This was a surprise headset! I knew Microsoft would make a good value wireless headset here, especially when you consider it supports Bluetooth at a $100 price point. It’s lightweight, comfortable, and has acceptable sound quality once you tune the headset by significantly reducing bass. It’s not quite as clear as the Stealth 600 Gen 2 but it gets quite loud. Just because you have a $100 budget doesn’t mean you’re stuck with a budget headset.
Battery life is rated at 15 hours and the headset comes with a rather short USB-C (yay!) cable. You can get a longer USB-C cable if you want to play and charge at the same time, or use the USB-C cable to directly connect to your PC to be used as a USB gaming headset on Windows 10.
The mic quality of this headset is mid-tier at this price range and certainly passable. The mic is not detachable or retractable, but the boom is short enough to keep it out of your way most of the time. One of my favorite features on this headset is the controls. The entire outer ear cup rotates on both sides, with one allowing you to easily adjust game-to-chat mix one one side and master volume on the other. The tactile feel is excellent, with smooth glides and an satisfying “notch” feel when your game-to-chat mix is set at a perfect 50/50 split. The mic mute button is at the base of the mic (near the power button). I’m not a fan of the way it feels but you get used to it.
Comfort is top-tier at $100 with a basic foam headband but incredible plush ear pads wrapped in synthetic leather. This is one of the softest pads I’ve felt under $150, with gratuitous space around your ear. As a result, this headset should be very comfortable for heads of all shapes and sizes (glasses included). Synthetic leather (PLU) can get a bit warm during long gaming sessions but a short break should cool your ears off quickly enough to get back into things.
The biggest shortcoming of this headset is the sound quality out of the box, which to be frank, is quite poor. The bass is so over emphasized it completely drowns out the rest of the sound. To some the headset is passable, and those who enjoy a lot of bass will certainly like the default Game profile. For those craving higher quality sound prepare to be underwhelmed. Luckily not all hope is lost! If you really want to stick to a $100 price point for a wireless Xbox headset with Bluetooth, this is one of your only options. Thankfully with some heavy EQ tuning you can breath some more life into the headset by following steps outlined in our EQ tuning video:
At the end of the day this headset is extremely comfortable when compared to many in the $100 price range. The simultaneous Bluetooth functionality is great if you want to stream audio from your computer or phone WHILE playing games and chatting with friends. It is a truly versatile headset with a lot of redeeming qualities, but PLEASE spend the time to tune the EQ profile or you will be sorely disappointed.
If you think this is the right headset for you, you can purchase it here (Amazon Affiliate Link):
https://amzn.to/2OPhVwG
Official Product Page:
https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/headsets/xbox-wireless-headset
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