I have Sennheiser HD 560S headphones and a 500 BAM microphone that I really like. My PC is too far away from the couch, but I would still like to use this setup while gaming from there. Is there a wireless transmitter and receiver system that lets me plug both devices in with 3.5 mm connections, uses a USB dongle on the PC, and keeps latency as low as possible?
4 Answers
The simplest solution may be a USB DAC or headphone amp such as a FiiO E10K at the couch, combined with a long USB or audio cable. It is not wireless, but it avoids Bluetooth latency and should preserve the sound quality you already enjoy.
The genuinely low-latency wireless systems that can handle separate headphones and a microphone tend to be professional products costing several hundred dollars. Cheaper Bluetooth-based options are more affordable, but they often add noticeable delay, especially when the microphone is active. There is not much of a dependable middle ground.
A game controller with a headset jack might seem like an easy solution, but it generally needs to stay connected to the PC by USB for the audio connection to work, so it does not really solve the distance problem wirelessly.
There are USB Bluetooth adapters that support low-latency codecs such as aptX Low Latency. A Bluetooth transmitter and receiver setup is cleaner than sending an analog headphone and microphone signal through multiple extra conversions, although compatibility and microphone support can be limited. Wireless audio may also sound worse and have more delay than a wired connection.
That may be worth considering if I cannot find a reliable wireless option.