Most gaming headsets on the market today pile on features like wireless connections, surround sound profiles, RGB lighting, and apps to control it all. Audio-Technica went the other direction with its new ATH-M20xSTS StreamSet, stripping things back to focus on just the headphones and the microphone.
This wired headset costs $99 and pulls its basic build from Audio-Technica’s ATH-M20x, a pair of professional monitor headphones the company already sells. The microphone is a cardioid condenser design based on its 20 Series lineup.
That said, borrowing proven hardware doesn’t guarantee this thing will actually sound better than other headsets in the same price range. That’s something we can only confirm by testing it ourselves. Still, it’s clear Audio-Technica is putting its energy into the two parts of a gaming headset you actually use every single time you put it on.
Audio-Technica is shifting toward similar hardware
Inside the ATH-M20xSTS you’ll find 40mm drivers built with copper-clad aluminum voice coils, covering a frequency range from 15Hz all the way to 20kHz. It’s a closed-back, over-ear design, and Audio-Technica says it tuned the drivers to bring out more low-end punch.
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For chatting and streaming, there’s a unidirectional condenser mic attached to a flexible boom arm. It’s built to pick up your voice clearly while cutting down on background noise, and flipping the boom up mutes it automatically, no button needed. The whole headset weighs about 230 grams and ships with swappable mesh earpads that breathe well, which should help if you’re gaming or streaming for hours at a stretch.
Audio-Technica ATH-M20xSTS StreamSet connectivities
You connect the ATH-M20xSTS with a detachable 6.6-foot cable that ends in a 3.5mm TRRS plug. Audio-Technica throws in USB Type-A and USB Type-C adapters too, so it works with PCs, Macs, phones, and gaming consoles that support it. There’s no wireless option here, which means no battery to charge and no dongle you might lose. Audio-Technica also skipped things like RGB lighting and virtual surround sound entirely.
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At $99, this makes the ATH-M20xSTS a pretty simple gaming headset, at least on paper. Instead of chasing a long spec sheet full of extras, Audio-Technica is leaning on the headphone and microphone quality it already knows how to build.
