You Need an Audiophile Gaming Headset, however Simply Not This One

Boy, gaming headsets certain are getting costly nowadays. There’s Sony’s Inzone H9 II, which prices $350, a sum that’s greater than half the price of a 1TB PlayStation with a disc drive. Then there are much more costly choices, like SteelSeries’ Arctis Nova Elite, which prices extra than the aforementioned console at $600, although it does include a separate hub. I’m not saying these gaming headsets don’t sound good—I attempted the Inzone H9 II for myself and was impressed—however for those who’re spending a several-hundred-dollar sum on a gaming headset (simply a headset for Pete’s sake), it higher be game-altering.

That’s a excessive bar for a peripheral, to make certain, however one which I believe resonates with most players keen to tread into the ultra-premium class. That being stated, it’s a bar that can be met, as evidenced by Sony’s Inzone H9 II. Nonetheless, rising to the extent of game-changing is not any simple job, which is why I went into testing VZR’s Model One MKII Audiophile gaming headset with a raised eyebrow. With a $360 price ticket, can the Mannequin One MKII actually ship the products at a degree that makes the premium really feel justified? The reply… is difficult.

An “audiophile sport headset”

Proper out of the gate, VZR positions its Mannequin One MKII as a gaming headset geared towards audiophiles. To again that declare up, it’s utilizing one thing known as CrossWave, the identical expertise in its earlier headset, the MK One. CrossWave is a proprietary tech that’s meant to extra intently mimic the best way sound naturally enters your ears. The thought right here is that with exact acoustic tuning, it delivers extra “pure” spatial audio that makes the headset ideally suited for first-person shooters, the place listening to footfalls and different environmental noise will be make or break.

To reinforce that acoustic expertise even additional, VZR has included a “Talisman” within the Mannequin One MKII, which is a patent-pending bass diffuser that, in VZR’s phrases, “brings tighter, harder-hitting lows that make each state of affairs really feel large.” That bass diffuser also needs to offer you a sign as to the place VZR supposed to enhance the sound on this iteration, which is to say, within the midrange frequencies. With much less overpowering bass, you ought to be capable of hear midranges and treble extra simply.

See VZR Model One MKII at Amazon

So, that’s what VZR meant to do with the Mannequin One MKII. The query is, does it really obtain these targets? The reply? Typically sure and generally no. In my expertise, the extent of satisfaction with the Mannequin One MKII depended largely on how I used to be utilizing the headset. Utilizing it the lazy manner, which in my case is plugging straight into an Xbox controller (generally wired and generally not) and calling it a day, the gaming headset feels… lackluster. Whereas I get a contact extra spatiality whereas taking part in video games like Fortnite, I wouldn’t describe the sound expertise as groundbreaking. Footfalls and gunshots are perceptible, however not fairly “wow, I’m proper within the motion” ranges of sound.

Equally, plugging right into a PlayStation 5 DualSense controller and taking part in Gears of Warfare is a positive expertise, however it didn’t fairly go away me feeling like spending $360 could be a good suggestion.

However this technique isn’t the hi-fi manner. In case you’re shopping for this headset (spending almost 400 freaking {dollars} to take action), you need to assume like an audiophile, and audiophiles don’t use Bluetooth like some regular-ass noob. Audiophiles benefit from wires and the lossless audio they supply, along with the low latency. So, to check the headset like an audiophile would, I plugged the Mannequin One MKII into Metal Sequence’ Arctis Nova Elite gaming hub, which is principally a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that’s meant to maximise sound high quality and precision. The outcome was a marked enchancment in sound high quality and total satisfaction with VZR’s {hardware}. Gears of War: Reloaded sounded a hell of much more immersive, with extra spatiality and far increased constancy sound—rock crumbling felt proximate, and enemies felt like they had been within the room.

Is it dishonest to make use of a DAC? I don’t know; you inform me. Possibly it’s, however I additionally think about most individuals spending almost $400 on a headset could have a correct setup at residence to make use of stated hi-fi headset, so in some methods, this looks like the higher solution to really assess the Mannequin One MKII’s audio chops. Finally, whether or not you are feeling glad with the Mannequin One MKII’s sound high quality will rely largely in your setup at residence. In case you’re taking the lazy strategy and plugging this factor right into a Bluetooth controller and calling it a day, beware. When you have the suitable interface to make the {hardware} sing, then it is perhaps definitely worth the funding.

High quality, however not at all times comfort

VZR’s Mannequin One MKII brings high quality in a whole lot of methods, and one of many areas you’ll discover instantly is the construct. The Mannequin One MKII feels sturdy, with a steel headstrap and a cushty pleather band beneath that connects earcups constituted of heavy plastic. There’s a weight to the headset, however it doesn’t really feel burdensome in your head, which implies that it’s balanced properly. Earcups, which include reminiscence foam, are additionally well-padded and cozy in longer gaming periods, although they don’t essentially enable for the perfect warmth dissipation.

Total, the Mannequin One MKII appears and feels prefer it’s price a number of hundred {dollars}, which is sweet as a result of it prices (checks notes)… a number of hundred {dollars}.

The mic high quality additionally holds its personal, in response to individuals I gamed with, and is removable, which is nice for those who’re storing the Mannequin One MKII between gaming periods or if you wish to toss the headset in its included carrying case with out crunching the mic. The mic additionally picks up my voice properly, even when it’s not ideally positioned, which is sweet for those who occur to bump your mic mid-game and don’t have time to repair it. The mic positioning additionally holds up properly in comparison with cheaper gaming headsets with much less rigidity.

There’s one space that I’ve to take exception with, which is the truth that the headset is wired-only. For some individuals, that will probably be positive, and there’s no denying that wires provide unparalleled low latency and lossless audio, however I can’t assist however really feel like an possibility to make use of the headset with Bluetooth could be good. I nonetheless assume, regardless of the prevalence of wires, that I desire a dongle resolution like Sony’s Inzone H9 II, which makes use of a 2.4GHz sign to transmit extra audio data and lower down drastically on latency in comparison with common Bluetooth connections. Certain, having to plug a dongle in and maintain observe of it isn’t ideally suited, however frankly, neither are wires, and the previous resolution appears a hell of loads cleaner than coping with all that black spaghetti in your desk.

Talking of wires, the Mannequin One MKII comes with revamped cables for extra stability and higher audio high quality. I haven’t used the Mannequin One which got here earlier than the MKII, so I don’t have a lot of a comparability, however I can inform you that the sign felt secure for probably the most half, although I did have some hiccups whereas plugged into my growing older Xbox controller at residence by way of Bluetooth. I’m going to offer VZR the good thing about the doubt and say the sign instability was the controller’s fault, given the truth that the gaming headset operated positive when plugged into different controllers with much less put on and tear.

Is that this factor actually price $400?

So, again to the unique query: must you actually spend $360 on a gaming headset? It’s arduous for me to reply that since I don’t have entry to your final financial institution assertion, however I believe for those who are going to spend that a lot, there are gaming headsets that I’d spring for earlier than the Mannequin One MKII. Sony’s Inzone H9 II, for instance, has high quality sound in a dongle resolution that feels a hell of much more handy, and whereas it might not have the identical premium construct, it offers you much more options like lively noise cancellation (ANC), which the Mannequin One MKII lacks.

Additionally, Sony’s Inzone H9 II can be utilized wired by way of a 3.5mm cable for those who actually wish to, so is there any actual benefit to purchasing VZR’s Mannequin One MKII? I’ll allow you to be the decider there, but when it had been me spending nearly $400 on a gaming peripheral, I’d wish to have choices. As high-quality because the Mannequin One MKII can sound with the suitable setup, I discover it somewhat too confining and never as full-featured as opponents that supply customized sound profiles, ANC, and choices for wired/Bluetooth, whereas nonetheless bringing the A-game within the sound division. My recommendation? In case you actually really feel such as you want a premium headset, do your self a favor and get one which does all of it.

See VZR Model One MKII at Amazon