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forum thread Posted by gusruck • Jan 13, 2025
forum thread Posted by gusruck • Jan 13, 2025

Drop + EPOS PC38X Gaming headset - $119

$119

$169

29% off
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On sale for $139. Use code newgear20 for an additional $20 off. Bringing price to $119 with free shipping.

Jumped on the yellow color deal a year or so ago for $96 but seems a good deal on the all black version


https://drop.com/buy/drop-epos-pc...ng-headset
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On sale for $139. Use code newgear20 for an additional $20 off. Bringing price to $119 with free shipping.

Jumped on the yellow color deal a year or so ago for $96 but seems a good deal on the all black version


https://drop.com/buy/drop-epos-pc...ng-headset

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2 Comments

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Pro
Jan 14, 2025
511 Posts
Joined Nov 2021
Jan 14, 2025
BeigeRoad455
Pro
Jan 14, 2025
511 Posts
While this isn't a bad price for this headset, and the headset itself is far better quality than 99% of the garbage companies try to pawn onto "gamers", purchasing a headset with an integrated mic is generally suboptimal. You'll get much better value by purchasing standalone budget audiophile headphones and using an inline mic. I know back in the day (7+ years ago) the go to budget recommendation was the philips shp9500 (which could be found between $50-$60 on a good sale) paired with the v-moda boompro mic (~$15 on a good sale). Either way, if you absolutely must have a headset with an integrated mic, this is an acceptable deal. Otherwise, I'd recommend looking into current combinations of headphones and inline mics that are liable to offer a better value.
1
Jan 16, 2025
196 Posts
Joined Feb 2014
Jan 16, 2025
Steven409
Jan 16, 2025
196 Posts
Quote from BeigeRoad455 :
While this isn't a bad price for this headset, and the headset itself is far better quality than 99% of the garbage companies try to pawn onto "gamers", purchasing a headset with an integrated mic is generally suboptimal. You'll get much better value by purchasing standalone budget audiophile headphones and using an inline mic. I know back in the day (7+ years ago) the go to budget recommendation was the philips shp9500 (which could be found between $50-$60 on a good sale) paired with the v-moda boompro mic (~$15 on a good sale). Either way, if you absolutely must have a headset with an integrated mic, this is an acceptable deal. Otherwise, I'd recommend looking into current combinations of headphones and inline mics that are liable to offer a better value.
The SHP9500 and V-Moda is what I'm still using to this day and I agree, that combination is better than just about any "gaming" headset under $300 and easily competes with other so-called audiophile headphones in the $150-300 range. Are there better options out there? Absolutely. It just depends on how much you are willing to spend.

My philosophy has always been, if I can get 75-80%+ of the performance/sound quality for 50-80% of the cost, then that's what I will go with.

As for a comparison between the PC38X and the SHP9500, I have used both and prefer the 9500 over the PC38X. They are actually very similar. Both have excellent mid-range which make them stand out against the competition. The PC38X has better "booming" bass, but the SHP9500 has more than enough for my liking.

The key difference between these two is in the treble/higher frequencies. The SHP9500 wins this area hands-down as the PC38X sounds rather dull by comparison. Everyone is different, though, and it should be noted that I often prefer treble over bass...especially when the bass is already more than sufficient for my liking on the 9500.

The highs on the 9500 can achieve "ear piercing" volume and have that "shrill" you get from horn tweeters found in most movie theatres. This is what I like. The PC38X is very tame on the higher end and lack the overall volume and punch.

In terms of sound stage, the 9500 wins by quite a longshot. It sounds much bigger and more spacious making it easy to determine direction and distance of sounds in games like CoD. The PC38X is still good in this aspect, but pales to reach what the 9500 can achieve.

The mic on the PC38X is considered one of the best; often beating integrated mics on "gaming" headsets that cost more than twice this much. I would say the mic is slightly better than the V-Moda, but again I go back to my philosophy of getting 75-80% of performance at a fraction of the cost.

You can currently get the 9500 for $55 (eBay) and an excellent quality used V-Moda mic for $10 (Amazon).

Here is a direct comparison between the two on Rtings:
https://www.rtings.com/headphones.../371/22543