Gaming Headsets Explained
There are several keywords and phrases it can be helpful to understand when buying a new pair of gaming headphones.
Frequency Response: A measurement of bass, mids, and treble on a standard scale of 20Hz - 20kHz (20Hz - 20,000Hz). Simply put, Frequency Response is a way to measure how well a system reproduces different frequencies of the audio signal. A flat frequency response means that the headset reproduces all frequencies at the same level, while a non-flat frequency response means that some frequencies are emphasized or de-emphasized.
Impedance: This refers to the resistance that a headset offers to the audio signal coming from your device, such as a PC, external soundcard, or any other device they are connected to. Usually measured in ohms, a lower impedance, such as 16 ohms, means the headset can be driven by a lower-powered device, like a mobile phone, while a higher impedance, e.g. 32 ohms, will require more power. Higher-powered headsets, for example, a pair of 250-ohm headphones, might require an external amp or soundcard.
Driver Size: Driver size refers to the size of the speaker element (or "driver") in a pair of headphones. In general, larger drivers are able to produce more sound and have a wider frequency range than smaller drivers. However, larger drivers also typically require more power to operate and may be less efficient than smaller drivers.
