Plantronics RIG 500 PRO Esports Edition [Review]: Nails the basics

Plantronics is a renowned headset maker with some of the all-time headsets available. The company has now doubled downwards on its attention with esports-grade products with the new RIG 500 PRO Esports Edition headset. Just is information technology something you'd want to utilise at home likewise? Let's take a expect.

A solid contender

Plantronics RIG 500 Pro Esports gaming headset

$150

Lesser line: Information technology lacks some of the bells and whistles but delivers the nuts in a big way.

Pros:

I of the near comfortable headsets.
Satisfying sound.
Robust construction.

Cons:

Lacks features for the price.

What yous'll love about the RIG 500 Pro

The RIG 500 Pro esports headset might be the almost comfy headset I have ever used. At simply 323 grams, the RIG 500 Pro quite literally hovers on your skull, thanks to its floating headstrap. Its modular design allows you to move the earcups up and down in relation to the headband equally you lot seek the perfect fit, almost completely getting out of your style.

Category	Spec
Frequency response	20Hz to xx,000Hz
Weight	323 grams
Connexion	3.5mm
Speakers	50mm Neodymium
Surround sound	Dolby Atmos code included
Features	Unique volume control nub for PS4 and Xbox One Boosted cup options Flip-to-mute mic
Toll	$149.99

As a more pricey headset, y'all might look more than premium design conventions, and Plantronics delivers in this area. The headstrap is made of steel, and while some other headsets I've used fall into a trap of conducting unwanted sound when using metal in their designs, Plantronics sidesteps whatsoever potential issues by keeping the ear cups separate from the metallic parts.

Few headsets I've used feel this overnice in the hand. The ear cups also apply metal, hollowed out and cage-like to reduce weight, while protecting the speakers themselves from knocks. This headset is not delicate and prissy; it's industrial, almost military-mode in its presentation. It looks great, combining carbon-fiber patterns with brushed metal, with both gloss and matte black plastics.

The Esports Edition includes both fabric and leatherette-style ear cups in the box. Both are high-quality and will serve your caput well.

When it comes to audio, this headset is also rock-solid, delivering rich, tactile audio in every range. Those large 50mm drivers really deliver a well-tuned, distortion-complimentary feel, even at the highest volumes.

The RIG 500 Pro doesn't sport any 7.1 surround solution, simply it comes with a Dolby Atmos code in the box, which is almost as expert every bit, if not better, in games that support Atmos directly. Sadly, the amount of games that support Atmos properly are few, but for the ones that practise, your ears will thank you. With Atmos, the audio stage expands exponentially, creating a far richer, far more dynamic experience.

Another attribute the RIG 500 Pro excels at is microphone sound. This is often an area neglected by gaming headsets, but as an "esports" headset, information technology's not something Plantronics could afford to cheap out on. Thankfully, it didn't. The mic sounds crystal clear on both Xbox Live and other vocalism chat services, and while it has that signature comms "fuzz" that might forestall you from using it equally a podcast or content cosmos mic, it will serve you will in political party conversation, cancelling out background noise well.

This is an fantabulous headset at every level, but it's non perfect.

What you'll dislike well-nigh the RIG 500 Pro

I'm not a huge fan of Plantronics'southward reliance on Dolby Atmos, because very few games support the surround algorithm properly on Xbox One. The stereo experience is great, but virtual 7.i support might accept edged this headset a little college for immersive qualities.

It'southward worth noting as well that this headset tin can exist quite noisy for those in the room with you. If your goal is to isolate your game and chat audio from other people who might be in the room, this isn't the headset for you.

I also have to, one time over again, complain almost the lack of mic monitoring. Some of the esports competitions I've seen that feature headsets without monitoring use Astro MixAmps to inject comms feedback, which you could argue stops the RIG 500 from beingness the "complete" esports package. The Xbox I's software mic monitoring solution is simply too serenity. If y'all're non a fan of mic monitoring feedback (where yous can hear yourself speaking on comms), this won't exist an effect.

Final thoughts on the Plantronics RIG 500 Pro Esports Edition

The RIG 500 Pro is an exemplary headset that satisfies on every level. It's hard to consider this to be a "complete" esports package with mic monitoring missing, but it's easily added with an audio controller, which would most likely be available in a tournament setting anyway.

As far every bit dwelling house utilize is concerned, the headset is quite noisy for those listening effectually you, but the sound quality is balanced and crisp, with an first-class mic experience. The flat tangle-free cables, flip-to-mute mic, and unique in-line mic controls also show nice attending to particular.

For dwelling house users, there are probably more feature-complete headsets to choice upwards in this price range, such as Plantronics's RIG 800LX, which is wireless, or Turtle Beach's Stealth 700, which has mic monitoring audio feedback and Bluetooth. Equally far equally the nuts are concerned — comfort, structure, and sound — this headset nails it.

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