Quote:
Originally Posted by
rightintel
Wow i'd never heard that. Hopefully they fix it w/ the Xbox release. I'd love a hi-fi gaming headset, but it'd cost more than the system itself. I think that's where the problem is as far as a market for them(but I'd GLADLY pay $450 for a hot one).
I heard the LucidSound 35X is amazing on XB. I'm a PC/Playstation guy so it doesn't really apply to me. I will say that article gripes about the headset feeling loose; the brand new LS41 (I believe they share a lot in common) I just recieved grips my head like a vice wrapped in pillows. It's perfect. I also don't have a particularly large skull.
In the PC gaming world, cost is all relative. For example, I spent $1000 (USD) on a gaming monitor. Could I have played the game on a monitor at half the price or less? Sure. But without certain features like overclocked refresh rates and G-Sync, my just-as-expensive graphics card wouldn't be seen to full potential.
For audio, I play exclusively on headset for audio; not only out of respect for the others in the house, but because I'm often in a context of voice chat and gameplay.
As most of us here are home theatre enthusiasts, we can all agree that the video experience is half of the whole--audio quality and capability is just as important.
So why squelch the experience with "just average" gaming headset drivers and components? If PC gamers are willing to shell out thousands for the rest of the gaming rig, surely a premium headset market exists and in my humble opinion is disgustingly underserved.
For example, if Sennheiser came out tomorrow and said they took the wireless station and tech of the
RS185 headphones and mixed it with the audio and mic capabilities of their
HMD 300 PRO and added in some 7.1 processing I'd shout at the top of my lungs, "TAKE MY MONEY!" even if it was another cool grand I had to drop. Because (being an owner of Sennheiser headphones) I know what they're capable of and I cry for that experience in gaming. The market IS THERE. Someone in product R&D just needs to notice it and stop wasting time on things like the GSP headsets. Nobody wants flashy, transformers headsets in gaming unless they're twelve years old. Is that really Sennheiser's demographic? Additionally, wired headsets are certainly less desirable for the MMO/marathon gamers (bathroom breaks have to happen!) ...
So I sigh and wait! But not to beat a dead horse, Lucid has fulfilled most of my wants so far. I think Lucid has the capability to enter the premium (> $300) headset market and dominate it with some creativity and forethought. They're a smaller company, and even though they have industry veterans they are relatively young and still have that passion and drive to win--and more likely to take the challenge of producing that "LS 100" that I dream of. Not sure who their driver supplier/source is, but there's plenty of high quality driver companies they could reach out to, like Boston Acoustics, who aren't in the headset segment. The existing 50mm drivers are good, but they can't compare to the big dogs (and I don't think they're meant to). I'm sure a premium mic solution like what's on the Sennheiser SMD 300 above isn't impossible to source. Sure, they'd have to turn to a larger battery and the headset would become heavier... but I like a little weight in a set of headphones (makes them feel more robust and durable, too) and that's expected.
If they do--and they should--they better call me first, because I want serial number 1! Here's my blank check!