When I tested the Sennheiser HD 505 earlier this year, part of the marketing pitch Sennheiser was using to help differentiate the more affordable audiophile-style headphones was how it was a great partner for gamers.
Well, that's even more true today with the launch of the Sennheiser HD 500 BAM, a boom arm microphone that connects to the company's impressive open-ear headphones to deliver exceptional voice quality for gamers.
The HD 500 BAM plugs directly into the headphone's cable port using Sennheiser's single-sided twist-lock connector, turning audiophile cans into proper gaming headsets without sacrificing sound quality.
It's compatible with a surprisingly broad range of Sennheiser models—from the latest HD 550, HD 505, HD 560S, and HD 620S to earlier 5-8 and 5-9 series headphones.
At its core is a "10mm electret condenser capsule with a cardioid pickup pattern", which is designed to capture clear speech while rejecting background noise from fans, appliances, and other distractions. (I've been writing about audio tech for over 20 years, and I'm not 100% sure what this means, but it sure sounds impressive!)
The mic comes with a 1.5-meter cable featuring a 4-pole 3.5mm plug with CTIA wiring, plus an in-line volume control and mic mute switch.
Sennheiser's also thrown in three windscreens and a Y-adapter for PCs with separate microphone and headphone jacks.
The HD 500 BAM is available now for $79.95 AUD from selected audio retailers and directly from Sennheiser's website.
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