Plantronics has been around since the 1960s, starting off in the world of aviation communication. Since then, they’ve moved into things like wireless headsets for the office and gamers alike. At PAX Prime this year, Plantronics showed off their latest gaming gear from their GameCom line of products.

Most notably was the 777 Headset, which was recently remodelled with Dolby Digital Surround Sound 7.1, a serious upgrade from the 5.1 version released around PAX 2008. The materials are durable; the design is simple and sophisticated; and the sound output was crystal clear. Sadly, this headset is not available for the console gamer but it will provide our Mac and PC gamers with high quality sound input and output.

All of the headsets (aside from the lower-end GameCom Xbox 360 headsets) feature a mic boom actually hides underneath the headrest instead of just below or above it. I’ve often found that mic booms hang way too low and hides in my peripheral vision instead of being completely out-of-sight.

The high-end Xbox 360 headsets came in two versions, wired and wireless. Both versions feature the volume controls right on the ears, giving access to controls that we usually have to fumble for mid-game. The plush material on the headrest and earphones were large enough to be comfortable but not too large as to interfere with, say, gauged earrings. The wired version has a long enough cable that you can sit comfortably on your couch without feeling like you need to lean forward (or move your console closer). I stood ten feet away from the TV and was still able to move around freely.

The Bluetooth headset for the PS3 is sleek and sits just above the cheek when it’s in the ear. It’s a bit bulky but I could see the benefits of having a small headset, especially in terms of storage.

Many of these products are available for purchase through Plantronics’ store; almost all will be available to purchase this Fall at retailers like Best Buy and Amazon.com.