Xbox Wireless Headset: Two-Minute Review
The Xbox Wireless Headset is a great option from Microsoft that is a must have for any Xbox gamer. It boasts a seamless wireless connection, backed by truly impressive sound and significant quality of life features.
We'd normally expect to pay triple the price to experience this kind of sound quality, especially with wireless headphones, though there's a caveat to keep in mind. To get the most out of these headsets, we found that you'll need to spend some time adjusting the equalizer in the Xbox Accessories app to dial in exactly how you want them to sound. That's a good thing though, because everyone hears sound differently and has preferences when it comes to bass, mids, and treble.
We're also very happy that Microsoft has included a good microphone in the Xbox Wireless Headset. You're likely to get a richer, slightly fuller sound with the boom mics found in competing headsets, of course. But the microphone on the Xbox Wireless Headset sounds great, with smart tech like auto-mute to eliminate background noise when you're not talking.
And with Black Friday 2022 just around the corner November 25th, it is likely that we will see discounts for the Xbox Wireless Headset. If you're in the market for a new pair of cans, know that the deals on the headset are likely to be some of the best Black Friday Xbox deals, so be sure to keep our hubs bookmarked.
The overall design of the headset is also excellent, with a premium feel that completely belies the cheapest price Microsoft has managed to hit. Simply put, if you're looking for a wireless gaming headset to go with your new Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console, or even if you're a PC gamer, the Xbox Wireless Headset is the best.
- Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset at Microsoft US for $99.99 (opens in a new tab)
Xbox Wireless Headset: price and release date
The Xbox Wireless Headset is $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149.95 and became available on March 16, 2021.
It's priced competitively for a wireless headset and undercuts the likes of the SteelSeries Arctis 9x while offering the same desirable features like Bluetooth compatibility and a premium microphone. Compared to this and other more expensive headsets such as the Fnatic React Plus, it would be hard to justify other premium options.
Xbox Wireless Headset: Design
Microsoft's Xbox Wireless Headset reflects the Xbox Series X design language to an impressive degree. The all-black design is accented with tasteful touches, like the thin green rings that wrap around the outside of each ear cup and the embossed Xbox logo on the right side. Easily marked with large "L" and "R" lettering, the inside of the ear cups also have a slight green tint seeping through the mesh, as the drivers are also coated in the brand's familiar colour. Xbox. .
Turning the headset on, done by pressing the light green power button on the left side, greets you with the familiar Xbox Series X startup sound. You also get audio cues that Xbox owners will immediately recognize when you turn them off. , mute the microphone or pair the headphones.
Adjusting the volume or balancing game and voice chat is a joy on the Xbox Wireless Headset thanks to the rubberized dials we've seen on another of Microsoft's audio products, the Microsoft Surface Headset. Simply turn the rubberized dial on the left or right ear cup to adjust volume or chat to your liking, and it's a breeze to make incremental adjustments.
Although it's a primarily plastic design, the Xbox Wireless Headset feels built to last, and the materials used give off a truly premium-quality feel that belies the $100 price Microsoft has managed to hit. The Xbox Wireless Headset wasn't prone to squeaking in our tests, and the overall clamping force was more than reasonable to ensure a comfortable fit.
At 312g, the headset is also light enough that you won't feel like it's weighing down on your head after hours of gaming. You can also crank up the volume comfortably with headroom thanks to the 32-ohm earphone impedance and 20Hz to 20kHz speaker response. it should mean you won't miss out on any audio detail you'd expect in your favorite games.
While it won't affect everyone, one complaint we have against the Xbox Wireless Headset is that the ear cups may be too small for those with larger heads and ears. They're by no means uncomfortable - the oval ear cushions are made of polyurethane leather and have foam padding - but we did note that this reviewer's particularly large ears would feel a little sensitive after a few hours.
Xbox Wireless Headset - Audio Performance
When we put the Xbox Wireless Headset on for the first time, we were impressed and equally concerned by the distinctive bass-heavy sound. If you're someone who likes nothing more than a thumping bass line, the Xbox Wireless Headset won't disappoint. It offers truly amazing bass reproduction, and there were times when we felt like our ears were glued to a DJ's subwoofer.
Seriously, they are great at delivering that low-end sound that so many crave and appreciate. There's even a bass boost option that goes up to +12, which honestly seems downright overkill considering how deep these headphones can go.
But while that's all well and good, having a bass-only pair of headphones isn't ideal when playing competitive shooters or even more cinematic single-player experiences. Too much bass can overpower and muddy other frequencies that are just as important, leaving you with a muffled sound that won't do you any favors in online multiplayer games.
Fortunately, Microsoft designed the Xbox Wireless Headset to fit everyone, since you can customize the sound to your liking. If you head over to the Xbox Accessories app, you can choose from a selection of equalizers including Game, Movie, Music, and Speech. And while none of them were quite right for this reviewer, there's also an option to customize six levels of EQ to your liking. This is where the Xbox Wireless Headset comes into play.
We're used to a flatter soundstage in general, so head over to the Xbox Accessories app to dial the bass back down to a point where it could still provide a satisfying punch, but doesn't cannibalize all other frequencies as a result. We also wanted to be able to hear vocals a bit clearer. After some careful tweaking during our tests, we ended up with a sound signature that ticked all the right boxes and sounded amazing no matter what we were doing: whether it was listening to music, playing our favorite games, or just watching videos on YouTube.
These boxes also sound wonderful when using spatial audio like Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos. If you don't have Dolby Atmos, just plug in the Xbox Wireless Headset and you'll get six months of free access, so there's no excuse not to experience the wonders of spatial audio. Although this is a closed-back headset with excellent noise isolation, we were delighted with the clarity and detail of the best Dolby Atmos Xbox Series X games. The sound was never too closed, with a stage wide enough to offer a convincing 360° image. grade audio effect.
We can't underestimate how captivating the audio quality is on these headphones once you've played around with the equalizer settings. It's amazing to think that you can get this kind of audio performance for under $100, and Microsoft deserves a lot of credit for including a pair of 40mm drivers that are so responsive to user input. After all, equalizers aren't new, but we often find that some headphones can't really be tuned to produce positive results, no matter how much we manipulate certain levels. The Xbox Wireless Headset, by comparison, is extremely malleable in this regard, and well worth the money.
Good sound will always be subjective due to the nature of our ears, our age, and our ability to hear certain frequencies. So it's a relief that Microsoft hasn't taken the kind of "one size fits all" sound that some manufacturers are looking for and given us an incredible foundation to figure out what sounds best. Xbox Wireless Headset may receive future enhancements through its ability to receive wireless updates.
Xbox Wireless Headset: microphone quality and wireless connectivity
Xbox, do more
Microsoft Wireless Headphones not only guarantee audio and microphone quality, but also come with some desirable features that are usually reserved for high-end headphones. Microphone monitoring can be turned on to help you hear your own voice more clearly when communicating, although it's not as loud as we'd like. You can also connect to a Bluetooth device in addition to your Xbox – this means you can listen to your favorite podcast or chat on Discord while playing Xbox games.
The microphone on the Xbox Wireless Headset opts for a unique design that works seamlessly. Instead of opting for a detachable or retractable boom mic, the mic simply snaps down and can be stowed away when not in use. It sits a few inches to the left side of your face, but it still does a great job of picking up your voice clearly thanks to Microsoft's voice isolation technology.
A white light is present when the microphone is active, so you know whether or not you're broadcasting to the world. The mute button is located at the end of the microphone housing, which can be easily found with your left thumb. Clicking on it will also give you a helpful audio notification, so you can be doubly sure that your microphone is turned off.
The microphone also has a smart auto-mute feature that works surprisingly well. The microphone will attempt to block out persistent background noise, such as you might get from an air conditioner. We found that on the high setting...