BIOS: Technology Means Business

Pitched as the ultimate headset for online games and LAN events, the PC 160 is Sennheiser’s answer for discerning gamers. If Sennheiser makes a bad headset, we've yet to see it. Unfortunately, you'll generally feel the price of that quality where it hurts most - in the wallet. The good new is that the company’s latest product costs just $80 (£45).

The new headset is designed for ‘professional’ gamers and was developed in close cooperation with people from SK-Gaming, the most successful gaming team worldwide. The members of SK provided detailed input and requirements for the ‘ultimate gaming headset’, claims Sennheiser.

‘Before you see, you hear’ is the company’s philosophy, meaning that in a computer game, you will get wiped-out of the game if you don’t listen. The headset sports XXL-size speakers and an open-air speaker system that provide superior sound acoustics.

’This headset will be at the top of every pro gamer’s wish list,’ says Bill Whearty, Vice President, Sennheiser Communications at Sennheiser Electronic. ‘This headset is made for gaming, the sound is superior, it’s comfortable to wear, and it’s made so robust that it can withstand also a close, dense and even match,’ said Whearty, knowing how players treat their computer peripherals in the middle of a Counter Strike or War Craft battlefield.

The PC 160 promises true-to-life sound for superior gaming performance. It also features large speakers with newly designed ear caps, improved, more durable microphone housing, and stronger cable, as well as leatherette headband pad.

The slim mic boom swings nearly 180 degrees and unobtrusively parallels the curves of the headband when folded up. Meanwhile, the unit’s permanently mounted audio cable connects to just one of the pads - the left - thus freeing your right ear and chin/upper-chest region of annoying wires.

Other features include 360-degree surround sound, adjustable, bendable and pivotable noise cancelling microphone, in-line volume control/microphone mute switch, extra thick single-sided cable and headband adjustable on both sides. The headphones can also be used with regular CD/DVD/MP3 players. The headset has a frequency response of 15- to 23,000Hz, while the microphone has a frequency response of 80- to 15,000Hz.

Sporting 3.5mm audio-in and audio-out plugs for connecting to a soundcard, the unit's cable is nice and long at nearly 10 feet. This could be a bit too long for some users, but cable differs from those of Sennheiser's pricier Pro-Gaming USB headsets in that it doesn't include a USB connection and it doesn't incorporate a spool for reeling in the extra length. It does, however, feature a control pod with a volume-control wheel and a mic mute switch.

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