Drop + EPOS PC38X Gaming Headset Noise-Cancelling Microphone with Over-Ear Open-Back Design, Velour Earpads, Compatible with PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox, Mac, Mobile, and More (Black)

Disclaimer: I'm not an audio expert or even an audiophile, so bear in mind that despite the lengthy review, I am not a qualified "expert" and this is just my opinion based on my limited experience with this product.The PC38X is a light, comfortable headset which at first glance almost gives off a cheaper vibe due to its light weight, and heavy use of plastic rather than metal materials. The weaker initial appearance is immediately redeemed by its comfort as soon as it's placed on your head, as its lightness is actually an advantage, favouring comfort - I can easily wear this all day without getting a sore head or neck. The ear pads are soft enough to comfortably fit your head and ears shape, and firm enough not to compromise the isolation. The clamping force is just right, an improvement over my previous HyperX Cloud Alpha headset which always lacked clamping force which ultimately resulted in compromised bass levels. They also come with what appears to be a spare set of smaller, softer replacement pads - clearly, Sennheiser valued comfort for this headset, which makes sense considering it is part of their selection of gaming-oriented headphones.The sound quality is good, with an extremely noticeable bass boost over the HyperX Cloud Alpha. The bass is rather well balanced, although it can sometimes overpower the mids. The high are crisp and clear; hats, cymbals, and other thin sounds are clear and can be heard through other heavier, deeper sounds. The mids such as vocals however, tend to lack that extra crispness I would hope for when listening to music. The bass may be a bit too loud to allow the mids to rise to expectations, but overall the benefits of hearing clear bass and highs alongside generally good mids makes me overlook the mids' shortcoming.These are open back headphones, so I'll add a little note here in case you are not familiar with what this means - these are not noise-cancelling, like, at all. Expect to hear almost completely clearly through your headset, and people may hear through your headset. This favours audio quality, but may not be the right choice if you are in a noisy environment, or you don't want anyone around to hear the sounds coming from your headset.The microphone's audio quality isn't the best thing in the world but it works just fine, and meets my expectations for a headset microphone. I immediately loved that the mic boom is completely outside of my field of vision when flipped up, something I had been concerned about when ordering the PC38X, coming from a headset with a removable mic. My only criticism would be that the lack of distance adjustment results in me having to lower the mic completely to prevent breathing noise from my nose, and this results in my mouth being too far from the mic to be heard clearly at times.Included is also a carrying bag which is pretty standard and nothing to call home about, but is an appreciated extra item. Otherwise, it comes with the usual cables and whatnot. The cable seems a bit small compared to what I had on my HyperX Cloud Alpha and therefore gives off a cheaper impression, but otherwise it's a nice, braided cable which has no noticeable flaws.Overall, I would recommend this headset for comfort and audio quality if you're in the market for open back headphones you can wear for hours on a daily basis, and you're ready to pay a bit more than your typical standard gaming headset. I work 8 hours shifts, and watch videos/listen to music as well as gaming outside of work hours, wearing these well over 8 hours daily. I've only ever felt my ears getting sore once, after a very long day of work and then gaming, so I don't blame the headset at all.Hope this review helps shoppers make an informed decision.

First and foremost, this is an excellent headset. I am sold on this brand. If/when my current PC38x gives out, I will be buying a new one or purchasing the successor, whichever is out at the time. If you are on the fence - just buy it!Another item to note, I purchased the PC38x used from the Amazon Warehouse in "Used - Very Good" condition. There were very minor signs of previous wear but nothing major at all. Some reviews mention a rather strong clamping force on your head, however I have found the used pair to be incredibly comfortable.I have had multiple gaming headsets through the years. It started with the Turtle Beach X12 on the Xbox 360. I've used the TB Stealth 600's for the PS4, and most recently I used the SteelSeries Arctis Pro + Gamedac for the PS4 and PS5. I can confidently say this headset demolishes all of them.I will say that I was content with the Steelseries Arctis Pro, however it's microphone is not compatible with the Xbox Series S I recently purchased. The PC38x works flawlessly on both Xbox and PS consoles. It is as simple as plugging the headset into your controller and you are good to go. Once you get your game/chat mix adjusted in the part chat settings, master volume is easily adjusted on the dial of the right-ear on the headset.The sound quality and depth the PC38x provides greatly surpasses all of the headsets I have used before. I've been playing the old Call of Duty's on Xbox and I can easily tell exactly where enemies are by their footsteps. Of course, other headsets also do this but the PC38x has been better than the previous products I've used. Compared to the Arctis Pro + Gamedac, I love how simple the PC38x is. The Gamedac encourages you to tweak the audio settings to boost your performance (I never found it to make a huge difference, and mostly just to be a bit gimmicky). With the PC38x you just plug it in and it does what it is supposed to do, which is produce an excellent sound.The mic quality is also excellent. Just search for a video review of this headset on Youtube and you will likely find a clip of someone demonstrating this. The mic also easily mutes by flipping it up, you get an audible "click" to confirm that you are muted or unmuted. It should be noted that the mic is not detachable or retractable, it just swivels up and down.The only downside to this headset that I have so far is that since it is an open-back headset, you can get a fair bit of noise if you don't have your volume high enough. Not a big issue at all for me, but I could see this being an issue for some people.

These are fantastic headphones for everything. The separation is so clean. The open back design is great. Highly recommend buying a pop filter for the microphone however. You can get a 6 pack L6 larger foam mic windscreens for 10 bucks. And its a very worth it upgrade to the mic.As an update to this 2 years in. The build quality being all plastic. Is an issue. Its beginning to creak more than my grandmas knees are. And the earpads have worn enough that I had to buy replacements from WC, plus the headband cushions are separating and will need to be reglued so they dont come off eventually.In the future, i would love to see them make this exact type of headphone with a more comfortable clamp force and earpads. Take the sound and mic from this, and throw it on the comfortable hyperx Cloud 2 "keeping the open back" and you've got my favorite headphones of all time.Its only the comfort, and build quality that holds this one back. Needs a nicer metal frame, better cushions all around, and this one is pretty much top tier. No software to speak of, you dont need it. Just plug it in anywhere and its sound and mic performance are great. But I did knock off 1 star, for the build quality and comfort. As well as having to buy new earpads.