Sennheiser has announced the HD 500 BAM microphone, and it can completely transform some of the brand's headphones into gaming behemoths

The Sennheiser HD 500 BAM microphone being worn by a man with a Sennheiser pair of headphones

(Image credit: Sennheiser)

Sennheiser has announced a standalone boom mic accessory
It's compatible with a selection of its headphones
Targeting gamers and for work, it'll cost $59.95 / £39.99

Gamers who swear by Sennheiser's audio rejoice! The audiophile brand has revealed the HD 500 BAM, a boom arm microphone that can transform a number of its headphones into a gaming headset - or something perfect for productivity when working from home.

Gamers like me who have craved an "all Sennheiser" solution or option for gaming will now have a genuine means to form a Sennheiser gaming headset of sorts.

Recognizing what the lack of a microphone meant for such gamers up until now, Audiophile Project Manager, Klaus Hanselmann, said that: "Gamers have praised the extended comfort and immersive listening their 500-series headphones bring, but the lack of a microphone option meant compromise".

The Sennheiser HD 500 BAM microphone on a white background — (Image credit: Sennheiser)

The microphone itself is a "10mm electret condenser capsule with a cardioid pickup pattern" and Sennheiser states that it will deliver "exceptional speech clarity". Priced at $59.95 / £39.99, it's a pretty affordable addition to an existing headphone setup, and could be the missing piece that audiophile gamers have been looking for.

I've been using the HD 500 BAM for a bit over a week now, in combination with my Sennheiser HD 550s. It's a simple plug-and-play solution that replaces the existing cable with one that offers a Y-splitter for use with a sound card, or a combi-jack connection for going straight into a controller, for example.

Performance has been predictably robust with my voice travelling crisply and clearly, no matter if it's a meeting or an intense match online. Its simple mic mute button and volume wheel combination of on-board controls means there's no overcomplication here when it comes to using the mic, too. As a high-quality means to keep my HD 550s on for multiplayer gaming, it's proving very accomplished indeed as a gaming product.

It feels like Sennheiser is somewhat testing the gaming waters again, which is incredibly exciting, given the brand's absence in the gaming space since the company's gaming arm first turned into EPOS, and then disappeared altogether.

Until then, the HD 500 BAM represents the easiest solution for those who are currently juggling multiple devices, but those who simply want to use and enjoy their compatible Sennheiser headphones as much as possible for gaming.

The HD 500 BAM is compatible with the following headphones:

HD 505
HD 550
HD 560S
HD 569
HD 599
HD 599 SE
HD 620S

The mic is also out now, and when it appears at retailers, you'll see the latest prices on it joining those of compatible headphones below.

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Rob is the Managing Editor of TechRadar Gaming, a video games journalist, critic, editor, and writer, and has years of experience gained from multiple publications. Prior to being TechRadar Gaming's Managing Editor, he was TRG's Deputy Editor, and a longstanding member of GamesRadar+, being the Commissioning Editor for Hardware there for years, while also squeezing in a short stint as Gaming Editor at WePC just before joining TechRadar Gaming. He is also a writer on tech, gaming hardware, and video games but also gardens and landscapes, and has written about the virtual landscapes of games for years.

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