Everynow and then you find a diamond in the rough. I was on the lookout to try something different and I know a lot of these new headset manufacturers are always looking to take a crack at the market so I gave this one a shot. For the price it is a pretty decent headset. Don't expect it to rival high end stuff from Razer or Logitech. This is an adequately priced decent quality headset. Below is my very detailed review:
I am not an extreme audiophile but I have some decent gear and know my audio. The stereo audio quality out of the box is a solid 8/10. The bass isnt as punchy as I would have liked, but everything, including the mids and treble will suffice for the average gamer.
I am writing this review having just finished a 4 hour gaming session. My ears are slightly warm due to the ear cups but not to the point that they were ever uncomfortable. The headset isnt heavy on your head and the ear cups dont clamp down hard on your ears like some skullcandy headphones do. The padding that this headset uses on the ear cups is of decent quality and did not make my ears sweat in long sessions of wearing the headset. I would have preferred cooling gel padding on the ear cups but we have to remember that this is also not a high priced headset.
Throughout my use online, everyone said that they could hear my voice pretty clearly. Where there is no pop filter on the microphone, words that start with "P" do sound like they pop a bit but the mic works good otherwise and delivered a decent experience overall. The mic arm is also very flexible. Not only can you move it up and down, you can also easily contour it closer or away from your mouth. This was not something I was expecting based on the pictures provided, so it was a welcome addition indeed.
The construction quality is mostly plastic with some metal parts (headband inside the plastic shroud for controlling the size of the headband is actually made of metal). I was not expecting this either so it was a good surprise to find. Headsets with metal hand bands tend to last longer. The entire cable is nylon braided so it won't break rip or get entangled easily. The headset also comes with a pre-installed velcro strap to keep the cable together. There is a sizable control panel attached to the headset and it contains the volume control jog wheel and a microphone mute/unmute slider button. The jog wheel works well but I would have liked stopping points to know when I have reached the halfway point. There is no mic volume adjustability and that is something else that would have been a nice to have.
The good part is that even at maximum volume there was no buzzing - a lot of cheap headsets have this problem but it seems that this one does have some sort of noise filter inside to reduce electronic magnetic interference (EMI).
It came with a USB plug and a 3.5mm jack on the end of the cable. The USB plug is only used to light up the LEDs inside it. The usb alone cannot be used for audio or microphone. You have to use the 3.5mm cable attached to the headset for both stereo audio and mic. It comes with a adapter to separate this 3.5mm cable into separate mic and headphone jacks (for use on PCs and Laptops). The adapter works well enough.
Where this headset excels is when you connect it to a headphone amplifier. I tried it on a cheap digital optical based turtle beach headphone amplifier, a high quality FiiO A5 and a Behringer Microamp HA400. The sound quality on this headset surprised me when I put it through its paces through all of three of those headphone amplifiers. I found that if you use a decent headphone amplifier you can get punchier bass, as well as more balanced mids and trebles from this headset. Now I am not an extreme audiophile but the fact that the drivers in this headset did not distort when connected to any of my headphone amps has me sold. Will I buy another product from this company? Yes, if it continues to be in this price range. One just has to be mindful that these cannot be compared to $150 canadian headsets.
My suggestions for the makers of this headset: Instead of the LED lights, give us wireless bluetooth 5.0 connectivity with the option of running it corded.
| Sensitivity | 11 dB |
|---|---|
| Headphones jack | 3.5 mm Jack |
| Model name | UM303 |
| Connectivity technology | Wired |
| Wireless communication technology | wired |
| Included components | Gaming Headset |
| Age range (description) | Adult |
| Material | Plastic |
| Specific uses for product | Music, Gaming |
| Recommended uses for product | Gaming, Music |
| Compatible devices | New Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 4, PSP, Laptop, PC, iPad, Mobile Phone and Tablet devices |
| Theme | Video Game |
| Control type | Volume Control |
| Cable feature | Tangle Free |
| Item weight | 0.82 Pounds |
| Frequency range | 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz |
| Package type | Standard Packaging |
| Unit count | 1 Count |
| Style | over ear |
| Manufacturer | GuangDong Kotion electroacoustic Technology Co.， Ltd |
| Place of Business | Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, CN |
| Model | UM303 |
| Part Number | UM303 |
| Hardware Platform | Gaming Console, PC |
| Hardware interface | 3.5mm Audio |
| Special features | Fashionable & comfortable, Noise cancelling headphones, Excellent Compatibility |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Color Screen | No |
| Microphone format | Omnidirectional Microphone |
| Batteries included | No |
| Batteries Required | No |
| Cable Feature | Tangle Free |
| Material Type | Plastic |
| Form Factor | On Ear |
| Has auto-focus | No |
| Includes rechargable battery | No |
| Has Programmable Buttons | No |
| Manufacturer | GuangDong Kotion electroacoustic Technology Co.， Ltd |
| Item model number | UM303 |
| Product Dimensions | 20.98 x 22 x 11.56 cm; 370 g |
| ASIN | B074X2LK3L |
