Is the Audio-Technica ATH-GL3 a comfortable choice for long gaming sessions, or only a light one? It is a wired, closed-back gaming headset with 45 mm drivers and a detachable microphone, and its main pitch is low weight.
This is a research-based analysis. GameVexo has not handled the headset, so nothing here is a GameVexo measurement or a hands-on session. The page reads Audio-Technica’s published specifications next to what independent reviewers reported, and it marks where the two agree, disagree or say nothing.
The Audio-Technica ATH-GL3 closed-back gaming headset is listed by the manufacturer at approximately 230 g (237 g with the microphone), with 45 mm drivers, a detachable hypercardioid microphone and two detachable cables. Reviewers mostly describe the clamping force as light, but some report shallow earcups and thin headband padding. Audio-Technica publishes no clamping-force figure, and no source found tests it with glasses.
📋 Table of Contents
The short verdict
The ATH-GL3 suits players who want a simple wired closed-back headset for PC or console, care more about weight than isolation, and need only a basic microphone. It suits them less if they want strong noise blocking, a streaming microphone, wireless freedom or deep earcups.
The case for it is weight: Audio-Technica lists approximately 230 g, and reviewers describe the grip as light. The case against it is smaller but real: reviewers report shallow earcups, creaky plastic, a thinly padded headband and, in one review, low isolation.
The main trade-off is that the comfort case rests on a weight figure and reviewer impressions. Price and stock change often, so check Amazon for the current listing.
Audio-Technica ATH-GL3
About 230 g listed weight, 45 mm drivers, detachable hypercardioid microphone.
Specifications come from Audio-Technica’s US product page. The picture is an illustration, not a photograph.
- Listed weight of about 230 g
- Detachable microphone and two detachable cables
- Earpads and headpad can be replaced
- No clamping-force or earcup-depth figures
- Reviewers report shallow earcups and creaky plastic
- Wired only, with no software or surround listed
A sensible pick if low weight is the priority and a basic microphone is enough. If you wear glasses, try it while the return window is open, because no source tests that combination.
Evidence basis: Audio-Technica’s published specifications and independent reviews. GameVexo has not handled or tested this headset.
What came from documentation: drivers, weight, microphone, cables and replaceable pads, all from Audio-Technica’s US product page.
Independent evidence: comfort, isolation and microphone impressions come from 9to5Toys, Pocket-lint, SoundGuys, CGMag and TechJioBlog. They are those reviewers’ impressions, not GameVexo’s. SoundGuys labels its scores as editor-scored, not measured.
How judgments are marked: every figure names its source. Reasoning that goes beyond a source is labeled as editorial judgment.
Closed-back: what it changes
Closed-back means the outer shell of each earcup is sealed instead of vented. Audio-Technica lists the ATH-GL3 as a closed-back dynamic headphone and says the design keeps loud gameplay from reaching people nearby. Its open-back sibling, the ATH-GDL3, lets more sound in and out.
What that changes in practice depends on the seal. Pocket-lint found the GL3 blocks more background noise than the open-back GDL3. SoundGuys, scoring from hands-on use rather than measurement, gave isolation 3.2, the lowest mark in its table. The two do not conflict: closed-back is a design category, not a promise of strong isolation.
A light grip is a likely reason. 9to5Toys found the GL3’s clamping force so light that it was less fatiguing than Beyerdynamic’s MMX line or Corsair’s Virtuoso. It also noted that the EPOS H3 clamped harder and isolated a little better. That is the trade: a gentler grip tends to mean a looser seal.
Comfort over four hours: what the evidence can and cannot say
No source found tests the ATH-GL3 for four hours with glasses, and GameVexo has not either. What the evidence does support is a light headset with a light grip and a few reported weak points.
What each comfort factor means for a long session.
| Factor | Published or reported (source) | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | About 230 g; 237 g with microphone, so the microphone adds roughly 7 g (published figures subtracted). Audio-Technica. | Less load on the crown and ears |
| Weight check | The Sennheiser GSP 300 is listed at 290 g, about 22 to 26 percent heavier. PCPer and retailers. | Puts 230 g in context |
| Clamping force | No figure published. Called light or relaxed by 9to5Toys and TechJioBlog; Pocket-lint calls it balanced. | Qualitative only, so no number to compare |
| Earcups | No depth published. Pocket-lint calls them shallow; 9to5Toys says ear tops press on flat drivers. | The likely hotspot, especially under glasses arms |
| Headband | Split. Pocket-lint praises the floating strap; SoundGuys says thin padding hurts long sessions. | Crown pressure tends to build over hours |
| Replaceable parts | Earpads and headpad detach. Audio-Technica. | Worn or shallow pads can be swapped |
| Glasses | No source found. | Unknown, so test it yourself |
Because the weight is low, the likely stress points are the ear tops against the flat drivers, any pressure point under the headband and, with glasses, the temple arm pressed between pad and head. That is editorial reasoning, not an observation.
A practical check: wear it with your glasses for the first hour inside the return window. A sore temple spot at hour one is unlikely to improve by hour four.
Sound and footstep detail
Audio-Technica lists 45 mm dynamic drivers, a frequency response of 10 to 35,000 Hz, sensitivity of 98 dB/mW and 45 ohms of impedance. People hear roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz, so the numbers beyond that describe bandwidth, not audible detail. The sensitivity and impedance are typical of headsets meant to run from a laptop or controller jack without an amplifier.
Footstep detail is where the evidence thins. No source found measured imaging, so there is no published test of how clearly footsteps separate from gunfire. Reviewers offer impressions only. CGMag found a strong low and mid-range that suits games built on sound cues, and Pocket-lint called the audio range rich. None of that came from a controlled footstep test.
The published specs describe a stereo analog headset with no virtual surround or software listed.
The detachable microphone
The microphone detaches. Audio-Technica lists an electret condenser with a hypercardioid pickup pattern, sensitivity of -43 dB at 1 kHz, a 30 to 20,000 Hz response and a windscreen in the box. Hypercardioid means it favors sound from in front and rejects most from the sides. A volume dial and mute switch sit on the left earcup.
Reviewers rate it as adequate. CGMag said it works for Discord or Zoom but would not recommend it for a podcast or streaming. Pocket-lint called it decent, while noting that the volume wheel is small and the mute button gives no light or audio cue.
Two cables cover the setups: a 3.0 m cable with two 3.5 mm plugs for computers, and a 1.2 m cable with one 3.5 mm TRRS plug for PS5, Xbox Series X and other consoles.
Who should skip it
You want wireless
The GL3 is wired only. Audio-Technica lists no Bluetooth, dongle or USB connection.
You stream or record voice
CGMag would not recommend the microphone for podcasts or streaming. A dedicated microphone is the safer route.
You need strong isolation
SoundGuys rated isolation 3.2, and a light grip tends to loosen the seal. A heavier closed-back model may isolate better.
You have large or deep ears
Reviewers report shallow earcups, and 9to5Toys found ear tops pressing on the drivers.
Alternatives worth considering
Each alternative fixes one of the GL3’s trade-offs and gives up something else.
| Model | Type | Weight | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATH-GL3 | Closed-back | ≈230 g (237 g with mic) | Baseline; light, wired |
| ATH-GDL3 | Open-back | Reviewer estimate: about 220 g | More open sound; less isolation |
| Sennheiser GSP 300 | Closed-back | 290 g | Memory-foam pads, split headband |
The Sennheiser GSP 300 is heavier, but PCPer, testing a unit loaned by the maker, described moderate clamping force and excellent isolation. Several retailers list it as no longer available, so check stock before you plan around it. Our sennheiser gsp 300 review covers it in full.
The ATH-GDL3 is the open-back sibling. Weight is a reviewer estimate from 9to5Toys, and Pocket-lint found it blocks less noise than the GL3.
If over-ear pressure is the problem itself, in-ear monitors remove the pad and temple-arm contact entirely. The trade is a different fit and microphone style. See best iems for gaming: in-ear picks for pc and console.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Audio-Technica ATH-GL3 closed-back or open-back?▾
How much does the ATH-GL3 weigh?▾
Does the ATH-GL3 work with PS5 and Xbox Series X?▾
Is the ATH-GL3 comfortable with glasses?▾
