Electronic: SteelSeries 9H Gaming Headset

USB, 7.1, comes with interchangeable three types of jacks and 5 cables. Headphone frequency response: 10 — 28000Hz. Microphone frequency response: 50 — 16000 Hz. noise cancelling microphone. Specs. This is what I used myself. There are surprisingly few models to choose from with USB. I need it for Dragon Naturally Speaking. I did not really want the 7.1, but the rugged look, the ruggedness attested to in reviews and the cool orange trim all weighed in. The multiple jacks mean I will be able to use it both with my computer and for home entertainment.

The left and right cupts are not labeled. You can tell them apart because the mike is on the left. You must download the drivers. They do not automatically install as USB since you may need either Mac or PC drivers. It covers your ears and blocks outmost ambient sound. The disadvantage is you can’t hear keyboard clicks or mouse clicks. They make your ears uncomfortably warm. The cables are covered in retro cloth rather than the usual rubbery plastic. The connectors come apart rather too easily. You must connect the cables carefully arrow to arrow. It is not just a matter of matching plugs. Thankfully, the cord that goes under my desk is a distinctive black with orange dots so I can easily tell it apart from the other jungles of wires. I use the properties/advanced option in the task bar volume control to perform a sound check which helps tell when I have them snug again. The plugs don’t have embossing to tell you which way the mike mute is off and on. They could have used a slashed circle or a broken bar, or 0 and 1. The mike mute switch is an orange/black slider. They also don’t tell you which way is louder/softer. The instruction book devotes a page to this, but does it in such a way you still can’t tell. You figure this out eventually, but it is a hassle during install.(Louder is rotating toward the headset.)

The sound is clear. I got it at CanadaComputers.com at considerably less than the Amazon price. Listening to DVDs with the headsets is great fun. The sound seems to come from all around and feel so real I often think it must be sound in the room. There so much extra going on in the sound that I missed listening through speakers