Seems more like an amateur headset.
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Logitech has given its newest gaming headset the simple moniker of Pro (See it on BestBuy), foregoing some bells and whistles in favor of a more streamlined device aimed at eSports enthusiasts. With a lightweight design, cross-platform compatibility, decent audio quality and a “pro” microphone, it’s a headset with a pretty simple feature set.Despite its stripped-down design, it’s still kind of expensive at $90, especially since it’s a wired stereo headset. That said, Logitech says it’s perfect for eSports or gamers who just want to use “pro” equipment. I tested them out to see how they stack up.
Design and Features
At first glance, the Logitech Pro appears strikingly similar to the Logitech G433 headset released last year. The overall shape of the two headsets is nearly identical, but the Pro ditches the mesh covering for a soft-touch finish on the exterior of the ear cups and a rather cheap-looking plastic headband. There is, however, a steel band connecting the earcups, so that should soothe people’s jitters over what appears to be an all-plastic headset.
The soft-touch surface feels nice and the understated looks do help if you want to wear the Pro around in public. Since this is an analog headset, you can plug the 3.5mm jack into a smartphone and the boom mic is removable so you don’t look like an air traffic controller riding on the bus. Similarly, the analog plug has the added bonus of allowing connectivity to your PC and your gaming consoles.
But for PC gaming with chat, a removable headphone/mic Y-splitter cable lets the Pro hook up to the 3.5mm ports on the computer. There’s no virtual surround on this headset, and for a device aimed at competitive players that’s frankly very disappointing. The previously mentioned Logitech G433 includes DTS Headphone: X 7.1 and actually costs a few bucks less than the Pro.
The cans on the Pro are an around-the-ear design. As someone who wears glasses, this is generally my preferred style of headset and coupled with the lightweight build and soft leatherette ear pads on the Pro, I found them to be very comfortable even after a couple hours of continuous use. Logitech also includes a set of microfiber ear pads if that’s more your style, although I couldn’t notice any real difference between the two from a comfort or performance angle. Still, it’s nice to have the option to remove the pads and give them a clean-up, if needed.
The cable on the Pro is removable from the headset, which could come in handy if you accidentally roll over it with your desk chair and need a replacement. But even then, the cable’s braided design seems plenty durable and the length is just about perfect for reaching a desktop tower without tons of extra cord. A mid-cable control unit offers simple roll dial volume adjustment and there’s a slide on the back for muting the mic. The accident-proof design of the latter is nice, because errant mute button presses in the middle of an online game are extremely aggravating.
The boom mic is very understated, design wise, with a bendable wire-like structure and a pop filter covering the end. It’s very easy to position in just about any setup, which makes getting correct positioning for different users real easy, but the foam pop-filter really pushes that dorky air traffic controller vibe I mentioned earlier. While it’s likely not much of a surprise the analog Pro doesn’t use Logitech’s Game Software program, it’s no less a bummer. Again, the similar G433 headset—albeit with a USB connection—can access the software for audio presets and equalization. The lack of customization with this headset, particularly in how sound is handled, makes the Pro moniker in this instance a real head-scratcher.
Performance
The lack of surround functionality in a headset which costs nearly $100 may be a deal breaker for a lot of PC gamers. But that’s not to say the Pro headset is all bad. In fact, Logitech’s proprietary Pro-G drivers offer very clear sound with great low-end. There was no perceivable distortion in any setting, even while cranking Run The Jewels tracks at max volume, which is fairly impressive. The ear cups do a fair job of isolating sound and blocking some of the outside world. But with a little volume, it’s easy for bystanders to hear audio from the headset from even a few feet away.
To be clear, the Pro doesn’t offer anything close to the directional soundscape of an expensive set of cans like the Astro A50, or the audio fidelity of a pair of pricey Sennheisers. And quite frankly, there are cheap virtual surround headsets on Amazon right now for about a third of the price which can offer more to gamers than a stereo headset like the Pro can provide. But the audio quality is decent, even if I enjoyed listening to Spotify on them more than I actually enjoyed using them for gaming. Playing a sound-intensive game like PlayerUnkown’s Battlegrounds with a stereo headset isn’t ideal. Sure, the footsteps are pretty clear, but the directional support just isn’t up to snuff. The mic on the Pro is an overly sensitive mess, however. Out of the box, entire lobbies of players complained about my mic’s insane background noise. Turning the mic’s level down to about 30 percent seemed to make things better, but the most frequent comment I received was that while my voice sounded great and clear, the mic was picking up even the slightest noises. And despite the derpy filter on the mic, there was a considerable amount of pop while I spoke. Pulling the mic further away didn’t seem to help too much in this regard, but in any case my speech would then drown out into the sounds of my kids watching TV in the other room. Logitech claims the Pro has a noise-cancelling mic, but my experience was the complete opposite.
Purchasing Guide
Logitech’s G Pro headset has an MSRP of $89.99 and can be purchased for the same price at Best Buy. Since it just launched it’s not offered for a discount anywhere, and Best Buy appears to be the only e-tailer offering it.
The Verdict
As the name suggests, the Logitech Pro is allegedly intended for pro gamers. But for the life of me, I can’t begin to understand why any of them would use this stereo headset with an irritating, finicky microphone. There are cheaper options—including Logitech’s own G433—which are far superior in nearly every single way. Go buy those instead.
Source: IGN PC Articles
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