Hands-on review: EKSA E900 Pro gaming headset
If you're looking for a decent gaming headset and you're on a budget, I may have the solution for you. Retailing for around NZ$62, the EKSA E900 Pro will likely have many gamers salivating in anticipation.
Built for gaming, it promises to give that authentic gaming experience, so you'll know if that character behind you is making threatening noises. Boasting 7.1 Surround Sound, you will experience that immersive experience on your PC, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch.
Their website boasts that "The E900 PRO combines 7.1 virtual Surround Sound and immersive audio to produce exceptional acoustic gaming experience for pro-gamers." While I'm not a 'pro' gamer, I do like to dabble occasionally, and have quickly become accustomed to their comfortable, lightweight but substantial feel. I've worn them for several hours at a stretch with no ill effects. To my untrained ear the sound is great, with a clarity and tone that's literally music to my ears.
Specifications
- USB Connection for PC
- 3.5mm cable
- 3.5 mm audio cable for mobile
Microphone
- Type: Retractable Noise Cancelling
- Omnidirectional Microphone 4015 mm
- Frequency Response 20-2000 hz
- Sensitivity -42± 3dB
- Microphone Type Detachable Boom
Compatible with: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, smartphones and tablets (as an aside to Mac users, they work fine on my MacBook Pro)
The audio control is mounted on the headset. When downloading the driver for your Windows PC, make sure you check the serial number on the box and download the correct version for your model. My test headset needed the new driver version.
I was interested to read what EKSA had to say about themselves and should add that their motto is "No burden, just joy". It's a clever motto given their comfort and light weight. Their aim, they say, is to bring real comfort to gamers around the world. Great products, they add, don't need to be high-priced.
Driven by the professional need to articulate my gaming experience, I devoted some considerable time to this. It is one of the more demanding aspects of the hard life of a reviewer.
Then it was off for a spot of gaming. At this stage, I'll admit to being a tad slow on the uptake with some of the games. Since my first foray into Leisure Suit Larry, my propensity to repeat the same thing over and over in the forlorn hope that it will work, has never left me. However, at least I was able to endure the slings and arrows of the characters in wonderful, clear surround sound.
A few days have passed and my curtains are now open, and I'm being blinded by the light from outside, grateful that today is grey and overcast. The EKSA E900 Pro has performed just as I expected, and whether I was zooming the mean streets of a dystopian Los Angeles or singing along with Idina Menzel as my soul is spiralling in frozen fractals, (ask someone with children what I'm on about) I'm delighted with the sound as well as the comfort.
Those of you wanting inexpensive headsets for your gaming console will be pleased to know that EKSA have included the adapter cables you need. I've found the carry pouch comes in handy for keeping those spare bits (including the removable microphone) safe and sound.
There are more complex and higher-end models out there, but EKSA have found the right balance for those of us fussy about sound but without deep pockets. They may be for the budget conscious, but aesthetically you'll be hard pushed to tell them apart from many of their pricier competitors.
