The 5 Best Noise Canceling Gaming Headset

There’s nothing worse than when you’re playing a game and you can hear someone talking and moving behind you, maybe even to the point that what they’re doing is being transferred through your microphone to others listening in the chat.

The way to fix this is to get a noise-canceling gaming headset. But, what exactly is a noise-canceling headset? 🎧 🤔

There is a lot of confusion around whether a noise-canceling gaming headset just blocks out outside sounds from being picked up by the mic or is a headset that has active or passive noise-canceling; the latter also being known as noise-isolation.

Regardless of the type, noise-cancellation is very important for headphones to help you be the most immersed and unbothered as possible. This list will cover both the best noise-canceling headsets mic-wise and noise-isolation headsets. We will refer to those with noise-canceling mics as “Noise-canceling headsets” and the others as “Noise-isolation headsets.”

This list will break down the best choice and quality headsets for both types, and a value headset that has both the best noise-isolation and noise-canceling mic.

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Pros & Cons

• Sturdy and durable
• Ergonomic and very comfortable for most head sizes
• Great noise isolation
• Great, swivel-to-mute mic
• Amazing sound, even for music

• Touch sensitive
• Huge and bulky
• Non-customizable
• Pricey

Key Features

• Multi-platform compatible
• Crystal clear communication
• Customized fit
• Exceptional wearing comfort
• Made for professional gaming

Specifications

• 10 – 30,000 Hz
• 3.5mm jack
• Bi-directional mic
• 28 Ω impedance

Sennheiser GSP 600 Review

A strong headset, the Sennheiser GSP 600 is a great multi-platform analog headset with leatherette around its ear pad edges for amazing passive noise attenuation – which is just another way to say passive noise reduction.

The GSP 600 was made for comfort. It is ergonomic and very comfortable for most head sizes. Its innovative customized adjustable headband makes the headset perfectly fit your head. Additionally, it’s cooling suede-like ear pads, the GSP 600 won’t stick to your skin even when hot.

It’s also sturdy and durable, but huge and bulky. Other problems with its build are that it isn’t customizable and is touch-sensitive so you will hear when you touch it. But this doesn’t really seem to be a problem to most.

If you want a crystal clear mic, then you’ll love the GSP 600’s. Its mic is swivel-to-mute and great. This headset was made for professional gaming with deep bass, great precision, and overall amazing sound quality overall; they’re great for listening to music!

The problem is that it is pricey, but the price is worth it for this great noise isolation headset – one of the best out there. If you want to know about more great wired headsets like this, check out our best wired gaming headset list.

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Pros & Cons

• “Best eSports headset”
• Amazing ANC
• Great, balanced sounds
• Very comfortable
• Visually appealing purple design

• Weak spatial sounds
• Flat, fuzzy mic
• Pricey

Key Features

• Active Noise Cancellation
• Cobra Microphone
• Earcup cooling mechanism
• Future Customizations

Specifications

• 20 – 20,000 Hz
• Bi-directional noise-canceling mic
• 3.5mm jack
• 20hr life on In-line controller

Victrix Pro AF ANC Headset Universal Review

A visually appealing, purple headset that has been referred to as the “best eSports headset” by many, the Victrix Pro AF ANC Universal is a great Active Noise Canceling (ANC) headset that many people love because they can’t hear anything around them when wearing the Victrix Pro.

ANC is better than passive noise cancellation, making this headset’s noise-canceling abilities great and worth the premium price. Not only are its ear cups noise-canceling, but they also have a cooling mechanism to give relief during playthroughs. With cooling ear cups and a comfy headband, the Victrix Pro is very comfortable to wear.

The Victrix Pro delivers great, balanced sounds, but weak spatial sounds. And while it has a Cobra Microphone made for an attack helicopter with many tweakable features such as Mic Gain Levels, the mic is actually flat and fuzzy.

One last thing about the Victrix Pro is its future customizations. Victrix promised to bring forward many customizable features to this headset’s design.

In conclusion, the Victrix Pro is a great ANC headset with a lot of comfort, though it falters with a wishy-washy sound and weak mic. But, even though it’s pricey, this is an amazing choice for a noise-isolation headset.

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Pros & Cons

• Very comfortable
• Great battery life
• Great sound
• ChatMix Dial
• Long signal range

• Not great for big heads
• Volume and ChatMix wheel are sensitive
• Mic is okay, but not everything it’s built to be
• Weak bass

Key Features

• Lossless 2.4G Wireless
• ClearCast Bidirectional mic
• Award-winning sound quality
• 24-hour battery life
• DTS Headphone: X v2.0
• ChatMix Dial

Specifications

• 40mm neodymium drivers
• 20-20,000 Hz
• 40 ft range
• USB, Analog connection

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Review

The SteelSeries Arctis 7 is one of the best noise-canceling wireless headsets out there with 24-hour battery life and lossless 2.4G wireless connection for lossless, very low-latency wireless audio up to 40 feet. This is the “most awarded wireless gaming headset ever.” If you like headsets like this, check out our best wireless gaming headset list.

The Arctis 7 gives you control of your audio with its very loved ChatMix Dial so now you can decide how much game audio versus chat audio you hear. The only problem with this is that its volume and ChatMix wheels are very sensitive, so it is easy to brush by them and change everything.

Its sound is amazing. It was awarded for its great sound quality and uses DTS Headphone:X v2.0 which allows you to immerse yourself into the game much easier and hear directional audio clearer. The only problem is its weak bass.

The Arctis 7 is built up to be this amazing headset, but that’s not always true. The Arctis 7 is very comfortable with thick ear cushions and padded headband but isn’t great for bigger heads. It also claims to have one of the best mics out there, but its sound is just decent.

Its noise-canceling is great, though. With a ClearCast Discord certified bidirectional mic, this headset allows for clear studio-quality voice transmission and great background noise-cancellation.

Overall, the SteelSeries Arctis 7 is a great headset and one of the best out there today – even though it has a weak bass and just okay microphone.

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Pros & Cons

• Handy GameDac Controls
• High-end Sound Quality
• Amazing design and comfort
• Very comfortable
• A multitude of customization options
• “Best mic in the game”

• Non-adjustable headset bad for bigger heads
• Small ear cups
• Bass quality and noise canceling varies amongst gamers

Key Features:

• GameDAC
• ClearCast, Retractable boom, bidirectional noise-canceling mic
• DTS Headphone:X v 2.0
• RGB Lighting
• Polished steel and aluminum alloy construction

Specifications:

• Premium Hi-Res speakers with 10-40k Hz
• USB, optical, and 3.5mm connectivity
• 40mm neodymium drivers
• PC and PS4 compatible

SteelSeries Arctis Pro + GameDAC Review:

One of the best headsets for PC and PS4, the SteelSeries Arctis Pro + GameDAC is a high-quality headset with many great features. Even though it comes at a high price, there is a lot to enjoy with the Arctis Pro and its many enticing features.

The Arctis 7 is visually attractive with a nice polished steel design, flashy RGB lighting, an aluminum alloy construction, and customizable speaker plates.

The Arctis Pro is the first-in-gaming headset to have the DTS Headphone X: v2.0, a feature that the Arctis 7 also has giving immersive sounds and clear directional audio.

The Arctis Pro also has Hi-Res speakers that give high-end sound quality, bass, and amazing surround sound from its GameDAC which has a simple OLED-based menu system for easy audio control. While many enjoy its bass, there are also several who go against it.

Comfort is the top thing when buying a headset. The Arctis Pro is very comfortable for most people but isn’t adjustable for those with bigger heads or bigger ears, so if you have either of those this might not be a good choice for you.

When it comes to noise-isolation, the Arctis Pro isn’t good, though it doesn’t claim to be. But, its mic has great noise-cancellation. Like the Arctis 7, the Arctis Pro’s mic is claimed to be the “best in the game,” and most people love it.

Overall, the SteelSeries Arctis Pro is a premium headset with a great noise-canceling microphone, immense comfort, and outstanding sound. Though not great for those with bigger heads, this is a premium headset with better features than many others.

If you like headsets like this, check out other of our best PS4 gaming headset choices.

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Pros & Cons

• Great for its price
• Great sound quality and directional audio
• Passive noise cancellation
• Noise-canceling mic
• Great fit and comfort for most

• Mic is just decent
• Cheaper design
• Not good for music
• Very long cable

Key Features:

• Swivel-to-mute noise-cancellation mic
• HyperX Signature Memory Foam
• On-ear audio control
• Adjustable steel slider
• 90-degree rotational cups
• Multi-platform compatibility

Specifications:

• 50mm neodymium directional drivers
• 18Hz-23k Hz
• 3.5mm jack
• Stereo audio

HyperX Cloud Stinger Review:

The HyperX Cloud Stinger is a value headset that only costs $49.99. Being multi-platform, the Cloud Stinger works regardless of what platform you use. With both a noise-canceling microphone and nice, padded ear cups allowing noise-isolation, this headset is a great choice regardless of what kind of noise-cancellation you’re looking for.

The Cloud Stinger delivers comfort to ears with HyperX’s signature memory foam that makes playing for hours very comfortable and doable. With an adjustable steel slider and ear cups able to rotate 90 degrees, the Cloud Stinger is able to deliver a great, snug fit to your head. Overall, the Cloud Stinger is sturdy, lightweight, and plush.

While its mic is just decent, it has some of the Cloud Stinger’s best features with a swivel-to-mute function and great noise-cancelation. And, if you’re looking for noise-isolation, the Cloud Stinger has passive noise-cancellation which reduces background noise and gives a more coherent voice quality.

With these, you’ll be able to both block out those around you while making sure that the sound they’re making isn’t being transferred over to your game chat.

The Cloud Stinger is even strong when it comes to sound. It has great sound quality and great directional sound. But, it isn’t meant for anything other than gaming. The music won’t sound good on this. The Cloud Stinger is a value headset for a couple of reasons including its cheaper design and very long cable which easily gets caught and tangled.

These problems don’t drag the Cloud Stinger down. It is a great gaming headset at a great price with both noise-cancellation and -isolation. If you’re interested in other cheaper headsets, check out our best budget gaming headsets and best headsets under $100 lists.

Noise-Canceling Headset: Buying Guide

Whether you want a noise-canceling headset or just a noise-canceling mic, there are common things that you should look out for when buying a headset. We go over a few pointers here.

Noise-Canceling Microphone: Honing in on Your Voice

A noise-canceling microphone is important if you plan to use Discord, TeamSpeak, or just game chat in general. A good noise-canceling mic can make sure that only your voice goes through and nothing else in the background, even the clacking of your keyboard, is picked up or transmitted.

Noise-Isolation Headsets: Are they safe?

As long as you don’t use them in dangerous circumstances such as walking across the street and not paying attention, yes.

Noise-isolation headsets, which are just called “noise-canceling” to everyone not in the gaming community, are perfectly fine for you. Loud sounds harm your ears, not noise-isolation.

Comfortability: Maximizing Your Comfort

Whether you want a noise-cancellation or -isolation headset, or both, comfort is the number one thing to consider when buying a headset. If you plan to game for several hours continuously, then you’re going to want something that is comfortable to wear.

You don’t want anything sweaty or heavy or uncomfortable. You need something that fits snugly and doesn’t pinch. You need a headset that is perfect for your head and ears.

The best way to do this is to go and find a store selling the headset so that you can try it out yourself and see if it’s perfect for you before buying.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are many common questions that come up around noise-canceling headsets. We cover a few here.

Which is the best gaming headset?

While this is obviously contested, right now we believe the best gaming headset is the SteelSeries Arctis Pro, the Razer Nari Ultimate coming in as a Premium choice. Check out our other choices for best gaming headset here.

Are noise-canceling/isolating headsets worth it?

Yes. Definitely. If you want better immersion and less distraction for both you and your teammates, you’re going to want a noise-canceling/isolating headset.

What is the best Xbox headset?

We believe that the best Xbox headset is the Razer Kraken Pro V2. If you’re interested in other headsets, check out our best Xbox One headset list.

Conclusion

Noise-cancellation is a loaded topic in the gaming community. Are we talking about the mics or headsets or both? Well, regardless of which you are looking for, this list compiles the best headsets for both and you’ll surely find something that fits you on it.

And even if you don’t, using our FAQ and Buyer’s Guide will help you on your journey to finding that perfect headset.

Sources:

1. Geoffrey Morrison, Are Noise Cancelling Headphones Worth It, Forbes