional and it’s quite reliable. It has some capacity to cancel background noise so it’s a great mic if you’re using it for gaming, Skype and other casual purposes.
What We Liked
- Decent Sound Quality
- 3.5 mm Audio Jack
- Reliable Mic
- Ultra-affordable
What We Didn't Like
- May be uncomfortable after long hours of usage
Our Recommendations
Editor’s Pick: HyperX Cloud Stinger
The HyperX Cloud Stinger is one of the best sounding gaming headsets we’ve tried in our shortlist. You can clearly hear the sound of your opponent’s footsteps or the snap of loading a gun. It also stands out when it comes to comfortability, thanks to its well cushioned earpads and headband. Plus, we also love the fact that I can also use it with an X-box or a Console player. The HyperX Cloud Stinger deserves some credit for the excellent sound quality, comfort and compatibility at affordable range.
Runners-up: Sades A60s OMG and Logitech H390
The Sades A60s is also worth recognizing for its better-than-average feature set. Its design is aesthetically appealing, especially with the lights on the side of its earcups. We also find it very comfortable than most budget headsets. Sound quality is not as good as the HyperX Cloud Stinger but is still decent. In terms of comfortability, sound quality and aesthetic appeal, this still stands headset out from other low-end range gaming headsets.
Lastly, the Logitech H390 is also laudable considering the level of reliability the product has and the price point at which you can avail it. It's a comfortable, decent sounding and an aesthetically attractive headset. Plus, there’s also the benefit of wearing a headset that closely resembles the highly sensationalized Beats headphone (if you try to ignore the mic).
I have interest in this, xexe.