Sennheiser’s PC 360 headset lives up to what one would expect from a high end gaming headset. It comes out of the box with no extra pieces to worry about, no adaptors required, just the headset. I spent 24 hours trying to run this piece of “pro gamer equipment” into the ground to see if it was worth the reputation Sennheiser claimed, and the price tag they’ve put on it.

The test began by plugging it into my iPhone for my bus ride home. The mic plug just dangled loose, and the three meters of cord hung out of my jacket. As an added bonus, the headphones announced to the world that I was more than a little bit of a geek, as the mic stands up at the side like an antenna. Okay, they aren’t meant to be used as normal headphones so this isn’t really a huge mark against it. That, and the music sounded better than it ever had from my crappy earbuds. The kicker: now I know how bad the quality of some of my mp3s is.

At home and plugged in, the headset meant I could crank up the sound without having to worry about waking up my significant other. As a crappy Starcraft 2 player, I didn’t expect a revelatory event whereupon I was suddenly winning all of my matches. What I was treated to, however, was a more focused game then I have ever had.

External sound is muffled, though its not entirely blocked out, and the bass is as good as my current sound system. The long cord I had feared led to derision on my ride home was now an asset, since my computer uses a TV on the wall for a monitor and sitting too close would have left my eyes as burned out holes in my head. The headset’s surround sound was effective, and allowed me to determine where my troops were being slaughtered. It took a little bit of getting used to not hearing my own voice echoed back though the headset. Once I got used to it, though, the team of four we had was able to coordinate and minimize what would have been otherwise a drastic losing streak.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a more enjoyable time being thoroughly trounced.

After a late night I tried out the headset at work the following day; using it on both Skype and to listen to music during some time balancing budgets. In a much more private setting, the obviously gamer style of the headphones wasn’t going to be the subject of any ridicule. They also work great for keeping those Skype calls private, and keeping ambient office noise out of your conversations. After wearing them for the better part of a full day my ears barely even noticed they weren’t open to the air. Bottom line: the headphones are great, but not my choice for everyday usage.

Pros:
• Comfortable with soft velvety cushioning.
• High quality, durable construction reflected in a unique gamer style.
• Perfect sound to listen to each death with; an excellent choice for gamers.

Cons:
• Price point is a bit higher than what most people are comfortable with for a headset they won’t use everywhere.
• Limited usage; not really for use with your day-to-day life and incompatible with console systems.