Sennheiser G4ME ONE Over-Ear Gaming Headset

I've owned these headphones and I see a lot of people using them. And that's great.. if you like them, you like them!

Looks:
I was excited to get them. They look very cool without being over the top 'gamery'

Build:
For a $150 it's kind of subpar.. but sadly imo most of Sennheisers stuff feels like this. So if you're used to that, you won't mind.

Comfort:
I kept seeing people touting how comfortable they were but I didn't seem to think so. The clamp is pretty un even, putting a lot of pressure under the ears for me. I guess I have a big head, I'm not really sure. I have more of an oval shaped face and I'm 6'1".. maybe if you're smaller this isn't an issue? I just personally have never had an issue with headphones being too small.

My biggest gripe is with the pads.. they're 'velour' but I found them extremely itchy, particularly where the pads touched my face. There's also this weird nub in the earcup (that I've seen on other sennheisers in the family they're modeled after) and the side of my ear would press against it, which was pretty annoying.

IMO comfort can get a pass because everyone is different.. but I just couldn't stand these on my head.

Sound:
This isn't my first sennheiser headphone.. there's definitely a general darker veiled highs signature that they tend to have.. but these??

I feel bad because I know somebody worked hard on these, but I have to tell the my truth.

What's confusing to me is they sound like somebody badly tuned them for gaming, but apparently this is just how which ever non-gaming headphone this sennheiser is, sounds.. which is baffling.

I always hate when people whine about average dynamic drivers rolling off sub-bass, like that's just how it is. You're not going to get 20hz with authority.. but these man. 20-120 hz is non existent. There's no lower midbass at all.. The upper midbass that is there sound muddy and muffled, mids are ok, and then outta nowhere around 2.5k things get crazy harsh, and drop back down and then peak again at 8-9k.. It's offensive.

These aren't fun sounding, they're not 'detailed but fatiguing'.. they're just bad. I had to EQ them with EQ APO severely to get them to sound DECENT.. and even then something still felt off like they were just incapable of mediocrity.

The microphone sounds good, but even that needs EQ to sound 'normal', but in comparison to most headset microphones is one of the better.

I'm just confused honestly, why everyone loves these so much, but if you do.. great, enjoy them.

I tired these for a while as a friend owns them. I have the Game Zeros and I actually like those a bit better than these. These game ones sound closest to my HD555's for gaming. They have a fairly flat and neutral sound with a decent little bass hump that makes explosions sound good in games. Being open back they inherently have a good sound stage and are pretty decent at placing enemies. They however sound a little bit veiled. Everything sounds pretty flat and nothing really pops out at you. All the details are there but you have to hunt for them a little bit. That does tend to make you turn them up a little more than other headsets. Could be a good thing or a bad thing. They have the normal smooth pleasing, non fatiguing veiled Sennheiser sound. Not to say there is anything wrong with that. They sound great for music as well and I can't say that for the Game Zero's. They pair fine with just about any surround sound software. The Razer and Creative SBX studio both sound pretty decent on these. I might actually prefer the Creative for these as it makes the details pop a little bit more than the Razer software due to the mid boost that the creative software applies.
 
This is a Copy paste from my Game One review for the mic as they have the exact same mic:
 
Now on to the mic... The mic on these sounds great... If your sound card can power it up. This mic with my Creative Sound Blaster Z might have been the absolute worst mic and sound card pairing I have ever heard. In fact once I got these my 2 year old SBZ got ripped out of my PC and thrown in a box. I have a Schiit stack now so it was time for it to go anyways as I was just using it for mic in. After researching I found that headsets all use small condenser mics that need power. Sort of like regular condenser mics that require phantom power but on a lesser scale. Usually headsets run on 'line power" between 2 and 9 volts. PC sound cards put out voltage to mics usually in the range of 2-5 volts. Most gaming headsets with tiny microphones are perfectly happy getting 2v and sound fine... However the mic on the Gzeros is a bit bigger and is pretty quiet with 2v going into it. More voltage = more sensitivity with condenser mics. Creative cards appear to only put out about 2V. With my Creative Sound Blaster Z I had to max the mic volume and mic boost to get enough volume from this mic which resulted in tons of white noise. Asus sound cards tend to put out a little more voltage to mics (Around 3V) so I would pick that over a Creative card if you are considering these headphones. I would also steer clear if you have Realtek onboard audio as all the Realtek chipsets I have tested put out about 2.2V. There are a few chipsets out there that put out 4.5V and I would assume that would be ideal for the Gzeros or G1's for that matter. Still trying to find a small USB sound card to use for mic input only that puts out 4.5V to use with the mic on these. So far I haven't been able to confirm voltage for anything other than the ones I have personally tested because that information isn't published by sound card manufacturers.

So the Game One seemed like the answer to all my gaming needs, especially as an upgrade to my ageing Logitech G430/230. An integrated volume control and mutable mic go towards this being an amazing all round headset for gaming. The build quality is very nice and I love the styling of the headset (Black/Red). The sound is very clear, compared to other gaming headsets I have used including Razer Krakens, Razer BlackSharks, Sennheiser 350SE and Sennheiser 360. They are open-back cans which really help with positional audio in games like CSGO, driven by my SoundBlaster Z, but obviously do not isolate you from external distractions (Google closed vs open headphones). I tested the microphone with both subjective recording listening and opinions of my gamer friends over voice coms such as TeamSpeak and Mumble. This mic is superior to all the previous mentioned headsets and is way beyond the needs of the average gamer and even perhaps game casters/streamers. There is a nice addition of a detachable cable which allows for a relatively cheap repair if you break the cable with a chair/kid/hover/pet; something that a lot of gaming headsets lack.  
 
I can say without a doubt this is one of, if not the best gaming headset available. But, and there is the but, my 598's are just better. Supposedly they have the same 50 ohm drivers but the technical specifications are different:
 
Game One:
15 - 28000 Hz, 94 dB Sensitivity
 
598:
12 - 38500 Hz, 112 dB Sensitivity
 
Now, this was not supposed to be a Game One vs. 598's review, but the 598 ruined the Game One for me. It’s not to say that the 598s are amazingly different because they are not night and day different. The 598’s are just a little more open and airy leading to a slightly bigger soundstage. This gives games a more immersive feeling and allows for better location of footsteps and other positional audio cues. The clamping force on the Game Ones is also harder, and again if I hadn’t used the 598’s would be fine but the 598’s are just more comfortable. The ear cups are smaller on the Game One, just small enough that they sit slightly on the ears compared to the 598’s that surrounds them. Interestingly, my 9-year-old son preferred the Game One for comfort, they seem to be almost made for smaller heads (Not that I have a big head, I’d say average sized when looking at hat/helmet sizes etc.). Musically, the Game One’s are really good compared to any other headset I’ve tried. However, again the 598’s is just a little better, with greater clarity and separation.
 
TLDR: The Game One is an all-round awesome headset, with good style, great sound quality, much more than adequate mic, convenient volume control and even a detachable cable. If you are purely into gaming and want a convenient and great sounding headset you can’t go wrong with the Game One. However, for a little bit more money and a bit of inconvenience of having separate mic/volume control. The 598 is better for gaming, and noticeably better for music and comfort.

I had initially bought the G4ME ZERO hoping they would fit the bill for me. I loved many things about them, but I just couldn't do with them being closed headphones. I found a very good deal on the G4ME ONE, and knew I had to give them a swing.
 
Features: just like the zeros, these have an easy and effective volume dial, lift-to-mute microphone, and braided cable. Unfortunately Sennheiser decided not to use the hinge system they used on the zeros for compact transport, and general adjustability.
 
Microphone: The microphone is by far the best of any gaming headset I have heard. I have had multiple people ask me which usb mic I use when it is simply the headset mic. Once again, the lift to mute feature is great as well. I wish every headset had that feature. The boom also doesn't sit in the line of sight if used correctly. 
 
EDIT: I have found a comparable mic quality (perhaps even a little better) in the V-MODA BoomPro, but it has its own set of limitations and flaws. 
 
Comfort: This is THE most comfortable gaming headset I have ever had. (The zeros were excellent, but the double layer memory foam toward the bottom pushed on my jaw.) The one's pads are a bit fuzzy (could be an itch factor for some), like most velour pads are. The headband is excellent, and the clamping force is lower than most, but they do stay on your head, barring doing jumping jacks. The best part is that they fit around my dumbo ears. VERY few headsets do that.
 
Sound: (Obviously the most important feature) Long story short, they sound half way between a. hd518, and an hd558. If you like Sennheiser, you are in luck. I personally found them to be better than cheapo headphones, and nearly every gaming headset i have tried, but I feel more depth and clarity out of the vast majority of low-end audiophile headphones. For example, the Superlux 668b blow these out of the water with depth and clarity.
 
Conclusion: As far as all-in-one gaming headsets go, these win first for me hands down. The features are exactly what I want. The mic is great, they are very comfortable, open-backed, excellent features...    These would be perfect if they carried the level of sound quality I need. The price is also a huge downside, but I got them for well under $100, so I'm happy.

First off let me say this...

This is my first review, I've decided to start somewhere between the upper echelon, and the top of the gaming headset realm.

Sennheiser being my choice for gaming, I rounded up the numbers of very satisfied, loyalists to the brand. Come to find out, their needs differ entirely from mine, although I do enjoy a finely, tuned machine that serves form & function, over aesthetics. I purchased the G4ME ONE headset on a whim, knowing my Tritton 5.1's were on their last, very last leg. I got tired of constantly adjusting the bulky almost robotic medium fit headset to sit comfortably on my ears. The faux leather ear pads softened up over the 2.5 years I owned them - which I kinda got used to. Another thing that forced me to search for a new competitive gaming headset was the constant need/use for a microphone in online gameplay. I could've taken other measures and wrapped a bluetooth, or integrated modmic somewhere and made due, but again, I went out on a limb this time....

So back in April, I started researching the most outstanding gaming headsets that money could buy, yada yada yaa...

I came across the probably more useful 7.1 Sennheiser PC 363 series, and they seemed like the proper candidate for headphone replacement, it's just that it's included external USB card wouldn't be compatible for my console gaming setup. Damn, oh well. So now back to the drawing board...

Sennheiser just recently updated their product line-up for the 2014 year. The G4ME ZERO & ONE were released, I figured what the hell, seems legit. I immediately honed in on the specifications for both and realized I would need a solid, dedicated external amp to extract the utmost from these cans. I looked into ASUS, Creative Labs, and a few other competitors. Again, I'm not really inclined to stereo headphones versus your more modern "surround" headphones, I think after owning the Trittons, with that 5.1 field of aural soundstage - I really thought they would be tough to beat. I chose the G4ME ONE initially because of the brand pedigree Sennheiser has. Secondly, the fit on these cans are pretty snug and unnoticeable after several hours of intense gaming. I will add the minor disappointment, comes from the lack of solid dedicated drivers. I really wanted these cans to punch me in the drums, and show me some depth.  Wishful thinking again, not working. Well, after taking these for a test drive through just basic mic hookup, I finally wound up choosing the Astro Mixamp Pro 2013 7.1 as a quick solution fix to drive these guys, and I can really start to tell a difference in the enhanced sound the G4ME ONE's deliver.

Overall, these guys really only get a 4. At $190 they leave me expecting much more than I had hoped.

I just really wish, these things had more depth over clarity. The stereo sound is great - dialogue superb. There's just no dimensional accuracy, and no sense of audio submersion in the acoustical environment your viewing.