The Best Headphones to Upgrade Your VR Experience

A lot has been made of the visuals you get from a modern VR experience, and rightfully so! When you strap on your headset and suddenly you find yourself in a whole new, three-dimensional world, it’s unlike anything you’ve experienced before. But there’s one thing that’s likely to make the illusion fall flat no matter how good the eye candy is: bad audio.

Think about it. While your eyes have been transported to a distant galaxy, but your ears are right there in your home, hearing your neighbor’s yapping dog and that weird grinding sound that your fridge sometimes makes. You turn up the volume on the headset to try and compensate, but it sounds tinny and pretty awful.

But fear not. While most VR headsets don’t come with the best audio out of the box, they’re almost all upgradable. From cans that snap to your visor, to earbuds, to headphones, we’ve got you covered so you can go full-immersion when you dive into your next VR experience.

Rebuff Reality VR Ears

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As the name might suggest, these headphones are made specifically for VR. Some high-end headsets come with built-in headphones that pivot down and cover your ears, but most (including the Quest and Quest 2) don’t. VR Ears are the third-party answer to that. They attach directly to a ton of different headsets. Suddenly there’s no more fumbling with cords. What you get is comfortable, convenient and packed full of booming sound thanks to 40mm neodymium drivers.

Price: $130

Logitech G333 VR Gaming Earbuds

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If earbuds are more your thing, then it’s hard to find a better option than the Logitech G333 VR Gaming earbuds. Once again, these puppies are built especially for VR with one short cable and one slightly longer cable so you don’t have to deal with excess wires bouncing around. The buds themselves are small, light, comfortable, and easy to pop in and out quickly, but they also offer excellent audio quality with 5.8mm and 9.2mm drivers in each bud. These are build especially for the Oculus Quest 2, but they should work for just about any VR visor on the market.

Price: $50

MYJK Clip On VR Headphones

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Similar to the set from Rebuff Reality, but coming in at about 1/3 the price, MYKJ doesn’t exactly have big name recognition, but it offers a super affordable way to upgrade the sound on your Oculus Quest 2. Yes, these headphones are exclusively for the Quest 2 and only work with the stock strap, the Elite Strap, or the Elite Strap with Battery. You get a sizable 40mm dynamic driver for each ear which should add plenty of boom to whatever game you’re playing. They install in seconds, and they have a wire-guide to keep the cables out of your way. The speakers can easy pivot way from your ears, too, should you need to hear the real world in a hurry. They may not be as sleek or versatile as the VR Ears, but it’s hard to argue with the price.

Price: $43

Amavasion VR Gaming Earphones

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Same concept as the Logitech G333 VR buds above, but cheaper. This white earbuds blend in seamlessly with the Quest 2, but again, they’ll work with most VR headsets. They offer a shorten cable, that reaches the headphone jack on your visor and they’ll easily get to your ears, but there’s not much wiggle-room beyond that, which is a good thing. These have just a single 10mm dynamic driver, so they aren’t going to sound as clean and clear as the G333, but they still offer an obvious upgrade over the built in speakers on most VR headsets, and the price is certainly right.

Price: $22

Logitech G Pro Gaming Headset

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Last, but most definitely not least, we have these powerful over-ear headphones from Logitech (no, this isn’t sponsored. Logitech just really knows gaming and they have solid audio). This one is billed as an official Quest accessory, but it will work with any gaming headset. The biggest selling point are the 50mm drivers which give you all the power you can handle. It has silky smooth faux leather and a memory foam headband that is extremely comfy. Bets of all, it’s versatile. It comes with a short cord for all your VR needs, but it also includes a detachable microphone, as well as a longer cable so you can use it for PC gaming or even when riding the bus. It doesn’t have active noise cancelling (ANC), but the thick padding blocks out most unwanted ambient noise, and they just sound really, really good, especially for the non-ridiculous price.

Price: $100

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