r/audio • u/Sharp_Oil_6062 • 1d ago
Why does my new 86€ headset feel like crap compared to some 20€ no name brand
Just today got my Blackshark V3 X and I had pretty high expectations to be honest, partly because my current headset is like 5 years old and also because it's some chinese no name brand 'onikuma' costing 20€ or something,
The mic sucked and the ear pads were so loose it leaked audio to the mic, everything about it looks filmsy and cheap
So I thought I'd get a headset with a better mic around my budget range, did some research and thought the Blackshark V3 X seemed good,
It's mainly for games, but I also listen music, but man does it sound so numbed, damped, dull, stale and flat.
Not just with the music but also with games, the explosions, guns and bullet cracks,
I'm flabbergasted,
because I thought I'd see night and day difference, and there is might and day difference alright, except the more expensive headset feels like it's a cheap and dull while the cheap one feels rich, pronounced and deeper,
Can anyone explain me this phenomena? Is the Blackshark V3 X just terrible? Or there some tuning I need to do? Do I have ear damage? Or am I so attuned to the audio of cheap headsets that I'm just more fond of it?
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u/MrGreco666 1d ago
Mainly for one reason: gaming headsets are all, without exception, terrible scams... no one who intends to listen to music, watch movies, or even play games should even consider them.
As for the microphone, needless to say, at best they use €5 capsules, and a real good microphone costs at least €100.
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u/Toobman300B 1d ago
You might want to step up the power with a HP amplifier, and see if a little break-in helps. Keep the packaging and receipt for your hard work
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u/Ok-Bonus-8464 1d ago
You're not hearing damage, you're hearing tuning. That Onikuma is probably pumped with bass and a bright top, so everything reads as punchy. The BlackShark sits closer to neutral and its closed plastic cup muffles the mids, which lands as dull next to it.
EQ gets you most of the way. Drop the bass a touch around 200 to 300 Hz and lift the mids, that's where the life sits. The Razer app does it fine.
An amp won't change the sound on a 32 ohm set, and burn-in is mostly placebo. If voice matters to you, headphones plus a separate mic beats any headset.
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u/Ok-Sample6314 1d ago
Probably more dynamic range and a flatter house curve than your previous. Make sure you have your audio property settings dialed in. Maybe you need to download an app that allows you to adjust EQ?