Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.
[letsreview postid=”129689″]
Once upon a time, I had the Sennheiser GSP 500 and I thought it was the best wired gaming headset I had ever used. About two months ago, after numerous drops and tons of abuse, the headset literally fell apart.
Not too shabby for nearly two straight years of use. Not too long after, I was approached about reviewing the EPOS I Sennheiser GSP 602 Gaming Headset and immediately jumped on it. It had to be of similar quality, right?
The EPOS I Sennheiser GSP 602 is an improvement in nearly every way from the older (and still sold) GSP 500. They are compatible with PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Mac.
The soft fabric earcups have been replaced by leather. The arms that hold the headphones move easier and provide a more comfortable fit. There are new colors.
More importantly, the audio aspects of the EPOS I Sennheiser GSP 602 have improved. If the old GSP 500 was a perfect gaming headset, the EPOS I Sennheiser GSP 602 is, somehow, even better.
Let me break down the splendor which is the EPOS I Sennheiser GSP 602
Image: Josh Knowles / KnowTechie
It is a closed acoustic headset, which means the headphones completely cover the ear and there is no passthrough of outside audio or air. It can get a little stuffy, but that is to be expected.
As a benefit of being a closed acoustic headset, the noise-canceling on this offering is superb. I’m not proud to mention the number of times I found myself playing a game, only to have my wife standing beside me with her hands on her hips, as she had apparently been talking to me for quite some time, unknown to me.
Importantly, the ear pads are surprisingly comfortable. The only slight drawback of the ultra-soft leather is that if I put my headphones on after a shower, they can feel a bit… gross, but that isn’t really the headphones’ fault.
The EPOS I Sennheiser GSP 602 just fits well on my oversized noggin, no complaints there. The volume adjustment is on the headphones, on the right ear. This was the same for the GSP 500. It works well.
Fits nice, but does it sound nice?
Audio-wise, the EPOS I Sennheiser GSP 602 headset just slaps. Audio is full, with low lows and high highs. As a result, when paired with Dolby Atmos, the simulated surround is simply amazing.
Now, I’m all for headphones that sound nice, but if you’ve ever read any headphone reviews from me before, you know I’m big on the mic. Initially, I did think that there was an issue with the EPOS I Sennheiser GSP 602.
The mic was incredibly soft. I did have to go in and manually adjust the mic level within Windows. Keep that in mind. Once I fixed it, everything was good to go. Then the EPOS Sennheiser GSP 602 passed a test I didn’t even know existed.
I was playing Fortnite with my family and a young kid on our team asked me if I was a streamer or YouTuber. Kind of a weird question, but I asked him why. He said my mic was so clear. I sounded like I was in the room with him. He said that only they ever sound that good, and I do too, so I must be one of those. The mic isn’t just good, it’s amazing and is worth the cost of purchase on that alone.
Verdict
If you are looking at a high-end gaming headset and can live with 3.5mm audio connections and wires, the EPOS I Sennheiser GSP 602 is the gaming headset for you. Now, as a premium product, it does have a slightly premium price of $219.99, but if you can justify the price, they are worth it.
I give these headphones the highest endorsement I can give them and would love to see if they can do this with wireless one day.
Editors’ Recommendations:
- Review: HiFiMan Deva – on another Planar of existence
- Review Roundup: Microsoft Surface Duo – another disappointing foldable
- Review: Urbanista London wireless earbuds – slough far, slough good
- Review: Sennheiser GSP 370 wireless gaming headset
Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more. A sample unit was provided for the purpose of this review.
Follow us on Flipboard, Google News, or Apple News
