In a world that is filled with games, movies, music & movie streaming services, and death stares for any person that walks around with their audio playing out loud, headphones and headsets are becoming more and more popular, and finding a good one is becoming increasingly more difficult with such a wide variety available.

The JBL Quantum 200 is marketed as a gaming headset with an almost way too true slogan of “Sound is Survival”. I find that I am personally always looking for better audio options, but also tend to be a bit of a stickler when it comes to value for money. The JBL Quantum 200 is an incredibly well priced option for decent value.

The two major points for me when buying headphones, are how they feel on my head and ears and how long the cables are to plug it in. As someone who will have my headset on for anywhere between 8 and 12 hours a day, having something that feels comfortable and doesn’t hurt my head is incredibly important. The Quantum 200 sport large over ear memory foam cushions. Of all headphones I’ve used in the last 10 years, these are easily the most comfortable option I’ve used. They give my ears a little wiggle room and don’t crush them. The cushions are soft and gentle on the skull and don’t feel like you’re being crushed in a vice after wearing them for extended periods.

The cable is where I personally have a little bit of an issue. If you were using this purely for console gaming, the short 1mtr cable would not be problematic. Plug into your controller, or straight into your Switch and off you go. My problem mainly comes with using it on PC. Audio splitters are still commonplace but are becoming somewhat dated. The splitter cable adds almost 4x the length to the cable and making it easy to plug into the headphone and microphone slots. Personally, I would have preferred a USB extension. This is a personal gripe, more than anything. But I feel a USB option has more varied usability. You can skip the controller plug in, and plug straight into the console, or the TV. The PC splitter is a hyper specific way of extending the cable, and for a headset that primes itself as a gaming headset, I find it a strange choice.

What is amazing, for such an economic option is how crisp and clear the sound is. JBL are famous for their great audio, and the Quantum 200 give you sound options equivalent to some $500 Headsets on the market. I typically use Astro A40s, and after having used the JBL Quantum 200 for the last month, I don’t think I’ll be going back. The sound quality is just as good, if not better. The internal bass on them is surprisingly bass-y. It’s not overpowering, but you can definitely hear the lower tones, and doesn’t require any equalisation to get the sound required. This was especially useful in games like Phasmophobia and Labyrinthine, where the sound design is built on you hearing everything. The Quantum 200 have an amazing sound to them, crisp and clear, with great bass.

The microphone appears to be serviceable. I use a microphone setup most of the time, so most of my testing with the headset mic came from being in PS parties. Interestingly, hearing playback from a friend’s stream, headset microphone was one of the clearest, and had little to no feedback/white noise pickup. For the general gamer, the microphone will do the job and you’ll find yourself being able to communicate clearly and effectively.

Problematically for me, is that the microphone isn’t detachable or retractable. The microphone works on a flip up/flip down system, flipping up for mute (which worked 100% of the time). My gripe here with it not being detachable or retractable, is that the short cable would make the headset great for every day walking around use, listening to music. I personally am a little too aware of how people may perceive me in public, and don’t like a microphone visible if I’m using the headset for my phone walking around. Or even sitting on public transport playing my Switch. This is a personal gripe, more than anything, and really shouldn’t detract from you buying the headset.

Overall, for such an economic option the JBL Quantum 200 may in fact be the best option on that market. It feels nicely on the head, and can be worn almost all day without any pressure buildup or ear pain. The audio quality is unbelievably good, rivaling many of the higher cost headsets on the market. The microphone is serviceable and will allow you to communicate efficiently with other people, be that in lobbies or on discord. The Quantum 200 is one to look out for, and if you’re not looking to spend big dollars, you cannot go wrong here.