Sennheiser PC 166 Binaural Multimedia/Gaming Headset with Noise-Canceling Microphone
by Sennheiser
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: SennheiserModel: PC 166
Color: Charcoal and Silver
Product features:
- Gives unique 3-D, 360 sound experience
- Adjustable headband for perfect fit
- Adjustable, bendable and pivotable microphone
- Noise-cancelling microphone
- In-line volume control
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sennheiser PC 166 Binaural Multimedia/Gaming Headset with Noise-Canceling Microphone
Customer Review: Definitely worth the money.
Summary: 4 Stars
After owning at least three of each of Logitech's past hundred thousand generations of $10 Wal-Mart headsets, I finally decided it was time to hunker down and buy a real one. I'm glad I did. After having used the headset for several months now, I can share the following experiences:
The product name for this headset is misleading. This is not a USB headset in the normal sense of the word. You can use it via usb, but in order to do so, you must use the included adapter, which acts as a sound card. This means the headset will have its own volume mixer within Windows. I found it extremely annoying trying to keep this mixer in balance with my default mixer due to different volume levels between games, movies, etc. There is an alternative, though. You can use this device with normal pink / green analog connectors. Doing so will retain the full functionality of a headset while eliminating the annoyance of the addon sound card.
The headset is very comfortable when worn without glasses. I can wear it for hours on end without discomfort. This brings my headset inline with my regular high-end cans. I can wear one or the other all day depending on my need for voice. When wearing my glasses, the headphones put enough pressure on the side of my head to cause my glasses to dig a bit into my temples. It's not enough to hurt, but it does get uncomfortable after an hour or two. This could be something that would resolve itself in time as the headphones "mold" to the shape of the glasses, though, as I rarely wear my glasses when at the computer. I'm nearsighted.
The quality on the mic is fine. It's hardly amazing by any standard, but your voice will go through crisp, clear, and without distortion. More importantly is mic volume: while other mics I've used have lacked sufficient amp power to let your voice be a voice rather than something of a whisper, this one worked well right out of the box. No more dealing with "Turn your mix up!" and "Stop talking, your mic is breaking up," requests in Vent or online games.
The sound quality of the headphones is above average as well, as far as headsets go. I personally wouldn't use this to listen to music--it seems to play back gunshots and explosions far better than harmonies and melodies for some peculiar reason--but for gaming it does a grand job at sound placement and such. I'm able to tell well enough where enemies are from the sound alone. Though hardly a first in the headphone world in general, this is something I haven't been able to find in a headset until I bought this unit. There very well may be others--just none in my price range. And though I said I personally wouldn't listen to music with this thing, there's really no reason you can't. It sounds good. Just not as good as I like it to sound.
For final notes, the volume dial is marked with a curved line rather than numbers or the like, making volume adjustment something of a guessing game if you don't already have sound playing. This is annoying to me, but this is probably a personal preference. Also, my cat likes to sit on my lap and chew on the plastic shirt clip. When he gets bored with that or I make him stop, he sometimes walks up onto my desk directly in front of the monitor, plops down in an upright sitting position so as to block as much of the screen as possible, and watches whatever I'm playing. He can do this for hours if I don't throw him down. This never happens when not using the headset, and it never happened before receiving it. Therefore, the headset is hypnotizing my cat. Beware pet owners!
Overall a great buy considering the money I will save by not having to buy a new $10-$20 headset every 6 months. It's holding up very well and looks like it will last a good long while, provided my cat doesn't eat it.
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Description of Sennheiser PC 166 Binaural Multimedia/Gaming Headset with Noise-Canceling Microphone
Xl Ear Cups Freq Resp: 15 Hz 23 Khz Imp: 32? Sound Pressure: 118 Db Stereo Multimedia Headset With Bendable Pivotable Noise-Canceling Microphone Usb Adapter With Integrated Sound Card Chip Plugs Into Any Usb Port 360 Sound Experience Open-Air Speaker System Usb Adapter With Integrated Sound Chip Xxl Velour-Padded Ear Caps 10-Ft Cable Length Includes 2 Adapters To 3.5Mm Stereo Jack For Pc/LaptopDigital Cameras & Photo Categories
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