Thanks to eSports and online multiplayer, gaming headsets have become increasingly popular and in some cases a necessity. There are a lot of good choices out there that offer different features that may make them better for certain uses than others. Between music, movies and games there's a few headsets that I primarily shift between. I could (but won't) easily name my three favorites, but choosing the overall best out of them would be difficult. Hardcore Gamer recently met with Haymaker to discuss their upcoming headset, simply referred to as The Haymaker. A brief demonstration of the early model on a show floor isn't enough to formulate an accurate assessment, but it was enough to show that this is a serious contender for being among the best headsets.

To help achieve its goal of being the ultimate headset, the Haymaker is pretty much compatible with everything, whether you play on PC, Switch, PlayStation or Xbox. It has Bluetooth connectivity for computers and smart devices, USB line-in for PC and 3.5mm auxiliary cord for everything else. The Haymaker is equipped with Dirac 3D Audio which is ideal for gaming since it makes it so much easier to pinpoint a threat. It also boasts Dirac HD Sound to correct impulse and magnitude frequency response which can improve musical clarity, bass fidelity and voice intelligibility. For gaming and other voice communication, the Haymaker features dual microphones to provide crystal clear voice processing. To make this a more enticing choice for a travel headset, the Haymaker features dual mode adaptive noise canceling, which can be switched on or off without any interruption.

One of the goals with the Haymaker was to make a headset that looks as good as it sounds, which features a sleek black design with multicolor synchronous RGB LED lights on the headband and speaker frame with eight color options. The LED lights and sound controls are easily managed through the touch screen controls on the earcuffs. Swipes on the left cuff can control the music with swipes on the right one take care of the lights. The Haymaker is rated IP45 for water resistance, so while we can't recommend swimming with it since it's not 100 percent waterproof, being caught in the rain isn't a cause for concern.

After getting a rundown of what makes this headset so impressive we gave it a quick test with some gaming and music. We played a little bit of the ridiculously-popular Fortnite and the 3D sound holds up to its claim. Players that were further away on the map sounded quieter and hearing them from the side or behind us gave a more immersive feel as well determining what direction we should attack based on threat proximity. Using the audio to help determine how the battlefield was laid out adds a new layer to the experience and can potentially give players an advantage. When we switched over to listen to some tunes it was apparent this is a high-end piece of equipment. Every instrument could be clearly heard and distinguishable from another. The bass track is a good way to judge the quality of speakers, since a problem with the lower frequencies is they are prone to muddy distortion if they are pumped up but the Haymaker delivered a satisfying thump that never suffered from any unwanted distortion.

The Haymaker is expected to be available later this summer. The retail price is $329.95 which includes two memory foam speaker pad sets, one leather for listening to music and one with perforated cloth for gaming. Other included accessories are a 3.5mm auxiliary cord, universal micro USB-C cord, carrying case, PC gaming controller adapter, additional set of memory foam speaker pads and a quick start guide. This is a premium headset, and the brief time we went with this we were thoroughly impressed with the potential. The quality and versatility of the Haymaker is incredible and should be on the radar of anyone looking for the ultimate gaming headset.