Ben grew up on a healthy diet of Nintendo, Xbox, and PC Games. He founded High Ground Gaming in 2014.
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
EasySMX reached out to us about doing a review on their latest headset (Model VIP002S). I decided to take them up on their offer, curious about what sort of quality their headset can deliver for under $40. It seems well-liked on Amazon, averaging a score of 4.5 out of 5 with 77 reviews at the time of this writing. Nevertheless, I still wanted to do a hands-on review and see what it’s really like.
Below, you’ll find photos of the headset and our section where we rate the headset in three categories: audio quality, comfort & features, and value.
Zoom In: Specs
- Components: Adjustable headband and microphone
- Controls: RGB and volume wheels
- Cable Length: 6.5 feet (2 meters)
- Frequency Range: 20~20 kHz
- Rated Power: 10mW w/ 20mW max input
- Speaker Diameter: Φ40mm
- Operating Current : ＜70mA w/ DC 5V±5% voltage
- Speaker Sensitivity: 92dB±3dB w/ 32Ω±15% impedence
- Microphone Type: Omnidirectional
Unboxing
- EasySMX VIP002S Stereo Gaming Headset
- Y Splitter Cable
- User Manual
- After-Sales Promotion Card
This headset is truly plug-and-play. There’s no software and everything is controlled using the buttons and dials on the headset itself. I played some XCOM 2 and Hearthstone while wearing this headset and I didn’t notice a massive difference between it and my go-to Creative Sound BlasterX H5 Headset. The audio isn’t as crisp and clear, but I could pick up all the important details in both games and there’s no sound pollution such as static feedback. The innkeeper’s welcomes sound nearly as warm and my squadmates cries for help nearly as dire. The audio quality didn’t diminish when I turned up the volume on the dial either.
The EasySMX VIP002S Headset isn’t as comfortable as my BlasterX H5 Headset at home nor my Sennheiser headphones at work. That said, after about two hours of gaming my ears weren’t killing me or anything. The foam padding isn’t razer thin and the memory foam earcups and adjustable headband kept me content.
I found the wheels on the right and left earcups (to control LED lighting and volume) satisfying to use. The lighting on the earcup pulsing through the color spectrum as I spun the dial was particularly pleasing. Another thing I liked about the EasySMX Headset is the length of the braided cable. For whatever reason, Creative Labs decided to make the H5 Headset cable really short, so if I roll too far away from my desk I get the unfriendly yank.
Performance
There are a couple of cons I would like to mention. The first being a lack of any app or software to configure audio settings. For people who don’t really care about fine tuning things and desire an easy plug and play option that’s probably okay. That being said, I could see it being an issue where chat and game audio need to be calibrated so you can make sure you can hear you teammates voices clearly. The other issue is the mute button on the headset. The indicator light faces away from the wearer, so you can’t tell if you’ve muted yourself without physically taking the headset off. Furthermore, the mute button didn’t work when I used the headset on my Xbox One.
There are numerous gaming headsets around the $20-40 area. Frankly, it seems pretty difficult to separate the chaff from the wheat at this price point. Fortunately, most online retailers have pretty liberal return policies, so that’s always a good backup plan if you decide to purchase one of these headsets. As for the EasySMX VIP002S Headset, it does seem to offer more than most budget gaming headsets.
RGB lighting, well-padded ear cups and headband, noise-cancelling 110 degree microphone, bendable headband, mic button, and a dial control interface are all features that when added together, set the EasySMX Headset apart. Most cheaper headsets may have one or two of those features, but usually not all of them. If you’re not ready to get a headset from a big brand like Razer or Steelseries, but don’t want an uncomfortable $10 headset the new EasySMX Headset is a good middle-ground.
A 3.5mm audio jack compatible wired gaming headset with LED lighting (LED lighting powered via USB). The headset isn’t backed by software, but the controls are intuitive. For the money, gamers will be happy with this product.
You can view this product on the EasySMX website.
Related Reading
Zoom Out: Verdict
Overall
-
Audio Quality - 7/10
7/10
-
Comfort & Features - 7/10
7/10
-
Value - 9/10
9/10
Summary
An affordable, plug-and-play headset. The RGB and Volume control dials on either earcup are fun to use. It doesn’t have software and the mute button fails to work on all platforms, but that doesn’t erase the bottom line: a good value for gamers looking for a budget gaming headset.
Pros
- Intuitive controls
- Stunning RGB lights
- Very affordable w/ solid sound quality
Cons
- No software
- Mostly run-of-the-mill features
- Mute indicator light faces away from user
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