I made the mistake of believing some dumb guide online that recommended the Razer BlackShark v2 Pro for Linux. Literally the volume control is broken out of the box lol.
I just want a wireless headset. For listening to audio. And a mic. Don’t care for fancy features. Apparently too much to ask for a linux user.
What are y’all using and how is it working for you?
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If you need a good wireless headset that can do audio and microphone at the same time, you’re forced to get a WiFi (2.4Ghz) dongle enabled headset, or get an aftermarket dongle. Bluetooth cannot support high quality audio and microphone use at the same time due to the intrinsic limitations of Bluetooth (which may change in the future)
yeah plus I hate the UX of bluetooth, the pairing and auto-connecting to other devices is annoying
Razer anything is terrible for Linux. avoid in the future.
Yeah lesson learned lol. I figured, I don’t need the fancy features. Turns out volume control is a fancy feature. And I’m not even talking about the volume wheel on the headphones. I’m saying, adjusting my system volume barely affects the headphone volume.
I have this issue because I have the same one. I have to reseat the usb dongle if I ever boot into a different OS or the volume control on bazzite won’t work next time I use it. Like I turn the volume up and down but the headphones stay the same volume. Once I do that, I can control the volume properly and I won’t have to do it again until I boot into a different OS (dual booted with win 11). I have the profile in bazzite’s audio devices for the Blackshark set to “Pro Audio”. Seems to work for me, maybe it can help passing it along?
How? Mine have worked fine. At least until today when part of the plastic snapped but they are over 5 years old. Going to try glue it tomorrow.
May look for a replacement sometime, always used wired so far.
On the contrary, I have an old Razer Basalisk v3 mouse, and it works perfectly with linux. I installed openrazer to controll the rgb and everything works perfectly.
that’s a pretty basic mouse, but sure.
i’ll never recommend them. just not a Linux friendly company. one can do better
Are there any companies that are especially friendly towards Linux? I’m not looking to buy anytime soon but I’d be curious to know.
Razer stuff is fine in Linux. I use several different Razer products on Linux and they all work fine, including Arch Linux on my Razer Blade 14 laptop. Their protocols are pretty well understood at this point on most of their devices.
i stopped using them years ago when everything sucked.
if it improved, good, tho clearly not enough for OP.
i’ll never recommend them. just not a Linux friendly company. one can do better
Are you married to the idea of wireless? The old suggestion of decent headphones and a mic are imo the best way to do things. I’ve got an old blue yeti I use when I need a mic, but been considering getting a modmic to attach to my headphones. I ran with a pair of Beyerdynamic DT-880s for over a decade as my daily drivers with a FiiO DAC/amp combo, use a k5 pro now with some DT 1990s and found that to be a great combo.
I kinda am yeah :P I also want to use it for work, and I can’t sit still so I am always getting up. I wanna be able to participate in a call while I’m in the kitchen for example :P
I used to own a HyperX Cloud Flight. It’s the best wireless headset I’ve ever tried. It comes with a USB dongle, no Bluetooth. Worked out of the box on Arch.
Pros:
- Audio quality is great for fun (games and films), decent for music and critical listening. The frequency response has a common V shape, but the bass doesn’t blow out the top ends.
- Eight-hour battery life, can be used while charge cable is connected.
- Aux input that bypasses the internal DAC.
- Signal can penetrate several solid brick walls.
- Comfortable even on my melon head.
- Mic is detachable.
Cons:
- Micro-USB charger port.
- Volume control is a click wheel that sends volume up/down keystrokes to the PC. I had to remove it from mine because it wore out and would “bounce” and send several keystrokes every time I touched it.
- The earpads are covered in shitty leatherette that will fall off in a few months.
Wireless headsets will always be limited by their internal DAC. Another option is to get a decent wired headset and a dedicated wireless DAC. I currently use a modded Beyerdynamic DT770 and an AKG K-240, and if I need them to be wireless, I clip a Fiio BTR5 to the headstrap and connect it with a short cable.
I can second Hyper X for Linux. Using the USB dongle is perfect for wireless, as I dont like having Bluetooth enabled all the time. I only enable it when using my controller on my laptop. Headphones are great and not crazy expensive. I just wanted headphones that worked and they do exactly that.
Haven’t had a single issue with my Hyper X Stinger headset across the distros I’ve tried (PopOS, Nobara, Cachy, Endeavor).
avoid anything “Gamer”
to be honest I’m looking for general purpose headset to also use for work, but looking for business headsets landed me in some crazy price ranges, so I’ve been looking for gaming headsets since. gonna look into HyperX, thanks!
It’s less about the concept of a game-centric headset and more about the brands that sell themselves as “We Are Gamers” with angular shapes and RGB out the ass. Steelseries, Razer, Alienware, Aorus, ROG… I’ve had many bad experiences both personally and professionally. The only one I didn’t end up regretting was Logitech G. The G502 mouse is a beast.
Razer is awful, they are about as proprietary as it is possible for a consumer electronics company to reasonably be. Avoid them at all costs.
Logitech is generally a better choice when available.
Steelseries, although I don’t generally love their build quality, has worked well on Linux for me. I can’t speak for their cheaper headsets but I specifically am using a Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless in Bluetooth mode with a magnetic-tip USB cable for charging (leaving the Micro-USB tip in the headphones at all times, because fuck Micro-USB).
I assume the non-Bluetooth USB dongle works fine as well but I’m too lazy to use it and have probably lost it somewhere along the way so I can’t personally confirm that. Bluetooth is my jam though.
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. They’re excellent headphones, decent microphone. Comfy, long battery life. It’s the swap-able batteries dock station type. So they’re decently popular and this exists:
https://github.com/elegos/Linux-Arctis-Manager/
Edit: also has Bluetooth support. I use them with my phone too not just the 2.4Ghz Desktop dock.
these seem great but 300 bucks is… steep
Agreed, but you never specified price range :p
I consider these my upper limit but I think I can feasibly get over a decade of use out of this headset especially with the battery setup.
Audio Technica M50X’s with a Fiio K5 Pro DAC/amp
I have always used SteelSeries. It might not be the best (because it’s a gaming headset), but it has always worked on Linux and it’s Danish 😁
I got a pair of Fractal Scapes. The software to modify them is just a website so it’s easy to EQ them on Linux (I run bazzite). The EQ profiles are also saved locally so once it’s set you never have to look at the website again. The works dick worked straight away and volume control+ play/pause work massively on Linux which is great
Just got these recently they’re awesome. Wireless charging, Bluetooth support, flip mic to mute, really comfortable and sound great.
Same here, no issues so far!
No chat mix is what kills it for me. I’m spoiled with independent volume control between chat and game output. If I can find a solution for this it would open up a world of headsets for me. Steelseries used to do it on headset, now you need their shitty app on newer sets.
Bookmarking this suggestion. I’ve used fractal cases before with great suggest. Didn’t know they got into headsets.
It’s their first one and so far I’m quite happy with it! The dock is especially nice and one of the main selling points to me from a convenience perspective and it works great. I’m lazier than ever XD
The one I use was discontinued years ago, so instead of recommending it, I’ll offer a suggestion:
Don’t look for “gaming” headsets. Look instead for well-regarded headphones and mic, or for a telephony (VoIP) headset from a brand that specializes in them, on sale. You’ll be more likely to find something that sounds good in both directions and lasts a long time.
Tbf, this holds true for any accessory, from chairs to computer cases: Anything branded as “gaming” is usually mid quality at a premium price.
Sennheiser HD 280 pro
Main difference beetween that and most other monitoring stuff is the plastic build, but it.only costs like 80€ vs 120-150€, and it has lower impedance if you don’t want a separate audio setup for it or want to buy it later
This is by far the best headset you can get for that amount of money. Easily repaired, great sound quality, sturdy build. Love this model. I have had mine for almost a decade now.
I got the $28 Nubwo headset and honestly have no complaints. Sound quality both in and out is decent. No connection issues. Has a mute button on the headset itself. Hasn’t degraded at all. Battery lasts months. It’s comfortable. The earcups breathe and don’t make my head all sweaty. It comes with a tactile analog volume wheel, which I love so much!
wow now that is CHEAP. gonna check these out, thx.
How is the bass quality in your experience? I do also listen to music and would like at least decent quality
I’m not really an audiophile. It sounds as good as my ATHM50x.
It’s not a wireless setup, but in case someone else is looking: Audio-Technia ath-m20x headphones driven by a Fosi Audio Q4 DAC (because your headphones will only sound as good as their source).
Sounds great for a ~$100 budget. And the DAC has worked right out of the box with no driver issues on the few (fedora based) distros I’ve tried.
Sony wh xm4. Remember that Bluetooth audio will suck if you are using vocal chat.
Corsair Virtuoso XT ! Best microphone on a wireless headset I’ve ever heard !
Remember to use JamesDSP and make a profile with the proper AutoEQ data no matter which headset you buy ! Makes it sound instantly much better and less muddled. I can’t live without it x)
Ohh I’ve been using Easy Effects for a quick bass boost but James DSP looks much more advanced!
