Sennheiser PC156-USB Binaural Headset with Mircrophone

by Sennheiser

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.7 x 3.7 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000H0ODME
• Item model number: PC156-USB
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 8, 2007

Product Description

The Sennheiser PC156-USB headphones are designed for the PC user and connect via a USB connection. The built in microphone makes gaming fun!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faultless - well worth the money, March 12, 2008

By 

Joseph Albahari (Perth, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sennheiser PC156-USB Binaural Headset with Mircrophone (Personal Computers)

This headset is more than twice as expensive as comparable headsets from Microsoft and Logitech. The extra money is more than worth it, though - it's in a totally different league from the cheap headsets:

- It's solidly constructed and doesn't fall to bits
- The cable and connectors don't crackle or go intermittent on you
- Sound quality is dramatically better than on the cheap units - you can really enjoy listening to music on these
- People at the other end can hear you clearly without background noise
- You can wear it for hours and it still feels comfortable

This is my third headset. My first headset was a Logitech which started crackling after a few months; my second was a Microsoft LiveChat which was uncomfortable and sounded boxy and muffled. I eventually bought this unit because of the excellent experience I've had in the past with Sennheiser gear.

This headset is fitted with ordinary analog 3.5mm connectors - and comes with a USB adapter (actually a miniature USB sound card). The advantage of using the USB adapter is that you're guaranteed correct gain on the microphone without having to fiddle with settings in the control panel. It also frees up your main soundcard for other uses, such as connecting to your main stereo. The quality of the USB adapter is good - no noise or obvious distortions. A bonus of the USB adapter is that you can use with other headphones or headsets, too.

My Windows XP and Vista machines installed drivers for the USB adapter automatically (no special software was required). The control panel settings on XP for USB sound cards support tone controls (treble and bass) but you won't need them - the headphones have good tonal balance out of the box. The natural deep clean bass you get from headphones such as these beats any compensatory "bass boost".

Sennheiser recommend this headset for hardcore gaming. I use it mainly for internet telephony - Skype is so much more enjoyable with a decent headset! I also use it for listening to music - you won't get a better sound unless you splash out on something like Sennheiser's HD590.

Highly recommended.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Stereo Gaming Headset around., January 18, 2008

By 

Father Lucifer "David Valdez" (Irvine, Ca) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sennheiser PC156-USB Binaural Headset with Mircrophone (Personal Computers)

I am a heavy gamer and an appreciator of music. I have been through my share of Logitech, Sony Ericsson, Altec Lansing; Plantronics headsets just to name a few. They all have failed me. After a couple months of daily use they all shorted out. Granted, I do not take very good care of the headsets like I should. I do tend to just pull them off my ears and toss them aside when I stop using them, instead of properly rolling up the cord and putting them away. But I figured what the heck... they are pretty much considered disposable to me.

That was until I purchased my 1st set of Sennheiser Headsets. The quality of these headsets is far superior to any others I have owned in the past...and I have owned quite a few. The ear cups fit comfortably over my ears and I can barley notice they are on my head. The microphone is adjustable and designed perfectly to reduce any noise when adjusting them. The best thing about these headsets is the durability. Like I said before I don't take very good care of my headsets, but these have lasted far longer than any others I have owned in the past. So far I'm going on 8 months and I haven't had one problem at all. Not only is the solid engineering of these outstanding, but the sound quality is superb. They also come with a USB adapter so you can hook them up to almost anything.

I highly recommend this product to anyone who uses and abuses the heck out of their headsets and is tired if them constantly shorting out. Do your self a favor and pay a little more money for a good product like this and you will save money in the long run. A wise man told me once... Good stuff not cheap and cheap stuff not good. So do yourselves a favor and purchase these headsets...you will not be disappointed.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'm happy, March 14, 2009

By 

Gadget Lover (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sennheiser PC156-USB Binaural Headset with Mircrophone (Personal Computers)

I use this headset for online conferences. The sound is good, the usb connection is easy, the inline mic mute is nice and the cord is long enough to let you move around some. I haven't used it for music yet, so I can't comment on that. It's nice to have the ear cups NOT be foam covered (which has disintegrated quickly on other headsets I have owned). The only minus I have is noticing some faint static noise when I move the cord around a lot. A little pricey, but worth it for the durability and sound quality.