Headsets are a massively important part of gaming tech for most people. You need them to play games online, assuming you actually want to do well in a team. You need them if you want to listen to your game without being disturbed, and for some they’re needed for broadcasting themselves to the world. The new Head:Set S from Snakebyte seeks to fulfill those needs with a stylish look and an affordable price.
The Head:Set S comes in a pretty striking package. It’s almost all done in red and white, making the dark headphones stand out. The box also boasts some of the set’s features, like foldability, a detachable microphone and a 5 ft. cord with a 10 ft. extension cable for playing on the TV. It also says that it was designed for the Nintendo Switch, but it’s pretty clear that it’s just a standard audio jack that can be used with almost everything. It does match the Switch’s red colour, with blue and green options available for PS4 and Xbox One, respectively.
The weirdest feature of the box is the fact that it makes it very clear that it is Fortnite compatible. Obviously, to anyone who actually knows anything about headsets and gaming in general, this is a pointless inclusion. Of course it’s Fortnite compatible. It’s a headset. If it works on a machine, it’s likely to work on every game that the machine runs, unless the developers have gone insane. Of course, it doesn’t take much brainpower to realise that it’s actually a marketing decision to trick unsuspecting parents/family members into thinking you’d need a specific headset for their annoying offspring/nieces/nephews.
Marketing ploys aside, the Head:Set S is actually pretty damn good, especially considering its price point. It comes in just under £20 at £17.99, which is pretty good for those on a budget. It can be used on everything that has a standard 3.5 mm. audio jack, comes in a very compact and foldable form and has a ridiculously long 15 ft. total cable length if combined with the extension. The Head:Set S works surprisingly well for how cheap it is. The speakers in the headphones have a pretty dynamic range. They provide a decent amount of clarity and volume, and they also work well with more bass-ey sounds, like explosions in video games and EDM music. Since they’re so small, they work well for travelling and can even fit into a coat or jacket pocket. Not to say that they’re designed only for children, they can be extended to fit even people with massive heads (thank God).
The only really bad part about the headset is the microphone. The one that comes with the set is a little small, probably designed with children in mind. On top of that, it doesn’t perform all that well. In recording tests against other microphones of comparable price, the audio came out very fuzzy and tinny. On the plus side, any microphone with a 3.5 mm. jack can be slotted into the headphones, so it’s not all that hard to replace.
The build quality in and of itself is also pretty good on the Head:Set S, at least for how cheaply they can be purchased. The headset feels comfortable on your head thanks to a decent amount of cushioning along the inside, not to mention the stylish Snakebyte logo. The extendable parts of the headphones snap into place and don’t move on their own. Generally, everything feels pretty sturdy.
That’s not to say that the Head:Set S can stand up to exceedingly expensive options. The plastic is definitely cheaper feeling than certain metal headphones, and while the cord is certainly of a thick enough plastic to stand up to a lot of punishment, it isn’t quite as strong as a wire-style cord seen in many pricier options. If you’re looking for the toughest construction out there, then you’d be better of sinking a lot more money. But if you’re looking for a decently priced pair of headphones that will take a lot of usage and have a decent amount of style and utility, then you could do a lot worse.
Microphone quality aside, the Head:Set S does a pretty damn amazing job of providing a usable and comfortable pair of headphones on a budget. The extra features of the super long extension cord for use with TVs and the really compact foldable design are bonuses that you don’t get with some more expensive headset models. Despite what it says on the box, it can be used across pretty much every console, and you have the option of removing the microphone to take them out of the house as your normal headphones. In short, this headset does a pretty cracking job.
Developer: SnakeByte
Publisher: SnakeByte
Platforms: Switch
Release Date: 2018
