Game Review: FREQ 5 PC Gaming Headset

Extra-large 50mm drivers and speakers with Neodymium magnets really belt out the sound and with the over the ear covers it fits well, perhaps a tad heavy for my liking as the top of my head began to hurt after a while.

Build quality is pretty good the only problem I encountered was the headband which seems to be a common problem with these kind of headsets, because it isn`t reinforced, they tend to snap after a while especially when your pulling them out of a bag on a daily basis and for this kind of money (£129.99) it’s not something I would expect, even though they look OK, apart from the headband they are quiet sturdy; the cans fold flat which is great for round the neck and for storage.

The detachable noise cancelling mic works really well and my voice came through nice and clear, with the addition of the light up mic end to let you know it’s off, this was somewhat confusing at first as my natural instinct was to think when light is on mic is live, it is very helpful to avoid those embarrassing on-line gaff just don`t get the logic in having it this way.

Regarding the mic it’s one of those bendy types which is fine, until you forget it’s there and reach for your beverage, thus resulting in a tea soaked mic, you can detach it (there’s an small easy to lose cover that fits over the hole) yet it would have been handy if you could just flip it up like most other headsets.

The On-ear controls work well once you have figured out where they are, and are the usual volume controls, mic mute and EQ the only problem I had with these was headsets volume control the positioning isn`t that good because if you wore a collar then when you turn your head it catches on the volume control.

These are primarily a PC gaming headset and they look the part, the sound is good with nice noise cancelling thanks to the over ear speakers

The FREQ 5 PC Gaming Headset can be used with other devices except gaming consoles, and it worked well with my smart phone even though I couldn`t use the EQ, yet I certainly wouldn`t go outside with them as they are pretty big, and it will do nothing for your street cred walking around with these on your head.

The best thing about this headset is the sound it’s not in fancy 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, just good old stereo and it is a nice set up with plenty of bass for those big explosions, music plays well perhaps a little too much bass at times, and with the added issue of not knowing what EQ setting you have on you basically have to try all three until you find the one you want.

The FREQ 5 PC Gaming Headset has a two meter length PC cable with a full usb at one end and a mini usb at the other to connect to the headset; I have not come across this kind of connection before (the mini USB I mean) and it can take a couple of tries to get the thing to fit in, why they didn`t go for a normal jack I have no idea.

The other meter long cable is for connecting to other devices and this comes with a 3.5mm jack and a mini usb

Summary

The FREQ 5 PC Gaming Headset is undeniably a good quality headset, yet for the price I can only see this appealing to dedicated gamers as there are plenty of cheaper and sometimes better headsets on the market, if these were £50 cheaper I am sure more people would be interested and with my concerns over the strength of the headband, long term use is an issue, the last thing you need is to fork out over £130 for a headset that snaps in two 6 months later (believe me I know)

If you’re a dedicated gamer with a bit of cash burning a hole in the old “sky rocket” and you want the street cred then you can`t go wrong with these, they do the job admirably I just think they are somewhat overpriced.

FREQ 5 PC Gaming Headset

Manufacturer: Mad Catz/Cyborg gaming

Price: £129.99

Precision-Balanced, Extra Large 50mm Drivers with Neodymium Magnets

Detachable Noise-Cancelling Microphone with Illuminated Mute Notification

Easy to Locate On-Ear Controls

Compatible with MP3 Players and Smartphones (Supports Apple iPhone, Blackberry, and HTC handsets)

Usability: 4.5/5

Comfort: 3.5/5

Value For Money: 3/5

Overall: 4/5

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