Sennheiser GSP 350 review – NEWSTARS Education

Sennheiser GSP 350

MSRP $139.95

“The GSP 350 is a well-rounded headset, perfect for die-hard PC gamers who want to tailor their experience to specific games.”

Avg

Loud, rich sound
Excellent virtual 7.1 surround
Microphone noise reduction works well
The EQ presets are actually worth the effort

Against

The microphone cannot be removed
The software can be a bit of a hassle

Sennheiser may be best known for its wide range of headphones and professional microphones, but the company has started to make a name for itself in the space of quality gaming headphones. Enter the GSP 350 gaming headset, which maintains the quality you’d expect from a Sennheiser product, but is priced more affordably than most Sennheiser gear, making it a great option for serious PC gamers on a serious budget.

Out of the box

The GSP 350 comes in a vacuum-sealed plastic case, evoking the image of Han Solo encased in carbonite. There are several accessories in the box, including a 5.5-foot cable with a 2.5mm jack on one end and a micro USB jack on the other, and a 4-foot micro USB to USB connection cable. The first thing you’ll notice is the muted gray and red color scheme of the GSP 350 and the large microphone attached to the right earcup. You can connect the GSP 350 to your computer and start playing right away, but you’ll need to get into the software to enable virtual 7.1 and other features like microphone sidetone and EQ presets.

To shape

The GSP 350 are closed over-ear headphones with a split headband. The only control point on the headphones themselves is the volume wheel on the right earcup. Its plastic frame is light but flexible and never squeaks, giving us confidence in its construction. Even the swivel joints that connect the headband to the headphones, which can often feel flimsy or breakable on plastic gaming headsets, are solid.

The earcups and headband are padded with memory foam, though the earcups are covered in faux leather, while the headband is woven fabric. It is soft and comfortable to wear, and the headphones create a good seal around the ears to reduce external noise. In a way, the seal and the faux leather material can work also good, because the headphones can get a little warm after a long time. This did not negatively affect our experience, but your experience may be different.

In theory, a split headband should relieve pressure on the top of the head, but in our experience this was only partially true. After marathon gaming sessions, we felt a noticeable, albeit minor, discomfort on the top of the head, but that’s to be expected with almost any headset. This was the only pressure point — the clamping force is mild but not too loose, and the lining is comfortable. Finding a good fit is easy, as the headband arms can be adjusted smoothly and easily.

While there’s a lot to appreciate about the GSP 350’s design, it does carry over some aesthetic choices from previous Sennheiser gaming headsets that we’re less enamored with.

The GSP 350 has a tasteful minimalist design.

Similar to the PC 373D, the GSP 350 has an extra-long cable that ends in a switch for Dolby virtual 7.1 surround sound, which is then connected via a micro USB cable to the computer. As we said in our 373D review, the long cables are great (when you need one) and the quick switch for Dolby is appreciated, but we wish the switch included a volume toggle or even EQ switches like many other wired USB headphones feature. We’re also not too keen on the flashy, non-removable microphone, but since this is first and foremost a gaming headset, it makes sense. And at least it can flip up to mute.

These may seem like minor quibbles that turn into bigger issues, but they’re really only relevant because of how much we love the tasteful minimalism that otherwise dominates the 350’s design.

user interface

The GSP 350 requires a driver download from Sennheiser’s website to work properly and enable Dolby 7.1 and preset EQ features. However, as we mentioned above, we would have preferred more direct control on the headphones themselves or the USB stick. As it stands, only volume, Dolby virtual 7.1 and microphone mute can be physically controlled. Everything else—EQ presets, microphone noise reduction, and picking up the overtones of your own voice conversation—is handled by the software. This makes it difficult, and in some cases impossible, to adjust these features on the fly during gameplay.

Performance

The first thing we noticed when listening to the GSP 350 is that it gets extremely loud, and more importantly, it stays clear even at high volume levels. This allows you to really immerse yourself in the game — and turn off the world — creating a more engaging experience.

Turning on digital 7.1 increases the atmosphere and immersion.

With no EQ presets selected and digital Dolby 7.1 surround sound turned off, the GSP 350 has strong, full mids and punchy bass. These headphones have a clarity you don’t often get at this price point.

Turning on digital 7.1 not only increases directionality, but also adds some subtlety to the low end, making ambient sounds much more noticeable. For example, the soft howling of the wind adds to the immersion of hiking through snowy mountains in Skyrim Remastered, while the small crunches in the snow were more textured. We did notice some minimal loss in midrange presence, but that was the only noticeable flaw we found while playing with virtual surround sound on.

The GSP 350 software also includes three different EQ settings, including settings for esports, music and gaming. The sound modes offer more variety than we’re used to seeing in other headphones that offer similar EQ presets.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Esport preset is, of course, a tool for playing games such as league of legends or Dota 2. It goes for a more even presentation of the mix, while slightly favoring the higher frequencies so you can hear the voice conversation better. The game preset works well for 3D games, especially when virtual surround is turned on, although it varies from game to game and depends on whether multiplayer is used or not. When we played single-player games, we generally preferred to play with the presets off; in multiplayer, however, re-toggling the game’s presets made the voice chat easier to hear.

The GSP 350’s range of EQ options makes it a viable choice for gaming.

Music playback is the GSP 350’s worst talent and, ironically, that problem is exacerbated by the music preset. The low-content mix results in less detail when listening to music than you’d get with a similarly priced pair of headphones outside of the gaming genre, and the highs are often thin or muffled compared to other registers. It’s a shame, but the GSP 350 is built for gaming first and foremost, so we can’t fault it too much for this shortcoming.

In terms of microphone performance, while we feel the design itself is a bit much, we’re happy to say that the sound quality is quite impressive. The system has very little latency and delivers loud, consistent voice reproduction. While noise cancellation can adversely affect voice recording on many headphones, we experienced no loss in fidelity after enabling it on the GSP 350 via software. This feature also offers a significant reduction in room noise.

GSP 300

This review is for the GSP 350, but it is important to mention the GSP 300, the twin brother of the GSP 350. In most cases, the headphones are the same – same sound quality, microphone quality and physical design. In fact, according to Sennheiser’s technical specifications for each, the two devices are identical. However, there are some clear differences.

The first and most obvious is the lack of Dolby 7.1 or EQ settings on the GSP 300. While this is disappointing, the result is that the GSP 300 costs $100 – $40 less than the $140 GSP 350.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The next big difference is the binding style. While the GSP 350 only supports a USB connection out of the box, the GSP 300 comes with a dual 3.5mm cable (one for audio, one for microphone) to connect to a computer and has an adapter for connecting to gaming consoles. The GSP 350 requires an additional purchase of its own 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable to work with consoles. Because the GSP 300 requires no software, the headset will be fully functional with any device it’s plugged into, unlike the 350, which requires a driver download.

If you prefer console gaming – and don’t mind providing 7.1 virtual surround sound, the GSP 300 might be worth a look.

Warranty information

Sennheiser offers a two-year warranty on the GSP 350.

Our example

While the GSP 350’s sound quality and design are already notable, it’s the sustainability of its features that make it stand out. On most headphones, the preset EQ settings are rarely much better than the bass mix, but the GSP 350’s various settings are all useful and varied enough that it could easily be your go-to PC gaming headset for any game.

Is there a better alternative?

Whether you play on console or PC will decide if the GSP 350 is for you. If you’re primarily a PC gamer, the GSP 350 is a great choice, especially if it’s within your budget. However, if you’re a console fan, the more affordable GSP 300 might suit you better. Outside of the Sennheiser family, few wired headphones can beat the $150 Cloud Revolver S, which boasts universal compatibility, top-notch performance, and an impressive design.

How long will it last?

Although plastic earphones are inherently more sensitive than metal-framed ones, we’re not too concerned about the solid design of the GSP 350. The sound quality and microphone quality will also blow your mind.

Should you buy it?

That. The GSP 350’s sweet blend of comfort, performance and value makes it the ultimate choice for budget-conscious PC gamers.

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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn