Best Mid-Range Gaming Headset? EPOS Sennheiser GSP 350 Review

Introduction

The gaming headset market is super competitive nowadays. The GSP 350 is one of EPOS's (previously Sennheiser) offerings in the mid-range segment, retailing for AUD $219. With their history of producing incredible audio products, the GSP 350 looks to be a front runner in terms of audio quality compared with its competition. We got to test the GSP 350 for a few days, and used it alongside popular rivals such as the HyperX Cloud II and Razer Blackshark V2. 

At a Glance

Whats in the Box?

The GSP 350 comes with a relatively simple unboxing experience. Underneath the cardboard cover, the GSP 350 can be found inside a black plastic compartment alongside a manual and two black cables - a 2.5mm to microUSB jack/7.1 surround dongle, and a microUSB to USB. 

Design and Build

Rating: 3.5/5

The GSP 350 features a retro, aviator-inspired design and comes in a grey and red colour scheme. Despite being mostly plastic, it feels solid and sturdy with no creaks. The headband is nicely padded and breathable, while the leatherette earcups are quite soft and comfortable. The cable is detachable and connects to the headset via 2.5mm

The headset, however can feel bulky on the head. It has strong clamping force, that people with smaller heads could find uncomfortable. It is also not the lightest headset around. 

We like the unique volume and mute controls, which are located on the headset itself, rather than on the cable. The microphone tilts up to mute, while a volume knob is located on the right earcup. 

Sound Quality

Rating: 4/5

The GSP 350 provided an enjoyable listening experience - both for gaming and listening to music.

We had the most fun using the GSP 350 in games - especially first-person shooters where gunshots, explosions and footsteps felt satisfying, and there was a great sense of direction.

The GSP 350 also does a great job outside of gaming. Music sounds full and vocals and instruments have nice detail. However, its sound signature made listening a bit fatiguing over longer periods of time. 

7.1 Dolby Surround Sound

To enable the 7.1 Dolby surround sound on the GSP 350, first from the EPOS website. From there, you can activate and de-activate the surround sound by clicking the button on the dongle. A white LED means it is active, while a red LED means it is inactive.

The Surround Sound feature definitely adds a '3D' and 'roomy' feel to the sound, for more immersive listening. However, your experience may vary depending on the game or music type. 

Microphone

Rating: 5/5

In our opinion, the GSP 350's microphone is one of the best in it's class. For an integrated microphone, its surprisingly clear, and loud. However, we felt that noise cancellation could be improved for things like keyboards and mice clicks. As expected, it performed great in-game and in voice communication apps. This is coupled alongisde an intuitive mute function - just flip the microphone up to mute, and back down when you want it active. 

Rating

Overall: 8/10

The GSP 350 is a strong value PC gaming headset from EPOS/Sennheiser, offering great sound, a 7.1 surround sound experience, and an excellent microphone. It favors very well against key competitors. We found very few faults with this headset, other than a slightly bulkier design and lack of 3.5mm versatility. 

Check out the GSP 350!