Blog Azeroth

This is partly a blog entry idea and partly a call for information (as I am in the market for a headset)....

I'd love to see some reviews of some of the accessories folks have used for playing WoW, from headsets to mice with extra buttons to gaming keyboards.

What have you tried? What can you recommend, and what should a person shopping for such things avoid?

strangely enough, i did a post about something like this not too long ago...

It's something i'm missing on WoW blogs, no one talks about hardware...

For serious sound quality, I look no further then Sennheiser headsets. Sennheiser is one of the most trusted and respected names in the world of E-Sports and headset communication technology.

/marketingplug

But yeah, Sennheiser headsets tend to be expensive and might be out of the budget for most people. I bought mine for about $90 CAD (SK Gaming PC 160). But I've had it now for 2 years with no problems or issues.

Contrast that to Plantronics Audio 90's. I had THREE of those which broke within the span of 2 months. Plantronics set me back about 20 bucks each. I think it was mostly due to faulty wiring or some other garbage.

Logitech headsets are another good brand. I've had mine for about 6 months before they too bit the dust. It was the gaming headset one where it wraps around behind your head. I can't remember the name of it.

So to bottom line, if you want quality and a good long term investment, don't hesitate to spend a little more. Chances are you're going to be using it every day. Do you want your Guildies to cringe everytime you speak due to hisses clicks and other background feedback?

yeah, senns are pretty much as god as it can get... avoid those brands that sell "gamer accesories" (razer, creative, etc)... they usually don't deliver enough for the price, at least when it comes to headsets...

Be sure you know your sound card's capabilities BEFORE you start headset shopping. I have a couple of Dell XPS's and the integrated soundcard is unable to process a headphone jack style plug. At all. Ever. The port is only included so you're not immediately suspicious. Otherwise it's for show.

So all of the "gaming headsets" and 90% of the VoIP headsets won't work for me. I have to get a USB one.

I would enjoy reading any reviews people come up with for this. I am still looking for the perfect mouse, keyboard, and wireless headset for voip.

I love my USB headset especially since the Microsoft Razer keyboard I have has USB ports built in, so if I need to jump on Vent, I can just plug it in easily without having to find the speaker plug on the back of my computer or on my speakers.

I just recently wrote a post on my blog (the virgin post on the blog to be exact regarding this exact subject.

Awesome Headset

One important factor to consider when discussing headsets is comfort. I got a cheap Logitech headset along with a copy of UT2004 way back when and it wasn't at all comfortable. Plus, the fuzzy earpieces kept coming off of the headset.

I splurged on a $40 (Logitech again) headset a while back. No complaints at all about sound or mic quality, but I have to wear a hat or something while wearing the headset because the plastic is uncomfortable on the top of my head (and after a long play session can be quite painful).

Paid 29 euros for my plantronics, but they're very nice.

I bought a Logitech set as well and after long play session found that the tops of my ears hurt from being pinned against my head for 12 hours. Thats when I discovered the difference between on ear and over ear.

The new ones I bought are the over the ear variety and I have found them to have relieved my issue very well.

Unfortunately, until I make the move from using my university's ISP to my own wireless broadband, I'm unable to recieve any kind of voice communication at all. No vent for me - and let me tell ya, trying to co-ordinate an Illhoof fight with five people who've never done it before is... well, you can probably imagine.

I'm searching at the same time for a good headset and a wireless provider that can give me at least a decent ping on WoW - that'll make raiding a heck of a lot easier. I'll keep the sennheiser name in mind, though I usually go for Logitech, as I've found them to be reliable.