The $379.99 Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro gaming headset brings audiophile-quality sound to your favorite tracks with a closed-back design and a powerful boom mic. This fully analog, wired headset outperforms much of the competition in audio quality and is suitable for studio use thanks to its excellent passive noise isolation and wide frequency response. Gamers, however, will likely be disappointed by the lack of features such as surround sound and wireless connectivity. For the same price, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is a better option thanks to its clear audio, capable noise cancellation, and simulated surround effects, which makes it our Editors' Choice.

Design: Large and Imposing, But Familiar

The Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro is a sizable headset. It features a thick headband and chunky earcups connected by substantial metal yokes with generous padding. It carries forward the classic Beyerdynamic design and shares most of its DNA with the open-backed MMX 330 Pro. I particularly appreciate the replaceable headband and earcup cushioning that it also shares with the studio-focused DT 770 Pro X LE ($199).

(Credit: Mark Knapp)

The headband cushion is thick and wrapped in leatherette. A few press-studs hold the cushion in place, making it easy to remove and replace. Meanwhile, the earcups have gentle velour-finished cushions. Their size helps spread the headset's clamping force over a wide area, making it quite comfortable despite its firmness. The cushioning's firmness plays a role in passive noise isolation, which is highly effective.

While outwardly this new model is nearly identical to the decade-old MMX 300, there are useful updates inside. Beyerdynamic fits its audiophile-quality Stellar.45 dynamic drivers inside, which have a frequency response range of 5Hz to 40kHz. This puts the headset in high-resolution audio territory. It has a resistance of 48 ohms, allowing it to work with phones, tablets, laptops, and most other devices that have a 3.5mm jack.

(Credit: Mark Knapp)

Like the earcup and headband cushions, the 8.2-foot cable is removable. It has an in-line volume dial, a mic mute switch, and a play/pause button. It features a 3.5mm jack on one end for plugging into headphones and splits into two 3.5mm jacks—one for headphone audio and one for the microphone for use with certain gaming consoles and PCs. Beyerdynamic includes an adapter to combine the two jacks.

Since this headset is made for gaming, it also includes a boom microphone—a key point of differentiation from typical Beyerdynamic headphones. The mic can swivel around its anchor point on the left earcup by almost 360 degrees, though it doesn’t have a flip-to-mute function. The boom arm is flexible but will hold the mic firmly in place. The mic comes with a small wind filter attached.

(Credit: Mark Knapp)

Aside from the cable and cable adapter, it doesn't come with other accessories. That’s a step backward, as its predecessor included a zip-up hard case, which many other Beyerdynamic headsets and headphones also offer.

Sound: Full and Detailed

The Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro headset delivers rich, smooth, and detailed audio. On The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” it introduces the bass triplets with a clean punch without overemphasis. When the sub-bass quarter notes arrive shortly after, the headset effortlessly produces the low notes with all the heft they require. Meanwhile, the synth line moves through the upper register with crispness. The vocal harmonies receive the proper treatment, with the MMX 300 Pro ensuring that both voices are clear and phase smoothly from side to side. The track has a shimmery brilliance that lingers subtly in the background, courtesy of the cymbal hits. The headset doesn’t quite deliver the airy, spacious soundstage you might expect from an open-backed headset. But the closed design and thick cushions help seal out significant external noise, allowing for focused listening.

(Credit: Mark Knapp)

To prove the extent of its range, the MMX 300 Pro makes easy work of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty.” Whether it’s the punchy kick drum or the heavy sub-bass line that looms large in the track, the headset presents them with force, even managing to produce the lowest sub-bass note while keeping the vocals and hi-hat tapping clear.

The clean audio presentation plays well for a track like Bill Callahan’s “Drover.” Callahan’s voice is loud and full while the electric guitar and fiddle sing brightly on the sides, making the most of the modest soundstage. Subtleties like the slight hiss in the back of the track and the sound of the drummer adjusting the snare wires also come through clearly, while the heavy thumping of the bass drum and sharp snap of rimshots pounce right out of the drivers. The drums here can often sound overwrought and thunderous on headsets or headphones that put too much emphasis on the bass, and while they’re booming here, they don’t overwhelm the rest of the ensemble.

(Credit: Mark Knapp)

With its extended frequency response, the MMX 300 Pro plays well with orchestral music, such as John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary. There are plenty of high-frequency atmospherics and overtones, as well as deep notes from the tympani and bass; the headset presents them all well. The passive isolation really helps keep you focused on the subtleties when tracks go nearly silent, as is the case with Act I, Scene III’s “Lazarus Rises From the Dead,” after which the headset brings everything back to life with full force.

Though the Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro headset isn’t specifically made for studio use, it has the potential to be. It's just as comfortable as Beyerdynamic’s studio headphones, and the closed-back design isolates noise, which allows you to focus on the music you're creating while preventing sound from bleeding from the headset into your microphone. You’ll need a 3.5mm-to-one-quarter-inch adapter to connect the headset to most professional audio interfaces; however, Beyerdynamic doesn't pack one.

Gaming: One-Dimensional

In games, the rich audio provides a clear soundscape, helping you pick out where the action is. Running and gunning in Insurgency: Sandstorm, I not only got to enjoy the booming sound effects of the game—which constantly threatened to overwhelm my sense of the battlefield—but I also got to hear where enemy voices were coming from and prepare my defense.

The headset doesn’t provide the airy soundstage I’ve experienced with open-back options while gaming, which can enhance immersion by making some audio effects sound more realistic. As a result, I felt like I was listening to the game with the headset on rather than standing in the middle of it.

Beyond the audio quality, the headset offers little else for gamers. It doesn’t support advanced spatial sound formats or provide first-party software to deliver similar effects. It doesn’t have software to link EQ presets to specific games. It doesn’t have an integrated audio mixer for on-the-fly adjustments between game and chat audio. While the heart of a gaming headset should be its audio quality, these additional features set the best ones apart from the rest.

By comparison, the SteelSeries headset works wirelessly with the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S consoles via the included transmitter, depending on the version you purchase. It's also compatible with PCs, Macs, the Nintendo Switch, and the Steam Deck. The PlayStation includes built-in 3D audio processing for spatial audio, while the Xbox enables Dolby Atmos. With a wired-only connection, the MMX 300 Pro misses out on these extra—perhaps essential—gaming features.

Microphone: It's Actually Too Good

(Credit: Mark Knapp)

The MMX 300 Pro's microphone is strong. It picks up my voice loud and clear with a rich clarity that you won’t find in almost any gaming-focused headphones or earbuds. However, it fumbles the ball a bit: The mic is too sensitive.

In testing, I found the mic picks up a lot of background noise. It hears every mouse click, catches the puff of an exasperated sigh, and struggles with plosives even with its integrated pop filter. Your teammates will definitely hear you in games, but they’ll likely ask you to sort out your gear or use push-to-talk thanks to all the background noise coming from your headset. Still, with proper positioning and a quiet environment, you’ll sound excellent over the mic. Competing headsets often include software-based noise cancellation to prevent this issue.