Xbox Stereo Headset Headphones Review

The Xbox Stereo Headset looks nearly identical to the Xbox Wireless Headset. Instead of green accents around the ear cups, the cable is neon green. Otherwise, the headset is mostly made of black plastic. The mic can't retract, but you can wrap it around the ear cup when you're not using it.

The Xbox Stereo Headset has a comfortable fit. The ear cups are spacious, and the faux leather padding feels nice on the skin. The headband doesn't clamp too tightly either, so you shouldn't experience too much fatigue if you're wearing them for long periods. However, the ear cups have no range of motion. We also noticed that our unit's hinges are hard to move, so you may have to remove them from your head to adjust their fit. This issue may be limited to our unit, though.

The Xbox Stereo Headset has mediocre controls. It's very similar to the Xbox Wireless Headset and is easy to use, although now it lacks channel mixing, which some users may find disappointing. The mute button is clicky, and there's a red sticker to indicate when you're muted. There are also stops when you've reached min and max volume.

On the left ear cup:

• Button: Mutes and unmutes the mic.

On the right ear cup:

• Dial: Adjusts the volume.

The Xbox Stereo Headset has okay breathability. It has an over-ear design, so it traps in some heat, which could make you sweat more than normal. However, it shouldn't be too problematic if you're gaming on your couch.

This headset has disappointing portability, which is to be expected from most gaming headphones. It's bulky and can't fold into a more compact shape. It also doesn't come with a carrying case to help protect it when you're on the go.

The Xbox Stereo Headset has a good build quality. The headband has faux leather padding with a metal band inside to help reinforce the frame. The hinges and yokes also feel solid, while the padding feels good against your skin. Like most gaming headphones, it lacks an IP rating for dust or water resistance, though. However, it should survive a couple of accidental falls or impacts without taking too much damage. Unlike the Xbox Wireless Headset, we also didn't notice any creaking or grinding noises around both ear cups.

The Xbox Stereo Headset has decent stability. This headset should stay put on your head while you're gaming from your couch. However, it can fall off your head with more intense movements since it isn't designed for sports.

• Xbox Stereo Headset
• Manuals

This headset has a very bass-heavy sound profile. While it's not as overwhelming as the Xbox Wireless Headset, it still delivers intense boom, which some users may find muddies their mixes. Vocals and lead instruments are also veiled and dark. Unfortunately, it lacks an EQ to help you customize its sound to your liking.

The Xbox Stereo Headset's frequency response consistency performance is disappointing. Bass and treble delivery can vary greatly and is sensitive to the fit, seal, and positioning of the headset. If you have thick hair or wear glasses, you may be especially prone to hearing a drop in bass.

The bass accuracy of the Xbox Stereo Headset is okay. It's overemphasized across the range, so your mixes have extra thump, rumble, and boom. However, some users may find this sounds overly boomy and muddy.

Note: Bass delivery can vary depending on fit, seal, and positioning. Our results represent the average bass response, and your experience may differ.

The mid accuracy of this headset is decent. There's some overemphasis that extends from the bass range into the low-mid, which can make your mixes sound cluttered and muddy. The mid-mid is fairly flat and neutral in comparison, so vocals and lead instruments are present. However, the dip in the high-mid weakens these sounds and can make them sound distant.

The Xbox Stereo Headset has poor treble accuracy. It's underemphasized across the range, so vocals and lead instruments sound very veiled and lacking in detail. Sibilants like S and T sounds are slightly dulled.

Note: Treble delivery can vary across users depending on the headset's fit, seal, and positioning. Our results represent the average treble response, and your experience may vary.

The Xbox Stereo Headset's peaks and dips performance is acceptable. A small dip in the low-bass affects the left driver more than the right, which lessens thump and rumble. However, both drivers experience a peak in the high-bass, adding extra boom to mixes. A dip in the low-mid slightly thins out vocals and lead instruments, while a peak between the mid to high-mid pushes them forward and slightly harshens them. A large dip in the low-treble veils and darkens the upper harmonics of vocals and lead instruments, and a steep peak in the mid-treble turns sibilants like cymbals piercing.

The Xbox Stereo Headset has a decent imaging performance. Although there are a couple of small peaks in the group delay's bass range, they're minor, and most of the group delay otherwise falls below the audibility threshold. This results in fairly tight bass and transparent treble. However, there are a few peaks above the audibility threshold in the phase response, which you can hear in regular audio. There is also an audible difference between both drivers from the mid-bass up to the mid-range as the right driver sounds louder than the left driver. On the upside, the L/R drivers are well-matched in amplitude and frequency response, which helps the balance and stability of the stereo image. Our results are only valid for our unit, though, and yours may perform differently.

The Xbox Stereo Headset's passive soundstage is poor. Like other closed-back headsets such as the Xbox Wireless Headset, its soundstage seems unnatural, closed-off, and small. Audio also feels like it's coming from inside your head, rather than from speakers placed in the room around you.

This headset is compatible with Windows Sonic Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X. It's fairly easy to enable Windows Sonic Spatial Audio on an Xbox console by going into your Xbox's settings. If you want to use Window Sonic Spatial Audio on PC, you need to connect an Xbox controller to the PC and connect the controller to the headset. Then, you can go to the 'Windows Sound Settings' page and enable this feature.

The Xbox Stereo Headset is also compatible with DTS:X and Dolby Atmos. However, you need to purchase a license to use these features, and it seems to only be available on Xbox consoles. You can find the instructions on how to access these features here. While we couldn't find any information regarding whether this headset supports Dolby Atmos when connected to a PC, we're looking into this issue and will update the review if necessary.

The Xbox Stereo Headset's weighted harmonic distortion performance is okay. There's a peak from the high-mid to low-treble range at normal listening volumes, which may be audible with real-life content and could affect the purity of your audio. However, the rest of the frequencies fall within good levels.

These are the settings used to test this headset. Our results are only valid in this configuration.

The Xbox Stereo Headset has a poor noise isolation performance. It struggles to block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines. It's somewhat better at reducing office chatter, though it may not be enough if you work in a busy environment, and it can block out a lot of high-pitched noises such as the hum of an AC unit.

The Xbox Stereo Headset has a good leakage performance. It leaks across the range, but it falls below the noise level of an average office. If you like to listen to audio at high volumes, it's unlikely to bother others around you unless you're in a quiet environment.

The boom mic has a great recording quality. Your voice sounds clear, natural, and easy to understand.

The boom mic has a sub-par noise handling performance. It has a lot of trouble separating your voice from moderate ambient noise around you. Your voice may be drowned out if you're gaming near an open window with noise such as traffic.

The Xbox Stereo Headset is compatible with Xbox Accessories software on PC, but you can't change any of its settings, which is a little disappointing. To connect to this software, you need an Xbox controller that's connected to the headset for it to be detected. Once the controller is connected to your PC, the headset appears.

If you want to enable the virtual soundstage feature, Windows Sonic Spatial Audio, on PC, you need to connect an Xbox controller to the PC as well as connect the controller to the headset. Then, you can go to the 'Windows Sound Settings' page and enable this feature. This headset is also compatible with DTS:X and Dolby Atmos. However, you need to purchase a license to use these features, and it seems to only be available on Xbox consoles. However, we are looking into this.

This headset has a non-detachable 1/8" TRRS cable, which you can use on all devices that have an AUX port.

This headset can connect to PCs using its 1/8" TRRS cable with full audio and mic compatibility. However, it can't connect to PCs in any other way.

The Xbox Stereo Headset can only connect to PS4 and PS5 consoles when you plug their non-detachable audio cable into your PlayStation controller's AUX port. This connection allows full audio and mic compatibility.

The Xbox Stereo Headset can only connect to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles via analog. When plugged into your controller's AUX port, you have full audio and mic compatibility.