Hint: It’s your palm hitting the profile selector. You can also save different profiles to each of the unit’s corners, which is important to know because otherwise you’ll (like me) wonder why it keeps resetting to the defaults whenever you adjust the volume. It looks like HAL 9000 went into building audio accessories. Hayden Dingman/IDGĪdjustable reverb, 7.1 audio, simple EQ, sidetone-it’s all adjustable from the GSX1000, with touch controls easily accessible on the top of the disk, surrounding a red digital volume readout. Connect it to your computer with a USB cable, then plug the Game Zero (or another 3.5mm-equipped headset) into the back, and you get access to a whole host of new features. The GSX1000 is a small and unassuming black square with a silver disk embedded in the top-volume control, it turns out. One I’m sure most Game Zero buyers won’t make. Sennheiser also sent along its GSX1000 amplifier/DAC to test with the Game Zero-an additional $230 cost. It’s excellent though, as far as headsets go. Would you want to record a podcast on it? Eh, still probably not. The Game Zero is the only gaming headset I’ve used that captures a voice’s full tone. Most headsets leave people sounding muffled, or like it’s coming through an antique telephone. I’ve left it until late in this review to discuss, but don’t let that fool you: The Game Zero has the best microphone I’ve heard on a gaming headset. My sole concern is that some people might find it lacks punch straight out of the box. There’s also a lot of headroom, so you could always fiddle with the EQ settings and insert more bass. Personally I’m fine with that-I prefer a more natural sound. It’s very precise, but lacks the oomph some people want from explosions, gunshots, and the like. The only aspect some might find disappointing is the bass response. Even plugged straight into my motherboard’s audio with no frills, the sound has that wide pseudo-surround quality you only get from exceptional stereo headsets. Like HyperX’s original Cloud, with its oversized earcups, the Game Zero feels like it has a massive sound stage compared to most gaming headsets I review. I didn’t find it particularly offensive, though. Sometimes overly intense-I think they’ve been boosted a bit. Highs sound sharp and snappy, while mids have a refreshing intensity to them. It sounds a bit muddy at very low volumes, but get it into the 20-percent range (or higher) and everything becomes crisp. Music is particularly impressive-I generally run headsets through those tests first, because gaming-centric devices often lack the subtlety and clarity you’d get from normal headphones. This is also brave new territory for the Game Zero-the previous version had a rated impedance of 150 ohms, which for the majority of people means “You need an external amp to drive this properly.” The updated version we’re reviewing is a low-impedance 50-ohm model, meaning it should be suitable for use with pretty much any motherboard’s on-board audio. I’m going to start off talking about the Game Zero in isolation, as I assume that’s how most people will use it. After all, we want to know if a gaming headset from a reputable, audio-first brand a safe buy. This is a damn nice bit of engineering overall, in a no-frills, takes-few-risks sort of way. I have very few quibbles overall, and the few that exist also apply to many other (lesser) headsets. Being closed-backed, I did get slightly warm wearing them, but that’s a pretty common problem with any headset decked out in leatherette. Despite that, they still seal exceptionally well and with minimal jaw-squeezing-just amazingly comfortable, all around. Billed as “XXL,” each is an enormous oval that fits over my ears with probably a half-inch to spare in every direction. The most notable feature-and the one I appreciate most-is the size of the Game Zero’s earcups. Black earcups, black chassis, Sennheiser logo emblazoned on the ears and the band. That’s really the only difference, though-otherwise, the Game Zero looks like a pretty standard pair of headphones. Sennheiser’s decked it out with metallic red highlights, so it’s a bit flashier than your average pair of studio cans. The Game Zero is also pretty inoffensive as far as “gaming” products are concerned. Maybe also Razer on a few of their higher-end products. HyperX and Astro are the only companies I’ve seen to take similar pains on the gaming side of things. The Game Zero comes ensconced in a semi-solid case, making it eminently more portable (and stowable) than most headsets I’ve used. I’ll say this: Gaming-centric companies could learn a lot about presentation from their boutique counterparts. Go there for details on competing products and how we tested them. This review is part of our roundup of best gaming headsets.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |