The GameCom 818 recreation headset is Plantronics’ latest wireless providing to their sturdy lineup of recreation headsets. The on-ear recreation telephone receiver boasts a 40-foot range, 10-hour battery life, a noise-cancelling microphone, and compatibility with computer, Mac, and PlayStation four.
The telephone receiver was tested for over thirty hours on a Windows 10 pc with Star Wars: The previous Republic, Far Cry 3, Skype, and, for music duties, Spotify.
Features
GameCrate Review Unboxing Collage Of Plantronics GameCom 818 recreation telephone receiver.
The GameCom 818 pumps sound through a try of forty millimetre drivers. The headset offers stereo sound solely and not dolby seven.1 Surround Sound or alternative virtual surround capability – options that area unit common on alternative equally priced wireless recreation headsets like Plantronics’ alternative headsets just like the RIG series additionally because the Corsair H2100 and the inventive Sound Blaster Tactic3D Rage V2.0.
The telephone receiver will be worn-out to forty feet from the wireless USB electronic device. The headset remains purposeful once charging via its enclosed mini USB cable.
The device is plug-and-play, that makes installation a snap. However, Plantronics doesn’t supply a software system control panel for the telephone receiver, which implies eq, virtual surround, and alternative software-based changes need third-party programs.
Plantronics outfitted the headset left ear with the controls, which has volume, quick forward, and one play/pause button. However, the Santa Cruz based mostly company did not embody a mute button, which would are appreciated.
Design
GameCrate Review Of Plantronics GameCom 818 gaming headset.
Plantronics fitted the GameCom 818 with thick, velvet-covered ear pads and orange highlights within the ear cups. The foldaway, noise-cancelling electro-acoustic transducer options the GameCom emblem in light-weight grey on its base.
The headset’s light curves seem seamless initially, however shut inspection reveals a niche between the driver’s housings and ear cups, that contains its PCB boards.
The said transport and volume controls are massive and simple to search out by bit, however the raised markings that determine one button from the opposite makes finding a specific control difficult.
An LED sits between the transport controls and changes color supported battery state. The headset’s power button conjointly lives on the left ear, while the mini USB association is showing neatness tucked away on its bottom edge.
Comfort
GameCrate Review Of Plantronics GameCom 818 recreation headset.The headset feels as light-weight on the pinnacle because it will within the hand, and it stays on the pinnacle firmly whereas sitting and walking. Its bone stability came in handy throughout recreation sessions after I took an opening from baddie-killing for beverage-refilling.
But, as for the headsets subjective comfort qualities, the Gamecom’s on-ear feel was an enormous dissatisfaction. The plush, velvet ear cups look comfy – and that they ought to are – however they solely weren’t. The telephone receiver pinched and caused acute pain to each ears, even when hours of use once the telephone receiver ought to are tame . the headscarf, however, didn’t cause any discomfort on the highest of the pinnacle.
To be fair, I’m a glasses user with an enormous head, large ears, and a protracted history of listening completely to over-the-ear headsets. Gamers with variations in any of these classes would possibly expertise the GameCom 818 otherwise. however my head and ears didn’t take kindly this wireless headset.
Performance
Sound quality was so much superior to the headset’s comfort level. The 40 millimeter drivers cleanly cranked out, rich, bass-heavy sound, that ne’er popped, cracked, or born out once – even once connecting and disconnecting the headset from the USB cable.
If there’s any play the GameCom 818’s sound quality, it’s that it will be a bit too bass serious every now and then. the surplus bass will cause noticeable low frequency distortion, that may well be resolved with a software system equalizer had Plantronics enclosed one with the telephone receiver. thankfully third-party software system like Razer’s Surround professional works cleanly with the GameCom 818.
The lack of a software control panel conjointly rears its ugly head once exploitation the on-ear controls to vary volume, that triggers a loud, annoying, sinewave-like beep. Neither the kind nor level of the tone will be adjusted, therefore I found myself reaching for the keyboard’s volume controls instead.
On the opposite hand, the headset noise-cancelling microphone delivered clean, clear conversation, according to 2 individuals with whom I had Skype conversations.
The headset’s wireless property stayed connected to the USB electronic device throughout the testing space, that maxed out at around 30 feet – 10-feet keep of the headset’s 40-foot specification. The headset’s battery stayed alive throughout the longest non-stop session I may throw at it, that was around six hours – four hours keep of the headset’s specification.
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