Sennheiser Communications PC 333D G4ME Review
Sennheiser Communications PC 333D G4ME Review
Posted 02/03/2011 at 11:19am
| by Alex Castle
8
Comments
Print
This gaming headset offers gorgeous sound, but at what price?
Sennheiser isn’t a name you usually associate with gaming headsets—the company hasn’t, after all, traditionally been a player in that market, and its entry into it hasn’t come with much fanfare. All the same, we were pretty psyched when our review unit of the company’s new G4ME 333D headset came in.
The PC 333D G4ME offers great sound for little heads.
Gaming headset pedigree or no, Sennheiser is known for making some of the best headphones around. In one respect, we weren’t disappointed. The PC 333D is, hands down, the best-sounding gaming headset we’ve ever tested. For gaming, the sound quality and 3D positioning are fantastic. Even for music, the PC 333D is fantastic, with a phenomenal dynamic range, crystal-clear highs and lows that are powerful without being muddy. It is, in short, the best sound quality you’re going to find in a gaming headset.
Construction is decent overall, if a bit plasticky, and features a “dj hinge,” which lets you swivel the right can forward or backward about 45 degrees so you can keep one ear free to hear your environment. Another cool feature of the 333D is the microphone boom, which automatically mutes your mic when it’s swiveled to the upright position. The set can be used with analogue jacks, or as a USB device with the included external USB soundcard—a feature we always appreciate.
Unfortunately, there’s one big drawback to the PC 333D: It’s too tight. The foam around the ear cup is not the softest, and the set clamps down very hard on your head, leading to sore ears at best and a sinus pressure–like headache at worst. We passed the 333D around at the office, and the folks with larger heads reported that the snugness was enough to make using the headphones extremely unpleasant. Those with smaller heads weren’t bothered much. Thus, we’re giving the 333D headset high marks for amazing sound and good features, but with a warning: Don’t buy this product if you’ve got a big noggin, and if you do buy it, get it from someplace with a good return policy.
Sennheiser Communications PC 333D G4ME
CALCULON
Unrivaled sound quality; includes external USB audio dongle; convenient auto-mute boom.
CLAMPS
Set is too tight to be comfortable on medium to large heads; plasticky construction
8
More like this
8
Comments
zigojacko
February 22, 2011 at 10:29am
I've got a Sennheiser set of headphones for mixing (dj) - they make awesome dj headphones but this pair also take my fancy, they look mental and they price themselves on quality so would expect the same with this pair. Will have to get these added to my shopping list methinks! :D
zepontiff
February 04, 2011 at 11:04am
While i agree they have been a player for sometime as my first set of headsets were senns like 8 years ago, the review told me enough as I have some of those logitech wireless gaming headsets and they grasp my head fairly firmly and become uncomfortable after an hour or two. So far my first pair of Medusa's have been the most comfortable. Their design changed a little bit and I don't like my second pair as much.
jihnn
February 03, 2011 at 5:33pm
i have had my sennheiser headset maybe 4 years, i do not have a clue as to the model, they cost about $130 back then.
they are some of the best. when friends try them out they wish theirs were as good.
only problem, if you can call it that after all these years is the foam air diffuser on the mic is a little loose, every now and again i find it on the floor after a gaming session.
i bought these because of the solid rep they had in the gaming community, sennheiser has always been in the forefront of the gaming headset community.
joeking
February 03, 2011 at 4:48pm
"Sennheiser isn’t a name you usually associate with gaming headsets—the company hasn’t, after all, traditionally been a player in that market, and its entry into it hasn’t come with much fanfare."
This statement is completely, 100% false - it's laughable how out of touch you are with the gaming community.
Ever hear of the PC151's? One of the most popular headsets in the past 5 years, go check out the hundreds of reviews on newegg. It's been used and endorsed by many popular professional gaming teams. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
PC350's are another popular brand. So popular in fact - Asus and Sennheiser teamed up and made the "Xonar Xense" bundle. Go look it up.
PC360's, their flagship model, co-developed by another professional gaming team.
Sennheiser has been a player in this market since the market existed. They've garnered much fanfare from gamers and the name Sennheiser has always been associated with quality headphones/headsets.
I swear, some of you guys at MaxPC are so blatantly clueless it's like you live in a alternate reality.
Chronikas
February 03, 2011 at 8:06pm
I'm inclined to agree with joeking. Sennheiser has been active in the gaming headset market for quite a while now. Furthermore, your "review" tells us very little about the actual quality or specs of these cans. "The best sound in a gaming headset ever?" Really? And your reference is? I'd bet my left nut that Beyerdynamic's MMX 300 exceeds any gaming headset Senn has ever offered. You guys should really do more homework before posting advertorial garbage like this.
joeking
February 04, 2011 at 1:56am
I mean.. to be fare.. MaxPC is a magazine publication. Since they have limited space to compose a review, its never going to be as detailed and thourough as a review on any of those tech websites. He just has a completely wrong impression about Sennheiser, that's all.
smashingpumpin
February 04, 2011 at 5:14am
Same here... They must've forgot about good 'ol Sennheiser HD 202's (Yep, it's not a headset but gamers still use it with standalone mics) which is currently out of stock and is still NewEgg's most reviewed headphone to date (currently at 795 reviews). No doubt they've been used for gaming this past 6+ years. I for one used a now retired yet still functional HD 212 Pro (needs new earpads) for years.
Talking about headsets... Why IS MAXPC taking too damn long to review ASTRO A4's!!!???
mikeart03a
February 06, 2011 at 7:11am
I have to agree, I love my 202s if not a little tight for certain people (Fiancee found it too tight for her and she has a smaller head). Great sound quality and built just right for blocking out those annoyingly loud teenagers on the city bus!
Connect with MaximumPC
Featured Content
The gang discusses the GTX 690, Trinity, Ivy Bridge, Amazon, big-box stores, MMOs,...
This month's issue
Feature
Build a PC On Any Budget
Feature
Cloud Services Showdown
How-To
Encrypt Your External Drive
Build It
Upgrade an X58 Rig
Most Commented Articles
Latest Max PC Tweets
- maximumpc: Original RickRoll Video Returns to YouTube After 24-Hour Copyright Hiatus http://t.co/MaH9Sxyy2 days 6 hours ago
- maximumpc: Corsair has decided not to go forward with its $78 million IPO, citing weak equity market conditions http://t.co/A5a4DAzj2 days 7 hours ago
- maximumpc: Want to work at Maximum PC? Our Online Managing Editor, Alex, is moving away, so we need a new one. http://t.co/9Z7JCh0E4 days 4 hours ago
