Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsPC/PS version exactly what I hoped for
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2022
I ordered the PC/PS version which might be important as I suspect it is a more refined product, having been released a year or so later. Thought I'd write a review because all seemed focused on xbox and some of the common complaints don't apply.
I was looking for headphones to us in PC VR gaming and had several requirements: (1) Low latency 2.4 ghz wireless PC connection; (2) Noise cancellation including good transparency effect; (3) Good sound quality; and (4) a decent mic. These fit all my requirements where no other headset out there did. These are not perfect, but they are perfect for my use case - so 5 stars relative to what I wanted.
Pros:
- Very well made. Feel very high quality/premium.
- My wife thinks they look good. I like the silver/grey color.
- I have owned plenty of headphones but don't claim audiophile expertise. My reference point for sound quality is the Bose 700 headset I have been using (wired to my quest 2 headset). Different sound signatures, but these are at least as good and better as it pertains specifically to gaming.
- ANC is good enough to be worthwhile and useful. Not as effective as my Bose 700 or my Bose QC Earbuds, but different use case really. Where I take my Bose with me outside, these I use only inside. ANC is more than sufficient to block out the annoying fans on our AC/heating units while at home. Not sure it would work on the subway or NYC streets.
- Transparency mode is good. This is important to me as I like to be able to keep on and hold a conversation. Feels natural and close enough to my Bose, which are very good. This is the first time a non-bose ANC transparency mode has worked well for me.......have jabra headphones and Samsung buds where transparency feels very artificial.
- Wireless connection to PC dongle has been rock solid. No issues as all on this version where some other reviews noted issues for the Xbox version.
- The setup is pretty easy. You do need to use the phone app, but it worked well for me. Computer could be viewed as plug and play, but worth installing the Dolby access software. If you want to make changes to sound profile on PC without your phone, you need the Dolby software.
- The mic works pretty well even without a boom arm. It's certainly good enough for gaming purposes, and generally better than I expected. I would at least say that the quality is good enough that I would have no interest in a headset with a boom arm even if there were some mic quality benefits.
- Mic background noise suppression surprisingly good. I have been using RTX voice to accomplish this anyway, but that is now arguably superfluous.
- Handles dual wireless connections really well.
- Comfortable to wear.
Cons:
- If you are looking for the best ANC out there, turn to Bose or Sony. The ANC feature is helpful on these and I am definitely glad to have it, but it's definitely not the best out there. I think they have leaned toward subtlety, which is the right move - limited effectiveness but it is never irritating or in the way. My Samsung Galaxy buds ANC can be really distracting, you notice it both when with ANC on and when using transparency mode.
- The controls are pretty good but not necessarily intuitive out of the gate. For instance some buttons change depending on what wireless connections you have. Ultimately this benefits utility, but can be confusing upfront.
- Transparency mode works differently with mic on vs mic off. It sorta intermixes ANC with sidetone functionality which is confusing. Not a big deal, but I would prefer these be separate functions.
- I wish headphone makers would focus on making them less wide. I don't operate in the apple ecosystem, but airpods max look great with lower profile. These are pretty wide which hurts the aesthetics in my view (maybe cause my head more oval than round), though not much worse than Bose 700 in this regard. Of course I am also using them at home when wearing a VR headset......I already look ridiculous so no consequence to me for how I use. Also as noted above, my wife actually likes the way these look, so taste may vary.
- Some of the on headset controls would benefit from voice notification rather than beeps. Sometimes hard to tell if I landed on the right setting. Bose 700 has this and it really helps.
