Hardware: Seven gaming headsets from 150 euros – special

What is still possible in the budget area is taboo here! From a price of 150-200 euros, the manufacturers of headsets can hardly afford to make any mistakes. In our tests, it quickly became clear that the biggest differences are not necessarily only in better sound quality, but above all in the processing and functionality. The sound reproduction of all headsets is also audibly better, which ultimately affects the gameplay.

Headphones such as the Corsair MMX 300 could reproduce voices with more depth, which is why the finest nuances in the pitch of the character came into their own. This was especially audible on Horizon Forbidden West. The basses were also crisper on almost all models and did not mean that the mids and highs suffered or were even lost. The test below shows which models in the range from 150 euros are winning and where the investment is worthwhile.

Beyerdynamic MMX 300: Studio meets gaming

Beyerdynamics’ MMX 300, which has been on the market for several years, still enjoys a good reputation among gamers. The chassis and membrane originally developed for use in air traffic for pilots or aircraft ground crews have been adopted and optimized for the gaming sector.

Plug & Play is the motto of the MMX 300. Gamers only have to plug in the 3.5mm jack cable and can start playing straight away – there is no need to set up software, driver updates or other gimmicks. This is refreshingly simple compared to the complex setup of many opponents such as the Steelseries Arcits Nova Pro, which comes with its own DAC and dozens of functions.

Let’s get straight to the point: it doesn’t matter whether you connect the MMX 300 to a hi-fi receiver or directly to the gaming PC. In terms of sound dynamics, stage, bass strength and voice reproduction, it leaves all gaming headsets behind and positions itself right at the top alongside the Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro. Whether in the Eldenfrsten in Elden Ring, with Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West or in quiet scenes in Severance – the MMX 300 convince with a powerful, finely detailed and broad sound image. The only disadvantage: As an analog headset, there are no setting options and no active noise cancellation, which is particularly annoying when you’re on the move.

Nevertheless: We were amazed when playing music, films and especially games. It borders on a technical miracle that an analog headset without any technical frills conjures up such a spatial reproduction, the finest sound nuances and a crisp bass in the ear. If you don’t get bothered by the cable and want to enjoy almost perfect sound via lightning-fast “Plug & Play”, you can grab it immediately.

EPOS H3PRO Hybrid: Unconventional design meets powerful sound stage

Behind the somewhat idiosyncratic and playful look of the H3PRO is a finely tuned sound artist: the sound leaves a neutral and balanced impression. It neither achieves the clear brilliance with voices of the Beyerdynamic headphones (especially the MMX 300 and the DT 770 Pro) nor the deep bass that the headsets from Razer or Steelseries boast. If you’re not looking for obtrusive headphones with excellent sound in all areas, you’ve come to the right place. However, the headset outperforms all of the competition in terms of spatial sound: With CS:GO, we are very impressed with the clear positioning of all objects in the room. We hear teammates running past us from the left behind and shots whizzing past us with great precision as well. In short: you know immediately who is where. What no headset managed to do in the test: Even objects above and below could be clearly assigned in the room. We even know that an opponent is shooting from the top right or bottom left.

In addition to the great sound quality, we also enjoy the ergonomics: Once put on, we and our test subjects found the H3PRO Hybrid to be very comfortable and the weight of 308 grams is never too heavy. The velor-like fabric cover is comfortable and despite the imitation leather there was no sweating. The headset wobbles with most head sizes and should be adjusted a little tighter. The only thing that bothered us was the somewhat imprecise volume wheel. The ease of connection is another plus point: In addition to the USB dongle, the H3Pro Hybrid also connects via Bluetooth 5.2, jack or USB cable.