Audio/Peripherals Headphones Headsets Reviews

[UPDATE]Audio Roundup: The best gaming headsets in comparison test

Introduction and scope of delivery

As a manufacturer of various sound peripherals, what do you do if you want to stand out clearly from the existing product portfolio, but do not want to do without imported names and brands? Right, you buy an X. Sound Blaster then simply turns Sound BlasterX and finishes.

But what is actually hidden behind this consonant chin-up? The first rehearsal of the headset quickly revealed to us the trend that was taken at Creative with this slightly higher-priced product. You want to move away from the image of cheap average goods and towards products that are supposed to score above all by performance. A laudable approach, but did it work?

The packaging stands out, at least from the crowd. In addition to the actual headphones, there is a pluggable microphone and a jack extension cable, which includes the combi-jack, as we do it, for example. for mobile devices, replaced again by two separate 3.5mm plugs, which can then be separated into the microphone input or headphone output of the PC.

Optics and haptics

The patented suspension of the earcups and the handle is the real highlight of the construction. As far as we know, only a few companies use this patent, which is certainly also due to the contract manufacturer, who has simply converted a rather neutral and very light headphones into headsets with thoughtful tooling.

The increased quality standards can then also be noticed in the Matrialmix, because especially the very stable aluminium parts in combination with higher-quality plastic are visually and haptically a redemption from the usual headset uniform porridge. We tried to twist and bend the headset by force – for nothing, that holds. This may not be a construction for eternity, but at least for half. At least.

Comfort

No matter how large the head circumference or the unusual head shape also fail – once adjusted, the headset sits perfectly as ordered and made to measure. We have very rarely tested such an unobtrusive yet not too loose-fitting headset, which can score so well in the long-term comfort, although as an over-ear version it completely includes everything.

The upholstery in imitation leather is extremely soft and the processed foam inside adapts to the anatomy of the wearer. However, we cannot estimate the extent to which the PU leather imitation remains stable for the long term without cracks.

With the slightly obliquely employed drivers, Creative calls this "tilt-driver implementation", one then at least meets the anatomy to the extent that one tries to better adapt the radiation direction to the ear canal.

This means that the resulting airspace between the driver and the ear can be further optimised. From our point of view, it is no longer possible to understand whether the desired resonance avoidance has been achieved precisely by this, because we have not been able to hear any disturbing resonances at all.

The joint solution can convince on the whole and is even very comparable with the implementation of various Beyerdynamic products. Incidentally, this striking similarity also continues inside the handle during the adjustment and the embossed pressure points for the positions. Headsets like the Qpad QH 90 are similarly designed, which is certainly no coincidence.

A good seat is already half the rent, the rest can be achieved by the really low weight of the headset. You also have to mention the very soft head cushion integrated in the handle, but due to the lightness you don't even have to use it very much.

Refreshing design meets really good workmanship. This is rarer in the 100 Euro class than you might think, even if other products can also score with quality and new ideas. Here you just put one more on it. This airiness and the low contact pressure are somewhat at the expense of the usual bass thunderstorm, but woe betide if they are released! But more on that.

Functionality and connection

The control unit built into the cable houses a volume control and the microphone switch. The positioning is close enough to the head, so that the handle never goes into the void. It is also positive that Creative has dispensed with a USB sound solution and is relying on the conventional 3.5mm jack without any acoustic improvement in the audio strand.

This makes it worthwhile to connect to a good headphone amplifier, which is almost always superior to many onboard solutions and above all enables higher levels with lower distortions. Gerde the level strength makes many onboard solutions quickly the wrong neck, while the actual DACs are now quite usable.

Microphone

The microphone with ball characteristics has a large pop protection and is plug-in or removable, which quickly transforms the headset into an ultra-light and very comfortable headphones, with which you can also enjoy music and, of course, vice versa.

The low-cut at approx. 100 Hz works well, so rumbling wind and blow-out noise swells is not an issue. The pop protection does the rest anyway. The noise cancellation works passably and without pumps, only at high peaks is audibly clipped. The speech intelligibility is very good, especially since the microphone can also be optimally positioned thanks to the very flexible gooseneck.

Measurements and sound check

Now it gets interesting, because you want to compete with products like the Qpad QH90 or the HyperX Cloud II. That these two headsets from Guangdong Takstar Electronic Co. Ltd. come and are actually modified stereo headphones, whose drivers could also be almost licensed products from Beyerdynamic, is even pure intention.

Because you have realized that a good stereo headphones can play much more spacious and differentiated than all 5.1-sourround-what-always-additions will ever be able to, silly sounding games for marketing included.

Let us therefore first take a look at the overall picture. The slightly sloping bass curve from 200 Hz is certainly also due to the low contact pressure of the shell in our test setup (rather small artificial head with 56 cm circumference), but does not primarily disturb, because the subjective impression was a tick fuller. If you like it a little stronger, because you prefer the rather loose seat, with the 64-Hz-knob you can conjure up pretty much everything on bass that your own heart is languishing.

This is particularly well done because it is one of the most level-resistant headsets we have ever tested.

You can only write the best about the completely linear course from 200 Hz to over 20 KHz in the range of +/- 3dB, because besides the sound neutrality it is above all the almost filigree and very differentiated reproduction of voices, instruments and of course also broadband gaming noises. Why this is also (and especially) beneficial for players has already been very sensitively demonstrated in the basic article "Myth Gaming Headset: Pure Marketing Blabla or Real Advantage when Playing?".

We had the fun of comparing the headset with Beyerdynamics Custom One Pro (which we also use as a headset) and the DT 990 Pro. Purely in terms of sound impression, the Sound BlasterX H5 is located approximately in the middle. Fortunately, the overdominant bass of the COP is missing just as much as the very intrusive height volume of the DT 990 Pro. With the right setting on the equalizer, the H5 plays loosely down into the subcontraoctave and stays warm, soft and balanced. The settling behavior is definitely acceptable for this price class.

Where you like to take the heights away from the DT 990 Pro, especially when mixing, the H5 headset is much more neutral and unobtrusively tuned. The hearing impression is roughly equally good in all frequency ranges and the very differentiated reproduction also brings various tears of joy to gamers' faces without the H5 sounding too analytical. Some things will be heard not only with different ears, but perhaps also for the first time, if you were used to the usual gaming troughs with exaggerated sounding.

You can like music and gaming alike and will love both interpretations if you can help with the bass controller if necessary. These more or less semi-open headphones do not completely exclude you from the environment, but lay a pleasant sound carpet over it, which has surprisingly few patches. For many music genres up to gaming, we would even prefer the H5 to the Custom One Pro, as the H5 is also much more level-resistant.

We will certainly make up for a comparison with Qpad QH90 & Co within the scope of the roundup, because unfortunately no test samples were available for the measurements. But we'll stick to it, because the roundup is absolutely open towards the end.

Conclusion

What happens when an almost neutral headset with extreme level resistance meets a demanding gamer whose ears and hearing are not yet eaten up by the sultry bass-baroque sounding of the marketing popes?

The gamer will be happy to access and wonder why he hasn't tried it before with a good stereo headphones and a plug-in microphone. Hearing can be as simple as that.

You can offer many things and decorate them with colorful advertising bubbles, in the end the truth always wins. And if, as in this case, it does it only in the form of an unadulterated sound, but then it also relentlessly reveals things that have never been heard before with the usual suspects in the headset area.

If you don't believe it, you can take the test on yourself, but you should also break with old habits and invest some time to listen to the test. This is guaranteed not to be accompanied by annoying pressing or tweaking, because the very light headset sits airy and unobtrusive.

The conclusion is consistently positive, so that the explicit purchase tip is then only the logical consequence. If you prefer to be neutral and if necessary, you can still bend the situation inadodually via an equalizer, you are welcome to access it. Tears of joy don't lie and the purchased X at the blaster is not a disaster.

Technical data and availability

Finally, let us summarize the technical data in a table. The headset has only recently been on the market, so the price will also settle into interesting regions. Occasional marketing campaigns of approx. 90 euros is a good sign.

 

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About the author

Igor Wallossek

Editor-in-chief and name-giver of igor'sLAB as the content successor of Tom's Hardware Germany, whose license was returned in June 2019 in order to better meet the qualitative demands of web content and challenges of new media such as YouTube with its own channel.

Computer nerd since 1983, audio freak since 1979 and pretty much open to anything with a plug or battery for over 50 years.

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