Gaming headset that won't get too hot

[Squidmaster]

As the title suggests, I am looking for a gaming headset that is of decent quality and won't get too hot on my head. I have a lot of health problems and overheating can be a hassle. Are ear buds a possible alternative here? Would they be directional enough for people on the other end of conversations to not hear my surroundings?

Advice and specific setup suggestions are welcome, and thanks!

 

[corkyg]

I have never experienced heat from any headphones or headset. I have sat next to people wearing earbuds or in the ear phones and never heard them at all. In your case, I would advise trying them on before buying.

 

[Squidmaster]

They don't generate their own heat per se, but they trap the heat your body produces, which for me is an issue over an extended period. Given that I would usually want to wear a headset for a few hours, I want to avoid this if possible.

 

[0roo0roo]

you want an open set of headphones. just lookf for that in the spec. bad news is sound leakage and noise intrusion.
but it is easier to get good sound out of open cans. also the bad news is that most headsets are closed, after all gaming in lans and such you don't want leakage.

 

[corkyg]

A headset includes a microphone. Headphones do not. If cans on the ears retain too much body heat, then you really need to look at in the ear. This is a relatively new product by a premium gameset maker.

http://www.astrogaming.com/blog/130/ASTRO_Announces_ASTAR_InEar_Headset/

 

[Squidmaster]

So the in-ear style picks up a lot of outside sound? That is obviously a primary concern, as I would not use a headset at all were it not out of courtesy to online users. I have a cheap but effective standalone mic if that makes any difference. What is my best bet to meet my heat concerns while retaining reasonable sound quality and compartmentalization?

 

[corkyg]

In ear picks up a lot of sound? That is very subjective. Some do - some don't. Depends a lot on the fit.

The best sound will be with full cans - but that exacerbates your ear generated heat problem. You can't have it both ways. With cans, limit your time - take a break and cool off. With in ear, you have to be subjective as to what your ambient room sound is.

On balance, I say your best bet would be high quality, noise cancelling in ear mated to a good mike.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

My PC350 are closed cans and can get my head a little sweaty after a few hours. The PC360 are open cans and supposedly doesnt have that problem. They are amazing headphones.

 

[0roo0roo]

So the in-ear style picks up a lot of outside sound? That is obviously a primary concern, as I would not use a headset at all were it not out of courtesy to online users. I have a cheap but effective standalone mic if that makes any difference. What is my best bet to meet my heat concerns while retaining reasonable sound quality and compartmentalization?

no, but sometimes the cord rubbing around gets transmitted to your ear.
anyways the sound is never quite the same, it is more closed off than a nice headphone, they are ear plugs after all. esp for gaming and 3d cues i find in ear inferior.

stand alone mic is never as convenient to use, it has the speaker phone effect.

 

[corkyg]

Another consideration are "open ear" cans on the headset. This is a good examp0le:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826265065

Open ear design would allow some air circulation. Consider also keeping the ambient temp below 72 F. And, take a break now and then - at least every hour.

 

[CurseTheSky]

I have a pair of Sennheiser PC-161's that I absolutely love. They don't have the greatest sound quality, but they're certainly not junk and it's perfectly acceptable for playing games, watching movies, etc.

The nice thing about them is the fact that they don't surround your entire ear - they sit on top of your ear similar to smaller super-aural headphones, but they're far more padded and a bit more encapsulating like circumaurals. While that means less isolation and worse sound quality / positioning, it also means that your ears / head don't get sweaty. I've worn them for hours at a time with absolutely no discomfort.

For a headSET, I highly suggest them. For headphones used for music / critical listening, the money could be better spend on something else.

 

[Martimus]

http://www.labtec.com/index.cfm/gear/details/EUR/EN,crid=8,contentid=690,crid2=9

This is the headset that I use, and it delivers good quality sound and is light on the ears (I also hate the heavy pressure caused by some headsets). It cast me I think 7 dollars, but is surprisingly the best quality headset I have had yet. (It doesn't have many frills, but functionally the mic is very clear, the speakers are very clear, and it is very comfortable) I bought an extra pair just incase I lose mine, because it is so cheap.

 

[George Powell]

I've been using a Logitech G35 for a few months now and have found it to be very comfortable (I'm a glasses wearer so not having too much pressure on the side of the headset is important). The sound is pretty good and the mic is excellent - and self mutes when you stow it - handy as I don't like to use PTT when I game.
As for heat buildup - it's better than the Razer 5.1 headset I used previously and it's not too heavy either.

 

[iKingOfHouse]

As the title suggests, I am looking for a gaming headset that is of decent quality and won't get too hot on my head. I have a lot of health problems and overheating can be a hassle. Are ear buds a possible alternative here? Would they be directional enough for people on the other end of conversations to not hear my surroundings?

Advice and specific setup suggestions are welcome, and thanks!

Sorry to jump on such an old thread here - I found this whilst doing some research on the topic of gaming headsets & heat retention.

Long story short, a friend of mine is a product developer and we got talking about headsets. Personally I find my headset (a Sharkoon Tactic V3) gets really uncomfortable after prolonged periods.

On the off chance you are still active in this forum, did you ever find a headset which didn't suffer from excess heat build up?

I posted up a YouTube video asking for some feedback and appreciate we're in the minority - but I'm sure there must be more people suffering from this inconvenience! The video is embedded in this blog post....

http://gaming-headsets.co.uk/headset-reviews/are-gaming-headsets-uncomfortable/

Thanks in advance!

 

[tweakboy]

All the way Razer megalodon.

if you have the budget.

 

[0roo0roo]

Sorry to jump on such an old thread here - I found this whilst doing some research on the topic of gaming headsets & heat retention.

Long story short, a friend of mine is a product developer and we got talking about headsets. Personally I find my headset (a Sharkoon Tactic V3) gets really uncomfortable after prolonged periods.

On the off chance you are still active in this forum, did you ever find a headset which didn't suffer from excess heat build up?

I posted up a YouTube video asking for some feedback and appreciate we're in the minority - but I'm sure there must be more people suffering from this inconvenience! The video is embedded in this blog post....

http://gaming-headsets.co.uk/headset-reviews/are-gaming-headsets-uncomfortable/

Thanks in advance!

heat build up depends entirely on your ambient temperature.

closed headphones on a hot day are going to be bad news regardless, but closed and open headphones have their own audio properties and reason for being outside of ventilation. to me comfort is more about how the pressure sits on your head/around your ears. the creative fatality mk2/arena series are actually one of the most comfortable i've used, the padding is soft memory foam and conforms better to the head than cheap foam used by other headsets. the shape is also good and the cups aren't so shallow that ear cartilage gets pressed on..they are closed though so if you are in a sweltering room you'd probably get pretty hot, but I don't think any headphone would be good in such an environment. there are totally open headphones but if you are sweating that bad you are going to have to also make sure the pads are not absorbent either... ick.