Digital Trends

Sennheiser PC 160 January 11th, 2006 | by Brandon King

Performance

We tested the PC160s with both communications during games, in addition to our usual battery of headphone tests. Also, an audio segment as well as an entire episode of the Digital Trends Podcast were recorded for analysis, so you can judge the microphone quality for yourself! On the microphone end, sound quality was exceptional. There was little to no hiss at modest gain settings, and sound was natural and warm. We're used to hearing tinny and poorly controlled volume from similarly priced gaming headsets. In subjective analysis, asking several groups of gamers to rate the audio quality from one to ten over TeamSpeak 2, the PC160s were rated a nine on average. This was in line with our recorded clip compared to the high-end Shure 55SH microphone. While this is an unfair comparison, the PC160s did have excellent sound clarity in comparison if the price and market are factored in.

The big surprise for us was the sound quality from the headphones. While not poor, we've come to expect better from Sennheiser. Strangely, compared to other Sennheiser headphones, the sound signature is very different. Rather than making a strong showing in the atmospheric and bass-heavy music, acoustic and guitar-heavy music sounded far better. We listened to a selection of techno, synthpop, jazz, Britpop, and alternative through an Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro and an iPod. While none faired poorly, the tighter-than-usual bass didn't work well with more bass-heavy music, like techno and synthpop. Jazz, Britpop, and alternative sounded great, with very clear mids and highs. The bass was accurate, but briefly lived, lacking atmosphere and a visceral component. There is some 3D sound processing that does occur, which makes for a more pleasant listening experience.

On the gaming side, the same tight, accurate bass worked against the PC160s. Sound localization and quality were excellent, but explosions and special effects just didn't have the percussive power we would have liked. We played Quake 4, Half Life 2, and City of Villains, and found that while bullets ricocheting and footsteps were atmospherically accurate, rockets and large blasts just didn't jar us as much as we would have liked. City of Villains fared better than HL2 and Q4, since there are fewer bass-heavy explosions. The 3D processing actually slightly got in the way. The soundstage surrounds the listener, but is slightly weak in the front, causing objects and enemies directly in front of us to sound as if they were instantly transported to one side with the slightest movement.