Plantronics RIG 500 Gaming Headset

There appear to be 2 major colleges once it involves the look of recreation headsets. Either you go arduous on the gamer aesthetic, otherwise you try and create them seem like headphones.

Plantronics, a corporation I usually think about as providing business headsets and zilch however, is attempting to search out a cheerful medium between the 2 whereas packing some distinctive, helpful options into a fairly easy package. The sound popping out of those still should serve, however let’s jump in and see however they fare.



Build and elegance

Plantronics sent us 2 headsets to appear at: The Plantronics RIG 500 pro HX and also the RIG 500 professional Esports Edition. they need a awfully similar look. The drivers and earpads area unit identical in each models, as is that the mic. each have a spartan honeycomb type of build that provides them a light-weight look and feel while not compromising on however durable they feel.

It has an virtually military feel to that, however while not resorting to dropping camo and army logos thereon. i actually just like the utilitarian look, particularly with the lighter shade on the Esports Edition metal body.

It whispers gamer rather than screaming it. Like, “hey this person could be a gamer, but like, a cool one, not a dork.” Unlike, say, Corsair HS 50 headset, though, even baring the mic off these can ne'er enable them to pass as something however a headset.

whereas you'll be able to disconnect the mic, the swinging a part of it's designed into the receiver, and also the audio cable is back-mounted for a few reason.

Despite the skeletal look, they're closed-back headphones, so that they lock in air and (some) sound.

The mic on each could be a boom-style mic that you just will sweep of the approach terribly simply – higher nevertheless, it mutes once you click it into the upward positions.

A few things and set the esports edition apart, though. The most important distinction is that the metal bodies and earcups on the Esports Edition. It’s close enough to the HX model in weight that I wouldn’t decision that an element, however it feels a lot of “premium” evidently, and also the cool feel of the metal on my hands jogs my memory that I’m putt a pleasant piece of hardware on anytime I choose them up.

The RIG five hundred – the Esports Edition particularly – is one in every of the coolest-looking headsets I’ve had my hands on.

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Features

As a stereo wired headset, the RIG five hundred is essentially pretty feature-lite. There isn’t any surround sound, RGB, or something like that. this is often a stereo, wired gaming headset.



With that same, it still sets itself apart.

The earcups have this twin material issue occurring, wherever the outer ring is fake animal skin, whereas the pad that rests against your head is a lot of of a nylon-feeling, moisture-wicking material. which means they feel snug to wear for a comparatively long amount of your time, however they don’t seal the noise in very well.

One of the best things is that the RIG Audio Dial. If you’re recreation with a PS4 or Xbox One controller, each headsets go along with a wire specifically thereupon in mind. It’s a shorter “console-length” wire that terminates in an exceedingly dial you plug into the PS4 or Xbox One controller receiver jack.

Rather than putt the quantity up around chest height like most headsets prefer to do – a holdover from wired hands-free sets for cellphones – the amount dial is true at the controller. Tweaking your volume on the fly is considerably easier.

If you reside in an exceedingly house with members of the family or roommates or play publicly areas for no matter reason, this is often killer. whereas there area unit Xbox and PlayStation editions of this headset, every comes with lockup piece for each systems – a touch piece of rubber that helps the headset plug swimmingly into the controller.

Just just in case you’re a computer gamer or don’t dig that vogue, the Esports edition additionally comes with a second PC-style wire that's longer and options the in-line volume management.

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Sound

Plantronics is an audio company initial – not a keyboard and mouse company or a memory company. That’s to not forged shade on Plantronics competitors in any respect, though. Rather, it’s to place additional pressure on Plantronics. Plantronics headsets have to sound higher than the competition.

Before I drop a finding of fact on that, let’s speak a touch bit regarding the sound well.

Compared to a collection of music headphones, the sound is nice, however not nice. It’s virtually as loud as I’d like, probably as a result of it’s meant to be obstructed into game controllers with comparatively little batteries instead of phones designed to last all day. That’s strictly conjecture, though. therewith same, they are doing get lots loud – I ne'er felt like I couldn’t hear no matter i used to be listening to.

As way as sound, the RIG 500 appears to possess a fairly even sound profile in my testing. It doesn’t to a fault sweeten bass as you’d typically expect recreation headsets to try to to. Some stuff didn’t sound as vivid as I would’ve likable, just like the drums on Metallica’s black album.

I expect those specific drums to possess a precise punch to them that was missing from the RIG 500. The instrument separation isn’t quite as robust, either, however music still plays through them while not bother.

In games like Doom it performs well-enough for my tastes. Again, it doesn’t go as significant on the bass as I typically expect from recreation headsets. It’s gift and accounted for while not being overwhelming. excavation into games like Spider-Man, Forza Horizon three et al given me with clean, clear dialogue and roaring engine sounds.



One of my few complaints regarding the headset is that they bleed noise in each directions as good as. They’re closed-back headphones and that they wear like closed-back headphones, however they let noise through virtually the maximum amount as open-back headphones. Oof.

But like I same, these area unit headphones from an audio company. they must sound nice, particularly at the vessel price of the Esports Edition.

If you opt for the RIG 500HX, you’ll get a fairly solid headset that works and feels durable. it would be a touch expensive compared to a number of the competition, however it’s not out of the park and will get the duty done.

The Esports Edition is tough to suggest at the upper worth. The metal body feels nice, however note nice. The on-controller audio dial could be a nice concept that I’d like to see different firms notice ways that to implement, and I’m hoping Plantronics’ next generation of headsets fulfills the promise of their name a touch higher.

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