Best headsets for Counter-Strike 2
To achieve the best performance possible at Counter-Strike 2, sound quality can provide a valuable advantage. Get the most out of it by choosing a great headset using our guide.
Good sound design is an under-appreciated aspect of game design and creation, but Counter-Strike 2 is one of those games where it can be a vital tool for helping you perform at your best, as it boasts some excellent sound design.
A good headset can help you listen out for footsteps, or pick out what direction gunfire is coming from.
Being able to hear and decipher the sound cues in the game is a skill that needs a good headset to develop, but how do you pick out the right model, when there are so many on the market?
Not to worry, as our team has carefully picked out which headsets remove sound limitations and help you concentrate on the most important thing – winning those matches.
Here is a run-down on the best headsets for Counter-Strike 2, you are sure to find one that matches your needs.
1. AceZone A-Spire
Dexerto- Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB-C, 3.5mm jack
- Driver diameter: 40mm
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 20 kHz
- Weight: 270g
- Features: Noise cancelation, flip to mute microphone
- Price: $319 (ex. VAT)
Don’t let the AceZone A-Spire’s low-key design throw you off. This headset is housing some incredible tech that puts it a true step above the rest. Outside of its noise-canceling microphone, which really does block a vast majority of sounds – we’ve tested it on a plane – it brings something special.
The A-Spire can let you hear sounds “earlier” than most other headsets on this list. This isn’t done through bloatware or anything but through the hardware. Valve has always had a much larger soundscape within the Source engine, but headsets, earbuds, and traditional headphones don’t have access to it. This is mostly down to the hardware inside, with it rarely being able to “hear” further than you’d typically expect.
AceZone has managed to crack this underutilized layer in Valve’s Source engine, and in Counter-Strike 2 you can hear considerably earlier than the competition. Remember, it’s not cheating, the hardware is not interfering with the game in any capacity. It is simply using what competing headsets can’t access.
The AceZone A-Spire also has magnificent noise cancelation, with it blocking out a vast majority of sounds, making focusing on the game much easier. It’s also handy that their app, which accesses the device over a low-energy Bluetooth, allows you to customize the sound on the go via your phone rather than adding even more software onto your PC.
AceZone has also ensured that out of the box, there’s a flatter sound profile. This might not sound great on paper, but in action, it allows for a more “natural” soundscape in the game, with no bass or interference for cues that you might have become accustomed to.
2. Audeze Maxwell
Dexerto - Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, 2.4GHz dongle, 3.5mm jack
- Driver diameter: 90mm Planar Magnetic
- Frequency response: 10Hz – 50 kHz
- Weight: 490g
- Features: 90mm Planar Magnetic drivers, detachable microphone, EQ customization, 80-hour battery life
- Price: $299.00
Audeze is another boutique headset manufacturer owned by Sony. Their main output is super high-end studio and listening headphones. We’re talking four-figure range. But, Maxwell is different.
Audeze has been testing the waters for gaming for a few years. The Penrose and Mobius never entirely stuck the landing, but offered incredibly cool features. We’ve also reviewed the LCD-GX, an audiophile-centric gaming headset. While the GX is fantastic, it also costs $900.
The Maxwell provides less performance than the GX but still brings that audiophile level of attention to detail in the tech. It also costs $299. A key thing about Audeze’s fourth set of gaming headsets is that it provides excellent clarity in the game. While not as elaborate as AceZone, it brings the thunder in terms of overall sound quality, with an unparalleled gaming experience in terms of depth.
Footsteps, gunshots, and general foliage from around the map, all those vital sound cues, heard in expert quality that other manufacturers just can’t reach. It can all be customized to your liking as well.
You’ll also have much less sound leakage into and out of the headset, as it is closed back. With them being closed off, going as loud as you want won’t bother anyone around you, and should keep you nice and encapsulated within your game.
3. Logitech G Pro X 2
Dexerto - Connectivity: Bluetooth, 2.4GHz Logitech G Lightspeed dongle
- Driver diameter: 50mm (90% Graphene)
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 20 kHz
- Weight: 344g
- Features: Graphene driver, included carrying case, USB dongle, up to 50-hour battery life, detachable mic with external pop filter
- Price: $249.99
Logitech has been a staple of many gaming setups since Counter-Strike 1.6. From those of us using loose plastic with furry earmuffs to the modern day, where we can play in the big leagues with the G Pro X 2.
There’s a reason so many players gravitate towards the G Pro X 2. Its sound quality is excellent, providing you with a decent soundscape to immerse yourself in and focus. In our tests, we found it provided a great depth to games, with the general worlds we took them into bringing out the best of the sound teams’ hard work.
Logitech also features their Lightspeed wireless connection on the G Pro X 2, so you won’t have the difficult choice of choosing between latency or wired. The Lightspeed connection allows for the G Pro X 2 to work on a similar level as if it were wired, so you won’t have a clogged desk.
It also has one of our favorite features, that most other headsets on this list don’t even consider: a removable microphone. You’re not always going to be playing with “the squad” or even in games where voice communication is necessary. Having it out of your peripheral view or not clinging to the side of the headset is always a bonus in our books.
4. HyperX Cloud III
Dexerto- Connectivity: 2.4ghz wireless with USB-C dongle & USB-A adapter, USB-C
- Driver diameter: 53mm, Dynamic with Neodymium magnets
- Frequency response: 100Hz, 10Khz
- Weight: 308g without the microphone, 320g with
- Features: Angled drivers, Detachable 10mm microphone, headset controls
- Price: $169.99
HyperX is, and will probably always be, the Counter-Strike player’s favorite headset. Their price and performance fit within a lot of budgets, making them almost the default choice for a lot of players. It also helps that a lot of big-name esports stars seem to have them around their heads and necks.
The HyperX Cloud III is a superb, affordable headset – if you grab the wired edition. If you’re more in the mood for fewer wires, but don’t mind the $70 price hike to wireless HyperX has you covered there too. However, both still come under that $200 price range that a lot of the others on this list inhabit.
You’ll find a crisp, clear audio experience, if not unremarkable. The reason HyperX has remained so popular in the Counter-Strike public consciousness is due to its reliability. Multiple members of the team at Dexerto are still using the HyperX Cloud II.
The wired editions of the Cloud III don’t falter there, with minimal risks surrounding disconnects or interference over the radio waves. There’s also a killer surround sound option, which you can turn off to bring the audio back to a “normal” level you might be accustomed to.
5. Razer Blackshark V2 Pro
Dexerto - Connectivity: Bluetooth, 2.4GHz Razer Hyperspeed dongle
- Driver diameter: 50mm
- Frequency response: 12– 28,000 Hz
- Weight: 320g
- Features: Razer Hyperclear Wideband microphone, adjustable “esports” EQ, integrated and external pop filter, memory foam earpads
- Price: $199.99
In the sea of black video game-focused headsets, the Razer Blackshark is still one of the top dogs in the pack. The V2 Pro from 2023 brings even more to the table, with higher-quality audio and a refined microphone.
While your voice is going to get caught up in the mix of compression in Counter-Strike 2 or over Discord, it still stands above most that we’ve tested in the past.
Razer also includes in its software, some presets designed specifically around first-person shooter games like CS2. These will quickly allow you to find a base that you like, and then tune it to perfection.
There’s a much broader frequency response as well, allowing for the headset to pick up lower and higher frequency sounds than the HyperX or Logitech headsets. This means things like footsteps, or other action sounds from other players and your team should give you that hearing advantage.
The only real downside is the lack of noise cancelation, but you’ll find the loudness that it can reach will almost always prevent any noises from creeping in. If you don’t mind a small ringing in your ears after a while.
What makes the best headset for CS2?
What makes a headset the best for Counter-Strike 2 comes down to three main factors. Firstly, the sound quality. Being able to determine where gunfire and footsteps are coming from can help considerably in ensuring you have the one up against other players in a match. The more clarity and spatial awareness the audio quality on a gaming headset can provide, the better.
Additionally, microphone quality is also a major factor. Using software like Discord can tend to compress your microphone’s audio quality. As a result, ensuring your headset is equipped with a microphone that can still capture the nuances of your voice is vital. Headsets like the Razer Blackshark V2 Pro, for example, utilize a super wideband codec that produces higher-quality voice capturing.
Finally, comfort is a huge determining factor in what makes a great headset for Counter-Strike 2. While hours deep into a CS2 gaming session, you’ll want to be able to take out enemies without the distraction of head and ear strain, or possible headaches. Headsets like the HyperX Cloud III have memory foam installed in the headband and ear cushions, coated in leatherette for a more comfortable fit.
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