Review: Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3 Open Back & ATH-GL3 Closed Back Gaming Headset

While Audio-Technica do offer gaming headsets, they do require you to fork out at least $200 for a pair (ATH-G1). If you’re looking for something that is slightly more affordable, then the ATH-GDL3 and ATH-GL3 gaming headsets can be something for you to consider. They are both wired headsets, and the main difference between the two is that the ATH-GDL3 is an open-back headset, while the ATH-GL3 is standard closed back headset. The ATH-GDL3 retails at S$178 while the ATH-GL3 retails at S$138.

Unboxing

In the box, you will find the following items:

• ATH-GDL1 gaming headset / ATH-GL3 gaming headset
• 1.2m 3.5mm TRRS cable
• 3.0m 3.5mm split headphone and microphone cable
• Detachable microphone with windscreen

Tech specs

Build quality and design

Both the ATH-GDL3 and ATH-GL3 share a similar design language – exposed rails, metallic headband, and round ear cups. The most noticeable difference is that the ATH-GDL3 ear cups are exposed to reveal a nice looking blue internal drivers.

The build quality of both headphones are pretty decent, the plastic used doesn’t feel as solid as the more expensive ATH-G1, but they aren’t creaky or wobbly. The overall construction of the headband feels sturdy yet flexible. The adjustment rails on the headband are stepped and require only slight force to extend them. One thing to note is that the size of the headphones are slightly smaller than other gaming headsets I have tried. Having said that, they should fit most head sizes fine.

You can check out the video below to get a sense of how the headsets are like in real life:

There are two physical controls on both headsets which control the volume and microphone mute. There is no audio feedback when the microphone is muted, so you have to remember the position of the switch. The are no controls on the wires. Speaking of wires, there are two types which you can use. If you’re using this with your PC, I’d recommend using the 3.0m 3.5mm split audio cable instead of the single 1.2m one as the 1.2m cable can be quite short especially if your PC is placed quite far away. Do also note that the inputs to the headset uses a TRRS connection, which is not so common if you want to switch out some braided ones in the future.

Comfort and fit

There is yet another small difference between the ATH-GDL3 and ATH-GL3, and they are the ear cushions. The ATH-GDL3 sports full fabric earpads, while the ATH-GL3 uses a hybrid mesh and leatherette material which we’ve seen before on the ATH-G1. I’m not sure if this is due to the material of ear cushions, but when wearing the headsets, the drivers of the ATH-GL3 feels a little close to my ears.

Between 227g and 237g, both headphones are comfortable to wear and feel really light on my head. The clamping pressure is also rather relaxed. I found that the round ear cups actually do provide more room for my ears when compared to the ATH-G1. This is especially so with the ATH-GDL3, where the overall feeling of wearing the headset just feels ‘airy’.

Another aspect of the headsets that really helped with the comfort is the suspension headband. Despite no use of cushions on the headband, the suspension band was useful in distributing the weight evenly across my head, making it feel like there is almost no weight on my head.

You can check out the video below for a sense of the cushions used on the headsets.

Sound quality

Both headsets have distinguishable audio tuning between each other. The ATH-GDL3, being an open-back headset feels more airy and has more focus on treble presentation. The closest comparison I can give you is like listening on open-fit earbuds, like AirPods. The sound will feel more open, but will you have less intricate details and bass. You can also hear what is happening around your surroundings as well.

The ATH-GL3 on the other hand, has more impactful bass and a fuller midrange, so vocals feel more direct in your ears. This gives the ATH-GL3 a warmer sound compared to the ATH-GDL3. This doesn’t mean one headset is better than the other. It really depends on your audio preferences and the use case of the headset.

If you’re playing games that has an open world setting such as Genshin Impact of GTA V, the open-back ATH-GDL3 will provide a more immersive experience as the audio will be more well distributed in the soundstage instead of it being completely blasted in your ears. Personally, I mainly competitive shooters such as Valorant, so I prefer using the closed-back ATH-GL3 as the audio cues such as footsteps and ability sounds are more direct and pronounced compared to it being more diffused on the ATH-GDL3. That being said, the ATH-GDL3 does position the audio cue more accurately, such as whether it is near left or far left due to the openness of the soundstage.

A quick comparison to the ATH-G1 with the ATH-GL3 since they are both closed-back headphones: The ATH-G1 offer deeper and more impactful bass, mids and highs are also more detailed, overall giving it a more polished and dynamic sound over the ATH-GL3.

Microphone quality

The microphone on both ATH-GDL3 and ATH-GL3 have the same quality as the ATH-G1, which I found to offer clear and detailed output that contained good levels of bass and depth in my speech. I like how the the microphone is detachable so I can remove it if I want to use it for casual media enjoyment.

Conclusion

If you’re thinking of getting either the ATH-GDL3 and ATH-GL3 for gaming, it really depends on what kind of games you play and the type of audio experience you prefer. Staring at S$138, I think these are great starter gaming headsets that offer incredible comfort and well-balanced audio tuning. It also means that for S$178, you can experience what it is like to use an open-back headset.