Audio-Technica ATH-AG1X Closed-Back Gaming Headset with High-Fidelity Sound for PS4, PC & Laptops - Perfect for Competitive Gaming, Streaming & Online Meetings

The only downside to these is the price. I paid $300 for them. I decided to eat the bullet on these because I had fallen in love with my pair of ATH-MSR7 and those just didnt have a built in mic, at least not one that i could use with my PC.I have been using this headset for about a year and half at the time of writing this.TL/DRPros:Great Audio QualityGreat MicSuper comfortableVery lightweightCons:Simple black audio cable(for the price it should be better)My previous experience with gaming headsets are with Razer, steelseries, and chinese knockoffs. Surprisingly, the chinese knockoffs are the only ones of those three that are still in working order and working well. The ATH-AG1X closed back are by far the best headphones of the bunch that i have owned.The sound quality is great and on par with my MSR7. If my hearing was better I could give more insight but its high quality and will prefer watching movies or listening to music with these as opposed to a speaker any day of the week. You will definetly pick up on sounds that you wouldnt otherwise notice without some very nice headphones that can isolate you from the things around you.The microphone is adjustable and really good. I mean like really really good. it picks up audio extremely well and clearly. It is also very sensitive, but that can be adjusted in Windows or whatever application you are using to pick up your microphone audio. Your voice is portrayed accurately and as well it can be through a computer. Background noises are only picked up if they loud bangs or clashes or something similiar, but if you do want more background, it can be adjusted like mentioned before.The headset is Very comfortable. More comfortable than even my MSR7. The butterfly wings that are used as support in lieu of a headband that rests on top of your head feel different at first but make a big difference in the long run. This may seem small but i dont have a band in my hair anymore where my headset used to sit. The butterfly rests dont seems to mess up your hair or leave and imprint unless you are constantly taking the headset on and off which you can start to notice where those rest on your hair. The headset is also very lightweight adding to its comfortability. it doesnt clamp onto your ears painfully or so weightlessly that you can still hear everything going on around you. The headset does a good job of meeting just right in the middle to be comfortable for long periods of time.Lastly, i think the only downside to this headset is the cable it uses to connect to your PC. The quality of the cable itself is fine, it features inline mic mute and volume control that are really useful that i use everyday. the problem that i encounter is that i think the cable is simple. It looks like cable you could easily get from a bin somewhere and looks like it could easily be cut through and frayed. I have not encountered that issue, but worried about it when my setup was on a wood floor and my chair would often run over the cable. Now, though i have my setup on carpet and i dont run over the cable anymore, instead the cable tangles up like crazy, and i find that it must be disconnected to be straightened back out. This is really disapointing because for $300 I would definetly expect something like a braided cable, or even a tie strap to wrap up extra cable length like Razer has on most of their products.Overall this is still quite possibly the highest quality gaming headset when it comes to audio you can get if your headset needs to have a mic built into it.I purchased this headset with high hopes but also with realistic expectations based on the price point. Let's start of with the positives.1. Audio quality - The audio quality that this headset provides is better than the HyperX Cloud and the Platystation Platinum headsets that I used before it. It provides ample range with plenty of bass when needed and it is really enjoyable for gaming as well as watching a movie or listening to music.2. So far the microphone has sounded pretty solid as well. Nothing to write home about but it gets the job done.Now for the negatives:1. First thing is first, the headset is entirely made up of plastic and feels pretty cheap right out of the box. For the price point I would expect at least some level of sturdiness or at least a metal frame but not the case here. I am not holding my breath on this headset lasts longer than six months.2. No real size adjustment to be found here. The headset has these paddles that are supposed to fit to your head and those are the only things on the entire thing designed to adjust to different head shapes and sizes. I have a larger head than most individuals, family curse, and this headset still slides down to the point where it is putting pressure on my ears as they are the only thing holding it up. The HyperX Cloud I purchased for $80 puts the AudioTechnica to shame in this category as well as in the comfort category.3. The Mute/volume control switch, again, feels terribly cheap and are not the easiest to use if you are in a game and trying to quickly mute the mic. They do their job but for the price point of the headset this also falls short compared to competitor's products.Overall I would say avoid this headset and go snag something else at the price point. The audio quality doesn't make up for the shortcomings that you are going to experience and you are going to be left feeling disappointed with the overall experience. I expected so much more from a great audio brand and I look forward to upgrading in the very near future.Hearing everywhere that it was hard to reconcile good audio quality with "gaming" headset, I've started to scour the internet in the search of the holy grail, being a gaming headset (or at least, a headphone with a microphone) and through various reviews, I came accross this headset. I knew Audio Technica for their affordable high quality headphone, and thus finally decided to make the jump. I'm not a major music consumer, and most of my audio needs revolve around audio conferencing for my work and gaming (multiplayer or singleplayer). Though, I've grown more and more disappointed of my current audio solution, sometimes showing some limits on games with a clear audio stage (such as Doom, Titanfall 2, Battlefield 1 ...).I was ready to spend some money on a high quality headset, and this one was apparently a top performer.Unfortunately, a few quirks went in the way of my satisfaction. They can mostly be summarized along the following files :1. The cable to the headset IS NOT removable. Studying the picture, you could nearly believe it does. You can clearly see a slot for a jack (in blue) but it would be a mistake. Knowing the Audio Technica Headphone such as the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X have a removable cable, this is a bummer. At near 300£, imagining the cable getting worn / tired looks like a nightmare.2. The cable is of poor rubber quality. I'm more and more used to braided-nylon cable which are both more resistant and more flexible. I was constantly having the cable making weird contortion and offering some resistance in the process. As the cable can't be changed, you're stuck with what you have.3. The 3D Wing concept is an acquired taste... I won't lie, I was far from impressed by the 3D Wing Concept. The pictures don't really show it but the wing are rather small, very plasticky (and probably quite fragile). When putting the headset, I had neither the feeling that it was well secured and the rather limited pressure surface ended up not distributed the weight of the headset so well, or should I say, was distributing it on two rather small piece of skull. I didn't find that comfortable, but I won't argue it's a personal opinion and some people might love it.4. You need an headphone amplifier to drive it. The sound output was very limited with my Sound Blaster internal soundcard. For some source, it was alright, but to give you an idea the sound output was somewhat 40% what my current USB solution (a G933) was. I expected it because I read it, and I probably would have jumped for the extra quids to get myself a decent headphone amplifier if the rest of the headset was flawless. This was not the case.As a conclusion, it looked incredibly close to a 350-400£ (depending of your DAC choice) solution I was not fully satisfied with.When it comes to the sound stage, I have to say I was happy. Very happy even, which makes all the problems listed above more of a pity.The quest continues.Female gamer here and thought I'd try these from my normal choice. Over all headset is great. But dam no way to adjust it for size. find it slips down and rests on my ears, after a while this get very uncomfortable so constantly adjusting them. And very aware I am wearing them. But lesson learnt will stick with what I know fits :(. Will think on either a return as unsuitable for me, but will also think on a way to adjust them to fit better, perhaps pad them up a bit :) Sadly cannot recommend to wee headed folks!A update, I did find an easy fix to get them to fit, just looped an elastic hairband over the top of the bits that sit on your head, this pulls the two pieces closer together so it sits on my head a bit higher and doesn't slip down Now have a perfect headset. so 5*Pros:- Very lightweight considering its overall size- Minimal clamping force, had no issues with the earcups crushing my temples- Mic quality is outstanding, extremely clear vocals with VoIP- Soft rubber cable feels very nice and is tangle-free- The ear cushion material is very soft, doesn't get hot like those fake leather headsetsCons:- The headband turned out to be a deal breaker for me. Every 10 minutes I was pulling the headset up my head because it felt like they were slipping down. Whenever you eat or talk they feel like they are moving out of place gradually.- With the microphone pointed up, you can still see it in your peripheral vision (minor annoyance)- Audio quality, in all honesty, is good but not worthy of £200+. I bought a pair of Sennheiser GSP 500's after these for £150, the sound quality was vastly superior, particularly with bass. The Audio Technica's are supposed to be one of the most openly backed headsets, but the sound signature of the slightly more closed Sennheiser's was just so much better for that 'the instruments are in the room around me' effect.Great headset, would give it 5 Stars based on the sound and mic quality, and comfort. Got this on offer for under £70 so a real bargain!Tested against the 1More Spearhead VRX, Audeze Mobius, Fnatic Gear Duel Headset, and Beoplay H6s (not a gaming headset). The sound quality is probably the second best I have ever heard on a gaming headset best being topped only by the Audeze Mobius (£350) which is planar magnetic so no surprises there! The headset itself is very comfortable as well.The only negatives (resulting in a 4 star) is that the audio cable is not detachable which is very surprising, and the cost at full retail price. If you can get this on offer and want good quality sound without any RGB/fancy features then definitely worth considering! Difficult to recommend this at full price unless you are after a headset for both gaming and media consumption such as music and movies., and want top end audio quality.Bought them to replace an old, cheap pair for gaming and general use.They are quite different as follows:- build quality: they feel light and 'plasticky', but I believe that's to aid during long sessions. It doesn't feel the sturdiest but it's not gonna break either. Definitely not heavy after many hours.- fit: they don't have a headband, rather two pastic bits that rest on the top of yur head. I did not have problems since the first time I've used them but you might not like them. I do not like the sort of headphones with a thick, heavy band on top of your head, they tend to weigh and tire me after an hour or so. This system however does a great job, not a single complaint and I was pleasantly surprised after being very skeptical about them.- sound quality: I'm NOT an audiophile nor I am an expert in audio whatsoever. However, they are hands down the best sounding headphones I've used after my M50x, period. The open back is great and opens up a new dimension in gaming (and not only there to be honest). You can perceive directions much more easily and the sound is more "natural". There is some bleeding and people are going to hear what you are listening to if they really pay attention. Another great thing is the fact you can hear sounds around you. However, if you are in a noisy enviroment the headphones won't shield a thing. It's great if you still want to be aware of your surroundings i.e. somebody knocking on your door or if the kids wake up,- mic quality: good, loud and clear. There's some static but doen't interfere with its job.In conclusion this is a great pair of headphones, light and great sounding with a comfortable fit. I would recommend them without hesitation.BIG DISCLAIMER: I purchased them for £110 during a lightning deal or something. I have been tracking the price for some months and I believe this price to be the best. It's incredible they used to be sold at £250+. £100-£150 is a good price but they can still be expensive for some.