Drop + Sennheiser PC38X Gaming Headset Expired

Have the Sennheiser Game One's which have the same muting mechanism. Just be weary of the muting, as the 2 headsets that I have, had it broken over time. It doesn't mute because the button on the PCB does not get engaged.

Have you tried using the front headphone jack? It looks like that motherboard has a Realtek ALC1200 and that chip drives headsets up to 32-ohms if you use the front port.

what system are you playing on? are you playing on a ps4 or ps5? i read somewhere that the ps4 controller doesnt have enough power to push for alot of wired headphones, i always run my pc38x and gsp 500 on xbox series x, gonna try it on my ps5 and see if there is a difference.

My very first Sennheiser headset was the PC 350. This was my first big headset purchase after years of using $30-40 pairs. Like you, I was fairly disappointed with the audio quality. Everything sounded too quiet and I just couldn't get the audio I would have expected. However, the mic on that headset was so good that I dealt with the poor audio quality.
A few years later, I swapped out for a Razer Megalodon USB headset and the audio quality seemed so much better. (Realistically, it was just louder). However, the mic was hot garbage and Razer quality put me off of their products for years to come.

I replaced them with the Sennheiser PC 360 and they sounded a lot better than I remembered the PC 350s sounding. Same great mic and comfortable fit.

I was pretty young and finding info on the internet wasn't quite as easy as it is today (2008), so I didn't put this all together at the time. The original pair of PC 350s had a 150-ohm impedance. This meant that I needed to have a good sound card or amp that is able to deliver enough power to drive the headset. I was just using onboard audio and it just wasn't enough.
The next headset (PC 360) dropped the impedance down to 50-ohms. This made them even easier to drive so my onboard sound card didn't struggle as much and the headset sounded much better.
After some personal research and trial and error, I settled on an ASUS Xonar DGX PCI-E GX2.5 soundcard that was $20 at the time. This made a massive difference. This sound card had different power modes depending on the impedance of the headset you're using. I was finally able to get the power and sound quality from this headset.

Sennheiser seems to be lowering the impedance on these gaming headsets with each release. This one is down to 28 Ohms. However, to get the most of out them, you really do need a sound card that can drive them.
I'm currently using the ASUS XONAR SE 5.1 Channel 192kHz/24-bit Hi-Res 116dB SNR PCIe soundcard with a Bravo headphone amp and I've used, recommended or gifted many pairs of PC 350, PC 360, Game Zero, Game One, PC-37x, and PC-38x over the years.

This isn't an audiophile review, I have a different pair of headphones for that. This is a great gaming headset with a great mic. Given the lowered impedance in this model, it's easier than ever to get quality sound out of these things. However, if you want to get the most out of them, I would recommend not using /most/ onboard audio with them.

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Yea, I did try it on my ps4 and yea, it was really quiet. I'd say unusable.

So last month I tried both the Steelseries Arctis 7P and the the Audeze Penrose for my PS5 and decided that the Penrose were the better headphones even though they were more expensive. I've kept those and love them but my audiophle friend convinced me to buy the 58X's during the summer sale. I'm also considering trying these out since I mainly use headphones for gaming but will also use some for music. Any opinions on how these different headsets will compare? The 58Xs arrive today or tomorrow so I haven't even checked them out yet.

I have this pair. Awesome for gaming and music. Period. Check reviews.
Unfortunately, I cannot loosen the clamp even after owning since launch. Any other tips besides placing on something for a long time?

I had a pair of Monoprice headsets where the ear cushions started to disintegrate getting black pieces everywhere. Everyone seem to have had these sennheisers forever, do the cushions ever disintegrate?

Both my work laptop and its docking station have just one 3.5mm jack each. Can I use the console cable in this and use the mic that way?

I wouldn't try to compare a music headset to a gaming headset.

Quote from AstroBotts : I have the older Sennheiser PC 350 SE - I've never loved them, but the mic has always been fantastic, and they work for PC and console gaming. Would these PC38X be a worthwhile upgrade?

AstroBottsI have the older Sennheiser PC 350 SE - I've never loved them, but the mic has always been fantastic, and they work for PC and console gaming. Would these PC38X be a worthwhile upgrade?