Audio Performance

I'll split the audio performance analysis into two parts - gaming and music. Even though the headset produces the same sound regardless of what it's being used for, you won't necessarily look for the same things while annihilating your virtual opponents as you will when listening to your favorite tunes.

Gaming

Not every pair of Sennheiser's headphones I have had a chance to try out sounded good, so I had no idea what to expect from the GSP 301, especially since they're the company's least expensive gaming headset. After I popped them on my head and fired up a couple of games, I breathed a massive sigh of relief - the sound quality is pretty darn nice! They're tuned like a midrange pair of hi-fi headphones, which means their sound signature is quite warm and with plenty of detail across the board.

What that translates to in games is a ton of information about your surroundings in first-person shooters and a very pleasant experience in genres that focus more on atmosphere and story. For a closed-back headset, the GSP 301 has a surprisingly wide soundstage. When you combine that with the detailed midrange and clean, crisp high range, you get a headset that excels in spatial positioning. You want to have a competitive edge over your opponents? The Sennheiser GSP 301 has got you covered. I also love the way the bass is handled. It's there when you need it for excitement and drama, but never gets in the way of the more subtle details. If you're a bass-head, there's a chance you could find it somewhat lacking. On the other hand, should you be after balance and precision, you'll definitely be satisfied with the amount of presence Sennheiser chose to give it. This is a versatile gaming headset, equally suited to pretty much any genre you might want to use it for.

The passive noise isolation is excellent. The pleather ear cushions form a tight seal with the sides of the head, so next to no sound leaks out at even very high listening volumes, with very little of it coming in as well.

Music

After everything mentioned above, it will probably come as no surprise that the Sennheiser GSP 301 successfully holds its own when it comes to music performance as well. You can think of it as a pair of midrange hi-fi headphones with an attached microphone. The warmth and overall balance of the sound makes it very nice for all sorts of genres. The width of the soundstage and amount of detail made me go through my playlists more thoroughly than I initially thought would be the case. Unless you only care about bass-heavy genres and are after a head-shattering bass, it's very likely that you won't feel the need to buy a different pair of headphones for your music-listening sessions.

I'm by no means trying to say that the bass of the Sennheiser GSP 301 is absent or even weak. I'm merely pointing out that it isn't bloated and overdone. In my book, that's an advantage. Don't worry, your favorite tracks will still offer plenty of rumble and depth, just in a natural, pleasant kind of way instead of an overengineered one.

The headset handles high listening volumes exceptionally well, with no noticeable distortions of any kind. You can safely utilize the entire range of its built-in volume dial. In case you own a small dedicated USB DAC/amp, the AudioQuest DragonFly Black, Cambridge Audio DacMagic XS V2, FiiO E10K or some other in that price and performance range, you'll get even more out of the Sennheiser GSP 301. More so with an even better DAC/amp, but I cannot recommend spending more than $100 on one as you are in that case simply better off with a more expensive headset.