Xbox Wireless Headset Review | The comparison

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• Xbox Wireless Headset Review | The comparison

Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset Deals

2 minute exam

The Xbox Wireless Headset is a phenomenal product from Microsoft that is a must buy for any Xbox gamer. A seamless wireless connection is supported by truly amazing sound and a host of quality-of-life features. We expect to pay triple the cost to enjoy this kind of sound quality, especially wireless headphones, although there is an exception that you should be aware of. We found that to get the most out of this headset, you're going to need to spend some time adjusting the equalizer in the Xbox Accessories app to get exactly the sound you want. That's a good thing though, as everyone hears sound differently and has preferences when it comes to bass, mids and treble.

• Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset at Microsoft US for € 99.99

We're also really happy that Microsoft didn't forget to include a good microphone in the Xbox Wireless Headset. You'll probably get a richer and slightly fuller tone from the boom mics found in competitive headsets, but the mic on the Xbox Wireless Headset sounds really good and has smart tech like auto-mute to cut out background noise when does not speak The overall design of the headset is great too, with a premium feel that totally contradicts the cheapest Microsoft has managed to achieve. In short, if you're looking for a wireless gaming headset for 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.

Xbox Wireless Headset Price and Release Date

The Xbox Wireless Headset sells for € ninety-nine and ninety-nine / € eighty-nine and ninety-nine / AU € fourteen thousand nine hundred and ninety-five and is available on March 9, two thousand twenty-one. It is competitively priced for a wireless headset and cuts down on the likes of the SteelSeries Arctis XNUMXx entirely. By offering the exact same desirable quirks like Bluetooth support and a high-quality microphone.

Integrated

(Image credit: Future) Microsoft's Xbox Wireless Headset reflects the Xbox Series X design language to an astonishing degree. The all-black design is complemented by tasteful touches, like the slim green rings that wrap around the outside of each ear cup and an embossed Xbox logo on the right side. Easily marked with large letters 'L' and 'R', the interior of the ear cups also has a slight green tint seeping through the mesh, while the drivers are also covered in the famous brand colour. Xbox. Turning the headset on, which is done by pressing the light green power button on the left side, greets you with the familiar Xbox Series X start-up sound. It also receives audio cues that Xbox owners will automatically recognize. immediately when you turn them off, mute the microphone, or pair the headphones. Adjusting the volume or evening out game and voice chat is nothing short of fun on the Xbox Wireless Headset thanks to the rubberized bezels we've seen on another Microsoft audio product, the Surface Headphones. You just need to turn the wheel on the left or right rubber ear cup to adjust the volume or speak as you like, and it's very easy to make incremental adjustments.

(Image credit: Future) Despite being a mostly plastic design, the Xbox Wireless Headset feels built to last, and the materials used provide a real premium feel that goes against the $XNUMX cost Microsoft has managed to achieve. The Xbox Wireless Headset wasn't prone to creaking in our tests, and the overall binding force was more than reasonable to ensure a comfortable fit. At XNUMXg, the headset is also light enough that you won't feel like your head is weighing down after hours of gaming. You can also comfortably crank up the volume with some headroom thanks to the XNUMX ohm impedance of the headphones and XNUMX Hz for XNUMX kHz speaker response should mean you won't miss any audio detail you expect. in your favorite games. While this doesn't affect everyone, one downside we have against the Xbox Wireless Headset is that the headset may be too small for those with larger heads and ears. They're not uncomfortable by any means - the oval ear cups are PU leather and foam-padding - but we appreciate that this reviewer's particularly large ears would feel a bit sensitive after a few hours.

Audio performance

(Image credit: Future) When we first put on the Xbox Wireless Headset, we were equally impressed and concerned by the bass density of the sound itself. If you're someone who loves nothing but a powerful bass line, the Xbox Wireless Headset didn't let you down. It offers truly amazing bass reproduction, and there were times when it felt like our ears were pressed against a DJ's subwoofer. They really are great for delivering that low-end sound that so many people go crazy for and love. There's even a bass boost option that goes up to +12, which frankly seems pretty overkill considering how low these headphones are. But while that's great, having two purely bass-based headphones isn't ideal when playing competitive shooters or even more cinematic solo experiences. Too much bass can overpower and disrupt other frequencies that are just as essential, leaving you with a muffled sound that won't do you any favors in online multiplayer games. Fortunately, Microsoft has made the Xbox Wireless Headset to make it convenient for everyone because 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 games, movies, music, and voice. And while none of these suited this review perfectly, there's also a way to customize 6 levels of EQ to your liking. This is where the Xbox Wireless Headset really comes into its own. We're used to a flatter soundstage in general, so we turned to the Xbox Accessories app to bring the bass back to a point where it could still manage a satisfying punch, but not cannibalize all other frequencies as a result. . We also wished we could hear slightly clearer voices. After some careful tweaking throughout our testing, we ended up with a sound signature that ticked all the 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 cans also sound fantastic when using spatial audio like Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos. If you don't have Dolby Atmos, all you need to do is plug in your Xbox Wireless Headset for 6 months of free access, so there's no excuse for not trying out the wonders of spatial audio. While these are two closed-back headphones with great noise isolation, we were delighted with the clarity and detail of the best Dolby Atmos Xbox Series X games. Sound has never been too closed off, with a soundstage wide enough to deliver the punchy XNUMX-degree audio effect that Dolby Atmos is known for. We can't underestimate how intoxicating the audio quality of these headphones is when you've played around with the equalizer settings. It's amazing to think that you can get this kind of audio performance for under $XNUMX, and Microsoft deserves a lot of credit for including two XNUMXmm drivers that are so responsive to user input. Equalizers aren't new after all, but we've often found that some headphones really can't be adjusted to produce positive results no matter how much we fiddle with some levels. The Xbox Wireless Headset, by comparison, is exceedingly flexible in this regard, and is very cost-effective. Good sound is always going to 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 gone with a “one sound fits all” sound genre that certain manufacturers tend to choose and has given users an incredible foundation to figure out what's best for them.

Microphone quality and wireless connectivity

(Image credit: Future) Xbox, Do More Microsoft's wireless headset not only guarantees audio and microphone quality, but also comes with some desirable features that are usually reserved for high-end headsets. Microphone monitoring can be turned on to help you hear your voice more clearly when you communicate, even if it's not as loud as you'd like. You can also connect to a Bluetooth device, like 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 has a unique design that works perfectly. Instead of going for a microphone with a detachable or retractable boom, the microphone simply flips down and can be stored away when not in use. It sits a few inches to the left side of your face, but it still does a brilliant job of picking up your voice clearly thanks to Microsoft's speech isolation technology. A white light is present when the microphone is active, so you know whether or not you're transmitting to the planet. The mute button is located at the end of the microphone housing, which can be easily located with your left thumb. By clicking on it, you'll also get 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 from an air conditioner. We found that at high settings, the Xbox Wireless Headset did a great job of isolating the music we were playing on our phone when we stopped chatting. Thankfully, we didn't experience any drops or disconnections while using the Xbox Wireless Headset. Battery life was more than reasonable, too, fluctuating between twelve and fifteen hours on a single charge in our tests. It takes 3 hours to fully charge the headset, but you can get 4 hours of battery life from thirty minutes of charging, which is useful for...