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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-21 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3BK — biggest strength: an open-back design with 45 mm drivers and a sub-220-gram build that's built for long sessions and wide, natural sound.
• Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3BK — biggest trade-off: it's wired only, has no noise isolation, and gives you no wireless freedom.
• Razer BlackShark V2 — biggest strength: HyperSpeed wireless, up to 70 hours of battery life, and a closed, noise-isolating design with a wideband detachable mic.
• Razer BlackShark V2 — biggest trade-off: it's heavier, relies on battery, and the sealed earcups shut you off from your room.
• Pick the ATH-GDL3BK if you play at a desk, want an airy lightweight fit, and prefer a wired connection you never have to charge.
• Pick the BlackShark V2 if you want wireless freedom, a long battery, and a closed headset that blocks out distractions.
The ATH-GDL3BK is an open-back gaming headset, and that single design choice drives almost everything about it. Open-back means the earcups don't seal against your head, so sound moves in and out freely. The payoff, per the spec sheet, is an expansive sound field that lets you localize sounds — an approaching opponent, for example — within a wide, natural space. If positional awareness matters to you more than total immersion, that's the whole point of this headset.
The driver setup backs that up. Audio-Technica uses large 45 mm dynamic drivers with a stated frequency range of 10 to 35,000 Hz and a 45 ohm impedance. In plain terms, that's a wide range with headroom up top, which is what you want for detail and separation rather than a thick, bass-forward wall of sound. The metal enclosure and rounded over-ear earcups suggest a sturdier feel than the featherweight number implies.
Buy it if: you game at a desk, want a wired connection with zero charging, value a wide soundstage and light fit, and don't mind hearing your room. Skip it if: you need wireless, want noise isolation, or play in a loud environment where open earcups would let everything in.
Razer BlackShark V2: Who It's For
The BlackShark V2 takes the opposite approach. It's a wireless, closed-back headset built around connection freedom and isolation. Razer's HyperSpeed 2.4 GHz wireless via the included USB Type-C dongle is the primary path, with Bluetooth 5.2 also on board (rated to about 10 meters). No jack at all — this is a cable-free headset, charged over USB Type-C.
The drivers are Razer's TriForce Titanium 50 mm units, with titanium-coated diaphragms and a three-part design that tunes highs, mids, and lows separately. Spec-wise you're looking at a 32 ohm impedance and a 12 Hz to 28 kHz range. The intent is brighter, clearer audio with punchier lows — a more colored, "gaming" tuning than the Audio-Technica's wide-range neutrality.
Isolation is the other half of the pitch. The closed earcups use breathable memory foam that conforms to your head to create a seal and shut out distractions. That's great for focus and for keeping game audio in, but it also means you're cut off from your surroundings. The mic is a detachable HyperClear supercardioid wideband unit tuned to capture voice detail so callouts sound clear and natural, and a multi-function audio dial lets you flip between overall volume and game/chat mix — a genuinely useful feature for squad play.
Battery life is a strong point: Razer rates up to 70 hours per charge, dropping to about 48 hours on Xbox. It weighs 1.6 pounds (about 725 grams), which is a lot more than the Audio-Technica — that's the cost of battery, wireless hardware, and a closed frame.
Buy it if: you want wireless freedom, long battery, noise isolation, and a mic plus chat-mix controls built for competitive voice comms. Skip it if: you want the lightest possible fit, prefer a wired setup with no charging, or need to stay aware of your room.
• Best for long sessions and light weight → Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3BK. Under 220 grams versus roughly 725 grams is a big gap on your neck.
• Best for wireless freedom → Razer BlackShark V2. HyperSpeed 2.4 GHz plus Bluetooth 5.2, with no cable at all.
• Best for battery life → Razer BlackShark V2. Up to 70 hours per charge, about 48 on Xbox.
• Best for a wide, natural soundstage → Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3BK. Open-back design with 45 mm drivers and a 10–35,000 Hz range.
• Best for blocking out distractions → Razer BlackShark V2. Closed, noise-isolating earcups with a memory-foam seal.
• Best for staying aware of your room → Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3BK. Open earcups let outside sound in, which is a feature here, not a flaw.
• Best for console flexibility → Razer BlackShark V2 if you're on Xbox; Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3BK if you want a simple 3.5 mm plug-in on PC or console.
• Best for mic and chat control → Razer BlackShark V2. Wideband detachable mic plus a game/chat mix dial.
If I had to buy one, I'd pick the Razer BlackShark V2 for most people, because wireless freedom, up to 70 hours of battery, noise isolation, and the game/chat mix dial cover the widest range of everyday gaming situations. But I'd steer you to the Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3BK without hesitation if your priorities are a featherweight fit, an open, spacious soundstage, and a wired setup you never have to charge. In my opinion the right answer is about your room and your habits, not about which is "better."
FAQ
It has no headphone jack — it's fully wireless, running on HyperSpeed 2.4 GHz via the included USB Type-C dongle or Bluetooth 5.2, and it charges over USB Type-C. The ATH-GDL3BK, by contrast, is wired-only with two included 3.5 mm cables.
The BlackShark V2, clearly. Its closed earcups seal against your head to shut out distractions. The ATH-GDL3BK is open-back, so it deliberately lets outside sound in and leaks some sound out.
Both are mainstream gaming headsets from well-known brands, but I don't quote prices here because they change often. Check the current price on Amazon for each before deciding — the page has a button for that.
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