Edifier G2 II 7.1. Surround Gaming Headset Review – Real 26-euro price bomb for the price-conscious beginner

1 - Introduction, Unboxing, Comfort and Technical Data 2 - Teardown: Speakers, Ear Shells and Software 3 - Real Measurement and Microphone Test 4 - Subjective Sound-Check, Summary and Conclusion

Headphones sound impression: the listening experience

Let’s finally test subjectively what you get for little money. To be on the safe side, I locked the headset in the lab for another 2 days and tortured it with a selected sound loop at full scale just to scrub additional hours of operation. What do you do for our die-hard single-play fanatics among the readers, even if it will probably remain a mystery for many forever. But there are people who swear by it and I like to counter this criticism by simply doing something like this.

The achieved maximum level is not even bad for an inexpensive C-Media solution, which also suggests that the drivers bring along a high characteristic sensitivity and still generate decent propulsion even with less output power. The whole thing is also reasonably level stable and really good for the price range under 50 Euros.

Bass reproduction

Test the lowest bass in the subcontraoctave (16.4 Hz to 32.7 Hz) with a recording of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor (19 and 25 Hz) and Tchaikovsky’s Festival Overture 1812 (10 Hz and 12.5 Hz). The same applies to the lower ranges of the contraoctave (32.7 to 65.4 Hz). The large bass drum (kick drum), which is a popular accompaniment in underground music and is usually tuned to around 55 to 60 Hz, will then round out this assessment.

The bass is quite precise and almost crisp, but also a bit thin below the contraoctave. Nevertheless, everything is quite balanced and can please, because the drivers are better than one might think. A bit more mechanical sounding would certainly have been helpful.  But the way the bass performs is really completely fine for under 50 Euros. However, as an organ lover, you hardly get the subcontractave on your ear when you think you need something like that. But it is an inexpensive gaming headset and for the grenade impact de luxe that is completely sufficient.

The upper bass up to 150 Hz, which also contains the Great Octave (65.4 to 130.8 Hz), accommodates the fundamental speech frequency of the male voice and is very decisive for the lifelike reproduction of male vocals.

Male vocals come across clean and clear, that’s how you like it. The original sound is more than okay for gaming, because every bomb impact still reaches the ear quite cleanly and does not overwhelm the rest of the soundscape. And otherwise, the G2 II also plays better here than the price would suggest. even with music or movies.

Midrange

The lower mids (also the fundamental range) are around 150 to 400 Hz. Together with the already mentioned upper bass, this range plays a very important role for the subjectively perceived warmth or fullness of the sound image. The basic speech frequency of female voices is found in this range.

Female vocals have even more volume than the still male ones in the upper bass. The precision with which you are guided from the upper bass to the lower mids is also good. This remains quite constant and even increases slightly towards the top. The abundance is more than sufficient and almost seduces a cozy fireplace feel-good ambience. The gamer of the world will of course prefer to wield the frost whip and like the harder pace, but this rather warm interpretation does not detract from the resolution.

The upper mids between 400 Hz to about two KHz include a mark at one KHz that is still considered the reference for many measurements. Unfortunately, this is often noticed in cheaper devices as the manufacturers often try to overemphasize this frequency. This area does not play an insignificant role in gaming either, and a balanced reproduction does not insignificantly contribute to a good spatial resolution.

All this briefly becomes a bit more restrained at about 1 Hz, but with increasing frequency it becomes more concise again, more distinct, and despite the partial dominance it still remains somehow precise and also reasonably differentiated. The depth gradation is okay and the virtual 7.1 surround mix, which cannot be switched off, does its part to get quite a good feeling for the location after all. The individual sources can still be localized sufficiently well, especially at high levels, regardless of whether there is pressure from below or not. The headset never sounds gruff, boisterous or careless, but surprisingly balanced. It’s not really a hi-fi headphone, but it’s also not a gruff ironing board.

Tweeter range

Between two and about 3.5 KHz, the human ear is most sensitive, especially since this range of lower treble is responsible for the good overtone reproduction of the human voice. This frequency range is crucial for the recognition of a voice or an instrument; in this context, one also speaks of the respective timbre.

The voices have a high recognition value, the instruments too. What is called timbre is quite close to the original, and beyond that a bit too aggressive in the foreground. This is not a disadvantage for the target group when playing, only those who prefer music have to make small compromises.

The mid-range treble (3.5 to six KHz) is decisive for the success or failure of speech reproduction as a whole, because the S and sibilants fall into this range. The upper treble then reaches up to about ten KHz to transition into the super treble.

The sibilants are there, that’s quite enough. This is never metallic either, especially in the 6 KHz and above ranges. Lucky once again. The super high frequencies are also still strong, and up to about 11 kHz, nothing is left to be desired. I only listen up to about 14.5 kHz anyway, so that’s all I need. Bats then have to be a bit braver, because towards the top it becomes very narrow and quiet.

Summary and conclusion

To cut a long story short: You can’t really go wrong with the Edifier G2 II for less than 40 or even 30 Euros (if there’s a special offer), because it doesn’t have many weaknesses and is an honest and suitable offer for all those who don’t want to or can’t afford such a high price. So you don’t have to buy a horn when your budget just doesn’t allow for more. So they do exist, the little highlights in the low-price sector, you just have to be brave and persistent enough to look for and find them. Quasi as an acoustic pearl diver.

If you don’t want to dig through a pile of more or less plastic garbage like I did, just to find a pearl, you are welcome to profit from my curiosity. Besides the passive SGH50 from Sharkoon, this is a complete USB solution that provides a decent sound independent of the onboard sound without bleeding you dry. Except for the somewhat weak low bass, the rest is quite close to the target curve, even at this rather surprising low price. Of course, you don’t get a hi-fi solution, but you will certainly be able to get over that at this price.

The surround conversion is ok and thankfully not so superficial and trimmed to intentional and not skillful. Yes, you can notice it and even like it in places, but it doesn’t play forward or destroy the recorded music and frequency curve. Discreet and existent, so to speak. Less is usually more, too. So you can leave it like this.