6 Best Headsets for CS:GO According to the World’s Top Players [2023]

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Discover the best gaming headsets the world’s top CS:GO players swear by and why.

NameUsed ByConnectivitySurround SoundPrice
HyperX Cloud IIsmooya, BnTet, Woro2k, and JameWired7.1 surround soundBUY
Logitech G Pro X Headsets1mple, deko, dev1ce, and NiKoWired7.1 surround soundBUY
HyperX Cloud Alpha Ssh1ro, zevy, h4rn, and KENSIWired7.1 surround soundBUY
Razer BlackShark V2 Protorzsi, mhL, frozen, and ropzWireless7.1 surround soundBUY
Sennheiser GAME ZEROOskar, dumau, JUGi, and iDISBALANCEWired2.1 stereo soundBUY
Sennheiser GSP 600El1an, NAF, floppy, and cajunbWired2.1 stereo soundBUY

CS:GO requires exceptional map awareness and attention to subtle audio cues for strategic gameplay. To this end, you’ll need the right gaming headset to help you perform your best.

Unfortunately, knowing which headsets are great for playing CS:GO can be challenging. After all, there are various features you’ll need to evaluate, such as sound clarity, mic quality, comfort, and connectivity.

To help you get started, we’ve collated the gaming headsets that top CS:GO players swear by, plus tips on choosing the right headset for you. Keep reading to learn more!

6 Best Headsets for CS:GO According to the World’s Top Players [2023]

HyperX Cloud II

A closer look at the HyperX Cloud II. (From: Amazon)
A closer look at the HyperX Cloud II. (From: Amazon)

Key features

  • Drivers: 53mm dynamic drivers with neodymium magnets
  • Connectivity: Wired
  • Surround Sound: 7.1 (PC & Mac only)
  • Compatibility: PC, Mac, PS4 / PS5, Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S
  • Other features: Detachable, noise-canceling microphone
  • Used by: Owen “smooya” Butterfield (free agent), Hansel “BnTeT” Ferdinand (Team NKT), Volodymyr “Woro2k” Veletnjuk (Monte), Dzhami “Jame” Ali (Virtus.pro)

The HyperX Cloud II offer top-notch sound quality and superior comfort, perfect for playing CS:GO. So, it’s unsurprising that this headset is a gaming staple for some of the world’s best CS:GO players.

The headset offers exceptional clarity, allowing you to pick up critical sound cues. In fact, it’s so clear that you don’t only hear enemy footsteps; you can also pick different sets of footsteps apart and identify where they’re coming from.

The Cloud II’s high-quality bass reproduction also works well with their 7.1 virtual surround to provide an immersive gaming experience. Together, these make in-game explosions and gunshots sound excellent and natural.

This headset is also very comfortable. The ear pads are made with plush memory foam, allowing you to focus solely on your game. Depending on your preference, you can also swap your ear cups for premium leatherette or velour.

The Cloud II are a step up from the Cloud II Wireless in terms of comfort. The latter’s drivers are more prominent through the cups, which can be uncomfortable for some users. The Cloud II (wired) are also more lightweight, coming at 275g, while the wireless variant is a tad heavier at 309g.

This headset also uses a noise-canceling microphone to keep your team communications clear. However, this mic can be inconsistent in terms of volume. Usually, unplugging and replugging it resolves the issue, though this can be annoying to do if it happens multiple times.

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Logitech G Pro X Headset

A closer look at the Logitech G Pro X Headset. (From: Amazon)
A closer look at the Logitech G Pro X Headset. (From: Amazon)

Key features

  • Drivers: Hybrid mesh PRO-G 50mm
  • Connectivity: Wired
  • Surround Sound: 7.1 (PC only)
  • Compatibility: PC, PS4 / PS5, Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
  • Other features: Detachable, noise-canceling microphone with BLUE VO!CE software
  • Used by: Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev (Natus Vincere), Denis “deko” Zhukov (1win), Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz (Astralis), Nikola “NiKo” Kovač (G2 Esports)

Many CS:GO pros swear by the Logitech G Pro X Headset, and for good reason! This headset offers phenomenal sound and uses advanced mic technology for crisp, clear communications in-game.

The G Pro X deliver precise in-game audio. The headset’s crisp sound detail allows you to easily pick out environmental cues, such as shells dropping to the ground or the pin being pulled from a grenade. Its 7.1 surround sound also lets you detect gunshots and footsteps and identify their distance and location.

To enjoy these features, you’ll have to set up the Logitech G HUB software, where you can customize your sound output. You’ll also need the external sound card that comes with the G Pro X for the software to detect your headset and mic.

Furthermore, the G Pro X offer an in-depth, customizable mic with exceptional quality. With the headset’s Blue VO!CE technology and Logitech G HUB, you can easily adjust your mic’s lows, mids, and highs. You can also use other advanced settings to enhance the clarity of your audio further, allowing you to communicate with your teammates without issue.

Although the G Pro X uses plush memory foam ear pads, they still fall short in terms of comfort. This is because the headband exerts too much force on the top of the head, causing discomfort after only a few hours of wear, especially for people with large heads.

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HyperX Cloud Alpha S

A closer look at the HyperX Cloud Alpha S. (From: Amazon)
A closer look at the HyperX Cloud Alpha S. (From: Amazon)

Key features

  • Drivers: Dual chamber, 50mm with neodymium magnets
  • Connectivity: Wired
  • Surround Sound: 7.1
  • Compatibility: PC, mobile, PS4 / PS5, Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S
  • Other features: Bass adjustment sliders, detachable mic with noise cancellation, inline audio control mixer
  • Used by: Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov (Cloud9), Romeu “zevy” Rocco (paiN Gaming), Deyvid “h4rn” Benchev (Enterprise Esports), Aleksandr “KENSI” Gurkin (Aurora Gaming)

The HyperX Cloud Alpha S are another gaming headset your favorite CS:GO players swear by. This headset promises to upgrade your CS:GO experience with its immersive sound and premium, comfortable build.

The Cloud Alpha S offer excellent sound quality, allowing microdetails like bullets dropping and guns reloading to be easily discernible.

Their bass adjustment sliders ensure the lows don’t mask the mids and highs, so you can quickly pick out cues like enemy footsteps.

With surround sound, you can also pinpoint the direction of these cues for increased tactical advantage.

The Cloud Alpha S’ predecessor, the Cloud Alpha, does not have 7.1 surround sound. In addition, NGENUITY, a companion software that optimizes your audio settings based on the game you’re playing, is only available for the Cloud Alpha S. This lends the Cloud Alpha S added capacity to enhance your game audio further.

HyperX also excels at creating comfortable headsets, and the Cloud Alpha S are no exception. This headset features memory foam ear pads with either leatherette or velour cushions. Its lightweight and flexible headband also ensures lasting comfort, even after extended hours of gaming.

Unfortunately, as with the Cloud II, Cloud Alpha S’ mic quality is a bit of a letdown. The mic sounds quiet, which means you need to raise your voice to be heard audibly. It also has poor noise cancellation that still picks up the background noise.

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Razer BlackShark V2 Pro

A closer look at the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro. (From: Amazon)
A closer look at the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro. (From: Amazon)

Key features

  • Drivers: 50mm Razer TriForce Titanium
  • Connectivity: Wireless (Type A 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth 5.2)
  • Surround Sound: 7.1
  • Compatibility: PC, mobile, PS4 / PS5, Nintendo Switch
  • Other features: Noise-cancelling mic with super wideband frequency, preset sound profiles
  • Used by: Ádám “torzsi” Torzsás (MOUZ), Miłosz “mhL” Knasiak (Falcons Esports), David “frozen” Čerňanský (MOUZ), Robin “ropz” Kool (FaZe Clan)

If you’re looking for a wireless gaming headset that has been tried and tested by top CS:GO players, look no further than the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro. This comfortable headset boasts exceptional sound and mic quality, making it perfect for gaming.

The BlackShark V2 Pro differ mainly from the earlier BlackShark V2 in connectivity. Whereas the BlackShark V2 Pro are wireless, the BlackShark V2 use a wired connection.

The BlackShark V2 Pro offer accurate sound detail that makes gunshots and explosions sound full, loud, and clear. This outstanding audio even picks up sound coming from above and below, allowing you to react accordingly.

Plus, thanks to the headset’s surround sound, it’s easy to determine the position of important cues, such as the direction of nearby footsteps, or the origin of distant gunfire.

Razer’s proprietary advanced 7.1 surround sound is called THX Spatial Audio. You will need to turn this on manually before you can enjoy the benefits of surround sound in-game, especially if you’re using the 2020 model.

Additionally, this headset has memory foam ear cushions to ensure your comfort while playing. And, its detachable mic uses super wideband frequency to transmit your voice clearly to your teammates.

One downside to using the BlackShark V2 Pro is the presence of constant static or white noise in the background. This becomes especially evident when streaming through apps like Discord. Fortunately, the Razer team is already aware of this issue and is said to be working on a fix.

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Sennheiser GAME ZERO

A closer look at the Sennheiser GAME ZERO. (From: Amazon)
A closer look at the Sennheiser GAME ZERO. (From: Amazon)

Key features

  • Drivers: Dynamic
  • Connectivity: Wired
  • Surround Sound: No (2.1 stereo sound)
  • Compatibility: PC, Mac, mobile, PS4 / PS5, Xbox One / Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch
  • Other features: Noise-canceling, flip-to-mute mic
  • Used by: Tomáš “oskar” Šťastný (SINNERS Esports), Eduardo “dumau” Wolkmer (00NATION), Jakob “JUGi” Hansen (Retired), Artem “iDISBALANCE” Egorov (9Pandas)

The Sennheiser GAME ZERO are another standard pick for top CS:GO players. This closed-back gaming headset promises extreme audio clarity for a top-notch gaming experience.

This headset offers impressive sound imaging, further enhanced by its passive noise cancellation. This can help you hear reloads and gunfire with amazing clarity, and even subtler sounds like rustles from stepping on dried leaves. Even without surround sound, GAME ZERO’s excellent soundstage provides a rough sense of directionality, allowing you to approximate where certain cues are coming from.

The GAME ZERO use a closed-back design, emphasizing noise isolation for an immersive sound experience. In contrast, their successor, the GAME ONE, feature an open-back design that focuses on comfort, breathability, and a more realistic sound.

This headset uses memory foam ear pads and an adjustable headband, ensuring you can play for extended hours without a problem. The GAME ZERO also come with a noise-canceling mic for distraction-free communication with your teammates. You can also raise the boom arm to mute your mic immediately.

However, despite its impressive sound quality, the GAME ZERO only offer stereo sound. This might make estimating the position of various audio cues in the game harder than with headphones with surround sound.

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Sennheiser GSP 600

A closer look at the Sennheiser GSP 600. (From: Amazon)
A closer look at the Sennheiser GSP 600. (From: Amazon)

Key features

  • Drivers: Dynamic
  • Connectivity: Wired
  • Surround Sound: No (2.1 stereo sound)
  • Compatibility: PC, Mac, mobile, PS4 / PS5, Xbox One / Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch
  • Other features: Noise-cancelling, flip-to-mute boom mic; adjustable pressure function for headband
  • Used by: Aleksey “El1an” Gusev (Free Agent), Keith “NAF” Markovic (Team Liquid), Ricky “floppy” Kemery (Complexity Gaming), René “cajunb” Borg (Retired)

Last, but not the least, the Sennheiser GSP 600 are also a go-to option for many CS:GO pros. This headset’s impressive audio quality ensures no crucial in-game detail goes unnoticed, allowing you to perform at your best.

The GSP 600 excel in their sound, with great lows that add significant impact to the sound of explosions and blasts in-game.

But don’t be fooled—the GSP 600 offer a balanced sound, without an overpowering bass. This makes it easier to detect audio cues like guns clicking and footsteps approaching and locate which direction they’re from.

However, the GSP 600’s sound quality is still lacking. Since they use stereo sound, they can’t match the positional awareness offered by other gaming headsets with surround sound.

The headset’s closed-back design further maximizes its sound output. Its passive noise isolation shuts out ambient noise, keeping you focused on your game.

The primary difference between the GSP 600 and the older GSP 500 lies in their design. The GSP 600 are closed-back and offer noise isolation, so you can minimize distractions while playing. Meanwhile, the GSP 500 are open-back, making them more prone to sound leakage.

The GSP 600 also provide undeniable comfort, with ear cups made of memory foam. The headset’s padded headband also features an adjustable pressure function to ensure a snug fit.

Lastly, the GSP 600 have an impressive boom mic that you can flip to mute yourself while playing. This noise-canceling mic also prevents background noise from being picked up, improving the clarity of your input.

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What to Consider When Choosing the Best Headset for CS:GO

Games like CS:GO emphasize using audio cues for effective gameplay. They also require constant communication with your team to meet your objectives.

As such, you will need a gaming headset that can meet these demands well.

Here are some factors to consider when choosing the best headset for CS:GO:

Sound quality

Having exceptional sound clarity is crucial when playing CS:GO. This can help you discern sounds from the environment, such as footsteps, gunshots, and reloads, giving you enough time to formulate your game plan.

Additionally, you’ll want a headset that has surround sound.

Besides giving you an immersive gaming experience, surround sound provides positional awareness. This helps you identify which direction audio cues are coming from and how close they are, which can greatly shape your strategy as you play.

Most gaming headsets use either 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound. The former uses five separate speakers and a subwoofer. Meanwhile, the 7.1. uses seven speakers plus a subwoofer, offering a more detailed soundscape.

All these lend you a significant tactical advantage, as you know what to expect and what to do based on the cues you’ve picked up.

Microphone quality

Clear and reliable communication with your teammates is vital when playing CS:GO. To this end, you’ll want a headset with excellent mic quality to help you coordinate with your team effectively, ensuring you can be heard when calling shots or issuing commands.

One feature you will need in your headset’s mic is built-in noise reduction. This filters out ambient noise, allowing your teammates to perceive your voice more clearly.

Another thing to watch out for is mic adjustability. You’ll want to be able to move the boom arm closer or further away from you so your voice remains at the perfect volume.

Having an accessible mic mute button is also a huge plus. This feature allows you to conveniently mute your audio outside of team discussions, minimizing potential sources of distraction for your teammates.

If you’re having issues with mic quality, check out this article on how to make your mic sound better.

Connectivity

Gaming headsets can be wired or wireless, and deciding which to use depends primarily on your preference.

Wired headsets generally provide a more reliable connection, with minimal interference. They also don’t require charging, so you can play as much as you want, whenever you want.

However, wired headsets can restrict movement, especially if your cable is short. They also tend to have flimsy wires, which can cause static sounds and other issues when damaged.

On the other hand, wireless headsets allow a wider range of movement. They can also easily connect to your PC via Bluetooth or USB dongle.

However, they’re limited by their reliance on batteries. You’ll need to charge your wireless headset regularly, so they won’t suddenly die on you during an important match. They’re also more likely to encounter connectivity and pairing issues from interference from other devices.

Price

When choosing a gaming headset, you might think that pricier ones probably have better quality; however, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, you pay extra only for the headphones’ brand, with their features and build quality not matching their cost.

So, it’s better to set a budget instead and select headsets within that price range. This way, you’ll also find headsets that offer substantial value for money.

Ideally, you’ll want headphones with superb sound quality to hear vital audio cues while playing CS:GO. The presence of surround sound is also a plus. Additionally, you’ll need an excellent mic for effective communication with your teammates.

Headphones emphasizing comfort while having the above features are a bang for your buck. You’ll be gaming for hours, so you want a headset you can also wear for extended periods without any problem.

Conclusion

As you can see, using the right gear in CS:GO helps you stay ahead of the game. Your favorite CS:GO players’ headsets may vary, but they share the same distinct features.

Hopefully, this article has helped you learn more about what to look for in a gaming headset to make your CS:GO gaming experience even better. We also hope we’ve helped you narrow down your choices so that you can find the best one for you.

How did you find our article? Think we covered everything to look for in headsets perfect for playing CS:GO? Drop us a line in the comments

 

💬 Conversation: 1 comment

  1. An enlightening read indeed! It’s fascinating to delve into the preferences of top CS:GO players when it comes to their gaming headsets. This article from Headphonesty provides a compelling rundown, offering valuable insight for gamers looking to elevate their gaming experience. These high-performing and comfortable headsets are clearly a significant part of their successful gaming strategy.

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