Top critical review
2.0 out of 5 starsA headset that does everything right except for the two things they should always get right
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2021
***Added 18 Month Follow-up at the bottom of original review below***
If you care about sound quality this review is for you. If your idea of excellent sound is Bose or Beats... skip the reviews and buy these, you will love them as they sound just as good as those brands typical offerings.
Looks good, feels good, connects easily, cool features, decent battery life. What's not to love? Well, for one thing they sound worse than my 25 year old $29 Sony headphones. Deep bass is completely non-existent. What you are left with is insanely loud, flabby mid-bass and loads of it. The mid-range is compressed sounding and details get lost in an ocean of noise during any complex portion of audio. Which are both pretty major issues as they are meant to listen to simulated battlefield sounds which have a lot of deep bass and complex passages (teammates talking, NPCs shouting, guns firing, bombs exploding, level-up badges chiming, helicopters flying over, missiles firing - all at the same time). I must admit I haven't bothered to test them on music alone... I just can't face the horror and am afraid what I might do to them in a fit of righteous indignation.
Another problem is that the mic is subpar and the design is bizarre. Don't get me wrong, the mic sound is nowhere near as big a flub as the sound drivers, but I was hoping for better quality here too. Voice comes across sounding flat and electronic. The arm the mic sits on is also way to short (like 50% the minimum acceptable length). This is a problem because it's difficult to see the indicator light on it's tip, and since the mic appears to be permanently attached, I guess you are stuck with it being an issue and have to double check every time you want to be on or off mic.
I've heard multiple reviewers say that in the $100 price range these are a great option (really cost $115 see note at bottom of review). I can't say I've listened to enough gaming headsets to have an opinion about that other than this: If that is the best you can do for $100; then don't sell $100 headsets. Give your your engineers another $20 in budget and charge $150 for them. People who can throw money at $70 games, $500 consoles, and $200 elite controllers can afford to spend a few bucks more for no major compromises.
The worst part is that In the end, I will probably end up begrudgingly keeping them. I don't currently have another gaming headset, and I'm not interested in mic amps and work-arounds for the unnecessarily closed off Xbox wireless audio system. I've also read a lot of complaints on other, reportedly good sounding headsets not standing up to daily use. These just leave me feeling let down and like I'm settling for less (which I am). If only they sounded as good as they look and feel. What a shame.
Sound quality 3/10
Mic Quality 6/10
Mic mute indicator: 1/10
Appearance: 9/10
Functionality 10/10
Comfort 9/10
Battery life 8/10
Notes -
1. I may have opted for an overall rating of 2.5 stars if the system allowed as the comfort and features are great... but then again that sound quality, ugh.
2. So these really cost $115... When you get them, you'll find out you need to download and install the Dolby Access app on your Xbox to use that feature. I was confused about this initially thinking it's a headset built-in - as the product advertisement lead me to believe. The app has a free 7 day trial and then costs you $15. I am undecided on whether or not the Atmos virtual surround helps in the FPS games I play. Initial impressions are that it confuses me as to the location of enemies as often as it helps. That being said, I consider the app a must because it has a graphic-equalizer feature and you can use to turn down the ridiculously loud mid-bass to a level that won't cause an instant headache. Edit - I discovered that the Xbox accessories app has a (basic) built-in EQ feature for the headphones. I ended up opting to purchase the app anyway.
18 Month follow-up:
1. Sound quality is still poor.
2. Mic quality is still below average and the mic stem is still too short.
3. The battery has held up reasonable well so far and I am still able to get through an evening of gaming with friends on a full charge.
4. They are still as comfortable and the ear pads have not collapsed from use.
5. They have been used a lot, dropped a lot, and sat on once or twice and still do the job.
6. I have found the Bluetooth sync capability makes them a great option for work related video calls at home, especially when there is background noise due to their sealed design.
I'm still hoping for an "elite" edition that sounds better but I must say these have held up quite well for a plastic pair of headphones.
