Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3
Is the ATH-GDL3 right for you?
The ATH-GDL3 is Audio-Technica's open-back, over-ear gaming headset, and it connects by one of two detachable 3.5 mm cables.
Best for
- Playing on a console and a computer with one headset. Audio-Technica lists one cable for gaming consoles and another for computers.
- Game chat with a mic you can take off. Audio-Technica lists a flexible, detachable boom microphone.
Skip if
- You need to keep your audio to yourself in a shared room. Audio-Technica lists it as open-back, and an open-back design lets sound out of the cups as well as in.
Want to see it next to a keyboard and a mouse? Try it on the QuickDesker board and build a whole desk setup around it.
What does it cost, and what should you check first?
- Seen at Audio-Technica.com for $139.00 (Black) on 1 Nov 2026
- Seen at Best Buy for $139.00 (Black) on 17 Sep 2026
Prices change; check the one for the colour you want. Audio-Technica's product page lists it in Black and White. Two detachable cables come in the box: a 1.2 m one with a single 4-pole 3.5 mm plug, which Audio-Technica says is for PS5, Xbox Series X and other gaming consoles, and a 3.0 m cable for PC with two 3-pole plugs.
A 4-pole plug carries headphone sound and the microphone together, as a single headset jack expects; two 3-pole plugs suit a computer with separate microphone and headphone jacks. A 3.5 mm plug doesn't fit a USB-C port without an adapter, so a phone or laptop with only USB-C ports needs one.
Audio-Technica says a volume control dial and a mute switch are built into the left earcup. Its product page lists a two-year limited end user warranty.
What do the ATH-GDL3's sound specs tell you?
Audio-Technica lists 45 mm dynamic drivers, an impedance of 45 ohms and a frequency response of 10 to 35,000 Hz. Impedance is the electrical load a headphone puts on the jack it's plugged into, not a sound-quality score. What those figures do and don't tell you is covered in our guide: What do headphone specs actually mean? Frequency response, impedance and driver size.
Audio-Technica says the open-back design lets you localize sounds, such as an approaching opponent, within an expansive sound field.
Full specifications
| How it is worn | over-ear headphones |
|---|---|
| Connections | Detachable cable: 3.5 mm (1/8”) gold-plated stereo mini-plug/4 pole. Detachable cable for PC: 3.5 mm (1/8”) gold-plated stereo mini-plug/3 pole x2 |
| Active noise cancelling | Not listed on Audio-Technica's ATH-GDL3 product page or user manual |
| Weight | (without cable) Approx. 220 g (7.8 oz) / Approx. 227 g (8.0 oz) (including detachable microphone) |
| Back design | Open-back |
| Driver diameter | 45 mm |
| Driver type | dynamic |
| Impedance | 45 ohms |
| Frequency response | 10 to 35,000 Hz |
| Microphone | flexible (and detachable) boom microphone |
| Cable length | Detachable cable: 1.2 m (3.9’). Detachable cable for PC: 3.0 m (9.8’) |
| Sensitivity | 98 dB/mW |
| Warranty | TWO YEAR LIMITED END USER WARRANTY |
| In the box | Detachable microphone with windscreen, detachable cable (1.2 m (3.9’)/3.5 mm (1/8”) gold-plated stereo mini-plug/4 pole), detachable cable for PC (3.0 m (9.8’)/3.5 mm (1/8”) gold-plated stereo mini-plug/3 pole x2) |
Audio-Technica's ATH-GDL3 product page and user manual don't list water resistance or dimensions.
Specifications from Audio-Technica's ATH-GDL3 product page and user manual, read 17 Sep 2026.