Moondrop GM-01 Pro Review: The Best Gaming Headset Under $100

Moondrop's new "Gravity Maestro" GM-01 Pro wireless gaming headset will be debuting at a not-yet-disclosed price (likely under $100), setting a remarkable new value standard for entry-level gaming audio.

Intentionally or not, this release is aimed squarely at established competitors like the HyperX Cloud 3 Wireless. The GM-01 Pro combines thoughtful ergonomics, impressive frequency response tuning, and utlra-picky-enthusiast-tier software features that may leave traditional gaming brands scrambling to catch up if people catch onto how solid this is.

Physically, the GM-01 Pro presents a sturdy black-and-gold chassis that feels surprisingly well-built for its price point. Instead of stiff, cheap feeling leatherette earpads, Moondrop uses plush, comfortable cloth-covered earpads that conform nicely to the side of the head. While the earcups lack full swivel articulation and the interior pad openings are relatively small, the natural cup angle and lightweight frame provide still excellent long-term comfort.

The headset operates via either a 2.4 GHz wireless dongle, or can use Bluetooth, while featuring physical controls and an integrated boom microphone. The microphone itself sounds somewhat nasal and low-resolution, making a dedicated standalone mic preferable for those serious about their voice chat quality, but the core feature package here remains pretty solid across the board.

Sonically, the GM-01 Pro delivers a smart, tasteful V-shaped sound signature out of the box. Sub-bass is punchy and extended without growing sluggish or muddying the lower midrange much. Vocals and instruments retain excellent clarity through the ear-gain region between 1 kHz and 3 kHz without sounding shouty or harsh. While the treble profile exhibits some forwardness around 6 kHz and an airy peak near 13 kHz that can sound slightly splashy on cymbals, the overall tonal balance remains surprisingly refined for both competitive gaming and general music listening, especially at this price/in this form factor.

Unlike rival headsets that often limit users to primitive fixed-band graphic sliders, Moondrop provides a full parametric EQ tool that allows users to notch out specific treble resonances or highlight game-specific frequency ranges like footsteps and gunfire. The former featureset is something we've grown accustomed to seeing from Moondrop, and its great that its here too, but the latter is something seriously unexpected and may just make this the first honest-to-god correct answer when people ask "What's the best headphone for gaming?"

Gaming aside though, anyone looking for a decent closed back headphone for a very low price should be looking at this, because it's hard to find much fault in it for the price, and its sound is comparable—and favorably so—to passive audiophile closed backs that are much more expensive.

Combined with its light weight, superior pad comfort, and strong default tuning, the Moondrop GM-01 Pro stands out as an outstanding value and an easy recommendation for budget wireless gaming or the closed-back headphone use-case.