Ok, so after reading everyone's input and on-line reviews, everything is all over the place. So I decided to dredge up actual technical specs, figure out what they mean, and then compare them. Some brands don't even report the specs, but for those that do it was very interesting. Keep in mind that you also have to compare the microphone specs, not just the audio specs. The key variables that differentiated the products were the audio's "sensitivity"- the efficiency and volume you can expect from a device relative to the input power, and then the microphone's frequency range- i.e. can people hear the lows and highs in your voice- as well as its sensitivity. Higher sensitivity and wider frequency range are better.
First, all the Logitech products had mediocre specs. For the Notebook headset Batman mentioned, audio sensitivity was only 42 dB and its mic range was only 100-10,000 Hz. Note that the human ear can hear the range from 20-20,000 Hz!
Next up was Plantronics. Well, they don't report any specs! sheesh!
Similarly, I couldn't find specs for Gigaware products sold through Radioshack.
Then came Altec Lansing. They don't report sensitivities, but the mic's freq response was only 100-10000 Hz.
Next up come the more serious gaming headsets.
The fancy Razer headset for $120 (on newegg.com) did not provide the audio sensitivity, but the mic frequency range was 50-16000 Hz, so that's good. Its sensitivity was 58 dB, and that is very good. User reviewers were highly mixed, with many people having them break or not work with their system. Apparently you are supposed to also buy their sound card for another $150 to get the right result. Ugh.
In contrast, consider the Edimensional Audiofx gaming headset for $55 on newegg.com. It has an audio sensitivity of 106 dB. Now we're getting somewhere! It has a mic freq range of 30-16000 Hz and a mic sensitivity of 58 dB. So here is one that has the courage to report full specs, and they sound great. The unit also has a force feedback. Unfortunately, user comments on Amazon.com and newegg.com were mixed, with several people raising concerns about the microphones, including a negative comment about them on vent. Also, it has lights on the outside designed to show your family and friends how "intense your game is" because the lights flash, which most people found to be pointless and distracting if you prefer to be in the dark.
So then I took a look at the Tritton Audio eXtreme PC for $70. These have audio sensitivity of 107 dB, mic freq range of 20-12000 Hz, and mic sensitivity of 110 dB. Reviews were again mixed, but the specs sure look good.
Then there is the Creative Fatal1ty Gamer headset for $44. This one is "approved" by the famous gamer of that name However, the specs are mediocre, only reporting an audio sensitivity of 40 dB and no mic specs. There were fewer reviews, but they were mostly positive.
Finally, I checkout the top-of-the-line Sennheiser PC166 USB headset for $84. It has an audio sensitivity of a top score 114-118 dB. Its mic freq range is 80-15000 Hz, with a sensitivity of 38 dB.
Bottom line: if you want to feel the boom of the game, then the Edimensional and Tritton units seem like worth a shot. Since my biggest concern is having a great mic for vent, I'm going to dish out the dough and try the Sennheiser. I figure if it is no good, I'll know as soon as you all tell me on vent, and then I can reutnr them and try the Edimensional, if it comes to it...
Anyway, let me know if you catch a glitch in my assessment.
cheers,
KJM5
