Escape from Tarkov Headset Tier List - Comprehensive Guide by SheefGG

Having the right headset can give you a big tactical advantage by allowing you to hear approaching enemy players from much further away. But with so many headset options in the game, how do you know which one gives you the best hearing range?

SheefGG decided to thoroughly test every headset in Escape from Tarkov to find out which ones maximize your hearing distance.

Testing Methodology

To test the hearing range of each headset properly, SheefGG conducted controlled tests in offline mode to avoid any interference from other players or ambient sounds.

For each test, had one player stand completely still at varying distances while he as the other player either walked directly towards and away from them or sprinted towards/away in a straight line. The stationary player would tell precisely when they first heard his movement sounds as he approached and receded from them. SheefGG recorded the hearing distance for both walking and sprinting for each headset.

To ensure the tests were properly controlled, he made sure to use the same player character each time with the same perception skill level of 24. This gives a passive boost to hearing distance. SheefGG also maintained the same weight loadout throughout all tests to eliminate any factors from movement speed changes.

He first tested with no headset equipped as a control, then tested every headset including:

• GSSH-01
• ComTac 2
• M32
• TacSports
• Razors
• RAC Headset
• EXFIL Ears
• ComTac 4

Results

Here are the results of the tests:

Headset	Hearing Range - Walking	Hearing Range - Running
No Headset	47m	52m
GSSH-01 Active	53m	59m
Peltor ComTac 2	55m	60m
M32	59m	64m
Tactical Sports	65m	70m
Walker's Razor	62m	69m
FAST RAC Headset	71m	73m
XCEL 500BT	69m	75m
ComTac 4	76m	84m

Key Takeaways

Based on these test results, we can confidently recommend the ComTac 4 headset as the best overall option for maximizing your hearing range in Escape from Tarkov. The XCEL and TacSports are also excellent choices that can serve as substitutions depending on preference.

It's clear that you should avoid budget headsets like the ComTac 2 and M32 if you want to maximize awareness. And using any headset gives you a major advantage over going without one - in testing, having no headset equated to only 47m of hearing distance on foot.

Furthermore, this testing shows the tangible benefits provided by leveling up vital skills like perception, which boosts hearing distance. Note that SheefGG's perception level of 24 provided a flat 7% boost to hearing distance in these tests.