One question that OnLive users ask on the forums repeatedly is, “Which headsets work best with OnLive?” There are quite a few decent choices out there, but sometimes it’s hard to pick out which is right for you. OnLiveFans.com had the opportunity to demo an Andrea Electronics SuperBeam 405 Boom-Free Headset, with the cloud gaming service, as well as other everyday uses.

The SuperBeam 405 Headsets come in either black or white. They are very light-weight, and extremely durable. While they include a microphone that works quite well, there is no need for a boom mic that you see on a typical headset. The microphones on this headset are built right into the ear pieces, and they help provide a true 3D sound when recording.

The SuperBeam 405 with OnLive Gameplay & Voice Chat

To use this headset with OnLive, it is quite simple to set up. You will simply select “Andrea SuperBeam USB Headset” for both your “Output” and “Input” devices under your “Voice Chat Beta” option menu within the service.

We tested the headset with a few members of our OnLive community, to see what their thoughts were on the quality of sound coming from the microphone.

“The sound quality was excellent, better than that I have heard from any other members on the OnLive service,” said one of OnLiveFans’ members.

“You sounded extraordinarily crisp, and clear,” said another member.

All of the comments were positive except for one individual who could not hear us at all. However, it was later discovered that he was having issues with his internet connection, thus the problem was on his end.

The stereo sound quality that the speakers in the headset gave off was significantly above average. I have tested headsets that sell for as much as $350, and the Superbeam 405 headset was on par with those. Gameplay sounds were incredible, as was the additional voice chat coming in from other gamers that we were playing with at the time. With a lot of headsets on OnLive, it is hard to throroughly enjoy a game’s sound because the voice chat can get in the way. While this was still the case to a certain degree, the Superbeam headset made it a lot more bearable. I don’t know exactly what it was, but I could more easily separate sounds from the game with sounds coming from other gamers.

The overall experience with the Superbeam Headset, while playing games through the OnLive service was no less than phenominal. The sound quality was that of a device twice the price.

The SuperBeam 405 Headset with OnLive Desktop

Next, I wanted to try out the headset with the OnLive Desktop App for the iPad, so I decided to plug in the 3.5mm Adapter (see image below) and connect the the two. The adapter is sold separately for a minimal price. I opened up the OnLive Desktop App, and immediately went into my media library to play a few MP3′s that I had uploaded to the service. I was really looking forward to listening to a few of my favorite songs, but I wasn’t expecting to be so blown away. I must say that listening to music on the SuperBeam 405 Headset is one of the best experiences I could imagine. The bass is phenominal, and the stereo sound could not be replicated, even at a live concert. I could hear instruments in songs, that I never could depict before. The experience was truly awesome.

I then opened up a few little video clips that I had previously uploaded to the OnLive Desktop service. The first one I opened one I had recorded at a family birthday party. Unfortunately the sound quality did not improve with the SuperBeam 405 over that of the normal iPad speakers. This is attributed to the mere fact that the video was recorded on a non-stereo digital camera about 3 years ago. However, I then opened up a movie trailer that had been downloaded from youtube. I first played the video using just my native iPad 2 speakers. The sound quality was good, but it was nothing compared to what was provided when I plugged the headset in. Again, the stereo sound was phenominal, and the action scenes became so much more realistic.

The Key Features of the SuperBeam 405 Headset

• Hi-Definition sound
• Boom Free design with noice cancellation technology
• Earphone Bass Expansion
• DSDA patented adaptive beam forming
• PureAudio award winning noise reduction
• Binaural 3D surround sound recording
• A USB Digital Audio Adapter

The Software

Andrea Audio Commander is a free downloadable piece of software that makes using the SuperBeam 405 much easier. While the headset will work without the software, the sound quality seemed to improve a quite significantly after installing the free software.

Audio Commander includes full bandwidth VU meters for input and output, new PureAudio™ noise reduction filtering for hearing clean audio output as well as new DSDA3™ microphone array beam steering. It also includes Side Tone for monitoring your recording and the ability to enable multiple filters independently. AudioCommander is also SKYPE certified.

Non-OnLive Uses

While I reviewed this item specifically for its compatibility with OnLive, I also had a chance to test it on other non-OnLive related activities. I used it on my Motorola Droid X smartphone, to make and receive calls, as well as listen to music via Pandora and the built in media player. The headset was also tested on a Samsung Galaxy Tablet as well as an iPad 2, a PC, while making phone calls through SKYPE, listening to music, and watching movies. It worked brilliantly in all instances.

The Very Few Negatives

Really the only thing that I could come up with that was not so great about these headsets was the fact that the leather portion of the ear covers on the white version stained pretty easily. After only a week of use, the grey leather began turning a reddish-brown color due to oils on my skin. This isn’t a major problem, as the stains do not show when they are being worn, but it’s certainly something that Andrea could have taken into consideration before choosing this specific type leather. With that said, the comfort level of these headsets due to the soft leather is very nice. After a few minutes of wearing them, you almost forget that you have anything on your ears at all.

Unfortunately the SuperBeam 405 is not a bluetooth enabled device, thus it will not work with the current OnLive MicroConsole. However, we can’t rule out that it will not work with future versions of the OnLive MicroConsole or OnLive enabled TVs and BluRay Players.

Pricing & Where to Purchase

The Andrea Electronics SuperBeam 405 Headset can be purchased directly from Andrea Electronics for $149.95. We feel that they are well worth the price. If you search around the internet you may be able to find some savings. We saw them available from some retailers for as low as $116.99, so it might be worth your while to shop around before making a purchase.

Our Final Thoughts

All in all, we came away thoroughly impressed, and would highly suggest the SuperBeam 405 to anyone looking for a high quality headset; one that looks cool, and sounds cooler. The price is a little high, compared to other headsets, but when compared to headsets that sell for a similar price, these are well worth it. You definitely get what you pay for, and then some! If you are looking for a headset that will work with the OnLive service, has extraordinary VOIP, and amazing stereo sound, we would highly recommend purchasing an Andrea Electronics SuperBeam 405 Boom-Free Headset.