The latest RIG gaming headsets from Plantronics sound great

Events like the Melbourne eSports Open are a place for gamers to unite and show their love for all things videogame, especially when you have some amazing players front and centre, but even with that happening, there was more to do then just watch games, you could play them in the JB HiFi Game Zone and even scope out some of the newest gaming hardware and that is what I did.

Before the show, Plantronics invited me to check out two new products, one is a refresh of an existing design and the other is something completely new and both are impressive as heck. Kicking things off with the refresh, we have the 400 series, one of the most common headsets for gamers on a budget and for good reason. These have got all the features you want, sound isolating cups, a noise cancelling mic and the ability to change parts around, to make them your own, but over the years, Plantronics have noticed some issues with the design and sort to fix them up.

The first thing they noticed, was that player feedback was quite down, when people were talking about the microphone and how there were times it would not connect, or people could not hear them. Turns out, after investigating the claims, the issue was that as the connection was a standard 3.5mm plug, with a round cover, it could slot in anyway the user put it in, but once connected, if the mic was facing the wrong way, or it was not pushed in far enough, it would not work as designed. So the team are correcting that, by taking the mic and adding in a new connection end to it, making it clear as can be, that is gets inserted one way and one way only and on top of that, there is now a firm clicking sound, so you know when it has been plugged in.

But they did not stop there, the ear cups also got an upgrade, at least on the internals, now they are still packing the same 40mm drivers on the inside, so the sound quality is going to be exceptional, but there is something more. Plantronics is a brand that not only makes gaming headsets, but almost all the headsets used in offices around the world and they have taken some of that tech, used there, to help out gamers here. Specifically, when there are loud noises on the other end of your gaming sessions or a surge in power, there is now tech inside to help stop that noise from hitting your ears, or I should say, the ears of your young gamer, as the 400 series have been quite popular for the little gamer and for good reason.

Now a refresh is always good to hear about, but there is no denying that people want new and they are delivering here, with the 700 series, a wireless headset that is insanely light and still offers up a massive 12 hours of battery. The left cup is where all the action happens, there is a removable microphone, which itself has a uni-directional pick up pattern and lets you adjust it, so you can hear yourself, if you wanted to. The microphone also includes the new design of only being able to plug it in, one single way, reducing issues out of the game, plus the arm is flexible enough, to find the right placement for anyone. There are also wheels that will let you change the audio volume, or chat to game audio balance, meaning you can find that sweet spot for each game you have, but if that as not enough the mute button, can be swapped out to be an EQ button, giving you even more controls.

I mentioned before that the headset is insanely light and that is a little bit of a lie, it would be far more accurate to say that it is some form of technological witchcraft, as they weigh a staggering 230grams. Putting that in perspective, my iPhone, which is the Xs Max is 210grams and one of my normal cups for tea is 530grams and I would not consider either of them to be heavy at all. How the audio goes, is something I will test out with the unit I have been provided with but given the quality of the RIG series in the past, I have no reservations on expecting anything bad here. One thing that Peter from Plantronics made sure I was across, was that while the regular headsets, that contain a standard cable connection, will work on other devices, the 700 series has a model for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and it is not just a matter of branding. Each of them, has a connection for that platform, but most importantly, they have been tuned for them as well, you would not buy a sports car and take it on a dirt track, or vice versa, so getting the one for your platform is highly advised.

Plantronics have become Australia’s gaming headset of choice and if the refresh of the 400 and the inclusion of the 700 series are anything to go by, they won’t lose that spot soon.