Summary: Exceptional microphone, accurate positioning with analog 5.1, great comfort and build quality, below-average sound quality especially in low range.
The construction of the 510s is solid and I am not worried about the headband cracking although it is plastic. The faux leather padding on the over-the-ear cups is very comfortable and the pads are easily replaceable/interchangeable (not sure about other options since I love these ones so much). The headset is pretty light, I think the longest I've worn it was 4 hours with minor neck soreness starting around the 3 hour mark. I would say that the detachable cord, while a nice feature, is a bit annoying since the remote is too close to the headset to be placed in a convenient spot on your desk. I usually put it in my lap or tuck it behind me on my chair.
Above all else, I love the microphone on this headset. I was shocked at the high sensitivity when I first plugged in--I could hear my aquarium filter in another room through my headset when monitoring mic input. Once you adjust input volume and find the sweet spot, the voice quality is very good and I've had quite a few people on mumble/teamspeak ask me what headset I use and mention the voice clarity. The mic is also removable, which is convenient, and extremely flexible. I highly encourage all of you mic-breathers to get yourself a bendable mic like this one.
Sound quality is ok, though not as good as a stereo headset of comparable price. The low range (which extends down to 20Hz) is heavy/square sounding, with pretty muffled and sometimes indistinguishable bass tones. Explosions and gunfire sound good, but I wouldn't recommend listening to anything like Young Jeezy or the Prelude from Carmen while wearing these cans. I will admit that the analog 5.1 exceeded my expectations and I find myself much more immersed in games with surround sound capability. This is a notable advantage in multiplayer FPS games.
I would highly recommend these if you are primarily looking for a gaming headset. If you are a music lover (why are you looking at 5.1 headphones?) and gaming is not your top priority, you might consider some AT AD700s ($100), M50s ($120) or Sennheiser 558s ($160). I have the AD700s and absolutely adore them.
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