Bij GameSpot is een roundup verschenen waarin een negental hoofdtelefoons worden getest. De deelnemers variëren in prijs van 30 tot 350 dollar. De 350 dollar dure Sennheiser HD 600 weet het beste geluid te produceren, maar is volgens de reviewer voor de meeste gamers niet aan te raden. Naast een hevig prijskaartje heb je ook nog een versterker nodig om geluid uit deze koptelefoon te toveren. De 150 dollar dure Sennheiser HD 570 is wat dat betreft een betere keus. Als dit nog steeds te duur is, is de 30 dollar dure SportaPros koptelefoon van Koss ook een verrassend goede keus:
Unlike most PC components, throwing more money into a set of headphones won't necessarily get you the best solution for gaming. If price weren't a consideration, then the Sennheiser HD 600s would certainly be the choice for the best sound quality, but their bulky size and need for strong amplification makes them impractical for many gaming situations. Our recommendation for a midrange set is the HD 570, which strikes a more reasonable balance between sound quality, power, and price. Its sleek design is also one of the most attractive and comfortable of the group. For an even more lightweight option, the Koss SportaPros provide surprisingly decent sound for their small size and low $30 price. The SportaPros cover all the basics you'd need for gaming: They're easy to lug around, can be driven to high volumes by anything from a Game Boy to a junky sound card, and are so cheap you can trash a pair without breaking the bank.
Headphones can sound better than speakers in the same price range, and the HD 600s are as good as consumer headphones come. Their detail, responsiveness, accuracy, and comfort were unmatched by any other headset we tested, but in fact, the HD 600s quickly taught us that expensive reference headphones are almost too good for gaming. They expose every flaw in poorly recorded audio, even MP3s. Most gamers will want to settle for a cheaper set of headphones that can mask annoying background noise and other audio anomalies. Just do yourself a favor and don't audition these headphones if you have no plans to buy them, because they will ruin you for life.