The big players in the market, like Turtle Beach, have been around for a long time and produce a staggering range of headsets, some of which cost in the hundreds.
If you’re a pro, or stream to thousands, the feature set in that price range might be what you need.
For most people though, a more budget solution is perfectly adequate.
Gioteck has come to market with a couple of great budget headsets – the HC2 clocks in at under £20 and the XH100S under £15.
Gioteck has come to market with a couple of great budget headsets – the HC2 clocks in at under £20 and the XH100S under £15.
The HC2 is the bulkier of the two with a more premium feel – bigger earcups and a more robust headband are the things you first notice.
It’s all black, although you get patterned stickers to decorate the outside of the headband with – two camo variations and a Minecraft-inspired design.
The pads are plastic rather than leatherette, but that’s to be expected at this price point. Initial wearing was a bit uncomfortable as I’ve got a big head (or so the wife tells me), but it stretched out eventually and is OK now.
Connectivity is via a 3.5mm jack, meaning it’s compatible with pretty much anything. I’ve tested it on Xbox and PC and both are fine.
The mic is optional, attaching via another 3.5mm jack, so if you’re a listener rather than a talker this could work for you. The mic can be adjusted, but only moves left and right rather than up and down, so it ends up being more level with my nose than mouth, although it seems to be able to pick up swearing at team-mates very well anyway.
Volume is controlled by a wheel halfway along the lengthy cable, and there’s a toggle switch for the mute function which shows red when you’re muted and green when not.
Sound quality is great both for party and game chat. The box says ‘crystal clear audio’ and I can’t really argue with that.
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The XH100S (snappy name) is the cheaper headset but has a few things that I prefer. The headband has a lot more give in it which is great, although the earcups are smaller, so I can only use this one for shorter periods.
My 8-year-old also uses it for Minecraft and it suits him down to the ground. The colour scheme is black and grey with red highlights which looks a bit snazzier, and it uses the same volume wheel and toggle switch for sound control.
The mic is permanently attached, but on a flexible boom which means you can move it to where you want. The cable is shorter, only just over 1m, so if you sit across the room from your sound source then this might be an issue. Sound quality is again great for the price.
Gioteck has really hit the mark with these headsets. If you’re a new user thinking about testing the waters then you can’t go wrong with either of these, although the sizing should be a consideration when choosing between the two if you’re of the big-headed persuasion like me.
Gioteck has really hit the mark with these headsets. If you’re a new user thinking about testing the waters then you can’t go wrong with either of these, although the sizing should be a consideration when choosing between the two if you’re of the big-headed persuasion like me.
At this price point, you might expect dodgy build quality, features or components, but none of that is in evidence here. A definite thumbs up from me.
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Review By Lee Manuel
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