After a run on Bluetooth devices, its time we wire it back up and try out the GameCom 777 from Plantronics.
First, lets talk about the design, where I think the item falls a tad short. The plastic headband is thick but feels a little flimsy for our liking. It has held up fine for the review, but time will definitely tell on that. The ear cups are comfortable and press against your head to distribute the pressure and it actually was nice to wear them.
BUT, and a big one at that, ever though the ear cups cover your ear entirely, they DO NOT block out sound at all. I now that noise-canceling is not part of the headset (or at least for the headphones) but that was very disappointing and was distracting because it didn't let you focus on the great sound.
They call it an open-ear design that allows you to stay aware of your surroundings. Sure thats great for safety's sake, but we were not a fan of that built in "feature" and its odd to see considering the opposite is commonplace. The wiring and connection points seem to be strong though including the USB sound card. Also, the microphone will turn back into the headband for safety.
Now lets move on to the sound, the most important part of this review. Plantronics uses Dolby® technology to deliver what they call a 7-channel audio experience. This is made possible through the in line USB connection that takes both the output and input mic and mixes them into one USB connection. The in-line controls allow you to adjust volume and mute the microphone, and the long wire gives you great freedom to move around.
The issue is this doesn't feel like 7.1, it really only feels/sounds like 2.1 a left and right channel. The spacial sound just isn't there like a 7.1 unit should sound. Try some of the 7.1 and even 5.1 test videos and audio tracks out there and you will see.
Now with all of that said, its a really great, pure, clear and bassy quality sound. I tested it on Battlefield 3 on Ps3 and World of Warcraft on Mac.
The sound on both was great, bullets and tanks sound loud and right on point, but there really isnt that "its behind me, its in front of me" feel. Same with WoW but the game isnt really know for that, rather we used the noise-canceling mic and had great success with it. It also is SO GREAT for video chats like iChat, Skype and Facetime. The mic sounds awesome here is a audio test video:
The microphone is great for a headset like this, and although the headset isn't really a true 7.1 set, the sound is engulfing and enough to satisfy anyone. Its comfortable to wear, even for extended periods of time thanks to the padded headband and large ear cups.
Other than slightly disapponting on the 7.1 front and not some sound being lost because of the open-ear design, we really did enjoy these.
MSRP:
$99.99
PROS:
+ Comfortable
+ Great sound balance
+ Microphone is actually very clear
+ Actually $30 bucks cheaper on Amazon right now! (2/4/12)
CONS:
- Not truly 7.1 surround sound
- No passive noise canceling
GRADE:
A-