Reddit mentions of Creative Labs 51EF0180AA001 Sound Blaster Arena Surround USB Gaming Headset

It's not exactly what you're asking for, but I can tell you about the ones I'm using.

I've got the Sound Blaster Arena Surround USB Gaming Headset.

• I like the USB connection because the 3.5mm jacks on my tower have horrible static, but it does mean that the volume's perpetually set to 2-8% (anything higher is too loud). I seem to notice that USB connections are WAY louder, but maybe that's what you like. Both my USB headsets worked with no special drivers installed--Windows figured it out on its own.
  
• I am the antithesis of a sound quality snob, so I can't really tell you about the dulcet tones my headset does/doesn't play, but I'm pretty sure it's not crap. (Sorry!)
  
• It's got an in-line volume adjuster (buttons, so you can go from 0% to 100%) and mute toggle (and a glowing indicator so you can easily tell if it's muted or not)
  
• The mic wobbles in my peripheral vision and it distracts me. The mic design also makes it hard to fold the headset in a certain way (but it's detachable, so you could get around it)
  
• The mic quality appears to be pretty good? I tend to play games when other folks are asleep nearby, so I stay v. quiet, and most people can hear me fine. I also do long telephone calls with the headset (via Google voice) and I've never had anyone complain.
  
• The drivers add a funny set of voice-changers. I can sound like a squirrel in-game if I want. I've definitely killed people that way.
  
• The ear cups are definitely the most comfortable out of any headset I've personally had. I also wear glasses, so this is a big concern for me. They also help block out background noise. I sometimes just leave them on as earmuffs.
  
• My biggest gripe: the padding on the headband is insufficient for me. It's a very narrow band, and the pressure of it gives me headaches. If I put extra padding on it/on my head, it's the most comfortable headset I've got. I've got a friend who snagged the same headset and he can wear the headset without the headband touching his head, but I can't manage that magic.
  
  I paid less than 25$ for it, and for that price, it's a fucking steal. But I'd not shell out full price for something with a headband like that. Incidentally, I'll Paypal anyone 20$ if they can get the headband to not give me headaches, but the fix needs to be less silly/embarrassing than the lion fleece hat I'd normally wear to pad my head.
  
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  Oh, and I've also got a pair of Plantronics .Audio 480s (w/ the USB connection adapter). I carry these with my laptop for gaming (and VoIP calls) on the go. I appreciated the design incorporating both the 3.5mm plugs and the USB adapter, but since my laptop has the single integrated in/outbound 3.5mm jack, I can only use the USB adapter. It also has an in-line volume slider and mute toggle. The cord's shorter than my desktop headset's, but it's reasonable for an on-the-go headset.
  
  I switched the default bud caps for foam caps (probably ganked from skullcandy earbuds) and can wear the mic bud without using the plastic tab thing. Speaking on it is weeeeird (you hear yourself in your head), but the outbound quality is pretty good and the bud design does block out a lot of ambient noise.
  
  I'm very happy to have these as my portable/back-up headset. The construction is good, and even while everyone hates the plastic tab on the mic bud, I understand that there's not much you can do to alleviate the need for it. Comes with a neat little carrying case. I also got them for < 14$.
  
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  If you're not itching to buy a headset immediately and want to save some cash for other neat goodies, put up some deal alerts on http://www.fatwallet.com or http://www.dealnews.com with the keyword "headset". I see Logitech and other well regarded headsets show up with hefty discounts every so often. (It's how I got my headsets for much cheaper than MSRP.)

I bought a Creative Labs Sound Blaster Arena Surround USB Gaming Headset not too long ago. It's really nice and I like that the mic detaches easily. I used to use a Razer Carcharias set, but the mic broke within a couple months (common problem I think). I do think the Carcharias were slighty more comfortable (my head is huge) and I'd prefer actual 1/8" audio I/O to USB, but the Arena isn't bad and has good outside noise reduction.

I just bought a different pair, here they are- http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-51EF0180AA001-Blaster-Surround/dp/B002J9HCV0/ref=sr_1_sc_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1375405655&sr=8-4-spell&keywords=creativelabs+headset

Any of these three headsets are great choices imo

• Razer Carcharias at $70
  
• Creative SoundBlaster Arena (out of stock currently...?)
  
• Corsair Vengeance 1500 at $89 (the one I own)
  
  The G35 certainly looks good from its Amazon reviews, but is the most expensive of the set.
  
  If you're somewhat interested in the Corsair headset, I can give you my impression of the product.

Did your mic stop working after the hatless update? I have a fairly decent USB headset--Creative Arena Surround--and can no longer be heard over voice chat since the update. (Just in TF2. Microphone test in the general Steam settings and in other applications are fine.) Other people are reporting similar problems on SPUF and on midwest.

I've checked every possible setting, have the latest drivers, etc. No word back yet from the helpful and never redundant Steam support bots. I suspect it's partly because I play on an XP machine (most of the complaints seem to come from XP and Vista users). So, just a reminder, the problem may persist even with a new headset...