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Drop + EPOS PC38X Yellow Gaming Headset
gpk_og
6
Feb 6, 2021
My Initial impressions, I'm not hardcore audiophile but mostly a gamer and mostly a classic rock music listener.
Sound is very very nice, clean, mic quality seems quite good but of course can vary with hardware it connects to. To me it sounds great both in gaming and music.
On an Asus TUF x570 PRO w/ Realtek ALC1200 (supposedly isolated audio traces) it sounds great. However, I do get microphone hiss on the motherboard, which not an issue if I use the Realtek software noise suppression in the driver software. This is the motherboard's fault not the headphones, does this for other headset too. It's likely that many higher-end mobos with the ~better ALC1220 and dedicated dual amps would fare better here, often these 1220 mobos come with full DTS suite and licenses.
My Realtek ALC1200 drivers are manually updated to latest w/ the ones from an Asus forum user post.
To me, the PC38x is more than plenty loud on my motherboard's Realtek ALC1200.
I also got a Sennheiser/EPOS GSX1000 DAC/AMP for virtual 7.1 and that can go crazy loud, which again for me volume wasn't an issue. The Microphone input on the GSX 1000 is just OK, it's somewhat compressed and limited to 16 bit 16KHz (16000Hz, Tape Quality!).
The virtual communication device on GSX 1000 is limited to same format, it's sole purpose is to be able to control voice volume separately and not be virtualized in 7.1; a nice feature but it could have been 16b22/44KHz. I could tell voice output in Discord is more compressed on this device, mic self-tests sounds pretty good with no hiss and my buddies said it was good.
The mic/voice parts of the GSX1000 are perfectly acceptable to me but YMMV. The PC38X is being limited by the GSX1000 in this aspect.
Right now the virtual 7.1 w/ PC38X seems like a winner and a key selling point for paring it with GSX1000 (which I got used). I strongly suggest you use trial periods for various virtual surround software (spatial), especially Dolby Atmos for Headphones and DTS Headphones X (make sure to try Spacious mode).
I do find the virtual 7.1 better quite a bit better on the GSX 1000 compared to Dolby Atmos for Headphone or DTS Headphones X(DTS Unbound). DTS w/ Spacious setting was a good runner up though. AFAIK most users prefer Dolby to DTS, but I preferred DTS in "Spacious" mode to Dolby. I only very briefly tried WavesNX, with my head measurements, and that seems like a possible contender, HeSuVi is likely a good free option too.
Some games may have their own native virtual surround/spatial implementations (e.g licensed Dolby Atmos, so don't double up.
I know the GSX 1000 gets a lot of flak from audiophiles, and perhaps deservedly so from their perspective. I'm more looking at it from a gamer's perspective who also appreciates good sound positioning.
I find the sound better w/ the default stock pads myself, especially for gaming. The sound isolation is non-existent of course, being open back so I wouldn't recommend them to users with loud PCs on their desks, but then again game sounds would probably drown some fan noises out so it may not be an issue.
I'm also undervolting GPU (RTX3080) and CPU (5900x) and have good air flow and AiO for CPU so fans stay at low RPM, but I can still hear the quiet hum through headphones when no sound is playing; not a big deal for me and my case is on the floor under desk.
Right now, I find the headband tight and rather uncomfortable, I guess I need to break it in on my rather large noggin. It seems to be giving me a very mild pressure headache at the moment. The headset is nice and light though and once broken in, it seems like it will be great for long sessions. We'll see in hot summer months how they hold up and if PC noise will be more of an issues w/ higher ambient temps.
I see some people complaining about weight and build quality, but my initial impressions is that the light weight is a good thing, and the plastic used seems like the sturdy kind; time will tell. There is no extra hidden weight added to give the false impression of "quality", nor should there be.
Overall, seems like a very good purchase that is especially good for gaming, my only regret is not having ordered it sooner and had to wait 2 months to get them; I had pointed it out to a buddy who had ordered his while they were in stock.
P.S. Shipping to Canada took a little under two weeks with DHL. While in Canada, last leg was from Canada Post. I did have to pick it up from Post Office because apparently postman/woman isn't allowed to carry cash or process payment and duties were due.
On the plus side the DHL fee was $10 and duties another $10; seems I was only charged GST so that's great.
P.P.S. Icon for the Sound Control Panel applet (link) or a Flipped Icon if you prefer (status overlay over mic).
(Edited)
Evshrug
3772
Community
Feb 9, 2021
gpk_ogWow, great review! Very thoughtful considering different aspects of the headset. You might want to consider copying it to the “reviews” section so people can find it easy and hopefully give you the likes you deserve 👍
As far as the clamping force goes, I have one of the first batch PC38X and PC37X: the headbands will relax over time on their own. You can hold the earcups and stretch them out a bit wider than your head, but you won’t want to overdo it... as a gamer, it’s nice for the headset to stay stable and not slip around. Once you stretch it, you can’t bring back the clamp. I like to think Sennheiser headphones are like raw denim jeans... they break in over time to your unique head, and can be a bit tight at first, but over time they become your favorite pair. About two weeks of gaming should break them in on their own.
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