Microsoft Xbox Wireless headset review: microphone drop

Microsoft’s new $ 99 Xbox Wireless headset is not perfect, but it’s the best attempt at being an Xbox gaming headset and a set of everyday wireless headphones I’ve tried. It is compatible with the Xbox Wireless protocol, making it easy to pair with any Xbox One or Xbox Series X / S console. It is also compatible with Bluetooth (version 4.2, SBC codec) and, even better, can connect via both protocols simultaneously. . So you can answer a call or have audio from any application coming from a phone, tablet or PC mixed with the sound from the Xbox console.

This is far from the first gaming headset to do this, or even to do it well. Microsoft’s latest headset stands out for being particularly impressive for the number of things it hits for $ 99. Its design is stellar, a logical fit in the company’s headphone line. Next to the X Series, it looks like the piece with a touch of bright green details around the earphone buttons, covered in matte black plastic. The small holes in the recessed areas between the leatherette cushions and the dials appear to be there only for aesthetic reasons, but it looks fantastic nonetheless.

Crucially, they are comfortable, although the size of my head almost pushes them to the size limit. The side weapons require two hands to make adjustments, which I like. There is no concern that they will be resized just because they are moved. And while I wanted this model to have a bungee-style headband and swiveling earmuffs like most SteelSeries headsets, not having these features meant no comfort issues here.

In addition to the appearance of the headset, its functionality is similar to surface headphones, with rotating dials on the outside of each headset to adjust the audio elements. Unlike the company’s most premium headphones, there is no active noise cancellation here (I would complain, but they cost $ 99), although passive noise isolation is better than average for this price. The left button acts as an audio mixer for the game and the chat, so you can tune in a little bit to your colleagues during a cutscene full of dialogues or vice versa. I am thankful that Microsoft has put this in the front and in the center. On the other dial is the volume control. Rotate to increase or decrease, simple and simple – no buttons required.

In the right headset, there is a USB-C port to charge. Microsoft includes a USB-C to USB Type-A cable to charge it, but you will have all the same headset features if you connect to a Windows 10 machine with your own USB-C to USB-C cable. This is not the case when connected to a MacBook Pro, which does not work over a wired connection to the headset. However, you can still connect to a macOS device and use the Bluetooth headset.

There are only two buttons on the headset: one to manually mute the folding microphone (an LED on the inner section of the boom microphone tilted towards your face is lit when the microphone is hot) and another that functions as the multifunction a pairing button and on / off, both located on the left earphone. Most gaming headsets require days of continuous use to fully learn their respective button layouts, but this one is very simple. I would have taken one more button if it served as a multifunctional button to control my device via Bluetooth, but Microsoft limited the headset to just two buttons. There is no way to independently control, say, a phone, other than just adjusting the volume.

The sound performance of this headset is better than I expected. During my tests, I listened to Spotify and the music sounded good enough to stick with this headset instead of automatically reaching my Sony 1000XM3s. People with a talent for stellar audio quality will encounter problems, such as that the sound can come out as confusing at times, and the stage is not as expansive as you would find in a more expensive set of headphones. But then again, these cost $ 99 and are for games in the first place. And for that price, I’m satisfied.

Jumping into the game, I immediately called Doom (2016) in the X Series. The soundtrack and all the various infernal sound effects have an adequate amount of crunch and punch, and I was headbanging with the music while playing. It felt like it was meant to sound, although again, the same details apply here as they apply to music. When there is a lot going on in the mid and high frequencies, the sound may become unclear if you are listening carefully. I didn’t notice that much in Yakuza: like a dragon, for example. This headset works with Dolby Atmos (Microsoft is offering buyers a trial of Dolby Atmos with a purchase that will last until the end of September) and paid DTS: X apps available for Xbox and PC, which can improve sound . But, for the purpose of this analysis, I tested only the out-of-the-box experiment.

Battery life and range are competitive with other gaming headsets I’ve tested in this price range. Microsoft claims 15 hours per charge, and the two times I disconnected the non-replaceable battery during the test, it lasted almost that long. I was able to wander around my studio apartment, moving about 25 feet or more from the Xbox without experiencing any falls. It started to be interrupted when the signal had to pass through several walls, but that was to be expected. As for charging speeds, Microsoft says it can gain three hours of use on a 15-minute charge. In case you’re wondering, you can use the Xbox Wireless headset while it’s charging, but obviously, it will take longer to recharge.

To give you an idea of ​​how this headset handles connections, I first paired the Xbox Wireless headset to my PC with the Microsoft USB wireless adapter (not included with this headset, but operates on the same Xbox protocol Wireless than the consoles) for music and to make some video calls. To pair the headset, you need to press and hold the pairing button for four seconds and do the same with the wireless adapter. To use them on the Xbox Series X, I had to go through the same process. Frustratingly, the headset can’t handle the juggling between two previously paired devices that use the Xbox Wireless protocol, so I had to manually re-pair it when I wanted to jump between my PC and the Xbox. I don’t want to exaggerate this problem, however. The Microsoft pairing process for Xbox accessories is very simple. This won’t be a problem if you connect to your PC via Bluetooth (as I imagine most people will), since the headset can connect to both at the same time.

If you are someone who is likely to rely heavily on the simultaneous wireless connection feature, I like this headset to automatically reduce the audio transmission from the Xbox Wireless protocol device when an incoming call is received so you can hear it. You can adjust the volume only from your Bluetooth device with your own controls, but not from the headset itself. Increasing the volume with the dial makes it louder for the two devices you are connected to.

The level of customization that this headset allows is also impressive for the price. Through the Xbox Accessories app for Windows 10 or Xbox, you can adjust the equalizer (movie, music, game, heavy bass and voice are the default settings or make your own) and increase the bass. In addition, there is an automatic muting feature that can silence the noises that happen around you. There are three levels (low, medium and high), and Microsoft says that each step above will increase the aggressiveness with which the microphone silences things that are not your voice. During a video call, it seemed to work as expected, if not better than I expected. The person on the other side said that my speech was not being cut off, which is something that can happen with these types of resources, and that the events in the background were not noticeable. Obviously, the effectiveness of this automatic muting feature can vary depending on the situation in your home. If you’re skeptical, it’s easy to tap the mute button to avoid potential embarrassment.

Two other small but interesting features in the Xbox Accessories app allow you to adjust how bright the light changes, making it easier to see in your peripheral vision. You can also customize the microphone’s monitoring level or how much external sound is fed through the microphones and then piped to your ears.

So far, the $ 150 Razer Kaira Pro was the Xbox-specific headset that I told people to buy because it is comfortable and supports Bluetooth, in addition to the Xbox Wireless protocol. Microsoft’s new Xbox Wireless headset is way ahead of this model in terms of design, ease of use and functionality – all in a more affordable package.

If Microsoft is judged compared to Sony on how well it designed a headset to go with its latest consoles – as it will inevitably be – this one outpaces Pulse 3D, even though they have the same price. The Sony model is comfortable and looks equally bold next to the console for which it was made, and has a 3.5 mm headphone jack and support for 3D audio in its field. But it is difficult to compete with Bluetooth support and the compact button design built into the Microsoft model. I would have loved it if a USB dongle was included for more support with devices, like the Nintendo Switch. But, by design, it cannot connect to other game consoles. Microsoft is keeping this in the family. If you are in the family, however, you will be in for a surprise.

Cameron Faulkner / The Verge photography