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Sennheiser GSP 670 Wireless Surround Sound Gaming Headset Review

Christopher Coke Posted:
Category:
Hardware Reviews 0

Sennheiser is one of the most respected names in consumer audio and they’ve spent the last three years delivering new entries in their line of GSP gaming headsets. They’ve been well received so far. In fact, we’ve reviewed three of them ourselves. This summer, the company released their new flagship and first-ever wireless gaming headset with the GSP 670. It’s wholly premium, coming in at $349.95, but does it do enough to stand out from the competition and justify it’s more expensive price point? Join us as we find out.

Specifications

  • Current Price: $349.95
  • Connector: USB cable
  • Frequency response (Microphone): 10–7,300 Hz
  • Frequency response (Headphones): 10–23,000 Hz
  • Sound pressure level (SPL): 112 dB
  • Ear coupling: Over-Ear
  • Cable length: 1.5 m USB cable
  • Transducer principle: Dynamic, closed
  • Weight: 398g
  • Range: 10 meter wireless
  • Pick-up pattern: Bi-directional ECM
  • Microphone sensitivity: -47 dBV/PA
  • Bluetooth: 5.0 SBC
  • Supported operating systems: Windows 10
  • Battery time: 16-20 Hours
  • Warranty: 2 years international

Sennheiser’s GSP line-up is wide-spanning. In my research before this review, I found that you can get their entry-level GSP 300 for as low as $87.99 or go for their highest end, the GSP 670, at more than triple that price. It’s clear that they’re out to provide an option for every kind of gamer. Our experience with the GSP 302 proved that you don’t have to spend more than $100 to get a great Sennheiser gaming headset. As you go up in price, you also go up in features and design elements, but I think it’s fair to say that there’s value up and down this line, particularly if you’re already a fan of Sennheiser.

The GSP 670 sits atop the product stack and offers the best the GSP line-up has to offer in every way. Starting with the physical design, it’s very reminiscent of the GSP 500 and 600, featuring the same industrial, futuristic design. Sennheiser strikes an expert balance between an edginess in style and the clean, understated trend that’s currently in vogue. I love the black on black look; with a quick glance, you could miss the gamer-trim entirely but with a closer look find plentiful find details, like the subtle mix of gloss and matte, the fins rimming the front edge of each ear cup, or the hidden volume wheel on the right.

The defining feature is, of course, the wireless connectivity. The GSP 670 offers dual wireless audio connections through Bluetooth 5.0 (a boon to battery life and future-proofing) and wireless 2.4 GHz with the included USB Type-A Dongle. I was hopeful that this would mean I could take calls while gaming or pipe through music from my phone but instead the connections auto-switch. If you’re playing a game and a call comes through, the headset switches, allows you to take the call, and then automatically restores your game audio. It’s not the best but it works well and, to be fair, I usually pause the game when a call comes through anyway.

Battery life is good at 16 - 20 hours though it’s important to note that this appears to be found at a lower volume than I typically listen. At 80-90% volume, I can closer to 12 hours before needing a recharge and I suspect many users will find the same. The GSP 670s are quieter than I expected and 50% is closer to 30% on most other gaming headsets, 90% closer to 70%. The headphones can get plenty loud but there’s a trade-off in battery life to push them that high.

These ear cushions are comfortable and offer excellent sound isolation

The audio quality even across wireless is exceptional. The headphones are able to achieve a frequency response range of 10 Hz - 23kHz. Compared to most wireless headsets which run at 20 - 20000 Hz, the GSP 670s offer a range that extends beyond the typical scope of human hearing. While this might seem without purpose on the surface, it’s actually a wise move and a key selling point. Many headsets, especially when wireless, will experience distortion at the outer edges of their frequency range, losing accuracy and sound quality. By extending that range, the GSP 670s ensure that, should there be any distortion, you’ll never be able to hear it, guaranteeing a clear, fantastic sound.

That Sennheiser has delivered yet another great-sounding headset should come as no surprise. That’s been the case with all of their gaming headsets I’ve had the pleasure of trying and, frankly, at this price, you should expect no less. It’s rich, warm, and detailed. The bass has been elevated to provide a big, full sound with a lot of punch. Mids and treble hide nothing, which is great for competitive games, yes, but also for immersive RPGs when the soundscape is a core piece of drawing you into the experience. Out of the box, the soundstage is rather small, which goes with the territory with closed-back headphones, but thankfully, the 670s have another trick up their sleeve.

By downloading the Sennheiser Gaming Suite, you can completely customize the sound profile of the headset and enable some of the best virtual 7.1 surround sound you’ll find on a pair of gaming headphones. Even without software, the headphones offer great positionality but turning on surround sound completely opens the soundstage and dials in sounds from all around you. The built-in equalizer presets are also quite good, especially the eSports setting. It absolutely draws out footsteps (admittedly at the expense of overall sound balance) which is great for gaining a competitive edge. Another neat and unique feature is the ability to dial in the amount of reverb rolled into the surround sound algorithm. Given how many headsets seem to equate surround sound to “LOTS OF REVERB,” it’s great to be able to dial it in just enough to achieve a wide soundscape with no positional loss.

The software package also allows you to fine tune the microphone. For a wireless mic, it’s very good. There’s some compression, though not much, and it did a good job of capturing the bass and mids in my voice, though it did have a sharpness I didn’t enjoy. Compared to the GSP 500 and 600, it’s not as warm, but considering that there’s no wire, it’s still quite good. I also like that you can mute the mic simply by tilting the boom arm up and that there’s an audible click when you’ve muted or unmuted.

The software allows you to choose between warm, clear, and no preset, though they all sounded very close. You can adjust your microphone gain, the amount of sidetone, and even set a noise gate to block out unwanted background noise. More important, and the real gem, is the ambient noise cancellation. Most gaming headsets suffer from terrible compression when this is applied and the GSP 670 is no exception at its highest setting. Thankfully, simply turning it on at all does a remarkable job of cutting out background noise with no audible impact on your voice. It’s simply one of the best solutions I’ve ever come across.

Despite being wireless, Sennheiser has done a good job of keeping weight in check. In fact, it’s only 3 grams heavier than the GSP 600, which feels identical on the head. Sennheiser has also added some additional padding on the headband for added comfort. It’s heavy enough where I need a break after several hours thanks to a sore spot on the top of my head but it’s an improvement over the GSP 600 and I suspect my close-cropped haircut isn’t helping things. As always, your mileage may vary.

All of that said, there is at least one thing that really started to bother me. When it’s not being used, the headset will regularly reaffirm its connection to the dongle with a few seconds of white noise. I’ll often leave headsets on while writing or browsing the web and it’s grating to have the headset turn itself on and hiss every few minutes. This doesn’t happen while gaming and there’s no hiss when it’s normally sending audio but still, can’t it do this quietly?

Final Thoughts

For $349, the GSP 670s clearly are not for everybody. They’re a prestige gaming headset if ever there was one, right up there with the Audeze Mobius in terms of price to performance. I really enjoyed their character  for music and movies but with surround sound enabled, they just open up. They’re also one of the only wireless headsets I think would be fine to stream or podcast with. That said, they’re gamerish enough that you won’t be wearing them out of the house, so their use case is limited. Likewise, they lack features  like dual audio streaming to take calls while still hearing your game audio. These weren’t deal breakers for me, nor was the grating hissing every few minutes when they weren’t being used. Given the price, however, they’re certainly worth considering before making a final decision.

Pros

  • Great stereo audio with good positionality
  • Some of the best virtual surround you’ll find, complete with reverb control
  • Sleek look that’s at once gamerish and understated
  • Very good wireless mic
  • Dual Bluetooth 5.0 and 2.4GHz connectivity

Cons

  • Non-detachable mic
  • Audible hiss periodically when not in use
  • Fairly heavy
  • Quite expensive

The product described in this review was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.


GameByNight

Christopher Coke

Chris cut his teeth on MMOs in the late 90s with text-based MUDs. He’s written about video games for many different sites but has made MMORPG his home since 2013. Today, he acts as Hardware and Technology Editor, lead tech reviewer, and continues to love and write about games every chance he gets. Follow him on Twitter: @GameByNight