Microsoft - Xbox Wireless Headset (2021 Model)

I have a massive head, my hat size is 7-7/8. When I try on hats in a store they're uncomfortably tight. I've had this headset now for 4 years and it fits amazingly and I've seen no signs of stress cracks or anything like that in the headband. I also haven't noticed any delamination in the ear cups. However I also take really good care of my electronics.

How “constant” are yours? I’ve had mine about a year now and I only get an occasional crackle/pop when something big happens like the jump scares screen siezures in Alan Wake or multiple explosions right next to me in a game like Battlefield, and even then it has no issues more often than I get those. I can recognize that MS has a history of cheaping out on pieces for accessories, so I wouldn’t be surprised to hear headset issues are as common as the controller hardware issues.

Do you think there’s a lot of unsold Gen 1 headsets out there that could get discounted? I may recommend picking up discounted Gen 1’s to some friends looking for a good new headset for a lower-than-typical price and I know the Gen 1s are still really great.

I don’t get audio cut outs, but sometimes my mixers stop working so I can’t change the game and chat volume. I usually have to turn them off and back on to get the mixers working again. Other than that I love them

Well, I have the first generation headset and I don't really see any signs of wear on the plastic. The fake leather is peeling off but you can order a new one. But in the end it just depends on how you deal with it and how much luck you have, I guess.

You had to EQ the f out of the previous iteration, as well.

I have the previous official set and the 5x, the 5x is much better.

I absolutely love the first model. Like everyone at the internet, I need constant stimulation so i can play Xbox, and watch YouTube on my phone, without having to sacrifice talking to my friends it’s great!!! Btw my wood chip floor is getting a little stale and could you also refill my water please I drank all the stuff that was in that big hamster feeder in my enrichment enclosure /s

The physical quality of the last one was a joke in my experience.

The volume control got off track somehow after a few months and eventually the glue gave out. Thankfully there is still a volume knob under the outer shell I can use.

Maybe bad pair. In general my things stay in good condition.

A little louder? My original xwh is extremely loud when turned on fully, I can literally play with them resting on my neck.

I found that game to be quiet actually now that you mention it, I have to have my headphone louder than normal

Won’t need these as mine as still flawless

Had the original Wireless headset but the pop/crackle and sound cutouts got to be too much. Anyone tried the new version to see if it still has that issue? If they fixed the connection issue with audio, I would buy the new version. I really did like the OG headset except the sound cutting out or sounding choppy.

I had the previous gen, and I liked it a lot while it was working, but the mute button somehow stopped being clickable and I was never able to use it again without it flipping itself back and forth. Which obviously was a headache playing with a friend. Also, Idk if it’s the Xbox series s having issues with wireless mics or what, but I always have a choppy connection even though my internet is great and I’ve always used highly rated mics. My ps5 cheap headset has always worked fine

Ok so then it’s the same issue that we all have. I have the original black and I also bought the Starfield version and for whatever reason the Starfield version does it more often. Sometimes restarting the game or the Xbox fixes it

I used to have those audio cutouts earlier in the year when I lived in a smaller place (apartment). I've had 0 issues ever since I moved to a bigger place a few months ago (house). I assume there was some kind of interference with the neighbors when I lived in the apartment and that caused the cutouts.

My Xbox wireless headset is holding up extremely well over last 2 years. It’s a closed back design that he won’t be able to hear sounds around him when it’s on, and comfortable for my bigger head and wider ears. It can connect for just sound to the pc and sound great wirelessly. It u try to use it with a mic on pc the quality drops. The fix is to plug it in. So if hes prone to ripping out cords or won’t like that it might be an issue. It also can connect to a second device thru Bluetooth like a phone. Listen to music, while connected to pc with cable, and once set up auto connects well and intuitively. 1 second press to turn on or off. And a different button to mute mic or unmute. With a small light at the end of the flexible microphone that shows it’s now ON when bright. And when you turn it on it can just connect to pc and then phone automatically after setup in one easy shot (with my iPhone. And I can’t answer for android) leather ear cups that havnt worn much for me. But get a little warm. And headstrap that occasionally has to be pulled back up off of the head or moved an inch to relieve pressure. This may or may not be worse with a smaller head. It does adjust and I can’t try that. It’s heavy enough to feel quality but I havnt had problems with inertia when swinging my head. A hyperactive child may need a lighter style or it will bug them. Easy volume control with turning the entire ear cuff that always blows my mind even today. I’ve never dropped mine I do not know the durability of that aspect, it isn’t slippery and sticks to surfaces well without sliding when laying flat on a desk because of the leather. 100 dollars Amazon In the USA. Any questions just ask. I would buy another if it broke today. Quick edit ~ it sounds fantastic to me both music and games. And microphone has never had complaints from anybody. Always heard clearly. I like the sound better than a set of nice new AirPods which are very good. But one last warning if you need to talk to him to get his attention and can’t just tap his shoulder easily. You may want open back designed that lets more outside noise enter. Most people prefer one or the other they both sound quite a bit different like a theater versus a stage almost and personal preference can lean one way. AirPods are closed back if you have a pair for him to try. I really do compare the Xbox headset sound to AirPods closely. With AirPods winning in convenience of use.

I hope that they fixed the broken mic monitoring levels with this one. I pre-ordered the original because I was pretty sure it was exactly what I was looking for. It was. I never way except for one that ended up being a dela breaker: the complete lack of mic monitoring. Even on the highest setting I still couldn't hear my own voice which resulted in my shouting which is why mic monitoring exists. I was told by M$ that mine was flawed as it wasn't supposed to be this way. Two exchanges and a year or so later (I was holding out hoping that a firmware update would fix the issue but never did) I finally gave up on the thing. It was sad because I really like the simplicity and the innovative adjustment knobs being the entire side of the can was incredible and at that price point it was a winner. Other than the one flaw. The only other issue I had, and it may be related, was that the mic boom didn't extend far enough. Maybe if you have a very small head it protruded far enough to reach your mouth. Me being a fully formed adult though it came to about the mid point of my cheek. There's a chance that this also caused my muffled voice but those on the other end said my voice sounded fine so I doubt it. My hope is that they fixed this issue with the new one as that's all I wanted. I read that the boom has been extended so, even if they made no other changes to the mic monitoring, it may help the issue. Ideally they cranked up the mic monitoring volume too since they have adjustments. It never made sense that the highest possible setting was still lower than every other headset on the market's lowest setting. Why have settings if you can barely even hear it on the highest? I'm pre-ordering this right now because I'm tired of my Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 and it's horrid connectivity issues. It only connects probably 50% or so of the time when initially powered on and requires being powered down and back on to get it to connect. Then, once connected, it will regularly start to break up and cut out. It never fully drops the connection like the Stealth Ultra Controller does (I'd rather have the headset drop the connection fully mid-game than the controller but I didn't get that choice) but the constant breaking up is something I'm not willing to put up with anymore. I digress. Hoping this new refreshed version of the 1st party headset is the answer to my (relatively low) needs.

I loved mine but the cups degraded over time and eventually came off, but I still carried on using them by the headphones keeping them in place. Then the Xbox audio would start leaking through even when the dial was turned all the way to Bluetooth-only. Then the power button started wearing as well and now is completely broken so I can’t even turn it on (I believe the spring inside is broken). The cups should hopefully be easy to replace, but I’m sad to see that this newer has the same power button as the original as that’s likely going to break just easily. Really hope I can repair mine instead of having to buy this as a replacement, especially as I loved the convenience of being able to seamlessly switch between box and PC (though I was one of the many who was frustrated by it turning the Xbox on when I only turned them on for the PC). These look and sound like they should be an improvement, but I doubt they’ll have fixed any of those issues.

Unfortunately mine is outside of warranty so I know it’ll likely be a battle, but wouldn’t hurt to try I suppose.

I had one of the originals. Mic snapped off within a few months. Just sitting in my drawer. Sometimes I’d throw a cable or a folder or something on top of it but nothing out of the ordinary that should have caused much stress. That kind of turned me off from them but the actual audio quality for the price seemed decent.

I pre-ordered the original, so have it a good while as well. It's a fantastic headset. I switch between DTS for games and Dolby for movies. For the price of it, it's perfect.

Honestly love the “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” approach. Just make some small upgrades to things like battery life and release it again. Mine original pair is still going strong, but I’d grab these in a heartbeat whenever they die. I’ve easily gotten my money’s worth out of them at this point.

Do these fall apart like the v1? Whole outer ear part fell right off on mine.

Did they ever fix the mic monitoring? You could barely hear yourself taking while playing a game and chatting. The only reason I returned the original

It's not possible. The dongle crash the connection each time you try to connect. You are forced to use bluetoth over 14000 hz sadly. This is a regresion from the previus version of headsets.

Not compatible, so you have to use bad sound quality.

I really love the original, but it gets painful while wearing glasses. Never had that issue with Turtle Beach products. Curious to see if that is better with this new model.

Am I missing something, or did Microsoft not include a charging cable with the new headset? Mine arrived a couple days ago, and I was really excited until I realized it didn't include a way to charge them up. I don't want to void my warranty by using any old random usb-c cord I have laying around. However, if that is my only option so be it. Talk about cutting a corner. Smh.

Mine is working fine. I am getting audio from the Xbox.

For people who aren't familiar with the old model, the new model has a better battery life and the latest Bluetooth capabilities. Otherwise, the new one is identical.

Same, I have the old version and they still work perfectly.

So, if you're watching something late at night, after other people have gone to bed, and are using headphones... if your controller shuts off from no input, your headphone audio cuts out and the sound defaults to your TV/sound system speakers and potentially disturbs people who are trying to sleep. I have the previous version of this model. It gives you an audible alert when you have roughly one hour of charge left. It takes maybe 4 hours to charge completely from 0% battery, which is less than the amount of time I sleep at night. So, just plugging them in every 2-3 nights is not an issue.

Ooh nice, I missed that. Though, the old version's is pretty good to begin with.

It uses the same proprietary connection that the controller uses, which operates on a frequency with less interference than Bluetooth operates on. You can also sync it as easily as pressing the pairing button on the front of the console and then pressing and holding the power button on the headset for a couple seconds (it'll start playing a unique sound when pairing mode is activating).

Same. Sounds like u/Dwolfwood just got a bad pair, or abuses their electronics.

Which happens, they can't QC 100% of devices, just a selection per batch.

I love my Xbox wireless stereo headset, I’ve had them since they first came out and they just came out with some newer version ones. Highly recommend them

It also is not compatible with the Wireless Adapter for windows. It's either a driver bug or a huge oversight. The old version works fine with it.

It doesn't work with any xbox wireless adapter on windows. You have to use bluetooth on the new version.

What did you end up getting? My older Xbox wireless works but they don't sound as nice or are as comfortable as I'd like.

Biggest disappointment. Would be using it for everything around my house but nooooooo. Might end up getting the refresh and relegating the old one to PC duty.

The audio latency is still terrible like the first gen, for anyone wondering.

Rtings clocked the latency of the original at 122ms, meaning there is about 1/10th of a second delay between when you see something happen on screen and when you hear it through the headphones. Haven't seen any measurements of the new model yet, but having tried both it doesn't seem to have improved, and it's generally worse than other wireless headsets on the market. That's great that you don't notice. Some of us are sensitive to it.

I also have similar issues and they are practically unusable

This headset blows. I have had the Astro A30 for 2 years till my friend stepped on them. I got these and they absolutely blow for call of duty. Sounds like you are in a closet playing. Game audio is horrible. I’m returning them and buying a new pair of a30’s tomorrow. DO NOT BUY.

it does not turn on the Xbox anymore.

I have the headset for a few days now. It does not turn on the Xbox.

Awesome!

I have several. I have a Razer Kairi Pro headset and the official Xbox wireless headset. They are absolutely worth it imo. Not necessarily for multiplayer and chilling out, but some games for story/atmosphere they're brilliant. Dead Space was ten times better with the headset than without.

Reset the MAC address in network settings. It’ll fix it for a day or two. Not a perfect solution but a short term fix

This is my biggest gripe with it. I also use it on my PC when I game on there and it turns my Xbox on, which then turns my TV on.

They suck, bad connection with xbox, bad connection with smartphone , bad connection with pc vía USB (im not making the de mic work)

I’ve had mine for a few years now with absolutely zero issues

same problem

For Xbox, they are great since they are wireless and can be used with or without the controller.

Yuppp, same here bought mine last year and still look like new

I got this headset last week and the sound is good while playing games but is scratchy on the Home Screen menu and every app. Any idea how to solve this?

I'm late but I was able to connect to my xbox and Bluetooth at the same time on my original pair of xbox wireless unless they changed it. It was weird I was in a party chat and my dad called and I heard all of them at the same time but obviously my dad couldn't hear the party it was pretty trippy 😅 I just got a pair of the new ones the first served me well but I believe the auto mute is just wonky because sometimes they say they couldn't hear me even tho I responded or maybe just because I don't have a very bass-y voice 😅😅 they're updating now about to try them out

I wear this model of headset and I have no complaints about my glasses getting smushed into my head

Xbox Wireless has terrible range. I basically had to put the Xbox right next to my seating to stop dropouts. Some 2.4Ghz routers can also cause issues. It's sad, because the Xbox360 had flawless wireless that allowed me to hide my system in a closet. The Xbox One killed that setup with It's massively reduced range.

I bought it 3 weeks ago and I can say that even though it says it long 20 hours, for my use it lasts less, I'm going to see if I can change it for another one that lasts longer.

Contact customer service with pictures and ask for repair. I got a new headset to replace my old busted one when I complained. See what happens.

Yeah do it! Mine was out of warranty to. I tried and it worked. I was expecting a rejection but I got a new headset. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen.

I beg u to try this eq out, honestly the one u used I've tried, and as kind of an audiophile, it absolutely rapes your ears and doesn't address the proper frequencies that need attention, which is the mids, the highs have no business needing such an insane amount of boosting when the headphones already come with an aggressively V-shaped frequency response. My eq sorta gives a volume boost, + completely eliminates the mudiness but still retains bass without stuff like bells and cymbals in games like ori to absolutely give u hearing damage

They get too loud for me I have to use them halfway mess with eq and the chat game know on left

It says the mic was upgraded and also has better auto mute and voice isolation

Having to plug your headset into your controller is so outdated and annoying. Saying charging a headset is disruptive is like saying charging a controller battery is disruptive. Just plug it in when youre not playing. Not hard for those with brains

If you cant remember to charge your headset once every 20 hours of playtime then I hate to break it to you, your brain is the inconvenience not the product

Seems to happen to mine more often when the battery is getting lower. I haven't tested that out yet, but it feels like when I'm somewhere below 40% or 50% it happens more often. And when the battery is really low, it happens so much I have to stop using it and recharge it. Hey, maybe it's a feature not a bug. 

I hope the range is better. Mine started to drop out when I was 4 feet away.

This. I have a (very powerful) range extender 1,5 meters from the Xbox, and when I turn my head anti clockwise (for instance, to check my smartphone) I have cutouts. If I move away or move the range extender, I don't have problems. It depends on the band, on the channel, on other radio interfaces. But the headset is one of the best

I have both a wireless (the Xbox wireless headset)and a cheap $30 wired headset off Amazon. I only use the wired one if I forget to charge the wireless headset. The wireless is more convenient to me since you don't have to deal with thr cord getting in the way and in you wanna get up and do something quickly like going to take a quick piss you don't have to take your headset off.

Hey! I just got my headset, but the sensitivity is way too high—you can literally hear everything in my room. Do you have the same problem?

My friends hear the fan of my Xbox, my neighbors and everything else. In addition, the noise reduction does not work.

Mine does the same too. It's so frustrating.

At the price point, they are very good. Everyone doesn’t spent $250-$500 on the headset so they can hear footsteps .023 seconds sooner. I mean, *I* do. But I am willing to accept that others don’t.

Best headset at good price, I’ve had other premium ones but Xbox Wireless is great product for price