Plantronics Rig
Stereo Headset & Rig Review
Introduction
This is a consumer review I have purchased this headset for personal use and this is my personal views on this product, this won't be like most other reviews it will just be my honest opinion on this gaming headset.
A little bit about myself here I game on the PC mainly in a wide variety of genres mainly comprising though of MOBA, MMO and FPS. I would game on average around 40 hours if not more a week and have been gaming since childhood. I have owned and used a number of mid range gaming headsets in the price bracket of £69 - £129 and these are a replacement to my Turtle Beach PX22 and Steelseries Siberia v2 Orange Heat.
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| Top quality finishing touches on box |
My First Impressions
My initial impressions of the product were good the packaging was aesthetically pleasing, and the little details such as the fabric Plantronics label on the opening panel gave me the impression that the product was of high quality as if they put this effort into the packaging then the product was going to be off a top notch standard.
Opening the Packaging
The fact that the box had a viewing window added to the excitement when opening the headset. The box was easily opened but the packaging in which the headset was held in was tight and had me worried I would damage the headset removing it from it but after a quick test I realised they just popped out of it and my worries passed. The packaging ensures that everything is kept in its place safely and securely even with the roughest of handling during delivery I wouldn't have any worries with this product.
Set Up
I don't think set up could possibly be any easier, I literally took out all the items and placed them on my table. I then took a quick leaf through the neatly attached instructions to find which cable I would need for what usage. I then had a read of the functions provided by the rig itself and plugged the USB cable into a port and the headphone cable into the headphone socket on my sound card. on the rig I inserted the boom mic cable and attached the other end to the headset and that was it we were all up and running ready for gaming.
The RIG
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| On the RIG you can see the 3 buttons for call, mute & EQ Then on either side you can see the sliders for mixing volume |
Here I am going to talk about what is possibly the finest mixer I have used on any headset. It has a number of ports and controls which I have found not only very intuitive to use but also an item I don't think I could now do without when I am gaming. It allows for me to hook up my PC, Phone and Xbox simultaneously meaning I no longer have any fuss of having to switch cables when I wish to move from one platform to another. In addition I can set it that i can mix volume between music from my phone voice from Skype and sound from game to find myself the optimal level of all three mixed together and can be adjusted on the fly by sliding the slider towards whichever I wish to increase.
There is also a feature to allow you to change between 3 preset EQ profiles to find the one that suits your use best and then in between that you find the mute mic button and to the left of that is the answer call button an almost must if your like me and think I don't know if I can stop playing to take this call this eliminates that issue.
The Headset
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| This shows the deep ear cup padding |
The headset is highly adjustable in size from my young son being able to use it with his tablet, to my wife using it with the laptop and the up to me a 6 ft 1" adult male without any issues. It has a deep padding on the ear cups which give a comfortable fit even when used for long periods of time. the headband is well cushioned and solidly built you don't feel like if you take it off and set it down without care it will fall to bits like I have felt with other headsets in the past.
One other feature of the headset that I think should be noted is the option to turn the ear cups into a flat position which not only allows you to set them on the desk in a more stable position but in this mode they can be comfortably hung over the shoulders if you need to move them off your ears for a period of time.
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| The headset has an excellent lay flat option |
One other feature of the headset that I think should be noted is the option to turn the ear cups into a flat position which not only allows you to set them on the desk in a more stable position but in this mode they can be comfortably hung over the shoulders if you need to move them off your ears for a period of time.
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| You can see the robust build and comfortable padding |
The sound quality that is produced from the headset is outstanding, it allows me to hear each noise in game to ensure I have as big an advantage on my opponents as possible from the slightest footstep to the deep sound of a RPG hitting the wall next to me. It also allows for me to alongside the immersive game sounds clearly hear each word of my teammates communications without it blurring into a mess of the two together.
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| Boom Mic |
The various Cables
You are supplied with a total of 4 cables with your Headset.
Firstly your boom mic a must for me when gaming it allows for me to be heard clearly by my teammates even when the kids are in the same room playing. I find that this is the mic you want to using if your gaming or video calling.
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| Inline Mic |
Secondly you have the inline Mic which gives you an option which I haven't discussed yet that I have only started to properly take advantage of myself and that is using your headset with your phone/tablet on the go. You can now have the top quality sound you have when gaming at home on the go and with the inline mic you can answer calls with the click of a button and there is also the option to mute the mic with a switch on it.
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| Left Cable is the TV and Right is Xbox |
The final two cables although you to hook your headset up to your TV using the left and right output ports (red and white to most of us). The other cable being the cable that hooks your Xbox controller into the rig and let me tell you this is the first headset I have purchased that didn't ask you to buy this separate a wonderful surprise when I found it in the box
Technical Specification
Here is the technical Specification for those of you who wish to have that info.
Final Summary
I would have to say after having used this headset for approximately 120 hours of gaming and 20 hours of usage on the go. I can honestly say this is the best headset I have owned and would recommend it to anyone who is wanting not only a top class gaming headset but a set of headphones that can be used on the move to boot. I can't honestly find any fault in this product. I looked forward to many more hours of immersive game play using these headphones. Plantronics in my opinion have set the bar high and the competition has a long way to come to find themselves on a par with this product in this price range.
Blog Info
This has been a wonderful guest blog review of my hubbies early valentines gift that I had to give him early what can I say I am a soft touch but got him out my hair while he has been off enjoying them.
I love reading all of your comments and getting to interact with all my readers so pop a comment in the section below and lets chit chat.
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