I’ve never been a serious headset owner. People are likely to call for my sacrifice to appease the gods when I admit I only bought my first headset because I lost my iPhone headphones. However, my five pound headset from PC World’s discount bin, my progressive building of a new gaming ‘behemoth’ Desktop PC and the offer of some Element Gaming equipment to review made me relent and try a proper gaming headset.
So that brings us to the Neon 300. If you’re looking for a good quality, crystal clear headset, then put that Razer headset down for a second. Element gaming provides a good budget headset for the budding gamer who’d rather spend a little more on your tower than your headset.
So for the technical of you, Element Gaming claims these specs:
- Wired USB connection
- 7:1 simulated sound channels
- 50mm driver diameter
- 20-20KHz
- 111db_+3db headset sensitivity
- 30mW
- -40db+-3db microphone sensitivity
- 0m cable length (I know, but that’s what the site says, I estimate it at 2-3m)
- Driver CD software
The headset looks good right out of the box. No way will you be confused that this isn’t a premium headset. Built mainly from plastic with some internal aluminium it is surprising good quality for its price. To add a personal element to them, the outside of each ear cup glows, changing between colours regularly. While this is a nice little feature, there seems little point in a light on the outside of the cup where you cannot see it. If the idea of being a neon disco light does not appeal to you, the lights can be turned off on the inline controls. The headset is a decent size, maybe a bit ungainly for some, but I found it quite comfortable and quite light.
The microphone attaches to the left earpiece. The microphone produced a clear, good sound and compared to my usual mic cut out a lot of ambient noise. The only issue was the microphone seemed quiet. This may be due to the distance of the microphone from my mouth, but to get a good volume I had to push the microphone volume up and add gain to get a reasonable volume. This may just be a steam thing, but be prepared to pump up your microphone volume as the microphone cannot be manoeuvred apart from up or down.
The whole thing seems incredibly sturdy. Cable is bound in fibre rather than plastic and there is plenty of cable (despite claims otherwise on the website.) If you can live with a slightly cheap plastic feel then the looks of this is not going to affect you at all.
However the main seller of this will be its audio quality. Well, you’re in for a surprise. It’s damn good. The simulated 7.1 gives a really good response and provides plenty of clarity in sound. Unlike previous headphones, which tend to boost the bass end due to society’s love of tasteless noise (I’m looking at you, iPhone headphones) the bass end only has a miniscule boost to my ears, which gives it clarity rather than dominance. This is perfect for gaming. The surround gives games a sense of depth and I never had a problem with not figuring out what was coming from where. This combined with their comfort gave a good experience of shooting bad guys without not knowing where they were or discomfort. The leather padding cuts most external unless someone wishes to shout in your ear. There was never a point where there was so much noise that things muddled and got lost within a mix. Even with a range of music, from tuneless noise to technical metal there was a fantastic clarity and I could pick instruments out to follow easily (Note: I am a long time musician so has a trained ear for music. Personal experiences may differ.)
And that’s kind of it for them. The sound, finish and microphone are all of good quality. Is there anything bad about it? Well, there are a few small, yet expected issues. The main issue is that the plastic feels brittle and cheap. This is somewhat expected, as this is Chinese built and somewhat budget, but it makes me feel somewhat nervous about its longevity, especially due to the high amount of travel I do in a year. The headphones are also USB connected, so any hope of using them in the gym should be dashed. These are for PC use only. The microphone is also quite a distance away from the face and non-adjustable. I’m unsure if this is the cause for the quietness I experiences, though I do not rule it out.
If like me you never saw the point of a gaming headset, then the £24.99 price tag seems absurd. However, I have grown to like this headset. For entry-level gaming/not waking everyone up in the house, these are a good buy and if the price feels a bit steep you can look down the range a little. For those gamers where £24.99 is an absolute bargain for headphones for your phone, and your gaming headset was twice the price, have a look at this before you shell out next time.
I’m giving this headset 3/5. For some people, the look, build quality and huge glowing earpieces will be a put off. However if you want a good budget headset, or just like shiny lights, then these are a good buy.
Grab the headset from eBuyer here
Or
Grab the headset from Element Gaming Here
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
You must be logged in to post a comment.