The G35
The Logitech G35 is a very different animal from the G230. This is a USB based headset that does not rely on the audio hardware of the PC. The cable is plugged in and all power and signal is transported by the USB connection. The drivers are automatically loaded, but the user should install the Logitech Gaming software first before installing the headphones. There are several functions that are controlled by this software that will improve the overall experience as compared to the generic USB audio driver native to the Windows operating system.
Logitech tends to spend a little extra time on their packaging.
The cable for this set is thicker than the G230, but this means something a little different from the previous set of cans. Analog signal resistance is a non-issue as the cable transmits digital data as well as power to the headphones. There is a DAC internal to the headset located in the left cup that converts the digital signal to analog that is then transmitted to the left and right channels. I am unsure what DAC Logitech uses, but the overall design enables sound quality well above that of the pure analog G230.
Two of the extra head cushions that can be swapped out.
The G35 is feature packed as compared to its lower end stable-mate. The left cup features a volume control in a really convenient roller, three digital buttons that can be programmed to different functions in different applications through the Logitech Gaming software, and a mute button for the microphone. These are only five functions, but they are easy to learn and manipulate.
The headset supports Dolby Headphone, which is designed to provide a wider and more expansive listening experience than the “there’s a band playing in the middle of my head” phenomenon that most traditional headsets provide. This is enabled and disabled by a sliding toggle at the back of the left cup.
We can see how easy it is to exchange the different cushions, depending on the user's taste.
The top portion of the headband can be removed and replaced. Logitech sends three different cushions with the G35, and each one provides a different experience depending on the shape of the head and the amount of hair present. This is a nice extra that people will actually find useful. A few minutes of swapping out cushions will likely give most users a satisfactory choice for increased comfort and less fatigue.
The Logitech Gaming software is very robust in what it can do. Nearly any audio parameter can be adjusted from volume, tone, to tweaking the surround effects when Dolby Headphone is enabled. The software provides an easy to understand diagram of the headphones and what each function and feature does. It can control mute functions as well. It is visually appealing and very easy to understand and adjust.
The USB cable is thick and a little stiff.
Currently these models sell for as low as $79 US online.
is this a new model of the
is this a new model of the g35? ive had this headset for about 5 years now.
Looks much the same as the
Looks much the same as the original. Obviously the packaging has changed, but I will check and see if there are differences or revisions.
Me too. Terrible twist on
Me too. Terrible twist on the cable that was impossible to avoid. Caused all sorts of metal fatigue. Never again.
I have the G930 which looks
I have the G930 which looks identical to the G35 except it is wireless. It can be found easily for $100 so I dunno why you wouldn’t spend the little bit extra to lose the wire. Battery life is very good and of course if it does die you can always plug it in and keep using it.
I would of course be curious
I would of course be curious to hear if there are any differences in audio quality going with a battery/wireless unit vs. wired USB? As mentioned in this article there is a big difference between their pure analog version and the USB based.
I cannot say for the USB
I cannot say for the USB based version but I have the 930 and the wireless versions audio is pretty good. I’m no audiophile so it works for me quite well. The only negative is that the battery life is never as good as the application says it will and occasionally I’ll get crack noises and such from the wireless.
I can’t compare the sound
I can’t compare the sound quality to the wired version since I don’t have it, but I will say the 930 sounds very good to me. No complaints in the slightest.
To expand on this, I assume
To expand on this, I assume the 930 gets the exact same digital audio stream as the G35 so any potential differences in sound quality would likely come from the speakers themselves. I also suspect that the speakers are identical but have no way to prove that.
I’m thinking more about the
I'm thinking more about the bandwidth of a wired vs. wireless solution. Do we see downsampling on the wireless side due to potentially lower bandwidth?
I’ve had both the G35 and the
I’ve had both the G35 and the G930 after the right earcup broke. I’ve noticed that there seems to be less overall power in the G930 compared to the G35, and people whom I talk to using the microphone said the quality was a bit lower. It’s still good, but if you want a better quality sound and microphone, go with the G35.
I’ve had both the G35 and the
I’ve had both the G35 and the G930 after the right earcup broke. I’ve noticed that there seems to be less overall power in the G930 compared to the G35, and people whom I talk to using the microphone said the quality was a bit lower. It’s still good, but if you want a better quality sound and microphone, go with the G35.
Have owned the G230’s for
Have owned the G230’s for about a year or more and the ear cups definitely feel hard at first before they gradually sink on your ears. Not uncomfortable though, more awkward at first.
Being my first headset/mic combo I’m not sure if this is normal or not, but out the box it was practically useless without going into your audio configuration and adding a +10db gain. Then people could actually hear me, but at the cost of having this very low static in the background. Any further increase in gain made the static on your end very annoying.
I’m not sure if this is normal of all Headset Mic combos or not. If it is then disregard my lack of knowledge on the subject, but if not then you might want to think twice unless you’re really budget minded. They’re great for the price, but the mic gain part can get super annoying. You don’t really have a choice either since the default +0db gain makes you pretty much unhearable to anyone on Steam/Skype from my testing.
In my review I did mention
In my review I did mention how poorly the built-in mic for the G230s fared in our testing. While people on Skype on the other end heard me fine, the quality was just sub-par.
Oh that’s why you don’t sound
Oh that’s why you don’t sound as good in the podcast as Ryan 😉
I really should get a nice
I really should get a nice desk mic soon…
We must hear your laughter
We must hear your laughter and inappropriate comments in their full glory
How does the quality compare
How does the quality compare to other headphones in its price range. (how much quality are you giving up to the gamer tax?)
While are the mics always so horrible on these headsets.
Gaming headsets are rarely ever worth even a quarter of their price. The build quality is often lower, most of the parts are non user replaceable. They often use enamel coated wires in the ear cups (thus shortening the life of the headphone by allowing earcup fled to eventually break the wire. Companies use enamel coating instead of individual insulators as solid core copper wire breaks too quickly, but stranded wire does not break soon enough, so they use enamel which eventually rubs off and shorts, thus causing the device to fail more quickly.
Overall, it is best to invest in a proper desktop mic, and then get a good pair of headphones. A quality desktop mic such as the Blue yeti, audio technica at2020, audio technica ATR2500, rode NT-USB, all give very good quality, and best of all, you can upgrade to what ever headphone you want without worrying about the microphone.
The microphones in most gaming headsets, are some of the lowest quality mics possible. Really, why does the mic on a $200 gaming headset such as the sennheiser g4me series, sound worst than a $3 mic made by Zalman? (that is not even an audio company)
Gaming headset mics just suck, and they tack on a massive price premium just to essentially throw in a cheap mic.
G4me zero: https://youtu.be/6JBbGLDRVVw?t=434
Logitech G230: https://youtu.be/BhnMVUe_X2I?t=62
Logitech G35: https://youtu.be/DFyW7_glgRA?t=251
Zalman ZM-mic 1: https://youtu.be/yZSZcgiHeyA?t=37
Mics like that are cheap, and
Mics like that are cheap, and the beancounters at Logi probably ask themselves how many people actually need a high quality mic while screaming over Vent or Teamspeak? As mentioned in my article, Plantronics seems to put good quality mics in even their lower end products.
Illustrates the background
Illustrates the background noise on the G230 perfectly. At least some of the other mics sound more clear despite the drastically higher price.
I’ve had a pair of the G35s
I’ve had a pair of the G35s for around 5 years now. They were originally wired USB. Mine are still kicking, but the cheap vinyl covering over the foam earpieces have long disintegrated. Are they still using that cheap paper thin vinyl wrap?
The covering on the earpieces
The covering on the earpieces feels fairly thick. Certainly not paper thin. When I get home from work I will check it out a bit further.
Any recommendation for true
Any recommendation for true 5.1 or 7.1 headsets?
None? I have messed with
None? I have messed with some other multi-speaker headsets, and none of them were overly impressive. I would rather have a clean set of 2 channel headphones.
If you wanted a air of
If you wanted a air of headphones with microphone which had good sound for music (not rap, I said music) including rock as well as gaming, how much would I need to spend to get into the “good” and “very good” range?
I would like a pair which exclude outside noise so I can use them on flights to watch movies and listen to music including Queen, AC/DC and other 70s/80s/90s rock/popular music. Be very interested in your thoughts if you wouldn’t mind Josh..
Garry
Western Australia
Hmm, good questions. You
Hmm, good questions. You probably need to look in the $150 range for a good set that will have the sound quality you desire. The G35 is certainly a nice set, and they have some terrific sales going on. Another option that I like are the Corsair headsets. They have pretty balanced sound and good microphone quality.
Just a quick comment on the
Just a quick comment on the article: at the moment of writing this, the G35 are just $59.99 USD vs the $49.99 for the G230, so the “double the price” disadvantage of the G35 is gone for now. I was thinking of getting the G230 (got red+black PC) but I’m probably switching to the G35. Thanks for the review!