Pros
- Sturdy build, detachable mic
- Super comfy protein leather earpads
- Good bass and mids
Cons
- Curly wires look vulnerable
- No active noise cancelling
- No 7.1 surround in phone mode
Gaming headphones are an essential bit of kit if you crave full immersion and comms with other players in MPGs. The only downside for me has always been the permanent mic stalk, as any gaming headset looks silly on the train or at times they’re used for your phone or other device. The EKSA E900 Pro Gaming Headset gets around this limitation in a couple of interesting ways and produces a set of headphones that are very decent in quality while being versatile as well. They score well in other areas too.
This is a sponsored article and was made possible by EKSA. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence, even when a post is sponsored.
Nice Pro Features
Unboxing the EKSA E900 Pro headphones, you will find a nice chunky pair of gaming headphones with LEDs embedded on the outside of the earpieces, so you look super-cool in Zoom chats, but they also have some nice pro features. The mic is detachable, and although the headset is designed primarily to work via USB, you also have an additional cable to attach it to your phone or other audio device, making it 2-in-1.
The kit also comes with a splitter to divide the phone cable’s TRRS-style jack into headphone and mic jacks. This is handy for old computers that don’t have a USB port. Also in the box, you have a tough bag to keep the headphones in while travelling to and fro. The headphones don’t fold up, so this is a must. The left pad has a volume control, a mic mute button, and the ports for mic, phone or USB cables.
Super Gaming Comfort
The first impressions of the EKSA E900 Pro Gaming Headset are very favorable. The construction is solid, with the Y-shaped linkage between the band and the ear cups being a really quite thick metal.
The earpads are very soft to the touch and to the ear. They are constructed of protein leather, and what us old guys would call “pleather.” While being super-soft and comfortable, the size of the band is also generous and doesn’t squeeze big heads like mine. For those of us with little or no hair to cushion the band on top of our heads, the band is really nicely padded. Of course, the band is adjustable for different ear heights. Also, if your eyesight is terrible like mine (or you spend your life in semi darkness), it’s easy to tell which pad is which, as there is a massive red L and R printed inside the earpieces.
I really like the detachable mic, as it allows this headset to be used in a variety of ways and not just the intended use. It’s also pretty decent quality, and I say this because some mics on gaming headsets are terrible. This was nearly good enough to do voiceovers. It’s not designed for that, though, as it’s designed for barking orders or shouting “cover me! I’m going in!” in the heat of a gaming battle.
The cable for the phone jack is a nice length and sturdy but also, as a special feature, it locks into the socket at the headphone end with a small bayonet mount. This is terrific, as it won’t be yanked out accidentally all the time. (This happens often with other headphones I have.)
The carrying bag is really tough and substantial, a bit of a change from the usual run of soft, squishy bags. It is made from a tougher grade of pleather and feels like it would protect your headphones from damage.
With regards to the sound on the EKSA E900 Pro Gaming Headset, I ran the usual tests and it met all the targets specified on the box, 20Hz ~ 20Khz. The large 50mm drivers don’t rattle when running deep bass, and the drivers seem well matched. The weight of the headset is a nice 253g, which puts them at the lighter end of medium weight, hence the good bass response and the fact they don’t feel at all heavy on your head.
There is no noise cancelling on these headset, but it’s hardly needed with a pair of massive pleather pillows over your ears. The sound is biassed, I would say, toward beat-based music and the bassier end of things, which in these earphones is rich and fruity, and the mids are good too. I’d say it suffers a tiny bit of clarity in the top end, but the rendition of the highs is realistic and not over-pumped and artificially “sparkling,” for want of a better word. It’s a grown-up sound.
The 7.1 surround simulation is great fun. Of course, it’s not real 7.1, as that relies on physical speakers to provide the separation of the channels. The simulation is good enough, though, to give you the impression of 7.1, and listening to movies is an immersive and enjoyable experience. There are no tone controls on the headphones themselves, but the 7.1 driver software, which you must download, has EQ controls for a more customizable experience.
Yes, I know the throbbing LEDs on the outside of the earcups serve no purpose, but they do look very cool. You can’t see the lights when you have them on, so they are not distracting. Besides, there is an unwritten law that all gamer kit must be lit up like a Christmas tree, with the likes of mice and keyboards, so why not headphones?
I have to, however, question the inclusion of the splitter for the headphone and mic jacks. Why would you want to plug these 21st-century headphones into something that archaic? Also, the only reason I personally would use an adapter of this kind would be to convert a set of headphones into USB via a DAC. It makes no sense to me.
My biggest beef with the EKSA E900 Pro Gaming Headset is with the little red curly leads which feed the sound to the earphones. Curly leads are a totally legit way to connect things which move, but they look really exposed, like they were a bit of an afterthought. In truth, they are not as flimsy as they look, and I like the sort of techie, Star Warsy feel they give, but using the headset anywhere other than in the safety of my office, I’d be afraid that I was going to snag them on something and break them. Luckily, there’s a sturdy bag.
Final Thoughts
I really liked the EKSA E900 Pro Headset. It’s essentially a good PC gaming headset which is its happiest when gaming or listening to movies and music through USB; however, they are also convertible for “offroad use” while travelling. If these sound like they are for you, then you can get them up for just $39.99. Also, get a 10% discount with the code EKSAYUKY10 on any product in the EKSA store. Check out the wholesale prices as well.
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